We had another opportunity to test out the 3.6m Ripple recently built. Firstly we took some photos of the boat with a single passenger. The boat was powered with the same engine as previously trialled, a 9.9hp Tohatsu 2 stroke. With ideal conditions the boat planed easily and was very responsive. Handling was good and the ride very comfortable. 

Following this we loaded up the boat with supplies and went out for the afternoon, 2 adults and 2 kids. The boat was very comfortable even through the middle of the bay with some confused chop. The twin hulls cut through smoothly and delivered a level ride, there was no bouncing or hobby-horsing as often experienced on a monhull design. Being relatively light-weight the boat runs well just on the plane for a more efficient cruising speed. Sneaking along the shore-line the boat is still efficient at these low speeds. As reported before the boat was comfortable in size at anchor for lunch and a fish.

As a day boat, the Ripple proved itself as an ideal design with excellent performance, stability and ergonomics.

The excited owners Peter and Clara Joyce, launched their Spirited 230 last week. Aptly named "Jigsaw", they have done a beautiful job of the finish and should be congratulated. This boat has been built to serve as a ferry to and from Moreton Island. The interior has been customised to suit this purpose. They are delighted with the performace and have reported:

"The  boat performed very well, even got on the plane on one motor. cruises comfortably at 22 knots with a top speed of 27 knots. We launched in Pumicestone Passage and cruised out against 20 knot south easterly winds with 1 metre chop. Ride was very comfortable. Peter & I are very pleased with her and we are planning on a few more trips across the bay."

This boat is powered with twin 50hp outboards and built from the Duflex balsa kit. For more on this design click here...

Shipping a tender of this size to the other side of the world requires some planning. There are certain restrictions concerning the packing. If using timber to costruct the frame for the crate, it must be graded for this purpose to comply with the customs inspections. The crate for this boat has been made from alluminium which cannot harbour grubs or insects etc. Special care has been taken with how the boat is supported and held inside the crate to avoid any damage. It will now be cladded prior to pick up.

We built this 3.6m Ripple from a Gaboon plywood kit and had the opportunity to do some sea-trials in the boat. This is a widened version of the standard design, the same as previously built for a client in Duflex foam. The extra beam provides for good space internally and additional stability.

The outboard used for the sea-trials was a 9.9hp Tohatsu which powered this boat well. The boat jumps straight onto the plane very quickly and performs efficiently at half or full throttle. The sea conditions were quite choppy at the time of trials and the boat had a comfortable ride for this sized boat with 2 adults. The twin hulls offered good support and held the boat considerably stable side to side while on the plane through the chop. We found that the engine tilt optimised performance when adjusted to a more vertical position (moving the leg aft) and eliminated any prop cavitation. This also improved the ride by lifting the nose and kept the boat drier.

The boat is lively, very responsive and rides high in the water. Even with 2 adults and 2 kids aboard, the boat planed easily with the extra weight settling the motion in the choppy conditions. 

A 15hp engine would have provided good extra top speed and the extra power would be useful for recreational activities like towing kids on tubes etc. We also had the opportunity to trial the boat for a day out fishing. We had 2 adults and two kids aboard and found that this size was extremely user-friendly with plenty of space for this number of people. The stability at rest was impressive even with all passengers on one side.

Ergonomically the internal space worked well and was comfortable. The bridgedeck proved useful for cutting bait or preparing lunch (opposite ends!) or stretching out for a snooze. As with larger catamarans we found that drinks stayed put even with some chop about. As reported from Brian in Tassie, the front locker remained dry and kept a surprising amount of gear out of the way. The boat also rowed well considering it is not a displacement hull in this configuration. The 2 rowing positions gave the flexibility to move the crew around to keep the boat trimmed. 

This boat weighed in at 67kg's which is quite respectable and can be lifted by two adults.