The girls took off their tights and there was a noticeable smell of spring in the air; soon the reservoirs would be free of ice and the water season for homemade swimming equipment would begin.
In today's article, I propose to start making a homemade catamaran.
Such a catamaran can be easily transported in the trunk of a car; it does not need to be registered as it is not rowing boat because it has a pedal drive.
It is convenient to fish from a homemade catamaran - it is very difficult to turn it over, a high chair allows you to stretch out your legs or tuck them under you, you can fish standing on a catamaran without fear of falling into the water from the breeze.
In general, there are nothing but advantages, so we look at the drawings of the catamaran and, taking the materials, we begin to make the watercraft with our own hands.
The catamaran is assembled from two hollow floats, each having a length of 3000 mm, a width of 200 and a height of 250 mm. The floats are connected to each other by a bridge made of duralumin corners 30X30 mm (cross members) and 20X20 (longitudinal connections), riveted into one piece. The bridge is equipped with a driver's seat 7, foot drive pedals 4, a chain drive with an intermediate sprocket (node 3) and a propeller - a paddle wheel (node 4) with six plates (blades), covered on top with a metal casing. To control the rudders 13, a handle 6 is installed under the driver’s left hand. By moving the handle, the catamaran turns to the right, and by moving it to the left. The large area of interconnected rudders makes the catamaran very maneuverable.
The floats have a frame of nine rectangular frame frames (they can be made of either wood or aluminum corner) and four longitudinal elements (stringers) located at the corners of the frame frames. The floats at the front and rear end in straight stems. The frame is so simple in design that it can be assembled even without a slipway, on a flat floor or a large table. The casing (if the frame is metal) must be made of light alloy sheet material. It is installed on rivets, with a sealing tape laid along the seam (in the absence of a special tape, you can use household cotton tape with thick grease oil paint). First the bottom is riveted, then the sides. After this, the inside of the float must be puttied along the seams and painted. Lastly, the deck is installed on M5 screws with countersunk heads (near the inspection hatches, where you can stick your hand inside, the deck should be riveted).
After cleaning, the finished floats are carefully puttied along the seams and painted in the desired color. Before painting, the metal surface must be degreased and treated with fine sandpaper.
In the case of making floats from wood, the frame frames are assembled from 35X15 mm pine bars on gussets. Longitudinal stringers made of pine with a cross-section of 20X20 mm can be attached to the frames with screws or strong nylon threads with epoxy glue. The latter method is very simple and does not weaken the structure at all, besides providing some weight savings.
The covering of the wooden frame is made of three-layer plywood with a thickness of 2 - 3 mm, with epoxy or casein glue. The direction of the layers is longitudinal along the bottom and sides, transverse along the deck. The plywood is pressed in with thin nails and screws 15X2.5 mm.
The finished float is carefully cleaned and covered with one layer of fiberglass with epoxy resin. If these materials are not available, you can use regular cotton calico and glue it with nitro glue. Before pasting, all corners and edges of the float body must be slightly rounded with a hog file so that the fabric does not rub off longer during operation.
As practice has shown, a bicycle catamaran is especially convenient for fishermen and hunters: it is very stable, easily passes through dense thickets of aquatic plants, is completely silent and hardly noticeable on the water. You can use it to make long casts with a spinning rod, catch float rods, for jigs and for mugs. Transported on a standard, industry-produced roof rack. To do this, a wooden frame is installed on it with pads made of foam rubber or porous rubber, on which the bicycle rests with the bottoms of the floats. Fastening to the trunk is carried out using hooks with gramophone-type fasteners. This design allows special effort It takes two people to install and remove it from the trunk. To prevent unnecessary air resistance during transportation, the driver's seat is removable and the control handle is foldable.
When building a catamaran, you can make most of the metal parts yourself or use some standard bicycle parts that are sold in stores.
G. OVCHINNIKOV, engineer
Bicycle catamaran: 1 - deck, 2 - side stringer, 3 - beam frame, 4 - drive sprocket with pedals, 5 - drive chain, 6 - rudders control handle, 7 - driver's seat, 8 - seat back brace, 9 - propeller casing wheels, 10 - longitudinal tie rod, 11 - steering head, 12 - transverse tie rod, 13 - steering wheel.
Chain drive parts: node 1 - fastening the pedal pylon to the bridge, node 2 - cut along the axis of the pedals, node 3 - cut along the intermediate carriage axis, node 4 - cut along the axis of the paddle wheel.
Hull section A - A: 1 - frame frame of the float, 2 - transverse connection (bend 30X30), 3 - longitudinal connection (angle 20X20), 4 - T-shaped spars.
Section of the body B - B: 1 - float, 2 - propeller wheel casing, 3 - paddle wheel plate (blade), 4 - drum axis, 5 - driven sprocket.
Source: "Modelist-Constructor" 1975, No. 9
The asshole comments:
Damn, lame note.
Law comments:
Dear respect
The designer comments:
Modelist-Constructor is an excellent magazine!
Anton comments:
This catamaran is suitable only for children
from 10 to 15 years.
And for adults you need more than 3 times.
comments:
Fucking commentators, they didn’t do anything themselves, but here they are crap on everything
Artem comments:
Agree! If you criticize, show how you can do better!
Andr comments:
Now you don’t have to bother with plywood, just cut it out foam panels insulation, such as penoplex. You can take 5 cm of width and cut out the blanks of the sides and glue them together.
For strength, cover the top with fiberglass on epoxy or yacht varnish.
In places of fastenings, you can use pads made of waterproof plywood or plastic.
Building a catamaran
Last fall I started building a catamaran. In June the ship was ready to go out on the water. At the same time, everything was done outside the city, where we live permanently, and where we have a whole free house (which we called a boathouse), so it was possible to build a catamaran in our own premises. In addition, we are freelancing, so we could work on the catamaran at any free time - even in the morning, even during the day, even at night, without working days or weekends. That is why, I think, the catamaran was built quite quickly. Otherwise it would have taken at least a year.
The catamaran is designed as a traveling catamaran, with a carrying capacity of up to 800 kg. The dimensions of this miracle are 6 x 2.7 m (2.2 along the axes of the buildings). The bridge is 4.5 x 2.5 m. Rigidity is provided by a fairly high spider, as well as a very rigid and thick mast. The float truss is made of the same profiles, and transverse elements are installed between its upper and lower longitudinal elements. There is one pipe on top, 2 on the bottom.
The catamaran was built using an unusual material - rectangular pipes. I called it Suprematist, because there I have solid rectangles, and there is supposed to be only one round pipe - the centerboard beam. Everything else is from profiles rectangular section 80 x 40 x 2, AD31T1.
I chose these pipes primarily because they are very easy to work with, and also do not require any tricks for connecting various elements among themselves. For some reason, everyone around doesn’t like this alloy, however, reference books say that in its own way mechanical characteristics it is very close to everyone’s beloved AMg5 and AMg6.
We went on three trips on a catamaran
We placed the cargo mainly on hulls, in polyethylene barrels along the trusses. Fuel in cans was located on a hard deck. There were also a couple of lockers on the deck that contained our camp kitchen and tools - it was very convenient.
We slept in an ordinary Chinese tent, bought for a couple of thousand rubles. During the day the tent was removed and at night it was set up on the deck. In this tent we slept right on the water, which made it possible to avoid going ashore in cases where disembarkation was difficult. During the two months of travel, we never once set up a tent on the ground, even if the catamaran was on the shore.
For the first time in our travels, we had electricity. On the deck of the catamaran there was a sealed box with a car battery. The battery was powered from motor generator, and subsequently, all our electronics were charged from the battery - navigator, laptop, camera, e-reader, phones. This significantly increases the level of comfort and makes life easier.
