_ : AMATEUR YKCHT RESEARCH SOCIETY

HERMITAGE, NEWBURY, BERKSHIRE.

CATAMARAN DESIGN
A.Y.R.S. PUBLICATION No. 15

JUMPAHEAD

CONTENTS
I. The Modern Catamaran. 7. The ROECAT.
2. 12 Catamaran Design Features. 8. 12-foot RIVER CAT.
3. The PI-CAT. 9. GEMINI.
4. The Y V O N N E CAT. 10. The ICfoot CATAMANNER,
5. The QUICK CAT. I I . An lnflntnbla Cntnmnrnn,
6. JUMPAHEAD. 12. A Cntnmnrnn Cnprlxr,

P R I C E 75 cents P R I C ~A / .
i BUILD YOUR OWN CATAMARAN i
THIS WINTER
-1-here is more to a s~~ccessful C a t a m a r a n t h a n just t w l n
hulls. O v e r five years' experimental work culminating in
5evere tests have produced the I'IIOUT Shearwater
C a t n ~ n a l - a nw l ~ i c hhas sailed w ~ t h5 u c h o ~ l t 5 t a n d i n gresults
that over 700 sail numbers have been registered in the new
Class.
Why not build y o u r own ready for next s ~ ~ m m e r ?

PROUT
SHEAR WA TER 111 i

and 14' 6" SWIFT .6

a"3

CA TAMARANS
SHEARWATER I11
complete less sails : £214
E x Works.
SHEARWATER K I T
complete less sh i.: £ 129-16-0
SWIFT
14' 6" CATAMARAN
coniplets less sail? : £165
t x Works.
jWlFT K I T
complete less sails : f98 A
All kits are complete with all
fittings. and sunnlied with hulls
mouided. sdnded for nalnt. /m Photograph by
y u r t e s y qf
Lillipu!
rnagazlne

. . -

G. P R O U T & SONS LTD.

THE POINT, CANVEY ISLAND, ESSEX. Talaphona Canvay 180
 T h i s publication deals exclusively with the double 1111llc~tl cl-aft.
I t doesn't seem lvorth while any more to try to give " C'ar;~l~~;~r;ln "
its original meaning and, in future A.T.K.S. publications, \\.ill be
used for thc equal hulled craft. " Outrigger " or " Tl-irn;ir;~lr" ivill
bc used for the unequal hulled type. However, it inust still be
remembered that the Indians and other people will still call their
outriggers " Catamarans " as they have done for many centuries.
An attempt has been made here to give the main principles of
catamaran design, so far as these are known. No douht, sonle of thc
conceptions are controversial and articles giving other points of vie\$
will be welcome for future publications.
\Ire arc lucky to have an article by Arthur Piver of San Francisco
on his elegant catamaran, as he has had a lot of e s p c r ~ c n c cwith both
catamarans anci trimarans and has made escellent c \ ; ~ ~ r l p l eofs both.

This study is not complete. \Ire still nccd to knoiv the r c l a t i ~ c

performance of :
1. Catamarans with sections of a right anglc ;I( tlrc keel.
2. Catamarans with symmetrical sections of ;I tlccp ellipse resembling
those of Afanu h-c;i.
3. Catamarans with sc~rli-circularsections and a bow overhang likc
that of Gemini.

Relatiur Steeds.
It is yct to be sho~i-nthat any small catamaran anywhere is faster
than the Prout Slzenrwc~ter[ [ I . I%ob Harris' Ocelot beat one Shear-
,water [ I I in 1,ong 1sla1:cl Sound in a strong wind, though thc smaller
craft was faster in light going. 13ill O'Brien's :~ron/)c~l~c.ocl
is similar
in speed rcacliing and running but \\;is slower to windward i t i 1111.
races this year (1057). T w i n C'.l3.s ant1 rnore racing cspcric~rc~c
might make the craft rnore similar. 'l'llc Ilustralian Y c o ~ l n e ,bcilig
20 feet long, may have similar spcetis to a Sheurzcuter ZII in stroiig
winds but is likely to be slower when the \\.in& are light. 'To rn!.
kno~vledge,no contact has been made bctwccn tlie two as yet.
Arthur Pi\-er's Pi-Cat should be similar or faster than Sl~rarwat'r
because she is longer and of t h e same basic design.
All the other designs i n this publication ivill bc slowcr than
Shrarzcuter 111. Naturally, the shorter craft will be slo\ver hut they
have to be beamier to carry their load and thus I~eginto lose the slim
hulls which give the catamaran its speed.

T h e majority of yachts built no~vadays, some of them costing

many thousands of pounds, ]lax-e not had even the most rudimentary
tank test done o n a model first. Indeed, not many yacht designers
have even thc simplest testing apparatus of their own. This may
have been the normal practice in t l ~ epast but, in m y opinion, no
yachtsman should eerr have a yacht built itz future unless a model
has been made and compared with a model of a comparable nature
in a test tank of at least the quality of that described in our publication
No. 12, .-lmateur Research. Such a tank could be made for such a
small s u m of money that it would be a very reasonable thing to ask.
'rhis matter has been brought to my attention recently because
of the numbers of people who have asked me to design catamarans
for them. Now, though I have designed Gemini, which is described
in this publication, and it goes well, I have never thought of becoming
a professional yacht designer, even of catamarans, because I would
like to know exactly the qucrlitv of the craft I am asking people to build.
I could only find this out by some test and this I have not yet done.
1 consider that, to take money from people for a design " because it
looks right " is prehistoric behaviour and people should demand much
more from yacht designers than that, nowadays. T h e best yacht
designs have always been the result of testing and the best yacht
tlcsigncrs have always done tests. W e should insist that this become
tlic usual custom, rather than t h e exception.
I'l-ofcssor Ata Nutku of Istanbul, 'L'urkcy is prcp;rl-ctl t o It.st
C ; I ~ ; I I I I ; I ~ - ; I I ~iiiodels sent to him. I>ct;iils of t11(. size 01' ~irotl(~ls
(. ( 1 1

cot frotn tlic lrtlitor.

