How to Make a Catamaran Sailboat from PVC Pipe

[@marjamada]

Thank you. Catamarans are relatively more stable than monohulls, and RebelCat 5 is wide enough to be quite stable. However, the crew are responsible for keeping a sailboat from capsizing. Every experienced sailor knows how to deal with strong winds, regardless of the type of boat. Spill wind, reef, change to smaller sails... I have made five new sails for RebelCat 5, including a storm jib and a small main for strong winds, soon to appear on my web site after testing this month (9-09).

[@marjamada]

RebelCats are made of pieces which are assembled. RebelCat 5 is far more sophisticated than RC 1 - the little cat I made in Brazil. It has controls not found on many monohulls for adjusting to different wind conditions: traveler for the mainsail, adjustable fairleads for the jib. You CAN carry it assembled on a trailer, raise the mast when you launch. RebelCat 5 makes it possible for people to build their own cat using simple hand tools and local materials, carry it w/o a trailer, and sail fast.

[@CarlSundbergSE]

Very nice! I Have been sailing a few boats, single and multi hull. Now, as a Scout-chief, I want to transform our "land-scouts" into "sailing- or Sea Scouts" (as we live by the sea in southern Sweden). You have given me a lot of ideas and after having finished our "bath-tub-single hull" sailboats... we will go into Multi-hull sailing. Thank You!! 7 Carl

[@marjamada]

Carl, glad I could help. Sounds like a great adventure, your Sea Scouts. Love to hear how it goes.

[@marjamada]

Yes, many people stop to look at my cat, and they comment that it looks really cool. It attracts a lot of attention, all positive. People like to see homemade boats that work well. My cat goes so fast that nobody worries about it floating. It leaves all of the store-bought monohulls in its wake. Dinghies can't catch me. No, nobody worries that my cat won't float. Some people might be concerned that they spent so much money on a sailboat that goes so much slower than my DIY cat.

[@marjamada]

Glad you asked about tacking. Rebel"Cat 5 points so far into the wind that it appears to defy the laws of physics. Could be the over-sized centerboard and wide rudder. My biggest challenge so far has been getting video of me sailing it. Gave my camcorder and tripod to a guy, showed him what to do, and the footage was nearly unusable. I filmed myself by putting the tripod on the beach and sailing by! I was desperate. Not much wind those days, but I got some nice turns. I'll post some soon.

[@marjamada]

Good point. Boom or boomless is the choice of the sailor. Sailmaking is science and skill. It requires more skill to craft a boomless sail that performs well, and probably requires special fabric. On the other hand, many people could take some cheap polytarp and make a decent triangular sail for a boom rig. In my DVD I mention that the sails on a boat are the motor, and many kinds of sails will work on the cats I design. Your choice.

[@marjamada]

Boom height is a person choice. I am athletic and can scramble under the boom to the other side of the boat with ease. My cats have about 24"/60cm from deck to boom - Plenty for me. But if a boat builder needs 3 feet or 4, he or she can have it. The advantage to a low boom is that you can have more sail area for the same length mast. Also, the COE is lower, making the cat harder to blow over. The higher the sail, the more leverage the wind has to tip the mast and the boat.

[@subscriber77]

@MrHobiecat Anybody can buy commercially produced stuff. But building your own boat is both a challenging and rewarding experience. Well done marjamada. Now I'm going over to visit your new site. See you there.

[@marjamada]

These are made from polyester fabric from the discount table at WalMart. I have recently replaced both sails with dacron ones re-cut from the sails on RebelCat 2. Sail material should be smooth and a bit stiff, like paper. Polytarps work well, as does Tyvek from Home Depot (house wrap).

[@marjamada]

DVD is now being replicated by a professional company and will take about 14 days. My new web site is coming along and will be online before the 1000 DVDs arrive. Thanks to all of you for your patience. It is a lot of work for one person wearing many hats.

[@marjamada]

Exactly! The motto on my logo says, "Turn your dream into a sailboat!" I should have been as clever as you and made it, "Turn your pipe dream into a sailboat!" I like that, thank you.

