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MIKE WALLER 

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DIY Cruising Catamaran: Complete Building Guide

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A brand-new cruising catamaran can set you back a hefty amount of money. However, a DIY cruising catamaran provides a more affordable way to own your own boat. While building a large boat can be an extremely challenging and time-consuming experience, nothing beats the pleasure of bringing your own boat to life. 

To build a DIY cruising catamaran, buy good design plans, determine your budget and find a working space. Next, choose your hull material, buy supplies and start building the mast beam. Build and sheathe the hull, install bulkheads, the interior, and finally, launch the catamaran boat.

In this article, you will find a complete guide to building your own catamaran. You will also find detailed information on why you may want to consider building your catamaran and approximately how much this project would cost. Finally, we will explore the advantages and disadvantages of building a catamaran from scratch.

Why You Might Want To Build Your Own Catamaran

Most people might think that purchasing a used boat to repair and fix it up would be cheaper than a DIY cruising catamaran. But while building your own catamaran could be an enormous undertaking, it also comes with many advantages over buying something used. 

Other than the unique opportunity to create beautiful memories and experiences while cruising, sailing, and exploring beautiful coastlines, there are a number of benefits that come along with the DIY approach.  

Knowing Your Boat

Building your own catamaran provides you with intimate knowledge of your boat. You will know every corner, including where to find every bolt, wire, bulkhead, rib, hose, and support as you installed them yourself. This knowledge will enhance your confidence while at sea since you will have entrusted your life to a boat whose history you are aware of and deeply connected to.

Pride of Ownership

The satisfaction you get from crafting something with your own hands is immense. As a result, the knowledge that you built your boat from scratch will fill you with absolute pride and an immense sense of achievement. Furthermore, as an owner-builder, you get to keep and enjoy the boat for as many years as you wish.

Substantial Cost Savings

Building your catamaran will work out cheaper than buying a new or even gently used boat. Though you will likely require some additional labor since doing some things will require an extra pair of hands, if you are particularly good at DIY, you will save a significant amount of money on labor costs as a whole. 

Freedom To Create Your Own Designs

If you decide to buy a catamaran boat, it might not be easy to find one that meets your unique needs. However, instead of choosing from production boats that bear traditional and outdated designs, you can come up with an ultra-modern design or style for your catamaran. You also get to pick your layout, size, and equipment based on your taste and budget.

Great Learning Experience

Building your own boat will help you pick up numerous skills that will come in handy later when sailing your boat. As much as you might still require an expert to help you with specialized skills like carpentry or wiring, your new skills will serve you well. This will also be beneficial when it comes to your boat’s maintenance and fixing things for yourself. 

What To Look For in Catamaran Boat Designs

When deciding on the type of catamaran boat to build, you may want to choose a design that’s simple and easy to build. This is because doing so will allow you to spend a shorter time building the boat. 

You also need to have a set of requirements to guide you in choosing your design or what you might call an ideal cruising catamaran wish list. This is essential because, ultimately, you want to build a boat that offers outstanding qualities such as:

• Delivers good speed
• Affordable to own and operate
• Agile, strong, and easy to maintain
• Has a high resistance to capsizing
• Great for sailing and cruising
• Delivers a comfortable and easy motion underway
• Good handling ability and high performance under sail
• User-friendly embarking and disembarking
• Provides ample living and accommodation space 
• Presents a reasonable resale value

It’s worth noting that, in general, catamaran boats tend to offer a fair resale value mainly because of scarcity and the high price accorded to production models. So, if you build a well-constructed catamaran, you are bound to get a return that’s much higher than the cost of materials upon resale.

It’s also good to consider whether the design you settle on is from an established designer. This is significant because documentation of the building process is just as valuable when it comes to selling the boat.

How Much Would It Cost To Build Your Own Catamaran?

The cost of building your cruising catamaran will depend heavily on the size of the boat you plan to build and the skills you bring to the table. To give you an idea of probable costs, a professionally built 40 foot (12.1 m) long cruising catamaran could go for up to $300,000. 

Though building it yourself will undoubtedly be cheaper, most DIY boatbuilders tend to underestimate the expected costs. Your final costs should cover not only the cost of material and equipment but also the labor and time it would take to come up with the final product. 

