rayvin 30 catamaran review

• Forum Listing
• Marketplace
• Advanced Search
• About The Boat
• Boat Review Forum
• SailNet is a forum community dedicated to Sailing enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about sailing, modifications, classifieds, troubleshooting, repairs, reviews, maintenance, and more!

Advice needed please

• Add to quote

I don't think your budget is going to go very far for a catamaran. i don't think that I would want to be looking for a cat with less than say $175k. Your budget does open up a lot of attractive doors for a monohull though. I think you need to make the cat/mono decision first and work from there. I agree that there are lots of boats available in the US and also in the Caribbean that you could consider. If you would like to cruise the Caribbean it might sense to buy there before carrying on north. We found the trip from Cape Town to Grenada to be pretty straightforward, although the Doldrums were more of an impediment than we thought they would be. Really enjoyed Namibia and St Helena. We skipped northern Brazil because had heard nothing good about it. Getting from Europe back to SA would be interesting. I guess you would go down the coast of South America and cross when you thought you could avoid the worst of the high. I think that could be a very challenging trip if you were unlucky.  

If you are lucky enough to have a wife that will sail with you on such a great adventure treat her well and find a cat. If you are in even more rarified company and she will do the above and yield to your judgement - get a Mono? In any case go and may your adventure go well!  

Cats start to make sense for cruisers around 40 ft and 44 ft is better. Small cats do not cope well when laden with all the 'stuff' cruisers need. Also they hobby horse badly in short steep seas. So for your budget you would be looking at something like an older Prout Snowgoose. Anything larger is likely to be a 'project'. There is a Prout 50 in Grenada at 115k and he might consider a deal but the interior is odd. Worthwhile considering starting in the Eastern Carib as you would get easy shakedown sails and Trini can fix anything! Go the mono route and a cruise ready 42 45 ft boat would soon appear. Something like this Dynamite Marine Ltd (Chaguaramas, Trinidad and Tobago)  

Welcome to the dream! You may find this an interesting site to browse -- Sailboat Reviews of Offshore Cruising Yachts : Bluewaterboats.org Once you find a likely-looking ship -- sailingdog's boat-inspection-trip thread The more we know about your experience, skill sets and resources, the better our 'more experienced' folk can help you. If you have a specific question, you can search SailNet (or other sites) by typing something like this in your browser search window: "bluewater catamaran" site: SailNet Community - Powered by vBulletin (1) Use the quotes around multiword search phrases, or you'll get irrelevant hits on individual words in the phrase. (2) No {space} between the "site:" and the URL, or you'll get hits from all over. Happy hunting, and have fun! PS: Catamarans for Sale #include{std-disclaimer}  

Hi Roy, I was doing a search relating to Rayvin 30 cats and I came across this thread on SailNet. If you want more info on the Rayvins, just ask. My wife and I bought one last year and we went to Inhaca in Mozambique over Easter for a shakedown cruise. We're leaving again for Mozambique and Madagascar within 2 weeks. We're planing to return at the end of the year and then go on to the Caribbean via Cape Town. I know of 2 in Australia that sailed via Panama, and 4 in Europe that sailed via the Caribbean and the North Atlantic. Load capacity is of course an issue but we're managing, even with two kayaks and my wife's books. There is/was one for sale in Mossel Bay for R650K. PM me for the link as I cannot put links in the post. The factory quality was spotty and some finishes on Rayvins can be a bit rough. I've heard of one that needed to have work on the bulkheads.  

james7272 said: Hi Roy, I was doing a search relating to Rayvin 30 cats and I came across this thread on SailNet. If you want more info on the Rayvins, just ask. My wife and I bought one last year and we went to Inhaca in Mozambique over Easter for a shakedown cruise. We're leaving again for Mozambique and Madagascar within 2 weeks. We're planing to return at the end of the year and then go on to the Caribbean via Cape Town. I know of 2 in Australia that sailed via Panama, and 4 in Europe that sailed via the Caribbean and the North Atlantic. Load capacity is of course an issue but we're managing, even with two kayaks and my wife's books. There is/was one for sale in Mossel Bay for R650K. PM me for the link as I cannot put links in the post. The factory quality was spotty and some finishes on Rayvins can be a bit rough. I've heard of one that needed to have work on the bulkheads. Click to expand...