[@marjamada]

This is the 21' version of RebelCat 5. It can also be shortened in a few minutes to 15' by removing the aft pontoon sections, which are 6'. The nice thing about long pontoons is that it rides like a Cadillac - sooo smooth.

[@marjamada]

RebelCat homemade catamarans are not trying to be anything else than what they are: sailboats that just about anyone who can use hand tools can build from locally-available materials for less money than one would normally spend for a cat with these features and speed. Assemble it on the shore or carry it on a trailer. I carry mine on my roof-rack and don't mind the setup time. Look around at boat plans and how-to DVDs to compare prices. Nobody will be forced to buy it, but hundreds are ready to.

[@marjamada]

Thank you, muffin1ol. What I find cool is taking off from shore and heading out across a big lake and finding beaches and coves that are only accessible from the water, maybe camp for a few days in total seclusion. That's cool.

[@carstencanarias]

Thank you for this idea - next spring i will try it.

[@marjamada]

You are so right. That's what I am doing this month. The DVD has video of the cat sailing, but nowhere near the speed potential of 'RebelCat 5, due to low wind. I'm going for two weeks of sailing. It's hard to make a decent video of yourself sailing, but that's how I got the footage for the DVD - everyone else was sailing too, so tripod on the shore.... This time I'm not leaving until I get the video everyone wants to see, including me. Aerial video by kite too. Check here Oct. 09 for new video.

[@agtaylor78]

Wow, Man, you are awesome!! Way to go!! I am very impressed with your work. When I have the space (aka when I get a house) I am so building one of these. Yes, there is something about building it yourslef. Keep up the great work!!

[@marjamada]

If I wanted a HobieCat, I would have bought one - I didn't. I invented a new cat which I can carry on my roof-rack, has comfortable seating and storage enough for a long cruise, which I can repair easily and cheaply and is exactly what I want. Some of us like to make our own, rather than buy something ready-made. HobieCats are great for daysailing and racing, but they are expensive to repair, require a trailer, have little storage space, uncomfortable seating for long trips - not what I want.

[@marjamada]

My preference is aluminum pipe, about 2" diameter, 1/8" thick, from a salvage yard. New pipe is not cheap. Laminated wood will work fine, if you can laminate. Try craigslist for used wind-surfing masts or even sailboat masts. Obviously steel pipe will work but is quite heavy. You might find some thinwall pipe. Large bamboo is possible.

[@marjamada]

I think you mean the MAST, which is vertical; the boom is horizontal and holds the foot of the main sail. My mast has three stays or cables - one in front and one on each side. They hold the mast up. This is common on catamarans and on many sailboats.

[@marjamada]

Update: The first 1000 DVDs are now in production and will be delivered on 8-7-09. The new web site is nearly done and should be online at the same time. Thank all of you for your patience. I wear many hats and do everything, so it takes longer than having a team.

[@marjamada]

For fishing it would probably be fine, if your flotation can handle the extra weight. But there are easier and lighter ways to raise the deck, like using taller 'feet'. You don't really need a heavy board like a 2 x 8 on the pipes if all you need is height for the deck, which is small. Just raise the deck.

[@marjamada]

The DVD is done, I'm negotiating the duplication now. Sailboat setup is longer than you think. Go watch people sail, they arrive with their boat on a trailer, launch it, raise the mast, rig all the ropes and sails... have a stopwatch with you, and you will see the reality of sailing. But keep in mind that people don't use sailboats like kayaks. They spend all day sailing, maybe many days, so 90 minutes is trivial. Cost varies widely, depending on PVC and materials one has and can scrounge.

[@marjamada]

Prices of PVC pipe have gone up with the price of oil. You want PIP (thinwall) pipe, NOT schedule 40. Look around for better prices. I found a store in New Mexico selling the best pipe I've seen for half what it costs here in Arizona. Drain pipe can sometimes be found left at construction sites, but you want PIP, the thinnest and lightest pipe (and cheapest) pipe made. Good luck.

[@marjamada]

I've been in saltwater with this and in 2 feet of chop, and it was fine. It will not handle being tossed around in big surf, but choppy water and small waves are okay.

