Because of the huge dollars needed to buy a new or even a used catamaran, we would never have gotten a catamaran if we hadn’t built it ourselves.
Let’s start by saying that building any type of larger boat, especially a catamaran, can be one of the most intellectually and physically challenging things you will ever do.
It has been said that building a large boat is the closest a man can come to giving birth to a baby. In other words there is going to some discomfort and pain along the way; you will question yourself on whether this was such a good idea; it’s very difficult to reverse the decision; and though friends will support you, you will be on your own most of the time with your significant other if he/she is game.
Know your boat
You will intimately know every part of your boat. You will know where every wire, hose, bolt, bulkhead, rib, and support is because you installed them!
Pride of ownership
We have often thought what it would be like to just buy a boat from a manufacturer, and know that while owners who have spent a lot of cash (or future life to pay off the lien) their often possessive and competing-with-the Joneses could not begin to compare to our quiet glow of happiness and akinship we feel with Light Wave .
Our boat is like part of the family. So much time was spent on her that we have a major emotional investment. Every time we see our vessel – from a distance at anchor or approaching her in our marina, we say, “What a pretty boat! I can’t believe we built it!” Then that sense of accomplishment settles back in and we feel we have indeed earned the privilege of all of the beautiful experiences we have had sailing, cruising, exploring the beautiful BC Coast and much further a field (or should we say “an ocean”?).
You will be able to pay for the materials as you go and “donate” your time to the cause.
Get a newer design
Many of the production boats that are out there are designs of many years ago because the manufactures have to recoup their capital investment on the mold and production setup. When you build your own you have much newer designs to draw from.
Details on Our Boat Building Adventure
We had sailed our first boat Wave Dancer for five years and had many adventures on the British Columbia coast. In May 1996, I had just returned from a little one-week solo trip in the Gulf Islands of BC when I bought the book, The Cruising Multihull by Chris White (Future link to book review on our web site).
This is the book that got me going (Carllie was not yet convinced). I must have read it a half dozen times over the next 6 months, each time becoming more convinced that this was the way to go for our next boat. It was really still pre-internet web site days so I wrote to all the designers that were listed in the back of the book. Over the next several weeks packages of information started appearing in the mailbox (there is just something about getting packages in the mail – I guess it’s the anticipation). I would pour over these preliminary printed pages with pictures and accommodation layouts. Next, I put a few dollars down to buy the information packages and study plans from the top prospects.
I waited patiently for the study plans. It was like the night before Christmas when I was kid. Oooh the wait! Finally they came, and again I carefully scrutinized the next level of detail. Things were getting a little more serious. The top contenders were:
Click here to read my comments and reviews on their catamaran designs as well as those of Jeff Schionning.
I remember initially drooling over the Atlantic 42 by Chris White, still one of my favorite designs. It seemed to be so seaworthy (by the way if I run into about $800,000 USD any time soon, I am going to buy an Atlantic 55). The most important piece of advice that came out of the material was from Richard Woods:
“Build the smallest boat you‘d be happy with it.”
Axiom #1: The hours to build a catamaran is in almost in direct proportion to its weight.
Which brings us to Axiom #2:
Axiom #2: It takes about 1 hour to create 1 pound of finished boat.
In our case we spent 3,500 hours ( click here for full details on the construction hours ) to build a 4,000 lb. boat (just a little less than 0.9 hours per pound). If a boat’s empty weight is 8,000 lbs., it will probably take about 6,000 hours to build.
When you think about it, you can only mix and handle so much material per hour. More boat weight, more material, more hours. Sure there are some economies of scale on a bigger boat, but usually the systems become more complex and these take longer to install.
This decision process took 8 months and I figured we’d launch in 6 months. It was now January of 1997. Little did we know it would be 26 months and 3,500 hours between the two of us until we launched on June 5, 1999. We ordered the full plans and we were off and running.
We were ready to build, but where would we start the process? First of all, we live in a tiny 480 sq. ft. apartment in Vancouver. Back-yard building wasn’t exactly an option so I found a small garage nearby that we rented for 5 months.
After about 4 months in the garage, I had made all the small parts and it was time to build the hulls. This meant that we had to go larger facilities. We found space at Shelter Island Marina and Boatyard in Richmond. This is the biggest boat yard in the Vancouver area with dozens of commercial and private projects, big and small, under way.