As for alterations and modernization, there are, of course, some thoughts.
Modernization of the catamaran
1. We will most likely change the cylinders, because... their form did not suit us. We need noses with sharp stems.
2. Instead of barrels, we will use lockers, which we will also take outside the deck.
3. Let's think about the wheelhouse. But this time she was really missed.
4. Maybe we can slightly increase the deck, since the design allows this.
Otherwise, we are completely satisfied with the catamaran, as far as this is in principle possible with this type of vessel, i.e. with inflatable and collapsible.
Materials and components for the construction of a catamaran
Cylinders. The total volume of two cylinders is 3 cubic meters. We bought them from the Ukrainian company Neris. Their website is www.neriskayaks.com They cost us 20,000 rubles in 2011, but now they should cost more.
Sail. Total area 10 sq.m. We ordered them from the St. Petersburg master, Novitsky. His email: This address email protected from spam bots. You must have JavaScript enabled to view it. They cost us 10,000 rubles.
Mercury motor, 4 HP, long leg. We bought it in Moscow, from the Velkhod company. Their website is www.velhod.ru The motor cost us 43,000 rubles.
Danforth anchors – 2 pieces, 6 kg each.
Plywood for deck – 6 sheets, 1.2x2.4 m, 8 mm thickness.
50 m profile pipe 80x40x2, alloy AD31T. 20 m of profile pipe 35x35x2, alloy AD31T. Tire different sizes from the same alloy. We bought it at Listmet.
Several meters of 12x1 aluminum tube, which was used as bushings for bolts at the junction of longitudinal and transverse structural elements.
About three thousand aluminum blind rivets. We bought them at Metizy.
About a hundred different bolts, nuts, washers, mostly made of galvanized steel.
For the mast - 8 meters of 50x2 D16T pipe, for the bushings several meters of 45x2 D16T pipe. Approximately 50 m of steel cable 6x19.3 mm, of which 20 m is stainless steel.
Columbs, turnbuckles, rings, earlobes, etc.
Several meters copper tube 8x2, sold in plumbing stores. It was used for crimping the lights on the cable.
Rope in quantities.
The use of stainless fasteners, as experience has shown, does not make much sense, with the exception of some of the most small parts. Galvanized steel fasteners do not rust much. Replacing it is cheaper than buying stainless steel. Well, the advantage of galvanized fasteners is also that it does not cause electrochemical corrosion of the aluminum alloy. The same can be said about cables.
It also doesn’t make sense to spend huge sums of money on yacht components, since in other stores you can find cheaper analogues that are practically not inferior in functionality to branded components. For example, a yacht double-pulley block can cost 5,000 rubles in a yacht store, but similar products can be bought in a tourist climbing equipment store for 300 rubles. The climbing block will be made of the same steel, with the same bearings, except without a stopper.
Stage-by-stage construction of a catamaran
Frame
Now I have the “top” of the frame ready, i.e. There are no bottom boxes yet. The thing turned out to be quite powerful, the profiles themselves are quite rigid in the vertical direction, and do not resist torsion very much (which, IMHO, is good). In all places where there are holes, reinforcements are installed inside and outside, and 12x1 aluminum tubes are driven into the holes themselves (all fasteners are M10).
Rolling out of the boathouse
Construction began in November 2010, and in April 2011 I dragged catamaran cylinders, which weigh probably 50 kilograms, and in connection with this we finally dragged our catamaran under construction onto the street. A joyful event, like “rolling out of the boathouse.” Now nothing separates us from the completion of construction.
It is necessary to finish the central section of the deck, which is made of plywood sheets, supported by carlings; build a motor beam; make a mast and rigging. The most important thing, of course, is the mast and rigging, and there seems to be enough work for a couple of days, but everything is slowed down due to the lack the required pipe and a stainless strip from which I want to make spider putts. I have the steering and centerboard devices ready, but not yet installed; the varnish is drying on their parts. Well, here are the pictures that briefly show the process of assembling the catamaran.
Semi-assembled frame
Frame
Stern transom
Motor rod
I have always been inspired by fashionable parallelogram transoms, but since I know a lot about perversions, I did everything my way.
The peculiarity of my version is that to raise the motor, the transom must not be pulled up, but pressed down. After all, the motor is quite heavy, and pulling it out while balancing it somewhere on the stern beam is fraught with health risks. To raise the transom, I need to step on the bar with my foot, press hard, and put it on the stopper in one of 3 positions.
Since my motor is long-legged, I cannot lower it on the ground. The purpose of constructing such a perverse mechanism was, naturally, to reliably bury the motor during operation, in shallow water mode, and also to remove the motor head away from the water when the motor is turned off.
By the way, on all rotating axles there are bushings made of aluminum tubes. I’m thinking of something to lubricate them with that is so consistent and indelible.
On the installed motor, I gently pulled it back and forth. Everything seems to be reliable. However, when in a raised position, I would like to make some kind of reinforcement so that the entire structure does not collapse, for example, with a strong blow. Also, this whole thing does not yet have any fall protection. That is, if, when lifting and lowering, the hand slips from the handle, or the leg somehow falls off, then the whole halabuda will hit the stopper like hell. Nothing good will come from this. It would be necessary to at least make a gasket. In general, I'm also thinking about some kind of rubber bands or springs to make the work easier.
I started the engine in a barrel - the vibrations were not weak, but not fatal. In the cockpit area they mostly go out, but the aft beam vibrates, be healthy. This gave rise to a question for knowledgeable friends: how to protect bolts and nuts from loosening? Plant them on paint (not untwisted when disassembled), or maybe on growers? Maybe look for self-locking nuts, or even tighten locking nuts? The fact is that the suspension parts are connected through rubber gaskets, i.e. Do not tighten the bolts too much.
Rigging
Actually, I made a “spider” today. Due to this, the frame became really rigid. However, when I attach the mast, it will become even stiffer, since I rely specifically on the mast, as the main element that provides rigidity, and on its 8 shrouds. But there’s nothing wrong with the spider either: you sit on one corner, and the opposite one rises up - grace.
In general, everything I did was simple and unsophisticated. The spider's stand is a strong plywood centerboard well, standing in a plywood platform.
On top of this platform there will be an aluminum strip, and on it there will be a step mast. The well, I think, needs to be reinforced on the sides with stiffening ribs. In some photographs the pipes seem to be bent, but don’t be alarmed, this is lens parallax))
Mast
Well, it means that I am almost finished with the mast and standing rigging. Almost - this means that I still have to attach small gadgets to the mast and paint it. Perhaps install a two-horned spreader. Well, okay, I’ll write everything down in order.
Since from the very beginning I decided to do everything simply and according to concepts, in addition to the shrouds and the forestay, I also needed to fasten the mast with 4 forestays - two backstays and two forestays (?). These riggings were supposed to be hung on the corners of the bridge for added rigidity. The whole difficulty was that the backstays quite naturally should catch the luff of the mainsail, preventing it from turning. The simplest solution to this problem was to deliberately increase the height of the mast and raise the masthead as high as possible. However, I was dissuaded from this, and I applied another, very controversial solution. I’m still not sure about its effectiveness and reliability: I made a special poker at the top, which extends the attachment point of the backbars half a meter to the stern.
This poker is just hanging on the lying mast for now. I have repeatedly seen such a stray in pictures of real rigid boats, but I could not find anything specific about it anywhere. After thinking a little, I just decided to let it be, come what may, and cut it out of plywood. It is clear that this crap bends the mast very strongly, and immediately there is a need to install a double-horned spreader somewhere on the frame of the main shrouds. However, I was too lazy to make the spreader and diamond vents right away, so I simply inserted a long seventy-centimeter bushing into the mast in that place.
