CAT63

A big, cold-molded construction catamaran built in Turkey

The know-how in wood construction of Turkish shipyards is far from limited to their famous caiques: the Soyaslan shipyard, based 15 mi (25 km) south-east of Istanbul, demonstrates this brilliantly with the launch of an impressive catamaran built in cold-molded wood (cross-ply timber glued and protected with epoxy resin).

CAT63

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Published 06/08/2022

By Emmanuel van Deth

Issue: 185

Published: sept. / oct. 2022

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“We’ve got plenty of experience in engineering and construction using this method,” explains Can Soyaslan, the shipyard's founder, “We have designed and built molded wood yachts that are now more than 30 years old. To date, we have produced over 100 boats and yachts.” Soberly named CAT63, the catamaran features a modern design with strongly inverted bows and a superb standard of finish. The drivetrain chosen (2 x 110 HP Yanmars) guarantees a cruising speed of 8.5 knots and more than 10 knots at full speed. The 60 kWh of lithium batteries on board and the 3.44 kWp of solar panels should allow you to be self-sufficient when at anchor, i.e. without recourse to a generator or the engines.

Builder: Soyaslan
Architect: Tumer Design Studio
Material: Cold-molded wood
Length: 63’7” (19.37 m)
Mainsail: 1,076 sq ft (100 m²)
Self-tacking solent: 516 sq ft (48 m²)
Gennaker: 1,560 sq ft (145 m²)
Motors: 2 x 100 HP
Cruising speed under power: 8.5 knots