One of my customers has ordered an off the shelf vacuum bagging table. They are actually truck beds. I understand the cost is very good. More on that after he gets and uses. 

I seem to recall that Kelsall said he could build a bagging table in was it 4 hours?  It takes me that long almost to wander around Home Depot and remember what I was working last weekend.  This should be very very fast.  Up to 10′ wide by 58′ long in one bit.  http://www.fiber-tech.net/images/stories/productdescriptions/Product_Data_-_2012_CLADTUFF.pdf

Email was down last week. Electric went out in my side of the office building, both my HP printers quit. They all back now. What was that about Mercury in retrograde?

I have been chasing deadlines and USCG emergencies like a dog.  I have an armload of things that Owen posted also.  I will get back to posting here regularly next week.

I run the latest anti-virus software, and my ISP does too. Today however it seems that all my outgoing emails are bouncing back as “banned sender”. As I recall that means someone at my ISP had been spoofed into spamming. I have complained and assume will be fixed by tomorrow.

Not much time for the blog. These three jobs are all with deadlines. Still I would not have been able to meet office costs if the stock plans had not kicked in. Weird business.  The latest of each.  First the study model of the 40 dive cat.

Next the 79′ daycharter cat

and the 75′ cruising cat.  Almost done.

It is interesting to see the two different KHSD 65 passenger ferries in Uganda.  Bluebird on the left is much lighter, and was designed to fit in almost half the containers.  Both boats are built with CM developed plywood/epoxy.

And the crew on the new Bluebird.

A couple of tiny powercats have just been invented that mimic my 21′ powercat designed long ago. Get it here way first.  And mine would be far faster to build in developed plywood.  All it needs is a roof and kyaks.  Oh wait, my 21 operating in Alaska already sent pics with both on it. 

Again, these finds and many more thanks to Owen.

From Wooden Boat, “the 22′ kayak-carrying power catamaran SEAHORSE is the latest SKETCHBOOK concept design developed by Laurie McGowan and Michael Schacht.”

Am doing this very simple 40’+ dive catamaran. Mostly flat panel construction, except the bilge. Probably no core on hulls, with stringers instead.  As simple and cost effective as possible.  And an exploded view of the flat panels.

I keep hearing R2AK talk again.  Probably if you not already into it, it’s too late to start building. 

I am impressed with how many weird, pointless efforts I am seeing.  Nobody learned any lessons from last year?  After a bit of Juan de Fuca, it is mostly threading through the islands.  Shifty wind, kelp beds,  crazy tides, short tacking.  Then a last blast to the finish. 

Assuming the islands are most of the trip,  that says at least a 25 to 30 foot trimaran, with kick-up rudders, and oars in case.  And enough accomodation to last the several days out.  Maybe a bit more rocker in the main hull to help short tacking, and big amas in case there is a bit of wind from a good direction outside.  In the islands a taller rig always helps.

It doesn’t require a weird 60s  AYRS creature.  a trimaran with the above will win.

I found them.  The Google shoreline mapping drones.  Oh oh, they could be candidates for stuff done wrong.  Probably some code geeks bought what they had seen at a marina without understanding what was needed.  Even a couple of A class cat hulls would have given much flatter ride, less drag and less weight and greater range.  Shoveling after the parade again.  Google, call me.

At IBEX last September I noticed that there were more electric outboard vendors. I especially talked to the Torqueedo guys as I had used those on the oceanography drone catamarans I designed a year ago.  http://multihullblog.com/2015/02/oceanography-drone-on-youtube/

They told me that Google had been using their units to do coastal mapping now.  I decided to look that up.   Meanwhile I also found

Parsun www.parsun.biz and www.parsun.co.cn Chinese outboards, including electric units.  And

Elco www.elcomotoryachts.com  And don’t forget the Torquedo units. www.torqueedo.com