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Catamarans and Trimarans

Catamaran and Trimaran Boat Plans make it a reality to build your own catamaran or trimaran. Multi-hulled sailing vessels are a special class of boat. A very different mind set is required when thinking about sailing a multi hull, let alone getting your head around building one.

There are some unique challenges building a multi-hull sail boat, the extra beam added by each hull for instance can create storage issues while under construction. Hartley boat plans make the build process straight forward for even amateur builders. However with all things considered, building a multi can be an amazing journey.

wood catamaran boat plans

Fast Twin Catermaran

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Lively 28 Cruising Trimaran

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Lively 35 Cruising Trimaran

wood catamaran boat plans

DIY Cruising Catamaran: Complete Building Guide

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A brand-new cruising catamaran can set you back a hefty amount of money. However, a DIY cruising catamaran provides a more affordable way to own your own boat. While building a large boat can be an extremely challenging and time-consuming experience, nothing beats the pleasure of bringing your own boat to life. 

To build a DIY cruising catamaran, buy good design plans, determine your budget and find a working space. Next, choose your hull material, buy supplies and start building the mast beam. Build and sheathe the hull, install bulkheads, the interior, and finally, launch the catamaran boat.

In this article, you will find a complete guide to building your own catamaran. You will also find detailed information on why you may want to consider building your catamaran and approximately how much this project would cost. Finally, we will explore the advantages and disadvantages of building a catamaran from scratch.

Why You Might Want To Build Your Own Catamaran

Most people might think that purchasing a used boat to repair and fix it up would be cheaper than a DIY cruising catamaran. But while building your own catamaran could be an enormous undertaking, it also comes with many advantages over buying something used. 

Other than the unique opportunity to create beautiful memories and experiences while cruising, sailing, and exploring beautiful coastlines, there are a number of benefits that come along with the DIY approach.  

Knowing Your Boat

Building your own catamaran provides you with intimate knowledge of your boat. You will know every corner, including where to find every bolt, wire, bulkhead, rib, hose, and support as you installed them yourself. This knowledge will enhance your confidence while at sea since you will have entrusted your life to a boat whose history you are aware of and deeply connected to.

Pride of Ownership

The satisfaction you get from crafting something with your own hands is immense. As a result, the knowledge that you built your boat from scratch will fill you with absolute pride and an immense sense of achievement. Furthermore, as an owner-builder, you get to keep and enjoy the boat for as many years as you wish.

Substantial Cost Savings

Building your catamaran will work out cheaper than buying a new or even gently used boat. Though you will likely require some additional labor since doing some things will require an extra pair of hands, if you are particularly good at DIY, you will save a significant amount of money on labor costs as a whole. 

Freedom To Create Your Own Designs

If you decide to buy a catamaran boat, it might not be easy to find one that meets your unique needs. However, instead of choosing from production boats that bear traditional and outdated designs, you can come up with an ultra-modern design or style for your catamaran. You also get to pick your layout, size, and equipment based on your taste and budget.

Great Learning Experience

Building your own boat will help you pick up numerous skills that will come in handy later when sailing your boat. As much as you might still require an expert to help you with specialized skills like carpentry or wiring, your new skills will serve you well. This will also be beneficial when it comes to your boat’s maintenance and fixing things for yourself. 

What To Look For in Catamaran Boat Designs

When deciding on the type of catamaran boat to build, you may want to choose a design that’s simple and easy to build. This is because doing so will allow you to spend a shorter time building the boat. 

You also need to have a set of requirements to guide you in choosing your design or what you might call an ideal cruising catamaran wish list. This is essential because, ultimately, you want to build a boat that offers outstanding qualities such as:

  • Delivers good speed
  • Affordable to own and operate
  • Agile, strong, and easy to maintain
  • Has a high resistance to capsizing
  • Great for sailing and cruising
  • Delivers a comfortable and easy motion underway
  • Good handling ability and high performance under sail
  • User-friendly embarking and disembarking
  • Provides ample living and accommodation space 
  • Presents a reasonable resale value

It’s worth noting that, in general, catamaran boats tend to offer a fair resale value mainly because of scarcity and the high price accorded to production models. So, if you build a well-constructed catamaran, you are bound to get a return that’s much higher than the cost of materials upon resale.

It’s also good to consider whether the design you settle on is from an established designer. This is significant because documentation of the building process is just as valuable when it comes to selling the boat.

How Much Would It Cost To Build Your Own Catamaran?

The cost of building your cruising catamaran will depend heavily on the size of the boat you plan to build and the skills you bring to the table. To give you an idea of probable costs, a professionally built 40 foot (12.1 m) long cruising catamaran could go for up to $300,000. 

Though building it yourself will undoubtedly be cheaper, most DIY boatbuilders tend to underestimate the expected costs. Your final costs should cover not only the cost of material and equipment but also the labor and time it would take to come up with the final product. 

