Hi All,
I am considering an amature boat build of a 11.6mt cat which will be glass over ply constuction. I have looked at a lot of the kits available and although they would be ideal, they are also a little expensive. The design I will likely go with would be the Easy design.
I have been in contact with a few Easy amature builders and have been on one of the boats of a similar size.
The design is specifically for the builder, who until they started a build did not know a hammer from a screwdriver 
and there is apparently unlimited support from the designer. I am reasonably handy on the tools, but sometimes get a little frustrated when things get too hard and confused with understanding plans etc. I am not overy good at thinking on my feet when things dont got to plan. When this happens, a project usually sits in the shed for a while (long while) or even never gets finished and I move onto the next thing. Obviously, this is not an ideal situation with a 12m hull or two sitting unfinished in the back yard.
So, the question is.........
I will like to budget into the build the cost of some assistance. Does anybody know of someone in the Perth area, who may be interested in helping on an hourly basis. As it is an amature build, I dont mind and infact would even encourage a year 3 or 4 apprentice. Or even a non trade person who has built before. And what hourly rate would I expect to pay?
I will hope to build at my premesis (2200sqm block) and although I obviously would like it finished as quickly as possible, it would best suit someone who if it was raining they wouldnt have to come, converserly if it was an ideal fishing/sailing walking the dog day, they wouldnt have to come either.
Thanks guys. PM me if preferred.
And thanks for letting me use your forum 
Are u sure u want to build????? This is not a project to be taken lightly (i have helped build a pescott cat and 30' plus racing cats in various materials) The Easy cats are probably the cheapest to build (hull-wise) and lowest performance under sail but none of them are easy to build - and none of them really are cheap anyway - resale will be questionable with a ply boat. There are also 2nd hand cats for sale at fractions of their 'new' cost in today's terms. A mate of mine has a Crowther Eureka for sale for about 50k and owes him nearly twice that - bargain! Also the GBE sportsdeck is a fantastic boat for around $120k - $160k if u can find one and would absolutely sail rings around easy's and most others too. If u must build and would consider a trimaran - Any of the Farrier designed plans (he does cats too) are the absolute best on the market and worth every cent with unprecedented resale if u finish the boat to a good standard. These will sail rings around almost anything and the plans are second to none. Its a step by step guide rather than 'plans'. Foam and epoxy glass are the industry standard now and i think it would need serious consideration to stray from this.
Meant to say that paying for labour is a dumb idea in my opinion - choose something u and your family/friends can do or don't do it
Hi Toph
Building a 12m cat is a massive project, My best advice is to forget the EASY. Theyre great boats and ive got several freinds with various size versions but consider this- the boat is only one third of the boat! If you divide the costs youll find that the Boat itself is one third of the overall cost, the rig, sails and ropes/rigging will be the next third and then the fitout will be the next one third of the expense (and probably more time than the build) so if you think youre saving money or time by going ply then think again as youre probably only saving around 20% of one third as any boat ply or foam still needs a rig and a fitout.
Easy's are not performance boats and they dont have resale thats on par with other cats.
I too was going to build an easy but a cat racer named Paul Nudd told me - Dont be an idiot, go down the Crowther office and buy a decent set of plans! I took his advice and went to Crowther's office where a beautiful blonde secretary took my mind away from rational thinking and i walked away with the plans for a 40foot cat.
This turned my life upside down and ive loved every second of it BUt im so glad Paul browbeat me into going away from the Easy as the crowther runs rings around the Easy, speed, performance and style.
Send me a PM if you want to talk over the phone, ive been through the build process and have lots of advice.
Cheers Wazza.
Cheers Wazza.
my opinion .. .. on resale its a bad idear ..unless u know all about 2pac's gelcats' and have done failing and bogging before it will not turn out a very good finish .. if u make a solid and sound hull .. very strong and will last 50years doesnt matter if ur fairing job is horible and the paint has pinholes and runs .. messadge me if u want my aurnty is build a 45ft kit cat i can get her to give ya a email ..
Just a suggestion. If you can afford to just buy a boat that you you can take sailing NOW, just do it.
There is an oversupply of boats in Australia and the money supply is down. Plenty of bargains around if you look hard enough.
The question you need to ask yourself is, do you want to build a boat, fix a boat or sail a boat????
Sail a boat is a great way to go.
Thanks people for your input. Not exactly what I wanted to here, but that is why I asked the question I suppose.
oceans15, you asked if im sure I want to build.... It is something that I have always wanted to do since being a kid. But the romance now that it is getting to 'crunch' time is giving way to caution and common sence. Hence why asked about opinions on hiring help during parts of the build.
cisco, I use to sail when I owned a Catalina 28 and did a little offshore racing as crew on another tub. When my first child was born, my wife convinced me to sell the yacht (because she couldnt hold the baby, hold a glass of wine and trim the sails all at the same time. Something had to go and it wasnt the baby nor the wine) and we bought a power boat instead. I do miss sailing and I would love to get back into it asap, but the idea was to build a comfy family cruiser over the next few years and by then the kids will be old enough to if not to help at least be trusted to do what they're told.
nick0, thanks also for your thoughts. But while resale value is of consideration, for me as it stands now, it is not as important as getting the design right for what suits my and my families purpose.
hangtime, your percentages seems about the same as I have figured. I was thinking an Easy 11.6 could be built to a good finish for around 100k, excluding building a shelter/shed, trucking to a slipway and the labour cost of my original question etc. I had a quick look at the link you provided. I had initial deallings with Shionning, and although I think the kit would be a better way to go for the finish and resale, it would also mean a 250k budget (and probably more), and a Spirited 38 even more expensive. I also could not find a web page for the official Crowther website. There are a few for sale but I was looking for something that gave the layout and plans. Do you have a link?