If you were to build a 40-foot (12.1-meter) catamaran, your cost of materials would range between 20-30% of the total cost. Therefore, for $300,000 total, the boat’s materials would range between $60,000 and $90,000. The hull tends to range between 15-35% of the total build. Again, this depends on the finish and furniture.

But before you even start working on the DIY project, you will need to figure out where to do the work. If your home has ample space, then you can opt for a backyard building. But if you live in a small apartment, then you might want to consider renting a small garage at first and then move on to a boatyard later. This is one of the significant costs involved in building your multi-haul.  

What You Will Need

To get a clearer picture of how much the entire project would cost, let’s have a look at what else you will need to purchase.

• Good design plans
• Working space
• Ground tackle
• Matting and roving
• Equipment such as the engine, windows, rudders, deck fittings, mast, and rigging

In addition to the above, you also need to install plumbing and electricals. You may also want to consider going electric rather than using diesel. Not only will this drastically reduce your maintenance costs, but you get to use the regenerated power for all of your housing needs while sailing. 

Some catamaran boat designs help you save costs by advocating the use of less expensive corpus materials. Most of the material goes directly into making the boat, which means there is hardly any wastage on vacuum bagging . With this method, there are few molds and temporal building forms and fewer fillers to grind off as waste. All these factors reduce the time and cost it takes to build your catamaran boat.

That said, building a boat of any kind is a huge financial undertaking. As such, you still need to have the financial ability to keep building; otherwise, your project will stall or take much longer than anticipated. Instead of enjoying yourself and making memories cruising to faraway lands, you might end up spending all your time building a seemingly never-ending boat.

To reiterate, this project is more of a labor of love, given that it involves a tremendous amount of manual work. Calculating an hourly rate on the time spent building the boat and adding this cost to that of materials may make it seem a very pricey exercise. However, it is vital to understand that your time matters, and every hour you spend working for “free” should be included. 

With that in mind, you need to ensure that you are fully devoted to the boat construction project and are sure you want to do it before you begin. Stopping halfway because it seems like too much work would be incredibly costly.

How To Build a Catamaran

When it comes to building a cruising catamaran, you have 3 main options:

• You can buy an old boat and refurbish it.
• Purchase a bare hull plus deck molding for a home-boat building.
• Start from scratch and build everything, including the hull, on your own. 

As mentioned above, renovating an existing boat may end up being more costly than starting from scratch. To build a catamaran boat from scratch, follow the below step-by-step guide.

Prepare the Essentials

Before you jump into such a large project, there are several important aspects to consider:

• Buy your plans from an established catamaran designer. You can also get inexpensive, easy-to-build catamaran designs online.
• Get access to a large working space or build a shed . Depending on your climate, you may need to opt for climate control to avoid an excess of moisture in humid areas. 
• Decide on your choice of hull material. This could be fiberglass, aluminum, steel, wood, or ferroconcrete. 
• Start working on a bill of materials estimate. Include everything that you think you need to get a better idea of the initial costs.

Build the Mast Beam

Using wood and epoxy, cut and glue together the pieces of wood that will form the mast beam. Most of the work at this stage can occur in a garage since it involves building small parts. Still, the work could take up to 4 months, so be prepared to put in long hours.

Build the Boat Hull

Now, it’s time to build the boat’s hull. A catamaran comprises two hulls which are connected with a deck. Below is a short video showing how to build a hull mold:

This work requires a larger facility, so you might need to move out of the garage and into a boatyard. If you don’t have access to a larger workshop, consider building a shed where you can work as you do the construction. Make sure there’s enough room to fit the boat and also allow you to work comfortably. To cover the shed, you can use opaque white tarps. 

Sheathe the Hull

Get all the materials you require for this stage in the construction, such as lots of resin, fiberglass, and foam for use in the hull cores. You’ll also require matting and glass roving to sheath the hull . 

Sheathing helps to make the hull impervious to water and other marine borers. But first, you need to prepare the hull using a rotary sander. To make it as smooth as possible, use light, sweeping strokes. This is a very dusty task so be prepared to wear a facemask and safety goggles. 

Install the Bulkheads

Next is installing the plywood bulkheads . You might need to call in friends to help turn the hulls or use a crane. In this step, you will need to laminate the hull sides on the molded hull panels and bond them above the bulkheads. Ensure the bulkheads are snug and sealed in place.

