Cabin interior from companionway

The builders of the first Gato Especial have mades some really inspired progress with the building of the interior appointments of their boat. They have also completed the stringers needed to support the cabin roof, allowing for a foredeck access hatch from the cabin.

The cabin's center panel framing is completed

The work on the bow chamber, forward of the cabin bulkhead is also ready now and a very nice base frame has been blocked in for the anchor locker hatch.

Bulkheads and framing for anchor locker

I continue to be impressed by the attention to detail and very nice craftsmanship that these guys are producing. It shouldn’t really be a surprise, as the Father is a mosaic tile artist and his son, Alex, is a graphic designer. Both of these guys have a wonderful sense of design proportion and a real feel for the materials as they complete their boat.

Starboard hull under the cockpit

Port hull interior

Cabin interior from galley

Two additional stringers will be installed to stengthen the center roof panel. They will run from the mast stepping bulkhead (#4) down to the bow.

Hobie Alter introduced the Hobie 16 catamaran in 1969 and the sailing world, as it was known, hasn’t been the same since. In 1992, with many of the beach cat lifestyle crowd having families of their own, the Hobie Cat company introduced a new boat called the Hobie 21 SC (Sport Cruiser) that was aimed at the more leisurely needs of beach cat cruising, rather than the well-known, hull flying beach cats.

  The 21 SC was, as you might guess, 21′ in length. As a fixed beam design, it was limited to the typical, US trailer legal width of 8’6″. It featured a built-in cooler, an outboard mount and it had a 29′ mast carrying 222 sq. ft. of sail area (main and jib).  The Neo 21 is designed to accept rigs from a wide variety of beach cats making for a reasonably easy job of obtaining a really good used rig for the boat. This feature, alone, will make for a very economical boat to build.

The design calls for a main and jib rig between 218 sq. ft. and 250 sq. ft. (20.26 sq. m. - 23.22 sq. m.) You can go bigger than that and no doubt some will, but you’re on your own. The larger rigs may require an adjustment in the placement of the daggerboard, but that’s about it.

Getting away from the discussion on how big of a rig can be run on the Neo… I wanted to explore the potential of a cruisy-style beach cat that would be more stable for a young family. The Neo and its collection of studied variants, has been in development, off and on, for the past couple of years. The Neo is much more about spirited cruising potential than it is about shredding up the local waters with all-out performance, as one would typically see from a big beach cat with a high performance rig. The boat, while sporting a fairly wide, 11′ stance, is also carrying more weight than a typical performance cat of this length. Slightly heavier, yeah, but the Neo will show a very nice turn of speed, to be sure.

There’s a faster boat hiding within the base philosophy of this concept, but it’s going to be coming along a bit later and it will have a distinct set of design rules for a much different purpose.

The typical beach cat tends to suffer from a small collection of problems that make them somewhat less than desirable for coastal, camp-cruising type applications and a full day on the water with no breaks.

At the top of the list of things that could be better are the issues of:

1. Low bridgedeck clearance, which is the primary cause of slamming in a choppy seaway.
2. Fixed primary stability that is a lower design priority compared to the go-fast regime at which they excel.
3. Restricted leg placement arrangements while seated on what is normally a flat hull deck and adjoining trampoline surface.

The design of the Neo 21 addresses each of these basic issues, as well as solving a few additional problems, making for a really fun, fast and stable beach style cat for coastal cruising and camping.

 Striking a balance between the typical big beach cat and some other cats with much more flared hulls, the Neo experiences a bit of both design advantages by having mildly flared hulls as a key element of their design.

Because the hulls are not meant for sleeping quarters, or sitting within, the flare angle can be kept down, reducing the effect of wetted surface drag when pushing through a seaway. Similarly, because of the mild flare, the Neo has a lot more reserve buoyancy than a beach cat. In real terms, this means a boat that will be able to strongly resist the tendency to want to bury its leeward bow when pushed hard, or when taking a surprise gust. Not only will the skipper of the Neo 21 get more time to take action to avoid a pitchpoling incident, but he’ll have more of a safety cushion to stay way from the scenario in the first place.