Thanks James, will contact shortly. Very much appreciated.  

Re the Rayvin - I don't think I would set out to cross the ocean in a boat equipped with a sliding glass patio door. Plus the size of the salon windows is scary large. How could you possibly carry enough storm panel materials for a design like that? Your money would be better spent for a monohull designed to cross the ocean. Or, you could triple our purchase budget and get an ocean ready cat.  

I must say that the large sliding doors are a concern for me on most Cats I've seen although some are more concerning than others. We have started viewing vessels and were quite taken with a Westerly Oceanlord 41 we viewed but have not found much else that is of interest besides that.  

• ?            
• 177.2K members

Top Contributors this Month

• Skip to primary navigation
• Skip to main content
• Skip to primary sidebar
• Skip to footer

Yacht Cruising Lifestyle

Everything fun you can do from your yacht

20 Blue Water Cruising Catamarans Under $100k

October 13, 2021 by Martin Parker 1 Comment

The debate between single-hull sailboats and blue water catamarans has raged since the beginning of time, and it’s unlikely ever to end! Both types of yachts have dedicated followers who are unlikely to ever be swayed by the benefits of the other. A lot of this is based on misconceptions and the influences of the people around them, though. We recommend that if you’re considering a blue water catamaran, get in a few good hours of sailing through varied conditions before making a decision. 

What Makes Blue Water Catamarans Great for Cruising?

Stable platform s.

Bluewater catamarans offer fantastic stability, despite what you may hear from single-hull yacht owners. There’s no high lean angle when sailing into the wind and no need to strap everything down to prevent it from moving. Add to this little or no rolling when moored, and a catamaran is a lovely place to be.

Additional Space 

An excellent beam to length ratio is essential on bluewater catamarans, and a 40-foot yacht will usually have a 20-foot beam. That gives you a 20-foot bridge deck, plenty of space on the hulls, and even more space forward on the netting.

Cruising Speed

The amount of wet surface area on a catamaran is significantly reduced compared to a monohull yacht. Without the need for a prominent, heavy keel for ballast, the catamaran can easily outperform a single hull yacht.

Shallow Draft s

Shallow draft boats allow easy navigation through shallow waters and exceptional stability for maximum comfort. You are far less likely to make mistakes with tide height predictions when sailing on a cat. 

Enclosed Cockpit s

Bluewater catamarans virtually always have an enclosed cockpit. Not only does this shield you from the sun in winter, but the elements in winter making cruising far more comfortable.

Safety 

The enclosed cockpit makes sailing safer, plus of course, when you need to get out on the deck, the stable catamaran is not pitching and rolling.

Our Top Choices For Blue Water Catamarans Under $100,000

Designed and built by Rajen Naidu, the Rayvin 30 is a 29.5-foot cruising catamaran built for comfort. With a draft of just one meter, there are few places you can’t go on the Rayvin. The hull is constructed of epoxy glass fiber, but carbon-kevlar has been used for added strength below the waterline.

Inside, you’ll find three cabins, plenty of space, and even a bath! These are great value blue water catamarans with excellent performance.

Prout Snowgoose 37

Probably one of the most well-known blue water catamarans available, the Snowgoose 37 was designed and built by Prout and Sons in the United Kingdom. With a displacement of 6 tons, this is not a light boat, but the 600 square feet sail area gives a healthy hull speed of up to 10 knots. Many people have completed a circumnavigation in a Snowgoose.

It has a cutter design, but the overhang is substantial, leaving it susceptible to bridge slam, particularly on a close reach.

Over 500 examples were built, with plenty available under the $100,000 mark.

Prout Quasar 50

Sticking with Prout, the Quasar 50 was the largest catamaran designed and built by the company. The company was still making the Quasar until its closure in 2020, so you can find plenty of examples.

Constructed with fiberglass, the cutter design has a displacement of 10 tons and a sail area of almost 1185 square feet, giving a maximum hull speed of around 14 knots.

It has to be said the Quasar is not a pretty boat, but it makes a perfect large cruiser.

Catalac 12M

Catalac was a British boat building company owned by Tom Lack, hence the Catalac name. Over 600 examples of Catalac’s (9M, 10M, 11M, and 12M) were built. All around, they’re known as solid boats that handle well.