 T H E 1,ONDON BOAAT SHOIV
A Stand has again been taken for the neat 1,ondon Boat Show.
This year, exhibits will be full scale as far as possible. Our stand
will show ( l ) a non-commercial catamaran, (2) the A.Y.K.S. catamaran
with Melagasy floats and hydrofoils, (3) one or t\vo " \.\'ingsails " and
(4) Dr. navies' canoe Swan c!f .Ardrn, to show the possibilities of
" Developed plywood " design. IVill any members with devices,
models or full scale craft which xvould be suitablc for sho\ving, please
get in touch with the Editor. O u r spacc is very limited but \ye \\.ould
like to put on the best sho\v pc?ssible. It n.ould he nice to havc the
" W i n g " foresail, which is shox\-n on Page 25 of \V.'TNC;S;\II,S.
on the catamaran instcad of its jib. If anyone would like to rnakc
this for us, the dimensions can he got from the Editor. It is siinl>l!.
a matter of making an elliptical shape with batten pockcts ever! IS
inches. N o bolt ropcs n-ould be necessary and the cloth used 11r.t.tl
not be expensive.
W e will again need to have people on the Stand to kcrp 1I1r
public talking and interested in our work. T h e Boat She\\ I I I I I S
from January 1st t o the l l t h , of \\ hich I can only manage to Ilc 1111 I ( .
the first four days. Mrs. RIor\vood, will honever, be on thr 51.111~1
t h e rest of the time, and given somc relief, tv.ill doubtless I ~ ~ I I I . I SI I( I.
her usual capable manner.

'I'HE M O D E R N C A T A M A R A N S
I t is very obvious that all modern catamarans o\\:c their ( l ( . z i c ~ ~
and existence to .&fanu Kai, designed by II'oody I3ron.n ant1 III;ICI(.
by him and Alfrcd Kumalai in Ha\vaii after the last \\;II-. '1'111s
wonderful craft is described in our publication A M E R I C A N (':l'I'.L
M A R A N S from nihich the two dra\vings havc been taken. S ~ : I I . ~ I I I ~
with this design, the relationship of many modern cat am;^^-;~ns \ \ i l l
be studied.

Manu Kui
T h e basic idea of Planu K a i was to produce lateral rcsist'tncc
from the hulls themselves so as to avoid having a ccntreboard o r lin
keel to prevent leeway. T o achiel-e this, the hulls \Yere asymrnctl-ical
with the flatter sides on the outside so that when sailing : ~ t:In angle
of heel, the lee hull should produce a force acting to n-indtvard. 'I'hc
windward hull would be less immersed and hence ha\rr less effect in
producing a force in the opposite direction.
 It might be wondered ho\\ such a concept could arise in the
rnind of any naval architect, amateur or professional, stecpetl, as \VC
all are, in the traditions of \\-cstern European boat building ancl
ideas. T h e clue lies in the shape of the section \vhich is exactly that
of the large native Micronesian " Proas " some 60 feet long so ably
described by Hornell in his book " THIC C A N O E S OF OCE.ANI.4 "
published by the Bishop Muscum in Honolulu \vhich specialises
in Polynesian and Pacific Island culture. T o me, it seenls \.cl-!
obvious that these hlicronesian craft \Yere studied in great detail
u ~ v a sdesigned. T h e large Polynesian \ \ a r c;tnocs
before l M a ~ ~Kai
so ably tlescribed by Captain Cook most likely had semi-circul;~r
sections, in common ~ v i t h all Polynesian canoes and outriggers of
\\lhich we kno\v. 'I'he only place in the \vorld where the conccpt of
asvmmetrical hulls ever cxistccl \vas in Rlicronesia ;lntl to .I Icsscr
extent in Melanesia.
Munu Kui was thus the fusion of the 3licroncsian ; ~ n t lI'olvrrcsi;~n
cultures as far as the shape was concerned, combined \\.ith hlrrcl-ic;~n
and \Vestern European constructional methods. One fc;~turc\vllich
resulted \vas the canoe stern of the hlicronesian origin;ll \ \ l r ~ c lis~
to he found in very many of the ~notlerncatam;lr;lns tl(.\iq~rc.tl\ \ ~ t h
\lnrtz~ Kai in mind.

Creger's main idea \vas to protlucc easily constructcxl c.;ll.llrr;lr;lns

by the usc of ply\vood sheets but of the same hasic s11;11>c ;IS t11(. s1rc.c.c.s~-
ful .Manit Kai. H e also used asymmetrical hr~lls ;111(1 (.;1110(. sterns
but, though his craft were often fast on a rcacll i l l ~ l r c . I ; I ~ ~ ( . I - sizes,
the tlccp box-like sections did not slip tlrror~glrt l r c . \ \ ; 1 t ( . 1 - l~k(.\Icrttrr
Kni and, 1 suspect, often protlucetl etltlics ;II-OIIII(I OI(. (.lli~r(.s\ \ , l l i ( . l i
rnust have slo\ved them tremendously.

~ ' / z P 7 ' c h ~ t c / t Hulls

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scluare in shape, \\-hieh is a torm \\ith rel;~ti\rclylittle \\etted surfacc
\\hieh e\pl;~ins the speeds ot IS knots \\hich have hccn achie\etl.
'I'hcrc rnust he somc edtlping around the chines \\hich \ \ i l l slo\\ the
craft in light \\.in& but this is obviously of much less importancc
than in the I,c,ur ('cri as Victor's 'l'rimarans have a good perforrnancc
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up. 'rhis is due to the fact that the bow n-ave is o\.errun by the speed
of the craft and it is raised by flotation in its o n n bow \\-avc.
'L'ruc planing is due to the dynamic lift caused by particles of
water hitting the underside of the hull, lifting it u p so that i t rides
at a higher level than \\.hen it is stationary. Dynamic lift must ccr-
tainly occur at the boivs of the chincd catamarans, hut olving to thc
IOW ratio of beam to length, not enough lift nil1 occur along the \vliole
length of the craft to constitute true planing at thc spccds \vhich have
1)ecn achieved so far.

I'crhaps o u r greatest ignorance about catamaran hulls is to tlo

n i t h their " Fineness." \Ye do not know the best ratio of lcngtlr to
h a m . Neither do ivc knou the optimum " Prismatic coeficiellt."
130th of these can hc found by the long process of trial and error at
full scale or much more cheaply and quickly by testing models.

'This is a figure \vhich gives us an idea of hot\ full thc c ~ ~ of d sa

yacht arc for a given maximum scction. It is arrived at h\. ~rlultiplying
the area of the maximum scction by the naterlinc length. 'l'his gives
us ;l volumc, and the ratio of the volume of \\-ater displacctl h!. the
1)oat to this volume is the prismatic coefficient.
\Yhcn the prismatic coefficient is high, thc cnds of t l ~ cI)o;~tarc
full and the light wind performance ~villbe good h e c ~ u s ctllc \\.ctted
surface \\;ill be less for a given displacement. \\'hen tllc prismatic
coefficient is lo\\., the ends of the boat \\.ill be fine antl, tllougll ligl~t
wind performance may be less good, the strong \\incl performance
may he better.
.\'/~eur-zcat~r.I I I has full cnds \\-it11 a prismatic cocficicnt of 0.6s.
Ocelot, \vith fine ends has a prismatic cocficicnt of 0.-57. 'I'hcsc t\\.o
designs seem of equal merit to Inc. 'l'llc fact that, in a trial bcttveen
the two, ,'ihrurzccztrr IT1 \vas faster in light winds, \\hilt Ocelot was
fastcr in strong tvinds, is exactly \\hat could be expected from thcsc
cocficicnt figures.