Cautionary Timeout: There isn’t a boat out there that can’t get tossed by wild conditions, or poor seamanship. If you decide to build the Neo 21, you will need to observe and respect all the same danger points of sailing to stay upright and moving towards your destination. Even though the Neo 21 is capable of filling many of your boating dreams, it is not a magic carpet that can get you out of any jam you manage to ignore too long.

Let’s face it, one of the really great advantages of having a multihull, is the speed benefit over a monohull of the same size.  The Neo design presents an attractive hull design that is decidedly cruising oriented while retaining the key aspects of outstanding performance under sail, or motor. Just as important is the aesthetic impression of the Neo hulls. They just look fast… even when sitting at anchor.

There’s more, though, to effcient boat performance than the design of the hulls. One of the key elements to overall performance and truly good upwind sailing potential is the efficiency of the jib. Jib efficiency is very closely tied to the tension of the forestay and the issue has to be addressed specifically for beach-style catamarans.

Bigger cats place a large beam at the bow and equip it with a seagull striker to maintain high levels of forestay tension. While the Neo 21 is equipped with a beam at the bow, it is as much there to provide a nice taught forward trampoline perimeter, as it is to help with forestay tension. The real power behind the forestay tension on the Neo is obtained through the central pod, which runs the entire length of the boat.

Much like the ultra high-tech, D35 cats, the center pod on the Neo performs a number of design, structural and utility tasks for the boat, not seen on other beach cats of this type. This pod acts as a structural beam fore to aft and provides solid fixing points for the sliding beams that connect the two hulls. The center pod also allows for the rig to have a very taught forestay, which properly shapes the leading edge of the jib for much better pointing upwind and sail shaping. Because the pod absorbs a good deal of the compression loads of the rig, it serves to lessen the compression loading on the main beam. The smaller total load on the main beam allows for the removal of a dolphin striker from the engineered beam, allowing for faster setup and take-down times on the launch ramp.

Above the deck, the trampoline deck volume of the pod serves as a storage compartment for the anchor and ground tackle while cruising and also provides a really nice back support for sitting out on the forward tramp surface. Well aft, the pod provides a very strong, outboard engine mounting point behind the aft beam sliding structure.

So, is this just a case of,  “Hey, why not just build a trimaran?”

Not in my opinion. The pod is significantly smaller in height, as well as beam, than any trimaran hull might be for a boat this size and is very easily and quickly constructed. The application benefits of the form far outweigh the time, money and weight to include the pod in the build of the Neo 21. I see the pod as a clever means for spreading the powerful loads of the mast, as well as a way to comfortably keep the entire boat aligned while spreading, or compressing the beam at the launch ramp. The center pod is not a principal flotation form, though it will provide for a decent degree of buoyancy, should the Neo be capsized.

In place of these fixed beams, Neo uses three structural beam elements. The full width, removable forward beam is positioned at the bow and serves as the mounting point for the forestay, as well as the forward limit of the bow area trampoline surface. The main and aft beams are each made of two, equal diameter tube sections, which slide past one another through fixed containment structures mounted to the deck height surface of the center pod.

The trailering configuration of the Neo 21 is very simple after lowering the mast and removing the rudder system.

1.) The forward beam sections are removed from their half sockets on the inside surface of each hull and the alignment slot in the center pod

2.) the main and aft beams slide past one another in the two containment structures and the hulls slide toward the centerline until the boat is at trailer legal width.

3.)The sliding beams are then pinned in place for trailering and the forward beam tube is bundled with the main sail and boom.

As discussed previously, the standard Neo 21 is designed to use the rig (230 sq. ft. of sail area), sailing hardware and rudders from a donor Hobie 18 . H18′s are available all over the place at near fire sale prices, so the really expensive stuff for a homebuilt boat, the rig, sails and rudder systems, are easily obtained.

I am suggesting that the Neo be equipped with a set of mast stabilizing lines that mount to the mast at the rigging hounds and are fastened on each side of the main beam. There is a gin pole that drops into a socket in the forward part of the center pod that serves as the lever to hoist the mast while the stabilizing lines keep the rig from falling off to the side during stepping. The forestay is used for this procedure with a rope extension that is quickly clipped into place on the forestay shackle. The rope is led to the hand winch on the trailer for the hoist.

