27 Cat Update

The 27 cat update is pretty much a complete study plan now. I just finished the longitudinal sections drawing.  First the rendering to recall what it is, then todays drawing.  Demountable and trailerable.

27catpsp4g

27catpsp10g

27catLONGSEC

The New 35 Tri

I finally got a chance to model this on that I have been looking forward to doing since before thanksgiving.
No windows nor cockpit are cut into the model yet until I verify the interior and weight/trim study. It will probably be built with vertical bows, but I hope not. Main hull not more than 84″ wide.
Displacement is 4217 l bs. It takes 5 HP to go hull speed of 8 knots.

tri35PSP1

tri35PSP2

tri35PSP3

tri35PSP4

USCG Submittal

A basket of thoughts on submitting plans the USCG MSC in 2017.

A fellow who was quite informed about other catamaran designers told me that John Marples has given up on dealing with the USCG submittals.  He also thought that Gold Coast had not had a new submittal since Ganulin retired.  On the othe side, Schooner Creek thought the whole process went fine on a new submittal.

As I have noted, I am very wary of the new “kids” there and,  as I found out last spring,  anything that we had as settled regulations for the last two decades could be over.  Which leads me to my next thought.

Building departments charge a lot of money for plans submittals.  The USCG MSC charges nothing.  I imagine that as soon as Trump realizes that some part of the government is doing something for nothing, that will change. 

If any of you are thinking of having me do a new plans submittal to the USCG, I urge you to do it now.

Catamaran Bow Truss Fail

The KHSD 42′ daycharter catamaran operating out of Key West, Blu Q, suffered a total bow truss failure. I call it a bow truss instead of bow tube because it was built as a Gold Coast style unit out of timber.  I expect that the GC units had pin ends.

It did have more than 25 years of service in it.  And rot was involved.  The take away lesson is that it had  fixed ends instead of pin ends.  I’m sure the repeated stress started a crack and water got in.   It is being replaced by a standard aluminum mast section bowtube.

IMG_2019

IMG_2021

IMG_7781 (1)

Fake Trimaran

Has to be another Palmer Johnson. Not sure why they even bothered adding the amas. It is still a huge fuel guzzling megayacht.  It must be some kind of cultural change when vestigal amas are added to megayachts as style points.

As an aside,  Andre Cocquyt is presenting the 32′ KHSD power tri at the PBB Refit Show in Ft. Lauderdale later this January 26 and 27.          https://refitshow.com/

16144448_10154975904248628_921463006_n