Toughest Hulls

[Murray]

Who makes, and/or what is considered the toughest hulls...in regards to beaching a cat on 'less than ideal' surfaces?

Murray

[Pblais]

I really doubt anyone does. I think the term "Less than ideal" includes a lot of things. Attempting such things in unknown conditions just seems flat out stupid. If you checked it out and decided it was less than ideal - then you don't.

[Vasco]

Try Algan Shipyards, Canada. Actually this is a tri but I've seen a couple of them around doing liveaboard diving. Might be a bit big though.

[fhrussell]

Alot of the day-charter cats in the carribean and hawaii have carbon laid over the keels to help in beaching. Of course, they are beaching on soft sand only.

[Murray]

Thanks for the tip Rick...looks like that puppy will make short work of any barnacles that get in the way
For those that dare to dream, here's a link; http://www.lammerlaw.com/about.html

I'm new to this so please excuse my newbyness, but are there any catamaran's in the 30 foot range out there a person would land on a cobble (smooth palm sized rock) beach, for example?

Murray

[fhrussell]

Try a Wharram. They are built tough, but may need some fortification for cobblestones! I doubt there are too many boats that would take that kind of beating. Maybe look into an aluminum hulled cat....?

[delmarrey]

One could always put on keel guards like whats used on small ski boats. Just a wider and longer version. Anything that will stay on and can be removed later would surfice, a sacraficial cover.

You may lose a little hull speed, but not much.

http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs...allpartial/0/0

[Lodesman]

Any idea what the Lammer Law's hull is made from?
For pure toughness, steel is best, but you won't find many steel cats out there - try Boden boat plans. For alloy, I would think a strongall hull would be the best bet - I think Pro-meta do those.

Kevin

[Murray]

Well what do you know, somebody (Boden) did design a steel cat.

http://www.bodenboatplans.com/sail/d...x?id=29&page=1

Don't think I'd take it across the Pacific, but it could be the ticket for grinding up on BC's less than 'promotional brochure perfect' beaches...?

Murray

[Vasco]

Originally Posted by Lodesman

Any idea what the Lammer Law's hull is made from?
For pure toughness, steel is best,

Kevin

Lammer Law's steel so's Cuan(sp) Law , used to see them in the Virgins a lot but they've move on since then. Canadian boats registered in Kingston.

[Canibul]

I was looking at photos of a Prout Quasar 53 (1977) just because I was amazed a boat that big draws only 3'2". I see that they have added stainless steel keel plates, allowing the boat to be beached on just about anything with a fairly level surface. If I were building a cat, I think I would have to consider that option. I imagine one would glass in blind socket type fittings, and then bolt the stainless strips or plates or whatever through countersunk holes so the bolt heads are flush.
Is this generally thought to be a good idea?

[Canibul]

Looking back at it, I guess they call them stainless steel keel sole plates.

[Sonosailor]

The Stiletto 27 is manufactured of pre-impregnated epoxy and glass over a Nomex (Dupont) honeycomb core. The hulls are laid up cold with the correct amount of epoxy already bonded to one side of each piece of glass cut to fit. The hull and mold is vacuum molded and placed into an oven to drive off the inhibitors that have held back the cross-linking.

My Stiletto was on the trailer, outside a boat show, when a big old Ford van ran into it and pushed the trailer sideways a few feet while the van glanced off and carried on. We caught the guy and wanted to murder him. We looked at the hull and it looked stoved in and softened. However, we started to rub the area with fibreglass rubbing compound and the area came back to its beautiful shine. Only real damage was where a piece of his smashed mirror and tubing scratched the aluminum rub-rail. With the corner of his van stoved in and his mirror smashed, we just decided to drop it and let him live.

That whole boat, 27 feet long and 14 feet wide, with a solid bridgedeck and all sails and rigging, came in at 1200 pounds. Tough boat, however.

I sold it after 12 years. The only blemish was at the bows, where my stupidity and rough weather had it bumping bows-on to a concrete pier for 24 hours. I was able to get some epoxy gel coat from Force Engineering, apply and sand out.

[Sunspot Baby]

Prouts are solid fiberglass from the water line down. At least the Manta and Escale models (38' and 39') have keels and skeg protected rudders with the sail drive mounted between. Few if any production cats are tougher than Prouts.

Too bad they went Tango Uniform.

George

[Lodesman]

Rick,

Any idea if Algan Shipyard is still in existence. I noted LL was built in 1980. I googled the name of the shipyard, but the only references were adverts for Lammerlaw.

Kevin