We were out of money by then, so we sold our first boat so we could buy resin and fiberglass. It was a traumatic time as we said goodbye to our beloved Wave Dancer . We were now committed. We than had all the foam for the hull cores, barrels of resin, and huge rolls of matting and roving needed for the fiberglass skins delivered to our “domed stadium”. We kicked ourselves many times that we didn’t take a picture of this raw material stacked in one corner of the empty shed, so we could later show “before” and “after” photos. It was time to build the hulls.
Over the next several months we proceed to join the hulls with the beams I had built in the garage, and then to install the cuddy cabin, cockpit, and decks. By the spring of 1998, it was staring to look like a catamaran. Through the spring and summer of 1998, we continued with the major structural components: mini-keels, hatches, stairs, and interior. Then we went on to the very laborious work of fairing the boat before painting. Don’t under estimate that job!
By October 1998 we were ready to prime the boat and start painting. I really thought this would go quickly. I forgot that I would have to do two more complete sandings to sand off and finish the two layers of primer application. In addition we had to fill countless pinholes – a laborious process somewhat like hiking up a mountain – each time you get to what you think is the top, you see another summit!
The boat seemed to get bigger and bigger. Believe me, there is a lot of surface area on a catamaran. I clearly remember that last sanding: I had reached the end of my physical and mental endurance – I was exhausted. I was ready to move on to the next phase – any phase but more sanding!
We now started spray-painting the hulls bright yellow. It was around this time we decided on our boat name of Light Wave . The painting took over a month: the hulls being the easy part, it was the topsides, the nonskid, and all the masking and prep that seemed to take forever. Happily, the worst of the dust was gone.
By March 1999 we were in the home stretch. The center bridge deck cabin was completed so we took a week off from our paid jobs and lived on the boat in the shed so we could work all day and not waste time commuting. March, April and May were frantic months as we finished all the final touches: engine installation, rudders, windows, deck fittings, electrical, plumbing, mast, and rigging. See our outfitting page (for more details on what we picked and why, and things we would do differently now.
Initially, our electronic systems were relatively basic but included GPS and autopilot see the following link for all our electronic outfitting choices and reasoning for more details.
It was May 22, 1999 and we decided that Saturday, June 5th would be “Launch Day” so we could send invitations to all of our friends. On the Friday night before Launch Day, we still had a number of final things to do, many of them outside. Unfortunately it was pouring rain. We were tired and very wet but the boat had to go into the water next day so we persevered on till everything was ready.
The moment of truth came as Light Wave was lowered into the water. While still in the slings of the Travelift, I jumped aboard to check for leaks. Of course there weren’t any! More food and laughs and tours of the boat for all attending. It was a great day.
Emotionally drained that night, we slept in Light Wave in the water for the first time. It was another week before we actually went out for our first trip as we had to sell the shed, setup sails, and install some final deck hardware.
To sum it up, building a catamaran was a great experience. We learned a lot. Carllie and I grew closer together through it all. We had a great time doing it. We had a beautiful catamaran to show for it. Now it was time for a catamaran adventure !
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Building a sailing catamaran.
A collection of sailing catamaran building logs, from choosing sailboat plans to yacht launch...join us on our journey
This 'glass-over-ply' sailboat is proof that a DIY'er can successfully build an ocean-going multihull cost effectivly.
Having reliable Boatbuilding Resource Books , WILL HELP fast track your decisions prior to, during and post building.
We also wanted a light sailing catamaran that we could beach with ease. This now allows us to save money on one of the biggest maintenance DIY chores, sailboat antifouling without having the costly expense of slipway fees.
Where do I start?
Plywood construction is the cheapest building method available and very forgiving while one hones their skills.
Finishing with a solid fiberglass outer is also a task made easier, given the amount of glassing and gluing needed during such a project. Doesn't make sense? Read more...
Talk to the sailboat designers , get to know their design types. Get on Forums and ask the 'dumb' questions. Go to marinas (not boat shows) and look for home-build yachts.
how to build a boat
"It takes a strong desire and a will to achieve. Building a large catamaran is certainly achievable". "If you want a yacht with all 'bells and whistles', keep working because it costs money...a lot of money". J Coomer
many sailboat plans to choose from!
