Seems that mayybe even with the higher upfront cost of the alum material the TIME/SPEED to completion can be much faster, also so many things can be fabricated as well with out backing plates bolts etc.

Just seems to me that over all Alum has advantages in SPEED time to finish options of purchase or fabricated parts.

so my thoughts are the time to build / cost is much better in a custom 55-60 catamaran

Even the tools required are less, and more moneyy for pro welding gear and classes on how to weld.

Would be interested in your views, on Building in Aluminiumn with a TWIST

Rgds

DeWayne Young (UK) [email]dewayne.young at me dotcom

Hi David,

You wrote this comment in a post I was reading.

If you really do want to build your own, then I would choose aluminum...and dont paint it. ....

I am going to build a CAT have actuallyy purchased the plans to several cats but the 2 I am looking closelyy at is the Dudley DIX DH55 Plwood/Epoxy and Divillers DVD 62 Aluminumn, But this is not the ordinary question of Ply Vs Alum Vs Steel.. I have built several boats in myy life at age 58 I want build one more, Never built in Aluminumn,

It seems besides all the Pros and Cons the thing I see from my past is as yyou build the job is also finished, and you never need to return back there as yyou would in ANY other material, such as sanding adding another layer etc.

What people never talk about is how may times yyou do the same job, over and over again, and the consumable cost associated with a job, also as the jobs get smaller the consumable/wasteage gets even biggger.