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Cookiesa · 22-01-2011, 04:26

Hoping to get some input from the greater community here.

I have a young family and we are looking at building a small coastal cruising cat. Budget and time means a larger vessel is not required at this stage.

Most of our sailing will be around the Tasmanian coast off southern Australia. Due to the location and berthing requirements a bridge deck is required. As it is a family project we would like to build as opposed to buy and repair. Although we will mostly be "fair" weather sailing the seas can be rough, and strong winds common. We want a design that is suitable for island hoping/coastal cruising as the vessel will most likely end up sailing off the South Australian Coast later on as well.

I want bilge keels as it will be on a mooring that dries, also want to be able to beach regularly and easily. Of course internal space is better without boards and we need every bit we can get lol.

I have had preliminary discussions with Richard Wood's about some changes to his Shadow design. Namely a bridge deck/cuddy (current design has a solid floor) with a double bed/table arrangement and sugar scoop sterns for easier boarding for the kids when swimming.

I'd appreciate any owners feedback or any alternate designs you may think are appropriate. Comfortable with ply/epoxy build, don't want to get involved with exotics.

At this stage we have narrowed it down to

Factor · 22-01-2011, 04:46

EASY - as in Easy by Peter Snell. Well proven solid boats that have done a million miles.
EASY Easy 32s or 9.9s will take you almost anywhere
Or Mike Waller - Mike Waller I know a waller 880 (as in 8.8 meters) has done bass straight. And the Coral cove series has been all over the place
Or a Ply Tri (and some smaller cats) from Ray Kendrick Ray Kendrick

And all these designers are in Australia (all in South east Qld)

Cookiesa · 22-01-2011, 04:51

Thanks for that. Had a look at Waller's, bought study plans for his TC670 cat but didn't end up building i. I spoke with him about something between the tc670 and 880 but he has nothing on the drawing board. (880 is a bigger buld commitment)

The easy is just getting that bit big cost/maintenance wise. Tries lack the accommodation space in the 25ft ish range that I have seen.

Bu thanks for the thoughts

Factor · 22-01-2011, 05:30

Ray Kendrick does do two small cats as well - and I have had one of his boats and he was excellent to deal with.

**Pete7** · 22-01-2011, 06:13

Might be worth having a look at the James Wharram designs too:

Index of Designs | James Wharram Designs

Pete

Cookiesa · 22-01-2011, 16:24

Thanks for the input.

I did look at the wharrams, even went as far as to have a look over one near here. I think on this size boat too much is lost with the dry hulls (whilst they have benefits of course) then the wife saw one and went YUCK (end of that line of evaluation lol)

I do like the Kendrick designs... It would be good to see a fish and chips with a double shuffle cab. I will order the study plans for the fish and chips and have a look over them.

Am I right in thinking these boats are a composite glass/foam build? (I have seen two boats that have put me off this, with my glassing skills I am not comfortable building something I will have my young family on using this method, possibly it could be built with ply/epoxy....

Kendrick also mentions he sees this as sutable for inshore cruising, Hmmm I am looking at coastal with island hoping. Anyone with any experience on these in rougher weather (eg 25-30 knots 2-3m swell)

Thanks again!

Factor · 23-01-2011, 03:02

Give Ray a call and tell him what you are up too, he will be only to happy to have a chat and give you options.

Wand · 23-01-2011, 03:27

If you've got a day job, I guess you realise that a project of that size is going to take some time? The hull, rigging, fitout could easiy stretch to years, especially with a young family and especially if you're stepping up from building a paper tiger. Older fella in our club has built a wharram; it's magnificent but he's highly skilled and retired, and still it's taken quite a while.

FWIW, I'd suggest getting something second hand and fairly cheap like a jarcat which you can tow behind the car to some nice protected cruising grounds (stacks all around the coasts here, as you'd know) to get you all on the water.

Then you can have the building project bubbling along in the backyard without the pressure and with plenty of time to think. Just a suggestion.

PS: the wharram is here: http://angasinlet.blogspot.com/2010/12/wharram-cat.html

**boatman61** · 23-01-2011, 04:37

Nice bitta boatbuilding there AtSea.... my compliments to the 'Ole Guy' from a fellow Wharram lover.... Tiki's...

**Pete7** · 23-01-2011, 12:14

Have you seen this? okay different building technique and boat, but josh there are some hours in there:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkrMDvW1wzk

This is the website of the guy who built it,

http://www.fram.nl/workshop/f39/f39.htm

Pete

Cookiesa · 23-01-2011, 12:36

At sea, yeah aware of the times, grew up arond boat yards, I near your haunt Beswicks and then in the Territory.

I have updated my signature, as you can see need something a little more seaworthy these days lol.

Jarcats a great but buying one to play with is my starting money

I have access to a couple of boats for playing so not so worried about that lol.

I also have two friends who are cabinet makers by trade (now work for me in a different field) so have access to some great help.... see some BBQ and beer coming on lol.

Thanks for the thoughts, I hope in 5 or so years to be returning to Adelaide so we can cruise the Gulf and even further afield out to the west, of course by then the twins will be early teens so may not even join us. (Hopefully the bug will bite and they will come or be working on their own boats and keeping out of trouble lol

**Boracay** · 23-01-2011, 13:36

Maybe I've misread the weather reports on TV, and am mistaken in my discussion with the few cruisers I've met that have been to Tasmania but isn't the weather there characterised by being cold and wet with some serious storms?

That said a small lightweight catamaran may do inside the Barrier Reef, or cautiously cruised through Indonesia or the Philippines, but Tasmania, no.

If I was building a boat to cruise Tasmania, and it had to be small, I'd be tempted by the Selway Fisher Hart 27 design.

In my opinion a much larger engine would be needed. Strip plank can be fast and easy.

Factor · 23-01-2011, 15:24

Some one should tell Robin Chamberlain that the small - 9 metere- cat that he sailed to the antarctic circle was not approriate. Dont disagree that a nice big fat heavy psuedo trawler might be comfy - but there are other options.

rberrey · 23-01-2011, 17:26

If I had gone with a cat design instead of a tri, Richard Woods designs would have been top of my list.You might also look at Ed Horstmans tristar 24, there is a good video on U tube, also an artical in small tris about its sailing ability in the north sea. rick