BUILD A CAT??

[Tropic Cat]

Heck, I'm in the same town as Kit Cat and I never heard of them. I'll take a ride by today and see what's up

Rick in Florida

[Lodesman]

Dave, Bob, Rick, etc.,

Open the Adobe sail cat brochure - construction is vinylester, E-glass over polypropylene honeycomb. They claim some proprietary technique.

Kevin

[colemj]

Yes, they are using Nidacore. The sailcat is a strange boat - the sailplan looks very small and there doesn't seem to be any keels or daggerboards. It looks like the bridgedeck in the stern sinks 10-12" when underway under both power and sail and is barely clear of the water. I think it would make a better powercat than sailcat.

Mark

[northerncat]

i think the cabin sits a little high(out of proportion for a sail cat) you expect it o n a powercat
sean

[cat man do]

Originally Posted by Bob Norson

Greetings Cat people...

Hey Dave.... an HST fan eh.... you sick puppy!

I was living in Vegas when he was there to cover the Barstow Vegas race and when the DA's convention was at Circus Circus... it really did happen. (from... fear and loathing etc)

Long story.. I was on my way to Yucatan and went broke there and worked in a "Gas Station" for 6 months to get on the road again....

Read "Lono"?

Cheers

G'day Bob, Indeed a Hunter S fan, loved the 'Rum Diaries" and searched long and hard to get "fear and loathing" on DVD for personal collection.

Sound's like you've got a few stories to tell about your earlier day's. Might get to hear some one day over a few sherbert's.

I'll have a look at TCP today, always look forward to it.

Dave

[Tropic Cat]

Well, I stopped in at Kit-Cat around 5:00 and talked to the guys there. They were building a pair of 45 ft hulls which look huge. They must be 7 1/2 or 8 feet tall. The hull material is Nida-Core panels with what looks to be glassed with about 3/16" on either side of the panels. There wasn't any gelcoat on the hulls I saw, but they were a work in progress.

The boats are a hard chine hull, with no dagger boards and a tiny sail plan. Mast height is 39' above the water. Colemj had it pegged exactly right.

I asked about the kits. Well, there are no kits. They began marketing kits but customers wanted the hulls built, and then want the bridge deck attached and on.. and on... So, they are now in the custom boat building business.

I had to ask.... a 39' shell, no rig, no interior, no engines, no tankage, just the fiberglass completed, is around $190K.

So, at least now I know

Rick in Florida

[cat man do]

Originally Posted by colemj

Yes, they are using Nidacore. The sailcat is a strange boat - the sailplan looks very small and there doesn't seem to be any keels or daggerboards. It looks like the bridgedeck in the stern sinks 10-12" when underway under both power and sail and is barely clear of the water. I think it would make a better powercat than sailcat.

Mark

Wow that is a short rig, and seems to have the motors in the water in every shot. Even under kite.

If it squats in the bum now, it would be worse as a powercat.

Dave

Greetings

The Kit Cat thing sounds not to good. Fusion Yachts over here sells a 'motoraway" version of their 40 foot cat for about $240k AUD which comes out about the same as $190K US. The fusion has a track record though. It is a very good sailing boat and looks really good... my opinion. Thats twin diesels, tankage and windows etc.

Also, I have done some research on the nidoplast stuff and I dont think it is as good as other more conventional materials. Designers I know don't want anything to do with it except for furniture and cockpit stuff, but not structural. Loyds won't insure it and it cannot be put into survey. that says something.

I can't believe companies will invest in a model of boat of poor design, hell, it's the cheapest component. But it is done a lot. (he said with his head shaking)

Just did some research on cost for pvc foam... better than I thought! The dreaded day draws near.....

Dave! Yeah, I've got stories and they are all true but hard for people to believe. Three crownies or good homey and you get the lot.... be warned!


Rum Diaries is good. Puerto Rico in the fifties/sixties must have been quite an adventure. One of my favourite pieces of writing in the world is a two page thing he did originally for "Hells Angels" called "midnight on the coast highway" or something like that. It was so real to me when I read it that it wasn't really like reading... but thinking it. Drawing on my own experience.

Only met him once at a lecture he gave in San Deigo that turned into a riot. He was a mumbler and the sound system was crap on top of it. The crowd turned on him and it got ugly and cut short.. San Diego always was strange like that.

Cheers

Bob

[toewsrus]

Bob,

My family and I have been looking into used cats in the 40' range for around US$200k they are all 7-10 years old. I've seen your posts in a couple of different places recently on the fusions et al.

I'm intriuged that a 40' cruiser could be built in the $200k range. That would be a new boat with a total new fitout.

I've been trying to look for photos and completed boats, but seem to come up short. Or just one or two. Do you know anyone who's built their own, without hands on help from the factory, or a ton of boat-building experience?

Do you think it's really true to have a cruiser for that price or are the budgets underestimated?

[cat man do]

Originally Posted by toewsrus

Bob,

My family and I have been looking into used cats in the 40' range for around US$200k they are all 7-10 years old. I've seen your posts in a couple of different places recently on the fusions et al.

Do you think it's really true to have a cruiser for that price or are the budgets underestimated?

You would have to take into account that the boat is in kit form and you still have to assemble it and get everything working.

This could take you 12 mth's full time work to accomplish. If paying wages to do this and rent a shed the cost would be a fair bit more than $200k.

I would imagine there would still be a fair bit of extra stuff that you would need to make her a comfortable liveaboard.

Dave

[Factor]

Originally Posted by Bob Norson

Hey Rickm505, If reviews are sourced from the mag "multihull World" I would suggest they be taken with a ton of salt as the mag suffered a bit of credability loss in the Multihaven fiasco. Just two issues ago they were ravin about the boat with much possitive editorial, that is now recognised by the trade as a horrible loser. Basicaly, it is believed now that their reviews or the writers supplying them can be bought!

Cheers

Be fair Bob - Only one review spoke it up, that of Jo Djubal, I said that I couldnt say much nice so I wouldnt say much at all. Paul published plenty of letters putting rubbish on it.

I can't be bought and I suspect Jo cant be either. Jo has responded to her critics. To suggest that thye magazine and its contributors are all sus beacuse of this one issue is a bit over the top.

[northerncat]

a forty ft cruiser can be built for a lot less that that a hundred will get you a cat with all the bells and whistles
sean

[44'cruisingcat]

Originally Posted by toewsrus

Bob,

My family and I have been looking into used cats in the 40' range for around US$200k they are all 7-10 years old. I've seen your posts in a couple of different places recently on the fusions et al.

I'm intriuged that a 40' cruiser could be built in the $200k range. That would be a new boat with a total new fitout.

I've been trying to look for photos and completed boats, but seem to come up short. Or just one or two. Do you know anyone who's built their own, without hands on help from the factory, or a ton of boat-building experience?

Do you think it's really true to have a cruiser for that price or are the budgets underestimated?

A similar type of kit to the Fusion, but much cheaper : Catamaran Builder, Catamaran Builders, Multihull Builders, catamarans, catamaran kits, multihull and monohull yachts and power craft, Melbourne, Australia.

BTW Dave it's a SCHIONNING design!!!!

[Jackstee]

Hi all.
The wife and I built a Woods Gypsy and it took us 2 years and 9 months. The only help we used was for the assembly. Cost, well without the hardwear around US $ 20,000.

Rgds

[Jeff]

Speaking of Schionning, they're going to offer 3 fit levels of their boats according to their lastest newsletter, see: http://www.schionningdesigns.com.au/...terFeb2007.pdf

j