Construct the Interior Structure

Over the next couple of months, the boat work will involve joining the hulls together with the beams that you had made back in the garage. Then, install the cuddy cabin, decks , and the cockpit . Soon the boat will start to take the shape of a catamaran.

Next, proceed to construct the major structural components such as stairs, hatches, mini-keels, and the interior. Then comes the work of fairing the boat, which is quite labor-intensive. 

Finally, it’s time to apply primer on the catamaran boat and start the paintwork. Before painting the boat, you will need to do additional sanding to finish off the two layers of primer as well as fill all the pinholes. Since it’s a large boat, the catamaran has lots of surface area; thus, the sanding could get extremely exhausting—mentally and physically—at this point.

The painting can take a while, too. The hulls are the easiest to paint, but the topsides, non-skid, as well as masking and prepping could seem never-ending. 

The final stretch involves working on the center bridge deck cabin and other final touches like installing the engines, electricals, and plumbing. This is also the time to fix the rudders, rigging, mast, windows, and deck fittings.

Launch Your Cruising Catamaran

After many months or years of hard work, your cruising catamaran is finally ready to test the waters. After lowering the boat into the water, check carefully in case there are leaks. If none, you can set up the sails and take your catamaran out for your first cruise. 

Below is a short video that takes you through the entire boat-building process:

If you don’t have deep pockets, don’t despair. It’s also possible to build an inexpensive catamaran boat, as shown in this post from the coastal passage .

The Pros of Building a Catamaran

Though it will be a costly endeavor, there are so many things to look forward to should you decide to build your own catamaran:

• It can be lots of fun.
• You get to have a new boat.
• It’s an excellent hobby for DIY enthusiasts.
• The effort is rewarding.
• It offers a great learning experience.
• You get the exact kind of boat you want.
• You can alter building plans and tailor the boat to suit your specific needs.
• It might be cheaper than buying a new boat.

The Cons of Building a Catamaran

Though there are a number of positive aspects to a DIY build, it is just as important to keep in mind that it won’t always be easy:

• Maintenance costs can be quite high.
• It’s both mentally and physically exhausting.
• It might require some technical know-how.
• It can take many months or even years to complete.
• It requires a lot of commitment to finish the DIY project.
• It might be challenging as well as expensive to get insurance.  
• You will spend almost all your free time building the boat. 

DIY Cruising Catamaran Tips and Tricks

If you are new to boat building, it would be a good idea to build a small boat first. This would give you a good indication as to whether you’d enjoy tackling a more extensive project like building a catamaran. Again, if you are the handy type, fixing your own electronics could also save you a significant amount of money. 

Here are more tips and tricks to get the most out of your DIY cruising catamaran:

• Lower your costs. Bring down your costs even further by sourcing for parts and supplies at marine surplus outlets, Craigslist, eBay, or wholesale suppliers. 
• Enhance your resale value. Most home-built boats are not easy to sell since they tend to be too customized. To enhance your resale value, it’s advisable to work with a standard design from a well-established naval architect.
• Follow the design instructions. Make sure to follow the designer’s instructions regarding the type of materials and tools to use during the build to avoid making costly mistakes.
• Maintain your original budget. Avoid any additional customizations once you have started building the boat. Using good plans and sticking to them ensures that your budget doesn’t spiral out of control.

Final Thoughts

Building a catamaran is about more than saving money. It’s fun, exciting, fulfilling, and can be a great learning experience. While it might take many months of back-breaking work, comparative shopping and sourcing for materials will help you save a lot of money. Still, at the end of it all, you’ll have a beautiful catamaran boat, all ready for your first cruising adventure.

However, if you have neither the time nor the energy to build your own catamaran from scratch, refurbishing an existing hull might prove faster and easier. It also works out much cheaper than buying a new boat.

Owner of CatamaranFreedom.com. A minimalist that has lived in a caravan in Sweden, 35ft Monohull in the Bahamas, and right now in his self-built Van. He just started the next adventure, to circumnavigate the world on a Catamaran!