" I7l!ingv a hull is amusing and even exciting. H o n c \ e r . in

cataniarans such as Shearwuter, Rob Harris' Ocelot and many others.
this put too much displacement on the Ice hull and the craft is slo\\er
than when thc displaccment is more equally spread hettrecn the hulls.
Ho\\ever, in :)'~rtt~pukr~ut/
ancl (;~ttritri,\\.lrcn one llull lifts otf the n;iter,
the spcctl increases, instead of falling. 'I'he reason for this is hard
to produce but it may be that the forward overhang gives a greater
overall sailing length n-ith the same fine entry as when they are o n
both hulls. \Yhen other catamarans dig their hulls in, the entry
hecomes much more bluff.
\Yhen sailing on one hull, the transonl I~ecomcsmore deeply
inlmersecl in Sheurwater. In the t\vo above craft, the flat floor aft
might keep the stern raised and the transom from sinking so clreply.

Almost without exception, the top speeds n-liich hare been

measured reliably for well designed catamarans and trimarans have
proved to be bet\vecn four and five times the srluare root o f the water-
line length. T h i s again is further evidence that catamarans do not
plane because hulls like those of :l/futrri h-ui certainly \vill not plane.
If any catamarans (/it/ plane, their top specds \\ould be greater than
those of those which did not.
Slim hulls and hulls with a \. section should bc tried to see if
they have a higher top speed than the semi-circular sectioned hulls.
f3elo\v 1 I, knots, the semi-circle \\.ill, of course, be the best and
the only problem, therefore, ~ v h i c h is left is to find out if another
shape will be better at specds in excess of this.

Catamaran manoeuvreability depends as in other craft on the

underwater profile. However, they always nccd to be sailed the
\rhole time from one tack to the other not only because they arc
relatively lighter than other boats but also because the hull shape is
such that it has good directional stability and tries to run a straight
course at all times.
I t is essential, therefore, to sweep the keel line of the profile u p
to the waterline both for\vard and aft and to provide a centre board
or tn-o centreboards around which the craft can pivot. Hoth the
Prout Shear7rtat~rand Gemini are much harder to put about without
the board than with it.
Catamarans n-ith asymmetrical hulls such as .Ma?rrr Kai and the
I.our C'ut arc harder to put about than craft with symmetrical hulls.
I,ong straight sides also make manocrlvrcing difficult which is probably
the reason why catamarans of t h e " Split boat " typc have a poor
reputation for putting about.
 I t appears to make little difference what shape the keel line is
as long as it comes to the \vaterline fore and aft. It can be elliptical
in shape as in the Shear~~wter or lvith an almost straight line from a
deepest part for~vartlof midships as in Gemini and still manoeuvre
well. T h e position of the centre of buoyancy also can be put where
convenient so as to balance the \\eight of the cre\v and craft. If i t is
far forhard, as in Gemini, the crew must sit for\vard in light winds
but come aft for high speeds.

It is almost axiomatic that a fast craft \\.ill I)c \vet and a catamaran
is no exception. Ho~vever,the catamaran has one aspect here not
possessed by other Ijoats. 'I'hat is that the \\.eather bo\v \vave of the
lee hull can rise u p and produce a jet of water of large dimensions
dircctly on the creu o n the \\-eather side. T h i s is decidedly un-
comfortable.
Spray deflectors, such as are used with speed boats are non-
being fitted t o the Prout S h e ~ r z ~ a t eand
r are helpful. 'I'hey consist
of a batten of triangular cl-oss section with a horizontal lotver surface.
\Vater being scooped up by the bo\v hits the batten and is shot outivards
and does not rise high enough to come aboard. It has been shown
hy Professor Ata Yutku that these spray deflectors gii,e increased
resistance in the test tank but in practice, this is probably morc than
rnade u p by the lesser \vater carried in the cockpit.
It is also possible to deck in the \\.hole forward part of the craft
betivee? the hulls but this appears to trap air and to slo\\- the catamaran
very much. Ho\vever, by studying the air flow forward, it should be
possible to design a fore deck bet\veen the hulls ~vhichdoes not obstruct
the ail- flo\\ hut still keeps the water d o ~ v n .

