Yes its ugly, but it floats

Some may remember how this project started - my trimaran was torched after having had most of the expensive stuff stolen. I recovered the amas and some other gear, then bought lots of stuff second hand and cobbled together a little in-shore cat - big enough for me and the dog. Total cost around $3k including a lovely skiff mast and rig and a Honda 8Hp outboard (neither fitted yet)

I wanted to check the floatation level and resolve any launching issues before braving the bloody terrible bush roads and having gawkers (stink-boat drivers and the public) hassling me. My dam in the bush was an obvious option.

First the good news:

It floats
Even on the designed waterline
Yes it is fairly (well, very) ugly, but think of it as a sailing caravan with bunks, a small galley, porta-potti and stereo.
There are no stink-boat drivers waiting on the launch ramp yelling "come-on get on with it" and therefore, no-one gets abused or punched

Now the bad news:

The aft trailer roller is too high to clear the fore-beam when launching - that means some major design changes to the trailer. That aft roller may have to be made telescopic and a second winch added to pull down/raise the bow of the boat during launch/recovery
The welds holding the rollers to the trailer base frame are not strong enough and need reinforcing webs
The fore-beam of the boat must be reinforced with straps onto the hulls or the upward pull of the mast could tear it loose

On balance, putting "BITZA" into the dam was a good move because I would hate to have made these observations on a public slipway. Of course, getting the bloody thing OUT of the dam again will be quite another challenge.

Cheers from the bush

A

 

That boat would suit me fine for my style of boating, if I could sleep on it and do a cook up in comfort and navigate shallow waters.

 

Your Catamaran is absolutely not ugly. I like it.

Ugly is ...?

 

My brain has gone into a sort of short-circuit upon seeing this. Feel dizzy, like staring at the spinning spirals.

What is that?

 

ab,

I reckon you've done a bloody good job of that mate. Ugly - definately not. What sort of power is it going to have?

Tony

 

Hey Bush Man, I like it. It floats and mine is still on many sheets of paper that I constantly change.

 

"stink boats" ???
Lets see you have a fuel driven car to get your tri to water, then an 8 hp fuel driven Honda to move it around, but yet you try to put yourself into a different class of boater
mmmm???

 

Thanks Gentlemen - and Barry

Appreciate the positive comments.

El Gringo - you will get there eventually - all it needs is persistence and a bit of innovation. I kept redesigning this one as I built it

The sails are Nacra 4.8 - almost new because like so many, the seller wanted to upgrade every second season to stay competitive. The same applies to the mast that was a $1500 alloy/carbon fibre racing rig that I got for just $160 - it cost more than that just to get it here!

The engine is an 8 Hp 4 stroke long shaft Honda. A hire service was closing down and reckoned it was not worth their while to repair the swivel case that had been smashed when a customer thumped it into the wharf. I go it for $250 plus the same again for the replacement parts.

As for the the "stink boat" comment, it ain't the fuel or propulsion method that is the root cause - it is the prevailing attitude of many that they have right of passage on slipways, on the water and just about everywhere else. Try sailing in the vicinity of a power cruiser who simply does not care about the effect of wash. And that is after you have been hassled on the slipway for taking a few minutes to check the rig, set the rudders etc before launching.

 

Hey there mate in NSW. It is the same all over.

Some charmers just do not "get it!"

A boat operator owes other boaters consideration on water and hard.

If what is done on a ramp could have been done at another point in the process of launching, or even after launch on the beach or trailer, then that swab is wrong.

Like waiting in line at a check-out...and watch some dingo "begin" to write a check, after the purchase is totaled, when all but the amount could have been entered while waiting in line "ahead of time."

Common sense should enter into it. But there are more people and that means more dingoes.

C'est la vie! Deal with it!

Both these rigs are butt-ugly (to me) but serve their owners; although if either emits a fragrance, it might need a dump o some sort?

Whatever! Remember...s--t floats too, which I am sure occurred to other swabs reading this thread.

I too have a "gnarly" rig...and it floats...but not for this thread.