After some preparation we installed the mast. Here is the poker on the top, worth it. Everyone in the family gathered to watch this show, and it was very opportune, I tell you. Pushing a six and a half meter mast through densely overhanging spruce branches is not a task for average minds; this required the efforts of three people at once: a mother with a spear; me pulling the mast by the forestay; Natasha, running around and straightening ropes that got tangled and caught on all the ropes.
So, my standing rigging consists of 11 cables: 4 stays on the top, 2 main shrouds, a jib stay, 4 lower shrouds. This time I decided to use regular galvanized steel. It is cheaper and contains less corrosion problems than stainless steel. And there is no point in using stainless steel above the deck. On the kayak, in any case, the galvanization served well for two seasons and is still in good condition.
The mast itself is made using purely collective farm technologies. The lypaz is made from a tube cut lengthwise and screwed to the main pipe with self-tapping screws. The joint between the lip seal and the main pipe is generously and neatly sealed silicone sealant. The mast consists of three bends: 2.5m - 1.5m - 2.5m. The bushings are deliberately made as long as possible, and 70 cm pieces are inserted below and above for reinforcement. Yes, the mast is made non-rotating, the main pipe is 50x2 D16T. I really didn’t want to use this alloy because of its sensitivity to corrosion, but there were no other pipes anywhere. Initially, I wanted to take an 80x2 pipe, but with such fat pipes on the bases it turned out to be a strain. As a result, I have a thin mast, secured by a whole bunch of cables. It's fine, strong.
Steps is not finished yet, it needs to be somehow powerfully and stupidly strengthened.
When I had adjusted all the ropes, we began to lift the mainsail together. Despite all my fears, he entered the clinic easily and naturally.
By the way, I ordered the sails from Sergei Novitsky. This is an absolutely wonderful sailmaker who does his work with the utmost quality and understands perfectly what exactly the customer needs, even if the customer himself does not understand this. And now the grotto has stood up just fine.
Then we attached a whishbon to the sail, which I bent on a nearby birch tree and ingeniously ended with bushing tubes and aluminum strips. Since I don’t have any cleats or stoppers installed anywhere yet, all the ropes are tied just anywhere.
Fortunately, today the weather turned out to be windy, so we were able to see the entire system practically in action. Hanging freely, the mainsail, of course, has small folds, but when inflated by the wind, it smoothes out and takes on the correct shape. Plus there is an easy opportunity to bend the mast any way you like.
My top-of-the-line poker also worked. The mainsail only slightly clings to the leeward backstay, and the mast during operation, contrary to fears, does not bend at all. Again, the bridge, due to all these gears, has become noticeably more rigid than without them, just with the lower and main cables. I checked this by hanging the corners and pulling them - the entire bridge sways, twisting quite a bit.
Actually, here it is. Now all that’s left is to go get the jib for the jib and finally install it. I'm still worried about how the mast will behave with the jib. Then I will decide whether I need a paint sprayer.
Well, in general, there are mere little things left :)
This is where our entry ends for now. Please ask questions about what else we should describe and explain.
Inflatable catamarans differ quite greatly in hull type. Today, planing modifications are considered the most common. Additionally, displacement configurations are available. Assembling a catamaran on your own is quite difficult. However, if you pick up everything necessary materials, then this can be done. It is also important to carefully follow the drawings during assembly. To study this issue in detail, it is best to familiarize yourself with the most interesting models of catamarans that exist.
Modification with rowlock
To assemble an inflatable rowlock (the drawings are shown below), first of all, two floats are prepared. They must be at least 3.5 meters in length. The oarlock itself is designed to hold the mast. After securing the floats, you can proceed to the steering column.
For this, a pipe with a diameter of about 3.5 cm is most often used. Next, a stock is installed on the float. To secure it properly, you need to use beams. Next you need to install the stringer. The steering column is mounted only after the tiller. It is most often selected in a rectangular shape. The locker should be installed with great tension. For the mast, a pipe with a diameter of at least 5.5 cm is taken. The sail is selected separately in this case. In the end, all that remains is to secure the tensioners.
Model with mooring beam
To collect from mooring beam DIY inflatable catamaran, floats are installed as standard. The distance between them must be at least 1.2 meters. Only after this will it be possible to install the stock. In this case, beams must be selected with stops. At the next stage it is important to prepare the beam. It must be installed along the float.
The locker in this case should be located above the boom. After this, the catamaran deck itself is knocked down. Next, you can install the mast. For this purpose, a corresponding hole is made on the beam. Direct fastening must take place with the participation of tensioners. Then you need to install a tiller to control the catamaran. At the end of the work, all that remains is to tension the sail.
Catamaran with ropes
The model is assembled with a stretcher (drawings of the inflatable catamaran are shown below) quite simply. In this case, work must begin with calculations of the length of the floats. As a rule, they are prepared with a diameter of about 0.5 meters. After this, you can begin installing the stringer. For this purpose, it is first necessary to install the stock. As a rule, it is used in a rectangular shape. Next, it is important to immediately attach the stand to it.
A tiller can also be connected for control. The next step is to knock down the deck on the catamaran. For this purpose, boards 1.2 meters long are suitable. The locker is installed only after the boom. The guy wire should be mounted directly on the swivel. To do this, you need to prepare four screws. At the end of the work, the mast is installed. You also need to take care of the tensioners.
Model with centerboard (PVC)
Inflatable PVC (polyvinyl chloride) catamarans with centerboards are quite common these days. In this case, it is more appropriate to start work by installing the beam. After this, it will be possible to fix two floats. Beams for catamarans are most often wooden. However, they can also be made from aluminum plate.
In this case, stringers must be selected with a length of at least 3 meters, but much in this situation depends on the width of the floats. The next step is to install the stand. The centerboard is attached directly to it. It is necessary to control the catamaran. You can change its position thanks to the tiller. It is installed on the stand using screws. At this stage it is very important to securely fix the support.
Reviews of catamarans with a locker
A homemade inflatable catamaran of this type is quite rare today. Underarms are designed to control the model. If you believe the reviews, when assembling it is initially important to secure the floats. Regular ones are suitable for this. wooden boards. In this case, you can use a wooden baller.
The minimum length of the stringer should be about 2.5 m. According to experts, beams on a catamaran are installed only after the rack. The tiller for the model can be selected in a small size. At this stage it is important to securely fix the tensioner. This can be done using wrench. Then the undercoat is installed. You can secure it to the stand using screws. However, it should not block the swivel.
Modification with longitudinal beams
With longitudinal beams, the inflatable catamaran (photo shown below) is very durable. In order to assemble the model, you need to prepare two floats. They must be at least 4.5 meters long. After this, the stringer itself is assembled. You can weld it yourself using a pipe with a diameter of 3 cm. After this, it will be possible to install a stand. For this, boards should be selected about 1.3 meters long.
The best tensioners for catamarans are the steel type. The beams at this stage must be laid very carefully. Their front part should face towards the deck. To fix them, many experts recommend using screws. After securing them, all that remains is to install the hook with the mast.
Reviews of models with transverse beams
With transverse beams, the inflatable catamaran has mostly positive reviews. Assembling the model must begin with the preparation of two floats. If you believe the reviews, they must be at least 35 cm in diameter. The next step is to secure the stock. Beams in this case are used only with supports. Their thickness should be at least 2.2 mm. After this, the stringer is directly fixed. It must be at least 2.5 mm in diameter. The next step is to install a stand on the catamaran. According to experts, its minimum height should be 1.2 meters.
To make it yourself, you need to use metal pipe with a diameter of 2.3 cm. After this, a steel locker is attached to the catamaran. It is important to use screws to secure it. They will fit with the M6 marking. In this situation, a small tiller can be used. Next, all that remains is to fix the boom. For this purpose, first of all, the tension is installed, and then the swivel is fixed. After this, you can mount the mast directly. The sail must be selected separately for the catamaran. When assembling tensioners, many experts recommend using small widths.
