Catamaran Kawai Building

A quality building, a performing boat

The boat was built, for the most part, in the 'Estaleiro Naval da Escola do Pai' shipyard, in Sao Luis, Brazil, by a team of professionals recruited and directed by me, from October 2004 to January 2006. Thereafter, I did the finishing and installed the missing equipment myself.

Hulls

The hulls are shaped. The bottom (underwater hull) is made of cedro strip planking (red cedar of South America), placed on pairs of glued cedro strips. The wall (topsides) is made of cedro plywood slightly bent.

Beams

The beams are box-type, made of solid wood and plywood, in order to give a good rigidity to the boat.

Deck

The deck, the roof and the cabin are made of plywood on a solid wood structure.
For all these parts, an important structural naval work made it possible to put a thin skin (plywood) on a tight structure, giving the boat lightness and rigidity.

Mast

A custom hollow mast in wood/plywood/carbon was made on site by me to mainly lower the center of gravity of the mast-rigging part.

Rigging

It was assembled on site from turnbuckles with manual butt crimp (durability) and single-strand cable.

Chainplates

All deck chainplates are made of carbon in order to avoid bolting, which can ultimately be a source of leaks and damage to these high-stress areas.

Rudders

The stocks are made of carbon, and the blades of cedro. Each stock-blade unit weighs under 22 pounds and is easily removable at anchorage by a single person.

Dagger boards

Essential on a catamaran, they are hollow and made of wood/carbon, which gives them a significant lightweight during maneuvers.

All external parts are laminated in glass/epoxy or carbon/epoxy.

Deck fittings

It is reduced to minimal, but of quality, in order to obtain a simple and reliable platform.

Engine

An outboard engine on a 15-horsepower-chair has favorably replaced the inboard engine originally planned.

Electric circuit

The entire energy of the boat is provided by three solar panels of 80 watts. Installation further down the line is simple and of quality to best master consumption.

Electronics

As for deck fittings, minimum and of quality.