Anyway guys, thanks again for your input..
Chris
Chris
Brett Crowther went on to bigger and better designs and doesnt design small cats anymore, His new company - Incat/Crowther deals in cat ferries. Stuart Bloomfeild now sells his designs under licence.There are Quite a few good designers around so keep checking.
Here's another site to check out its the Easy builders forum, lots of good info and good contacts, Post a topic similar to the one you started with here and you'll get lots of different and interesting views
www6.hostmybb.com/?tdfs=1&kw=bulletin+board+software&term=bulletin%20board%20software&term=forum%20website%20hosting&term=game%20dedicated%20server&showDomain=1&backfill=0
further to my other post - if budget and eventually resale (resale WILL matter when u come to sell) are of concern then an 11.6 metre cat of any kind is simply not affordable - 100k is a ridiculous budget for a cat that size - consider something down around 10 metres - the schionning wilderness 1030 (or similar) is a FAR superior cruiser to build and sail although i don't generally push balsa boats (it could possibly be built with a foam core nowadays tho). A mate of mine built one for about $100k but did EVERYTHING himself and sourced many bargain components and swapped labour for others. He is a shipwright and faired the thing all himself and lived near a beach so no cost to launch - these also only require one 10hp outboard so staying in this size boat has considerable financial advantages. Have a look at 1 (find 1 in a marina and approach owner) before u decide on anything - there is lots to learn which is not apparent from your home.
oceans15,
I am not arrogant enough to believe that I am right (considering it is me that is asking for peoples opinions), but from my reasearch 100k is not a ridiculous figure. It may be undercooked somewhat, but not totally unreasonable. Several Easy owners have come up with nice yachts on this sort of budget (I am talking materials costs only here).
You have no argument from me that a Schonning is a far superiour design, but for what I am looking for it is also double+ the price completed. I have looked into there kits and pulled the material prices to bits.
Most of you also seem big on performance, which is understandable considering the origins of this forum. But if you are talking about getting along at 20kts, well that is not a big priority for me. It would be nice, but not an extra 150k nice. If you are talking about performace including manouveribility or stability exectra, then it is definately of importance to me.
oceans15, dont get me wrong, a appreciate your thoughts and even have me now looking into the Farrier designs, which until now, I never even considered.
Cheers
Chris
If you pick the right Farrier design you will get your economy bulid (ie $100k for materials) and 20+ knot sailing whether you want it or K-not.
From what I have heard, once a person starts sailing a Farrier a certain addiction may set in.
The danger of that addiction is that if the one who has it is also the owner of the Farrier, and, in the name of getting bigger doses of the addiction, he/she cuts away too much of the boat in order to lighten it and thereby compromises it's structural integrity.
Why do you not pick up a Farrier Trailer-Tri 680 or 720 for less than $20k before you spend the $100k, sail it to see how you like that kind of sailing and then make your long term decision.
I doubt you will have any difficulty reselling a good Farrier Trailer -Tri. Who knows, it might give you enough thrills that you get over this desire to build a boat and decide to keep it.
Sounds like u r coming around, Toph. Cisco's intentions seem good but there doesn't seem to be any multi sailing/liveaboard experience behind his/her posts. By all means check out the farrier site (f-boat.com) but his old ply designs are not for u and plans are no longer for sale either - haines hunter built tramp, 680 and 720 are all trailer sailers - dunno why cisco is peddling them to u. F32ax is the smallest tri u might consider but budget is rather tight... A 2nd hand F9 might suffice. Cats are the volume choice for multihull liveaboard cruisers. Don't focus on or disregard performance for the wrong reason/s. It's easy to slow an efficient multi down but impossible to hasten a slow sail boat of any kind. Most people will never see 20 knots under sail (as cisco suggests) due to a complete lack of necessity and nerve even if the boat/conditions are present... A boat that can easily and comfortably average 10 knots during an average daylight sail is a joy to own and experience. People who quote figures higher than this are guessing or 'ad-libbing'. Like i said before - go out and check out real, live boats in marinas before u decide on anything - go to (ive never been) one of those construction weekends that schionning and kelsall etc put on for prospective builders - they look informative - internet is not enough - cheers
A Farrier 32 can be built for less than 90k...this one was, it depends on how much of the boat you do your self & how you price around for materials.
Farrier's plans are very well detailed, a joy to use, resulting in a minimum of building fuss, very little to nut out yourself. If followed properly they produce a boat with a good resale value. I've done 4....so far, F-9A, F-82R, F-9R, F-32
For what its worth and in answer to the origonal query- I am a boatbuilder and have been for close on 38 years (with a ton of sailing in between). My bias though is traditional wood boats. Hourly rate for a stand alone boatbuilder (by which I mean not someone associated with a shipwrighting company) is around $50.00 ph. For larger projects you could get someone for half that. Probably the smarter way to go, though, is to offer something in exchange- a little cash, a little swap.
