Is it possible to reduce width on a tiki 26?

[Andrew james leask]

Hello, I am building a tiki 26 and due to workshop space wonder if it is possible to shorten the cockpit and crossbeams reducing the overall width of the catamaran to 12 feet instead of the 15.1 feet the plans show?

I would prefer the boat to be thinner but wonder about stability and sail area, any advice would be most welcome!

[Pius Bielowski]

Hi andrew! 

I have no practical experience with changing the width but I think the following: Classic wharrams and ancient double canoes were signifcantly narrower than the TIKIs but they were on the other hand much heavier. On my TIKI 21 I fell a big influence of weight on the behaviour of the boat. Cargo and passengers reduce heeling considerably. In my opinion the boat is excellently designed and I personally would not dare to change such important charactaristics as beamlength. 

Fair winds

Pius

[Andrés]

I wouldn't do it.  Less space between the hulls decreases the stability, but also decreases the confort when the boat goes up and down in a beam sea. T. F. Jones, a very experienced builder and sailor, in his book "Multihull Voyaging", says "Two of our catamarans, Vireo and Dandy, have waterlines around 23 feet. Vireo's hull spacing is 9 feet and Dandy's is 11 feet. Dandy is incredible more pleasant in a seaway."

[Andrew james leask]

Thank you both, I will stick to the plans!