OMG! We're about to build an Isara 45

[bryguy67]

Good info. I think one major consideration is the energy lost by opening the frig to get water or ice. When it's available in-the-door it's much more efficient (plus convenient). In the tropics, water and ice will be top on the list.
I don't have size specs yet for our refrig, but I assume it's for the shallow model (same width, not as deep).

[biker6977]

Bryguy67- thank you for sharing your journey with us. I will never be able to afford a brand new cat- I am currently looking for a used mono- so I am living vicariously through you .
It is interesting to read the process. Keep us informed. I plan to be at the Miami boat show- going to take a couple seminars with hubby- perhaps we can have a CF meet up.

[dasurfclub]

Great info. Thanks for sharing.


Sent from my iPhone using Cruisers Sailing Forum

[EllesBelles]

Originally Posted by bryguy67

That's what I was thinking too; I know exactly what you mean by a Jacuzzi cockpit; out last cat was like that with very small scuppers. Of course the only water that came in was from the bows as you mentioned. No plans here to sail in hurricanes; want to build a safe cat just in case.

Any updated drawings on your transom/stern area?
When we were in Charleston, SC a few weeks ago as we sailed up the east coast, we ran into a new 50' cat that had just arrived from South Africa. True, that's a big journey, but they had suffered a little damage in their cockpit from big following seas.

Another consideration on the transom design is safety of crew, and convenience of some railing at the back for how you use that part of the boat. I can tell you that on the Antares, the whole stern with the elevated seats (great for people to sit on, expansion seating for gatherings and great breeze, and even stand on for high viewing - and the top of our davit is a secure handhold, and holds extra solar, KVH device, windvane, etc) is one of our favorite features.

Plus, on passages, as I'm going around the back of the boat from side to side, I really like the extra security that comes from having that structure behind me. If I lose my balance, it's there to grab onto.

Not to mention that as we know, guys often pee over the sides of boats, but girls can't. Suffice it to say that the way back-of-the-boat structures are built provide the perfect system for the ladies on board to hang out. Just saying...we wouldn't want to lose that on our boat.

Once you get your boat, Bryan, you'll have to let us know how it feels to walk across the back late at night if you're out there alone on passages. Do you feel the need to clip in there as you might when you leave the cockpit area and go up on deck for instance? Or does it feel as safe as being in the cockpit itself.

Thanks for keeping us updated. Hope your boat is ready by Miami. That's a nice time and place from which to start your cruising.

[EllesBelles]

Originally Posted by bryguy67

Update? Well....I may have posted that we are delayed with a hopeful new delivery date of February in Miami...shooting for the Miami boat show. The Manufacturer has a lot more at stake for that deadline than I do, but my wife and I are really excited about getting started. Busy right now with the youngest moving to College and the oldest girl getting married, but after that we may get cabin fever pretty bad. I may have accidently uploaded some basic drawings to this post...oops, wasn't supposed to
Coste Design is not used to designing such small boats as the 45...so when Isara's director asked about a full size refrigerator they had a great attitude about it and somehow just made it happen. What?! The location is simply perfect. Typically big cats have a galley refrig, a galley freezer, a cockpit refrig, another freezer somewhere else on the boat, and a cockpit ice maker. This one big refrig/freezer with ice/water in the door will be all we will need; not sure of the difference between combined weight or energy usage of the one big unit vs several smaller units. We should chat about that in this forum.
We are hull #3 and they are JUST starting lamination of hull #1. They have a large solid team working on them because there are 4 orders for the 45 now. With that team the process is supposed to go faster, so they may catch up some. Hope so.

I agree with the points made about the importance of insulation. And simple physics of cold air falling does favor top-loading freezers as being better on a boat bound for warm climates (even if you have ice/water on the outside and theoretically open it less)
If you're going to stick with the side by side model and installing a non-marine appliance, be sure the latches get modified so that as things shift inside, they don't push against the doors from the inside and force them open.
Also, even with a secure latch, as tall as your doors are, and since they're front-opening, I'd suggest putting a super-cushy mat on the floor in front of the unit so when you open the door and things fall out, they don't dent your floor, and have less chance of breaking.

[Sea Frog]

Originally Posted by EllesBelles

Also, even with a secure latch, as tall as your doors are, and since they're front-opening, I'd suggest putting a super-cushy mat on the floor in front of the unit so when you open the door and things fall out, they don't dent your floor, and have less chance of breaking.

Makes me think about using heavily-modified LG door-in-door unit...

[bryguy67]

Obviously the aft won't be just left open...I need to put some time into my wishes for the aft design still. The drawing of the frig is just a sample...we will choose our own design (top/bottom freezer, tall doors or not...etc). I'll be doing a lot of research before making that choice. Thankfully they have gotten a LOT more efficient and continue to.

[EllesBelles]

Originally Posted by bryguy67

Obviously the aft won't be just left open...I need to put some time into my wishes for the aft design still. The drawing of the frig is just a sample...we will choose our own design (top/bottom freezer, tall doors or not...etc). I'll be doing a lot of research before making that choice. Thankfully they have gotten a LOT more efficient and continue to.

How is the design and construction going? Any updates you can share? I'm still interested to know how you and the engineer/designer decided to complete the design of the transom area.
Will you be in Annapolis at the boat show next month?

[bryguy67]

Elles,

Sorry, haven't been on here in a while. The design of the transom can be customized to the buyers liking. I've put a lot of though into it, but I don't have my wishes finalized by any means. I love the idea of a fairly clear view aft, but safety is first.