Once fully raised, the safety lines are unclipped and fastened to the mast and the forestay is shackled in place. This is an easy, simple method for mast stepping that has virtually no danger of getting out of control and can be done by one person, if they are strong enough to safely move the mast into the correct position for stepping.

The hull pans and the rounded deck surfaces of the Neo are strip built in Western Red Cedar, or other suitable softwood. The large, planar hull sides are constructed from ¼” marine plywood. This gives the Neo the look and feel of a production boat with rounded surfaces employed where they matter most, the in-the-water hull shapes and the rounded, wave shedding surfaces of the decks. The easily fabricated hull sides of plywood have smooth, softly flared runs, bow to stern.

In the cockpit, the inner edges of the hull decks are notched back at deck level to provide a nice leg angle when seated on one of the center facing cockpit lounges on each hull. These seats are removable for transport and have backs that fold down for a more compact storage unit in the hulls.

There is also a fully rotating, contour shaped skippers chair located just forward of the aft beam. This chair gives the skipper a full, 360 degree view by just spinning around with his feet. Want to face forward awhile and talk to the other folks on the boat while comfortably driving… you can turn the seat any way you want it while having your fanny cradled in comfort. The owner/builder can even install a contour shaped seat with a reclining back feature. The guy doing the driving gets to pick how he wants to sit and in what direction he will face.

The hull decks have nicely spaced access hatches and ports for easy storage of everything from the camping gear, to a built-in cooler.

The main deck is a hard, flat surface that serves as perfect platform for tent pitching when at anchor. Along with the area provided by the notched deck surfaces, the owner can comfortably pitch a 7′x7′ domed camping tent for remarkable comfort for a family of three. I’ve seen this size of tent available for under $100, making for a great value… if you pick one that can hold together for several seasons.

If the owner so chooses, they can also drop 4′ stanchions into built-in sockets at the four corners of the deck/hull area and hang a large awning over the entire bridgedeck, supported by a topping lift, or boom gallows. Weather covers of this type can be anything from bone simple to pretty darn luxurious, complete with no-see-um netting, depending on the desires of the owner. The advantage is that the tent volume can be extended out over the decks of the boat on each side, making for a much bigger space than a 7×7′ tent. Like anything else about boats, the final choice will be determined by preferences… and budget.

Admittedly, this whole, tent camping thing on an open deck catamaran is not for everyone. For those individuals/families who do not care for this approach, the Neo would probably not be a viable boat for your needs unless you are looking for a big, quick, day sailing beach cat.

If you don’t like camping, I would suggest the build of my Gato Especial design at 21′ LOA. The Gato has a full cabin with interior room for a queen-sized bed, a small galley and a compact space for a port-potti that can be screened for privacy.

The deck surfaces of the Neo are hinged, accordion fashion and folded to a vertical position for the sliding together of the hulls for trailering.

The cockpit notches in the main hull also provide strong creature comfort for long sailing sessions, as the crew can bend their legs while sitting on the removable, fold-down seats on each hull. This feature immediately takes the boat away from the typical, tiring beach cat arrangement of having your legs straight-out on the trampoline surface for hours on end.

The tramp forward is made from any of several suitable trampoline products which have small wind and wave resistance, while still providing a nice place to lay out on a warm sailing day. For reference, as well as a highly regarded supplier, you can check-out the various types of trampoline surfaces that are available. http://www.multihullnets.com/product/product.htm

You can go with the typical, beach cat style trampolines made from a mesh-like woven cloth, but I’ve seen very good knotted, or woven net tramps as well as surfaces made of flat webbing, sewn at each cross-over point for totally secure footing. Cost, use and durability will guide you to the proper decision on the tramp surfaces.

The boat looks spectacular, guys!

With the installation of the most recent elements on the Gato Especial,  the builders are now ready to fabricate the hull turning structure that will stabilize the boat for the big rollover.

 Underneath the hull, they will build mirrored, 45 degree chamfer panels that strengthen the hull-to-bridgedeck connection on the underside. They will then install a triangular shaped longitudinal beam from bow to transom. This form will spread the compression loads from the mast, give the boat bullet-proof stiffness fore to aft and deflect waves from unimpeded slamming of the bottom of the bridgedeck while underway.

The hull turning process has been completed, the builders have installed the wave deflection/ longitudinal beam and the hull-to-bridgedeck chamfer panels.

