PVC Pipe Catamaran Sailboat RebelCat 5 on the MOVE!

[TheParkour907]

hi im 13 and i live in Alaska, and im planning on making a rebelcat, I just have a few questions on building the boat? Im not buying the DVD because i only have so much money to spend on this. 1. what material is cheapest and lightest to use for sails? 2. would a wooden mast work fine?

3.is there a way i could put ore locks on it and row it when there is not any wind?

4.how would i mount the mast the simpleist way

5.and is it a 'must need' to have a keel?

it would help a lot if you could help?

[marjamada]

@TheParkour907 - 1. Plastic sheeting (cheap) polytarp better. 2. Wood mast okay 3. Oar locks okay (RebelCat 4 had them) 4. Mast in a hole/pipe 5. Keel/centerboard/daggerboard is a must, or your cat will drift downwind. Good luck with your cat.

[wjionieis]

Would a PVC mast work?

[marjamada]

@wjionieis - Not very well, as a mast must be strong and stiff. I use aluminum pipe. Home Depot has wood railing (round with one small flat side) that would work on a small cat. You could put a sail track on that flat side.

[wjionieis]

Thank you I was watching your vid and I was wondering is a 8 by 4 foot sail going to be able to propel me though the water

[marjamada]

@wjionieis - Perhaps, but you might consider using a boat. ;-)

[marjamada]

@wjionieis - To answer your question, I would need more information: type and weight of boat plus crew, shape of sail and area (4 x 8 square is 32 sq ft, triangular is 16 sq ft), propel at what speed under what conditions? If you are talking about a cat, you may want a high-aspect-ratio sail - tall and narrow, like a wing. A triangular sail 4 x 8 will not propel you very fast. Consider wind-surfing sails and how small the 'boat' is. A cat will need a bigger sail to go the same speed.

[wjionieis]

I found some PVC but it's 14 ft. Long and I plan on cutting it in halve it's 8 inch do you think that it will work also I'm getting your video in the mail today

[marjamada]

@wjionieis - If you are a small person, around 100 lbs, it might work. 8" pipe floats 21.75 lbs per foot, so 14' gives you just over 300 lbs flotation. That means your total weight - you, boat, cargo - cannot be over 150 lbs, so your cat has pontoons half out of the water. However, you might find that pontoons that short give you a bumpy ride over chop - up, down, up, down. Put traffic cones fore and aft and it will improve flotation and ride. Keep boat weight low. Good luck.

[wjionieis]

Can you lay in the hammocks were the oars are?

[marjamada]

@wjionieis - Not hammocks, but cargo space for light things, like oars, rope, shoes... Notice that they get sprayed with water. I do have ways to raise them higher, but that day I didn't bother.

[deins19]

hi :) im 14 years old and im going to make something like rebel cat !

how long is pvc pive you used for rebel cat and what is its diameter.

sorry for my bad english ;)

[marjamada]

@deins19 - Your English is fine. This RebelCat is made from two sections: 12.5 and 6 feet. Pipe is 10" diameter PVC. I wish you success with your boat.

[wjionieis]

Ware did you get the PVC

[marjamada]

@wjionieis - PVC pipe suitable for a RebelCat is called PIP or Plastic Irrigation Pipe, and the best places to find it are irrigation suppliers in areas that have agriculture and/or golf courses. these irrigation suppliers have huge yards outside, often on the edge of town or in the industrial area. If you search for 'irrigation pipe' and the name of your city, you should find something. Some places in the east, where agriculture is not as common, may not have it or even know about it.

[migbutu]

Great video, I was thinking of commenting about putting something inside the tube for added safety but I read below that you do that. My idea was to use polystyrene. Do you know if pvc can be purchased in 2 sizes so that 1 tube can be partially stuffed into another? I'm interested in cutting tubes in 1/2 for easier storage & transport, then shoving 1 tube partly into another and using bolts with wingnuts on top to hold them together. I had a similar idea to add flotation to an inflatable boat.