If you were to build a 40-foot (12.1-meter) catamaran, your cost of materials would range between 20-30% of the total cost. Therefore, for $300,000 total, the boat’s materials would range between $60,000 and $90,000. The hull tends to range between 15-35% of the total build. Again, this depends on the finish and furniture.

But before you even start working on the DIY project, you will need to figure out where to do the work. If your home has ample space, then you can opt for a backyard building. But if you live in a small apartment, then you might want to consider renting a small garage at first and then move on to a boatyard later. This is one of the significant costs involved in building your multi-haul.  

What You Will Need

To get a clearer picture of how much the entire project would cost, let’s have a look at what else you will need to purchase.

  • Good design plans
  • Working space
  • Ground tackle
  • Matting and roving
  • Equipment such as the engine, windows, rudders, deck fittings, mast, and rigging

In addition to the above, you also need to install plumbing and electricals. You may also want to consider going electric rather than using diesel. Not only will this drastically reduce your maintenance costs, but you get to use the regenerated power for all of your housing needs while sailing. 

Some catamaran boat designs help you save costs by advocating the use of less expensive corpus materials. Most of the material goes directly into making the boat, which means there is hardly any wastage on vacuum bagging . With this method, there are few molds and temporal building forms and fewer fillers to grind off as waste. All these factors reduce the time and cost it takes to build your catamaran boat.

That said, building a boat of any kind is a huge financial undertaking. As such, you still need to have the financial ability to keep building; otherwise, your project will stall or take much longer than anticipated. Instead of enjoying yourself and making memories cruising to faraway lands, you might end up spending all your time building a seemingly never-ending boat.

To reiterate, this project is more of a labor of love, given that it involves a tremendous amount of manual work. Calculating an hourly rate on the time spent building the boat and adding this cost to that of materials may make it seem a very pricey exercise. However, it is vital to understand that your time matters, and every hour you spend working for “free” should be included. 

With that in mind, you need to ensure that you are fully devoted to the boat construction project and are sure you want to do it before you begin. Stopping halfway because it seems like too much work would be incredibly costly.

How To Build a Catamaran

When it comes to building a cruising catamaran, you have 3 main options:

  • You can buy an old boat and refurbish it.
  • Purchase a bare hull plus deck molding for a home-boat building.
  • Start from scratch and build everything, including the hull, on your own. 

As mentioned above, renovating an existing boat may end up being more costly than starting from scratch. To build a catamaran boat from scratch, follow the below step-by-step guide.

Prepare the Essentials

Before you jump into such a large project, there are several important aspects to consider:

  • Buy your plans from an established catamaran designer. You can also get inexpensive, easy-to-build catamaran designs online.
  • Get access to a large working space or build a shed . Depending on your climate, you may need to opt for climate control to avoid an excess of moisture in humid areas. 
  • Decide on your choice of hull material. This could be fiberglass, aluminum, steel, wood, or ferroconcrete. 
  • Start working on a bill of materials estimate. Include everything that you think you need to get a better idea of the initial costs.

Build the Mast Beam

Using wood and epoxy, cut and glue together the pieces of wood that will form the mast beam. Most of the work at this stage can occur in a garage since it involves building small parts. Still, the work could take up to 4 months, so be prepared to put in long hours.

Build the Boat Hull

Now, it’s time to build the boat’s hull. A catamaran comprises two hulls which are connected with a deck. Below is a short video showing how to build a hull mold:

This work requires a larger facility, so you might need to move out of the garage and into a boatyard. If you don’t have access to a larger workshop, consider building a shed where you can work as you do the construction. Make sure there’s enough room to fit the boat and also allow you to work comfortably. To cover the shed, you can use opaque white tarps. 

Sheathe the Hull

Get all the materials you require for this stage in the construction, such as lots of resin, fiberglass, and foam for use in the hull cores. You’ll also require matting and glass roving to sheath the hull . 

Sheathing helps to make the hull impervious to water and other marine borers. But first, you need to prepare the hull using a rotary sander. To make it as smooth as possible, use light, sweeping strokes. This is a very dusty task so be prepared to wear a facemask and safety goggles. 

Install the Bulkheads

Next is installing the plywood bulkheads . You might need to call in friends to help turn the hulls or use a crane. In this step, you will need to laminate the hull sides on the molded hull panels and bond them above the bulkheads. Ensure the bulkheads are snug and sealed in place.

Construct the Interior Structure

Over the next couple of months, the boat work will involve joining the hulls together with the beams that you had made back in the garage. Then, install the cuddy cabin, decks , and the cockpit . Soon the boat will start to take the shape of a catamaran.

Next, proceed to construct the major structural components such as stairs, hatches, mini-keels, and the interior. Then comes the work of fairing the boat, which is quite labor-intensive. 