The builders apparently had quite a fun session with the hull turning, as they had several friends over and the actual process went quite quickly.

 Once they had it upside down, they quickly installed the wave deflection unit and moved on to build the chamfer panels.

The addition of these two structures insures a very strong boat, fore to aft, as well as a more comfortable ride in a choppy seaway. In the time since these images were sent, the builders have completed the fairing of the complete underside of the boat and are ready to seal it with a coat of epoxy to prep the hull for a first coat of primer.

The guys in Greece are serious about their boat building . They just keep moving along at a steady clip, working to complete their new catamaran. They have installed the bridgedeck installation support strip and fixed the hulls to the correct spacing for the complete joining of the Gato Especial hulls.

The construction sequence is moving along smoothly now in Athens, Greece as the builders are ready to join the two hulls with a set of bulkheads and the bridgedeck.

The next process after that will be the construction of a hull turning structure so the the hull can be flipped and all the work on the underside completed.

The hull turning process will look something like the sequence shown below.  Picture something like 6-8 guys lifting the boat from its build support cradles and rolling the hull on a big pile of old tires, scraps of carpeting, big chunks of foam… you get the picture, and then placing the hull on its support structure, upside down.

Should be a good show and I hope that the builders wind-up having a nice hull turning party afterwards.

Chris Ostlind

For the past ten years, I’ve been collecting photos and written recollections from some of the founding members of the mid-20th Century re-awakening of the Polynesian catamaran form as a sailing craft. The names of Brown, Choy, Seaman, Kumalae, Edwards, Munoz and a dozen others set the standard by which all multihull designers still measure themselves.

http://proafile.com/view/weblog/comments/old_school/

These modern era pioneers set the tone for all the multihulls that were to follow to the present day. The design roots of the form have been massaged over the years, reflecting modern thinking, material use and perceived needs of those who use the boats. I have always been drawn to the lovely flowing lines of the 1960′s era beach oriented multihulls I used to see blasting past when I’d be out pursuing my lifelong love of surfing. The pictures shown are of El Gato by Phil Edwards (sailing above) and Mickey Munoz’ Malia on the beach (below).

Through the wonderfully prescient aesthetic talents of Seattle based designer, Michael Schacht, we have all been a given a gift that touches all the notes of my youth as a fledgling Waterman.

The Beach Cruiser speaks to me in so many ways I had  shelved to some degree, being a resident of Salt Lake City right now. When I opened the computer browser to Michael’s Proafile site, I was hit by a ton of cascading water as all my early boating passion fell on me from a double overhead collection of memories.

Please follow the link above to Proafile and take a long look at the beach cat concept that Michael has delivered into our multihull consciousness. Even though I’m up to my ears with my own design work, I am powerfully tempted to build this boat myself… it has hit me that hard.

Chris Ostlind

The Gato build in Athens, Greece has moved another step forward. I just received the second batch of photos of the boat in construction and Wow!, these guys are moving right along.

There had been a very small delay as they waited for their epoxy delivery, but now that it has arrived, they are cooking along with real pace.

The hull panels have all been assembled and they have the first three panels on each side of the hull in place and wired together within the building supports.

The joints of the lower hull panels have been filleted nicely and a layer of glass has been applied, as well.

The builders are now ready to wire-in the upper side panels of the hull and apply a thickened epoxy line to the joint between the lower side panels and the spray chines. They will then fillet the joint between the upper hull panels and the chine panels. After that, they are ready to glass the rest of the interior of the hull.

Before the port hull is set aside in order to build the mirror version starboard hull, a shear clamp is screwed into place on both upper hull panels and a series of temporary thwarts are installed to keep everything steady and in place.

Construction has begun on a new Gato Especial in Athens, Greece. My client, Alexis and his father have already cut out all the hull panels, as well as the building forms.

The forms have been aligned, leveled and pinned together for rigidity.

At this point, they will be butt joining the hull panels together and getting everything ready to stitch the hull together.

They have chosen to build an 8’6″ (2.62 meter) version of the Gato and will be using the boat to cruise the islands of the Aegean.

I’ll be posting regular updates as they progress with the build.

Chris Ostlind

Lunada Design