| Catamaran design is a specialized business. Or so they | | | | design if you're considering building a catamaran, or |
| would have you believe. If you want to build a | | | | having one built for you, is to design it yourself. For |
| catamaran for yourself then you're going to need | | | | less that the cost of one hour of a professional boat |
| some proper plans. You may have found like me | | | | designer's time you can buy purpose-built software |
| that, not only are they extremely expensive, the | | | | that will enable you to realize your ideas for yourself. |
| plans that are commercially available never quite | | | | 'Don't talk nonsense!' I hear you say. 'I don't know |
| seem to fit the bill. The alternative is to approach a | | | | the first thing about designing a catamaran'. Well, my |
| professional boat hull designer to design it for you. | | | | father taught me to always be somewhat skeptical |
| It's going to cost you | | | | of claims people make. Who says catamaran design is |
| What's wrong with that? Well, for a start, it's going | | | | specialized business? Well, OK, there's a bit of a |
| to cost you an awful lot of money. These guys don't | | | | learning curve involved, but I have discovered that |
| come cheap. But more importantly, you're going to | | | | it's not nearly as difficult as people make out. As |
| be relying on someone else's interpretation of the | | | | usual, they're just protecting their own interests. |
| catamaran design that you're looking for. What | | | | Get the design that YOU want! |
| happens if, after two weeks of this expensive | | | | Even if you have no experience and are somewhat |
| designer's time, you find that his design is not quite | | | | daunted by the idea, the software will guide you |
| what you'd had in mind? | | | | through the process to help you achieve what you're |
| What do you do? | | | | looking for. I have now designed and built two |
| 1. Are you going to ask him to spend more time (and | | | | catamarans using this software and, let me tell you, |
| more of your money) on redoing the design? | | | | I'm never going back to a professional for a boat hull |
| 2. Or, in the interests of keeping costs down, are | | | | design ever again. The pleasure to be had from both |
| you just going to go with what he's come up with, | | | | designing then building your own catamaran takes |
| even though it doesn't quite match your ideal? | | | | some beating let me assure you. And even if you |
| 3. Or are you just going to pour the money down | | | | just want to experiment with your ideas at first, |
| the drain and abandon the idea? | | | | you'll soon gain the confidence to go on and start |
| You can see the problem. I've seen the above | | | | drawing up your plans for your first catamaran. And |
| scenario unfold a couple of times and on both | | | | once you've done one, you'll find that you can keep |
| occasions the customer has gone for option 2. The | | | | churning them out, one after the other. Well, maybe |
| result is that they've ended up with a catamaran | | | | they're not strictly free, but with freedom to design |
| design which is similar to their original idea, but | | | | at your fingertips, they might as well be. |
| disappointingly, not quite on the nail. | | | | And when you put one of your catamaran designs |
| Design it yourself | | | | into production, then you'll really start enjoying your |
| A much better way to approach catamaran hull | | | | catamaran sailing like never before! |