Fusion 40 Kits

[pacificblue]

Hello,

Do any of you have feedback on the Fusion 40 Kits made out of Australia? Based on what I saw on their website, it is one slick craft. However, I am trying to figure out whether going the partial you build it out route is at the end of the day more economical.

Thanks!

[Talbot]

quite nice looking craft,


and a slick system for delivery. The trade off for build it yourself is time available. If you can earn more by working, it is better to buy a ready built one. Furthermore, you lose a lot of sailing time slopping resin into glass cloth.

However, a build does allow the cost to be spread across time.

[44'cruisingcat]

Fusions do go together pretty quickly. I know of someone who got a shell complete in around 3-4 months. (More than one person working though)

But there isn't much interior in the kit, and it's certainly the most expensive 40 foot kit around.

I think the Fusion 40 kit is around Au$185,000, where for instance my kit (Oram 44C) was under Au$70,000.

I'll have my 44' boat built, launched and sailing for less money than a Fusion kit. But it will have taken longer.

For me the Fusion was never an option, the headroom is too low, and there's no way of improving it, which I was able to do with mine.

Another option is the Oceanic 373, which is a similar kit to the Fusion, with moulded hull parts, but has a comprehensive set of interior mouldings as well. I'm pretty sure it's a cheaper kit than the Fusion although it's also slightly smaller. Catamaran. Oceanic 373 Catamaran 'Fastbuild Kit'

[James S]

I walked through one less than a month ago in a boat building yard in Subic Bay PI
I thinks its been under construction for about 6 months and the owners reckoned they had another 6 to go...it was a good looking job but lots of interior work/fabrication buy the owners...the exterior shell was assembled by the pros at the yard.
Head room was a little low for me at 6'3"...But it looked like lots of quality.

[pacificblue]

Many thanks to all who replied. Being on the tall side I appreciated the feedback on the headroom limitations. Perhaps by the time I'm ready to afford my dream cat, age will have taken a couple of inches off my height! Ha Ha.

[MerlinElMago]

Hello guys,
this is my fist post here. I live on the canary islands and I have been looking after a Cat for quite some time now. In fact, two or three names keep on popping up whenever I search for a Kit-Cat on the net.
Fusion and Oram mainly. I was sure that Fusion was the way to go, but after this post I'd like to have a few more infos on the Oram 44C.

I'm also wondering about the costs involved in building such a Cat. I plan to do EVERYTHING on my own with a little help from my wife and friends (no matter how long it takes - I'm young still . I also have access to a professional routing equipment which I could cut a lot of the interiors with. I know that the Kit of the Fusion costs around 80K€ but how much do I have to calculate for the finished boat?

Greetings
Merlin

[James S]

Welcome Merlin ...good luck with cat.

[44'cruisingcat]

Originally Posted by MerlinElMago

Hello guys,
this is my fist post here. I live on the canary islands and I have been looking after a Cat for quite some time now. In fact, two or three names keep on popping up whenever I search for a Kit-Cat on the net.
Fusion and Oram mainly. I was sure that Fusion was the way to go, but after this post I'd like to have a few more infos on the Oram 44C.

I'm also wondering about the costs involved in building such a Cat. I plan to do EVERYTHING on my own with a little help from my wife and friends (no matter how long it takes - I'm young still . I also have access to a professional routing equipment which I could cut a lot of the interiors with. I know that the Kit of the Fusion costs around 80K€ but how much do I have to calculate for the finished boat?

Greetings
Merlin

I have a few photo's of my Oram 44C build here: http://www.cruisersforum.com/gallery...00&userid=3477

There is a builders blog with a lot of detailed information here: The Scrumble Project

My boat is quite close to completion, and when complete, in the water, ready to go, it will have cost less than the Fusion KIT.

But quite a few more hours. Probably around 5000 total, where I think a Fusion takes around 2500-3000. A fair slice of those extra hours are spent fairing and painting. Fairing is about as bad as boatbuilding gets, and even though Duflex kits take considerably less fairing than say a strip planked boat, there is still more than enough.

Asking how much more a Fusion would cost to complete is a bit like asking how long is a piece of string.

To some extent it's up to you. Do you want a simple, painted interior or exotic timber? Leather or fabric? Gensets, aircon...etc etc...

What kinds of project are you willing to take on? For instance, I'm largely building my own rig, (with a lot of help from Bob Oram) but if I just had one made, delivered and stepped, it would probably cost me between 2 and 3 times as much.

Good luck with it. Whichever way you go, it's well worth doing IMHO.

[MerlinElMago]

What does the Oram Kit contain? Any precut materials or is it just the plans?

Regards
Merlin

[tongaboys]

Originally Posted by MerlinElMago

What does the Oram Kit contain? Any precut materials or is it just the plans?

Regards
Merlin

Here is the link to Bob's web page, Quote: using an extension of the ’stitch and glue’ method, which involves assembling pre-fabricated flat Duflex panels in female frames with chine bilges. Unquote: Bob Oram Design 44C, not on-line at this moment... he maybe able to help your further, but I know that along with the kit and very detailed plans, Bob also is there for support. Anyhow glad I was able to help...jono

[judy@scrumble]

Originally Posted by MerlinElMago

What does the Oram Kit contain? Any precut materials or is it just the plans?

Regards
Merlin

The boat panels are CNC routed onto 2400mmx1200mm Duflex sheets, which are delivered in a stack on a pallet. You simply join these sheets and cut the tabs to release the individual panels.

Here's a link to a section on our website: Z Press « The Scrumble Project

This is what it looks like delivered:

[MerlinElMago]

I've had a close look at the scrumble project, and also on the cruising north documentation on a fusion40 building progress. I must say that for what I've seen, it's worth the money paying for an almost finished boat instead of spending month (or years) building it. Doesn't the work count also as if it was money? How much cheaper is the Oram design compared to the fusion?
What about the interior? I'm thinking about something nice, but not super-expensive. I'm able to do almost 100% of it.

Greets
Merlin

[44'cruisingcat]

This has all been answered in previous posts. The Fusion is far from a finished boat. Internally it is bare, and finishing the interior is more work than finishing the outside.

The Oram kit costs around $65-70k Aus. As I said before, I'll have my boat launched, fully equipped and sailing for less than the Fusion KIT.

Whether you feel the @ 2000-2500 hours saved on the Fusion is worth the extra $110,000 is entirely up to you. You could save even more time and just buy a boat.

[MerlinElMago]

I'm sorry to be so persistant but your math is not completely clear to me...

Let me translate the numbers you gave me to Euros:
Oram 44C is something around 35.000€
Fusion is around 80.000€
Difference is 45.000€ for 2000 hrs.

So it would be 22,5 € per hour. That's pretty acceptable.

BUT is that exactly the same finish? What I mean, isn't it true that I have for that price the hull and the bare interior in both versions? What about glues and fairing materials, is that included in the Oram Kit? It seems to be a lot of material to add to the boat, while with the Fusion you only have to work on the joints.

And any interior I'd like to fit in it would be extra cost, right?

My consideration is: as I have to rent a place to build my boat, it'll cost less for - let's say - two month or three than a year. I would not be able to buy a boat brand new (at least not in this class), because I simply don't have the money. And that's why I'm asking to get so detailed infos to prepare myself a cost plan and see if I can afford it.

Regards
Merlin

[scrumble]

Good Day Merlin,
All the information you need is on or can be gained from our site, however we would also be happy to talk about any thing regarding this type of build, just send a private message for contact. Regards, Tom