Is it possible to build a liveaboard multi in 90 days?

Hopefully 60 days, but it could take a little longer...

Now, it can be a kit, or you can pre-cut the pieces for a few days ahead of time in a garage. And you can pre-order the supplies and equipment you need. Plus, the difficult parts could be contracted out.

You have to think simple. Very simple interior. And parts like a solar panel system and wind turbine can be finished ahead of time to just bolt onto the boat. The mattress can just be a blow-up air mattress. The vinyl seats can be done by a local shop. Sails can be ordered after the boat is about ready for paint. The head, shower, and water tanks (plumbing) would have to be done, electrical, led lights, windows, paint....

Some of the non-critical interior work can be finished while underway. (maybe?)

How big of a boat would you try building? Would it be faster with fewer curved shapes? Does anyone sell kits where they make all the pieces, but you have to assemble it?

Do you have to go with something weird for the hulls since the traditional way takes a long time? Is there some way to make a fiberglass/wood-epoxy hull without a mold? Or can you cover rigid foam insulation that you can buy at a hardware store (or the higher psi stuff) with fiberglass and epoxy on both sides and be OK (without vacuuming or molds)? Would having mostly flat sides be an issue? http://x.bbs.sina.com.cn/forum/pic/54d0533501049yzj Would a second layer of fiberglass and epoxy on the outside do anything?



Maybe you don't go with sails and instead use solar panels and more batteries... http://dsehybrid.com/ (I will say I like the interior layout of this boat http://dsehybrid.com/html/island_pilot_dse_hybrid_plans.html)

Maybe the only way is to have the factory build your hulls for you... http://sailingcatamarans.com/transit.htm

 

Liberty ships were built in less time, so I'd say yes it's possible.

Now practicable is another question.

 

You have to be simple to think simple about something that is just the opposite.. Of course making small makes it more simple but then you don't have anymore space to "finish underway" that is if you need anything else besides swiss army knife and a roll of duck tape..
BR Teddy

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberty_ship

42 days (average eventually) for a 400'-450' ship is pretty impressive. But I'm afraid I might not have an army of workers and engineers.

I also wouldn't need it to be 400' or made out of welded steel.

I would be willing to sacrifice some things that would be nice to have in order to finish the boat quickly.

 

How much money do you have to spend? How much time do you have in a day to put in it? How many people do you have to help you? You have X number of man hours for every boat , and they will be affected by skill of and number of workers. Take the estimated man hours of the design you pick, add 25% and devide by a 10 hr. day, this will give you a good estimate of build time by yourself, or the number of men you need to have to build it in a day.

 

(Quote) "Take the estimated man hours of the design you pick, add 25% and devide by a 10 hr. day, this will give you a good estimate of build time by yourself." (Quote)

Using that formula matched exactly with the time it took to build my Buccaneer 24. Nine weeks from first cut to launch.

If you could locate a set of Buccaneer 33 plans --it would be a good candidate.

 

I would like to get the man hours to build down as low as possible. Keep the design as simple, yet effective, and efficient as possible. I have been thinking of a few ideas today. Some more crazy than others.

Money isn't really the important thing with this idea. Although, if I had money, I would just go out and purchase a big boat that I can sail tomorrow. I wouldn't want it to be cheap, but I would choose the least expensive option that functions well and looks decent, just like the Space Shuttle. Things would add up quick I'm afraid. $20k let's say as a guess.

9 weeks is really good. Do you have any tips on how to get it done that fast? Did you build it at your home? How did it work?

 

Not sure what you are going to build from, but heres a technique that i think would work well, not a multihull though. Essentially, you Infuse flat panels, bend them over forms and join them at the edge. I am contemplating a similar design, but making a mold for the bottom of the hull below the waterline. That way you can use a developable surface above the waterline (where its fast and easy), but have compound curvature below (where its more important to have good lines) to get the best mix ease of build and performance.

More importantly, i think it would be a fast way to build a hull, particularly a multi.

http://vimeo.com/21878671

The rest of the page is in french, but the video shows a bit about how she was built, I can't find a whole lot else on her construction.

 

To build anything at the fastest pace possable you must have material on hand when it is needed. Thats where the money comes in, if you have to wait on material then the project is start and stop. You must know the build method and make the work flow. That is you must know how your going to do it, and what order to do it in. You cant complete something and then say "whats next", or miss a step and then go back and redo. Not sure the size boat your looking at, but I'd say the old tri,s with wing births would be the smallest, to the small cat,s like Woods. Richard Woods should be able to tell you the fastest build time for all his plans. Rick

 

Sure, no problem. A house or small apartment building gets done in that time or less. If you design it properly, it can have a high degree of finish. I worked on the pattern and few first runs of production for the interiors of the Tanzer 25 and 27. We made the modules in about a week, including varnishing. At the fiberglass plant they tabbed the modules into the hull, dropped the liner and deck over it and were basically done. What you are not specifying though, is if you want it done in 60 calendar days or 60 labor days (480 hours).

 

I dont think you can build what most people would consider a liveaboard that is a 480 man hours boat. Rick

 

Agreed, in the world of home builds, this is an absurdity. Of course, given an exceptional, obviously custom design, CNC access, a substantial and skilled crew, maybe you could do it, but this is well outside the scope of the average builder.

You have 2,160 hours to work with, given round the clock shifts, so the man hours issue isn't a problem. Setup, materials and labor coordination will be the big issues. You'll probably lose a week or two, just waiting for things to cure.

 

I guess it would be 60-90 working days, over an April-July timeframe let's say. And the Jan-March timeframe wouldn't count, but would be for coming up with a plan, purchasing all of the supplies for the hull, motors, and tanks at least.

If you do need to wait for things to cure, you would have to have other things to work on.

As for length, I was vague on purpose. I would rather build a 25 foot boat in 60-90 days and be on the water, than have a 35 foot boat that drags on and on for years. I'm in the middle of one of those projects right now. I made good progress in the past 5 months on it, but I'm only about 70% done. I'll blame my day job.

But, if I get this current project done in the next 6 months, I will build a small RC version of my boat idea next Summer. I like the trimaran idea today, but not quite like a normal tri... That can easily change though.

Part of what I'm curious about would be, do you guys know what the fastest materials to build it out of would be? (For the small scale one, I'll just use PVC pipe to see how waves would impact it and such).

 

Fast Cheap or Good-pick any 2 and it wont be the third.

Comes in large panels in a container that you tape and glass together.At least you could get the hull together PDQ.$$$$$$
They will build whole sections to make it quicker,but more $.


http://www.fusioncats.com/

The only other thing I can think of is those South Pacific looking cats that people seemingly sail around. Can't recall their name..

 

The fastest material to build with is plywood.