Category Archives: Sailing Multihulls

racing, Sailing Multihulls

Dragonfly Rolled (the Seattle one)

7 Comments

The local Seattle formula 40 catamaran Dragonfly capsized during the Cow Bay Regatta. Not my design.  It was originally from New Zealand and was originally named Simply the Best. It’s owner Pat is one of the best sailors I know.  I hope to find out more soon, but I was told that it rolled over on a reach after stuffing into a kelp bed.  It was a heavy air day.  If it could happen to Pat, it could happen to anyone.  I see the boat is on the hard in Everett, sans mast.  Pic is on happier days.

dragonflycat

 

Building Technique, Projects, Sailing Multihulls

Chris Anderson’s 20m Catamaran

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We finally get to see some pictures of Chris Anderson’s cat that he designed and is building. This is going on in New Zealand. North Island I think. This is a CM (cylinder molded) developed plywood  vessel. Chris goes away back on the process. In fact he is in the original CM video.
If I may throw in a bit of bio: Chris led the team that designed the fly-by-wire controls for the Boeing 777. I’m surprised he has not also been interviewed by Wolf Blitzer this week.
Being from the antipodes, Chris did not know about Autocad, so he designed and used his own 3D modeling CADD software.
This unit will have 6 unstayed masts. I recall seeing the rig arrangement fastened to the top of his car; he was conducting tests.

Good stuff and great to see it move along.

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Building Technique, Sailing Multihulls

A little hull layup…

4 Comments

Upgraded the video on this a bit: The layup on a 68′ cylinder molded hull currently under construction in Roatan: it’s speeded up quite a bit, this is about 25 minutes of real time. the half hull panels are approximately 11′ x 71′ – 4 layers of 3mm plywood and 33 gallons of epoxy.

[flashvideo file=”http://multihullblog.com/wp-content/uploads/flash-hull.flv” /]

Design Questions, Sailing Multihulls

Sailing multihull preferences

2 Comments

If you could answer these questions and forward the answers to me to help start the design process.

  1. How long should be between charging batteries, once a day, twice a day, two days?
  2. Singlehanding needed?
  3. Shorttacking is fun
  4. The sole should be flat
  5. In light weather the boat should power if speed falls below 5 knots?
  6. Dining seats must be face to face?
  7. Galley should be out of traffic?
  8. Head area should be separate?
  9. All winches should be hand powered?
  10. Transom steps?
  11. Boat should be able to be beached?
  12. Kickup rudders?
  13. Shoal draft important?
  14. Unobstructed inside headroom is important
  15. Leangth of trips planned?
  16. Motor noise?
  17. Sea noise?
  18. Weight/cost tradeoffs
  19. Resale is important?
  20. Interior style? Old yacht-eurostyle-plastic boat style-mega yacht style
  21. Reefing gear type
  22. Frequency of anchoring intended
  23. Frequency of tacking and trimming intended
  24. Racing intended
  25. Helm should be covered from weather
  26. Good raingear is all that is needed
  27. Trimming quality verses helmstation comfort tradeoffs
  28. Most time under sail will be spent where?
  29. Most time at anchor will be spent where?
  30. Previous boats?
  31. Previous voyages?
  32. Previous races?
  33. How important is boatspeed?
  34. Boatspeed verses comfort tradeoffs
  35. Budget
  36. Examples of best multi you have seen
  37. Examples of worst multi that you have seen
  38. Number of persons expected on most or typical voyages, and relationship of those people
  39. Most work will be upwind or downwind
  40. Rotating mast or not
  41. Fractional rig or not
  42. Fuel choice, why?
  43. Engine choice, why?
  44. How good should paint job be?
  45. Are there any other questions that i should have asked, but forgot to?
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