.Ilat~li h-cti hacl a canoe stcrn. I bclicvc that this \$as simply
because she took her origin from the llicronesian canoe more than
from the Polynesian outriggers or large war canoes hich often had
counters. All the craft which o\\-e their origin to .Ilanu Kai directly
seem to have copied her canoe stcrn, except for the English catamarans
W-hich have the Europeanised Kayak transom stern of the Prout
Skrcrr~catrr. It is therefore ivorth ~vhile consiclering \vhich stern
is likely to be the hest.
r 7
I he canoe stern has the ad\-antagc of being streamlined and
hence has less wind resistance than a transom. It is usually morc
attractive t o the average yachtsman than the transom bec;~useit con-
 ..>J]U.7.l Sl!
1~ ISRUI 9111 Yu!l~oddns jo cloi aq1 ua,\!Z os[r! S! 'adcqs Js.ia1eq.u jo
.aJn,snl,s uo!s~ols!q,~, .uo!lsas sl! ~ o al;fue!.u j ?
salsssos! u ~ ql!.\\ J~~J!Y
ssola r! ,icl uayul a l e su!r?~lsuo!s~ol a q l '!u!uA,I!)jo uo!sla.\ poo.\\dld
all1 ul ..i.1o1sejs!lus oslr! S! s!ql pue 1jc.n aql sso~sr!P ! F ~ .\\a!.\ ucld
U! padeqs a.n? q o ! q \ s.1ap.1!2 o\\l i q su!aJls asarll saycl '~a.\a\\orl
' 8 ~ ; ) ardrrolz~ 'p.7.\[oA\u! SU!I?JIS uo!s.~ol aql Y u ! ~ R ~jo alqcde.3
sJnlanJls R S! a.13ql 'do1 aql J3.10 poo.\\ild YU!IJIIJ .it1 'u3qL1, .aq111
e jo l ~ e dI: w l o j 01 laaqs poo,\\.ild .>ql jo spua qloq ~o auo d n IJns
su3!ssp ueJt:melen Luem 'alq!ssod sr! s ! q ~ Jeau sr! x u o s 01 ' p u ~y e ~ s
aql sso~st:paqnlalls ~ a p ~ ! ;xoq i ,, 10 aqnl r! ,iq uayw ~ s a qaJa iCaq,l.
. ~ u t ? 1 ~ o d m] s!o u ale su!eJls uo!s~ol 2111 ' p a u o ~ ~ u s.u~~ ~ U ~s yJ I R
.ysal> aql olu! Su!11nn lucatn l! q211oql ua,\a 'SWOWU"J, .7q1 jo
auo uo p ~ ~ o c l l naql o ~ n dol !U!IUJ;] U! a l q e ~ a j a ~punoj d uasq st:q 11
.a3r!jJllS aql m o ~ l!j o l u.\top paynns aq uen J!C asnvnaq auo a.\eq ol .laeld
p002 t: aq I O U i ~ s!ql w r1Ynoql ' p s ~ ! n h a f! ~ ' ~ o l o uIucoqlno
~ ur! aye$
ol aIqc aq oslr! puc SU!I?J,S asarll ql!~\\ [cap asp [l!.\\ a2p.3 uo ]ss , , I I? Lq
,,b E sr? qsns mcaq Jaqlour! 'poo.u.Lld ~ ! d y s o aaql jo pua yr. srl1 i y
.uo!s.~ol U! ~ U l.~cdr! V s.\\oq s q l l ~ o d d n sol p u ~ .Celsa~ojarlj .raj u ~ d s
all.\$ aq1 jo U I R J ~ S uo!ssa.~diuos aql 1)ur.l~01 J E S S ~ S ~ S!U mesq s s o ~ s
# .
I? ' s . ~ \ o q.7111 1~ y l n q qloq 01 pa.ualns pur! pan12 .<~LLIJLJ poo.uLld
10 l a a q w .<cl ps\a!qse acl ut:s sllnq aq1 uss.\\laq uo!l~.rp.das .?LI,J,
.ssa[ q3nw 'yu!ql I ' a n lJI?de J O ~ a q l a 2 o lYu!ssa~d
sllnrl 3q1 mo.rj SU!RJIS '1~3.13a . \ ~ \ R\ 110 OSIC S! llrlq ~ a q l oa111jo rl.rals
aql uaq.u a.tr?\\ R i q p s y ! ~S! .\\oq s u o aJaq.11 sllnrl aql uaa.\\lacl ir!t:~ls
;fu!1~5!-\1R aq ~111o.\tyaap a;fp!~qsql U! aJnl!gj 01 2u!psal rr!e.lls lsalea~2
aq1 ~clliop Inoql!.u ' ~ a . \ a . \ \ o ~.]no pay~o.\t ICIIIY uaaq .7Ypa1.\\0uy
.iul ol l011 a . \ ~ qSUCJRLURIBJ jo q ~ n r l 2111 uaa,\\~sc~ SU!I!.I~S ar1,1,
'J[!t[.\\ qlJO.\\ Jq O l .<[.>y![1011 S! UJ.?lS
arl1 jo iq;f!a.u pur? asuadxa r!.llxa arll 'uo!u!do .\ru u l ..nur?ur.lo+~ad
aules aql a.\&q [[!IS pue ~uosur!.11R ~ U ! S I I .iq q18u.71 II! 1aaj L [ 11ioq1?
alaq.uamoscol paual~orlsscl plnon rllXua1 I I ~ ! J . ~ . \ 12.31 O oz 10 w u ! ~a u t ~
r11!.\$ URJI?IUl?]F3 l>SUJJlS 3 0 U R 3 l? ' a l d u l ~ ~Joj
a ' J S I I I : . ) ~ ~ ~11:oq j O 31SC\\
1 S 1 a o 1 .lqsr!.i I? 4 0 uo!ldanuoa s*sldoaci l s o ~ uo) .7~ou1s ~ u ~ o j
by a wave ; or at least h a i r to jump 01-cr it. 'I'hey sutfer neither
indignity. f~lo\vever,when they have penetrated far enough into a
wavc, buoyancy gets to \vork, unless they are too slim and deep, and
they bob u p like corks, thus once again achieving their clesigned state
of surface travel.
'I'his behaviour of catamaran hulls (of good clesign) nieans that
their motion to small waves is less than that of a beamier boat.
In larger Lvavcs, the catamaran will take the main contour of the
wave which is a surprisingly gentle slope, even in soundings, and it is
found that on the dcep seas, the motion of a catamaran is very easy
indeed, compared to conventional keeled yachts. 'I'hc reason for
this is that a catalnaran \\.ill only take the slope of the wave whereas
a keeled boat will havc a pendulum movement which will oftcl1 cause
it to heel at t\vice ancl even more times the angles of slope of the waves.
For example, a keeled boat running down the trades will often indulge
in thc tactic of " Rhythmic rolling " \\-here the frecluency of the
yacht's roll corresponds to the period of the Ivaves. 'I'his cannot
happen to a catamaran.

.A catamaran Ivill have far less motion and be far safer at sea
than a convcntionai boat of the same size. As rcgyrds safety, this
point is arguable in the case of cruising catamarans which can I,e
capsized and or?': must keep an open mint1 about thcm till \\.c havc
more information.