Designed as a sloop, the 12M displaces almost 9.3 tons. With a sail area of just 700 square feet, this cat offers a relatively slow hull speed of 9.5 knots.

An interesting point is the double thickness hulls, designed to withstand the North Sea weather.

Maldives 32

The Maldives 32 is a more modern design by Joubert-Nivelt. It features a short overhang with a netting deck to avoid bridge slam, initially built by Fountaine Pajot in 1988. The Maldives has a light displacement of 3.3 tons thanks to the fiberglass and foam sandwich construction. Add in a sail area of 592 square feet, and the Maldives can cruise at up to 11 knots.

The Maldives 32 is an excellent basic boat readily available well under our $100,000 price point.

Edel Cat 33

Thanks to the fiberglass construction, the Edel Cat 33 is another light boat, at just 3.6 tons and with a shallow draft of just 2.6 feet.

The Edel was designed by Yvonne Faulconnier and built by the Edel company in France, with the first bots being produced in 1985.

The 635 square feet of sail is enough for a good turn of speed for such a light boat without over-powering the hull.

A notable feature is the very short bridge hull, avoiding almost any bridge slam problems.

Endeavourcat 30

Designed by Cortland Steck and built in America by the Endeavour Catamaran Corp, the Endeavourcat 30 is a lightweight 30-foot catamaran constructed using fiberglass with a foam core.

It has to be said; the Endeavourcat is not pretty, but you get a lot of space for your money. Another issue is the enclosed bridge deck, making this suitable for gentle cruising only.

The sloop-rigged catamaran is a good, reasonably priced starter boat for taking the first dip into blue water catamarans.

Island Packet Packet Cat 35

If you are looking for comfort with a bit of style, then the Island Packet Cat 35 could be it. Designed by Robert K. Johnson and built in the USA by Island Packet, the Cat 35 makes the perfect boat for cruising the Keys.

The displacement of 6.25 tons gives the boat a solid, dependable feel, while the 2.6-foot draft allows you to explore water-restricted areas.

Inside there’re acres of room, but the fully enclosed bridge deck will cause issues in heavy weather.

Gemini 105MC

The Gemini 105MC is a sloop-rigged boat designed by Tony Smith and built by Performance Cruising in the United States. It was in production for over 27 years, and they delivered over 1000 boats, so there are plenty available to suit most budgets.

An interesting design feature is a lifting centerboard, giving excellent stability when down but a draft of just 1.65 feet when lifted.

A displacement of 4 tons combined with 690 square feet of sail area gives the 105MC outstanding performance characteristics.

With 760 examples of the Lagoon 380 produced, there are plenty on the market at reasonable prices. Built by Jeanneau, it is one of the most popular bluewater catamarans ever made.

The distinctive vertical windows offer maximum internal space, and it has a spacious interior, but the tradeoff is a displacement of 8 tons, so performance suffers a little. You can cruise comfortably at 7 knots, and with the short bridge deck, you won’t suffer too much bridge slam.

If you can track down a Dean 365, it’s well worth a look. You can find these solidly built boats for $50,000 upwards. Designed by Peter Dean and built by his company, Dean Catamarans, they have an excellent reputation.

For a 36 foot boat, the 6-ton displacement is not light, but it does benefit from twin engines, and with the sloop rigging, it can sail downwind at up to 11 or 12 knots. With the genoa providing the main sailing power, sailing into the wind is not great.

Sold as a self-build design, the Tiki 38 is a solid cruising catamaran designed by James Wharram. There are plenty available, but all will be different depending on the builder. With a displacement of around 6 tons, it’s not the lightest, and the cruising speed is about 5 or 6 knots.

With a ketch rig, using two 30-foot masts, the sail area is around 730 square feet, but you can also use a 530 spinnaker. The draft is shallow at 2.5 feet.

The Tiki makes an interesting – perhaps quirky choice.

Crowther Spindrift 40

If you are more interested in performance than interior space, the Crowther Spindrift 40 could be an excellent choice. Designed by Lock Crowther, the Spindrift features narrow hulls, reducing the wet surface area and increasing your sailing speeds. The downside is a lack of space.

The sloop rigging gives you a total sail area of 791 square feet combined with a light 4-ton displacement, making the Spindrift excellent in light winds.