Finally, it’s time to apply primer on the catamaran boat and start the paintwork. Before painting the boat, you will need to do additional sanding to finish off the two layers of primer as well as fill all the pinholes. Since it’s a large boat, the catamaran has lots of surface area; thus, the sanding could get extremely exhausting—mentally and physically—at this point.

The painting can take a while, too. The hulls are the easiest to paint, but the topsides, non-skid, as well as masking and prepping could seem never-ending. 

The final stretch involves working on the center bridge deck cabin and other final touches like installing the engines, electricals, and plumbing. This is also the time to fix the rudders, rigging, mast, windows, and deck fittings.

Launch Your Cruising Catamaran

After many months or years of hard work, your cruising catamaran is finally ready to test the waters. After lowering the boat into the water, check carefully in case there are leaks. If none, you can set up the sails and take your catamaran out for your first cruise. 

Below is a short video that takes you through the entire boat-building process:

If you don’t have deep pockets, don’t despair. It’s also possible to build an inexpensive catamaran boat, as shown in this post from the coastal passage .

The Pros of Building a Catamaran

Though it will be a costly endeavor, there are so many things to look forward to should you decide to build your own catamaran:

  • It can be lots of fun.
  • You get to have a new boat.
  • It’s an excellent hobby for DIY enthusiasts.
  • The effort is rewarding.
  • It offers a great learning experience.
  • You get the exact kind of boat you want.
  • You can alter building plans and tailor the boat to suit your specific needs.
  • It might be cheaper than buying a new boat.

The Cons of Building a Catamaran

Though there are a number of positive aspects to a DIY build, it is just as important to keep in mind that it won’t always be easy:

  • Maintenance costs can be quite high.
  • It’s both mentally and physically exhausting.
  • It might require some technical know-how.
  • It can take many months or even years to complete.
  • It requires a lot of commitment to finish the DIY project.
  • It might be challenging as well as expensive to get insurance.  
  • You will spend almost all your free time building the boat. 

DIY Cruising Catamaran Tips and Tricks

If you are new to boat building, it would be a good idea to build a small boat first. This would give you a good indication as to whether you’d enjoy tackling a more extensive project like building a catamaran. Again, if you are the handy type, fixing your own electronics could also save you a significant amount of money. 

Here are more tips and tricks to get the most out of your DIY cruising catamaran:

  • Lower your costs. Bring down your costs even further by sourcing for parts and supplies at marine surplus outlets, Craigslist, eBay, or wholesale suppliers. 
  • Enhance your resale value. Most home-built boats are not easy to sell since they tend to be too customized. To enhance your resale value, it’s advisable to work with a standard design from a well-established naval architect.
  • Follow the design instructions. Make sure to follow the designer’s instructions regarding the type of materials and tools to use during the build to avoid making costly mistakes.
  • Maintain your original budget. Avoid any additional customizations once you have started building the boat. Using good plans and sticking to them ensures that your budget doesn’t spiral out of control.

Final Thoughts

Building a catamaran is about more than saving money. It’s fun, exciting, fulfilling, and can be a great learning experience. While it might take many months of back-breaking work, comparative shopping and sourcing for materials will help you save a lot of money. Still, at the end of it all, you’ll have a beautiful catamaran boat, all ready for your first cruising adventure.

However, if you have neither the time nor the energy to build your own catamaran from scratch, refurbishing an existing hull might prove faster and easier. It also works out much cheaper than buying a new boat.

Owner of CatamaranFreedom.com. A minimalist that has lived in a caravan in Sweden, 35ft Monohull in the Bahamas, and right now in his self-built Van. He just started the next adventure, to circumnavigate the world on a Catamaran!

One thought on “ DIY Cruising Catamaran: Complete Building Guide ”

Hello, I am a French Quebecer who is original, imaginative, creative and who finds that all boats and catamarans have a huge flaw and a very big lack of logic. I would have a brand new concept…. I am sending this message to any catamaran creator – designer to make those who have the opportunity and the intelligence to want to know about my innovative idea which will finally upset the market much richer. An idea that will totally change the concept of sailing, navigation and save so much worry!! All I would ask for is a small percentage of each sale of the new product. To be able to make me produce one when I have enough!! It is certain that like that, you just want to tell me: come on Mr. Lessard give us your idea but do not take your word to help me in return! But, if you are the kind of man to have only one word and maybe have a proof of your good faith if the realization of the project would make it… I will be very happy!! Giving it to everyone wouldn’t bother me either…. all I would like is to be able to find flax fiber (too expensive carbon) to be able to try to make my catamaran myself. Because not rich! Have a nice day and looking forward to having a message!!

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Wooden Catamarans

The advantages Catamarans have for the home builder are that they can be cheap and relatively simple to build, depending on the design.

The hulls can be simple V shaped stitch and glue constructions connected by a timber bridge deck, as in the famous Wharram designs.