1,igIit catam;irans can all I I ~capsizecl. \Ye have an intcresting

account of one capsizc later on in this pul,lic;~tion tvhich was not
righted but, usually, a light catamaran like Sh~~r~rnccltrr 111 can be
righted by her ere\\ should she be allo\~cclto tip u p . According to
Jack Blundell, capsizes fall into t\vo types :
1. With the board lonered.
2. \Vithout the dagger board.
In the case of S o . l , as the mast hits the \Later, the helmsman
should slide over the hull onto the board, immediately. T h i s nil1
oftcn stop the craft from turning further and halt it n i t h the mast
just below thc horizontal. T h e creM should then frce all the sheets
and hand the jib sheet to the helmsman. 'I'he helmsman shoulcl
then lcan out\vards, using the sheet to hold by, \\liilc, at the sanic
time, the crcu lifts u p the mast as mueh as he can. .As soon as thc
a q ~as!.\\.iaqjo st! 'p.it!.\\.loj 1q2!a.\\ .\\a.i3 aql a.\or11 01 .i.it!ssa3ar1 st!.\\ 11
\\olq 2uo.1,~e u! l r ? q ~pa.ia.\o:)s!p I JJJJP. 'lla.\\ al!nl) I I I O ~ ESUIRD 11
. U ! B ~ R 2 3 U O 08 01 .ipea.i I I C se.1) ~ U I ?
'.ia$e~\aqi jo $no yxcl ['[no.\\ l! laaqs aq, ;lu!sea[a.i uo l n q : pas.iaulu!
i l l n j uaq.\\ az!sdes 0 1 ~ ~ u a p uou a l pa.\\oqs ~eocla ~ SE~ ' l s n o p . ~ u e~q ~
lua!ua.\uosu! a ~ o wss.\\ lnq 'uo!$t!suns e al!nh SE.\\ 11 .SUO!SB~JO uazop
f1eq t! uo ~ a ~ t ! .J\ \> P U ~ l i ~ a a l d ~ ~ oJ! , -pa[!es
J 1 i3ej jo .iai)eu E SE put:
'p.ieq rlaa!.ip n a q \ \ .noq aal aql I;.inq 01 X ~ u a p u s iE peq . r u d r ~a q j ,
.ilq[uassv jo aw!l aq, ~ t !Isay a111 uo ~ a y ~ 0 . i
ij~:put! a m j a q ~ jo Iaap poo8 E ;iu!~eu!u~!la .icl ierl.uaulos uY!sap aql
a;iuer[~p!p I q8noq1le ' r ~ ! ~ l d x,ouuer, a 1 l3g E ' a s u c r n ~ o j ~ arl!d .io!.iaju!
.it!j s.ia.41 slnoqea~arlssndrl .iaqlo '.ia.\a.\\olj ..iaqlea.\\ ,q8!l U! ~ d a ~ x a
' i J u . i o l ~aq1 put: I~?uo!Jwu.'")~ aql SE s a d h palunc.\ q3ns 8u!pnl3[1!
'JJEJJ ~TL!S.II:~!UI!S .iue .>aedjno plrloa pu!.\\ a q ~uo pue 'pu!.\\ aql
"!S Sut! jo ;Iu!q~Sue ieaq pinor, pur? ''Ct!a O J S ! J U E I ~ ~ UBS uo lt!oq
su!m.ioj.iad isaq a q dl!s~a ~ uaq, SR.\\ pup 'paapu! lsej .i.ia.\ SR.\\ peq 1 auo
XI, m 'uo!~cw!,sa , i w U! ',c04 psu%!leu q ~ n B u S! / u k ) . I O ~ Y Iaq.1,
'~8!~.71' [B!JJ3LUUl0J U!
sa!aua!3yap a u o s a.is.\\ Jlaj 1 ,ELI.\\ aw03-1a.\o o j l d u ~ a , ~ tue ! 9.ia.u p u ~
' O ~ F s.ieali .inoj ~ n o q e,!y !a,) ,mJ7 I? palquasse I .ia,jt! ~ s n !Yu!iel
-nwnsat! ue%aq / n ~ - ! a~ q/ jo ~ Su!pl!nq aql ol pal q ~ 1 1 . \seat'! \ aq.1,
'sllnq aq, uaa.\\laq 'aYp!.iq aq, jo 1je pue
a.ioj go d o ~ plsnul U J J J UP. u c u s u ~ ~ aqloq q ' S J U B ~ C C I jo 3u!od aql
~ s c dlsnr S! y e n aq, uaq.\\ 'u!e8y . ~ ! d y 3 oa111 ~ jo pun .ia,j': aql 03 q v
a ~ o wtqnoqs y e ~aq1.inju o s ~ a da q j 'OS saop l! SF pu1: 3j!1 lillcnpe.i2
II!:A\ ~ w w a q ~. s ~ a ~ q s a ;3u!sn ql ,no ueal put! d11 p u c ~ suaq, plnoqs
q ~ o a ..iaje.u a q j U! lsa.uo1 s! q3!q.\\ 11n~iaq, .io 11nq 9.71 aq) uo tue.\\.ioj
~q%!.i$38 u a q ~plnoqs .\\,>.i~put! u e u s u l n l l .drt 3qYno.iq maqs q!!
aq, pue paay aq plnoqs slaaqs aql U ! E ~ V ..i.i.inq ,ea.i8 ou S! a.iaq,
'u.\\op ap!sdn j i l a ~ a l d u o spua p.ieoq aq, ,nocl]!.\\ - o x jo asm aql u l
z
.dn Le.\\ ~qB!.i S! aqs uaq.\\ s.\\ocl aq, una.ulaq aq uaq, II!M a~
. s l l ~ jl! se w!q I![[ ~ ' u s a o pI! ~ e q ,os p.raninr,j. llnq ~ a d d naql .iapull
y ~ n pjsnlu uewswraq aq, 'dn .ie.\\ ,q;i!.i y x q dold ol Lpea.i 'aJut!leq
jo ?
iu!od aql isud jsnr R! I I I ? . I I ? I L I I ? ~ I : ~J I I J ~ U I .iT))E.\\ ar11 a.\t!al I!RS pue ]sew
The 20' catamaran Pi-Cat, designed by Arthur Piver, Mill Valley, California

