Building a 38 ft cruising tri. (hughes)

[s/v Beth]

OK guys, another question for those out there that built their own:
This one looks big enough to cruise in, How much would the basic structure cost to build out of ply/epoxy in his "superfast cylinder method"
Kurt Hughes Multihull Design - Catamarans and Trimarans for Cruising and Charter - 38' Demountable Trimaran
Time expected (hours)?
Anyone have any experience with his designs?
Thanks again.

[UNCIVILIZED]

There seem to be a fair number of guys over at www.BoatDesign.net who've built some of his boats. For example Kurt Hughes Daycharter 36 - Boat Design Forums
And a little while back, I was perusing Richard Woods site, & a seemingly experienced gent there said $15/lb to get it out on the water, $20/lb to get a (Woods) cat built, & ready to cruise.

One thing which seems sadly common, is that folks will just be able to muster enough push & coin to finish a build, & then their fried & broke. I've seen a good number of boats come onto the market not too long after their completion, unfortunately.

Also a wise gent once said that if you're going to build a custom boat, try & have the sails match up with those on something with a decent sized racing fleet. So that you can find decent canvas, for a good price, without looking too hard. Both new & used.

Far from exact answers I know, but perhaps they'll help to lead you to someplace that'll let you make peace with your decision.

[nimblemotors]

Doesn't the designer have estimates for their designs?
Just double or triple them, and it would be in the ballpark.

Are you really thinking you are going to build a 40ish foot boat yourself?

[Roy M]

Newt, don't listen to the naysayers. If you've got the resources and capacity, go for it. I built mine in four years. And no home built boat is ever truly finished until it's up for sale.

[Cavalier MK2]

Not a Hughes fan....and you should learn how to do your own estimates. Download the Gougeon boat building book off the WEST epoxy site and read it cover to cover.

The sliding beams aren't a good idea....think about keeping a floating 40 boat exactly square as you push and pull...my drawer is stuck takes on a new meaning.

Only you know how fast you can work, boats are measured in thousands of hours of construction. Build a new dinghy, see how long it takes and measure the surface area, divide the area into the surface area of what you are contemplating building.....think about it.

I'd suggest a Woods cat around 30 feet to build in ply. Or a Marples Seaclipper basic tri to build in ply to make it easier on yourself. Above all because these are really silly posts I'm going to encourage you to go for it!

[s/v Beth]

Thank you for the replies. Roy- how much $$ do you think you spent? I will look at the other plans Cav. BTW- I have built a dingy out of ply and epoxy- I sold it but it is still sailing today. I will probably build a beach cat perhaps a couple of paddle boards first, but I am headed the big tri way.
Just takes me time because I plan everything down to the dot before executing it. Already have some land picked out to build a large metal shed to keep it in.
What do you mean I'm OCD?

[SVJennie]

Your planning sounds reasonable, especially in so far as the shed goes. However, it has been said that the price of the hull/s is 15% of the total boat cost.

At the end of the day, I spent seven years building a 45' LOA (6' sprit, 39' on deck) fiberglass over plywood ketch. However, a friend stunned us all (fellow monohull and multihull boat-builders) by putting together a brown 37 in two years. That being said, while his boat did the job, I wanted finer detail and more amenities on mine.

Accordingly, what will decide cost and time, will be based on your skills, how much of your outside life you are willing to forfeit, and what you want to put into your boat, i.e., both cosmetic and functional, as well as a number of other considerations that can fill a book.

Incidentally, after 39 years, fifty thousand miles and three refits, I am still sailing my homemade ketch.

All the best!

[Cavalier MK2]

Also check out the Team Scarab tris and don't discount a smaller Woods cat like his 25' Sango folder. His cats are as speedy as tris.

The other approach is to look for a used boat where the heavy lifting is done then fit out and upgrade to your standards. Most builds sell for far less than the cost of materials and would also save on the mountain of time. The Quality of materials and workmanship need to be there though.
As a example the Nicol was built out of wood you can't get today. We've done a sailing rebuild where every year progress is made then it gets cruised. It is a new boat inside the skin and we didn't miss out on years of cruising, important stuff with kids. You do have to put up with the "work in progress" patina but out in the wild I've found the birds and bears really don't notice.

