Proteus 10.6m Multichine Plywood/GRP Sailing Catamaran
This project has been “gestating” on a personal level for the last 10 years. My aim is the smallest family ocean cruising cat, that is to say with sufficient load carrying capacity to do an ocean crossing with a family, of minimum cost, and capable of amateur construction with the minimum of labour and skill. She is also aimed at being a fast, practical & enjoyable boat for local use. She is small enough for easy shorthanded use. The hull structure is “pre cut” by a CNC cutter as a kitset, or can be cut to plotted templates as a cheaper option if preferred. The boat is set up on ply bulkheads and stringers and the skin is glass taped with epoxy resin along the chines, inside and out, there are no chine logs. The outside is GRP/epoxy sheathed. She is simple, strong, fast, comfortable, cheap and “unsinkable”.
The interior consists of four berths (two doubles + 2 singles), a saloon settee, a practical galley with icebox, and a toilet compartment, all with standing headroom . She is totally functional, and all that is needed for comfort at sea. She is configured with two machinery and keel variations: A 4 stroke 20HP outboard on a hinging nacelle is fitted for economy, as is tiller steering, with “kick up” rudders. If the motor starts to make trouble it is easily replaced. I haven’t worked out how many times you can relace it to equal the cost of diesels. However saildrive “single cylinder baby diesels” can be fitted, as can fixed mini keels. Other “choices” in the “gilded lily” approach stretch to installed toilet & holding tank versus chemical / fitted bucket , installed water tank versus fitted 20 lit container storage. However with the outboard and daggerboard combination, and simplest accommodation gear, we have the fastest boat AND the shallowest draught for the smallest outlay. People lose sight of the fact that comfort at sea revolves round some very simple “basics”, a dry bunk with good ventilation, a place to prepare hot food, a place to sit out of the sun & elements, a private toilet, standing headroom. The rest is “bells & whistles” which all come at a price of increased cost, maintanance, and degrading performance.
The rig is the simplest possible, with a pair of cap shrouds and headstay triangulated, single diamond. The sail inventory is essentially a mainsail, a roller furler jib, and a storm jib. Optional: Genneker.
LENGTH OVERALL 10.600 Meters
BEAM 6.360 Meters
DRAUGHT 0.370/1.75 Meters (dagger up/dwn)
DISPLACEMENT 2800 Kilograms (light)
MAINSAIL 48 Sq Meters
ROLLER FURL JIB 24 Sq Meters
GENNEKER 58 Sq Meters
FRESH WATER 140 liters (installed or 20 lit containers)
