8–A outfitting & interior
Cabinetry
Catalyst from a wooden boat builder’s perspective.
As a wooden boat builder, the opportunity to work on a new vessel is a welcome change from repair and modification projects. It allows for input in design, function and integration with other systems. It is a chance to be creative on a larger scale. The building of Catalyst, a fully solar-electric catamaran, the Solander 38, has brought together a group of skilled professionals, designers, builders, and engineers, all focused on making it possible.
The biggest challenge of a project such as Catalyst is that after the initial construction of the hulls and bridgedeck, which had been produced as the Maine Cat sailing catamaran, every component is either newly designed and fabricated or must be integrated in a unique way. The steps and sequence of design and building are complicated and multifaceted. From a woodwork perspective, I need to understand the function and distribution of systems and design components that either house systems or provide their own functions in a homogeneous way.
With the hulls still under construction in the USA, the initial phase of building the interior parts was from CAD drawings. Decisions were made on materials and finish. The primary wood chosen was Western Maple. Sapele mahogany was used for some structural and painted components. CAD drawings were, for the most part, accurate enough, though it is always important to allow for fitting and adjustment in the actual hull. These pieces included cabinets housing the heat pumps and dehumidifiers, a water maker and refrigerator/freezer, and the galley and work table with storage. Large fiddles for the berth shelves and bed rails were shaped. The main ‘salon’ table blank was also prepared.
Interior finishing details
Catalyst arrived in Sidney in September 2025. Some interior components could be installed at this time. The majority of pieces were installed after November, with the boat in the water at Montague Harbour, Galiano Island. I chose to travel to the island and work on the boat for two days per week, progressing through the installations over the winter and spring.
Also working aboard over the winter, Trevor Webster, a versatile shipwright, completed myriad tasks such as plumbing, outfitting lockers, installing tanks, painting and some electrical work that a ‘simple’ boat needs.
With most pre-made parts in place, I turned my attention to fabricating the intricate jambs and slides for the companionway hatches. These are doors made of curved, bent plexiglass that slide on UHMW tracks below and an aluminum bar above. These are great examples of parts that saw design input from several sources over time. And they serve to highlight another catamaran challenge: you often have to make two of the same part, just opposite each other.
As a wooden boat builder, my process of building often demands using components as structural pieces as well. On Catalyst, the structure already exists in fibreglass, so the process shifts more to fastening components to the hull or elsewhere.
Table with map inlay
One collaboration I enjoyed was working with Adam Vermeer to produce the main ‘salon’ table. Adam has been setting up a shop for Rising Tide Boat Works that includes, in part, a large-format CNC machine. I produced the table and blanks, and Adam programmed the CNC to cut a map of lower Vancouver Island and adjacent shores. It wasn’t all smooth sailing, and we learned a bit the hard way, but in the end, we produced a pretty cool table.
My focus is now tidying up smaller pieces to finish off the interior wood components; two small seats adjacent to the aft berths, a pivoting stool for the chart/worktable and a two-way bench seat serving the main table and bridgedeck.
Although my part in this project might be considered traditional, I have thoroughly enjoyed collaborating with those whose focus is decidedly high tech. With battery electrical systems advancing rapidly in the marine industry, it is great to be part of that development. But I do hope that the Catalyst interior provides a warm and welcoming space.
