KIDS BOAT..

[Rob Blackburn]

My kids have a Sabot and now want something faster. Does anyone know of a simple catamaran suitable for 11-13 yr olds.

When I was a lad there was a boat called an Arafura Cadet catamaran. But it was a bit on the big side for what I had in mind from memory.

I guess I was thinking of something light , quirky and with a sprit boom main only. I really don't think I am up to a design and build.

Any ideas welcomed.

Rob

[Brent]

What about a Hobby 14 or 16? There seem to be plenty of these out there for not much money. I dont really think of these smaller cats as fast, except at the beach. They are a hoot in the surf with one or both hulls flying. But in lighter winds...patience is requried.

[Melissa Goudeseune]

The wing dinghy looks nice. I actually bought the plans some 16 (!) years ago, but ended up buying a fiberglass sailboat just before starting construction 10 years later :oops:.

It's a plywood construction with wood stringers in the corners. If I were building it today, I'd probably try to modify the design to stitch+glue where possible -- I think that's an easier way to build the boat, and probably lighter.

One lesson I learned with my first boat (a Bombardier Invitation, 16' long, 200 lbs): just because it's car-toppable, doesn't mean you *should* car-top it. I used the Invitation much more often after I bought a trailer for it.

Michel