[PJOHara]

I recently met a couple that built a 40 foot version of that Kurt Hughes design. They had the hulls and crossarms built for them by a professional yard in Corecell foam . They worked out the demountable features and finished both exterior and interior fairing(both painted in Awlgrip)and completed the outfitting. Time from purchasing plans to launch was approximately 8 years. This was the second trimaran they have built, the first being an F28. I have no idea how much it cost to build and launch, but with an inboard diesel, rotating carbon mast and beautiful finish it certainly wasn’t inexpensive.

[Roy M]

Newt OCD is in the eye of the beholders. The person who stops at the curb and looks both ways for oncoming traffic tends to survive longer and more effectively than the free-spirit, devil-may-care critic. This is a big project, one that will tie up a lot of your available resources, take time your family might otherwise want to have dibs on, and be worth more to you than to another. Speaking of which, I built mine from 1974-1978, during the height of the first Arab oil embargo. Since my boat was the first West System trimaran in Los Angeles, it clearly cost more than I had anticipated. I decided early that, whatever the cost, this was to be my chosen path. Like settling down with someone and having kids, it wasn't a decision lightly taken. You've been there, so you have earned your stripes at strategic decision making. The cost was more than I anticipated, and subsequent costs have always been significant..... but worth my while. I, too, made lots of plans, formulated contingencies, and rolled with the punches when things didn't work out as anticipated. It's what some folks do when they really want a plan to happen. For me, it did. Two out of three boats under construction never launch and sail over the horizon with the same owner. Have a great time building. I did, and do.

[s/v Beth]

Originally Posted by Cavalier MK2

You do have to put up with the "work in progress" patina but out in the wild I've found the birds and bears really don't notice.

Quote of the day!
15 dollars a pound- that's a number I can work with. And 2-3 years full time, well....as you have mentioned above- grandkids sailing is now very important. I will keep my mono and continue to do the part time cruising with them.
Until I have my multi made/ or bought.
Thanks again for answering my questions. I love some of the people of this forum! Others...not so much

[roygee]

I have finished two 46' hulls, designed by Hughes, racer-cruiser cat. You can contact me by e-mail,if you wish, I will give you some detail to look at. roy.gorman@yahoo.com

[44'cruisingcat]

The dollars per pound thing always struck me as a weird way to look at a boat. Makes a boat built from mud seem like better value than a carbon fibre one.


Anyway, FWIW mine worked out about $18 (Aus) per pound, and 6000 hours.

[Pauls]

Hi Newt,
When it comes to cost, the truth is that how you shop, what you buy where and how good a scrounger you are can make a very large difference. The prices for plywood and adhesives vary greatly. Ditto spars. Many of the fittings, winches, etc can be purchased used for a fraction of the new price. So the answer, in reality is "it depends". Time is somewhat interchangeable for money here, the time being spent researching and looking.

I'm building my second boat now, a 42' cutter. The first was a ply/glass 38'. The 38 footer was launched 37 years ago and was still going strong the last time I saw her, about a year ago.

Building a boat is a big job. It is bigger than you think. It is an adventure that will give you many challenges, problems and rewards. In the end you will have a boat which you know intimately, at a level which is truly impossible to achieve unless you have built it. If you build her well you will know what you have. This, in my experience, results in a level of confidence in the boat which is worth a great deal. And you can build exactly what you want and how you want it.

I wish you luck with your project.

[s/v Beth]

Originally Posted by Pauls

Building a boat is a big job. It is bigger than you think. It is an adventure that will give you many challenges, problems and rewards. In the end you will have a boat which you know intimately, at a level which is truly impossible to achieve unless you have built it. If you build her well you will know what you have. This, in my experience, results in a level of confidence in the boat which is worth a great deal. And you can build exactly what you want and how you want it.

This is what draws me to the project:
When I was a fly fisher, I had to do my own flies, leader, and make my pole out of stock.
When I was a rancher, I took bare land, fenced it, built the outbuildings and home and populated the ponds, pens etc...
I work with wood, I work with metal. I work with composite....
As I sail more and more, I am tending to see things I like and those I don't. If I live long enough, I will get pretty opinionated on what I like when I sail...
Hence making my own boat may be the only way I retain my sanity.