Advantages.

Disadvantages..

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Catamaran Origins.

Catamaran

Multi hulled boats have been in use among fishing and seafaring communities since time immemorial.

The word, catamaran comes from the Tamil language of Southern India where they were used for fishing.

And of course twin hulled vessels have long been in use in Polynesia.

The Polynesians covered huge distances across the Pacific in their quest to settle some of the worlds most isolated islands.

Their vessels ranged from small outrigger Proas for fishing to enormous catamarans for voyaging.

Despite skepticism from mono-hull sailors, multi hulled vessels have become popular for every type of vessel from tiny beech cats, pontoon boats, cruising sail boats to high speed ferries.

For the home builder the greatest advantage is the ease of construction and the consequent cheapness.

At sea the advantages are numerous.

  • Because the multi-hull only heals slightly and doesn’t rock so much, there is less risk of seasickness than on a mono-hull.
  • The ease of motion also reduces the risk of injury and from falling overboard.
  • A lack of heal also makes life on board more comfortable and less tiring.
  • Those narrow hulls are more easily driven at speed.
  • While this is clearly an advantage for those seeking thrills on small boats, it can also cut journey times for the cruiser, allowing more time to enjoy that anchorage.
  • The multi hull's shallow draft means that they can sail and moor in shallow water, and because the twin hulls keep her level, drying out on a beach or drying anchorage is a breeze.
  • The bridge decks of larger cruising designs can be very spacious, making them an ideal place for relaxing while moored up.
  • It is quite common the have netting stretched between the bow hulls also offers a superb place to relax and watch the ocean slipping by underneath.
  • And having the accommodation split between the hulls allows for greater privacy for the crew.
  • Having two hulls also means that if there should be an unfortunate accident it is unlikely that both hulls will be holed.

In the early days of western sailing multi-hull design, there was considerable fear of capsize.

The worry was that where a displacement mono-hull would self right an overturned cat would not.

This lead to some being equipped with enormous flotation bubbles at the top of the masts.

Since then it has become established that unless the boat is very light and being sailed at extreme limits, a capsize extremely unlikely.

Having the accommodation of a cruising multi-hull divided between the hulls does limit the size of the cabins.

This could be a disadvantage for small boat cruising and for living aboard.

Many trimaran designs attempts to overcome this by having a larger central hull with smaller outriggers.

Despite this many larger catamarans with large bridge decks and wider hulls are becoming popular as cruising boats.

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I am perfectly aware that the majority of Wooden Boat aficionados are sensible folk. However, I need to point out that I am an amateur wooden boat enthusiast simply writing in order to try to help other amateur wooden boat enthusiasts. And while I take every care to ensure that the information in DIY Wood Boat.com is correct, anyone acting on the information on this website does so at their own risk.

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Welcome to this, the Woods Designs web site which we hope you will find is an interesting and useful introduction to our range of boat designs.

Based in the UK, Woods Designs is run by Richard Woods and specialises in the design of multihulls for both home and professional builders. Founded in 1981 we now boast possibly the most comprehensive range of catamaran designs in the world.

Click here for stock designs, which range in size from 8' to 38' and types include beach catamarans, open deck cruising catamaran, bridgedeck cabin cruisers, racing catamarans and trailable boats. We also have six small trimaran designs, eight power cats and a few dinghies. Over the years we have designed a number of one-offs, up to 70ft, so if you don't see your ideal boat here please contact us with your requirements and we may be able to help you with an unlisted design.

Click on the photo, right, or use the link in the heading menu, to see the complete list.

Boats can be built in a range of materials of which the most popular include sheet ply, cold moulded ply, strip plank cedar and foam sandwich. Like most designers we do not offer plans for catamarans built in steel or aluminium.

Nearly 3000 plans and over 200 production catamarans have now been sold. Boats are sailing all over the world. Cruisers have made many comfortable ocean crossings in complete safety while the number of trophies won is testament to the speed of the racing designs.

This site is now very large, so please use the Search Button top left to help you navigate round the site.

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wood catamaran boat plans

MIKE WALLER 

Yacht design, multihull boat plans by mike waller yacht designer.

TC670 TRAILER CAT This is an all plywood, trailerable, of the beach sailing cat designed for sheltered and semi-sheltered waters. The cabin has a double berth, a galley, small table area and W.C.

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TC750 CATAMARAN This all plywood cat is a larger and more able development of the 670, and being wider, is capable of more extensive adventuring.

W880 CATAMARAN This true ocean going little cat sleeps 4 and is built in strip plank cedar and glass composite, and plywood. Sleeps 4, and has a seperate WC / shower area.

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W1100 CATAMARAN This Ocean cruising vessel is in all plywood, and is capable of extensive ocean voyaging. Sleeps 5 in three seperate cabins, with seperate W.C / shower area.

