More about Plywood Catamaran Kits

Yesterday I posted about the kits for our big catamarans developed by Exocetus Yachts in UK. There has been a lot of interest in these kits, so today I am showing more detail about what is supplied to assist the builder.

First, for those who don't know what these boats look like when complete, here is a photo of the prototype of the DH550 design, "Wild Vanilla". Building the DH550 kit will duplicate this boat and building the Dix 470 kit will produce a smaller sister of identical aesthetic. These are stunningly beautiful boats, among the prettiest catamarans currently available and they can also be built by any competent woodworker.


The DH550 "Wild Vanilla", co-designed by Dudley Dix and Phil Harvey.

Exocetus Yachts did all of the development work for the kits that they are cutting and selling. In the process they have done a tremendous amount of 3D computer modeling to define every piece of plywood that goes into the boat, including every jigsaw joint that connects one piece to another.

They have also broken down the assembly process into the many phases of work that turn a pile of plywood bits into a beautiful yacht. Each of those phases is illustrated in an interactive PDF file that can be opened in Acrobat Reader and shows the boat in a 3D image that can be manipulated on the screen in multiple ways. You are able to rotate it and zoom in to whatever level you want, to see from a broad overview right through to the details of a joint. You can also change the mode of presentation of the image, including rendered and see-through views or to see it as a perspective inked drawing. Different view choices highlight different details of the presented information.

The images below are for Phase 37, fitting the port hull bottom. The bulkheads have all been assembled, set up on the building stocks (which are also part of the kit), the backbone has been installed and the stringers fitted into their pre-cut slots in the bulkheads. This work was all shown in phases 1 to 36.

Broad overview of Phase 37

Zoomed in to see the aft bulkheads, including their jigsaw joints.

Rotated to see the other side of the structure. Here you can see the horns for bonding to the bridgedeck bulkheads.

The same view but set to show as a drawing.

Zoomed in to see details of building stocks, intersections of structure etc.

Same view but in a rendered mode. You view it in the way that will help you most.

This is a very powerful tool for the builder. He can look at any part of the structure to analyse it and understand how it goes together before or during the process. It takes a very large project and breaks it down into much more manageable and understandable stages, removing the confusion that can accompany any complex undertaking. It tells you exactly where and how to start, then guides you all the way through the process until you are ready to launch your new boat.

To see our full range of designs, please go to our main website or our mobile website.