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. 

This project is for a client who is awaiting the delivery of his brand new catamaran in La Rochelle France. After much research he decided that the 3.2m Ripple was the best tender for his new boat. He considered buying just the kit and having it built in Europe however the cost was more economical getting the boat factory built from us and shipping the completed boat.

It is testiment to the Ripple design that this client has ordered his tender from half way across the globe. Another benifit to having this boat built rather than buying a production tender was catering to his custom requirements. These included specific positioning of his lifting fittings, rubber fendering, in-built fuel tank and beaching wheels. The client had the wheels sent specially from Germany because he had had previous experience with this particular brand. The boat was built from the Duflex foam kit and weighs only 47kg's, another selling point to this design.

The simple and precise assembly of these kits keeps the build hours down to remain competetively priced in the market place if compared to production boats. This boat will be packed inside a custom-made crate to be shipped over to Europe. 

For more information on our tender range, click here.

New off the drawing board is the 4.2m Raptor design. Designed specifically to suit aluminium construction, this is a planing hull with an expansive self-draining fishing deck. Set up with an offset steering console incorporated into the Starboard hull this will be a comfortable fishing or day boat. Commissioned for a client with a preference for aluminium as a build medium it will be interesting to see this project being built as compared with composite. The recommended engine size is 30hp with estimated cruise speeds of 25 knots and a top of 30 knots. The design is based on the successful Ripple range with customisation to suit alloy. 

Other models will be added to this range in the future.

The Raptor can be supplied as a laser-cut kit which includes folded hull sections. The folded aft hull sections are supplied ready to install and are cut with some of the forward hull panels as part of this section. This build system reduces the amount of build time and welding required. 

We have a builder to supply this model fully built to various requirements including a trailer. Please contact us if you would like some pricing on these options.

We will post updates of the first Raptor as it progresses. For any enquiries please contact us.

The Wilson project is heading to completion now, it has been painted and the fittings are coming on. They have chosen the center console configuration for this design with the fishing deck surrounding and forward of this. There is also the option of the targa and hardtop option which would cover the helm and either side. Wes had fitted two 13 gallon tanks and this boat will be powered by a 30hp Nissan outboard engine.
 

' It's a good size at 14ft overall, plenty large for my boys and I
to do some river and bay fishing.'

If you want to see the Wilson project and how its progressing, like their facebook page. 

We have been sent some progress photos of the Spirited 230 project in Brisbane which is close to finsihed. Externally the boat is painted with stripes etc and ready to go, Internally some finishing work is still needed but we will keep you informed when this boat is launched which shouldn't be far off!

The owners have fitted twin 50hp Mercury outboards for a comfortable cruise speed and fuel economy.

This boat was built from a Duflex balsa kit, for anyone interested in this design or kit please follow this link. 

This design is being released in a new economical digital format. The soft copy package includes the building 
plans and the use of the CNC cutting files. The building plans also include all boat parts dimensioned for the
builder to develop themselves if wanting to avoid CNC cutting fees.

Micro cruising is an economical way of going cruising without the price tag!