Kula Kat information

[Matt15]

Hello!

I'm new to sailing and catamaran's but quickly became hooked since buying my first boat a 14ft Kula Cat. Great boat, lots of hull space and it's sizeable for a family island adventure.

I'm wanting to find out more about the boat/brand and wondered if anybody here can link or email me information about the design specs, rigging/setups etc

I've used google to search the web but nothing can be found about this brand boat at all. I'm assuming sny info on this unpopular 1980's brand might be found amongst the old black and white catalogues lol

I read here that it's very similar to a Maricat?

Any info would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance, Matt

[symo_007]

I have a copy of 'Catamaran Sailor Test Edition 1982/83 season" which has a review and a bit of info on it.

Give me a day or two to scan the Kula Cat page and i'll post it up.

Basic Info

-----------

LOA 4.3m

Beam 2.3m

mast length 6.7m

boom length 2.45m

crew 1-4 adults

weight 90kg

sail area 10 sq m

[hills]

I don't know anything about either model, but from your description it sounds similar in functionality to a caper cat. They have large hull space storage and are designed to take 4 adults on camping trips.

[Matt15]

Thank you both for your replies. Apologies about the spelling too - i.e. Kula Cat not Kula Kat.

Symo a copy of that review would be fantastic - thank you so much.

Hills I will take some photos soon as i'm open for all types of setup advice.

Cheers Matt

[ian.B]

hi

i am a newbie here that has just bought a kula cat

in a sad but repairable state , i to would like some info on it

as there is a fair bit of rigging missing

any info would be greatly appreciated

or even a diagram on the correct rigging would be fantastic

thanks

ian

[Matt15]

Hey Ian, welcome to the dying Kula Cat fleet. Not many of these old cats around and I still have not located any documentation or information about the rigging.

I'm only an amateur but certainly willing to help you out if I can. Thus far the concepts are very simular if not identical to other popular cats of its time.

I guess the first step would be to identify what rigging your missing and go from there.

[ian.B]

hi matt

thanks for your reply

your piccy is most helpful, i was under the impresion that there were four shrouds and one

forestay , but as your piccy shows that is not the case ,

my mast does not have a spreader like yours ,

although it has two mast hounds , i will try and dummy rig it this weekend and post up some images

[Pointed Reply]

There are 4 or 5 of these sitting un-loved at the back of the Albury Wodonga Sailing Club.

Paul124ac may know more.

I have seen them there on a couple of visits and wondered what they were.............

[darcy1945]

The diamonds are a waste of time on most 14' cats, Mari, Windy and Hobie don't have them even when s/ sloop rigged, Paper tigers use a much lighter mast section and use lowers for support.

[symo_007]

Direct link http://i354.photobucket.com/albums/r426/symo007/Kula-cat_zps07b89801.jpg

[Matt15]

Symo thanks for posting that article. Good informative read and great to see more about this great cat.

Ian - i'm not sure what you mean by 'spreader'??? Still learning about all the terminology used

Cheers again, Matt

[ian.B]

that was an interesting article symo

thanks for putting that up

spreaders are the same as a diamond , it makes the mast more rigid lateraly

i have not haven't had the spare time to do much to mine

[DrSnapid]

Seems really similar to my Caper Cat. I think it looks great! There's real place for these boats that arent aimed squarely at racing, i reckon, and often you can pick them up cheap, like I did, and enjoy breathing new life into them.

My 14ft caper has spreader bars.

7 minutes to rig? Takes me 40!

[ian.B]

sad to say  but nothing has happened to my kula project   i am having trouble sorting out the rigging   , how much tension should i have on the stays

[darcy1945]

If you are sailing "Cat" rigged (Mainsail only) then tension is not an issue, enough to keep the mast in the step, when you add the jib you should have enough tension so that the luff wire can not be deflected more than 25/30 mm between fingers and thumb.

[KC141984]

Hi guys
 I campaigned KC's for many years in the 80's
Mine was a all white hull, white sail with 2 Blue panels
M Power was the name, won a few titles, BCC Cock of The Bay
Currumbin Cat Club, Wellington Point Cat Club And SYCC  etc

i tried to up load a pic...the article from a magazine features a pic of me on M power.

 

 

[Billzilla]

Direct link http://i354.photobucket.com/albums/r426/symo007/Kula-cat_zps07b89801.jpg

 

 

Hi - first and possibly only post here - My dad wrote that in the early 80's, when we worked with Gerhart for a short while. We also built the only 16' Kula Cat, I have wondered what became of it, does anyone know?