W1160 CATAMARAN This ocean crusing family cat is built from strip plank cedar and glass composite. She sleeps 5 in 3 cabins and has a seperate WC / shower area.

w1160_01.jpg

W1200 CATAMARAN This ocean cruising family cat is a plywood version of the 1160, with rounded, strip planked hull bottoms and the rest of the boat in plywood. The transom is slightly extended to provide a wider boarding step.

W1350 CATAMARAN This is a family cruiser in cedar/foam/glass composite, intended for world cruising for a couple or small family

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W1480 CATAMARAN This is a true, proven, live aboard world cruiser for a family of up to 6 in four cabins. The vessel is strongly constructed in strip plank cedar and glass composite, and plywood. She will take you anywhere.

CS25 CATAMARAN This little demountable cat has two seperate hulls, each with two berths. She is all plywood.

cs25_01.jpg

CS35 CATAMARAN This cat has two seperate hulls with V shaped truncated sections, each has a double berth. She is all plywood and has a center cockpit which can be built in to form a shelter cuddy.

CC31 CATAMARAN This full bridge deck cat is in multi-chine plywood, and has two huge double berths, a dinette and seperate WC / shower area

cc31_02.jpg

CC40 CATAMARAN This ocean voyaging cat is in multi-chine plywood, and has two seperate hulls, a center cockpit with cuddy, and unbelievable accomodation for a vessel of this type and size

Modular Wooden Catamaran

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Introduction: Modular Wooden Catamaran

Modular Wooden Catamaran

Ahoy, fellow Instructables users!

Do you dream of waves running alongside wooden hulls? Do you crave the scent of salty sprays? Do you grin at the thought of striding along some foreign shore?

Well, if you'd like any of that, this probably isn't the project or century for you. This Instructable provides a brief account of a 10ft by 5ft modular catamaran I constructed and successfully sailed on a small lake.

Step 1: Draftsmanship

Draftsmanship

After poking around online for inspiration and taking heavy influence from the crafts of Jeremy Broun and Tim from Way Out West , I drafted plans for my catamaran. My design, alas, was limited by my amateur woodworking skills and my available tools, leading it to be quite heavy and boxy. On the positive side, though, the craft ended up being as durable as a brick, which would have been difficult to accomplish with thinner plywood or stitch and glue construction.

The plans call for the craft to be built in four pieces. This isn't ideal for structural stability, but, lacking a trailer, I had to constrain the total volume to what could be held in the bed of my truck. To hold all the pieces of the hull together, I later created a deck with two by sixes and 11/32nds inch plywood but chose to forego drawing plans for this so that I could account for whatever warping developed in the wood.

Step 2: Construction

Construction

I constructed the craft over a period of about two months one the basis of one quarter at a time. After constructing the first two sections, though, I realized that giving priority to the horizontal members of the frame lead to unwanted slanting, so I modified my design and gave priority to the vertical members of the frames in the latter two quarters.

In a previous and regretful experiment in boat construction, I had build a spectacular failure of a sailing dinghy. I had intended to redeem myself by fitting my second boat to sail, hence the rudder mechanism. I decided against using the wind for locomotion in the end out of a combination of time constraints, design constraints, fear of repeating past mistakes, and general laziness. Thus, I outfitted the boat with a Motorguide T42 trolling motor and 12V deep cycle battery for propulsion.

Step 3: Maiden Voyage

Maiden Voyage

And so it happened: the maiden voyage. The Kaspar Röist cruised well on the calm lake waters without any leaks or structural failures. That is all for now.

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ECO 55 Power Cat Plans

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Description

Additional information.

wood catamaran boat plans

The ECO 55 power catamaran is an affordable DIY power catamaran. As the owner proved the boat is a capable coastal cruiser. The inside layout is the same as for the ECO55 sail version but the underwater shape is changed. The cockpit is wider and has a size of 1,45m x 2 m. With the bigger size normal deck chairs can be used. With a cockpit cover two more can sleep on the boat.

Accommodation is simple but practical.

wood catamaran boat plans

Because of the easily driven hulls the boat will travel at about 12 knots with the a 15 HP outboard engine. But practice showed that a single outboard of 20 HP is more feasible - less noise and lower operating costs.

wood catamaran boat plans

The boat has a double bunk, but the cockpit is big enough to sleep 2 more persons. The construction and list of materials is similar to the ECO55 sail version . The difference is that you need no rig, rudders or dagger board. With the low weight of about 325 kg including engines the boat can be towed behind a relative small car.

wood catamaran boat plans

Construction is as always the plywood/glass/Epoxy construction system. The hulls are V-shaped with vertical sides - easy to build by a beginner. For cost estimation see the list of materials below.