One thought on “ DIY Cruising Catamaran: Complete Building Guide ”

Hello, I am a French Quebecer who is original, imaginative, creative and who finds that all boats and catamarans have a huge flaw and a very big lack of logic. I would have a brand new concept…. I am sending this message to any catamaran creator – designer to make those who have the opportunity and the intelligence to want to know about my innovative idea which will finally upset the market much richer. An idea that will totally change the concept of sailing, navigation and save so much worry!! All I would ask for is a small percentage of each sale of the new product. To be able to make me produce one when I have enough!! It is certain that like that, you just want to tell me: come on Mr. Lessard give us your idea but do not take your word to help me in return! But, if you are the kind of man to have only one word and maybe have a proof of your good faith if the realization of the project would make it… I will be very happy!! Giving it to everyone wouldn’t bother me either…. all I would like is to be able to find flax fiber (too expensive carbon) to be able to try to make my catamaran myself. Because not rich! Have a nice day and looking forward to having a message!!

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Janus sailing catamaran

Janus is a 4 berth trailable sailing catamaran built in sheet plywood. However, don’t be deceived by Janus’ simple dory shaped hulls (which make it a very easy boat to build). It has a lot of internal room for its length and a surprisingly good performance. It is a safe, seaworthy boat, several have made English Channel and North Sea crossings (over 100 miles non stop).Trailering and assembly are easy as the flat bottomed hulls remain upright unsupported. Janus is the best choice for the less experienced builder or sailor and for those who prefer simplicity.An owners comment: “After we’d reach the bridge we were broad reaching and went very fast indeed. We realised that Richard Woods designs great boats. For what is more fun than leaving with two monohulls of the same size and a few miles further on all you can see are a couple of dots behind?”We also have a number of other trailable sailing catamarans from 20 - 25ft, see www.sailingcatamarans.com for more details.

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Woods Designs specialise in the design of sailing catamarans for both home and professional builders. However we also have a small range of dinghies, trimarans and power catamarans. Scroll down to see the full list, divided into lengths and boat types. Read More...

Before deciding which boat to build it's worth getting as much information as possible. So apart from this web site we have produced lots more to help you. Read More ....

Our study plans and building plans are now only available as downloads.

However the digital plans are still the same effective size, generally A1 (approx 3ft x 2ft). So do not try to view them on a smart phone , if indeed the phone allows an image that large to be displayed. The download studyplans cost GBP15.00

Paper studyplans and plans are only available to special order. They come at a much higher cost due to printing and postage costs. Please contact us if you wish to order paper plans.

You can download a sample pack of drawings (sheets from 7 different designs) HERE

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Click here for Beach Cats and Dinghies (8 designs)

This range of rowing and sailing dinghies and off the beach catamarans complement the larger catamarans designed by Woods Designs

Click here for Trimarans Under 20ft (6 designs)

Six daysailing trimarans, each with a plywood hard chine main hull.

The Tryst 10 is based on the Duo dinghy. The Zeta 14 and Strike 15 are complete designs, while the Strike 16 and 18 use a beach cat for the rig and outriggers. The Strike 20 is a racing boat based on the F18 beach cat. 

Click here for 18ft to 25ft Catamarans (10 designs)

The 25ft and under range of designs comprise a variety of trailable boats, generally either with an open deck layout or with a central cuddy. These boats are suitable for daylight or overnight coastal and "cross-channel" sailing.

Note, Saylon has a full bridgedeck and, like its smaller sister Chat, is only suitable for inshore sheltered water sailing.

Study plans are available for purchase for all designs (except for Acorn, Chat, Eagle and Saylon which are available on their own pages as pdf downloads)

Download study plans cost GBP15.00. To order studyplans please select from the correct box below 

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Click here for 25ft to 30ft Catamaran Designs (7 designs)

The 25ft - 30ft range of designs comprise a wide variety of open deck and bridgedeck boats. These boats have limited load carrying ability and so if sailing long distances you will have to be careful not to overload them.

Study plans are available for purchase for all designs (except for Elf, Saturn and the Salish 28 which are available for free download on the design pages)

Download study plans cost GBP15.00.  To order studyplans please select from the correct box below 

Click here for Catamaran Designs Over 30ft (8 designs)

The over 30ft range of designs comprise both open and bridge deck cabin boats.

The range of designs comprise a wide variety of open deck and bridgedeck boats. These boats have added load carrying and increased seakindliness compared to smaller designs so are more suited for offshore sailing.

We do not recommend home builders to attempt a boat over 40 ft unless experienced and want a boat for charter or long term cruising. Most families will find that boats under 40 ft will comfortably meet their needs.

