Wilderness 1480

Home-built from plans or kit

Brand:: Schionning

Designed by:: Schionning Designs

Description:

The Wilderness 1480 is very similar to the shorter models in the range, though the longer hulls create more internal volume and an even lower wave drag with a length-to-beam ratio of 14:1. The payload of 1.9 tons is modest for this length of boat, but quite adequate for a fast cruiser where performance is a priority. The bridgedeck is 0.95 m (3 ft 1 in) above the waterline allowing a good margin for wave clearance.

Home and professional builders can buy plans or pre-cut kits of the Wilderness 1480. There are three different roomy internal layouts for the boat amd there are pre-cut furniture kits available for all of them.

The standard plans are for an aluminium mast and boom, although Schionning Designs have developed an easy method for home builders to make carbon spars at much less than the usual cost. Plans for these are extra. There are several options for helm location, port, starboard, and central as well as dual wheels. The plans include several very effective and cost saving features. There is a composite wheel and a composite sheave system with spectra line for a very reliable and economical steering system home builders can make themselves. A strikerless forward beam, and all composite chain plates improve looks, strength and save a lot of money.

The Wilderness Range
The Schionning Wilderness range of cruising cats is especially designed for simple and quick home or professional construction. Most of the boats, including the hard chine hulls and the furniture, are built from joining ready-made, pre-glassed balsa or foam cored flat panels, for example, from DuraKore. These can purchased as pre-cut kits, available in several options, for most models in the series.

The range has good load carrying potential as fits its purpose as a cruiser, yet hulls are slender enough at the waterline to give a very good speed potential. A generous bridgedeck clearance helps avoid slamming when sea conditions deteriorate. The hulls are flat bottomed, as natural in a chine catamaran construction. The flat run aft encourages planing – but the bottom panel is Veed forward to prevent noisy under-hull slamming. The hulls are also flared forward, on the inside, giving additional buoyancy reserve and thus more safety at sea. The flare also helps to deflect spray from reaching the decks.

Though built mainly of flat panels, the Wilderness range does not have the angular look of a chined boat. Compound curves are strategically incorporated both to improve appearance and to reduce air drag. The deck sections are strip-planked using the already constructed parts as a mould; this allows the decks to be rounded on the turn of the hull. Strip planking the bridgedeck cabin roof also produces similar beneficial curves.

Type:: Performance cruiser

Multihull type:: Catamaran

Construction:

Hard chine hulls, bulkheads from pre-glassed balsa or foam DuFlex, flat panels
Kit with pre-cut panels for hull and bulkheads are an option
Reinforced hull bottoms; Kevlar reinforcing optional
Furniture from DuFlex honeycomb panels
Strip planked decks and cabin roof
Speedy construction with no laminating required to build the hulls
The boat can be built in separate sections which are joined later
Composite chainplates
Many sealed buoyancy compartments
Escape hatches

Sails and rigging:

Fractional sloop rig
Optional carbon fibre mast and boom
Single line reefing
Furling genoa
Furling reacher flown from a bowsprit
Optional self tacking jib

Sails and rigging images:

Deck layout and gear:

Wide flat decks with non-slip surface
Targa bar for hoisting dinghy and supporting arials and solar panels
Radial mainsheet traveller track on the cockpit seatback
All sail controls run to the cockpit
Single or dual wheel
Sheltered and secure cockpit

Keels, boards and rudders:: Daggerboards

Accommodation:: Three alternative accommodation layouts

Layout 1
Port hull: Double berth aft; head and shower midships; double cabin forward, berths over the bridgedeck; additional berth possible in the bow
Bridgedeck: Large saloon with large sloping wrap-around window, dinette, ample seating seating; navigation area
Starboard hull: Double cabin aft; galley amidships; double cabin forward, berths over the bridgedeck; head and shower in the bow

Layout 2
Port hull: Double berth aft; head and shower midships; double cabin forward, berths over the bridgedeck; additional berth possible in the bow
Bridgedeck: Large saloon with large sloping wrap-around window, dinette, ample seating seating; galley aft near the cockpit
Starboard hull: Double cabin aft; gnav station amidships; double cabin forward, berths over the bridgedeck; head and shower in the bow

Layout 3
Port hull: Single berth aft; study midships; double cabin forward, berths over the bridgedeck; head and shower in the bow
Bridgedeck: Large saloon with large sloping wrap-around window, dinette, ample seating seating; forward facing galley
Starboard hull: Head and shower aft; work area amidships; double cabin forward, berths over the bridgedeck