  • All drawings are CAD drawings
  • Wood/epoxy composite for easy construction and low maintenance.
  • Sleeps up to four
DELIVERY: 16 Drawings: JPG or DXF files. + Manual: 12 pages description (PDF)

wood catamaran boat plans

L.o.a.-5.50 m
Beam-2.50 m
Draft-0.22
Weight-275 kg
Weight max. CWL-620 kg
Outboard engines 2x-5 hp
1x-15 hp

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wood catamaran boat plans

Sailboats - Daysailers

16' quattro catamaran.

High performance beach cat which is striking to look at and exciting to sail. Well-detailed plans of simple and rugged stitch-and-glue plywood hulls.

Construction: Stitch-and-glue plywood over bulkhead frames.

No lofting is required.

Plans include 2 sheets.

Design Specifications

The WoodenBoat Store Post Office Box 78 Brooklin, Maine 04616 USA Phone: 1.800.273.7447

16' Quattro Catamaran profile

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Simon Watts sea urchin wooden dinghy plans

Simon Watts Sea Urchin Dinghy

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Navcat Camper

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Volare Console

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1962 40' Sparkman & Stephens Yawl

1962 40' Sparkman & Stephens Yawl

Alita is a Sparkman & Stephens yawl (design #1245-S), built in 1962 by Astillero Bottini in M

Newly built 12’ Lawton Tender row boat

Newly built 12’ Lawton Tender row boat

Self built, original Newfound Boat Works 10’ plan extended to 12’.

Bristol Seacraft Chick

Bristol Seacraft Chick

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Complete, clear and detailed plans to build your own Wharram Catamaran, that have often been described as a 'course in boat building'. All Wharram building plans are drawn for the first time builder, so anyone with a modicum of practical ability can build one of our designs. Wharram designs are all based on decades of actual building and sailing experience of the boats, so you can be confident in its sailing capabilities and safety.

wood catamaran boat plans

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Wizard by Woods Designs

Folding trailable catamaran with central cuddy.

Length overall
Waterline length
Beam
Draft
Draft (cb up)
Berths5-6
Headroom
Weight
Displacement
Sail area
Hull construction Plywood, Strip planking, Foam sandwich

URL: http://sailingcatamarans.com/index.php/designs/2-catamarans-under-25ft/161-wizard

Description:

The WIZARD is a revolutionary design that offers 5 - 6 berths in 3 cabins, standing headroom, easy trailing, stability AND performance. The lifting hatch combined with the 'pop-bottom' gives standing headroom in the bridgedeck. The latter is raised when sailing. For the first time in a trailable catamaran there is a genuine double bunk.

It is legally trailable world-wide behind a family car. One person can assemble and rig it in under an hour ready for launching with no heavy lifting (e.g. the mast is raised using the trailer winch).

Wizard overcomes the trailing problems outlined earlier by using separate launching trollies. The road trailer uses swinging "gallows" to allow the boat to be raised clear of the ground (again using the trailer winch). When in the "up" position the crossbeams hinge and the hulls swing under the central cabin to reduce the width to the 2.5m trailing limit.

The Wizard is roomy. In its 22' length there are 5 berths in 3 cabins for privacy (3 singles in the hulls and one double on the bridge deck), a separate toilet compartment. Galley and a dinette seating 5. There is standing headroom in the galley using a "pop bottom" in the bridge deck. For an interior drawing see Sango which has a similar layout.

It is fast, the computer predicts speeds of 10 knots under power (with a 15hp outboard) and 16-18 knots under sail (with the racing rig). Practice confirms this, see the youtube video of a Wizard sailing in S California, below.

Yet it is maneuverable and easy to sail single-handed. It has shallow draft and is beachable.

Wizard

Catamarans about same size as Wizard

 
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Questions? Suggestions? Contact us at: [email protected]

 

Ed Horstman designed TRIMARAN and CATAMARAN plans are drawn for the first time builder. Plans are concise and clearly drawn so the builder can easily follow each building step. Designs are continuously updated with your input and new ideas. Plans include full size patterns to 63'. The larger TRI's and CAT's have full radius hulls.With no lofting you build right away. The DESIGNER'S book TRIMARAN and CATAMARAN CONSTRUCTION is part of the plans (over 21') and covers all phases of construction. Plans are leased to build ONE boat, NO time limit. Tri-Star designs are proven designs, sailing the seven seas since 1964. Free consultation is provided to the original non-professional builder till he or she is sailing the seven seas. All boats may be built with flared hulls, with the exception of the TRI 25, TRI 26MT, CAT 27PC and the CAT 27. A DESIGN FEE for customer modifications to stock plans.






TRI-STAR 18 Study Plans 20.00
TRI-STAR 18 Plans 175.00

TRI-STAR 24

Tri-star 25.

TRI-STAR 25 Study Plans $40.00 Add To Cart TRI-STAR 25 Plans $550.00 Add To Cart

TRI-STAR 26 MT

Tri-star 27-9, tri-star 31, tri-star 31 cm.

