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Old 30-10-2005, 07:29   #1
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built or buy a cat????

Hello everyone, My husband and I are planning on living aboard in 3 years with our two children. My husband is retiring from the Canadian Navy and we are just going to take his pension and sail. My question is I don't have any sailing experience, I did growup on the westcoast around water. My husband on the other hand has experience. We want to purchase a catatmaran. My husband wants a metal boat (years of living on a naval boats) but he finding out very quickly that it is nearly imposible to find. He has the idea that he his going to build one. I'm on board with the sailing but I'm really nervous regarding the building. Any help for a supportive wife but really nervous regarding building a boat.
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Old 30-10-2005, 09:51   #2
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Let me start by saying there are a lot of sound owner built boats out there cruising so it can be done. Some of them are quite impressive.

However, as mechanically inclined as I believe myself to be, building a boat is a matter of years. Years I could spend sailing if I bought the boat, so I did, buy that is.

Cost may be lower building as compared to buying new, but buying used reduces this advantage.

It is very much a matter of personal preference. I hope you and your husband reach a mutually agreeable course of action and that we see you on the water soon.

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Old 30-10-2005, 11:49   #3
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I certainly agree about the amount of time it will take.

I am having my cat professionally built by a well known cat builder - it was started April 2004 and I don't expect it to launch before January or February.

As far as using steel; there probably are some home built steel cats around, but I do not know of any professionally built ones.

It seems about 50ft is the low end for an aluminum cat - I assume a steel one would need to be larger.
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Old 30-10-2005, 13:01   #4
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Another Forum (www.ybw.com) in UK has a member who has a steel cat (considerably less than 50 ft) that he built himself. I dont know of any plans for such a vessel. Most home builds are cedar strip, or home completion of fibreglass, or fibreglass sandwiching closed cell foam (kelsall designs)


A good source for home build is the forums at
http://www.themultihull.com/

However if you plan to be afloat in 3 years and have no previous experience of boat building - its a tall order, you will have to dedicate a great deal of time and effort and its not something you should enter into lightly. Vastly more boats are started than ever finish, and this will need as much dedication as the actual sailing - I would love to build my own, but would much rather be sailing.
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Old 30-10-2005, 21:00   #5
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Talbot,

Can you point me toward the thread in the YBW forums where the steel cat is discussed? I would like to read more about that. Thanks
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Old 31-10-2005, 01:17   #6
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Steel Cat

There is no thread discussing the boat, However the poster username is mikewilkes so if you register, you will be able to send a private message to him.

There was an article in Practical Boat Owner some years ago on building a steel cat These reports can be ordered from PBO - see here
The report was "Building a steel hull catamaran" by Peter Compton Mar 1993 p97
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Old 31-10-2005, 05:50   #7
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Aluminum Cat For Sale...

I know the folks that own this cat and they are very nice. They now have four kids and have grown out of it. I have not seen the boat and so can't comment on it's condition. They describe it as being built like a little ship and hence the name "fellowship".

http://www.sailmiami.com/Classifieds...n_for_sale.htm
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Old 16-11-2005, 23:47   #8
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There is a company in Mooloolaba Queensland Australia that biulds a respected 40 foot alloy cat. Very little mono hull production left in OZ. Cats dominate here, especially for families. I can get the details if asked... I'll have to make a quick phone call during business hours. The most popular production method currently in austrlia is balsa core panels. They are light, fast, strong and quick to build. Bob Oram and Schionning designs are ones that come to mind. You can get the panels pre cut. I plan to build soon myself. I plan to do it in a year with a part time help and with moderate ambitions for finish. The panel kits are that good. OR, you can go better. Fusion Yachts has a Lidgard design 40 foot cat that is infusion molded , including gelcoat and grip deck finish, in sections and then shipped in large pieces ready for you to assemble. Comes in two forty foot containers and costs $150K australian which translates to about US $110 current rate, plus ship. That gives hulls and deck complete in about a month to assemble. Cool huh? I did extensive reseach on build for an article that I published a few issues ago. I can email the text if it interests.. for free copy of current edition see www.thecoastalpassage.com Steel cats have little resale value
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Old 17-11-2005, 16:03   #9
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Bob,

