Because of the huge dollars needed to buy a new or even a used catamaran, we would never have gotten a catamaran if we hadn’t built it ourselves.
Let’s start by saying that building any type of larger boat, especially a catamaran, can be one of the most intellectually and physically challenging things you will ever do.
It has been said that building a large boat is the closest a man can come to giving birth to a baby. In other words there is going to some discomfort and pain along the way; you will question yourself on whether this was such a good idea; it’s very difficult to reverse the decision; and though friends will support you, you will be on your own most of the time with your significant other if he/she is game.
Know your boat
You will intimately know every part of your boat. You will know where every wire, hose, bolt, bulkhead, rib, and support is because you installed them!
Pride of ownership
We have often thought what it would be like to just buy a boat from a manufacturer, and know that while owners who have spent a lot of cash (or future life to pay off the lien) their often possessive and competing-with-the Joneses could not begin to compare to our quiet glow of happiness and akinship we feel with Light Wave .
Our boat is like part of the family. So much time was spent on her that we have a major emotional investment. Every time we see our vessel – from a distance at anchor or approaching her in our marina, we say, “What a pretty boat! I can’t believe we built it!” Then that sense of accomplishment settles back in and we feel we have indeed earned the privilege of all of the beautiful experiences we have had sailing, cruising, exploring the beautiful BC Coast and much further a field (or should we say “an ocean”?).
You will be able to pay for the materials as you go and “donate” your time to the cause.
Get a newer design
Many of the production boats that are out there are designs of many years ago because the manufactures have to recoup their capital investment on the mold and production setup. When you build your own you have much newer designs to draw from.
Details on Our Boat Building Adventure
We had sailed our first boat Wave Dancer for five years and had many adventures on the British Columbia coast. In May 1996, I had just returned from a little one-week solo trip in the Gulf Islands of BC when I bought the book, The Cruising Multihull by Chris White (Future link to book review on our web site).
This is the book that got me going (Carllie was not yet convinced). I must have read it a half dozen times over the next 6 months, each time becoming more convinced that this was the way to go for our next boat. It was really still pre-internet web site days so I wrote to all the designers that were listed in the back of the book. Over the next several weeks packages of information started appearing in the mailbox (there is just something about getting packages in the mail – I guess it’s the anticipation). I would pour over these preliminary printed pages with pictures and accommodation layouts. Next, I put a few dollars down to buy the information packages and study plans from the top prospects.
I waited patiently for the study plans. It was like the night before Christmas when I was kid. Oooh the wait! Finally they came, and again I carefully scrutinized the next level of detail. Things were getting a little more serious. The top contenders were:
Click here to read my comments and reviews on their catamaran designs as well as those of Jeff Schionning.
I remember initially drooling over the Atlantic 42 by Chris White, still one of my favorite designs. It seemed to be so seaworthy (by the way if I run into about $800,000 USD any time soon, I am going to buy an Atlantic 55). The most important piece of advice that came out of the material was from Richard Woods:
“Build the smallest boat you‘d be happy with it.”
Axiom #1: The hours to build a catamaran is in almost in direct proportion to its weight.
Which brings us to Axiom #2:
Axiom #2: It takes about 1 hour to create 1 pound of finished boat.
In our case we spent 3,500 hours ( click here for full details on the construction hours ) to build a 4,000 lb. boat (just a little less than 0.9 hours per pound). If a boat’s empty weight is 8,000 lbs., it will probably take about 6,000 hours to build.
When you think about it, you can only mix and handle so much material per hour. More boat weight, more material, more hours. Sure there are some economies of scale on a bigger boat, but usually the systems become more complex and these take longer to install.
This decision process took 8 months and I figured we’d launch in 6 months. It was now January of 1997. Little did we know it would be 26 months and 3,500 hours between the two of us until we launched on June 5, 1999. We ordered the full plans and we were off and running.
We were ready to build, but where would we start the process? First of all, we live in a tiny 480 sq. ft. apartment in Vancouver. Back-yard building wasn’t exactly an option so I found a small garage nearby that we rented for 5 months.
After about 4 months in the garage, I had made all the small parts and it was time to build the hulls. This meant that we had to go larger facilities. We found space at Shelter Island Marina and Boatyard in Richmond. This is the biggest boat yard in the Vancouver area with dozens of commercial and private projects, big and small, under way.
