Hello Michael,

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In response to your question about building the 480 catamaran. As someone who has recently completed an Eco 6 and done some sailing on it can I put forward some thoughts. Firstly your described 25 knot winds and 3 foot seas are going to be a challenge to any of these small catamarans, and the smaller the boat the more difficult those conditions are going to be. I think my Eco 6 would be challenged in those conditions, it would not be pleasant at all. Remember also that the bigger the boat the more stable it is going to be, so for the conditions you have described the Eco 6 is going to be a much better boat. If you are going to go small the new Eco 520 design would be a better option. Similar simple construction to the 480, but a bit more boat with an easy to construct rig, and very easy to reduce sail because both sails are roller furling.

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To get accommodation with a decent double berth, and a toilet area you would need to go bigger, either the Eco 5.5 or the Eco 6,and ?maybe the 520. We find the accommodation in the Eco 6 to be quite workable for two people. I have been onboard a 480 and the interior is quite tiny. Rather than a chemical toilet in our boat I have built a lightweight composting toilet which works very well, and even has my wife’s stamp of approval!

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Outboard motor size – the 480 would suit a 4hp motor. We have a 6hp Honda motor on our Eco 6 and it is plenty big enough for the boat, I have never had to use full throttle even in very windy conditions. But going back to your described wind and sea conditions, any of these small boats are going to struggle under power in those conditions. In fact regardless of the size of motor it might be very difficult to make any headway into those sea conditions as the boat will be pitching so much that the propellor will often be out of the water. A longer hull length will be better in rough seas.

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So for the conditions you have described, the bigger the boat the better it will be, but I really do think the 480 would be too small. This does need to be factored against the extra build time and cost of a bigger boat. The Eco 6 was 2 years committed part time work, and about NZ$15k. You could spend less than that by using second hand fittings and motor, or you could also very easily spend a lot more. I made a lot of my fittings and constructed my own rig, but I have had a lot of sailing and boatbuilding experience.

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Good luck with your project.

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David