boat would squat just before coming into the eye of the wind, and
under these conditions it would not respond. Also, if there were
more than three persons aboard, the craft was just dead in the water,
unless it were blowing a young gale.
I also spent quite a bit of time aboard a 20' catamaran com-
mercially manufactured over here, which had the worst hobby
horsing habits I ever saw in a boat. This craft, although it manoeuvred
well otherwise, spent most of the time just bobbing up and down in a
most annoying manner. If it would come to a single large wave, for
 -
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\vetted surface, \vhile the only \vay I could think of reducing the
hobhy horsing was to have no fore and aft rocker. 'I'his latter step
also gave more hnoyancy forward, \vhich did indeed eliminate the
bow hurying.
Being my first dcsign, and not being sure of my centers, I devised
a track arrangement between the hulls, so that the single center-
hoard, which was fastened to a stout aluminium pipe, could move .
fore and aft. 'The original idea \vas to have a trim tab arrangement
in the cockpit so that the board could be moved easily, but I never
did get around to completing it, as the hoard proved insecrlrely mounted
o n the pipe, and indeed it twisted almost like a pretzel, even though
composed of a"ply. 'This lead to fastening it more securely through
the centet- section, but at least I had discovered the best point for
balance.
Incidentally, here is an area li)r morc research, for 1 l,elieve that
'I readily moveable board \\.ould be a distinct advantage for a catamaran,
as \re have discovered that the best way to come about in this type
is t o sail it around, and the application of the rudder too soon in the
rnanocuvre \\.ill kill the turn in sloppy conditions. In other \\or&,
when the boat is close-hauled and it is desired to come about, the
rudder is released \vhilc the trim tab is actuated tti give the craft a
strong \yeather helm. \Vhen thc boat reaches the point \vherc \vind
begins to spill out of the sails, then the rudder is applied to continue
the turn at a steady rate. Incidentally, \\-c always pull the boom
nearly amidships as the boat approaches the eye of the \vind, main-
taining drive as long as possible. \\'hen the rudder is finally applied,
we find that the angle should be increased as the speed diminishes,
a l t h o ~ ~ gnever
h morc than 45 degrees.
.\Ithough the single centcr board seemed to pro\-icle sufficient
I;~teral plane, I later replaced it by a board in each hull, and to my
surprise discovered that although their combined area equalled that
of t h r former single board, they were markedly morc efficient. 'I'his
phenomena was later explained by an article in an A . \ - . R . S . publi-
cation, regarding tip losses.
'I'he hulls arc semi-circular bclo\v the chines, {vith the full chine-
heam carried relatively far for~vard to provide sufficient buoyancy
so that the hotvs \\.ill not bury. 'The over-all beam chosen is just
bclo\v the maximum for trailering on our high\\.qs. Construction
is largcly of l" ply\vood, \vith the sections belotv the chines of 1"
square strip-planked spruce, covered n i t h one l a e r o f mcdium-
\veight fibreglass to just above the chines.
 .sayvl l! leq.11 n.\eq lou saop .i[dm!s ~sdd!ys
a;lr!~a.ze nql 'suo!l!puos auIaJlxa Japun ua.\a 'a1qno.u ou aAeq [l!.z\
l a y jo asuas poo8 e 141!.\\ .ropes u. q8noqqe put: 'il!l!qes~.\naoueur
jo yssl aql S! ad.il ueJsrusles ay1 ol des!pueq j a y aql lcql a.\a!laq
1 ' ~ E J J U - ? ~U!
.)suelsn[al sqqnd jo ap!slno 'lse1 jo . I ~ I ~ K L Ue sv
.8u!u~nl p!" li[palqnopuri [I!\\ ~ay30.1auws ' ~ l a \ \pa.mnao
-ur:ur [~!JsI! pue '~3yso.1ou SE\\ x a q l I Z J , ) - ! ~ U! v8rioqllu se ' ~ j epue
n ~ o ~ay.7o.1
j ;lu!ppe dq pasnm LsurLonq jo ssol aql lasgo 01 puaj osle
p[no,\\ au![Jalc\\ .?v1 a,\oqa sllnv avl jo ;lu!as.\ aq,j> .pasJnrum! S! [[nq
aa1 a41 SE ~ o l s u ji3ue.ionq ppnq pue TaJe panay\ a3npa.1 ol 1)'aa.z aq
p ~ n o q sinql a ~ a q a q1 \\ou lnq 'uo!lan~lsuos jo .il!s!ldm!s ol p!c ur: se
xr!qs aql a\oclr: 1alle~eda.1~sllnv nq1 jo sap!s aql ,v,)-!,/ UI
.suralqo~d
~ c u o ! ~ ! ~ >l puea s a ~ d sllnq s q l U! pssnoq uaq.\\ asJnos +o pue 'leq.\\
-amos S u ! u ~ n l avl ~ s a g l ?.L~as~a.zpe lsnm Aaql q;lno~{lle 'aaueur-loj~ad
~ o ! ~ a d n~ s J Rs p ~ e o qu!A\,~, '.i~!q!qc~sIeJnIeu s,leoq a q j .Cq jo an;,
rrayej S! qn!q.\\ s u o ;luqasq c olu! luama.\oru %!.\!p-.\\oq ar[l sum1
os J O looj r: lje ;1!.1 aql Su!.\oj.\; .iCl!l!qea~anaoucm pue a s u e m ~ o ( . ~ a d
.1aq1r:a.\\3q;i!l ~ o lsnur j e a.1~surolloq Jelnn.r!2-!ruas arll ' 1 1 q o ls.~!.q
'SJ3qlOJa 1110Jd Sql j0 DSOql ql!.\\
ap!au!oa .(ls;l~el seap! dm leql punoj a.\r:q pug 'sa;luev~jo Jaqmnu
B i
uo papI;)ap ;)3u!sa.zeq I '0%" s ~ e a Jnoj 111nq se.u leoq s!ql s y
. ~ u s m a ; i u t ? ~y~!ls-d!p
~e e ~ s v l o u epue ' a d i ~peaq-lol!d aql jo
auo ' s ~ a ~ a m o p a a do.\\l
s asn .aou a.\\ q8noqlle 'paads a;lpnr .Lls~e~nsne
01 ~ ~ n ~ g punoj
! p uaaq seq 'sa!l![!3y .I&pe-I ;lu!.zerj l o ~.sal!ur
nlnlels ()z pur: 81 uaatilaq a.rav.\\suros se.\\ paads mnur!\~?~/y
.laq.\\auios
Bu!peol lsem ;lu!sea~au! snql : ;lu!laavs pu!.\\-uo ~ o p~r?oqu! j JaqlJnj
nq 1snm s a ~ e [ durevs aql sueam q!( =lu!ddel~a.\o up ' o s l r . p a ~ ! n b a ~
as!.\\Javlo jou SJB IIJ!~.\\' s l i ~ ~ s y s e~q o S jI I E J d ! ~pcaq ~sr?ure n s ~ n o 3jo
..Iauuem a[qe.za!lsqun jsomle ue U! Xno~e~ e o qaql sllnd 'r:n~e,()+l ~ n o q e
su!sjuoa put? ~ l o ~ ~ n y e u u jo ! d apew
s S! qs!q.\\ '[!t:s s!qj pup 'Su!orY
111Z![ U! pa!.1.1~3.?q ~ ~ n or:oua3 a a8.1~1.iile!nadsa rre lcql os uasoy3
S B U 211 pearl lsem .~L[.J,.SJII: ~q;l!l U! .i[[~!33d~3 '.(zJ,Y~aql jo leql
au!l)sn3sa ~ c 'mj
j p.>dorl pi:r[ I ucql .?.IOU rID.\a se.11 3aueruJojJad
 T H E YVONNE CAT
L.O.A. : Draught : 6"
L.W.L. : Sail Area : 190 sq. ft.
Beam O.A. : Weight :
Beam, hull .

This catamaran was designed by C. H. and L. N. Cunningham

of Victoria, Australia as a series of modifications of a hard chine
catamaran with box shaped sections till it became the elegant craft
shown in the drawings. All this was carried out full scale and started
in 1952 and the craft took its final shape in 1953. For the Cunning-
hams, this was the only way to develop their craft because they had

T w o Yvonne Catamarans.

so little to go on when they started. Their development had to be

carried out almost from the same point as the other catamaran pioneers.
The first catamaran with box shaped sections was well rockered
on the keel to allow of easy manoeuvreability, had symmetrical sections,
a canoe stern, a central centreboard and balanced rudders. It was
very fast in smooth water but in rougher water, the fore and aft stability
was not enough and the rudders lifted clear at times and the flat floors
pounded. As a result the bows were extended two feet, lifted and
flared, a false V-bottom was added from the bow to amidships and
the rudders were enlarged. This cured all the faults of the previous

An Yvonne " Flying A Hull."

design and all the present Yvonne 20 catamaran owners feel that they
have a very satisfactory craft. T o day there are 10 Yvonne 20 cata-
marans registered in Victoria, with 87 sets of plans sold all over the
world.
Performance. The Yvonne 20 has sailed over a mile distance at
an average speed of 18 m.p.h. I n bursts, a speed of 20 m.p.h. has
been exceeded. Over a distance of 21 miles in very rough conditions,
15 m.p.h. was averaged on a broad reach. It will be noted that these
speeds are almost identical with those of the Prout Shearwater, Ocelot
and others.
Dengn Features. As compared with contemporary British and
American catamaran design, the main features of the Yvonne 20 are:
1. The forward overhangs.-
2. The taking of the torsion strains between the hulls by two crossed
girders instead of the rolled plywood system of most designs.
3. The ingenious centreboard design, which allows the board to
come u p below the cockpit when it is up.
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X. 'I'his prorluced deep chestetl I~ulls\\it11 an u ~ l u s u a lamount ot
rocker, a hollo\v entry and planing run, changing to a dead flat transom.