MacGregor 36

Three hundred of the Roger Macgregor designed 36-foot boats were built, so there are plenty available. It’s built as a racing catamaran, so space is at a premium. There is only a trampoline between the two hulls, but the weight saving makes the displacement just 1.4 tons, and with the 534 square feet of sail, you can achieve speeds touching 28 knots.

Accommodation is restricted to the two hulls, but there are bunks for four people and a galley in the starboard hull.

The Flica 36 was designed by Richard Wood is a proven design capable of crossing oceans. A displacement of 5 tons gives a good balance between speed and stability, and the cutter rigging allows for a main and two foresails.

The hulls have been made from ply and fiberglass, which accounts for the slightly heavier weight and strength. The bridge deck offers plenty of space with a small overhang but will suffer from bridge slam in heavier weather.

Mirage Yachts 37

Only a few of the open deck Mirage 37’s were produced, but consider them in your search. Designed by David Feltham and built by Thames Marine, the ketch-rigged boats are sturdy and safe.

At 7.3 tons, it’s heavy for a 36-foot cat, and the small sail area of just 548 square feet makes it slow, with a hull speed of only 7.4 knots. As a coastal cruiser, it certainly makes sense to give you a comfortable base for exploring.

Simpson 35 Wildside

The Simpson 35 Wildside is an excellent cruiser, with three double cabins, two of which are across the bridge deck. Roger Simpson is the designer, and he’s well known for his sturdy, reliable boats.

The Bermuda rigged sloop design features a fully covered bridge deck, so expect bridge slam if you sail in anything more than slight to moderate conditions. With a displacement of 5

tons, and a small sail area, the performance will never be exciting, but it’s okay for coastal cruising.

Gemini 3400

The Gemini 3400 is the predecessor to the Gemini 105 mentioned earlier. If you can’t find a 105 at your price, then a 3400 is a good alternative. Although weighing the same as the 105, at four tons, the sail area is smaller at just 490 square feet, giving a reduced performance.

As with all Geminis, the 3400 features retractable centerboards for better tracking when on a close reach, without increasing the draft.

The 3400 was designed by Tony Smith and built by Performance Cruising in the US, who still produce catamarans now.

Seawind 850

Originally built in Australia by Seawind Catamarans and designed by Scott Jutson, the 850 is a 28-foot cat featuring fractional sloop rigging. At a relatively light displacement of 2.4 tons, the 350 square feet of sail gives good performance and comfortable cruising.

The short bridge deck overhang is filled with a trampoline, allowing the 850 to sail in rougher weather without too much bridge slam. The Seawind makes an excellent cruiser despite its 28-foot LOA.

Aventura 23.5

Our last catamaran is the smallest in the review. The Aventura 235 is just 23 feet long, has a light displacement of only 0.77 tons, and a sail area of 312 square feet. Two cabins offer four berths despite its diminutive size, making it a comfortable cruiser for a small family.

There are, of course, compromises, with just a single outboard engine on the centerline, and internal space is limited. But with its lightweight design, easy handling, and shallow draft of 1.8 feet, it is a perfect first step into catamaran ownership.

Blue Water Catamarans Are a Fantastic Budget Option

Remember: When buying a bluewater cruising yacht for less than $100,000, compromise is inevitable. 

The best advice for buying a boat is to be truly honest with yourself by defining your needs and separating them from your desires. 

Need more advice on buying great blue water catamarans? Get a conversation started on our community forum by leaving a question or comment!

If you found this article helpful, please leave a comment below, share it on social media, and subscribe to our email list., for direct questions and comments, shoot me an email at [email protected].

Sharing is caring!

Reader Interactions

July 2, 2022 at 2:52 pm

Surprised you don’t list the PDQ 32.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

MB #20512 PO BOX 480 Sevenoaks Kent TN13 9JY

Tel: +44 56 0386 9163

Keep In Touch

Thank you for reading.

Join our online crew and find more about the #boatlife

Log in or Sign up

You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly. You should upgrade or use an alternative browser .

