Fiberglass Wharram Ariki Catamaran

[Boatsmith]

Saturday we pulled the first hull off our new mold and set the boat upright in a cradle. [IMG][/IMG]

IMG_0731 by boatsmith, on Flickr

FLIPP 028 by boatsmith, on Flickr[IMG][/IMG]

[LandLocked66c]

Can't see these at work, Drats!

[peterchech]

Nice! Is that solid glass matt, or cored? (Since you are using a mold I assume it is solid)

If I may ask, why solid GRP instead of plywood? Isn't there an argument against using GRP for large flat surfaces such as the slab sides of a Wharram?

[Boatsmith]

This hull is of Divinycell cored fiberglass. There are many people who won't have anything to do with a plywood boat. If I don't sell boats then I can't build them and that would suck. The plywood Ariki was completely flat sided. This hull has 3" of crown in the sides amidships. This hull shape is very similar to the 26' Wharrams I have been building in glass. We built over a male mold for several reasons. One is cost. It takes many more boats to amortize the additional costs of a female mold. It is also difficut to work in the bottom of the vessel. It is much easier ergonomicaly to fair the outside than the inside.

[WanderingStar]

Interesting, thanks.