Simplicity Wins Again

I’d been toying around with the Slider Cat by doing a little more modeling and some drawings when I realized why I liked the design in the first place. Simplicity. If you want something bigger you bring on all the bigger designs issues. Why not just choose some larger designs in the first place and save yourself some aggravation. Want an open hull design in the 30-foot range? Get the Wharram Tiki 31 plans out and build that. Need a pod on the deck for dry sleeping, cooking and lounging? Try the Woods Wizard (22 feet) or Sango (25 feet) designs. All of these are either demountable or in the case of the Woods boats can be folded up and trailered.

Each and every one of these designs has some component that just will not please every builder/sailor.

I don’t like the idea of sleeping in a coffin yet I want the openness only found on open deck catamarans. I would like to be able to transport the finished boat to any launch I desire without spending days assembling it. These are just a sampling of the dilemma every designer faces when trying to satisfy everyone with his or her design.

As for us? I don’t think we’ll give up on the Slider Cat idea.

At 1/12th scale the yellow hull is 16' and the blue hull is 20'.
The manikin is in scale and would be 5' 6"

Making her a 20 footer seems within reason and I have no doubt about using the stitch and glue method on the design. I was able to “peal” off the skin on the first half model and using those build a 1/12th scale using that method with no problems at all.


Demounting issues were easily overcome and I have a trailer idea that will work but we’ll talk more about that when the time comes.

The big issue now is what to do on deck. I have several layouts that will provide ample sitting/lounging room and one idea that would convert some of the space to a sleeping area although it provides no protection under sail. Note that at 20 feet there is room for a single bunk in the hulls but I refer you to the coffin referance above.

I need to set the sailing program for the design and stick to it. If your sailing offshore for extended amounts of time the open hulls would probably be a bad idea. If you’re just skipping beach to beach, they’re no problem. Is there a cover design that would second as some other purpose upon reaching the destination? What about a canvas solution along the lines of the Tiki 31 (see JOJO)?

Lets tackle the deck first. The wheels are turning.