We draw one or two new designs each year, once finished these have their own design pages. However, there are a few projects that we are still working on, and brief details of these are shown below.
See the Latest News page for more as the designs develop
TRIMARANS
Three are planned, the first two, the Strike 16 and 18 are finished, and plans are selling well. You can see more on the Strike design page
The Strike 18 is a pocket cruiser, something in concept similar to the Drascombe longboat or West Wight Potter, whereas the Strike 16 is a big cruising dinghy, akin to a Wayfarer. Both the Strike 16 and the Strike 18 are trailable and, with their dory hull shape, cheap and easy to build.
The Strike18 uses the hulls from the Quattro 16, Condor (Hurricane 4.9) or Nacra 5.2 as amas/outriggers, plus the rig and deck gear. The Strike 16 uses parts from the Pixie or Quattro 14. Thus usually only the mainhull needs making, a great saving in time and effort. The big open cockpit is similar to the Strike 18, while the windscreen raises the boom comfortably above head height and reduces spray and wind chill.
The Strike 14, however, is a complete design and doesn't use parts from other boats. The main hull is stitch and glue tortured ply, while the outriggers are partly ply and partly solid foam, glassed over. Although it is light enough to cartop (under 100kgs all up), trailering (disassembled beam is only 1.5m, 5ft) is a much more sensible option.
In some respects it is akin to a Stealth with "training wheels". The addition of the jib and asymmetric spinnaker will easily offset the extra weight and drag from the two outriggers. So it will be a fast boat!! It will take two people but is really intended as a singlehander.
Designed originally as a sketch to accompany an article on Performance Cruisers in the UK magazine Multihull Review it quickly became obvious that the 10m (33ft) Mustang would appeal to a large number of people interested in buying a fast cruiser.
It is being drawn for home building in foam sandwich, but will also be available as a production boat. Similar in concept to Saturn, but, like Transit, with round bilge hulls and a knuckle. The decks and cuddy are rounded to reduce windage. Mustang can be dismantled for international shipping by container.
It is expected that owners will have two rigs, the racing rig shown here and a cruising rig with smaller roach and fewer battens.
POWER CATAMARANS
I am also developing a series of power catamarans. The first of these is Skoota which is a 20ft (6m) trailable boat with a small cuddy. See HERE for some brief design notes and HERE for more photos and videos of the completed prototype.
The second is a 24ft version on the same basic lines, but with a central cockpit and aft cabin so is more suitable for those who plan to cruise. An aft cockpit version is also planned
The third power catamaran is a 36ft by 16ft coastal cruiser designed for areas like the French waterways, the US Inter Coastal Waterway and the Pacific North West. The emphasis is on good fuel economy and low wake. Twin 60hp outboards will power the boat at speeds in the mid teens and at cruising speeds consumption should be over 10mpg. 6 berths are available, but it is being designed as a comfortable cruiser for a couple.
The sketch gives an idea of the concept, but details may change as the design develops. A flybridge is an option, as shown. See HERE for a provisional study plan
Appealing to the same market as Mustang is the Elf 28. This is something like an updated Skua but, in common with most of my newer designs, it is fitted with a cuddy to increase living space and cruising comfort. Headroom in the cuddy will be about 5ft8in, but there is a long lifting hatch which gives standing headroom in the galley area when open. Keeping headroom to a minimum reduces weight and windage/height when towing.
It is the maximum sized boat for sensible trailering ( as opposed to transporting by road) and will be a great choice in the USA, Australia and S Africa when I expect towing vehicle to be a pickup truck (the cuddy can be used to sleep in when on the road - as we have done with the cuddy on our Merlin). In countries with narrower roads and smaller cars, like the UK, the Strider/Sango size is a more sensible maximum.
Round bilge hulls, daggerboards and kickup rudders. Cuddy and decks are well rounded and the boat can only be built in foam sandwich, not wood. The hull cabins will be removable (as on the Savannah 26) and fit on the towing vehicle
The newest design is Vardo, a 34ft cruiser, something between a Romany and Flica. Many people (like myself) don't need the space of a Flica and want better performance. Which is why I like the Romany design. But many less fanatical sailors want an "inside toilet" and basically more comfort. So this design is a cross between the two boats. The hulls are essentially Romany hulls, but with a bit more freeboard. The bridgedeck cabin is Romany styled and a minimum size to get a saloon and space to access the hulls. (a quick note re the name. A Vardo is the Romani gypsy name for the horse drawn caravan they live in). The first set of plans has now been sold.
Also on the drawing board is Stratus, a 30ft performance cruiser somewhere between Eclipse and Sagitta. Basically a Sagitta with standing headroom, a longer cabin and a smaller cockpit. Plans will be for foam sandwich construction only and may also become a new production boat.
Please contact me for more details for all of these boats.
