The journey of Yikes (formerly Mahna Mahna) started the moment we decided we wanted to build our own Catamaran and then sail the world on her, but the actual building started in September 2005. The initial materials for our Schionning 1230 Wilderness Catamaran arrived from ATL composites and some other suppliers, over August 2005 and work on the strongback, the frame upon which the hulls are built, started in September. The journal starts with the building of the strongback. We will endeavour to pass on what we learn in the building process as we go and we welcome any questions or advise from anyone either following us or ahead of us in the journey. We have logged our time on each job (shown on the relevant pages) and total time also shown below. There are many different methods used by builders and the methods we use and describe on our site are suggestions only. You should always consult your designer and materials supplier for the best method of construction.

This is the layout of the 1230 with the galley up for the standard rig. Because we are building the bi-rig there are a couple of structural changes such as reinforcing around bulkhead 4 (the one in front of the forward berths) and boxes against the bulkhead at the hull to accommodate the twin unstayed masts, but there wont be a mast in front of the cabin. The only other compulsory change is the daggerboards will move back toward the front of the aft cabin bulkheads in each hull. The doorway/bulkhead of the main bathroom in the port hull will angle forward in the same way as the aft berth does in the starboard hull.

Having no central mast would allow us flexibility in the layout of the saloon. We could for example have the dining area/lounge facing forward to take advantage of the clean forward view. We could also have the galley facing aft. We will also have a chart table in the saloon but are unlikely to use paper charts often. We will stay with a central sliding door between saloon and cockpit with the helm on the port side but wont have the bbq next to the helm. We do want the breakfast table in the cockpit.

We will opt for either outboards or electric engines on outboard legs that will raise into the aft of each hull in the space where the walk-through transoms are so we probably wont be having those, but plan on having a raised duckboard with long hatches below (top at height of seating, bottom at bridgedeck angled back in a triangle shape) for storing such things as boat hook, gaff, fishing rods and other long things and with a central transom walk-through and steps to climb up and into the cockpit at the hulls (see my mock up) if we don’t want to walk to the centre. The purpose of this is to have easy access to the dinghy from the cockpit and ease of passing things up or down into the dinghy. We will only have 2 winches with clutches in front and these will be at the rear corners of the boat, and will control the mainsheets as well as halyards and also the daggers and the dinghy davits. I also like the idea of larger rounded bottom steps to sit and fish off and for added safety getting into and out of a dinghy and perhaps even room to mount a retractable swim ladder that is difficult to fit with kick up rudders but believe they may add drag under sail so I will have to investigate this with the designer. The sail controls on the bi-rig allow for a centre walk through as we don’t have one long mainsheet traveler, we have 2 smaller ones.

Some other changes that we are contemplating are having the 2 smaller mainsheet travelers on the Targa so they are up and out of the way. The Targa, as well as being a davit for the tender will also have the radome mounted on a pole in the centre as we can’t mount it on the rotating masts, and a wind gen on one side and aerials for radio etc on the other. Another change will be to have our main port berth mounted abeam with an extended hexagonal end protruding into the companionway with steps into the berth on each side so that we don’t have to climb over each other to get in and out and depending on the seaway and motion we will also have a berth each way as the starboard will stay fore and aft as per the plan. We are toying with the idea of having the anchor locker convert into a bath in some way and also with the idea of have a ladder that lowers to the water/beach built into the catwalk but these are just ideas at this stage. Some of these ideas are from other boats we have seen and I guess what we are doing is “borrowing” good ideas we see as we go and then seeing if they work with our boat.

Of course it is a long build so there is plenty of time to change our minds!!