I was wandering the docks at the Ala Wai when I ran into old friend Joey Cabell on his Kurt Clark catamaran. Long ago this unit the proof I needed that central accommodation is great on cats. Designed and built the 70s. Solid glass.

Seems I have to test drive some boats in Hawaii…

Is that what they call it? Think it was ’83. Hand drawing days. Drafting and diapers.  Tube and wire trimaran plans on the walls.

It looks very stylish to have the aft beam of a cat as far back as possible.  Its kind of like skinny tires on a lowered car.  It does move the CG back a bit which helps if sailing deep in strong wind.  In the most common conditions, it causes the transom to drag.  To prevent that at least one ultra famous designer packs more displacement back there in the form of rocker.  That rocker levels it out at rest but can cause squatting at speed.  In the case of ultra famous, the cats don’t  squat when sailing; the center of effort it way up there.  In his powercat modification of that design, it squats so much that he added trim tabs.   The pic below is not that designer but another example of too much rocker aft.

The new Gunboat G4(accidentally typed G$ which may be better), has aft beam way back there also.  It however is all carbon so it is very light.  It drags transom at rest but with so much power it is not a concern.  As I always say, with enough money and enough carbon, you can do almost anything.

On normal cats I find it best to have the aft beam far enough forward that the hulls can have a fairly flat run aft.  Related, the goal is to have as skinny and as rockerless a hull as possible, to carry the weight.  The weight/trim spreadsheet helps with this location also.

Glad soft rigging is taking over. Sorry Haiko, more stuff from companies. http://www.animatedknots.com/softshackleedwards/

I had several mast orders what were to go out this week. I got behind. They are done but I do need to walk through each again and verify. Next week.

Unlike this picture, I prefer not to paint boards.  It does save work to be able to leave the board(s) floating at neutral, but as I see it the trade-off is against you.

In my experience every board will get damaged.  Even a gravel bank will scuff it up some.  A reef will do even more.  Doing the sanding for repairs on a board can be poisonous.  I killed the lawn for several years where I sanded the tip of my rudder once.  Throw a halyard on the board(s) and pull up until its out.  You will be appreciated by your future self. 

I just got this picture of the newly repainted Rapscallion now on Big Island. Luscious paint. 36′ daycharter boat in a box.  Built with CM.

Even more that it looks so unusual. http://cleantechnica.com/2015/03/01/revolutionary-new-science-fridge-coming-soon-kitchen-near/