Some time ago I wrote some notes on Bob Oram and the fact that finding his designs on the net was some kind of difficult...I'm glad to say that these days not only does Bob Oram have a finest kind website but one of his new designs is creeping into the next boat short list in a big way.
You can spell that SERIOUSLY big way...
Bob's 50' Slim is something you don't see every day! A ballasted minimal beam catamaran that you could do the French canals with or explore other waterways that are closed to the great majority of multihulls which has always been something of a problematic issue for us as we really like the European canals...
Of course this is a design that can cross oceans and the water ballasted minimal beam cat has been around for awhile and you will find a certain Deja Vu if you remember the Gougeon 32 which is something of a classic ...
It is a simple design and in these days of over complicated multihulls which look more like floating condos designed for the charter trade this is NO BAD THING. What is even better is Bob Oram builds boats himself ( you'd be surprised at how many so called designers don't/won't or can't build themselves and as a result design boats that are expensive and difficult to build) so you can rest easy that they will go together and even float right side up.
Of course Oram also has no shortage of more "normal" orthodox cats but has a great eye for what looks good and works. Even his most complicated designs seem to escape the condo look so prevalent here in the Caribbean. Whatever flavor of cat you might have in mind I'd seriously peruse Bob's work before you go with the same old, same old.
Plans Change, Martinique version
1 week ago
