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Old 11-04-2013, 19:13   #1
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Hello All!

Hello I am currently living in Louisville, KY, GO CARDS! I have been lurking around the forums for awhile. I currently only own a wakeboard boat, far cry from a liveaboard. I am planning on starting a sailing cat build in the near future and have been researching through the forums. I have not fully decided on the plan yet but am considering a Gary Lidgard and Kurt Hughes design between 44-47'. I still have some details to work out but I love building things, and when I decide to do something it will get done and to a very high quality.
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Old 11-04-2013, 19:34   #2
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Re: Hello All!

Cool. GO CLMART!

Keep us posted.
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Old 12-04-2013, 03:50   #3
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Re: Hello All!

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, clmart.
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Old 12-04-2013, 04:29   #4
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Re: Hello All!

Welcome. Would love to follow the build in photos, if you wouldn't mind posting them.
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Old 12-04-2013, 04:44   #5
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Re: Hello All!

Welcome aboard! Now there's a project...best of luck and would love to see the progress. I'm sure you'll find some great advice on the forum...I know there's some boat builders here.
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Old 12-04-2013, 05:48   #6
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Re: Hello All!

Welcome to CF!

Do yourself a favor and thoroughly research a bunch of posts here on self builds... Don't do it because you want to save $$$... You will easily spend more building... The number of boats that have been abandoned during construction is staggering...

If it's the actual construction process that appeals to you... go for it...
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Old 12-04-2013, 15:32   #7
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Re: Hello All!

Thanks for the welcome and encouragement. I have been researching boat building for about a year. I am not building a boat to save money as I did not build motorcycles or race cars to save money either. I do it because I enjoy it. I have the facilities in a 60x150 and 50x100 metal buildings insulated and temp controlled just a few miles from the Ohio River for my business which is seasonal, so for 5 months a year I am usually paying a couple employees to stand around or sit home, at least I can get some production for my money during the slow period. I have a pretty well equipped machine shop bridgeport mill clausing 15x50 lathe, lots of tooling, benders, band saws , air and hand tools galore, mig tig welders. I have a machinist who will work for free, my pops. I have experience with fiberglass and metal fab just not to this scale. I am still deciding between designs and designers for that matter. The one thing for me is having a design just makes it seem simple I am used to having something in my head and translating that directly to metal or grp, building from directions almost seems like cheating. As far as cost maybe you can get something used for material costs, I just cannot see buying a new or even slightly used boat anywhere near the material costs.
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Old 14-04-2013, 06:01   #8
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Re: Hello All!

clmart,

Wow!.... Sounds like you have an extraordinary advantage to building your own... The facilities and buildings sound ideal !!!

If you were to go steel, even more so of an advantage!!! I'm not a fan of steel over glass, but there many who are... Just different tastes and preferences...

Here's a thought... If you look around hard enough... there are abandoned hull projects all over the place... Maybe start with with one of those, and finish the build???

Otherwise... It sounds like you are more capable than 80+% of the folks who start down the self build path....

I say go for it!!!
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Old 14-04-2013, 09:25   #9
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Re: Hello All!

My suggestion is to start with a dory or dinghy. You will need a dinghy for your dream boat, anyway. Building a dinghy is a fun but short project that will get your hands dirty and only cost chump change. Then build a trailerable day sailer or weekend micro-cruiser. More of a real boat. Something you can actually go somewhere in, but can drag home on a trailer and park in the driveway. No slip rental, no haulouts, no expensive bottom paint, very low maintenance. This can be a fun boat and a good little inland lake sailer. You could finish a glass over plywood daysailer with no inboard engine in a couple of months, and it can be done for a few thousand. Both of those projects will teach you a lot about boatbuilding, stuff the books don't tell you or the plans don't show you. Then if you are still fired up to build a serious boat, go for it.

Not saying you can't just jump right into a cruising boat project, but I really feel that no matter how competent you are at building stuff in general and how well equipped you are, baby steps are the best beginning.
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Old 14-04-2013, 18:36   #10
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Re: Hello All!

I looked at some steel monohull designs but I prefer a Cat. We have spent a couple weeks on charter cats love the space and comfort at anchor and at sail. I looked at a couple plans for aluminum but I think I prefer foam core glass construction. I have not built a boat but I have laid up auto body panels in fiberglass and carbon fiber and built molds. I have produced carbon parts with a clearcoat finish like glass, I know that is not going to happen with a 45' cat hull. I think the hardest part for me will be learning to compromise between perfection and a really good product. The only product I have not worked with is the corecell foam, it seems it will be a lot easier to thermo form foam than to make a compound curve part from flat sheet metal, to bad you cant shape foam in the english wheel and power hammer. I plan to build for around 6 years or so then we can sail for 6 months out of the year as long as we can find wifi from time to time we can keep track of the business and the employees can handle it for the most part. We will come back for the busy part of the year to make sure everything runs smooth. That will be the plan at least, My daughter is 13 now so it will give us time to get her off to college and the animals will probably be gone by then, I can't see cruising with a 180 pound mastiff unless he could learn to hang it over the transom.
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Old 18-04-2013, 12:24   #11
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Re: Hello All!

Aloha and welcome aboard!
Good to have you posting here. Can't wait to see photos of your build project.
Cored fiberglass hulls while they sound great for weight saving can eventually collect moisture enough to saturate and become water logged.
Good luck in your project.
kind regards,
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