Study plans are available for purchase for all designs (except for Tamar, Vardo and Transit which are available on their own pages)

Download study plans cost GBP15.00.  To order studyplans please select from the correct box below  

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In September 2010 we were very pleased to announce the launch of our first powercat design, the trailable Skoota 20. It was a very successful boat which we cruised for two seasons in British Columbia. Seven more powercat designs are now available. In addition to the Skoota 20 there is a centre cockpit, trailable Skoota 24. Next, the Skoota 28 is a transportable coastal cruiser, and was the Woods Designs floating office/cruising home for 7 happy and successful years.

Also in the portfolio are the Jazz 30, designed for fishing, day charter work or coastal cruising  The Skoota 32 which is available as a production boat or for home builders in flat panel foam sandwich. The Skoota 36, a really comfortable fast cruiser (available in two options) or, slightly modified, for use as a passenger ferry. All are semi displacement designs, so not designed for high speeds but rather for good fuel economy and a comfortable ride in any seastate. Finally there are the newest designs, the Skoota 18 which is based on the Chat 18 sailing catamaran. And the Aegean 30 which is a development of the Skoota 28

See this article for the reasons why we chose a Skoota 28 as our newest cruising boat

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Coral Sea 25 by Mike Waller Yacht Design

25 ft plywood 'v' hull low cost cruising catamaran.

URL: http://wallerdesign.com.au/cs25.html

Description:

The CORAL SEA 25 CATAMARAN is designed specifically for the builder who wants the maximum boat for minimum cost and building time. To this end the vessel features seperate hulls connected by strongly mounted cross beams.

The vessel is demountable for trailing and employs a simple, easily built, trunkated 'V' hull shape. The trunkated 'V', is as simple to build as the straight 'V', but has better sailing characteristics, such as less wetted surface, better tacking etc. This yacht is definitely a case of the most boat for the least work and cost.

The Coral Sea 25 is designed for safe, comfortable family sailing, with bunks for 4 in 2 seperate hulls. It also has a room for a portable toilet, small cabin lockers, and a huge cockpit for socializing. There is good sitting headroom in the hulls.

For simplicity and ease of construction the hulls consist of a plywood shell wrapped around a framework of plywood bulkheads and timber stringers. This is still the easiest way to construct a timber boat, and when combined with timber / epoxy construction, is a very cost effective way to build a sound vessel.

The rig is a simple but efficient ¾ sloop, with a large sail area for light weather cruising, easily reefed in heavier winds. The rigidly mounted beams allow the vessel to carry an efficent rig which can stand up to the weather. The rigging is as simple as possible, and is based on the KISS principle. Two separate rigs are available, a standard rig for offshore and open water sailing, and a larger inshore rig. The choice is at the builders discretion.

Auxiliary power is from an outboard in a separate pod beneath the cockpit footwell. The vessel features small skeg keels for cruising simplicity, and efficient transom hung rudders for positive helm control. Steering as designed is by tiller. The Coral Sea 25 is an easily constructed vessel capable of providing it's owners with years of comfortable and fun cruising, or even ocean voyages for the more skillful and adventurous sailors.

Catamarans about same size as Coral Sea 25

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This 'glass-over-ply' sailboat is proof that a DIY'er can successfully build an ocean-going multihull. Plywood construction is the cheapest building method available and very forgiving while one hones their skills. Finishing with a solid fiberglass outer is also a task made easier, given the amount of glassing and gluing needed during such a project.

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Jérôme Delaunay Naval Architect - Nautline design office in naval architecture: I design and draw custom boat and sailboat plans, in plywood epoxy and other materials. Sailboat plans for shipowner construction and professional construction. Plans of multihulls, plans of catamarans, praos and trimarans. CFD hull study, digital hull basin, engine optimization. I offer scantling calculations, keel calculations, mast and rig calculations. Composite sampling calculations. DXF digital plans for CNC digital cutting.

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Plywood Sailing Catamaran!

Discussion in ' Boatbuilding ' started by Bluewater64 , Jan 6, 2009 .