/,;y/tt l r7;t11/.7
In light airs, the crc\\ moves \\ell for\varrl to lift the transom
clear of the \vater to reduce netted surface. Sailing :~uumpu/tec~d at
1,ymington this year, Richard Creagh O s l ~ o r n e \\on a four hour
drifting race against a .inS.

7'0 Il~.indzctrrr/
bnzprrh~ud gives of her best at 40 to the apparent wind uith
the sheets \\-ell in. She goes to the windwarcl \veil by luffing to each
gust \vhich makes the Ice hull bite cleeper, and for cruising the centre
hoarcl can be dispensed \\.itll.

I't~ttitrg About
IVith practice this can be done in 5 seconds, but, as \\it11 other
catamarans, the technique is different to that used \vith dinghies.
T h e jib should b e held in hard until it is on the point of " backing"
but definitely not " aback." It is then changed o \ e r and shceted in
fast on the other sick so that it is dra\\ing her fortvard. Catamarans
'ire generally light craft and, on coming up into the \\ind n i t h a large
sail area, the flogging sail and the seas tend to drive the craft back-
u a ~ d sso the sails must be kept dra\\ing to the last possible moment.
.- l impression is also given I,y the change in speed \\hen putting
rong
about. .l rlingliy slo\\s d o n n from about h knots to 2 o r 3 knots
\\liereas a " cat " may be tloing 10 or 12 knots and slo\\s clown to
the same spcctl ;IS the clinyhy \\ hen putting about.

Flyitlg U 111~11
\\.'hen salling single li.r~lrlcrl \\it11 J~tmpuhrcrri, h a r d e n ~ n g thc
sheets 'lncl lifting one hull about a foot off the \\ater in a 12 knot
n i n d incrrc~ses the speed from 15 knots to 17- I S knots. T h i s is
due to decreased wetted surface of the \leather hull, whilst main-
taining sufficient dynamic lift on the Ice hull.

Sp~rris
'The highest speed recorded by the Smith speedometer, carrying
l67 sq. ft. is 10 knots, in 2 ft. seas, cren sitting inboard. ideal con-
ditions, i.e., strong uind and smooth \later, are eagerly a\laited.
There arc some objections to catamarans put for\\ard by peoplc.
\\hich Hill O'Hricn nould like me t o state, \\ith his ans\\crs :
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Gemini.
The Layout
The general layout and dimensions are those of the Prout Shear-
water 111 as is the bridge design.

Hull Design
The hull has a long flat run with easy twisting of the bottom
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cost
;\latcrials for the 14' ('nturnclnnrr should be bought for ahout
k:75 including sails.

'I'hc plans and instructions for building consist of sixteen largc

sheets, containing over a hundred detailed step-by-step dran-ings.
'They may be obtained from 1'. J. n'lanners, 93, Ridgen-ay, \Yestclitf-
on-Sea, Essex. Price 50, -.

'1'kII: IS 1;'I'. h IN. H I G H SPEED CATARZASNER

.l larger version of thc 14' C'utattzurrner is no\) being huilt b>
'l'\\ in Hulls I>td. to 1.: J. R/Idnnersl design.

,
l his craft is an esperiment to~vards a light, easily stored,
transported and launched sailing cataruaran. So far, it has only been
used \vith paddles and an outboard motor on the Thames. It consists
of tn-u light inflatable floats 14' long by 15" in diameter, joined by a
light wood, aluminium and canvas framework. Each float consists
of tn-o separate parts (1) a rubberised fabric lining, and (2) a heavy
can\.as outer cover. IVhen collapsed, both of these can be rolled
up into a bundle about two feet long by fifteen inches in diameter.
'['he total#\\-eightof the craft is 50 to 60 Ibs. without motor.

Each lining is divided by a partition into t\vo equal compartments

which have to be inflated separately. T h e linings can be used on
their own n-ithout the outer covers but, of course, they will not stand
such rough treatment as the combined inner and outer. They are
designed to take an internal pressure of two pounds per square inch,
\\-hen they are surprisingly rigid. Much less pressure can be used
in calm water. They weigh about 6 lbs. and \\-ere made by Elliott
Icquipment, I,td., I.lympia, S. \\-ales.

T h e outer covers arc heavy green flax can\-as, liberally supplied

~vith attachment points for the frame\vork. 'l'hcy \vcigh about 0
Ihs each and \yere made by C'. Nielson and Sons of I<ingston.
 Tom Lancashire's Inflatable Catamaran.

The Framework
The framework is made u p of four aluminium tubes, each 6'
long, running fore and aft, two over each float. They are clamped
to two transverse members (1) a strong built-up beam aft, and (2)
a 24" by 14" spruce member forward. Four wooden poles, 1" in
diameter extend aft from the tubes to help spread the load on the
floats. The strength of the framework is in the built up beam. I t
is not very rigid at present and for use in choppy water, it will be
made either more flexible or stronger.
.4ssrrnh/j~
T h e assembly sequence is as follons :
l. Place the aluminic~mtubcs in position in the clamps on the trans-
xerse mcmbers and tighten the clamp bolts.
2. Insert the wooden extension poles in the aft ends of the tubes.
3. 1,acc o n the canvas sling.
4. Inflatc the floats.
5. Position the floats under the tubes and lash in place. T h e forward
ends of the tubcs fit into pockets on the floats. A single lashlng
is used round the aft end of each tuhe.

Inflation
A racuttm cleaner gi\es the quickest inflation of the floats hut
if one is not available, an ex-Air Force large dinghy bellows will do.
It then takes about a quarter of an hour to inflate all four compartments.
One pair of lungs takcs a bit longer. After being left inflated for
seleral necks o n one occasion, the floats of my craft still had enough
pressure to be used without topping up.

~ n /.--
B u ~ LU P~ e r - ~

orrnoaeb o a a t r r i
--
WE@"" CS..""S OurGP COVE*
Motor
T h e outho;lr-<l ~ I ~ ~ I ~isc.cl
I I - is a Seagull Super 40 (11-24 t1.p.).
At half throttle \ \ i t 1 1 o t l c . up, it gives a speed of 5 to 6 m.p.h. A4t
higher throttle o l > c , ~ ~ i ~~~hg csspeed, increases I,ut cavitation of the
propellor p r o d ~ ~ c c~)c~-ioclic.
s jerking of thc \vhol' craft. An attempt
will be made 10 c.111-c, Illis later on.