Is it cheaper to build or buy? There are many yacht plans to choose from, but dont kid yourself. Many have tried to do it on the cheap and their result shows. If there was a cheaper way, the sailboat designers would tell you. Afterall, they would use that reason to sell there plans!
catamaran sailing
DIY boat projects on Pure Majek from new navigation equipment, anchoring systems, rewiring yacht electronics diagrams, AIS and much more. Its been ten great years since launch and we look at things that have worked and those we would change. Join us and be inspired.
goal setting, planning and building
Setting achievable goals and how to stick to them. From the planning process, what and why we did many things, importantly, things we would do differently. The following pages draw on these experiences described in far more detail in our book ' A Sailing Catamaran Building Adventure '
‘Green power’ is climbing up the priority ladder to such an extent nowadays that some predictions of fossil fuel costs (scorned at a few years ago), are coming home to roost.
two-pack painting
There are a few tricks here to with respiration, thinning of the topcoat, temperature and coat thickness. All achievable by setting goals and being disciplined .
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Catamaran Hulls
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Catamaran Internal Painting
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This is a Styrofoam catamaran i built. I had been wanting to build this for a while, then in the last few days of summer i decided to build it. This only took 2 full days to build and one day to test. The catamaran costed me around 200 dollars (sail not included) and this is comparable to a store bought catamaran which would cost 2000 dollars
In this instructable i have included a few schematics (located on the last page) , a materials list, and various pictures and descriptions for all steps.
If you plan to build this project i suggest you check out the video and if you like this project be sure to check out my channel or my website for more projects like this.
The materials i needed for this project were:
2"x4"x8' pieces of wood - 2
2"x3"x8' pieces of wood - 1
2"x2"x8'pieces of wood - 6
1”x2’x8’ Styrofoam sheet - 5
1.5”x14”x4’ Styrofoam sheet - 5
½’’x2’x4’ piece of plywood - 2
½’’x4’x6’ piece of plywood - 1
Sail and mast - 1
Epoxy (dollar store epoxy is cheapest and works well) - 7
The catamaran will be composed of 2 pontoons. These pontoons will have a frame filled with the white, less durable Styrofoam in the center; then we will later add the pink Styrofoam to the outside.
To start off i lay out two 2x2 pieces of wood with the white Styrofoam pieces in the center. This will be the inside of the pontoon. Next i add a front triangle onto the pontoon. As you can see in the third picture i added 2 struts near either end of the pontoon. Once that is finished i fill the pontoon with white Styrofoam and cut it to fit in the gaps.
to finish off the pontoons we must first cut 4 pieces of Styrofoam to size (2 for each pontoon). To cut them all at once i clam them together and use a reciprocating saw to cut the height from 2 feet to 17 inches (the height of the pontoon).
After that i use 1 - 1.5 tubes of epoxy as adhesive. I spread the epoxy on the wooden frame and then lay the Styrofoam down onto the wooden frame and add weight to it so the Styrofoam stays tight to the frame as the epoxy hardens. After that i use the saw to taper the bottom edge. I also add Styrofoam to the front triangle and taper that as well. Once complete you should go ahead and do that for both pontoons.
Note: The strut layout in the second pic is different then the layout of the of the struts in the previous page. The layout in the previous page showed the correct positioning of the struts.
Now you can see both pontoons side by side. To complete them i add a wooden triangle positioned at the top, and lined up with each strut, this will be used for mounting the frame. To add some more buoyancy i also cut a full 2' x 8' piece of Styrofoam in half lengthwise (giving us two 1' x 8' pieces). I use epoxy to mount those onto the inside of the pontoons.
Now both pontoons combined give a buoyancy of 460 lbs when fully submerged. This seems like a lot but when you consider you wouldn't want more then 60 percent of the pontoon submerged (then you would be uncomfortably close to the water) and you might also have you weight towards one side of the pontoon then it seems this 460 lbs is just enough for one person to float comfortably. (i fit 2 full size people on but it sits very low). If you wish to be able to make this a 2 person boat you can add more Styrofoam sheets to the outside. Each 1"x 2' x 8' sheet once cut to a height of 17" provides 62 lbs of buoyancy when fully submerged.
