[MHml] horsepower & sleds

[Peter Southwood]

This sounds like a very realistic possibility. Removable bracket and big motors, I would go for portable tanks too. Portable tank racks on deck.
Cheers,
P

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Dave Culp 
  To: Informed discussion of multihull issues 
  Sent: Friday, February 02, 2007 9:55 AM
  Subject: Re: [MHml] horsepower & sleds


  A buddy of mine sells 40' catamarans, in Florida, with a pair of 225 hp Hondas on it. Weighs about 11,000 and does an honest 28 kts, in flat water. Sailing hull design, but with powered setup. http://www.kit-cats.com/power-cat.htm  I've been aboard this boat (pulled it with kites!). The cat does 20-22 without breaking a sweat.

  Suppose you mount  a coupla big OBs directly on AB's transoms (or even on extensions, to clear rudders), and removed them for racing? It wouldn't be a big stretch for someone to toss them in a pickup to bring them down the coast, then use ABs boom to hoist and mount them for the return transit. Fuel tanks could be built-in, kept empty for racing. 

  It just seems to me that punching into headwinds/waves at 15-20 kts is gonna want big, long, narrow hulls. Like, well, AB's. I can't imagine any other, smaller boat which can survive this, carrying the weight of engines and fuel. AB alone could do it nicely. The big girl would feel the weight and stresses less than anything yet proposed, IMO. 

  FWIW, Mercury still builds big 2-cycle outboards, which would be lighter. 500# versus 600# for the 4-stroke Honda, at 225 hp. 150s'd go just 430# apiece.

  My second choice would be the same as Ross's; big RIB (I'd go 30'), big OBs, bridle to AB. Put 2-3 guys in the rib and no one in AB; maybe just a helmsman. This is the way they tow AC boats, and they can do it over long distances, at speeds to 12 kts, with 48,000 lbs of boat in tow. A RIB like that's gonna cost a few sheckles, though. 

  Cheers,

  Dave





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