Multihull Structure Thoughts

Discussion in ' Multihulls ' started by oldmulti , May 27, 2019 .

oldmulti Senior Member

This will be first of 2 items on this design. The first will describe the cruising catamaran and the second item will show build photo’s and some construction detail. The cruising catamaran is the BOHEME 43 which is designed by Gerard Danson as an evolution of the Outremer 43. This model is designed for home or one off construction. The BOHEME 43 is 43 x 21.65 foot with a dry weight of 18600 lbs or 46 x 23.65 foot with a dry weight of 21,000 lbs. Depending on which option you choose. The 46 foot version carries a fixed 60 foot carbon fibre mast with a 730 square foot mainsail, 280 square foot self tacking jib, 107 square foot storm jib and 1170 square foot asymmetric spinnaker. The rigging is Dynex dux 13 mm (Precourt dead eyes) fore stay and 12 mm stainless steel. The length to beam is about 10.5 to 1. The draft with low aspect ratio keels is 4.6 foot or with optional daggerboards between 3 foot to 8.4 foot. The cat can be powered by two 30 HP diesel inboards. The cats performance is good, especially with the daggerboard version. The cat can average 200 plus mile days and peak at around 20 knots. The fin keel version can also go upwind very well. With the self tacking jib on a curved track going upwind is relatively simple. The base design has 2 double berth cabins and full toilet in each hull. There is an option of 3 double cabins with a workshop if you intend to do serious cruising. The main cabin has a full settee, navigation area and extensive galley. The galley has a large doorway and opening window facing the cockpit to give the impression of a larger space. Steering is done from the cockpit on a raised seating area. The cat is constructed from plywood, timber and fiberglass in epoxy. All timber and ply has “West” type system applied. The 46 foot version shown here was started in 2005 and finished in 2015. More details tomorrow. The jpegs are mainly of the 46 foot version.  

Attached Files:

Ben 43 1.gif, ben 43 6.jpg, ben 43 7.jpg, ben 43 3.jpg, ben 43 5.jpg, ben 43 4.jpg, ben 43 14.jpg, ben 43 8.jpg, ben 43 10.jpg, ben 43 12.jpg, ben 43 13.jpg, ben 43 16.jpg, ben 43 17.jpg.

revintage Senior Member

guzzis3 said: ↑ I remember people doing it years ago but couldn't point you at a specific case. Lots of small boats got built using it and I think it remains popular for surfboards. Click to expand...

The BOHEME 43 which is designed by Gerard Danson as an evolution of the Outremer 43. This model is designed for home or one off construction. The BOHEME 43 is 43 x 21.65 foot with a dry weight of 18600 lbs or 46 x 23.65 foot with a dry weight of 21,000 lbs depending on which option you choose. The rig is 1010 square foot of main and fore triangle. You can have dagger boards or fin keels. Now we start on the construction. This is a plywood and timber structure of full West epoxy construction. The unusual part is the round bottom approach. The hull basic structure is a flat bottom box which then has a series of half circle ply bulkheads positioned on it. The gaps between the ply bulkheads on the bottom are then filled with Styrofoam slabs that are sanded to a smooth hull shape. Over this basic shape is e-glass fabrics in epoxy to form the hull bottom. In the jpegs there is a low aspect ratio keel on the hulls which goes from the ply box section to the exposed part of the keel. I have no problems with a ply timber cat especially when fully West system BUT I do have a problem with using Styrofoam as a structural component. Even high density Styrofoam can breakdown over time especially if its surface is damaged by EG running into a floating log. Airex, Corecell etc have much high resistance to vibration, impact resistance and generally have better water resistance. Airex, Corecell etc foams also have stronger shear capability. If you are doing a bay or limited coastal multi that you can maintain regularly, fine use the technique, but it would not be my preferred approach for an offshore multi. Back to the BOHEME basic structure. The hulls have 12 mm ply sides and bottoms over 4 stringer, chine and gunnel strips per side. The hulls with the shaped Styrofoam is covered with 1040 gsm quad fabric and a surface glass covering all in epoxy. There is a frame or bulkhead about every 3 foot. The decks are 10 mm plywood with deck beam and stringer support covered with 2 layers of 300 gsm roving fabric protects the plywood in the hull, deck and lockers. Seats etc. have a 300 gsm glass layer with an epoxy covering. The underwing is 15 mm plywood with framing support. The cross beam bulkheads are probably 15 mm (guess) with timber support framing. The timber is mainly Mahogany for the structure. The deck cabin has multiple layers of 5 mm ply to form its shape with timber framing. There are some 22 mm plywood components. The jpeg cat has been very well built over the 10 years of construction but was built by a small team. The basic boat materials, engines and some equipment cost 90,000 Euros not including labor, shed rental, build equipment and the rig. This is a substantial investment in time and money to achieve a dream. The 46 is for sale at $375,000 US dollars or (327,000 Euro). The jpegs give the idea.  

