Tuesday, 1 September 2009

Oppikat by Dix Design

We now have the files to enable us to CNC cut this boats bulkheads,so kits are available and we can offer as either bulkheads only,or the rest of the boat including fittings,mast and the sail to buyers choice.

Scaled to size with an Optimist dinghy.



Introducing a micro trainer boat for children (mum & dad too) its aimed at being a starter catamaran that children can learn on,it has big boat features but in a small size,we will soon offer this design as a kit,a customer is sending us his plans for costing.

The overall image is thoroughly modern, in the style of the latest racing cats. The keels, moulded integrally with the hulls, will give windward ability and a pivot point for tacking, without the complication of daggerboards. Their draft of 200mm is shallow enough to allow easy beaching and sailing in shallow water. The rudders have simple fixed blades for simplicity. They do not project below the keels so they have protection in shallow water to reduce the number of concerns for novice sailors.

The rig uses a simple sleeve luff mainsail fitted over the tubular aluminium mast. The rigging is hooked onto the front of the mast at a cut-out in the sleeve and comprises only a forestay and single shrouds, attached to the chainplates with lashings rather than bottle screws. An optional jib with integral forestay can replace the standard forestay, for higher performance. The mainsail has a large roach and is fully battened. The large foot batten replaces a boom and is controlled by the mainsheet which runs on a wire bridle on the aft beam. Buoyancy material in the double skin top panel of the mainsail will assist with righting in the event of a capsize.

In May 2007 we have added new detailing to this design for building from wood. This uses strip cedar with a light glass covering to the rounded bottom and plywood to the topsides, deck and keel. It is built over plywood bulkheads, half of which stay in as permanent structure. This additional detailing turns this into a design that is now well suited to building by reasonably skilled amateur builders.

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