Bluewater64 New Member

Hello folks, I have been reading a lot of the comments from the folks on the Boat Design forum and I must thank all of you for helping people in need of honest advice, especially when someone is craving for some good knowledgeable advice. I also noticed that there is so much confusion and different styles when it comes to building your own Catamaran. I’m a person with a simple mind and who is a respectful listener. I always listen very carefully to knowledgeable people and that is the main reason I’m posting this message. I have been researching the Home Building Catamaran process for almost two years and let me tell you that stuff is addictive. Like everyone else, I also have my limitations. However I have been lucky to have the space, all the tooling for the construction and living in an area with easy access to the main materials, I’m about 20 miles from the water. I have solid wood construction knowledge so, I have no doubt I can build my own Catamaran. After researching many Catamaran construction methods, I came to realize that the industry is still in the early stages, if you compare it with the sailboat industry. Because of this, I want to keep things simple and affordable for example: a) I’m planning to purchase a used mast, winches, dingy, and engines and perhaps make my own sails. The items I will purchase new will be the navigations instruments, kitchen, water maker, rigging and any other item that I feel the necessity to purchase new. I’m taking in consideration the time it will take me to build my Catamaran, so I’m certainly keeping my eyes open and well informed, so I can find all those items used and for a good price, and I consider that to be a realist and very doable approach. With that said, the next challenge is the one that I’m most concerned with. I love to work with wood so a plywood - Epoxy construction Catamaran really appeals to me. The problem is trust. There is a lot of people offering their blueprints and different methods of construction and that it is a little overwhelming. I found a site called Easy Catamarans http://easycatamarans.com.au/ . They are an Australian based company and the process, as well as the blueprint seems reasonable to me. My main concern is the credibility of the design. When it sounds too good to be true, it may not be true at all. For their 43’ Easy cat blueprint they are asking $ 3.000 Aus. The Cat construction is 100 % marine plywood. I have some questions for you folks; 1) what are your thoughts about plywood construction in terms of the weight to ration, 2) do you think purchasing a blueprint is important, 3) anybody here familiar with the Easy Build Catamaran, what is your “gut” feeling about this company that claims to be so affordable and easy to build, 4) even though I will used epoxy and glassed the boat inside and out, do I have to use marine plywood and 5) do you guys think this Easy Catamaran design will be able to do some serious blue water cruising. I’m planning to start the building process this summer. We are a family of 4 and I do not want to build bigger than 43’. Your opinions are very important to me, and it will shape my knowledge and thoughts when it comes to making a decision. I highly value all your wonderful and kind advice. Thank you many times in advance for taking the time to read my words and the willingness to help my family and I with your advice. Thank you. Regards; Abe  

outside the box Previous Member

Just google Easy's they are every where in Australia many very happy owners.  

According to your short statement and the criteria of your comment, I’m assuming you must be directly connected with Easy Catamaran. Let me see if I can understand what you are trying to convey. You are telling me to base my decision completely on a simple Google search? Is that correct? Well, I don’t think so and let me tell you why. A few years ago a friend of a friend of mine that lives in Genoa, Italy, got a hold of a blue print (we don’t know how he obtained the blue print) of a 36’ sloop sailboat. At that time this kid was 18. It was known that this kid was raised around sailing and had a basic understanding of sailing and basic skills of boat construction. He ended up getting a hold of some fake pictures. At the time, some of his friends and family were in the process of building several sailboats. So, this kid was so slick that he took pictures of the different construction stages, had a few friends hold a tool in their hand and pretend they were working on the sailboat. He set up a very nice website with a lot of pictures and full of personal testimonials (of course they were all fake). In addition, he offered 3 different sizes of building plans, as well as construction technical support in Italian, English, and Spanish. He ended up regenerating a substantial amount of money until complaints started to come in and things eventually caught up with him. So, can we call this kid dishonest? Or was he just trying to build a business? You make that call. In addition, you have to be very naïve just to base a major decision like this on a simple Google search. The matter of a fact is that Easy Catamaran does NOT offer a lot of information on their website about their plans. The ONLY thing they offer is a bunch of pictures (who knows where they came from) and some text describing how wonderful and easy their Easy Catamaran are. What about an example of their plans? This is what a very respectful Naval Architect wrote to a friend of mine on a recent email. “By going to a reliable designer and/or supplier, they will have worked out all the engineering and design ahead of time which is what you want to be assured of. Of utmost importance is the hull lines plan as everything about a boat derives from this. Therefore, your plan package should include the hull lines and lofting instructions and/or full-size patterns. If it does not include the hull lines, go someplace else. You also want a detailed set of construction plans that include the plan view, the inboard profile view (looking at the inside as if the boat were sliced down the middle of the hull, and in the case of a catamaran, also down the middle of the bridge deck), and section views. Obviously, there should also be a rigging plan showing the sail plan in profile and the mast in transverse section. The more rigging details, the better”. On the Easy Catamaran web site they do not provide ANY sample drawings on which to judge. Like I stated on my previous post, I have been searching and doing a lot of reading about Catamaran construction for two years, and I can tell you 8 out of ten offered a sample plan on their site. So, I’m not going to spend a large sum of money in building plans, material, and time to build something that I do not have a clear understanding of their the company goals, history, reliability and business ethics. Thank you for your advice.  

