Spirited Catamarans Assembly System (SAS) Overview
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| BH's going in |
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| Front view all BH's in |
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| Side Decks in Place |
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| Bridge Deck Installed |
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| Side Panels On |
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| Cabin Frames in Position |
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| Cabin installed |
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| Fairing compound applied |
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| First coat of primer |
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The SAS system combines moulded hulls and decks with flat panel construction to achieve a well proportioned, good-looking design. The overall look of the boat is similar to a production-style appearance with smooth clean lines and unlike many other ‘kit’ boats, the 380 has no unsightly chines. Chines also create more work for the builder when taping and fairing. Fairing chines is much more involved and requires more skill than fairing a round-bilged boat which most people wouldn't realize.
The first step in assembly is setting up the hull components which are moulded up to 200mm above the waterline. The bulkheads then simply sit into the hulls at their correct position.
A major advantage of this system is that the boat is assembled the right way up. There is no need for a strong back, cutting and setting up temporary frames and bulkheads or turning hulls. In fact there are no temporary frames required in the hulls at all. The moulded hulls and decks help to add support to the longer flat hull panels and also keep them running 'fairly' longitudinally.
The recessed join lines on the topside hull panel enable the outer sides of the hulls to remain fair with minimal fairing required. Because the hull topsides are always a highly noticeable area of any boat, this will help give confidence to any first time amateur builder. These important areas are much easier to build and finish.
Adhering to the sequence, the next part of the boat to be assembled is the flat decks. These are dead level athwartships (across) and are positioned easily by fixing the forward end to the top of bulkhead O (1st BH), positioning the bulkheads longitudinally as with the topside panels. The decks have all deck hatches and daggerboard case cut-outs pre-cut.
Once the decks are installed, the cabin sides can go on with these in place, the pre-cut MDF temporary frames are fixed to the cabin sides to make a building jig to form the cabin foam panels over. These are cut in two halves (port and starboard), making it easier to handle and laminate once in position. With the outside glassed, the cabin top half can be removed and the inside surface glassed. At this stage, the underside can be faired and any detail work can be done while off the boat.
An advantage with the interior and cockpit furniture, is that it can be assembled in modules. Most of the internal furniture can be assembled on the workshop floor including all detailed work, things like fitting doors, hinges, catches and even fairing. More complicated modules such as the side cockpit seats and back steps are best assembled in position on the boat and then removed for final finishing.
Interior Kit
The flat panel interior kit is quick and easy to assemble, with most modules being square simple shapes. The pre-cut parts are accurate and alleviate the need to put too much thought into layout design, but if customization was required for personalized options, this is easy to do. The composite materials are user-friendly and forgiving, any problems can be easily remedied.
Once the interior has been structurally installed, a huge amount of time is often spent on finishing and final fit-out. This is where ‘smart’ choices can have a dramatic affect on hours spent on finishing the interior. This is of coarse also the ‘exciting’ phase of the build, with focus put on fittings, colours, soft furnishings and other interior equipment. Choices like a non-gloss paint finish for background surfaces that can be a considerable amount of surface area in a catamaran however by putting more attention on special highlights such as tasteful and higher quality furnishings/equipment can take your eye away from the ‘background’ finish.
The weight-saving advantage of Duflex ‘Featherlight’ ( see www.atlcomposites.com) is often quite dramatic if compared with a traditional fit-out using plywood and framing. Plywood is heavy and can be detrimental to a potentially light weight boat, with the heavy fit-out not contributing to the structure at all. Featherlight panels are strong, using the same laminate as on the Balsa Duflex panels which are structural grade but are almost half the weight. They contribute to the strength and stiffness of the structural shell of the boat considerably. Featherlight panels have a paper honeycomb core and are used throughout the interior of the boat.
Project Support
100% technical support is on hand throughout your project. The unique situation with the designer also building his designs means that any technical questions will be answered from personal experience. The designer is approachable for support or general advice. Even with the comprehensive plans and supportive information there are always areas where first-time builders will need support and advice, for example with equipment choice and installation, material information and even interior finishes & colours.