[marjamada]

@migbutu - PIP PVC pipe sizes are too far apart to telescope' inside each other. Common sizes for irrigation are 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 and 15 inches. My DVD shows how to make a pontoon from two sections and couple them for sailing, then take them apart for transport. I have sailed my 21' RebelCat 5 in this way for two years, and it works fine. Long 10" diameter pontoons give a great ride, but 18' pontoons made from 12" pipe would ride almost as smooth, same flotation and no coupler required.

[thehappyinfidel2011]

Very nice and so reminds me of when I was a boy. I also saw a public Tv show where they replaced an island peoples outriggers with pvc sail boats because of a tree shortage. They were also very fast and did better than the wood ones. Thanks

[stumpythedestoyer]

Also where was this? It looks like utah

[marjamada]

@stumpythedestoyer - You are correct. The footage with the majestic cliffs in the background is from Lake Powell at Hite, Utah. The other (faster) footage is Willow Lake in Prescott, Arizona. Notice that, even moving fast, the cat rides quite smooth but leaves little wake.

[stumpythedestoyer]

@marjamada That is very cool, I plan on taking mine to Powell whenever I finish it. I live in s. Arizona. Now I don't know much about sailing, so what is the advantage of little wake?

[marjamada]

@stumpythedestoyer - As a boat moves, it pushes water out of the way. The water then closes again as the boat passes. It requires energy or power to make water move. Sailboats get their power from the wind. The power wasted on pushing water into a turbulent wake is power not used making the boat go forward. Small wake = more efficient use of the wind's power. Watch this video again and note the wake behind the boat. Considering its speed, the wake is small.

[stumpythedestoyer]

Mr. Adams, I have been watching your videos and fantasizing about making my own boat. This always seemed out of reach to me, but this really looks like a great start. Something cheap that I can teach myself on and what not. I just have to get your video now. Thanks in advance!

[marjamada]

@stumpythedestoyer - You're welcome. And thank you for your your kind comment. You're in luck... I still have some DVDs available.

[PetrosPolonos]

Guys, Anybody tried PP (Polypropylene) tubes? In lower temps PVC becomes much more breakable...

[marjamada]

@PetrosPolonos - That's true of most plastics, so you guys sailing in the Arctic Circle be sure not to hit any icebergs. Those who have my DVD know that the bows are reinforced against possible encounters with solid objects, which every sailor tries hard to avoid. So far, no RebelCat has cracked a pontoon, even after hitting beach pebbles and rocks.

[kadiro451]

What is the name of the song?

[marjamada]

@kadiro451 - From royalty-free music by Muse, found on eBay.

[superhobieboy]

have you ever flipped it

[marjamada]

@superhobieboy - No. I don't race or let the canter of gravity get too far over, maybe I'm too old for that :-)

[deezacharo]

Hi, i think is a great solution dor a DIY craft. Just one question. How do you attach the sailing deck with the pvc pipes? , they are bonded? i think the rest is strait foward .. I like the idea.! good for weekend lake fun

[marjamada]

@deezacharo - Tie downs. Strong and flexible.

[deezacharo]

@marjamada

by the way thoses PIP pipes are very expensive in the UK

5 meter long with 31cm in diemeter cost about 135 UK pounds =220 US dollars,,,each..

[marjamada]

@deezacharo - That's unfortunate. However, here, prices also vary a lot. I found a great supplier in another state with prices about half what it costs here where I live. Also, there are at least three thicknesses of PIP, and I always use the thinnest, about 2.5mm for a ten inch/25cm pipe. Lastly, oil prices affect PVC prices, because it's made from oil. I'm trying to find a good natural alternative but so far haven't. Any ideas?

[deezacharo]

@marjamada iam sure i can find better prises,, espesialy in easter europe, but then you need to add the transport cost,so i gues it might cost the same as the original cost here in the UK.

maby with a little bit more research over here i might find a cheaper supplier.

i think if toy wnt to consider a cheaper solution ,you will have to get your hards dirtier, and make hulls

from foam dressed with fiberglass and epoxy.with foam you can create better Ydrodynamic shapes, better speed... thinking!

