If you could pick anything, what would you choose?

[Zeqoo]

I prefer Dragonfly 1200! I'm tired of slow monohull.

[dennisail]

Originally Posted by 44'cruisingcat

Bob will still sell you a kit and plans. He's just not interested in trying to SELL his boats. Too busy building his own.

I'd go for the 48C

The only issue is. How am I even supposed to know if I like a 48C when there is no website where I can even see it?

[Factor]

Originally Posted by Zeqoo

I prefer Dragonfly 1200! I'm tired of slow monohull.

Dragonfly 1200 is probably quicker than an Oram 48 - bot not by much.

[Factor]

Originally Posted by zeehag

but they asked for ANYthing......

In that case - I choose a Pagani Zonda,

[dennisail]

Originally Posted by Factor

Dragonfly 1200 is probably quicker than an Oram 48 - bot not by much.

Yeah, but has the room of a 10m monohull. Still, I would love one.

[44'cruisingcat]

Originally Posted by dennisail

The only issue is. How am I even supposed to know if I like a 48C when there is no website where I can even see it?

The guy is entitled to retire isn't he? I've been at his house when he's been fielding phone calls from "tyre kickers". It consumes a lot of time. Then there are the e-mails. People asing why his boats don't have fatter hulls. Why they don't have bigger rigs etc. Simple answer - because he didn't draw them with fatter hulls or bigger rigs.

He's over it.

[Adelie]

Hobie 21

or a Catalac

[dennisail]

Originally Posted by 44'cruisingcat

The guy is entitled to retire isn't he? I've been at his house when he's been fielding phone calls from "tyre kickers". It consumes a lot of time. Then there are the e-mails. People asing why his boats don't have fatter hulls. Why they don't have bigger rigs etc. Simple answer - because he didn't draw them with fatter hulls or bigger rigs.

He's over it.

That's pretty much what I said to my mate about it and I agree 100%. Dealing with potential customers could be a huge PITA and very time consuming.

Fact remains, I still don't know what a 48C looks like or its specifications and I cant see any easy way to find out. I could contact him directly, then he would have to answer another tire kicking email which wouldn't need to happen if I could just look at it in the net. Knowing that he took the website down to get some rest would make me feel pretty bad if I found his contact details and asked him about it unless I was ready to build. Anyway, I wish him all the best and hope his boat comes out awesome as I am sure it will.

[Factor]

Dennisail

There is a 44C for sale in Brisbane at the moment. It may not be a 48 but still its a well proven boat having been all over the place. ( I hav no commercial interest in this boat) There was a 48 Oram in Brisbane - but sadly (up at Scarborough) I am advised it had a fairly large coming together with the rocks in the recent storms.

Also there is a Schionning Wilderness 1480 - about 48 foot, in Mackay - sensational boat - I know the builder and original owner and he has built a number of Schionnings and all of them are beautiful boats. (I have no commercial interest in this boat)

Does that help plug the gap of Bob's retirement?

Mark Pescott has a 48-50 foot design in the final throes. He would be only to pleased to hear from you (again I have no commercial interest with Mark).

[make]

Privilege 48 (1990 ish)Strictly because of her looks. I don't know how they behave at sea. I see other cats are in a discussion a lot. Does anyone have real honest review on these cats? Do they pound etc...
I have to admit owning an old Swan with all that woodwork has spoiled me,the interior and the look of the 48 gets me every time.

[44'cruisingcat]

Originally Posted by dennisail

.

Fact remains, I still don't know what a 48C looks like or its specifications and I cant see any easy way to find out.....

Looks like a 44C, but longer.

Seriously, that's pretty much what the 48C is. When I built my boat, I needed to add headroom because of my height (6'8). I added 100mm to the bottom of the sheer panel, and an 80mm radius to the top. Raised the deck level by 180 at the sheer, and 200mm at the centreline. We also increased the beam by 300mm.

A few people after visiting my build, decided to include the height and beam increases in their 44Cs. One of them was School's Out. (Annoyingly, they started building after me, but launched before me )

So Bob decided to draw a new boat with the 100mm extra headroom, and the additional beam, and added 4feet more waterline. To build, it would cost only a little more than a 44C - making the hulls longer doesn't cost much at all. But it has better payload carrying ability, and is bound to be a better boat at sea too. One has been launched, and another is starting construction.

Thing is, if Bob left his website up, but with no contact details, that would frustrate people too.

[floatsom]

Originally Posted by make

Privilege 48 (1990 ish)Strictly because of her looks. I don't know how they behave at sea. I see other cats are in a discussion a lot. Does anyone have real honest review on these cats? Do they pound etc...
I have to admit owning an old Swan with all that woodwork has spoiled me,the interior and the look of the 48 gets me every time.

Privilege 48 sail? From the people I've talked to, they are heavy, so they move more like a mono and less like a teed up golf ball of most cats. They are extremely sea worthy. Only fault from what I remember is that the windows would allow a lot of heat in without necessarily having good visibility. Good structural bouyancy.

[dennisail]

Factor, I wont be going cruising long term for around 4 years. So I wont be buying anything new anytime soon. But that time does give me a possible option to build. I have looked at Mark Pescots site many times. Some VERY nice boats there, but not really designed to be beachable and low draft like Bobs. Shoining is very nice too, but I am not a fan of balsa and would like to make my own panels rather than buy a kit.

44crusingcat, That's in interesting story on the mods you guys done to your cats. Did you increase the beam by adding 300mm to the bridge deck? Did any engineering changes have to be made due to the extra loads on the rig and structure? The 48 sounds like a cool boat.

[Factor]

Originally Posted by dennisail

Factor, I wont be going cruising long term for around 4 years. So I wont be buying anything new anytime soon. But that time does give me a possible option to build. I have looked at Mark Pescots site many times. Some VERY nice boats there, but not really designed to be beachable and low draft like Bobs.

May I suggest contacting Mark and discussing what your wants are, I am sure he could accommodate them with one of his designs. Worth the price of an email.

[Sand crab]

How about that new Catana 59 with curved daggerboards?