We were out of money by then, so we sold our first boat so we could buy resin and fiberglass. It was a traumatic time as we said goodbye to our beloved Wave Dancer . We were now committed. We than had all the foam for the hull cores, barrels of resin, and huge rolls of matting and roving needed for the fiberglass skins delivered to our “domed stadium”. We kicked ourselves many times that we didn’t take a picture of this raw material stacked in one corner of the empty shed, so we could later show “before” and “after” photos. It was time to build the hulls.
Over the next several months we proceed to join the hulls with the beams I had built in the garage, and then to install the cuddy cabin, cockpit, and decks. By the spring of 1998, it was staring to look like a catamaran. Through the spring and summer of 1998, we continued with the major structural components: mini-keels, hatches, stairs, and interior. Then we went on to the very laborious work of fairing the boat before painting. Don’t under estimate that job!
By October 1998 we were ready to prime the boat and start painting. I really thought this would go quickly. I forgot that I would have to do two more complete sandings to sand off and finish the two layers of primer application. In addition we had to fill countless pinholes – a laborious process somewhat like hiking up a mountain – each time you get to what you think is the top, you see another summit!
The boat seemed to get bigger and bigger. Believe me, there is a lot of surface area on a catamaran. I clearly remember that last sanding: I had reached the end of my physical and mental endurance – I was exhausted. I was ready to move on to the next phase – any phase but more sanding!
We now started spray-painting the hulls bright yellow. It was around this time we decided on our boat name of Light Wave . The painting took over a month: the hulls being the easy part, it was the topsides, the nonskid, and all the masking and prep that seemed to take forever. Happily, the worst of the dust was gone.
By March 1999 we were in the home stretch. The center bridge deck cabin was completed so we took a week off from our paid jobs and lived on the boat in the shed so we could work all day and not waste time commuting. March, April and May were frantic months as we finished all the final touches: engine installation, rudders, windows, deck fittings, electrical, plumbing, mast, and rigging. See our outfitting page (for more details on what we picked and why, and things we would do differently now.
Initially, our electronic systems were relatively basic but included GPS and autopilot see the following link for all our electronic outfitting choices and reasoning for more details.
It was May 22, 1999 and we decided that Saturday, June 5th would be “Launch Day” so we could send invitations to all of our friends. On the Friday night before Launch Day, we still had a number of final things to do, many of them outside. Unfortunately it was pouring rain. We were tired and very wet but the boat had to go into the water next day so we persevered on till everything was ready.
The moment of truth came as Light Wave was lowered into the water. While still in the slings of the Travelift, I jumped aboard to check for leaks. Of course there weren’t any! More food and laughs and tours of the boat for all attending. It was a great day.
Emotionally drained that night, we slept in Light Wave in the water for the first time. It was another week before we actually went out for our first trip as we had to sell the shed, setup sails, and install some final deck hardware.
To sum it up, building a catamaran was a great experience. We learned a lot. Carllie and I grew closer together through it all. We had a great time doing it. We had a beautiful catamaran to show for it. Now it was time for a catamaran adventure !
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If you were to build a 40-foot (12.1-meter) catamaran, your cost of materials would range between 20-30% of the total cost. Therefore, for $300,000 total, the boat's materials would range between $60,000 and $90,000. The hull tends to range between 15-35% of the total build.
Affordable. Building your own boat with Wharram Designs is the easiest and most cost effective way to fulfil your sailing dreams. Wharram Self-build boat plans start from only £120. Wharram designs are based on years of practical, hands-on experience of building and ocean sailing catamarans. They are renowned for their seaworthiness, stability ...
A 3-year DIY homebuilder project — building a 40ft catamaran. If you have dreamed of making a boat and sailing off over the horizon — do it. The book "Build...
We're only 48 hours into having the first set of components for our catamaran, and she's already starting to come together and look like a boat!Follow along ...
Building a catamaran boat from scratch is a rewarding and challenging endeavor.. It takes a combination of skill, dedication, and hard work to craft a seaworthy vessel. In this step-by-step guide, you'll learn how to design and size your catamaran, gather the necessary materials, cut and assemble the pieces, lay fiberglass and apply epoxy, make finishing touches, add hardware and paint, and ...
Custom built homemade catamaran. From project to sails. May 2021
Genuine Hartley Boatplans and Samson Boatplans are only supplied by hartley-boats.com, New Zealand. Catamaran & Trimaran Boat Plans from Hartley Boats make it a reality to build your own multihull at home. Build with Plywood or Fibre Glass. 12-35 ft plans.