[marjamada]

@deezacharo - Making hulls by covering foam with fiberglass and resin is not easy or cheap, and you do get your hands dirty, plus you breathe in poisons. Creating a hull that has the same hydrodynamic properties as those I make from PVC requires expert skills. PVC pipes are very smooth and perfect cylinders - two things that contribute to speed in water. My system for heat-shaping the bows nearly equals those on today's cat and tri pontoons - wave-piercing and fast. I wish you success.

[Aggiesgigem]

Keep making bigger ones!

[marjamada]

@Aggiesgigem - Bigger is not always better. See my web site for RebelCat 4, the biggest cat I will ever make. My feeling now is that the smaller the boat, the more fun it is. RebelCat 5 shown here appears to be a great size for one to four people, but best for one or two.

[MrPaulzzzz]

Nice to see anything home built that works this good.

[ham123see]

beauty, real beauty

[TheVahnfanel]

nice...  ill try to make one myself - i live near a lake so it will be nice to sail it one day. thanks!!

[001grady]

how do u steer it and how do u go one way if the wind is going the other

reply plz



[marjamada]

@001grady - Steering is mostly with a rudder at the rear, but accomplished sailors can sail without a rudder, using only the sails. I use the rudder. There is not enough space to answer your other question, but a good sailboat can sail about 270 degrees out of 360, just not in the 45 degrees on either side of the wind direction. Search for 'how sailboats work' or look at web sites on sailing for more on this.

[BreaksFast]

@marjamada Do you find the PVC pipes stiff enough? I always thought they would be too flexible?

[marjamada]

@BreaksFast - I use the thinnest, called PIP - Plastic Irrigation Pipe - and invented a way to make them really stiff: cut discs from foam insulation slightly bigger than the ID, then jam them in with 10" between sets of 2 discs, like bulkheads inside. Now they are hard and safer - if one gets a hole, water will not go beyond the discs. Even if all bulkheads get punctured, the foam alone will keep the cat afloat.

[TheBreamfisher]

beautiful boat mate i have a kayak and plan to put a sail on it

[CAMNZ117]

dagger boards would help stop drift

[marjamada]

This cat has a large rotating centerboard, and I use it when I need to. Somtimes I just leave it up if I'm speeding and don't need to go upwind. The pontoons hold the water quite well without the CB, but when I need to tack, I drop the board and it turns like a champ.

[TheBeastOfTheBible]

How much was the pip PVC?

[marjamada]

PIP PVC cost: I got 40' for about $84 at Sierra Irrigation in NM. PIP means Plastic Irrigation Pipe, so irrigation suppliers are the place to look. Sierra had the best prices I've seen - that was 2 years ago.

[omygad98]

if you live far from the beach/lake its sise is a problem (you cant exactly put it in a car)  how do you get your boat to the lake?

[marjamada]

Good question. This catamaran is made of pieces which assemble on the shore. The main pieces - pontoons, deck and mast - go on my roof-rack; the smaller ones in my pickup shell. The pontoons are actually two sections of PVC pipe, the longest is 12.5', so it travels easily in a rack.

[XysflightchampX]

how much wind does it take to make this guy go and how fast?

~mark~

[marjamada]

As with any sailboat, some wind is needed, but how much to make it go how fast is hard to say. Cats in general need less wind to go a given speed, because they present less drag in the water - they are not pushing a bow wave ahead of them. They accelerate and decelerate quickly. My RebelCat 5 is very responsive to even a light wind, and in a medium wind like this video shows, it really moves. I've gotten pretty close to 20 knots. As the seats are over the water, there is no need to hike out much

[Zoharfi]

Hi,

Very impressive and inventive, I'm realy impressed!

Did you consider polyethilen pipes that are liighter, instead of the PVC pipes?

[marjamada]

I have not seen pipes lighter than the PIP PVC pipes I use. I do not use schedule 40 PVC - much too heavy and expensive. PIP is the thinnest and cheapest and works great.