A short one for East Coast Australians. The 21/22 Jaques Harve double handed transat was shown on 73 TV on Friday morning 4/2/22. It was an hour long and hopefully is on channel 7 catchup facility. The shots of the tris and monos sailing were good. The winning Ultims did a 9000 mile course at an average of 24 knots, the 50 foot tris averaged 17.5 knots over a 6000 mile course, the IMOCA foiling 60 foot mono's averaged 15 knots over the 6000 miles and the 40 foot monohull class averaged 10 knots over a 4000 mile course. Modern racing mono's have very full bows to try and create as much stability as possible trying to imitate a catamaran type stability in a wide monohull. interesting how the wide bow mono's go through a seaway. Also foils are becoming much more reliable. Seeing the 60 foot monohulls and 100 foot tri completely flying with only 2 crew is interesting. Also revintage, paulownia for strip work and planking is a nice material. If you have a good source of the material you will not be unhappy.  

guzzis3 Senior Member

OM: I tried to look back at the thread index yesterday. I may have missed it due to my poor sight. Have you looked at the larger, now withdrawn, Woods cats or the Waller CC40 ? I ask because so many boats in that 40+ size range are full bridgedeck cabin designs. The boats mentioned are variations on this, with the Woods "cuddy cabin", open deck or the Waller open back "shelter" ? on the bridgedeck. I suppose that's the market but it's nice to see something a bit different. You can find an old version of the RW website here: over 40' Catamarans by Woods Designs https://www.sailingcatamarans.com/40ft.htm  

peterAustralia Senior Member

Sniper Outrigger Sailing Canoe Length.: 6.15 m Wide: 3.3 m Sail area:9 m2 Slenderness ratio :1:20 Weight:115 kg Mast length:6 m Performance:Broad reach 13 knots in 18 knots wind,10 knots knots up wind Paddle speed:4-5 knots Engine:Outboard 5hp 14 knots Capacity:2 persons No.of 3 separeted flotation chamber Stayless free rotating mast ,vertical battens,Dacron 5 Oz Ullman sails Fiberglass NACA leeboard and folding rudder Rudder steering pedals for easy paddle 2x1.2 m trampoline 3 water tight plastic enclosere for storage of camping tools Telescopic tiller CE Catagory "C" Fiberglass Polyester hulls My name is Bahadir Egi,retired Elec.Eng.I am designing small sailing boats( www.yelkensever.com ) and selling them also. Sniper is Outrigger Sailing Canoe which is designed 13 years ego,no.of 15 Sniper is on the water. Rotating boomless sail is so easy to use,she can sail 13 knots broadreach.  

Hell_Bent Junior Member

Those little outriggers are neat, and this is one of the nicest I've seen. I'm following the design of a different custom one over on SA and we were having a conversation on the backup floatation on the stub akas which would be to leeward on the proa tack. It's a good idea, but I think I would have put a bit more effort into the shaping of the backup float, as that flat face is the kind of thing that would readily slam into a wave in the kind of conditions where the reserve would be needed. Still an excellent little boat and hey, theres quite a few out there so I guess it works fine.  

the backup float is called a safety ama. Yes, you are probably right, a little shaping of the bow for it might have been a good idea. A relatively easy modification. One surprise to me was 14 knots on 5hp,, gee  

peterAustralia said: ↑ the backup float is called a safety ama. Click to expand...

