Waterline 1750

Home-built from plans or kit

Brand:: Schionning

Designed by:: Schionning Designs

Description:

The Waterline 1750 is a cruiser with exceptional performance, described by her designer as a fun racer and serious ocean greyhound. Long slim hulls with generous overhangs and little accommodation in the ends keep the weight and drag dowm. These are very easily driven by 179 sqm (1927 sq ft) of sail, giving her a Bruce number between 1.63 and 1.77 depending on how she is loaded - a smaller sail rig is optional for those preferring a less frisky ride.

The hulls have the characteristic asymmetry of many Jeff Schionning designs. The arched champher that joins the bridgedeck to the hull is carried forward on the hull insides. This stiffens the structure and adds reserve buoyancy forward up to tramp level, giving very high resistance to bow burying when sailing off the wind in rough conditions. A valuable safety feature in a boat that accelerates rapidly. The mid hull sections are semicircular, minimising wetted area. These blend into flat sections aft which encourace dynamic lift on the hull and dampen hobby-horsing. The minimum bridgedeck clearance is 0.95 m (~3 ft), the lowest point is under the saloon and rises forward as well as aft (as in all Schionning cats) to the extremities of the deck. This height and design means that bridgedeck pounding is avoided in almost all conditions.

The 1750 has been carefully designed to reduce windage as much as practicable. The bridgedeck cabin has a low drag profile, yet, because of the scale of the boat, still has over 2 m (6 ft 6 in) headroom inside. The galley is 'up' in the bridgedeck cabin, and positioned against the rear bulkhead where it is convenient for both the dinette in the saloon and the cockpit, which has its own table. The rear windows in the saloon open wide on to the cockpit to create a combined and well ventilated 'outside/inside' living area. In the hulls there are four double cabins all with queen-sized bunks (two more singles in the bows optional).

The Waterline range
The Waterline range, like the boats in the Cosmos line on which they are based, are slim-hulled, lightweight cruisers intended for fast ocean sailing. The Waterlines go a step further towards high performance than the Cosmos cats, with finer (lower drag) hull forms, stricter weight control in design and lower payload. Although designed primarily for fast cruising with roomy accommodation and a full compliment of long-range cruising or liveaboard facilities, these excellent performers can be racers successfully.

The long hull 'overhangs' (part of the hull that extends beyond the bridgedeck) make the Waterline cats very well balanced, lean and delicate looking. They are designed for serious sailors who are prepared to be weight conscious so to enjoy extra performance. In the interest of weight saving, the only option for constuction is balsa cored Durakore planking.

Type:: Cruiser-racer

Multihull type:: Catamaran

Construction:

Strip planked in balsa cored Durakore
Balsa or honeycomb cored panels for bulkheads and furniture
Sealed with epoxy resin and knitted glass cloth reinforcing
Unsinkable with many buoyancy tanks

Sails and rigging:

Fractional sloop rig
23 m (75 ft 5 in) mast - alternative mast: 22 m (72 ft 2 in)
Fully battened main

Sails and rigging images:

Deck layout and gear:

Flat decks with non-slip surface
Targa bar carries solar panels and aerials, and lifts and carries a dinghy
Hardtop bimini with large lifting hatch
Dual wheel steering
Central winch station
Main sheet traveller track on the cockpit seatback
Wrap-around cockpit seating
Cockpit table

Keels, boards and rudders:

Optional kick-up rudders
Daggerboards

Accommodation:: Port hull: Double cabin aft with queen-sized double bunk; head and shower midships; double cabin forward with queen-sized double bunk. Additional single bunk optional in the bow Bridgedeck cabin: Saloon with 360 degree view; dinette; galley
Starboard hull: Double cabin aft with queen-sized double bunk; head and shower midships; double cabin forward with queen-sized double bunk. Additional single bunk optional in the bow

Accommodation images:

Systems - Power, Navigation:: Two 37 HP or 43 HP inboard diesels

Performance and handling:

Very fast, light cruiser with potential for ocean racing
Modest payload for the length - 2 tons
Easily driven hulls with 15:1 length:beam ratio when sailing
High bridgedeck clearance for speed, comfort and safety
10 kts cruise, 12 kts top speed with the motor
12 kts cruise, 20+ kts top speed under sail
Simple handling with centralised controls for steering, sails and engines. Easily sailed short-handed