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.

50ft Catamaran Build in North Carolina

There is a custom sister to our radius chine plywood catamarans taking shape alongside Albemarle Sound in Edenton, North Carolina. The builder is CRW-Con and the build method is composite reinforced wood construction, adapted by the builder from our radius chine plywood method. The base design is our Dix 470, expanded longitudinally to 50ft. The 470 is the second in our catamaran range that started with the DH550.

This series of photos shows construction of the first hull, which will be turned over in the next week or two.

Bulkheads and backbone set up, with stringers fitted into bulkhead slots.

First layer of radius skin fitted, foam fitted between stringers and keel structure in progress.

Plywood outer skin being fitted to sides. The opening is for the escape hatch.

Side skin completed, keel completed and glassed.

Glasswork completed.

Fairing with Awlfair.

Fairing with Awlfair.

This first boat has cruising keels and is being built on spec, with the builder seeking a customer for it. Interior configuration and finishes can be agreed between owner and builder if a buyer commits to the boat before the builder gets to a stage where he has to make those decisions. Anyone interested can email me, then I will put them in contact with the builder.

This design is not on our website. To see our range of available designs go to our main website or our mobile website.

DH550 Catamaran Video

Today I saw a rather nice walk-through video of the DH550 "Cheetah", posted by Wiley Sharp. This boat was custom-built for her owner by Peter Lane in Trinidad, to a gorgeous standard. She has beautiful veneered finishes throughout, unusual for multihulls. Click on the link to watch the video.

The layout of "Cheetah" is a bit different from our standard layout, modified by her architect owner to suit his needs. The normal arrangement is four equal cabins, two in each hull with a large shared heads with shower between the two.

The other big difference between "Cheetah" and the other boats built to the DH550 design is in the powering. "Cheetah" has a pair of electric drives powered by large battery banks charged by solar panels backed up by a diesel generator. Each of the other boats has a pair of 50hp diesel motors.

DH550 "Cheetah" on launch day.

"Cheetah" and most of the other boats have daggerboards but the design includes a cruising keel option, as fitted to "Friends Forever". The drawings also show the option of dual steering, one inside the saloon as used on "Cheetah", and the other in the forward cockpit. The two wheels share a common shaft that passes through the bulkhead that separates the two.

DH550 "Friends Forever" under sail.

Cheetah was built from scratch, using plans only. There is a company in UK, Exocetus Marine, that has developed a very comprehensive CNC kit that includes all plywood components that go into the boat, to speed up construction of amateur and professional projects. Boats are being built in Australia, Germany and South Africa using their kits.

DH550 being built from an Exocetus kit in South Africa.

More recently we have introduced the DH550 Charter, with interior layout more suited to charter service, as well as aft elevated cockpit for helming and all sail handling.

See more info on these and our other designs on our main website or our mobile website.

DH550 Charter Catamaran

The DH550 catamaran has been or is being built in the Caribbean, Europe, Africa and Australia. All of these builds have been to the original design, as drawn for Phil and Laura Harvey to build the prototype "Wild Vanilla" as a family cruiser.

"Wild Vanilla", now renamed "Taika" under her new owner

We now have a new version of the DH550 , named the DH550 Charter. It was commissioned by a charter company and construction will start in the next few weeks. It has features that are better suited to charter service, in the cabins, bridgedeck accommodations and rig.

This version has four equal double guest cabins, each with en-suite heads and shower. There is also a compact single crew cabin in the bows of each hull and a shared crew heads with shower in the starboard hull.

More space has been given over to life outside, so the bridgedeck accommodation has a smaller saloon and larger cockpit than the cruising version. It has two galleys, one internal and the other in the cockpit. The forward cockpit, a working area in the cruising version, is changed to a social area with seating and folding table. The working cockpit has moved aft to above the outside galley, with helm and engine controls. All sail control lines, except halliard and reefing lines, are led to a pair of electric winches mounted on the cabin roof. This cockpit has large cave lockers to keep the ropes tidy and out from underfoot.

DH550 Charter accommodation

The rig commissioned by my client has in-mast furling for easy handling. It has vertical battens to support modest roach.The boom has been raised for better clearance over the working cockpit. It has also been lengthened to regain some of the lost sail area and to move the sheet further aft to where it won't conflict with the working cockpit. A pair of posts has been added in the cockpit to pick up the loads applied to the cockpit roof by the mainsheet.

DH550 Charter rig with in-mast furling and vertical battens.

I also drew an alternative charter rig with slab reefing instead of in-mast furling. It regains area by means of more roach

Aesthetically, the charter and cruising versions are little different. The working cockpit is fairly inconspicuous, so doesn't spoil the clean lines of the cabin.

This version is only offered with cruising keels, for simplicity of operation. Lack of the daggerboard casings also gives more freedom for fitting in the required accommodation in the forward guest cabins.

The two steering stations are separate, connected only at the tillers on the rudder shafts, giving 100% redundancy. In the event of breaking a steering cable, the boat can still be steered at the other helm.

To see more of this and our other designs, go to our main website or our mobile website.

DH550 "Wild Vanilla" Videos

The owner of the DH550 "Wild Vanilla" sent me videos of his boat. Here are two of the best ones, courtesy of Roy Wirthlin.

This one is a drone video of her sailing in light breeze off southern Florida.

This is an onboard video, sailing at 10 knots in 10 knots of breeze, about 15 knots apparent. She slips along easily with little wake.

To see more of this and our other designs, go to our main website or our mobile website.