The catamaran is one of the most comfortable means of sailing for water tourism. It is fast, lightweight, stable. At the same time, the simplest catamaran is easy enough to make yourself; scarce expensive materials are not required for its construction.
First you need to decide what tasks your catamaran will solve. It's one thing if you need it for rafting on mountain rivers, and quite another if you are going to sail on it in large bodies of water. The peculiarities of using a catamaran directly affect its design.
Choosing a prototype for construction
The most correct option when building a catamaran is to choose as a prototype an existing self-built catamaran, the most suitable for you in size and purpose. Drawings of such catamarans are easy to find on the net.
You can modify the selected prototype as you like, but the design of the main load-bearing elements should not be changed. Usually, catamarans offered for independent construction have already been reproduced in a fairly large number of copies, the design is well developed and it is not worth changing it unnecessarily.
Construction of a catamaran
The basis of the catamaran is the frame of their aluminum pipes, to which the cylinders are attached. Inflatable balloons have a two-layer construction: outside there is a cover made of tarpaulin or other durable fabric, it bears the main load. Cylinders are put inside, in the simplest case they can be made from a polyethylene sleeve. Their job is to keep the air out, so the internal configuration is not so important. In size, they must be larger than the outer durable cover. For safety, it is better to make internal cylinders from several separate sections, in this case, in case of an accidental puncture, the catamaran will stay afloat.
To assemble the catamaran, use only stainless steel fasteners, this will save you a lot of problems. Pay particular attention to the attachment of the cylinders - they should not rub against metal parts. If the balloon rubs somewhere, then on the waves it will wear off very quickly, with all the ensuing unpleasant consequences.
If the catamaran is equipped with a mast, it is advisable to provide safety mechanisms that automatically release the sheets when a certain force is reached. This is due to the fact that an overturned catamaran is almost impossible to turn back, and in case of strong sudden squalls, it is not always possible to release the sheets in time - a few seconds are enough for the catamaran to overturn or remain with a broken mast. Therefore, it is worth worrying about safety in advance.
Don't skimp on materials. Use good quality aluminum tubes, good materials for cylinders and lashing straps. Worry about the convenience for the crew - it should be convenient and safe to move around the catamaran, so make at least a small deck, the space between the cylinders in the bow and stern should be tightened with a strong net that can support the weight of a person.
Remember that on an inflatable catamaran it is the puncture of the balloons that is the main problem. Therefore, make sure that a single puncture does not become fatal for your building, and the design of the catamaran allows you to perform any necessary repairs in the shortest possible time.