Catamaran with winding seal
Inflatable catamarans of this type are considered quite common today. The floats in this case are fixed rigidly. It is necessary to begin assembling the model by marking the future deck. After this, the float is fixed. In this situation, it is important to select a solid type baller. Its maximum thickness should be 2.3 mm. Many experts recommend using aluminum beams. They have fairly little wear. It should also be taken into account that stringers are selected based on the width of the floats.
The tiller, in turn, should be 1.2 meters long. Otherwise, driving the catamaran will be uncomfortable. The tiller stand must be made from steel pipe. It should be at least 2.3 cm in diameter. The boom in this situation is aluminum. Winding the seal must begin from the tiller side. At the location of the rack it will have to be interrupted. In this case, it is important to fix the seal using a tensioner. Then the swivel is attached. Next, the winding needs to be extended to the bow.
Assembling the device with a stopper
Inflatable catamarans with a stopper are not easy to fold. The problem in this case is finding the right baller. Its minimum thickness must be 2.3 mm. You can make it yourself from a steel plate. To do this you will have to use welding inverter. First of all, a rectangular sheet is cut out. Next you need to weld two supports. Their height should be no more than 3.4 cm.
All this is necessary in order to be securely attached to the boom. Next, the stringer is folded. It is important to use only aluminum pipe for this. In order to secure the stopper, you need to prepare four screws in advance. First of all, the holes on the stringer are faked. The first of them should be located at a distance of 2 cm from the front edge. The remaining three holes for the stopper are made at the rear. Next, it is important to secure the stopper using tensioners.
Models with duralumin sheets
To assemble inflatable catamarans of this type, you need to prepare four sheets. However, first of all, experts advise taking measurements of the floats. Their minimum length must be 3.5 meters. After this, the deck is fixed. It's quite easy to make from boards. In this case, their minimum length must be 1.2 meters. After this, you can immediately install the stand. At this stage you will have to use a welding inverter. The support should be located directly above the stand.
The sheets are laid on the tiller side. In order to prepare the deck for this, it is important to install the swivel right away. Many experts recommend using steel tensioners. The sheets can be secured using screws marked M6. Additionally, you need to install clamping rings for better fixation. After installing the sheets, it is necessary to begin manufacturing the mast. Then all that remains is to lock the tiller to control the model.
Fishing becomes comfortable and effective when using swimming devices that allow you to fish anywhere in the river and quickly move around the reservoir. Catamarans for fishing are especially popular among lovers of quiet hunting.
The advantage of a catamaran is: light weight design, it can be transported by passenger vehicles. Inflatable models are packed in a special backpack, and the non-disassembling parts are secured to the roof of the car. The models are characterized by easy movement at any speed and stability on waves.
A popular remedy for fishing— catamarans for fishing under motor. It allows you to expand the range of fishing spots, you can choose the best sites for biting. One person can assemble and disassemble the catamaran: its parts are assembled within half an hour, which makes the device mobile and convenient.
The deck is half a meter higher than the water surface, which saves fishermen from the waves, and rainfall does not accumulate inside the frame. There is no need to bail out the water; it drains into the gaps of the deck, making the catamaran easy to wash. From below, inflatable catamarans are protected by a beam from rubbing against the surface of the bottom or shore of a reservoir.
The main advantages of a catamaran-type vessel are:
- high frame stability;
- spacious and high deck;
- high load capacity;
- durable bottom;
- large air compartments;
- easy assembly and disassembly;
- easy care and cleaning from dirt;
- safety of use.
Specifications
The catamaran consists of two air cylinders and a frame, which can be inflatable or rigid, made of aluminum. When assembled, the entire structure fits in a backpack, which is convenient for transportation.
The weight of the craft often does not exceed 20 kg. Motor catamarans are heavier because they have a stronger foundation, but they also use lightweight materials in their construction. The dimensions of the products are different, they reach a length of 4-6 meters.
Sustainability
The catamaran is a stable structure; it easily rides the wave, receiving a minimum of impacts. Spray formation is small at any speed, which is comfortable for passengers. With a wave height of 0.5 m, the stability of the structure is superior to other models. Catamarans are stable on course and easily maintain a given trajectory.
The watercraft is able to withstand the influence of external forces, its lateral stability resists the forces of the turning moment. Longitudinal stability resists piles on the stern or bow - a longitudinal turning moment (turning over the stern). The large distance between the cylinders and proper weight distribution increase the stability of the product.
The safety of a catamaran is greater than that of boat models. The stability of its structure is much higher. Boat overturns are possible when there is a load on board, which often happens when fishing for fish when the craft rolls. Using inflatable structures, even several people can be on the same board without the danger of it tilting or capsizing. This craft cannot be capsized or sunk.
Usable space
Catamarans are much wider than monohull models, resulting in almost twice the usable space of boats. Decks with a width of 2 m can be from 2.5 to 4 m long; an awning or tent is installed on a large area.
Fishermen place a table and chairs (armchairs) on the deck area, as well as fishing equipment and everything necessary for the trip. The deck is of sufficient size allowing you to move freely inside the catamaran. The models have a comfortable tension or rigid deck that can accommodate from 2 to 10 passengers.
Economical
Due to their design, catamaran models have reduced drag. Their weight is divided between the air hulls, creating little drag compared to boats. The speed of a catamaran is 20-40% higher than that of a boat with the same load.
Catamarans accelerate to 20-25 km/h when using smaller engines that consume little fuel. The fuel consumption of these models is one third lower than that of boats. Fishing models have a transom for a motor up to 10 hp, but they often use small engines from 2 to 5 hp.
Load capacity
A loaded craft can dive below the optimal depth, but overloading a catamaran will only worsen its speed characteristics: for it to sink, the cargo must be three times its carrying capacity. This means that with a carrying capacity of 500 kg, an overload of up to 1500 kg will be critical for this craft.
Catamarans have a carrying capacity of 300 to 500 kg; the load does not affect its stability and speed. Despite their light weight, the models have a large carrying capacity; they can accommodate boxes for transporting catch, fishing equipment and many other necessary loads. The number of passengers is from 2 to 10 people. Unsinkability under overload is a big advantage of the catamaran design compared to boat models.
Maneuverability
The maneuverability of the vessel is its agility when maneuvering to the right or left of the geometric center of the structure and the possibility of reverse movement. Catamaran structures have good maneuverability—quickly turning and returning to their original position. The raised bow and stern increase the maneuverability of the vessel.
Types of catamarans
Types of catamarans differ in the technical solution of the parts of the vessel:
- deck arrangements;
- installation of transverse beams for floor rigidity (beams);
- supports of different heights.
With flexible and rigid locker
The description of catamarans contains information about materials for deck construction. The locker of a catamaran can be flexible or rigid. Models with a flexible locker are easier to stack during assembly and transportation, while rigid structures are more reliable and convenient to use, but take up a lot of space during transportation.
The tension deck is made of PVC fabric, lined around the perimeter with slings with loops for fastening to the frame. The boom of these catamarans is of medium thickness, the air valve is near the stringer, and the fasteners are cross-shaped. Flexible types use polyvinyl chloride (PVC) material with a high density of 800 g/sq.m. Large cylinders can be installed on these models.
Rigid locker structures are made of boards, plywood and other dense but lightweight materials. Two supports are attached under the model, the cylinders are located on different sides of the stringer, the density of the PVC materials used is 700 g/sq.m. The supports are attached above the firmware, the air valves - above the boom. There are options with stockers, the cylinders in which are installed above the boom. On vessels with a rigid locker they fish in shallow water.
