Dear Catamaran Sailor,

Thank you for your inquiry to our Website and our world of Offshore Catamarans.

My sailing life started in 1970 as the sailing instructor at Sapphire Bay Resort on ST. Thomas in the U.S.V.I. and I have been a Catamaran fanatic since my first ride on a Hobie Cat.

I have personally been building Catamarans since fall of 1975. My first project was a Lock Crowther designed Spindrift 37 high performance sailing Catamaran. I built this for my wife and myself and was the start of my life with composites. Crowther Designs, in Sydney, has been in the forefront of high tech building techniques and materials and has more custom mutihulls sailing than any other Design Group.

I started building Offshore Catamarans in Palm Beach, Florida in 1984 with the Crowther Supershockwave 37. Several boats later, in 1989, we won the SPI Composites Institute’s Marine division Grand Prize for our OFFSHORE 40 Sailboat. Burt Rutan won that same year for his Beechcraft Starship in the aviation division.

To date I have built eighteen large catamarans ranging in size from 37 to 52 feet, all of which have been built using advanced composite techniques.

Before I started building boats I was involved in the Epoxy Resin business in both marine and aerospace areas and I still maintain close ties with the major manufactures of epoxies for the latest developments. We were one of the first builders in the world to use vacuum bagged epoxy laminates.

All of our vessels have utilized a PVC foam core in hulls, decks and crossbeam structure. The use of a thick, but lightweight, core of PVC foam creates a very strong, stiff and very light craft.

A simple example of the benefits of a core is: Two layers of 34 oz. fiberglass in epoxy resin is not very stiff however add a light weight PVC foam core between each layer (to increase the total thickness times four) and the strength goes up ninety-two times and the stiffness goes up thirty seven times. (Source: Crowther Designs) This core also gives flotation, insulation, is fireproof and is very durable. These cores never absorb water and cannot rot like wood cores. The use of Epoxy resins also means very long life and never water blister like cheaper Polyester resins.

We have built ocean racing, cruising yachts and charter catamarans for clients around the world. We have boats from Hawaii to South America. Our boats have logged thousands of ocean miles and have brought their owners home safe and sound. In 1995 we built a 48 foot charter catamaran that was built here in Florida then trucked to Branson, MO for finishing and now sails on Table Rock Lake. In fact we have built several large Catamarans that are totally demountable for shipping. We have built Composite wing masts for several of our boats and as replacement masts of other clients. Visit Lake Geneva in Switzerland and chances are you will see one sailing.

We have been contracted to produce parts for not only catamarans but also undersea, aerospace and medical projects.

Please study the different photographs and design plans available and let me know if we can be of help. From a stock design to a clean sheet of paper we can make your dream a reality. A reality you can cruise the world on.

 I am very excited about our new line of power Catamarans with great performance, super smooth ride and highly economical use of fuel. This new range of boats can give you all the comforts of home at sea.

The OFFSHORE 52’ power catamaran is our latest design and with a twenty five foot beam she has plenty of room to cruise two couples in privacy and comfort. The air conditioned center cabin is sixteen by twenty. Each forward stateroom has a king sized bed and private head. With an extra queen sized berth in each hull you can even bring the kids. The large day head in the center cabin even has a home sized shower. The large covered rear cockpit area is a great “back porch” to watch the sunset. This cat also makes the perfect dive platform. With a draft of three and a half feet this is the Bahama’s boat.

Two Yanmar 200HP turbo diesels offer you high speed, long range and low fuel costs.

We now also work with several Design Groups worldwide. So if you have a favorite design we can build it for you with the most advanced materials.

We are quite interested in the new Hydrogen Fuel Cell power systems and can supply your boat with the latest technology.

Our Offshore 48’ day charter catamaran is certified for 49 passengers and with the advanced materials used it has a very long service life. The GREAT WHITE can be charted in Miami for private sails. Please contact us for more details.

We also can consult with you on any plans and can arrange inspections or surveys of existing vessels.

I look forward to working with you on your project.

Thank you,

Michael Bell

President

Offshore Catamarans

By BELL COMPOSITES, INC.