New models equals unexpected delays sometimes. Balance Catamarans have run into this, and so has Isara. Things are finally rolling well at the factory after many delays, but our boat is hull 3 so she won't be in this Februarys Miami show after all. The first show that she'll be in will be Annapolis in 2015. Isara will be showing the 50 footer at Annapolis in a few weeks, but no 45's for quite a while yet.

We are seriously thinking of buying a used smaller cat in the area of Florida/Bahamas/Caribbean and sailing her until the Isara is finished. That way we can start our new life aboard and just move from one boat to the other when she's done.

[bryguy67]

I see that these 2 drawings are now posted on Isara's website, so I can share them here now:

[scarlet]

Originally Posted by bryguy67

Elles,

Sorry, haven't been on here in a while. The design of the transom can be customized to the buyers liking. I've put a lot of though into it, but I don't have my wishes finalized by any means. I love the idea of a fairly clear view aft, but safety is first.

New models equals unexpected delays sometimes. Balance Catamarans have run into this, and so has Isara. Things are finally rolling well at the factory after many delays, but our boat is hull 3 so she won't be in this Februarys Miami show after all. The first show that she'll be in will be Annapolis in 2015. Isara will be showing the 50 footer at Annapolis in a few weeks, but no 45's for quite a while yet.

We are seriously thinking of buying a used smaller cat in the area of Florida/Bahamas/Caribbean and sailing her until the Isara is finished. That way we can start our new life aboard and just move from one boat to the other when she's done.

Hi Bryguy!! I keep checking back to see how things are going with your build... have they started yours yet? or are you still in the design phase?

I'm going to Annapolis. I didn't know Isara was going to be showing a Cat.. I looked on their website.. but I must have missed it. I will DEFINITELY stop by to see that. We took a peek at it in Miami.. but it really wasn't completed and as such.. we just didn't get a sense of what it was going to look like. I want to see the finished product. I'll pop back in and give you my 'second look' opinion after the show..

BTW... you mentioned the Balance Cats... I am anxious to take a peek at those too...

[EllesBelles]

Hi Bryguy and Scarlet,

We will be at the Annapolis Sail Show too (already here in fact), and look forward to seeing all the boats.

Bry, Sorry to hear about the delays, but it sounds as if your boat will be worth waiting for. We almost bought a new cat, which would have meant we wouldn't have been sailing until the end of next year. We got to know our boat's builder, and got lucky when they heard of a 3-4 year old boat that might be coming up for sale. We followed that and ended up snapping it up before it went on the market. We're loving the way it worked out so that we could start sailing sooner, and we hope you have good luck in the same way.

EllesBelles

[EllesBelles]

Originally Posted by bryguy67

I see that these 2 drawings are now posted on Isara's website, so I can share them here now:

Fun to see the new pictures, Bry. I still get nervous seeing that open back transom. Having just sailed from Florida up to New England, and now we're heading south again, I think of all the nights when I was alone on watch and I had to go back to trim the sails, or do whatever. I would have felt too exposed with the back open like that - one slip and there isn't anything to catch you (even if the dinghy sits on the transom I don't think that would feel safe enough for me. But that's just me, and maybe it's a design everyone will get used to and become very comfortable with.
I really love the design of the stern of the Antares that we have from so many angles and for so many uses. Perhaps you want to take a look at that for your interim boat. I know there's a very well cared for older one that a guy named Clark is selling. We saw it in Florida. It's a 42 not a 44 (built before the longer boat became available) but could be a good solution for you two until your Isara is ready. And Antares hold their resale value well so you probably couldn't go too wrong there. I think the boat is called Koa Kai - it's on the LiveAntares.com site under resales.

[bryguy67]

Originally Posted by EllesBelles

I still get nervous seeing that open back transom.... I would have felt too exposed with the back open like that - one slip and there isn't anything to catch you (even if the dinghy sits on the transom I don't think that would feel safe enough for me. But that's just me, and maybe it's a design everyone will get used to and become very comfortable with.

Elles, I have obviously done a poor job here in describing that the transom design is not yet finished in the drawings, and that being a semi-custom boat, each owner can have the transom designed any way they like. So I'll try to explain it better, my apologies. See, older rough drawings of the boat didn't even show stanchions or life lines in the drawings. Yet, the actual boat will obviously have stanchions and life lines. Some drawings only showed the boat from the boom down, yet the actual boat will have a mast much taller than the boom. Some drawings show the boat with a white hull, but you can get it in any color you'd like. So the drawing you see with the "scary" open transom isn't at all what the final boat will look like. There will be what ever safety items each customer specs for that area. Do you get it now?

[EllesBelles]

Originally Posted by bryguy67

Elles, I have obviously done a poor job here in describing that the transom design is not yet finished in the drawings, and that being a semi-custom boat, each owner can have the transom designed any way they like. So I'll try to explain it better, my apologies. See, older rough drawings of the boat didn't even show stanchions or life lines in the drawings. Yet, the actual boat will obviously have stanchions and life lines. Some drawings only showed the boat from the boom down, yet the actual boat will have a mast much taller than the boom. Some drawings show the boat with a white hull, but you can get it in any color you'd like. So the drawing you see with the "scary" open transom isn't at all what the final boat will look like. There will be what ever safety items each customer specs for that area. Do you get it now?

Bry,

Thanks for explaining - I didn't realize the pictures of the 45 that you shared weren't the finished design. I'll look forward to seeing the final detail on your boat once you get to that part of the design.

By the way, I just looked through my Annapolis Sail Show list of boat exhibitors and didn't see Isara on the list. I had thought they were going to have the 50 in the show but I guess not. Well, next year we should be seeing the 45...good things will be worth waiting for.