Everything you need to build your own sea-going catamaran: 3 steps. Familiarise yourself with our range of designs and their unique qualities. For more detailed information read the Wharram Design Book which reviews each self-build boat model and offers a detailed introduction and understanding of the world of self-build catamarans.; Order one or more sets of our Study Plans and immerse ...
catamaran sailing. DIY boat projects on Pure Majek from new navigation equipment, anchoring systems, rewiring yacht electronics diagrams, AIS and much more. Its been ten great years since launch and we look at things that have worked and those we would change. Join us and be inspired.
or exotic materials to build a boat. You don't need expensive tools or a degree in engineering either. I fabricated most of the parts and systems on Tokyo Express (TE) from scratch. Steering system, steering wheel, doors, hatches, fore beam, catwalk, daggerboard, rudders, engine mounting, generator, electrical system and plumbing.
Axiom #1: The hours to build a catamaran is. in almost in direct proportion to its weight. Which brings us to Axiom #2: Axiom #2: It takes about 1 hour to create. 1 pound of finished boat. In our case we spent 3,500 hours ( click. here for full details on the construction hours) to build a 4,000 lb. boat.
Fast forward through 3 year's work - in 3 minutes, the building of a 40ft catamaran.An overview — building a DIY homemade 40ft catamaran. If you have dreamed...
A new edition of The Coastal Passage has just been posted. Click on the image at right to download the PDF. Covid Cruising! From Tasmania to Greece with a boat built by the editor. For more information on this boat, see and check out The BareBones project. The $21,000, 30 foot+ Catamaran! "PLANS" NOW FREE!
Step 1: Draftsmanship. After poking around online for inspiration and taking heavy influence from the crafts of Jeremy Broun and Tim from Way Out West, I drafted plans for my catamaran. My design, alas, was limited by my amateur woodworking skills and my available tools, leading it to be quite heavy and boxy.
Step 2: Assembling a Pontoon. The catamaran will be composed of 2 pontoons. These pontoons will have a frame filled with the white, less durable Styrofoam in the center; then we will later add the pink Styrofoam to the outside. To start off i lay out two 2x2 pieces of wood with the white Styrofoam pieces in the center.
Step 1: Beaching After the Maiden Voyage. Star, Damon and myself rode the boat in on the back of a big wave, just like the Malibu Outrigger manual recommends. Then we carry the boat up the beach. The sail helps us and we scamper up the beach and get clear of the break zone before the next wave hits. What a great boat.
A Home-Made Catamaran. Possibly after you have built and sailed on the rude catamaran described above [Raft that Will Sail] you have grown ambitious and wish to try a real catamaran. In this case it is, of course, necessary that you should be in some locality where you can have access to ordinary building materials and tools.
4. A Plywood Box. The simplest and fastest way to build your own boat is to craft a glorified plywood box with a pointy or up-turned end. Plenty of examples and how-to videos can be found on YouTube, including one which costs less than $200 to put together called "Boat Built in Two Days."
Another catamaran?? Why not! They're great fun, safe, easy to make and - with a bit of luck - they're light enough for one person to carry around on their ow...
The next step was to purchase some .5" aluminum plate and some 3" aluminum tube. I paid $25 each for the wheels, $35 for the tube and $40 for the plate that is pictured. The stick of 2" .125 tube for the axle was $140. Smooth tires are $65 each. Here is a general mock of how the tube fits in the wheels (it doesn't)
The Scottish Government rejected the opportunity to buy a catamaran for just £13.8 million as an alternative to its disastrous £400million CalMac ferry building debacle.. A former expert adviser ...
Homemade backyard catamaran Kaleidoscope, built by one man. This video represents me designing my home made backyard boat build. Custom 100ft catamaran, from...
On the hills overlooking the Balearic, Six Senses Ibiza offers access to such calm aboard one of several vessels in its portfolio, including a Monohull sailing yacht, a Scanner Envy 950, and a ...
Homemade DIY Beach Catamaran (Katamaran) build with Plywood and Epoxy (Sperrholz und Epoxy).Very Easy and Fast to build at Home in your Garage.Technical Data...
My first sailboat, and it changed my life - it might change yours (RebelCat.com). Ever wish you could find an easy way to go sailing? This little catamaran m...