Models for two and three beams
Catamaran models for fishing have two or three beams that serve to strengthen the structure. The higher the protection of the frame, the greater the passenger capacity and other technical characteristics.
Models with two beams - for two passengers. The supports are installed at a low height. Load capacity - up to 300 kg, vessel length - up to 3.4 m, stringer diameter - 1.3 mm, cylinders - rubber patches, fastening - in the form of crosses. Can be equipped with flexible lockers. These designs are in demand among fishermen.
Catamarans with three beams are four-seater. Load capacity - up to 500 kg, air valves - near the stringer. The lockers are hard, sometimes the boom is made of rubber. Vessel options with two legs are popular. These flotation devices are made of high-density materials.
With low and high support
Supports of different heights affect the installation of motors of different power. Small models have low technical parameters, large vessels with powerful engines have higher quality characteristics.
Models with low supports are designed for installing low-power motors. Their carrying capacity is 300 kg, the air cylinders have a small diameter. It is possible to use rubber booms and ballers. The stringers are attached to PVC pads.
To use powerful motors, catamarans with high legs are produced. These models feature a rigid aluminum frame, large-diameter cylinders (density 800 g/sq.m.), and 1.4 mm thick stringers. The supports are additionally secured with braces. The length of such a catamaran reaches 4 meters.
Inflatable catamarans
When moving, the inflatable catamaran comes into contact with the water only with its cylinders; the deck and frame remain above its surface. This reduces water resistance and increases speed. Nowadays, balloon chambers with high pressure(250−300 mbar), in the manufacture of which reinforced PVC materials are used.
The use of single-layer cylinders made of durable materials reduces the weight of the craft and increases their rigidity. Inflatable catamaran models expand the capabilities of fishermen; with their help, users of a collapsible vessel get into the most inaccessible places of the reservoir, delivering the craft to the shore using personal vehicles.
How to build a catamaran with a motor with your own hands
Only a good craftsman can construct such a craft on his own. But sometimes a catamaran with your own hands becomes better than the factory version; the owner has the opportunity to adjust the parameters and characteristics of the vessel to his needs.
First, the future model is designed: its detailed drawings, after which general drawing is divided into separate drawings of all parts of the vessel. Then a frame is made (usually from duralumin). The next stage is the production of air cylinders from durable PVC of specified dimensions (length 3.5-4 m). The cylinders are equipped with valves for air injection.
IN homemade version You can install the stock with tension. The assembly of the structure is completed by installing the stringers and deck. An important stage of design is checking all parts of the craft for reliability. Special attention You need to pay attention to the tightness of the air cylinders. A high-quality homemade catamaran is always the pride of the owner.
Building a catamaran with your own hands is quite simple. If you want to make a homemade catamaran for fishing, a foam catamaran, an inflatable catamaran, a catamaran for rafting or any other purposes, then in this article we will try to briefly describe the main stages of building such watercraft.
This means of water transportation is especially important for those who live in close proximity to the sea, lake, river or any other body of water. And sometimes making a catamaran can become a vital necessity, so such a craft must have the appropriate strength and reliability. And if you are not a billionaire who can order any vessel from a design bureau, then we suggest you make a catamaran, which you can use with your own hands for various purposes: tourism, fishing, recreation or even travel.
Compared to a kayak, boat or yacht, a catamaran has many advantages. This is, first of all, higher reliability, stability, light weight, comfort and the ability to overcome rapids when rafting from rivers.
For a sea catamaran, drawings and preliminary calculations are necessary so that it does not turn out that the vessel has a high windage or capsizes, even on small waves.
Thanks to the detailed and well-designed drawings of the catamaran, you can independently and without expensive equipment make, for example, a sailing catamaran that will fully meet all your requirements.
Such a floating craft, made by hand according to a pre-developed scheme or sketches, will differ:
- High seaworthiness, reliability and required speed,
- Light weight, as a result, the ability to be transported to any distance,
- Accommodation required quantity seating areas,
- If necessary, it is possible to provide for the installation of an additional engine.
The drawing of the catamaran should show all the details of our vessel and describe the sequence of construction operations. The dimensions we need should also be there.
Let's look at a few drawings for catamarans:
Catamaran for fishing
If you are interested in catamarans for fishing, which you can make yourself, then you do not need to have specialized equipment at your disposal. production premises or special technical skills.
The construction of a catamaran should begin with the need to decide on the size of the future vessel. Based on the available sizes, we purchase plywood and wood. In principle, you can use any wood, as long as it is not very expensive and floats well. For example, you can purchase 1 cubic meter of pine, its average price is 3,400 rubles. Also, we will need plywood, 4 mm thick - about 8 square meters(it’s better to take it with a reserve), it will cost us about 700 rubles.
We begin the work of building a catamaran with our own hands by creating the hull of the future vessel. The first stage is the installation of the beam. For connection components our catamaran, you need to purchase high-quality screws of different sizes. 
Fishing catamarans must have high-strength hulls. The most optimal length is considered to be 6 meters. Be prepared for the fact that when creating a catamaran with your own hands, you will need to recalculate its dimensions several times. This is normal, because as construction progresses, new ideas will begin to appear to improve the strength or seaworthiness of your vessel.
When building a catamaran yourself, special attention should be paid to the sub-mast beam. As practice shows, its measurements and calculations are done several times. When building such a sailing vessel with your own hands, you need to be extremely precise and careful.
We build a reliable catamaran from foam plastic
A self-made foam catamaran cannot be sunk; it is durable and easy to use.
Let's look at building this floating craft with our own hands with dimensions of 3750 x 1600 mm, plate thickness of 40 to 150 mm, float height of 200 mm and width of 400 mm. The cutting of the plates is carried out using a special device - nichrome wire heated to 200-250°C or on a special machine.
To make a pleasure catamaran from foam plastic, we will need: 2 diaphragms in the bow, 4 partitions and 4 frames. All these parts are made from plywood with a thickness of 12 mm.
Tightening pipes (duralumin) are used to secure parts, but thin-walled steel pipes can also be used. On pipes with a diameter of half an inch, you need to make a thread yourself using a die or ratchet.
Before assembling the floats for the catamaran, epoxy glue or oil paint is applied to the wide surfaces of the plates, after which they are tightened with steel tubes using ties. Now thin calico or fiberglass in several layers is glued onto a homemade catamaran using epoxy resin or oil paint.
The front part of the catamaran floats is also made by hand using corners measuring 25x25 mm (aluminum is used), after which it is sheathed with aluminum sheets 0.5 mm thick.
The covers, made of sheet duralumin plywood 1-1.5 mm thick, are fastened with screws to the corners of the bow, which in turn are placed on the ends of the coupling pipes and secured with nuts. The final stage of making the bow is filling it with pieces of foam and closing it with a lid.
The construction of the deck is carried out from slats and wooden blocks. The finished structure is independently attached to the frames using 8 bolts and nuts. If you want to move faster on a catamaran and even against the wind, then you can install a motor in its stern or use oars.
DIY inflatable catamaran
An inflatable catamaran must have a drum-shaped or spindle-shaped float.
As a rule, floats have a two-layer design: internal inflatable chambers, as well as a protective outer shell. If you want to build an inflatable catamaran so that it has high survivability, then you can use internal chambers with two compartments. Such cameras cost about 10,000 rubles each, you also need to have oars - their price is on average 3,000 rubles. for a couple. It would also be a good idea to have life jackets, which will cost you at least 1,000 rubles. for each. In general, if you want to build such a catamaran with your own hands, then you need to have a budget of about 35,000 rubles.
One skin is designed to fit two short cameras. Therefore, you need to take into account that they overlap in length by at least 2 diameters, otherwise you will not be able to avoid “constrictions” on the float.