marshmat Senior Member

Hi Bluewater, It looks like there are a few drawings buried deep within the Easy Catamarans site. See http://easycatamarans.com.au/options.htm , click the boat's name, and about half of them have a link at the very bottom of the lower right frame (who uses html frames these days, anyway?) to a couple of drawings. They don't look as detailed as I would expect for study plans. On a full set of study plans (available from most designers for about 1 to 3 percent of the cost of the building plans) there should be enough information to see how the boat is put together, what the materials requirements will be, and where the tricky spots are that will need special techniques or skills. Study plans are supposed to have enough information to do a preliminary construction budget and schedule (both of which will be shot to hell a month after you start building, but that's another matter). So, Bluewater, if I were in your position- and one of the Easy boats looked appealing- I would be giving Peter Snell a call and asking to buy a copy of the study plans (not the build plans) for the design you're interested in, and also asking if there are any previous builders who'd be willing to discuss the boat with you. I'd also be prowling the net for information on Snell and his design firm, people who have done business with them, etc. This isn't paranoia, it's standard due diligence and is part of normal business process for designers, engineers, investment brokers, and just about anyone else who, for various reasons, needs to cover their backside. As to your other questions: I have some questions for you folks; 1) what are your thoughts about plywood construction in terms of the weight to ration, 2) do you think purchasing a blueprint is important, 3) anybody here familiar with the Easy Build Catamaran, what is your “gut” feeling about this company that claims to be so affordable and easy to build, 4) even though I will used epoxy and glassed the boat inside and out, do I have to use marine plywood and 5) do you guys think this Easy Catamaran design will be able to do some serious blue water cruising. I’m planning to start the building process this summer. Click to expand...

waikikin Senior Member

Hi Bluewater, I live in Australia & am a shipwright & has been involved in multihulled sailing vessels since 1976, I have no affilliation with the Snell designs & have never built one of his vessels but am familiar with them, they have a reputation to be quite a reliable craft, I would consider one to cruise with my family on but have for myself chosen another designer in composites. Some may have been built with lower grades of ply which would not generally be a recomended practice but here in Australia some brands of Aust/NZ standards exterior ply are of superior quality to British standard stamped marine ply available here, the Aust standards marine ply available here is generally of excellent quality & at a small premium definatly worth the extra investment, also there is an Easy forum called some thing like "easytalking" which might give you some more insight in regards to build times etc, also the larger versions may well prove a better investment on resale at a later date. All the best with your design choice from Jeff.  

russglass New Member

waikikin said: ↑ Hi Bluewater, I live in Australia & am a shipwright & has been involved in multihulled sailing vessels since 1976, I have no affilliation with the Snell designs & have never built one of his vessels but am familiar with them, they have a reputation to be quite a reliable craft, I would consider one to cruise with my family on but have for myself chosen another designer in composites. Some may have been built with lower grades of ply which would not generally be a recomended practice but here in Australia some brands of Aust/NZ standards exterior ply are of superior quality to British standard stamped marine ply available here, the Aust standards marine ply available here is generally of excellent quality & at a small premium definatly worth the extra investment, also there is an Easy forum called some thing like "easytalking" which might give you some more insight in regards to build times etc, also the larger versions may well prove a better investment on resale at a later date. All the best with your design choice from Jeff. Click to expand...