We cut a 14' in half just in front of the front beam and added 2'. The mast & sail were from an A-Class.

[lhadgnet]

Hi All,

 

I just recently bought Kula Cat and sail around the Gold Coast... Not much area but a fun track on the Varsity lake. I live in BNE and keep it on the coast. I would love to get the confidence for a straddie or moreton trip though. 

 

I just wonder if anyone has come to grief righting their boat after having leaking hull hatches. They don't seem to totally seal and I am worried they might play part in a struggle righting a boat if i go over. 

 

Thanks for all the info.

 

oh one other thing... The Kula seems to have a very upright (almost 90deg) mast compared to my MariCat, that has a mast that leans back more. Can anyone tell me if this is a bastardised afterthought by someone else or are they meant to be rigged this way?

[darcy1945]

You should have some (slight) weather helm, if your mast is correctly raked, and rudders fully down

ie, the tiller will have a slight pull when you are sheeted on, sailing to windward, with crew weight at centre of the windward hull.

If the mast is to far forward you will have lee helm, where the boat will want to turn downwind (dangerous)

Mast rake on your Mari was to move the centre of effort in the sails, aft, to reduce pitch poling (Leeward bow digging in),

the rake induces weather helm, so the rudders are tucked under the boat to restore a balanced helm.

[Matt15]

I resealed my KulaCat hatches using foam from Clark Rubber and installed a nice taught bungee line which kept both hulls firmly affixed to the hatch. Water will always find away especially if you have capsized and there is large swell but the Kula hulls are super buoyant so I can't see there being too much of an issue.

I did find the inside of my hulls were rather soft so be sure to step carefully when attempting to right. And yes, now I look at my picture above I had little mast rake so it must be the way these cats were designed. It certainly wouldn't hurt adding some holestay adjusters to the forestay and bringing in the side stays.

 

If you interested in sailing around Moreton Bay have alook at my Hobie group on facebook. Your certainly welcome to join us with your KulaCat. https://www.facebook.com/groups/SouthEastQueenslandHobieSailing/

 

HTH Matt

[Balcolyn Dave]

Great info here folks!  I am an absolute newbie to sailing, but my kids are doing a Learn to Sail class in Optis and I wanted to join in.  Just bought a Kula Cat in sailable condition but want to get some help with rigging it right.  It is set up with a boom vang (?) but I haven't seen any photos with other boats having this.   See second photo.  

The rig seems to use a re-purposed sail cut down from something bigger (according to a local sail maker).  The jib travellers (?) have been relocated to the main front beam.

Next time I have it rigged I'll get some detailed photos.  I have some sailing friends but none are familiar with cats really.

We've had it out 3 times now with some success and made it back alive each time.  It really feels fast but I have struggled to control the speed, probably operator error... I'm also reading a great book "The catamaran book" 3rd edition, but there is no real help on the rigging in there.

Don't mind spending a little money as it was a cheapie, and plan to sail it for a year or two and all going well then upgrade to something newer.

Any thoughts or advice?

Thanks in advance

[korwich]

Hi Dave

Is that Balcolyn as in on Lake Maquarie?

[darcy1945]

The main is a cut down Mosquito main. Background of these photos looks like Lake Macquarie.

[korwich]

Thats what I thought Darcy.

If you are on Lake Maq, arrange to come down to mannering park one Saturday morning bring the boat and we can give you a hand with the questions that you have.  Don't just turn up though, ring Darcy or arrange someone else who knows you'll be coming down, as the fleet may be away at a regatta etc.

Phil

[Balcolyn Dave]

Thanks guys - I'll come down the lake for a chat.  Not sure if I'm up for a trip that big just yet though.  Maybe I'll bring a few photos and drive over.

Also wondering about structural problems with the hull - got some significant cracks opened up around the hatches since we've sailed it, which I've repaired with fibre glass to a rudimentary standard - seems to be holding so far.  Is it just a case of design + old boat?  The other thing is the centre hatch has no drainage - there is a tube running from front section to rear where there is a bung.  Any reason not to drill a hole into this to drain the centre section as well?

Having fun on it but already wondering how much money and time to throw into what looks to be 30+ years old.  I'm guessing the MP club would be a good place to find out about an upgrade boat in the future.