Do-it-yourself insertion of an inflatable chamber into a catamaran boat is carried out into the skin of the float through the holes, which, as a rule, are located at the ends of the skin. All this is done in the following sequence:
- Place the camera next to one of the holes,
- We put the skin on the hand through another hole,
- We pull the camera into the skin,
- We bend the ends by about 10 cm. This is done in order to reduce the load on the end seam, and also to bring the curved ends of the chamber into the front and back of the skin.
An inflatable tourist catamaran with simple hatches does not have fasteners, because during the process of inflating the chambers, they will close on their own. When inserting two chambers into one skin, the chambers must be placed one on top of the other, and then the skins must be drawn in simultaneously.
The tube that inflates the chambers comes out of the skin through one of the hatches. As a rule, the working pressure in the chambers is no more than 0.1 atm. When taking the catamaran ashore, it should be placed in the shade or the pressure in the chamber should be slightly reduced.
To inflate the chambers yourself, a variety of boat pumps with an adapter that fits the chamber hose can be used. On average, pumping 1m3 of float takes 20 minutes. To inflate a float catamaran, it is better not to use hand pumps, otherwise after inflating the chambers you will no longer want to swim anywhere, so it is best to grab a foot pump or an automatic pump.
Rafting catamaran
Rafting on a catamaran is always exciting. Therefore, if you want to quickly and without specialized equipment make a catamaran for rafting, then carefully read our step by step instructions manufacture of this watercraft.
In addition to the catamaran itself, for rafting we will need:
- Wetsuit (price from 10,000 rubles).
- Life jacket. Its cost is at least 1000 rubles.
- Helmet (from 1500 rub.).
- Boots (from 2000 rub.).
- Protective clothing. Its cost is from 5000 rubles.
Stage 1: Assembling the deck. We independently fasten two gondolas, already inflated with air, together at a distance of approximately 90 cm, preferably with aluminum tubes.
It is important that sand or pebbles do not get inside already inflated cylinders small sizes. Otherwise, the camera may be punctured from the inside.
Stage 2: We pump up the nacelles. There is no need to inflate them completely. Just pump it up a little so you can install the deck and then tighten it down. Then, we fully inflate the gondolas, otherwise your catamaran will have poor stability.
Stage 3: Install the deck and tighten it with ropes. The gondola should already have loops through which the rope goes. Wrap the rope around the deck once and insert it into the loop.
Stage 4: The water catamaran for launching must have a bottom, which is a tarpaulin, which is attached to the edges of the deck with ties. It should be tightened in such a way that it does not turn out too tight, but everything holds well.
That’s all, as you can see, it’s very easy to make a catamaran for descending from mountain rivers with your own hands!
Sailing catamaran has some features
Before you make your own catamaran and sail with it, you must understand that this vessel has an outer shell that provides strength, including an internal chamber that is responsible for the tightness of the structure. The presence of contours reduces water resistance when sailing. The frame catamaran itself is made of duralumin tubes, supported by bolts using shaped nuts.
The design of the catamaran described below has a rudder and provides for a sail. Almost all components can be made independently; only a small amount of turning work is required.
Before you start building this boat, you must have a catamaran diagram, following which you will get a quality thing.
Floats
There will be two of them in our model and each of them is filled with air. In cross section, these elements have the shape of a circle. The floats have practically no cylindrical sections, and they differ in the stern and bow sections.
The float includes an inner chamber and an outer shell, which is 15% smaller than the size of the chamber. This is necessary to ensure that the camera is always in a tense state and ensures its safety. Making the camera yourself is one of the key operations, so it takes a lot of time. If this element is made of synthetic materials, then it will last quite a long time, and if it is made of rubber, then its durability will be somewhat lower, but the price will also be more affordable.
Uncover
If it is impossible to cut out the chamber from a single piece of material, the panel must be glued from pieces, and this must be done with an overlap. The seam should be at least 3 cm wide, and in its place additional strips of fabric should be glued. The back of the camera, which resembles the shape of a sleeve, is twisted and tied with a rubber band during the assembly process.
The self-made design of the sleeve provides the possibility of drying and repairing it. In addition, a special valve used for the boat should be glued into the chamber in front of the bow rowers. It can even be used to pump up this water on the go. vehicle. Therefore, your cruising catamaran will always be afloat, and a walk on it will bring great pleasure.
To make the bottom of a catamaran with your own hands, you should also cut it out from a single piece of cloth or its individual pieces, and then fasten them together. Then, it is necessary to sew the lower and upper shell parts from the limbs to the middle. The recutting of parts must be carried out with maximum precision - this must be done to ensure the correct shape and avoid wrinkles on the float.
Bridge
It is usually aluminum, made from tubes of different sizes and diameters, along with fastenings, which are bolts and studs. The stringers are made of two elements connected by a sleeve, which is attached with glue to the back of the catamaran and secured with a pin. The ends of the stringers are secured using a plug, which can be made of any materials and securely secured with shaped nuts.
Deck
This catamaran element has rectangular shape, and it is made from a cloth of dense varieties of nylon. The size of this element depends on the type of frame we have assembled.
When making a deck with your own hands, along its perimeter, the edges of the panel should be turned in 30 mm, and then stitched. Now we install the grommets used to secure the bridge to the deck. Lacing should be done from the middle of the float to its end point.
Sails and mast
It is best to make a sail for a catamaran with your own hands from three duralumin tubes, each of which is inserted into each other. But you can also build wooden rods with connecting strips. When carrying a watercraft, spar elements are inserted into the long parts of the mast - gaff and composite, which are made from duralumin ski poles or tubes of the required diameter.
The bottom of the mast is attached to the middle of a second beam with four shrouds and tensioners from the top of the mast to the ends of the cross beams.
If necessary, the sail for a catamaran can be independently increased or decreased in size, depending on your experience in managing such watercraft.
Motor catamaran
How to make a catamaran with your own hands, which will be easy to sail on water, on waves and even against the wind? A homemade plywood catamaran is not suitable for this, because you need something more “serious”. Therefore, we suggest you make a motor catamaran, as they say, “from improvised means.” The engine from a moped will be used as a motor.
To make a good motor craft, you need to install a moped on the catamaran frame in the center, which will be securely held by transverse beams.
We recommend making the case from hardboard, 4 mm thick. Having bent the workpiece, we drill holes at a distance of 50 mm. Now we sew the body together using copper wire, gluing a transom board and two frames there. After everything is dry, glue the joints and remove the wire. Then we coat the seams with glue and fix them with strips of fabric in three layers.
You need to glue fiberglass into the hull, and make the deck out of hardboard, then glue it to the hull using copper wire and epoxy glue. WITH inside We cover the body with parquet varnish, and from the outside we glue everything with fiberglass.
Now we begin to use pine bars as beams cross section, attaching them to the frames with epoxy glue. Using clamps, we attach bearings to the ends of the housing, which we previously bent from three-millimeter metal strips.
The motor catamaran is controlled using rudder feathers. They are cut out of plywood, 12 mm thick, after which they are hung and secured using hinges and homemade hinges.
Now, we independently remove the wheel from the moped and secure it using the axles of the studs in the front and rear mounting points. Next, we replace the chain with a longer one so that we can pass it through the engine, which is located on the paddle wheel.
The design of the catamaran can use a diesel, gasoline engine or electric motor of any manufacturer. The main thing is that it weighs a little.
You must have a diagram of how to make a catamaran; this will allow you to avoid miscalculations and speed up its construction.
Sea catamaran
Do you want to know how to make a good catamaran with your own hands, which will only take a few days to make? Then carefully read this article.
First you need to prepare the slats. Four of them should be three meters long, and two should be 1.9 meters long. We also need four segments of 570-600 millimeters each. Obviously, a pair of top slats placed below will give the frames the opportunity to sit firmly in place. Using screws, we secure the cross members, after which we lay the keel rail, screwing it to frames 1, 5 and 6. Now the frame is strong enough and the future sea catamaran can be turned on its side so that the top slats can be attached to the frames.