Manie B Senior Member

Bluewater here is the easy site http://www.hostmybb.com/phpbb/index.php?mforum=easy they are VERY popular boats and fetch good prices even 10 years old http://www.yachthub.com.au/ search EASY catamaran i have done A LOT of reading on Easy over the past 4 years and i still believe it is the best way to go for the amateur / home builder, i am confident that i have also read just about every catamaran site on the web and after all these years Easy is still very good you MUST stick to their specifications - dont waste your time with cheaper alternatives i am busy building my own cat with ply and epoxy, it is a user friendly medium  

Bluewater 64, there is an old saying you should not assume as it makes an *** (out of) u (and) me, further to your reply above I have no connection with " as you assume, Easy Catamaran". I have worked for a long time both in New Zealand and in Australia building mostly Catamarans of Ron Given design and Tony Grainger designs for one of Australia's finest Company's. Due to my favour of the Multihull, I followed a life long passion into the study of marine design, I have a staff of 7 working with me, (design 2 mechanical engineering 1, concept development 3 and plug making 1 ,full time designing and developing a range of Multihulls for a New Zealand Company, we have also been doing design work for a local power boat builder on contract. The Google comment was simply do some broad research on the designs without assumption then ask questions and seek advise from people like waikikin, and also go direct to the designer as marshmat advised. I was on here often, looking and reading some years back but found the site full of armchair experts with a small percentage of very good professionals who take time to answer questions of the general public, for example Richard Woods, Eric Sponberg and others. Again I will be signing out admiring people like Manie B who "JFDI" IT. All the best in your search.  

hi "outside the box" please show us some pics of your work i am always keen on learning what the others have to offer  

sabahcat Senior Member

Also here as well http://easycat.50webs.com/ There are plenty getting around Oz, many happy owners  

Hi Russglass, I cant comment too much on the Col Clifford system, my only exposure to it was an article in a Multi magazine on it, no real hands/eyes on the real thing, the concept may have merit & be successful but do your research & get some comment, paid if need be from an independant design professional as although alu connective beams have acceptance in multis, the framing system outlined is unconventional & I have no idea how handsomely skin loads transfer & interface with the framing system, maybe you can invite Col to offer his system to scrutiny here? All the best with your boating from Jeff.  

Hi Manie B I can't post any further information as the design contract we have undertaken has confidentiality clauses in it as the client is in the Patent process presently with a couple of the design features. The design should be released mid 2010 (i will keep you posted) its really just the clients slant on his ideal boat and should someone else like it well and good, the patent is to protect his IP.  

Freenacin Junior Member

you say this: Bluewater64 said: ↑ I’m a person with a simple mind and who is a respectful listener. I always listen very carefully to knowledgeable people and that is the main reason I’m posting this message. Abe Click to expand...

robherc Designer/Hobbyist

Wow, it took you a month and 5 days to come up with that? If he's suspicious about the first post, that's fine, the problem was already dealt with; why are you reviving a dead thread just to sling mud at someone?!?  

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turbofnq New Member

Hi all, I am "reviving a dead thread" as well I suppose. I launched an Easy 37 last November after a three year build, and am more than happy with the results. The boat was built out of Hoop Pine both the ply and all other timber. The ply is "BB" grade, which by Australian standards in nearly as good as it gets for the job. There is no need to use Marine Ply as the glue is the same in both grades and entire boat, inside and out is sealed in Epoxy, so in theory the timber will never get wet, and if it does, then the type of timber used in the build is not all that important, the hole is. The Easy design is an extremely ridig design, which I discovered when moving the almost completed boat a few meters. I had the weight on two diagonally opposed jacks for a short while (not intentionally) and there was less than 3mm flex from one mini keel to the other. The Easy is not the be all and end all of ply cats, it is just one of many and the others may or may not be as well designed, I don't know, or care. This is just the design I picked, and the designer, Peter Snell is more than helpfull. The boat sails quite fast, and while it doesn't have a big rig, it is fairly light. The bridgedeck clearance has not been a problem but then the beam is not huge so it doesn't need to be. Sailing around the world may be different, but that was never my plan, besides there is big jets for that. The Easy plans are cheap, as stated above, however there is all the info there to build a boat. The interior fitout is up to you. You can pay more for other plans and you will get more detail, but I didn't find any major problems. This Forum, http://www.hostmybb.com/phpbb/index.php?mforum=easy has just about every question and answer you could think of, and it is not just limited to Easy's, there is other designs there as well. My boat can be viewed in Members Multis, the Leslie James. Cheers, turbofnq.  

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