'The ~ ~ ~ o t l i l i c ~for ; i ~sailing

~ o ~ ~ shave not been quite settlecl yet
t ~ u tthcy \ \ i l l l > ~ ~ i ~ l ) :i~~l~) lcyl u d: e-
l . A sl,ort I I I ; L S ~s ~ c p ~ ~at e cthe
l centre of thc craft.
2. J C s ~ c n < l i ~I I ~I C g I'~-an)c\\orkfurther aft.
3. I,cc I)c~;~l.tls ~ ) i \ o t c din a cross tube.
4. A si~rglcI K I I ( I ~ I ~ 011 I - a n cstension of the frarneivork.

111 : \ I I I ~ . I - ~ C ; I (;oodycar
, rnake " Airrnat," a double surfaced in-
flat:~l>lc.~ ~ ~ l ) l ) c . ~nylon - i s c d rnaterial \vhich can be used for structures.
7'he I \ \ . ( I S I I I - ~ ; I ( . < .are
S Joined by thousands of close pitched nylon
fibres ; I I I I ~ , \ ~ I I C I I inflated, it can stand high air pressures. Goodyears
say " I t 111.1l<c.s like 3 beam." I t sounds excellent for an all-pneumatic
catarl~:~~ ; I I-I (aI ~possibly
~ for cantilever aerofoil sails. Messrs. Frank-
enstci~iA S O I I S ,i'ictoria Rubber \Vorks, Manchester 10 can supply
a nylo11 I ' ; ~ l ) ~ - i c . I>~.oofedlvith "Neoprene." 'This is said to be an
iniprovc.1111.111 0 1 1 rubberised cotton fabric in respect of : - ~

(a) I < c s i s ~ ; ~ ~10r c oils.

.(~
(b) lic.sis~;~~ic.c 1 0 sunlight.

(c) 1Ixci11~.
(cl) \Vc;11. ;111<1 tc;ll-.
(e) S t r - c n x ~Il ~o ~veightratio.

,4 CA'TAMAK.4N CAPSIZE
by
OWI:.NDI~MPI.ETON
'I'hc " C'at " \\.as lying alongside the Icc side of Rochcster Cruising
Cluh pontoon. \Ye had been doing the various o d d Jobs \\ hich are
alivays needed in a new boat and nocv it \\.as time to go horne. 'I'irnbcr
for the rubbing bands xvas aboard and lashcd do\\-n and all sorts of
gear had been sto\ved in the hulls. My buoy \vas o n the wind\$-ard
side of the pontoon and the wind n a s force four. I had no motor.
T h e ebb tide was running at 2 to 3 knots ~ j i t hthe m ~ n d .
lIazel, my crew, decided that it was too rough to sail but I put
my faith in the man who told Ine that a S/~earwaterhad never been
known to capsize and I got under way alone.
1 set the close reefed main only and all went \yell until I was in
mid stream. 'I'he wincl then suddenly dropped away to force 1 and
I was carried down strcam towards Rochester bridge where the tide
runs at 3 to 4 knots. I rounded u p and dropped anchor but the \vater
\\-as cluitc cleep and 1 lost a lot more weather way before it held.
'I'hc wind continued light so, after tidying u p and waiting a few
minutes, I sct the whole main sail and the jib and got under way again.
At first, she held her own against the strong tide closc hauled but,
just as I was beginning to think I would make the slack water on the
Castle sidc, therc came a sudden squall and though I was holding
both sheets ancl let them fly at once, the weather hull rose slolvly but
relentlessly despite my full weight o n the weather sidc deck until I
\\-as dropped into the middle of the mainsail. 'I'here was no per-
ceptible pause as the mast hit the water and the Slrear~oatcrturned
right over without interruption till the mast touched bottom at some
12' and there I Ivas, swimming below what had been the weather
hull with the tw-o hatch covers, a paddle and my tool box floating
closc by.
M y first thought was " Stay by the ship - she is your best
lifeboat "- al~vaysthe best thing to clo. Then I started to consider
how best to minimise the damage. I caught the paddle and bent
on the ~ n dof thc main sheet. T h e n I cast off the jib sheets. 1
tried to reach the side stays to let go the mast but one sidc was too
deep and the other was too high. Soon, ho\vevcr, we were carried into
deeper water and I was able to reach the shackles. Fortunately, I
had my shifting spanner on a lanyard so the shackles came adrift quite
easily and the mast floated u p alongside. Nest, I let go the main
halliard at thc peak and hauled down the sail from the tack. 'The
sail and boom then came clear so I left them and let go the jib sheets
at the clew and the jib halliard at the head.
About this time, I noticed a white motor boat coming downstream
and assumed I would be taken in tow so I redoubled my efforts to
clear the gear ready for towage. I was trying to untangle enough
anchor warp to tow by and, when I looked up, the motor boat had
passed on.
By this time, the tide had carried me downstream opposite Strood
picr. A tug was corning u p river quite slolvly so I stood u p on the
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 PIVER9S T R I M A R A N S

Nugget
30 ft. X 18 ft. X 2 ft. N i m b l e Plans cost f 3 5
Crossed the Atlantic in 1961 and proved thoroughly seaworthy in spite of
continued gales. She has clocked 24 knots and can sleep six. The designer
built this in six months working only evenings and week ends.
24 ft. X 14 ft. X 18 ins. N u g g e t Plans f 14 10s.
Has, cruised over 1,500 miles from California t o Mexico w i t h a crew of
three. Maximum speed 20 knots. The floats can be made t o fold for
towing.
20 ft. X I 2 ft. X I 5 ins. B a n n e r ( t r a i l a b l e ) Plans f 9
Is specially designed for racing and day sailing, as is the smaller.
16 ft. X 8 ft. X I ft. F r o l i c Plans CS
Several hundreds of which have already been built in the U.S.A.
28 ft. E n c o r e L27. 32 ft. 6 ins. H e r a l d f5O. 40 ft. Victress 685.
45 ft. M e d a l l i o n L1 10.

A r t h u r Piver is the leading American designer of trimarans and his designs

are only marketed after having been thoroughly tested. He always builds a
prototype and proves their w o r t h first. The simplified building system eliminates
the need of all traditional boat building skills. They are quicker, cheaper, and
easier t o build than any other type we know of. Virtually uncapsizable they
are equipt w i t h an automatic sheet release device. One of the most manoeuvre-
able sailing craft afloat.

Quotations can be given for completed craft.

I n U.K. plans available from :

The Shop, Soutergate, Kirkby-imFurness, Lancs.
In America from :
Pi-Craft, 344 S a c r a m e n t 0 St., San Francisco II, C a l i f o r n i a , U.S.A.