These calculations are fairly simple to do on your own. First calculate the volume of the object (length in meters x width in meters x height in meters), this will give you volume in meters cubed. Then multiply the value you get by the density of water (1000 kg/m cubed) this will give you how many KG the object can float when fully submerged.
To make the frame i cut my 2x4 s to 4.75 feet long and attached them to the pontoons using screws. I chose that width because it was just small enough that i would be able to fit the frame (when separated from pontoons) in the back of my van. Next i add the 2x3 piece down the middle of the boat. This is both for structure and to mount other parts off of.
Now i cut out the keel out of a piece of plywood. Using the plywood, i also glue a slot so that the keel can be slid in and will be able to slide up and down within the slot.
The keel is an essential part of the sailboat and helps to turn the force provided by the wind into thrust in the forward direction. This is also the pivot point when you turn your boat
The rudder will need to rotate so i decide to mount it off of a hinge. I add a hinge to the back of the boat and then cut the rudder out of the piece of plywood. The rudder should be fastened in place with 2 bolts and the bolts should have a washer in between the nut and the wood of the rudder. The bottom bolt will have to be taken while the boat is out of the water so that the rudder can pivot upwards when it is on dry land.
To finish off i add a handle made of plywood. The handle is to only have one bolt through it so that it can pivot up and down.
To finish up i cut a piece of plywood to size and fit it on top of the catamaran to use as a seat.
After that we need to make somewhere to mount the mast of the sail. To do this i obtain a small piece of pvc pipe and heat the bottom of it so i can squeeze it down and make it thin. Once that is done i simply mount a few screws in it to attach it to the frame of the boat.
Now i use a mast and sail that i had laying around and slide it into the pvc pipe. I secure the mast with metal cables that attach to various points on the boat. Once the mast is in place i rig up the main sail and the jib and it is now ready to sail
Now that the boat is complete you can go ahead and take it out on the water and test it out. Be sure to wear a lifejacket and bring a paddle just in case you have a hard time getting it in using the wind.
To see the test you can also check out the video
Here are a few schematics of the boat, they are not to scale. Beside the schematic picture i also attached a real picture of the boat
In order we have a top view of the boat, a front view, a side view, and a picture of the rudder and keel. All measurements of the schematics are done in meters.
IMAGES
VIDEO
COMMENTS
To build a DIY cruising catamaran, buy good design plans, determine your budget and find a working space. Next, choose your hull material, buy supplies and start building the mast beam. Build and sheathe the hull, install bulkheads, the interior, and finally, launch the catamaran boat.
A 3-year DIY homebuilder project — building a 40ft catamaran. If you have dreamed of making a boat and sailing off over the horizon — do it. The book “Build...
In this video I start the building of a small catamaran boat DIY. It will be made out of plywood and later on in the process will be using fiberglass, I am doing this for fun and sharing so...
We're only 48 hours into having the first set of components for our catamaran, and she's already starting to come together and look like a boat!Follow along ...
In this step-by-step guide, you’ll learn how to design and size your catamaran, gather the necessary materials, cut and assemble the pieces, lay fiberglass and apply epoxy, make finishing touches, add hardware and paint, and rig the boat. With the right tools, planning, and patience, you can make your dream of sailing in a catamaran a reality.
Building your own catamaran is another option to getting into your own boat. In this page we will go over the advantages, considerations, and a detailed history and journal of our boat-building adventure with Light Wave .
Building a catamaran from plywood catamaran designer - Peter Snell of EASY Catamarans. Affordable fibreglass over plywood catamaran on a budget. Be inspired and join in the journey of this beautiful built DIY sailing catamaran.
This Instructable provides a brief account of a 10ft by 5ft modular catamaran I constructed and successfully sailed on a small lake. Step 1: Draftsmanship After poking around online for inspiration and taking heavy influence from the crafts of Jeremy Broun and Tim from Way Out West , I drafted plans for my catamaran.
I arrived at the design of this 15 footer after observing many different catamarans. Its size is such that it fits in with a large group of small boats that can be home built, trailered, and launched and retrieved from a ramp.
DIY Styrofoam Catamaran: This is a Styrofoam catamaran i built. I had been wanting to build this for a while, then in the last few days of summer i decided to build it. This only took 2 full days to build and one day to test.