I'm definately interested in the details. Even a website would be good. Thanks
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Old 17-11-2005, 17:16   #10
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Fusion Yachts

Here is their web site
http://www.fusioncats.com/

How difficult is to assemble it?
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Old 18-11-2005, 01:21   #11
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Yeah.. thats right on Fusion and for Schionning info see www.schionningdesigns.com.au Bob Oram is a bit of a "individual" so has to be tracked down by local phone or mail. He generally will send study plans N/C. The model of boat that would suit you would be his 44C. Address; PObox 586 Maryborough Queensland Australia 4650.
By the way, it slipped my mind somehow but I do know a steel cat. Biult by people I know, They sailed it for many years with their family (swiss family.. no not Robinson! Name is Bucher) but gave it up and now the boat is in charter in Whitsundays. Name is Tangarra. Jo and Aggie Bucher replaced it by building a Bob Oram 44C and launched a couple months ago. Took 18 months not full time. Cost claimed to be $120 AUD all up which is amazing. The boat looks great. I have a photo. The boys that do the Aluminium 40 footer is Easton Brothers of Mooloolaba QLD. Australia is miles ahead of US in regards Cats, especially kit type for home build. They have great track record hear for seaworthy. I am giving up my steel ketch for one.
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Old 18-11-2005, 01:32   #12
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sorry Yona.. didn't catch the question right away.. The fusion comes in large sections finished with rebated joins hidden along the lines. Like I said, about a month and done. Ain't modern glues great!! Well, alittle more than that. many of the boats they sell are "motoraway" that is they assemble and install motors, twin 30 hp yanmars, for about $200K. Owner than does fitout and rig. There is one running around Sydney with boards instead of keels and a 60 foot stick with barely any fitout... it is terrorising the fleet down there. Very fast.

All the cat people I mention I know personally.. they are advertisers in my paper The Coastal Passage. You can download a freeby at www.thecoastalpassage.com

cheers
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Old 19-11-2006, 06:13   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bob Norson
many of the boats they sell are "motoraway" that is they assemble and install motors, twin 30 hp yanmars, for about $200K. Owner than does fitout and rig.
Bob,

What would "fitout and rig" cost?

Thanks

Rick in Florida
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Old 19-11-2006, 13:18   #14
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We built a mono hull from the bare FRP hull. Took a year and a half of mostly full time work with farming out very little of the finish carpentry. Cost me four fingers and about 1 1/2 times more than I could have bought a factory built boat for and outfitted it, not including the 18 months of labor and lost cruising time lost in the building.

The satisfaction of building the boat compared to the physical loss and lost cruising time was not worth it. It definitely was not cheaper to build it ourselves and we bought almost all the equipment at pennies on the dollar. After we were too far along to back out, an old timer, who'd built 3 boats, gave me a sage piece of advice, "If you want to go sailing, go sailing. If you want to build a boat, build a boat. Don't try and mix the two as you'll probably not accomplish either." An all too true maxim. We were the only one's to launch a boat out of the homebuilt yard where we built our boat for at least 10 years after we sailed off.

Multi's are nice but they are god awful expensive. They have to be built light and big to have the carrying capacity of a much shorter mono. Light means expensive to build. Unless you have several hundred thousand to toss into the water, a mono hull is a way cheaper way to go.

Our experience was that under 40', they are no faster on passages, in cruising trim, than a similar length mono hull. All the toys and whistles that cruisers seem to accumulate either killed their performance or their crews didn't know how to sail them. I don't think the latter was the case as the owners seemed to be exceptionally well qualified. Incidentally, the performance hit of the weight of cruising gear seems to negatively affect lightweight mono hulls just as much.

Aloha
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Old 19-11-2006, 14:22   #15
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well im building 38 ft bridgedeck cat and itll cost me 60000, itll look nice, check my pictures and have an oven, solar panels, toilet shower, 4 burner cooktop, barbie, the only thing it wont have will be a watermaker and im working on that, itll also take me a little over a year part time to build it, now these cats sell for 180000-250000 i think im well in front dont you
sean
so i say build a cat,
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