Visayan 50' Catamaran (V15)
Designer: Mike Allen
The Visayan 15 is the pride of our Visayan series of cruising catamarans. Here is a big shoal-draft global-cruising cat to comfortably take you around the world or just around the island. As with all our Visayan series designs, this cat is being optimized for warm weather tropical cruising. ZAKA was built as a very comfortable live-aboard cruiser for an avid diver. With a Barlow wing and deep single centerboard for good sailing performance, the incredible Visayan stern deck, and a full machinery/engine room in one hull, this is going to be one great cruising catamaran. Check out the design descriptions and consider this boat for YOUR tropical cruising. (CC project #18)
Deck Plan
Floating Real Estate
One of the real advantages of a thoughtfully designed cruising catamaran is the large amount of "real estate" available to make the boat truly comfortable outside as well as down below. This is appreciated especially in tropical waters where it is rarely necessary to hide from the cold.
In northern climates a bit of sunlight is a wonderful blessing. In the tropics however, you should be doing all you can to avoid it. In addition to the large airy salon on our Visayan 15 Catamaran, the permanent aft deck hardtop covers the deck seating and helm station for even more shade. The forward windows in the hardtop open fully as in the salon. This structure is built lightly, but with running braces to carry the powerful mainsheet loads. The hardtop-mounted traveler keeps the highly tensioned mainsheet safely away from crew on the stern deck, and provides a convenient out-of-the-way surface for a large array of solar panels, particularly useful on a live-aboard tropical cruiser.
Comfortable steps lead to the salon roof for access to the mast base and boom area for mainsail handling. This plan shows our easily handled Barlow-designed rotating wing mast, which we recommend with a fully battened mainsail for efficient cruising. A standard sloop rig is also available.
All deck areas of the boat are flat or only gently sloped for safe movement. Large self-draining lockers with flush hatches in the fore and aft decks provide a huge volume for outside stowage, and this boat can carry the weight. Space is available on the aft deck to carry a large dinghy while underway so there is no temptation to tow it.
Full height (90 cm.) lifelines surround the complete deck perimeter for safety, with the aft deck lifelines and stanchions made quickly removable to facilitate boarding the dinghy. There is space in a flush aft-deck locker to stow a large inflatable rolled up. A sturdy swimmer's ladder is concealed under the aft deck and accessed through a large flush hatch. Vertical radar and antenna poles in the stern quarters double as a dinghy crane and awning support to add even more shade to the aft deck.
To avoid the penalty of forward weight, and to reduce the possibility of underdeck pounding the foredeck is open but filled with strong netting. An optional a-frame prodder arrangement forward of the bow-pipe facilitates handling of a large and useful, but completely removable, "screecher" headsail.
The Visayan 15 Catamaran, will be as comfortable on deck as down below. Take a good look at this design for your cruising future.
General Arrangement
This general arrangement plan shows one suggested layout of the Visayan 15 Catamaran. Depending on the owner's requirements, many different arrangements are possible, and we are available to help you design this boat the way you want it from the very beginning!
Spacious Salon
The salon arrangement has been kept simple to maintain an overall feeling of spaciousness and to maintain flexibility of arrangement. The forward bench seat is narrow at the table for comfortable seating, but widens out to form 2 single bunks for comfortable sleeping in the cool salon, a popular place to do so.
Lightweight weatherproof or attractive rattan chairs are used at the dining table. Often as not these chairs will be seen scattered around the broad stern deck when it is time for sundowners.
The navigator has a full-sized forward facing nav station located conveniently near the outside helm with a wide chart table, substantial chart stowage, a computer desk, and generous console space for complete instrumentation.
A large divided top-loading refrigerator/freezer occupies the starboard corner of the salon close to the in-hull galley. The freezer is carefully built with 6" of insulation and 4" around the refrigerator for efficient 12-volt tropical operation.
Broad Stern Deck
The after deckspace on the Visayan 15 spreads from the transoms to the after salon bulkhead without break where it is only two comfortable steps down to the salon. This level space is made possible by our unique aft beam structure and simple transoms. The vertical box beam that normally divides the aft deck area into multiple levels to clamber over is eliminated. Sleeping length seats bracket the deck port and starboard. [top]
Maximum Ventilation
Generous ventilation is an important feature often not found in designs intended mainly for use in colder climates. An otherwise well designed boat, if not properly ventilated, will be a sweaty misery.
The large forward salon windows on the Visayan 15 open wide, but seal well when closed, and will safely stand up to the roughest sailing conditions. When fully open they add extra shade to the forward salon and permit the lightest breezes to flow through the entire salon area for maximum comfort. Large deck hatches are installed over the hull cabins, with opening side ports to keep air moving down below as well. Thru-out the beams, bunks and storage areas, careful attention is given to ventilation to keep the entire boat fresh and cool.
Big Galley Down
Many cruising chef's prefer a galley up on the bridgedeck, (and you can have that if you wish) but this boat is so well ventilated that airflow in the salon could disturb the cooking flame and the stove will function better in-hull. With the large open pass-thru to the salon, the cook can still be a part of the hungry crews' good times. There is a full size double compartment sink, 3 burner Force 10 stove with oven, and enough useable counter space in this galley to prepare a banquet.
Private Forward Cabins
The forward cabins feature true double bunks well ventilated with generous headroom, comfortable bench seats, and their own head and shower compartments. If both forward cabins are occupied the owner or visitors may use the third head in the starboard utility compartment.
Owner's Cabin and Engine Room
The port after cabin is a proper stateroom with comfortable seating, huge double bunk, and lots of stowage. The in-hull bunk provides high headroom for cooler sleeping. A smooth running 4-cylinder Yanmar fits easily under this bunk and is easy to service with the bunk opened. As the boat will efficiently cruise under one engine alone, this engine may be left off if powering at night with only the starboard engine running.
The starboard engine room is a dedicated machinery space providing walk-around room to access the engine, pumps, refrigeration, water maker, and a diving compressor.
Single Centerboard
We have found from experience that a single deep well-designed centerboard will provide excellent sailing performance in our Visayan cats. A single board means only one hull has to be arranged for board installation. Minimum interference with hull accommodation is achieved by placing a useful pilot berth and counters over the centerboard case.
The pivoting centerboard will kick up easily and automatically in the event of a grounding or collision with a floating object without damage to itself or the hull.
Design Flexibility
We have emphasized some of the design features of this Visayan 15 that make it a truly comfortable warm weather cruising catamaran. As custom builders, we can modify this design to make it more suitable for colder weather as well, if required.
Take a close look at these drawings of the Visayan 15 and we think you will agree with us, that this is a large but affordable cruising cat worth considering.
