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Some Helpful Info Before you Decide to build your cat.... |
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Do lots of research |
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Building a catamaran is a big commitment of time and effort. I was actually able to complete this project in about 4 mos. time working weekends and weeknights after my day job. Even though I found the process to be relativley easy, and loads of fun there are a lot of tedious and time consuming steps that need to be completed to have a seaworthy boat (waiting for drying times etc..) -but hey, building a boat is a SUPER FUN project and the time spent now is going to pay off big in the number of compliments you will get and the satisfaction of owning a cat you built yourself. Perhaps buying and re-finishing a used cat may be an easier route to go for you- review the advantages and disadvatanges for your needs and go from there... I actually could have gotten a few really incredible deals along the way while I was building this cat (like a guy who sold a complete Hobie 18 for $300 and lives an hour from my house!) But I had several good reasons for building my own cat: I simply do not have the space to store a catamaran and a trailer. I wanted the mobility of a light, car-toppable cat so I could access launch areas other people cant get to with a trailer. I wanted to be able to Interchange the hardware between my Dinghy and the cat, so I purposely designed the cat to utilize the 18ft aluminum 2 piece Topper mast and boom assembly so I wouldnt have to deal with the cumbersome weight and length of a 1 piece Hobie mast. Also cost was a factor. I wanted to build a great looking boat that sails and looks like a new $8000 Hobie but I wanted to be able to do this as cost effectively as possible but still using good quality hardware so the boat would be a safe and sturdy seaworthy vessel.I ended up spending just a little over $500 when all was said and done, you could spend more or less depending on how you decide to approach the project. |
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Use the right tools for the job |
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I cant stress this enough! Get a good belt sander and dust mask
You're gonna be doing lots and lots of sanding and anything less is just going to cause you undue frustration and extra work. Not a palm sander, or a rotating disc sander - you need a quality belt sander.
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Save time and keep things fun with a belt sander... |
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Also at some point you will need to have access to a Drill Press - there are several holes that are going to need to be PERFECTLY STRAIGHT - and you cant 'eyeball' a straight hole with a hand drill. Although the hand drill will come in very useful in this project as well.
Use 3/16" thick or thinner Plywood.- this produces a lighter boat than building with 1/4" ply...I noticed HOME DEPOT sells 3/16" birch plywood sheets for $20 a sheet but they label it as 1/4" - take a ruler to make sure.
Get lots of disposable rubber gloves
Work in an uncluttered well ventilated space
Spending a little money on the right tools will help to keep the project easy, stress-free and FUN , not to mention the extra time, sweat and cussing you'll avoid by using the proper tools.
(Think about people you know who might have these tools and allow you the use of them - perhaps if you are friendly to a highschool woodshop teacher that could be the way - do a little digging and you might save some cash and still get the job done right) |
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Other considerations.... |
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Dont try to get everything you need at once - even if you think you have everything you need, trust me, you'll still be making literally 100 trips to the hardware store! Besides the way I approach the building of this boat is in a step-by-step manner, finishing one step completely before moving on so everything is built on a timeline in an organized, no hassle manner. |
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Dont rush-take your time to complete each step right -It will pay off big when your boat is done! |
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You may want to consider buying the main sail instead of sewing it yourself - I got the main I used for my cat off of ebay (a VERY good source) for $100 complete with battens! It is a sail for a Venture 15 that I modified by cutting the a little off the top and bottom to give me proper length to fit my mast and give it the "windsurfer-like" flathead look the sail has. A month later I spotted an all white Hobie 14 sail for only $60 to use as an additional high-wind sail. This is not to say you cant make your own sail - There are sail kits available, its just when you look into the cost of a Dacron kit and the amount of sewing involved with making a main from scratch -you'll end up spending less for a used one in good condition. Wind is an extremely powerful force on that sail, and if you do decide to make your mainsail, it needs to be STRONG!! I did however sew the jib sail myself out of rip stop nylon -which is too weak a material to use for a mainsail, but since the jib on my design is only 18 sq. ft or so I was able to sew the jib from 3 panels of rip-stop and it does just fine. |
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A bit on the mast - As I stated before, the mast im using is a 2 piece mast from my Dingy sailboat that I modified with a tang 3/4 ths the way up the mast to accomodate the forestay and side shrouds. I can take this mast and put it back on the dinghy anytime I want. Since it is a Dinghy mast, it has no "track" built in to accept a catamaran sail like a Hobie mast does. - I got around this problem by simply altering the catamaran sails I bought by sewing a long sleeve to the front of the sail and reinforcing with epoxy around the batten pockets. So the sail sleeve slips over the mast more like a windsurfer sail or a laser sail instead of running up thru a track. This solution has proven to work very well! This is not to say you couldnt purchase a hobie or other cat mast and have a rotating one - that would work fine too. This is just the way that best suited my needs. In most metropolitain areas you can find a metal shop that can sell you the heavy- duty aluminum tubing you need to make your own mast if you wish... |
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I do have a set of plans available for this boat if you are interested in building one. They are actually a set of fullsize CAD templates to cut out and simply trace the hull, transom, bulkhead, & beam, shapes onto the plywood for cutting. This in and of its self is A MAJOR time saver! Everythings pre-measured, templates assure accuracy, just trace & cut! Also my plans come with a booklet that seperates the building of the boat into easy to follow steps with complete text instructions CAD diagrams and photos. So the plans are actually cut and trace templates - less like looking at a complicated blueprint, and more like building a model car - you just have to 'make the pieces' and assemble them. This is a big reason why i was able to build the boat in far less time than most plans would require. Email me for info... |
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