[0323mohammed]

love the video and the cat, maybe one day i i will be able to sail like that

[philami1]

Every Plumbers dream!

[projectcrazy12]

have you ever had ot uncaptsize it

[marjamada]

No. I sail carefully and don't push the cat so far. Racing a cat with one hull flying can lead to a capsize, and sometimes does. RebelCats are made for cruising, not racing. However, as you can see from this video, this cat can go pretty fast with both hulls on the water, certainly faster than most monohulls in the same wind.

[natureatcloserange]

Awesome boat and idea! I ordered the DVD from you on Friday and am looking forward to my new spring project!

[marjamada]

Thank you. You are going to love this cat. When we get enough of them made, let's have a cat meet at some nice lake. Many are being built this year, so this may happen sooner rather than later. I hope you like the DVD.

[jblee22655]

GREAT job it looks like lots of FUN for many ages. What are the purple runners from the bow to the cockpit? Just for added storage?? Jim

[marjamada]

Thanks Jim. Cockpit, that's funny. They are just polyester fabric, sort of cargo nets without the netting. They hold things like the oars, shoes, rope. Actual cargo nets aft hold things like baggage, throwable flotation. If you make this cat, you can do what you want in that space. Put in a hammock! And you're right, it is so much fun. Make one in the Spring and have it for next Summer.

[kless001]

The ultimate rebel cat!  Sooooo impresive

[marjamada]

I'm soooo glad you liked it.

[sheik480]

Wow... The plans are fully scalable, right?

[marjamada]

Yes. With the plans on DVD, you can build this cat larger or smaller. The design is quite simple, so making parts larger or smaller is easy. It can also be made longer or shorter. In fact, RebelCat 5 can be made in two (or more) versions, one is 15' and one is 21'. The long version has pontoons made from two sections coupled together, and it can be made shorter in minutes by removing the 6' extension section. This video shows the 21' version. The ride is sooo smooth.

[sheik480]

So, you could make it to the scale of rebelcat 1, right?

[marjamada]

That's right. RebelCat 4 was scaled UP, using 15" pipe, it was complex and huge, with many innovations. RebelCat 5 is the best of cats 1, 2 and 4, in a much smaller, simpler design. You can scale it up or down, and when you see how it is made, you will understand how easy it is to make it any size you want. I do think RC 4 was the upper limit for a car-topper. Each pontoon was 100 lbs. I realized that the smaller a boat gets, the more fun it is. RC 1 was a lot of fun, and so is RC 5.

[sheik480]

Awesome, looks like I'll have to get me a pair of them plans!

[marjamada]

The plans on DVD have a 30-day, no-questions-asked, money-back guarantee. If for any reason you feel you will not be able to scale the plans to the size cat you want to build, just return the DVD for a refund. I have given a lot of thought to this design, so that anyone with simple hand tools and basic skills can build it from local materials. When you see the video you will know that you can do it. If you have any problems, I'm here to help.

[XxDarkEaglexX26]

awsome!

[marjamada]

That's what I was thinking when I was flying across the lake. Of course, speed isn't for everyone. Some people prefer to poke along in a fat sailboat. But if you like moving, a cat will suit you just fine. Personally, I like speed.

[grafophone]

That rocks!!!!! PVC pipes are amazing. Was camcorder aboard in a housing? This gives me the idea to so do someting similar on my sail canoe, for my camcorder. Thank you for sharing.

[marjamada]

Yes, it does rock, even though the ride was smooth. The camcorders front and back just above the water were in homemade housings made from clear food canisters from Walmart, with acrylic windows added for clarity. The other cams were mounted on a long pole w/o housing. If you look at the cat just as I sail past the dock, you will see the cam and pole at the front, and a cam in a housing on the front spreader. That pole cam mounts at the back also, and that's what I used for the other clips.

[Caitanyadasa]

looks like prescott, az. where is this_

[marjamada]

The first clips (and later ones with big cliffs) are Hite at Lake Powell. The other clips are Willow Lake in Prescott. Never sailed Willow Lake before, but what a rush! Good wind that day, as you can see, and no traffic.