I just had a phonecom and visit from Ed Ives of Pure
Watercraft. They are about to release a 50 hp electric motor system with a Tesla type battery. https://www.purewatercraft.com/
Category Archives: Building Technique
48″ Day charter project
Hi! I’m starting the build of a kurt hughes design day charter cat to be completed spring 2022 in southwest florida. it will be a cylinder molded wood composite build. I’d like to communicate with anyone else who is currently building, or has built a similar boat. i’m a professional boat builder, having built and worked on several of kurts designs.
couple of questions:
- anybody have a suitable dagger board mold? or want to use mine when i’m done with it?
- any good leads for sourcing rudder shafting?
- if anyone needs uni or triax i have found somebody with a couple tons nearby (sarasota area). vectrix and very reasonably priced. let me know in the comments and i’ll post info.
10m power cat update
At the end of 2018 I posted a power cat hull build. Upon completion of the two hulls, they were picked up by the owners and taken home to Maine to build the crossbeams and cockpit, as well as fit engines, electrical, etc. I’m happy to report that the resulting boat looks spectacular, and the owner/builders say that the shakedown cruise went well, with a smooth dry 20 knots. stock props.
here is the link to the original post: https://multihullblog.com/building-power-cat-hulls/ and here is the link to the design: http://multihulldesigns.com/designs_stock/28cat.html
Net Systems Trampoline Nets
From fish expo. Net systems for multihull nets. I used on Geko more than 20 years ago. I prefer these knotless nets in any situation where walking barefoot is not done.
They are experienced with catamarans and can set up the edges for a perimeter line. Ask for Xzalivar.
Plastic for vacuum bagging
Ten years ago, most visqueen used to be of fairly high quality and it wasn’t hard to walk into home depot and walk out with a roll of plastic good enough for bagging. But at some point cheap, porous, recycled visqueen took over the market, which is fine for most uses but ridiculously bad for vacuum. Good polyethylene sheeting will be somewhat transparent, and smooth texture. I recently ordered a roll of Xpose Safety 4.5 mil through amazon, and it was inexpensive, and excellent. i bagged 7′ x 18′ curved foam roof panels on a 3cfm vac pump and got a nice hard vacuum with not much attention to detail. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07PBXHWFB/ref=ppx_od_dt_b_asin_title_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
the Best Weatherstripping
I think that I have tried every kind of weatherstripping to seal door closures or wet hatches. This model, called Rubber seal, ribbed, seems to be the best I have ever tried. All are adhesive backed. The ribs allow one part to deflect, without distorting the whole seal like a square section would. The black one is 3/8″ thick, from Grainger. https://www.grainger.com/product/TRIM-LOK-INC-Rubber-Seal-10D149
The white one is at Home Depot. They don’t carry black. I think is 5/16″ thick.
Composite Chainplates
I recently had to review a chainplate on one of my COI cats and send a note to the USCG.
I see from the X-Ray report that the Aolani chainplates were not steel, but composite as I thought they were.
These composite plates are immune to corrosion, unlike metal ones.
I assume the builder used my layup schedule as I have sent earlier. I see no reason to doubt that.
They are easy for the builders to build in a huge safety factor.
Instead of being fastened onto a hull, these synergistically combine to both strengthen the hull and the chainplate.
Unlike the metal plates, these have some resiliency so make all the parts longer lived.
Any delta in the parts from the loads would show up immediately and early by cracks in the paint. Unlike metal plates which usually are not painted.
Attached find a picture of one of my other catamaran designs with composite chainplates. Note that he lifts his entire vessel with only the three chainplate locations.
Tap Plastics
Another source for a whole armload of composite supplies and prices not too bad. No knitted fabrics though.
In the west of the US only.
https://www.tapplastics.com/about/locations
19 Beachcat Molds
I just got this picture of the 19′ beachcat molds being built in China.
Harken Shock 2
Almost done with setting up the 22mm mainsheet car system.
After learning that the Harken end blocks would be around $200 each after tax, I resolved to make my own.
I laminated then trimmed some 5mm thick ones of scrap carbon fiber. The end blocks attached by soft solution.
One result of a gifted car was that the pins were too bent to remove for attaching new turning blocks. Nobody stocks the 5/32″ pins needed. They said Harken would need 5 weeks and much money to replace. I am using stainless bolts from Stoneway Hardware. Ends not fastened to the track in this picture.
