Boat Plans Catamaran | At Flaming Gorge Utah

Boat Plans Catamaran

A planned trip to Pueblo Reservoir had to be cut short because of an electrical short in the power tilt/trim switch.  Diagnosis was difficult; installing a new switch was simple.  There was a crack in the rubber cover for this switch which, after a period of use, allowed moisture intrusion to complete the circuit.  This past week we went to Flaming Gorge Reservoir in Utah for some real boating.  The lake extends into Wyoming for 75-100 miles filling a deep and scenic gorge.  We explored the lake for 30-40 miles and encountered some wind and waves.  It is a light boat with little draft so, when maneuvering into the dock with a wind present, we lower the bimini top to cut windage.  Also, when cornering while planed out, the hull will skid; when cornering while accelerating onto a plane, the hull will bank well and turn sharply.  There is almost no bow rise when accelerating, and the hull rides smoothly and cuts through moderate waves with no fuss.  I switched to a 15" pitch prop for this trip.  We were operating at 6000 altitude, and the engine achieved 4700 rpm, easily exceeding the 35 mph maximum speed of the speedometer dial.  The "sweet spot" for this engine is supposed to be 5000-5200 rpm and our next outing is at Grand lake, over 9000 elevation, so I have ordered a new 13" pitch stainless steel propeller which, hopefully, will be perfect for these circumstances.  I have to think that, if we were near sea level, this boat would easily exceed 40 mph or, alternately, I could have installed a somewhat less powerful engine.

I havent yet mentioned that this new boat fits our trailer perfectly, much better than the previous boat.  We trailed it 400+ miles to the lake; other than a decrease in acceleration, you couldnt notice that we were towing.  Although I cant find anything design-wise to improve on this boat, I am always evaluating what could be made better/ more esthetically pleasing on a next boat.  This is a 12 degree deadrise hull; I wonder what a 14 degree deadrise would do to performance?  I have an idea for a more modern-looking runabout which I hope to publish here in the near future.  I already have all the offsets and need to make up some drawings.  Then perhaps construct a model.

    

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Boat Plans Australia | Next Boat

Boat Plans Australia

Should there always be a "next boat"?  Creating another boat design is always rewarding: changing a mental vision into something that is real; something you can see and touch.  The work of creating and building is a pleasurable challenge, but how many boats can one person use?  I only have space for one full-size boat.  To completely equip a new boat is far from cheap.  And there is no guarantee that the new boat will be better, only that it will be different.

With that in mind, I started on a new design.  The guiding idea was to create something with more curvature to be more visually interesting but maintain an uncomplicated build sequence.  A forward sloping bow profile with more lateral flare provides a more modern look and will also be easier to plank.  The raised foredeck of my previous build added complication to the build and would not blend well with the flared bow; thus, it was deleted.  The vertical stern on the previous build was helpful in providing internal volume for flotation foam, but it was esthetically bland.  The new hull would have a forward sloping stern.  The topsides avoid any slab-sided sense by continuously transitioning from significant flare forward to significant tumble-home aft.  In fact, tumble-home has been reduced to be more in harmony with the added beam forward.  Added beam means more usable cockpit space.

The result, if built full-size, would be a hull 18 1/2 feet long by 6 feet 3inches wide with a 12 1/2 degree deadrise for about the aft 1/2 length of the hull.  Of course, the hull surface is fully developable which simplifies construction and provides exact dimensions.

If you cant build the full-size boat, a model helps to visualize what has been designed and also really clarifies construction details.  Thus, I built a model at 1/6.25 scale (alternately expressed as 0.16 scale) which gives a model about three feet long.  I had enough scraps from previous projects to provide all the parts.  At this point I regret not spending more time creating a rigid strongback building form.  Some of the frames shifted as parts were bonded together resulting in a slight distortion in the model, but it still is accurate enough to serve its purpose.  And I was able to visualize

a much better strongback design to be used if the hull were ever built full size.  For now, the next boat is a dream.  Owner designed, home-built wooden boats are hard to sell.  I need more time to enjoy the boat I completed last spring, and a new boat would take about two years, spare time.  Anyone looking for a design to build?

                  

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