[@0323mohammed]

I was actually design my own cat to go fishing and was about 90% completed on paper when I came across your video. I must say its really, really nice .I wish had one right now to go fishing. One thing different to yours is that I design /building my cat with a 2x8 along the PVC to keep the deck of the water. Would appreciate to know what you do think.

[@marjamada]

Absolutely. Head over to RebelCat.com and there it is. Thanks for asking.

[@nicangadingan449]

wow', great job, you are genius-the problem is pbc istoo expensive in my country, but i will try plywood -but anyway thank you so much- i will make this for my family

[@0323mohammed]

@marjamada thank you for you reply. very good idea, I fail to mention that i will be using 2- 8" x 8' pvc pipes and my deck will be 4'-6" x 8' long. with 1" spacing between boards. I'm thinking about 4 persons can fit. Do you still think i should just raising the feets. thanks again.

[@marjamada]

@mtndewgecko177 - Pipes are 10" PIP in two sections, total 21'. The cat can also sail with only the front sections and the tail cones, making them 15' total (12.5 just the shaped pontoons).

[@buxterbootle]

Does the cat5 have a tendancy to tip or capsize in windy conditions? I would be sailing it in lake ponchatrain which is large(25 mi. across) and can get quite breezy at times. Cool idea man 5*.

[@marjamada]

@001grady - RebelCat 5, the latest design, will cost about $250 - $350, depending on what you already have and what you can get cheap, also what 'bells and whistles' you want on your boat. I make my own sails, and there are many web sites that show how to make simple sails from Tyvek, polytarp and other cheap materials, so it is possible to have a cat like mine for $250. The boat is made of pieces which can be taken apart and put on the roof-rack of a car - only the deck is heavy.

[@Mitaroal]

When your DVD comming out ?

[@rickwolgram]

sounds like a pipe dream to me!

[@subscriber77]

Thanks for your great vid. I've been thinking of building a cat myself, and came across your video in the process. I thought of using sth like basketball balls or other inflatables for closing the PVC pipe ends. But I'm not entirely happy with the idea (leaky), because I want to use the pipes as transport receptacles and to attach the ends on site, which means the ends need to be readily removable. Any ideas?

[@stumpythedestoyer]

This looks very cool as I have always wanted to make a boat of my own, but have always been too lazy and too cheap to put in years of building a boat. I see you said it took about 350 dollars to make, but how long did it take you? Thank you for the info!

[@marjamada]

Check to see that the pipe you are looking at is thinwall PIP, the thinnest wall of any PVC pipe, NOT schedule 40 or other thicker pipe. PIP is the cheapest.

[@brunodb]

Hi! Very nice!! How much does it cost to build a boat like this (average)?

[@0323mohammed]

@0323mohammed thank you very much for the time you have taken to reply to me on both occasions very kind of you. back to the drawing board. i can help it these crazy ideas come into my head and i cant get them out. i just love to building things. again great job on cat 5. PS i watch your vid a lot. maybe it will inspire me...

[@staplehead3]

does the dvd show step by step instructions?

[@marjamada]

@stumpythedestoyer - The cost of materials will vary depending on what you already have and what you can get from a salvage yard or craigslist. Figure $250-$350. Time is totally dependent on your skill level, how many hours per day you invest, whether you are a perfectionist or not, whether you go for more bells and whistles like cargo nets, a wardrobe of sails, etc. But very roughly two months. Someone could do it on one, another might take four.

[@marjamada]

@brunodb - Materials are about $250, depending on what you already have and how fancy you want to be with sails, fittings and such.

[@marjamada]

@ham123see - Interesting observations. Watch the video of this cat on my channel, those 'hammocks' are places to carry oars, flip flops, rope and such. They can be tightened, raising them farther out of the water, but in the video, I had not done that. See how the cat is sailed, with the crew seated over the water on opposite sides, Quite comfortable. As this is a cruising cat, not for racing, flying a hull and such, capsize is unlikely, but if it does, the mainsheet can be used on the mast.

[@BaganJermal]

do you experience being stop in sailing your cat since your cat is very DIY looking? anybody that taking care of the lake that you sail on might worry that you cat will not float.

