Looking for Help with Our Aluminum Catamaran Build Plan

My partner and I are planning to build an aluminum catamaran, but we haven’t found the perfect design yet. If you have any suggestions or recommendations for our project, please feel free to leave a comment—I’d really appreciate it!
Here’s what we’re aiming for:

• Sailing Area: Mostly Southeast Asia and the Mediterranean.
• Length: Somewhere between 45-48 feet works for us.
• Living Situation: It’s just the two of us (a couple) living aboard full-time, so we’ll be spending most of our time in the cabin.
• Main Cabin Specs: We’d like a headroom of 6.5 feet in the main cabin area—that’s a comfy height for us, and we don’t need a flybridge. Ideally, the main cabin could stretch to about 40% of the boat’s length for extra space, even if it means sacrificing some performance.
• Forward Cockpit: This is a big one for us. Steering in heavy rain is miserable without it.
• Power: Electric propulsion, powered by solar panels and a gasoline generator. We want to fit as many photovoltaic panels as possible—this is super important to us.

A few questions I’ve been mulling over:

1. Why build it ourselves? A catamaran this size usually costs over $1 million, which is way beyond our budget. We’re planning to build in China or Vietnam, where labor and materials are the most affordable. I’ve reached out to five boatyards, and their quotes for construction (acting as agents) range from $50,000 to $80,000. Including raw materials, construction, interior fit-out, and all the gear—batteries, solar panels, generator, electric motor, watermaker, toilet, washing machine, AC, lights, fridge, induction stove, oven, air compressor, chartplotter, furling system, etc.—the total cost lands around $300,000-$400,000.
2. Why aluminum? Honestly, I don’t think aluminum is the ultimate choice—carbon fiber would be ideal. But carbon fiber and resin need precise molds (male and female), which gets pricey and complicated. I’ve seen hand-laid fiberglass cats in Southeast Asia, and they weren’t pretty. Plus, I’m not confident about their safety—will those hand-glued fibers hold up? Aluminum doesn’t require molds, so it’s a practical middle ground that saves time and money.
3. Why ask for plans here? I’ve talked to yacht design studios around me, but they mostly focus on coastal boats. Their designs didn’t quite hit the mark, and I’m skeptical about how safe they’d be. My priorities are: Safety > Comfort > Performance.

If you’ve got any insights, design tips, or know of plans that might fit what we’re after, I’d love to hear from you. Thanks so much!

 

Hi, I can offer you my catamaran, I designed it before the war, all the hull drawings for its construction from aluminum were made.

Length 15.5 m
Width 8.1 m


https://unikyachts.com/en/s-52/

If you are interested in the offer, I am ready to discuss it.

Best regards Yuriy
unikyachts@gmail.com

 

Maybe try: David de Villiers De Villiers Marine Design - Home - De Villiers Marine Design https://devilliersmarinedesign.co.nz/
Richard Woods Sailing Catamarans - Home https://www.sailingcatamarans.com/
Tony Grainger Sailing Catamarans, Trimarans and Power Cats. Plans for Kit Construction https://www.graingerdesigns.net/

I'm sure there are lots more. Keep us posted on your journey. It should be fun.

 

Someone else posted on another thread about Bruce Roberts Bruce Roberts, CATAMARAN boat plans, CATAMARAN boat building, boatbuilding, steel boat kits, boat kits https://www.bruceroberts.com/SAILING_CATAMARAN_BOAT_PLANS_AND_BOAT_KITS.htm

 

and from another post. Albatross Marine Design Thailand - About Us http://amdesign.co.th/About_us.html

 

@NirvanaManana

Thanks for sharing the link