Trying to design my own cat.

Hi again Rick and J

Rick, I don't want to exceed 150k and if I can get well below that, and still have what I want, then cheaper is better.
I have gone all out to try to hold on to the 'small boat' feeling. This might sound a bit silly to some.....but when I see the reynolds design I see a boat that just doesn't have that 'huck fin' feeling.
What I have designed is really just an oversized (but not too oversized) hobie.
It just feels more fun to me.....(I'm saying all this without ever having been on a boat like the one you have pointed out.....but I have a pretty good imagination).

I disagree about the mattresses not being able to tolerate a storm. If the tramps and mattresses are designed right, they can be stronger than a cabin 'shell'. If you think of a fabric as many ropes spanning a given area, you will see that it is immensely strong. Also the elasticity means it does not suffer from peak loads.

J, to be honest, I just want to leave the final maths to someone else. I don't know how thick the beams will need to be etc. etc. Making the entire accomodations waterproof should be a no-brainer....just careful attention to overlaps and seals.

In a nutshell....I know this boat is not a 'solid' cruiser, but I will never be doing very long distance trips. Night sailing will be a rarity.....as will sailing in storms, cos I won't be on the water long enough to run into a storm by accident. If and when I do, I think the boat will handle it.....but not without a lot of study and practice on my part.

I don't wish to defend my design....I am just explaining my reasoning. If either of you (Rick and J) can show me a boat that already exists, that is very similar to mine.....I would probably buy it and just accept that the design process was fun and informative.


Thanks for your comments!
I'm sure you've got something to say, Rick....please do

- Richard

 

Hi Richard,

I must say I like Rick's suggestion. I have now read a heck of a lot of stuff on cats (I'm now beginning to forget some already ), and without fail it boils to the bigger the hulls the better every time.

The link he suggested with the 33' hulls, looks a lot like what you are after, it's within your budget with some spare for beer

Another thing to keep in mind on such a caft, the setup is sorted out already. Doing this on a new rig is something else, usually ends up in a lot of chop and change and shuffeling things around.

I know you don't plan to hang around in stormy weather, but the wind can however pick up in a jiffy and again the larger hulls would contribute a lot to safety and comfort. You may not always have a choice, talking from experience.

Such a raft would be a better investment as well. We don't know what the future holds but you may well decide to get the larger 65er and you can then get your money back. Once you've got the boat you may realize you've got more friends than you thought...

Personally, I would look at the full fledge catamaran with lounge and acess to the hulls. I was outside all of today, and I must say the sun was something else man, my wax is currently melted.

In my opinion it is going to be very nice to be able to retire to the lounge at the end of a day to a protected environment and just put your feet up and relax with whoever else is there. If th sun is a scorcher, you have protection.

If it rains it won't matter, if it's windy it won't matter, if I overnight it won't matter either, since you won't be wet from dew in the morning, but I can still sleep outside on the fore or aft deck if I want to. Need a bath at least once a week or so...

My first cat I drawed looked a lot like yours, same idea with a tent although I didn't have the matrasses and so on but solid decks instead. The more I read and enquired and gained info, the more it shifted to the full cat setup.

I may not be able to go out as often as you would, so for me it is important not to have to run every time the wind or weather plays up a bit, and it will happen.

And if you do change your mind and no-one wants to go with you to sail the cat home I may take you up on it. Count for my sailing experience

 

Hello Richard,

I agree with Rick. Very nice design he pointed out and pretty close to what you're looking for...with hull comfort to boot. Not exactly as yours because none can be...but if you are really leaning to having it all engineered and then built within your budget...dammmm it's already done!

All you gotta do now to really make-up your mind is find one and pay the owner to take you on charter for a couple and days and that is when you will decide. To toot a different horn, you may want to do more research along the lines of your design and rule all other designs out if you plan to purchase anyway.

I wasn't talking about the mattresses...I was talking about the tents. Weather can get nasty fast and a boat full of friends can be miserable quick. Get the best and you will be able to enjoy it when it gets cooler too.

J

 

Ok here's what I did when I first decided I was going to make me a motorized sailor -
I drawed the hulls on my driveway with white board chalk to scale. I then tried ti imagine what it would be like to be on the water on this thing.

First problems my hulls were too narrow and too shallow, I started over. I have then started reading articles and every time went back to drawing the hull and decks out on the paving. Gives one some perspective of the size, the spaces, restrictions, comfort and so on.

So it grew and every time I got a new idea somewhere or browsing through the 1 000 001 and a 1/2 pictures I have collected to date I live myself into them. Get a feel for things and you know if it will work for you or not.

 

J and Fanie, you both make very good points. And yes J, I agree I should keep looking at boats that are already available. I'll be doing this for another couple of years....so there's no hurry.