[@GEORGEZNEMETH]

Does your dvd have patterns for the sails?

[@marjamada]

@GEORGEZNEMETH - It's probably better that it doesn't, because the mainsail you see here did not perform well. I have replaced it with a traditional triangular one which can be found all over the web and in books on sails. I also replaced the jib, and now the cat sails great. So there are far better sail patterns out there for free than I could have included on the DVD. See the video of this cat sailing with the two new sails.

[@0jesse10397]

What would be a strong, not to expensive material for the mast?

[@projectcrazy12]

could you make a video of you sailing one ?

[@rellirTnoraa1]

How log are those pontoons they look pritty long

[@marjamada]

@MrPuca02 - Grand Lake, Oklahoma, and I agree.

[@marjamada]

@staplehead3 - Yes, the DVD is a step-by-step guide to building your own RebelCat sailboat. You can see the chapter list of the DVD at my web site RebelCat.com.

[@mtndewgecko177]

what are the demensions??? diameter of the piping? length?

[@marjamada]

Check out the video of this cat on my channel, or on my web site. This cat MOVES!

[@marjamada]

Calculate your load and flotation numbers. 8" pipe at 8' times 2 pontoons will not float 4 people, not 2 people, and with all that wood, maybe not even you. To float 4 people using 8" pipe will require many pontoons - a raft. Remember, you want half of your flotation to be above water as reserve, so the load will be half your total flotation. If the boat/raft plus load (4 people) is 700 lbs, your flotation must be 1400lbs.

[@kachorrosoft]

what a marvel!

[@marjamada]

subscriber77 - You will find ideas at my web site RebelCat.com. Traffic cones are one. The process of attaching them, as well as heat-shaping the PVC pipes into conventional wedge-shaped, wave-piercing hulls is on my DVD.

[@a1930ford]

On your website FAQs, you do not recommend the use of schedule 40 pvc, but promote using thin wall pvc, instead. However, you do not explain why? I have seen other pvc boats that seem to work okay with the schedule 40 pvc. What is the specific difference for flotation purposes? Will the thin wall pvc hold up well to the weight of braces, passengers and cargo? It would seem that it would bow or give easier than the thicker schedule 40 pvc tubes.

[@marjamada]

a1930ford - FAQ 9 on my web site mentions that schedule 40 is heavy and expensive. You can use it for pontoons, but your cat will be very heavy. Thinwall PVC pipe, with discs of foam inside, is stiff and light and serves very well as cat pontoons and bears the weight of passengers and the pressure of attachments.. See the videos here of my RebelCat 5 sailing (RebelCat 5 on the MOVE! and Why Make a RebelCat...). Notice that the pontoons do not bend.

[@marjamada]

You can now see this cat in action on my channel. Check it out and let me know if it's compelling enough.

[@001grady]

how much would it cost without sails and im eleven so is it easy to move by yourslelf

[@macrumpton]

It would be far more compelling if there was video showing the boat actually moving.

[@marjamada]

Check out my other video here, RebelCat 5 on the MOVE! I think the cat does pretty well, but a lot depends on the sailor.

[@alejandrososa1969]

amazing!!

[@marjamada]

Let's see, cambigfoot88, am I translating your message correctly? Do I see the word 'cool' there? Or is that a rooster trying to crow?

[@0323mohammed]

i like

[@marjamada]

Good question. I sell a DVD which shows you how to make your own. More information at my web site (FAQ 8). If you are wealthy and make me a good offer, sure, I'll build you a sailboat. I'll even deliver it. But if you have that kind of money, you might prefer to buy a boat locally. Of course, it won't be as cool as mine ;-)

[@mtndewgecko177]

@marjamada wow ok cool thanks! :)

[@marjamada]

Do It Yourself. Dine In Yemen. Dress In Yellow. Department of Infernal Yesmen. Director of International Yuppies. Dean of Instant Yogurt. Divine Institute of Yoga. Defend the Irish Yacht. and so on... I use the first one.

[@brynew13]

cursing awesome, consider it made