Don’t forget to buy a board 50 millimeters thick, which we will subsequently use to cut out the front and back bosses, but here we should take into account that they must be cone-shaped.
Sheathing
The central part has a width of 823 millimeters, which is very easy to cut with your own hands. It can easily be bent to the shape of the frame, because we pre-impregnated it with drying oil. However, this matter cannot be rushed. To simplify our work, we tie the workpieces together with wire or ropes, leaving them in this position for several days. Also keep in mind that the plywood will be attached with nails, but you need to coat the fastening points (slats and frames) with oil-based paint in advance. Also, special attention should be paid to the joints on the frames.
Deck
In order for a pleasure catamaran to sail on the sea, it must have a reliable deck, which is made of plywood. To improve the strength of this element, we nail slats every 300-350 mm. If you are not sure about the strength of plywood, then it can be laid in 2 layers - on top of each other. Where the pedals are installed, the distance between the rails should not interfere with their rotation.
Mover
Our cruising catamaran for sea travel will have a rowing drive made by hand from parts from a bicycle. We will be using two frames with pedals and carriage assemblies. We flatten the cut ends of the frames, after which we attach them to the deck rail using screws, and between the pedals we install spacer bushings ranging in size from 120 to 130 mm, and we connect the pedals themselves with long pins.
Now, we install paddle wheels on the catamaran, which we make from bicycle wheels. We cut out the blades from rubber, 4-6 mm thick, and then wrap them with wire to the knitting needles. One wheel should have 5-6 blades.
Functional area
The seat of a do-it-yourself catamaran is made of slats and plywood, and their cross-section should be 25x25 millimeters. It is attached to the deck after installing the propeller drive, so that the slats below do not touch the tensioned chain. All elements should be secured with screws so that, if necessary, their position can be adjusted.
Now we begin to manufacture the steering, which will be made of plywood and slats. The size of our steering wheel will be 200x320 millimeters. To the right steering wheel, using slats, we nail a plywood bracket, each side of which is 200 millimeters. Then we run a rod from it to the lever - it should be installed on the side, next to the seat. As axes of transverse and longitudinal rods, you can use thick nails with holes drilled through them, otherwise the rods will simply burst.
To make a motor sea catamaran with your own hands, you will definitely need drawings, because this is the only way to guarantee the accuracy of the calculations and the correctness of the geometric shapes of the craft. And after its construction, you can safely go on a cruise.
Pleasure catamaran
We will build a pleasure catamaran from foam plastic, dimensions 3950x1800 mm. The float has a height of 250 mm and a width of 450 mm, the thickness of its plates ranges from 40 to 150 mm.
To make this vessel we will need approximately 2 m3 of foam and about 5 sq. meters of plywood. Polystyrene foam costs approximately 2000 rubles. per square meter, and plywood is about 250 rubles. per sheet, 4 mm thick.
Before you start assembling the floats, you need to cover the wide surfaces of the plates with epoxy glue, and then tighten them with pipes using nuts. Now, the external surfaces need to be covered with fiberglass or thin calico folded in several layers.
We make the front part of the catamaran separately with our own hands, using corners made of aluminum or stainless steel, measuring 30x30 mm, then the resulting structure is sheathed with sheet aluminum, 0.5 mm thick. Our foam plastic pleasure catamaran has metal structure, which is fastened with bolts and angles.
Further, building a catamaran yourself involves attaching plywood or duralumin covers to the corners of the bow using screws. The front part of our floating device is mounted on the ends of the coupling pipes, after which they are secured with nuts. The cavity is filled with pieces of foam plastic and closed.
The deck is assembled using bars and slats, and the resulting structure is attached to the frames using eight bolts and nuts. To move on water with greater comfort, you can install a small motor with a power of up to 5 hp. or rowing.
Sail for catamaran
An inflatable sailing catamaran must have a mast and appropriate fastenings, the manufacturing process of which we will now consider. Before you make a catamaran yourself, you need to first decide what height your mast will be, as well as where the shrouds and shrouds will be attached.
Having all the dimensions of your future sail, you can order its sewing from the appropriate studio, but in order to avoid manufacturing defects and if you have the appropriate equipment, you can sew the sails yourself.
But before sewing the sail, we will make the mast. The best option is to make it from three duralumin tubes, which will be inserted into each other. But there are also methods for making masts from rods with connecting strips.
If you want to move the sailing catamaran, then other elements are inserted into the long parts of the mast, which are made from aluminum ski poles or tubes of the appropriate diameter. The base of the mast is attached to the middle of the second beam and four cables having tension devices from the top of the mast to the ends of the first and third cross beams.
A home-made inflatable sailing catamaran is equipped with feather percale sails, which should consist of a mainsail and a jib, and their area is 7 square meters. m. These sails, which are installed on the mast, have a height of 3600 mm, plus there is a jib. All this equipment makes it possible for the catamaran to reach speeds of up to 10 km/h with a tailwind.
DIY plywood catamaran
To ensure that the frame and other power elements of this water vehicle are as durable as possible, we will use pine slats with bars, the cross-section of which ranges from 25x40 to 60x100 mm, and their cost is approximately 7,000 rubles. per cubic meter meter - that’s exactly how much material we’ll need.
The floats are covered with waterproof plywood, the thickness of which is 6 mm. The cost of such plywood is 300 rubles. per sheet, and its size is 1525×1525 mm. We will need approximately 4 sheets. For the manufacture of frames we will use plywood, 9 mm thick, its price is about 400 rubles. per sheet. You also need to buy 4 sheets.
External waterproofing is carried out using reinforcing layers of fiberglass, which are pre-impregnated with polyester or epoxy resin. Such fiberglass costs about 80 rubles. for 1 sq. m., it will need about 20 squares, since we will glue it overlapping. The price of epoxy resin is approximately 7,000 rubles. for a 3 liter jar.
The wooden elements of the body are fastened together with bolts and self-tapping screws with a hidden head.
A homemade catamaran made of plywood with your own hands is much easier to build than a boat, because it is assembled on a simple slipway, which is a flat base made of boards with racks fixed vertically.
You need to assemble your future vessel with your own hands in the following sequence:
- We install our platform on the ground in a horizontal position, and place the racks to which we will attach the frames at a right angle.
- Using pre-made drawings of the catamaran, you need to independently cut two sets of frames with two identical transom boards.
- Using self-tapping screws, in the technological cutout of all transverse bulkheads, we install and fasten wooden stringers made from bars, 40x40 mm in size, after which we make zygomatic stringers from slats with a cross-section of 25x40 mm.
- Now, using the same principle, we install a figured stem with a cross-section of 50x90 mm.
- After the frame is assembled, we check all its dimensions so that they correspond to the drawings.
In order not to get confused in the sequence of all operations, you can take photos of them. Now you know how to make a catamaran from plywood, the only thing is that before starting work, keep in mind that the budget for such a vessel is about 20,000 rubles. But with such a catamaran, good fishing is guaranteed!
Tourist catamaran
Our tourist boat will be made of polystyrene foam. A frame for a catamaran of this type is not needed. Before assembling the float, its component elements should be coated with epoxy glue, after painting with oil paint. Then, we tighten all these parts using nuts and steel tubes. After that, we glue each outer surface thin material, for example, calico or fiberglass, pre-folded in 2-3 layers.
If you want to build a catamaran with a high degree of reliability, then its bow should be made separately, using aluminum corners measuring 25x25 mm. After that, we begin to sheathe it with sheet aluminum, the thickness of which is 0.5 mm. By the way, one sheet of aluminum costs approximately 1,500 rubles, and we will need 3 of them.