Many people talk about the 'boat' as if the boat is the final goal. Fanie says it is nice to relax in a sheltered lounge at the end of the day or if it's a bit chilly etc. I can appreciate that, but my idea of a 'sailing' trip is actually more about the trip and not the boat. The boat is a fun vehicle for getting to good camp sites. Camping has always been my priority (I love camping), and I want the boat to be a big part of that.....but it is just a vehicle. I would much rather relax on a nice island at the end of the day, after spending the day getting there by sea (or river).
My boat's sleeping facilities are there for those odd times when we want to sail on a clear night.
The fact that my boat doesn't feel like a proper cruiser, really appeals to me. I like the way a simple tent doesn't feel like a proper home, but you can still fill it up with goodies and have a great time surviving in the wild.
In the VERY beginning, I was actually going to buy a Hobie Getaway (don't laugh), but I soon realised it wasn't going to take the weight and would be totally dangerous for my purposes.
I have sailed small beach cats and really love the 'simple raft floating on the ocean' sort of feeling. I don't want to lose that.
It's not something to live on....but it is something to enjoy!

- Richard

 

Fanie, quote "And if you do change your mind and no-one wants to go with you to sail the cat home I may take you up on it. Count for my sailing experience"

Very nice of you to say that Who knows what'll happen 2 years from now.

- Richard

 

Richard
My idea of a boat is a means of relaxed transport. I have seen the inside of enough airports to last me a lifetime. But unlike your view I aim to travel between hotel or resort style accommodation. The boat is just a means to get there. I don't like roughing it too much - a couple of nights is OK.

I lived in Brisbane and the Gold Coast for my childhood and my skin has already endured enough sunlight so when I travel I like to be sheltered from sun, wind and rain. Maybe it is simply that I am old.

Each to his own. Boy I like that Reynolds 33. If I was spending USD150k on a boat it would be on my shopping list. Think of something that can be towed - no marina fees. Will dash along easily at 10kts. Basic accommodation. Much less effort than actually getting one designed and built.

If I was building a basic 28ft boat I would be hoping to come in well under USD150k. A 33ft boat is nominally 60% bigger than a 28 footer.

Rick W.

 

Richard, I have been asleep all this time. A fellow NZ designer/builder produced a "Great Barrier Express" to day-trip to the coastal islands. 9m or so.

Until recently a version was built at shorncliffe in Brisbane by John Brown. Sadly his shop got burnt down by an idiot who set fire to an adjacent bldg. His website is still up at http://www.expressmultihulls.com.au/em/ and there are a few second hand on the market http://www.mynextboat.com.au/
reference # RBS491
GBE GREAT BARRIER EXPRESS 9M SPORTSDECK $28,500 AUD

 

thanks Masalai. I've heard that the GBE is a very good boat. I know it is very popular.

If my boat design can be finalised and built for say...under USD80k, then I think that it is unlikely that I will buy one of these great boats.....no matter how cheap they are. I would have to find one that can easily be converted to something that produces my kind of 'hippy' boat. (no I'm not a hippy). The conversion could prove to be a bigger hassle than doing a fresh design.

Rick, it's not a big effort for me to get a boat designed and built. If things become tedious....I will let someone (trustworthy) sort it out. It would be very satisfying to watch the design being finalised by someone else.
I don't have an expensive lifestyle, and don't like to waste money....but this boat is just a one-off treat for myself and my friends and I don't care about throwing a bit of money at it (without being rediculous). Even so, if it can be built cheaply then I would make sure it is.

Hey everyone.....no-one will get sunburnt or cold on my boat! It's amazing what you can do with a bit of fabric. You guys have got me thinking more though about better sunshade possibilities.

MERRY CHRISTMAS everyone

 

ps. I wasn't supposed to make that green face.....what the hell is that?

 

AMEN to that.

J

 

I hope to have my skippers long done by then . It will be fun though.

Why don't you just build the thing yourself if you're going to wait two years ?

I've done enough camping to last another couple of lifetimes. I want to camp on the boat instead and since I fish I would prefer to sleep with the fishes like the Italian mafia would say, only up in the boat Now if you are going to wait another two years, you may well get to where you begin to dislike tents. The only discomfort I'm looking foreward to now is the big fish that would give me troubles to beat . At least it's a challenge.

 

I definitely won't be building it Fanie. I'm not much of a builder. I get too bogged down with the details. I'm not aggressive enough to grab the bull by the horns and just get the job done. I don't want it to take a million years, only to end up with something that I know will be worse than a pro build.

 

The boat has 3 types of tents:

the hatch tents,
the sun tents (for sleeping or sitting),
and the storm tents (for sleeping or screaming)

The storm tents are just bladders with a small entrance located towards the middle of the boat. The hole is the only part which can open and close. Keeping them ventilated won't be a problem in stormy conditions. These tents will be lined with heat reflective material and because they are so small, they will be very warm just from body heat. These tents, or 'bags' have no internal poles. They are just tied to rigid parts of the boat.

The sun tents will be light and airy with walls that fold open entirely, and can be raised or lowered on poles to create bimini shades

I have shown the hatch tent and the storm tent

 

Atcat 28