TRI-STAR 31CM Study Plans $40.00 Add To Cart TRI-STAR 31CM Plans $600.00 Add To Cart

TRI-STAR 32 XR

TRI-STAR 32XR Study Plans $40.00 Add To Cart TRI-STAR 32XR Plans $600.00 Add To Cart

TRI-STAR 35

TRI-STAR 35 Study Plans $ 40.00 Add To Cart TRI-STAR 35 Plans $ 650.00 Add To Cart

TRI-STAR 35 XR

TRI-STAR 35 XR Study Plans $40.00 Add To Cart TRI-STAR 35 XR Plans $700.00 Add To Cart

TRI-STAR 36

Tri-star 37 xrc.

TRI-STAR 37 XRC Study Plans $ 40.00 Add To Cart TRI-STAR 37 XRC Plans $ 800.00 Add To Cart

TRI-STAR 38 / 39

Tri-star 40 lw, tri-star 42, tri-star 43 xrc, tri-star 43 mc, tri-star 44 lw, tri-star 45, tri-star 49, tri-star 50, tri-star 51 mc, tri-star 54, tri-star 60 / 63, tri-star 65, tri-star 80, tri-star 104.

Email us for availability and prices

wood catamaran boat plans

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IMAGES

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VIDEO

  1. Boat Plans

  2. Wooden Boat Plans Download (Over 500+ Plans + Boat Building Guide)

  3. Building a Sailing Catamaran

  4. Homebuilt 18' Carolinian in an Open Bay

  5. 2011 Woods STRIKE trimaran

  6. Sailing in St John, US Virgin Islands aboard Mahiya and Virgin Magic Charters

COMMENTS

  1. Plans For Catamarans And Monohulls

    Snail Mail: PO Box 900, Morayfield, Qld, 4510, Australia. Email: [email protected]. Mike Waller Yacht Design provides comprehensive boat plans for amateur boat builders. A range of stock plans are available for both monohulls and multihull vessels, constructed in plywood or timber / glass composite.

  2. Catamaran and Trimaran Boat Plans

    Genuine Hartley Boatplans and Samson Boatplans are only supplied by hartley-boats.com, New Zealand. Catamaran & Trimaran Boat Plans from Hartley Boats make it a reality to build your own multihull at home. Build with Plywood or Fibre Glass. 12-35 ft plans.

  3. Wizard sailing catamaran

    Wizard sailing catamaran. The WIZARD is a 22ft sailing catamaran design that offers 5-6 berths in 3 cabins, standing headroom, easy trailing, stability AND performance. For the first time in a trailable catamaran there is a genuine double bunk.It is legally trailable world-wide behind a family car. One person can assemble and rig it in under ...

  4. DIY Cruising Catamaran: Complete Building Guide

    If you were to build a 40-foot (12.1-meter) catamaran, your cost of materials would range between 20-30% of the total cost. Therefore, for $300,000 total, the boat's materials would range between $60,000 and $90,000. The hull tends to range between 15-35% of the total build.

  5. Wooden Catamarans

    Wooden Catamarans. The advantages Catamarans have for the home builder are that they can be cheap and relatively simple to build, depending on the design. The hulls can be simple V shaped stitch and glue constructions connected by a timber bridge deck, as in the famous Wharram designs. Origins. Advantages.

  6. Sailing Catamarans

    Boats can be built in a range of materials of which the most popular include sheet ply, cold moulded ply, strip plank cedar and foam sandwich. Like most designers we do not offer plans for catamarans built in steel or aluminium. Nearly 3000 plans and over 200 production catamarans have now been sold. Boats are sailing all over the world.

  7. Sharpie Cat 42

    Sharpie Cat 42. The Sharpie Cat 42 is a new catamaran design from a regular WoodenBoat contributor, author and marine architect Reuel B. Parker. She is a fast cruising cat with accommodations for eight in four cabins. Construction is cold-molded wood/epoxy, with foam core bulkheads, cabins/roofs, and she features a Parker "L-Head" rotating ...

  8. A 42-foot Catamaran

    HEADROOM: 6′ 1″ average. CONSTRUCTION: Cold-molded wood hulls, plywood intensive for fast one-off construction, composite marine plywood/foam-core deck and coachroof covered with epoxy-impregnated Xynole-polyester or Dynel fabric. Mast: laminated using aircraft plywood and epoxy. Boom and Davits: aluminum.

  9. Mike Waller Yacht Design

    MULTIHULL BOAT PLANS by MIKE WALLER YACHT DESIGNER. TC670 TRAILER CAT. This is an all plywood, trailerable, of the beach sailing cat designed for sheltered and semi-sheltered waters. The cabin has a double berth, a galley, small table area and W.C. TC750 CATAMARAN. This all plywood cat is a larger and more able development of the 670, and being ...

