Catamaran
Catamaran
Hi Colin; Great site! I was wondering if you or anyone reading this knows of any cruising catamarans that have been built in ferro? If not, then why? I am intrigued by the possibilities. Also, what would be the average cost to build, say, a 25 foot sailboat in ferro-cement? Thanks;
Dr.Rick Murphy....drrick@pathwaynet.com
Hi Doc, cruising catamaran's have very few points on the plus side, primary being they are relatively fast compared to monohulls. They have many minus's however. The major ones are a/ They are very unstable in a heavy seaway and require constant attention to avoid a capsize. b/Very difficult to tack in narrow channels, often not coming through the wind unless carrying a considerable amount of way on, sometimes even having to wear-sail to change tack. c/Will only carry small loads compared to a monohull. A catamaran's performance changes dramatically with only small variations on it's designed waterline. The principle of the multihull only works effectively with light displacement vessels. Ferro-cement construction is not really suitable for a multihull unless special construction techniques are used. The standard truss web frame technique in my opinion would be too heavy. Regards
Colin Brookes...colb@xtra.co.nz