Under the sheet aluminum there must be a plywood diaphragm, which is fastened with angles and bolts. Aluminum casing that connects metal parts, held in place with rivets.
Now we make the bow part with our own hands. We attach covers made of plywood or thin-sheet duralumin to the corners of the floats using screws. After this, the bow part is connected to the main one, then it is put on the ends of the pipes. All this is now tightly connected with nuts. To make the deck of our watercraft, we use bars and wooden slats, fastening them together in increments of 10-15 cm.
Now you know how to make a catamaran yourself and go on a boat trip on the body of water closest to your home. On average, it takes 2-3 days to build such a vessel.
Catamaran made of pipes
The basis of such a water vehicle is aluminum pipes connected to each other to form a frame. We will attach cylinders inflated with air to it.
But first we need to buy all this. Therefore, keep in mind that 1 meter of the pipe we need, with a diameter of 16 mm, costs about 26 rubles, and we will need 30 meters of such pipes - no less. Inflatable cylinders cost at least 25,000 rubles. for a couple.
Such cylinders must have a structure consisting of two layers, where the outer layer is a cover made of tarpaulin or some other durable fabric, which bears the main load. Cylinders are placed inside such a case. By the way, if you don’t know how to make a homemade catamaran from pipes so that its cost is lower, then instead of buying inflatable cylinders, you can use plastic sleeves. After all, their main purpose is air retention and strength, so their configuration is not important to us. The only thing is that the sleeves must be larger than the durable outer cover. For greater safety, the internal cylinders must be made of several sections, so that if one is punctured, the catamaran will confidently remain afloat.
When building a catamaran boat with your own hands, it is best to use stainless materials. Particular attention should be paid to securing the cylinders - it is necessary to prevent them from touching metal parts in order to prevent excessive friction. Also, when you erase a catamaran from pipes with your own hands, we do not recommend saving on the materials used. Don’t forget about the crew, you need to make sure that they can walk comfortably, even if there is a place to sit on the small deck.
Aluminum catamaran
Making a homemade aluminum catamaran is not as easy as it seems. For this, it is recommended to use metal, grades AMg5, AMg6, etc. Taking into account the dimensions of the beach catamaran familiar to many of us, we can conclude that aluminum sheets 2 mm thick are suitable for its manufacture. The average price of one such sheet is 6,000 rubles, and we need 4 of them. For the deck, we recommend using aluminum sheets 4 mm thick - their price is approximately 12,000 rubles. - One such sheet is enough for us.
Making a catamaran from aluminum with your own hands is quite difficult due to the fact that you need to have equipment for welding aluminum sheets and the appropriate skills. Therefore, it is best to entrust this matter to professionals or leave it to some kind of production detailed description, how to make a catamaran and a diagram of the future vessel.
The aluminum body is very practical and will serve you for many years, while it requires virtually no maintenance. Such an aluminum watercraft can be stored at least under open air, it won't make it any worse.
Making a frame for a catamaran with your own hands
A reliable frame for a catamaran is made by connecting longitudinal and transverse pipes. They are held together using a special knitting. Pipes that are laid longitudinally are specially made collapsible to make them easier to transport. But the frame can be made not only from metal, but also from wood.
If you want to build a water catamaran with your own hands, on which you can raft from category 3 rivers or walk on lakes, then the frame is best made from D16T aluminum alloy.
Pipe tying is carried out as follows: the tie is wrapped around the pipes, then a knob is threaded, after which it is wrapped 2 times, then the knob is put on the clamp. Slings should be made from synthetic slings that stretch and do not rot or dry out after some time.
A standard frame kit for a catamaran consists of:
- Aluminum pipes with a diameter of 20 mm (you will need 4 longitudinal and 5 transverse). Such a pipe costs about 80 rubles. per meter, and we will need about 30 meters of these pipes.
- 20 twists, 20 collars and 20 clamps. All this will cost about another 3,000 rubles.
Before you start making the frame, you must have a diagram of the catamaran.
Frame with clamps
This method of assembling frames involves using brackets made of a special material - caprolon. It is characterized by high strength and reliability. Using such tools, the frame can be assembled in 20-30 minutes.
Frame on brackets
To keep the deck flat, longitudinal elements (1 or 2 pieces) are installed in the middle part of the frame. The frame is attached to the gondolas by tying the longitudinal elements to two rows of opposing loops. This allows you to do wooden frame instead of aluminum.
Now you know how to make a good aluminum catamaran with your own hands. We wish you a pleasant stay!
Making floats for a catamaran with your own hands
Floats for a catamaran are elongated cylinders inflated with air. To make such floats with your own hands, you need to take a durable and light fabric, which does not allow air to pass through, it is best to use a rubberized one.
We take the fabric, cut out pieces of it, measuring 300 x 64 cm - these will be our blanks for the cylinders, for each of them we need 2 identical pieces of fabric. If you are missing material the right size, then we can glue together the pieces of fabric we need from small-sized pieces. The gluing must be done with an overlap so that there is an overlap of at least 2 cm. After the seams have hardened, they must be additionally glued with strips of similar or even thinner fabric so that there is an overlap of at least 2-3 cm. First, we do the gluing from the inside of the cylinder , and then outside.
In total, to make balloons with our own hands, we will need about 20 square meters of fabric. Such a piece will cost you about 9,000 rubles, plus others consumables, it turns out that the construction of this floating craft will cost us approximately 15,000 rubles.
You also need to remember to pre-glue the tube parts with flanges so that you can fill them with air so that the tube from above is directed towards the inner part catamaran, so filling with air will be more convenient.
The weight of one cylinder without air, made of such fabric, is only 1 kg. If you want to get a structure of higher strength, then the cylinders can be made from gas holder fabric, used in metallurgical enterprises, to store oxygen under pressure.
Making a frame for a catamaran
The frame of a catamaran is its basis, so it is important that it is strong and reliable. Its transverse elements should be spaced, depending on how many people are planned to be transported on this DIY catamaran.
When making the frame, we recommend using duralumin tubes having an outer diameter of 22 mm with a wall thickness of 1 mm. They are especially good to use for installing crossbars, because they must have high rigidity. For example, the frame of a PVC catamaran includes 4 longitudinal elements and up to 10 cross members. The lengths are attached to the floats, at a distance of part of the float circumference from each other. Some install only 2 lengths (one for each float) - this can significantly reduce the weight of the craft. However, even in this situation, the floats must be fixed in parallel and spaced from each other by 1/6 of the outer diameter of the float.
One meter of the duralumin pipe we need costs 250 rubles, and in total we need about 25 meters of such pipes, which will cost 6,250 rubles.
The longitudinal elements are attached to the marking line external to the longitudinal axis of the catamaran, and along the internal line they are attached to the cross members. Thanks to this, it is possible to achieve stabilization of the float on the frame. As a rule, when making a frame with your own hands, the longitudinal elements are made shorter than the floats by 0.5-1.5 m, this makes it easier for them to ride the wave, making the encounter with it softer.
Catamaran made of plastic pipes
Do you want to know how to make a homemade catamaran from plastic pipes with your own hands? Then carefully read this article.
We will use plastic sewer pipes with a diameter of 110-116 mm and 3 meters each. There are 5 pipes for each of the floats, three pipes go to the upper part, and two to the lower part. These pipes are connected to each other using angles or tees; in general, there are many mounting options. The floats are connected to each other by transitions made of pipes with a diameter of 50 mm.
Cost per meter plastic pipe, with a diameter of 110 mm, averages 350 rubles. The same pipe, but with a diameter of 50 mm, will cost you about 100 rubles. meter. Therefore, on average, before building such a catamaran, you need to have a budget of 10,000 rubles.