Guzzis3, I will look at the Coral Cove 40 and Meander over the next few days. But a few trivial things today to clean up some stuff. We looked at the Kelsall KSS X-Kat 26. The 26 is 26.2 x 14 foot (or this version 16 foot) with a displacement of 3150 lbs. The sail area of the mainsail is 247 or 280 square foot with a jib of or 120 or 140 square foot depending on the mast height chosen. The draft is 2 foot over the low aspect ratio keels. I have found a more detailed study plan shown below. The hull length to beam is 8.6 to 1 and the mast height is 32.8 foot. The draft is 2.25 foot over the fixed fin keels. The hull width at the gunnel is 4 foot and at the waterline is 3.1 foot which means the double berths are 3.2 foot wide. I personally think that is a single berth but I have been spoilt for luxury with 4.5 foot wide berth for most of my sailing. Next is a “design concept” I have seen from Reefscape Marine. The MAX 30 ST jpegs show a new trailable folding tri they are promoting. I know very little beyond its length of 30 foot. Reefscape has produced other multihulls to a high standard of finish so hopefully this will match it. Web address: https://www.reefscapemarine.com.au/boat-models/max30st-sailing-trimaran/ The final jpeg is the Vector 24 catamaran which is designed by Viktor Brejcha, a Czechoslovakian. This 24 x 13 foot open bridge deck catamaran is designed to be fast, easy to build, transportable and a fun cat is for lakes and coast sailing. The displacement is 2550 lbs. The hulls will be foam glass and the cross beams carbon fibre for lightness to allow disassembly for trailing. Some hull accommodation for bunks and storage. No further details. Tomorrow will be about a 30 foot South African cruising catamaran, then we will do Woods 40 foot Meander.  

X-Kat 26 study.jpg

Reefscape max 30 st 3.jpg, max-30t 1.jpg, vector 24 b.jpg.

The following cruising catamaran designed by Rajen Naidu and was built in South Africa by Rayvin Yachts on a production basis. The Rayvin 30 is 30 x 18 foot with a weight of 5500 lbs and a displacement between 8,000 lbs and 9,000 lbs depending on the level of equipment, engines etc. The 38 foot aluminium mast carries a fractional rig of 610 square foot. The draft is 3.3 foot over the low aspect ratio keels. The rudders are underslung spades. The hull length to beam is about 9 to 1. The engines vary but several have two 18HP diesels which when cruising at about 6 to 7 knots consume 1 litre per hour per engine. The reason this cat was designed and built by Rajen Naidu was the desire to have a 30 foot ocean cruising catamaran. The problem being a husband and wife team with two young children, they found that any cat over 30 foot was a handful for them but small manageable boats were too cramped and hardly performed under sail. Result, Rajen designed the Rayvin 30. The Rayvin has 3 double berths and a full toilet cabin in the hulls. The main cabin has a galley, settee and navigation area. Some Rayvin 30’s had a galley in the hulls. Most areas including the main cabin have 5.9 foot plus headroom. There is sensible storage space with lockers with sliding doors etc. You can even have a real cat claiming your double berth cabin as an option. The cockpit is relatively large. The capability of this cat is the real issue. To quote an owner “The Rayvin 30 is living proof that even a small cat can be a true bluewater boat; seaworthy and ready for the challenges of an ocean adventure. The owner reports she holds 40 degrees to the wind in flat water, 50 to 60 degrees in rough water. She has sailed in 50 to 60 knot winds without any difficulties.” There are Rayvin 30’s in South Africa, Australia, USA, the Med with other owners reporting upwind capability in strong winds and averages of 6 to 9 knots with peak speeds of 15 to 18 knots when not overloaded with cruising gear. These boats are real ocean crossers if sailed sensibly by good often short handed crew. The construction of the Rayvin 30 varies. Some were built in infused vinylester and Balsa. But several hulls had e-glass + Balsa core sandwich composite with epoxy resin with Kevlar/Carbon fibre under the waterline and up the bows. The deck material is glass + Balsa core sandwich composite - epoxy resin. Bulkheads and main beams etc are epoxy glass balsa sandwich. Balsa below the waterline is not my preferred material but if is done with epoxy and well done it will be strong and should last well. The first boats were built about 2005 and production appears to have stopped in about 2015. This is a good example of a small cat that is ocean capable and can handle difficult conditions. Rajen Naidu has designed an excellent solution for people who want to really cruise without pay for a 40 foot plus cat that starts to require a crew to help them cross an ocean. The jpegs give the idea.  

rv 30 6.jpg

Rayvin 30 9.jpg, rv 30 4.jpg, rv 30 1.jpg, rv 30 9.jpg, rv 30 35.jpg, rv 30 28.jpg, rv 30 29.jpg, rayvin 30 4.jpg, rv 30 15.jpg, rv 30 22.jpg, rv 30 32.jpg, rayvin 30 1.jpg, rayvin 30 x 18 ft 6.jpg, rayvin 8.jpg.

