Multihull kits in Europe?

[romulusm]

From what I can find asking google, it seems that all kits manufacturers are in Australia. Is there a reason for this? Are there any good ones in Europe?

Also, the cabin layout of kit multihulls seems very different than normal and more traditional production layouts with berths inside hulls and not like in the link below:

http://www.sailingeurope.com/BoatMod..._40_layout.jpg

Is there a reason for such a different layout of catamaran hulls?

[UNCIVILIZED]

By putting as many double berths into the bridgedeck as possible, more "living space" is created in the boats, along with perhaps a bit more illusory privacy. In that a couple then gains a full ensuite cabin along with their double, instead of the double berth being 90% of the cabin.

The design concept is pulled straight from charter boats, where they want to maximize the amount of berths & space in a boat of a given length. Even if it means dialing back a boat's potential performance, or it's comfort due to bridgedeck slamming. But then given the displacement of those boats, performance is far from their #1 priority.
For something with higher performance in mind, look towards something like this one by Kurt Hughes Kurt Hughes Multihull Design - Catamarans and Trimarans for Cruising and Charter or some of the Schionning performance designs.

Here are a few links for kits in Europe, & or designers with resources to steer you to builders who can provide kits. As can any reputable designer. Though vet both them & such builders well first!
Dazcat Catamarans builders of complete boats, & kits in the UK
Erik Lerouge International
www.SailingCatamarans.com Richard Woods Multihull Designs
www.Multihull-Maven.com a fairly comprehensive site, for; boats, designs, designers, etc.

Keep in mind too that with 90-some% of the custom multihull designs out there, you can have major components of the boats, & or kits, built to any degree of finish that you like, by a yard. And then finish the build from there. Yourself, in conjunction with a yard, or via hiring a general builder, or guys who specialize in certain types of boatbuilding work. Like structural glassing, cabinetry, electrical, paint, etc.

Which, done right, actually gives you a much nicer boat. Given that it's mostly custom. And since much of it was built by a "named" builder/builders, it's resale value will be higher.

For example, a good number of Kurt Hughes's & Chris White's boats are done this way. And even more so, some of Richard Woods's boats via www.BoatSmithFL.com in Richard's Sagitta & Eclipse design. Where David & his crew put together whole package kits for those boats.
And several yards do similar things for Kurt Hughes's boats as well, for example @ www.multihulldesigns.com

I only name those designers as I'm fairly familiar with their work, but there are without doubt, many, many more. As for example are done with numerous monohull designs of Dudley Dix @ www.Dixdesign.com
Where kits for his boats are both done locally, & shipped globally, much like the Australian multihulls. Either as kits in CONEX boxes, or via computer files which then are put into computers which are hooked up to NC cutters. And they create all of the full sized parts needed to build whichever kit boat you ordered.

This technology is several decades old, & quite refined. With the pieces being cut coming in at tolerances of less than 1mm. And some cutters are actually lasers, so that they can work with any material. Even sails, which have been being built in this exact way for 30+ years.

It's a construction method that's often far easier than having a kit weighing several tons shipped to you. Especially if you can source all of the materials locally, cheaper. Or buy them over time as your funds, & available building space allow.
And "boat kits" are often even done this way for many of the popular metal designs out there. Or done this way in conjunction with shipping a builder a "flat pack" of plates with which to build the boat's structure.

Look at some of the work done on Dudley Dix's designs by some of the yards which there are links to on his website, as well as some of the amateur builds being done this way thousands of kilometers from his office. The process WORKS!

The other thing is that parts like catamaran hulls can be assembled from raw materials to bare hulls, by a good yard, literally in a day or a weekend. As has been done with a lot of Kurt Hughes's boats. So the question then as an owner builder, is how much of a boat do you want the yard to do for you? As with some designs, if they've done them before, it's dirt simple for them to build her major structures.
Check out Kurt's boats www.multihulldesigns.com

[tp12]

You can get Schionning kits in Europe now - check out their website.

Schionning Designs | Leaders in Multihull Design and Kit Development

[romulusm]

Originally Posted by tp12

You can get Schionning kits in Europe now - check out their website.

Schionning Designs | Leaders in Multihull Design and Kit Development

Yes, most of the kits I've checked are available to ship overseas, it just adds a lot of overhead and money.

[boatman61]

Used to be loads of Kit Boats in the UK but.. with a large part of the population barely coherent with the 3 R's these days there's no point..

[tp12]

Originally Posted by romulusm

Yes, most of the kits I've checked are available to ship overseas, it just adds a lot of overhead and money.

I don't mean to ship overseas. They have a European based company doing the kits for them so they can be sourced from within Europe.


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[romulusm]

I saw that nice boat build in Germany but found no reference that they are actually in any way a EU representative of Schionning, let alone provide local manufactured Schionning kits. What am I missing?

[tp12]

Go to the Schionning website and have a look, I linked it above. Their contact details are on their website and Lorraine is pretty good with emails so get in touch.


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[Sketchy Pete]

Schionning kits can be produced in Germany now so they are not freighted from Australia depending on where you want to construct it you should save plenty in freight building over there....
Im considering construction on a Schionning in Sth Africa