Bigger Sister to Oppikat Catamaran

Following on my last post, about the new build options for the Oppikat, a customer has commissioned a bigger sister. Over the years many people have asked if we had a bigger cat for them to build. They wanted a boat that could be sailed by two adults rather than by children or by one adult with a small child. So, now we have the Bigakat 12. The first boat will be built in Nassau, Bahamas, from plans and patterns. The drawings have been completed and are already on their way to the amateur builder.

The Bigakat 12 is in every respect a bigger sister to the Oppikat. The build methods are the same, with plywood upper hull panels and strip cedar below, over plywood bulkheads. Only the size and proportions have changed and some minor details.

While working on this project I took the extra time to add more drawings to the set than we have in the Oppikat design. The additional detailing helps builders to better understand the construction details and process of assembly. Better understanding improves confidence and building speed.

Biggakat 12 sail plan.

Specifications of the Bigakat 12 are:-

LOA - 3.72m (12'2")
LWL - 3.72m (12'2")
Beam - 2.10m (6'10")
Draft - 0.27m (10.5")
Mainsail - 7.83sq.m (84sq.ft)
Jib - 2.5sq.m (27sq.ft)

The standard plan package for the Bigakat 12 includes full-size patterns for all bulkheads, printed overlaid on top of each other. As an optional extra we can also supply full-size patterns on paper for the bulkheads each set out separately, along with patterns for the plywood panels of hull and deck. This allows the builder to cut out the bulkhead shapes to paste them onto plywood for cutting.

We also have detailing to build the Bigakat 12 in fibreglass, laminated in female moulds. This version is primarily for pro boatbuilders to build in series. We don't currently have any GRP builders producing the Oppikat and Bigakat 12 but would be interested in discussing this with any pro boatbuilder who is interested.

Plans for this design and all of our other designs can be ordered from our desktop pricelist or our mobile pricelist.

To see all of our designs, go to our desktop website or our mobile website.

The Launching of a Big Cat

People who have never seen the process may wonder how a large catamaran is moved from the build site to the launch site, if they are not close to each other. Recently a DH550 catamaran was launched at Royal Cape Yacht Club in Cape Town, South Africa and it was built about 30 miles away in a rural location. This series of photos and videos sent to me by the builders tell the transport story nicely.

The new boat, named "Friends Forever", was built by a team headed by Jean Jaques (JJ) Provoyeur and Richard (Thirsty) Bertie. JJ Provoyear is the owner of the boat and it was built on his property. The rig is being set up this weekend and we should soon see sailing photos.

Inside the building shed, being readied for transport

The men in this photo give scale to the boat. Ready for the transporter to be backed in.

This is a big boat, so it needs specialist transport equipment to get it to the water. Cape Town is the home of a few production catamaran builders, so there are transporters available that are ideal for this job. In countries where this sort of project is more rare, large flat-bed transporters from other industries can do the job as long as the boat is properly supported.

On the transporter and moved out of the shed, with the keels still to be fitted.

Cruising keels were test-fitted before leaving the build site but only fitted at the launch site. Road clearance would have been an issue if transported with the keels in place.

With a large package like this, it is very important to research the route before the build even starts. There is no point building at a convenient location then finding that you can't get it to the water. That means finding a route that is wide enough and high enough for the boat to fit through on the trailer. It may also mean having people on the boat during transport to lift lift power cables and tree branches if they are hanging a bit low.

It also needs liaison with and permits from local authorities to move the load on the roads. It may need narrow roads to be closed to other traffic and for police escorts to help it through congested areas and along heavily trafficked highways.

Negotiating tight corners can be an issue due to the width of the load, even on roads designed for use by tractor/trailers. This boat fills up three lanes of highway, which can become interesting when negotiating tight corners. That is when it really helps to have a transporter that has steerable wheels all along its length. These can be seen in the video below, at about 0:30, where the trailer wheels all steer to move the back end sidewards when they have a very tight 90 degree corner to negotiate at a traffic light, without taking out any poles nor damaging the boat on the curbs.

After being on the move from mid-morning through to well after dark, "Friends Forever" arrived at her launch site, at Royal Cape Yacht Club. There her cruising keels were fitted and other preparations completed over the next two days before she was launched.

Crane lowering the spreader frame over the boat preparatory to fitting the slings.

In the water for the first time. The end of her first journey.

At time of writing the rig of "Friends Forever" had still to be stepped, prior to sea trials. Thanks to Esther Provoyeur for the photos and videos.

To see more of this an out other designs, visit our main website or our mobile website.