How are catamaran hulls joined to the deck?

[ssmoot]

So if I built a couple foam core GRP hulls, and a bridge deck separately. How would I put them together? What do the big manufacturers do? Surely they aren't using a 4,000sqft vacuum bag to do bottom all at once?

I don't have any experience with fiberglass, but I ran across something that said after the resin cures (24-36 hours), additional cloths would only "mechanically bond" and be a weaker bond. But wouldn't the transition to the bridge be one of the highest stress points on a cat?

I've seen Schionning (I think) suggest that kits (hull, bridge, transom) are joined with wood beams. If you've spent all this money on a divinycell, hexalite, foam-core, etc hulls, doesn't that seem like a really painful compromise?

Thanks. Just trying to pick this stuff up where I can.


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[ssmoot]

@denverd0n: I totally get that. I just meant, I've watched a lot of boat building YouTube. :-)

Just focusing on the building part though: Every one builds (and vacuum bags) the hulls separately. Even very high-tech racing yachts.

But out of maybe 50 videos, I've only seen one that showed attaching the bridge. And it glossed over how the actual bond was made. (Title: "How to build your own yacht").

So just curious. I'm sure there's got to be several different popular methods. I just don't know what they are and searching around isn't turning up much.


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[atoll]

Originally Posted by ssmoot

So if I built a couple foam core GRP hulls, and a bridge deck separately. How would I put them together? What do the big manufacturers do? Surely they aren't using a 4,000sqft vacuum bag to do bottom all at once?

I don't have any experience with fiberglass, but I ran across something that said after the resin cures (24-36 hours), additional cloths would only "mechanically bond" and be a weaker bond. But wouldn't the transition to the bridge be one of the highest stress points on a cat?

I've seen Schionning (I think) suggest that kits (hull, bridge, transom) are joined with wood beams. If you've spent all this money on a divinycell, hexalite, foam-core, etc hulls, doesn't that seem like a really painful compromise?

Thanks. Just trying to pick this stuff up where I can.


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most production cats built in grp the hull and underside are one moulding,and the deck and upper works are are also one moulding,joined where they meet.

the interior structure is all added before the deck moulding is lowered into place and bonded and fastened

[ssmoot]

@atoll: Do you have any links or videos you could share on the process? I'd be very interested in seeing it in action!


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[travellerw]

Here is a tour of the Lagoon factory.. Its shows the hulls with the furniture built before the deck is put on. Unfortunately they don't show the actually joining..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZROa6SoZDlQ

[atoll]

Originally Posted by ssmoot

@atoll: Do you have any links or videos you could share on the process? I'd be very interested in seeing it in action!


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try this one!

LAGOON CATAMARAN FACTORY BELLEVILLE - YouTube

[ssmoot]

Awesome! Thanks everyone!


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