bajansailor Marine Surveyor

Thank you for this latest gem re the Rayvin. I came across a Rayvin 30 for sale a while back, and thought 'what a lovely boat'. I saved some photos and data from the advert for future reference. And I have more info to save now re the above. The advert I saw on Yachtworld has expired, but here is another one for sale - Catamaran Rayvin 30 https://www.boatingworld.co.za/boats/pre_owned/1438/Rayvin_Catamaran_30  

Today we start our review of 40 foot open wing deck cruising cats. The first cat we will look at is Woods Meander. A 40 x 22.6 foot cruising cat that weighs 7,850 lbs and displaces 13.450 lbs. The 45 foot fixed aluminium mast carries 750 square foot of sail in its cutter rig. The length to beam on the hulls is 12 to 1. The draft over the daggerboards ranges from 2.2 foot to 6 foot. Engines suggested is two 9.9 HP outboards. The accommodation is hull based with 3 double bunks and 2 singles. A galley and table arrangement are in one hull. Loo in the other hull. There is a very large cockpit for easy sail handling. A Pod cockpit cover has been built on a few Meanders. The structure can be sheet ply or grp flat panel deep V hulls or strip plank cedar or foam glass deep V or rounded V hulls. Today we will stay with the sheet plywood version although in design updates Mr Woods preferred the strip plank or foam version which we will deal with tomorrow. The hulls are 9 mm ply for hull sides, 12 mm ply for keel panels. There are 75 x 25 mm stringers and bulkheads are 9 mm plywood with 50 x 25 mm framing support. The decks are 9 mm plywood with deck beams and stringers. The bridge deck panels are 9 mm plywood with timber framing support. The cross beams are wooden box beams with a 12 mm plywood web 50 x 50 mm top bottom flange, 12 mm ply web with 75 x 50 mm top and bottom flange, 12 mm ply web with 50 x 50 mm top and bottom flanges then the final 12 mm ply web. The entire hull deck and beam structure is West epoxy saturation with e-glass on exterior surfaces. The internal floors bunk 9 mm ply with 6 mm furniture with 25 x 25 mm internal framing. External rubbing stakes are 75 x 25 mm hardwoods. The entire structure can be built in separate components of EG hulls, cross beams, deck platform etc and then moved next to water for final assembly. Woods suggests the boat be rigidly locked together for the best long term results. Many of these boats have been built and some have done long distance sailing. This is an old design which has a fine ended hull shape which may impact pitching. Richard Woods originally worked with Wharram for a short time which appears to have influenced some of his original designs. These cats are good load carriers and are faster than Wharrams of the same length but there are faster modern designs. The jpegs give the idea of the Meander. Tomorrow we will focus on the strip plank cedar and foam version of the Meander.  

meander bow 2.jpg

Meander sail cutter 5.jpg, meander sail1.jpg, meander sailspi.jpg, meander 40 study v.png, meander kickup rudders 12.jpg, meander moor 7.jpg, meander build7.jpg, meander side1.jpg, meander 11.jpg, meander studyplan a.jpg.

SolGato Senior Member

I came across this photo of a catamaran, perhaps someone can identify it? I think the deck/cabin layout is interesting. It looks to have nice wide flat deck surfaces either side of mast, bunks in the side wings of the bridge with a center cabin pod, all in an effort to reduce windage and increase performance, or maybe it’s just a custom conversion.  

• Advertisement:

Solgato. I cannot find the exact detail but this was a french transportable cat. How? It was about 28 foot long and the entire bridgedeck section for the full beam could be lifted and turned sideways to be put on top of the hulls for transport to get it under 8 foot. A few were built. The main cabin had a double berth either side of a settee with a table. I think the company was Advetura but am unsure. Hope this helps but some of our french readers may be able to give a better guide.  

Looking for a Low-Cost Easy to build multihull sailing design

recognize this multihull?

Multihulls Direct?

a multihull design riddle

HDPE Multihulls Indonesia

Custom multihulls.

Block coefficient of Multihull

Sydney to hobart multihulls.

Multihull power requirements

Lack of data about steel multihulls

• No, create an account now.
• Yes, my password is:
• Forgot your password?