  10. Catamaran Stock Plans

    Catamaran Stock Plans. ... Plans are leased to build ONE boat, NO time limit. Tri-Star designs are proven designs, sailing the seven seas since 1964. Free consultation is provided to the original non-professional builder till he or she is sailing the seven seas. All boats may be built with flared hulls, with the exception of the TRI 25, TRI ...

  11. Janus sailing catamaran

    Janus sailing catamaran. Janus is a 4 berth trailable sailing catamaran built in sheet plywood. However, don't be deceived by Janus' simple dory shaped hulls (which make it a very easy boat to build). It has a lot of internal room for its length and a surprisingly good performance. It is a safe, seaworthy boat, several have made English ...

  12. Modular Wooden Catamaran : 3 Steps (with Pictures)

    Step 1: Draftsmanship. After poking around online for inspiration and taking heavy influence from the crafts of Jeremy Broun and Tim from Way Out West, I drafted plans for my catamaran. My design, alas, was limited by my amateur woodworking skills and my available tools, leading it to be quite heavy and boxy.

  13. Easy to build catamaran for amateur boat builders

    Easy to build catamaran ideal for inexperienced amateur boat builders. This easy to build catamaran is intended to allow anyone, no matter their background, to build a modern cruising multihull with a thrilling performance and an appealing design with a small budget. The Bora-Bora 28 has a very practical interior lay-out with accommodation ...

  14. 25 ft plywood 'V' hull low cost cruising catamaran

    Description: The CORAL SEA 25 CATAMARAN is designed specifically for the builder who wants the maximum boat for minimum cost and building time. To this end the vessel features seperate hulls connected by strongly mounted cross beams. The vessel is demountable for trailing and employs a simple, easily built, trunkated 'V' hull shape.

  15. Strider. The "Classic" trailable catamaran

    Strider sailing on Derwent Water. Richard Woods sailing a 24ft Strider Turbo catamaran on Derwent Water in the Lake District of England with his sister. This was the first time he had sailed this boat in 25 years. He won the Micromultihull European and National Championships in this boat in 1987. First time sailing Strider Richard Woods.

  16. Home

    or exotic materials to build a boat. You don't need expensive tools or a degree in engineering either. I fabricated most of the parts and systems on Tokyo Express (TE) from scratch. Steering system, steering wheel, doors, hatches, fore beam, catwalk, daggerboard, rudders, engine mounting, generator, electrical system and plumbing.

  17. ECO 55 Power Cat Plans

    ECO 55 Power Cat Plans. The ECO 55 power catamaran is an affordable DIY power catamaran. As the owner proved the boat is a capable coastal cruiser. The inside layout is the same as for the ECO55 sail version but the underwater shape is changed. The cockpit is wider and has a size of 1,45m x 2 m. With the bigger size normal deck chairs can be used.

  18. 16' Quattro Catamaran

    16' Quattro Catamaran. High performance beach cat which is striking to look at and exciting to sail. Well-detailed plans of simple and rugged stitch-and-glue plywood hulls. Construction: Stitch-and-glue plywood over bulkhead frames. No lofting is required. Plans include 2 sheets.

  19. Boat Building Plans

    Classic Designs. Boat Building Plans. The 'Classic Designs' are recognised as beautiful, safe boats - easy to build, easy to sail, sturdy and stable. Many anchorages around the world are graced by these Classic Designs, and nine are still available, from the 16ft Maui to the 51ft Tehini. They were the first range of Wharram catamarans, designed ...

  20. The $21K catamaran: Build a cat fast and cheap

    A new edition of The Coastal Passage has just been posted. Click on the image at right to download the PDF. Covid Cruising! From Tasmania to Greece with a boat built by the editor. For more information on this boat, see and check out The BareBones project. The $21,000, 30 foot+ Catamaran! "PLANS" NOW FREE!

  21. Folding trailable catamaran with central cuddy

    When in the "up" position the crossbeams hinge and the hulls swing under the central cabin to reduce the width to the 2.5m trailing limit. The Wizard is roomy. In its 22' length there are 5 berths in 3 cabins for privacy (3 singles in the hulls and one double on the bridge deck), a separate toilet compartment. Galley and a dinette seating 5.

  22. Ed Horstman Designs

    The DESIGNER'S book TRIMARAN and CATAMARAN CONSTRUCTION is part of the plans (over 21') and covers all phases of construction. Plans are leased to build ONE boat, NO time limit. Tri-Star designs are proven designs, sailing the seven seas since 1964. ... All boats may be built with flared hulls, with the exception of the TRI 25, TRI 26MT, CAT ...

  23. Boat Plans, Boat Supplies & Marine Epoxy

    Phone Tel: (716) 634-9481. Clark Craft offers hundreds of boat plans, design patterns, and a full line of boat building supplies and accessories for the amateur boatbuilder.