who

blind dog · 15-01-2009, 08:10 PM

does any one remember the ally boat called monocat,never really went and i cant remember who built it

Jon Fuller · 15-01-2009, 08:45 PM

Didn't it fall over?

Pash 1 · 15-01-2009, 08:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jon Fuller

Didn't it fall over?

Quality Post Jon......

A quadriplegic Cat who cant walk falling over

blind dog · 15-01-2009, 08:49 PM

yeah i seem to remember that,who,s was it

FLYING FISH · 15-01-2009, 09:49 PM

Oh dear,wer`e down to that level in boat description.

Designed and built by Bill Bonner.
Engines (Petrol) - 2 x Bonner Marine = 1800hp
41ft Alloy

Never actually raced as far as I know.

blind dog · 15-01-2009, 10:12 PM

thats the one,have you got any pics of the back or underside,pretty odd if you havent seen it

FLYING FISH · 16-01-2009, 07:59 AM

Never actually saw the boat,and mags didn`t really cover it.All very hush,hush,so no pics I`m afraid.

Adam · 16-01-2009, 08:59 AM

It was a strange beast - from what I remember the stern was a continuation of the monohull with the centre running areas missing - thus giving a catamaran type stern. However the goemetry was thus all wrong and the centre of lateral resistance / pivot point (call it what you like) was far too far forward. Can imagine it being liable to bow steering etc.

Bus Pass · 16-01-2009, 01:12 PM

Tim Hill finally rolled it or swapped ends off Brighton, in 1988 I think

cfun · 16-01-2009, 03:22 PM

Remember seeing monocat at a few race meetings in the 80's but as has been said I also can never recall it either starting or doing no more than a token start line gesture, one of those ideas that was just never going to work, it's probably sitting in a barn somewhere

Blue mist · 16-01-2009, 04:20 PM

It was moored in Cardiff Bay Marina last August.

cfun · 16-01-2009, 04:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blue mist

It was moored in Cardiff Bay Marina last August.

I wonder if the bottom has been altered to bring it more in-line with a normal monohulled boat

as it was an alloy boat a few times in the 80's after it's normal failure to run, I wondered why not cut and re-weld the bottom into something that works instead of persisting with a useless and no doubt expensive non workable project that also goes for the Bonner marine engines too

Blue mist · 16-01-2009, 08:15 PM

Hi cfun, couldn't tell if any mods had been done to it. I was at a classic boat meet, I saw it as i was motoring out the marina. I will say it looked in superb condition.

Mike Ring · 16-01-2009, 09:40 PM

If certain people had long enough memories they could have remembered what Bob and Ian Nurse tried to do in the Seventies.

That would have told them all they needed to know and saved a considerable sum.

Moral:
Before re-inventing the wheel , check the history books....

Mike

RSNick · 24-09-2010, 10:56 PM

I was wondering what happened to this boat. Did a Google search and got here!

I designed the livery, race suits and so on for the Monocat and saw the boat a number of times when it was being built. It was fabricated by a company near an open prison in Sussex and designed by Bill Bonner as mentioned above. I have photos of the hull somewhere but seem to remember a model was tank tested before construction on the full-size boat began.

I was in a support boat following its maiden voyage out of Poole. It was rigged by Jim Brooker IIRC and sat very low in the water at rest. It sounded great with its twin Bonner marinised Jag V12's. I remember thinking it turned very well under power. It was only when we all got back to the shore that I found out that it wasn't meant to turn that sharply.

The twin hulls started as a monohull and split into 2 hulls half way or so down the length of the boat with an air vent - for want of a better word - where the hull forked.

If anybody want to see the hull pics just shout and I'll see if I can dig them out!

larby · 25-09-2010, 07:00 AM

I defiantely do, and I'm sure everyone else on this thread would like to too!! Start digging!

James

Jim Brooker · 26-09-2010, 11:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RSNick

I was wondering what happened to this boat. Did a Google search and got here!

I designed the livery, race suits and so on for the Monocat and saw the boat a number of times when it was being built. It was fabricated by a company near an open prison in Sussex and designed by Bill Bonner as mentioned above. I have photos of the hull somewhere but seem to remember a model was tank tested before construction on the full-size boat began.

I was in a support boat following its maiden voyage out of Poole. It was rigged by Jim Brooker IIRC and sat very low in the water at rest. It sounded great with its twin Bonner marinised Jag V12's. I remember thinking it turned very well under power. It was only when we all got back to the shore that I found out that it wasn't meant to turn that sharply.

The twin hulls started as a monohull and split into 2 hulls half way or so down the length of the boat with an air vent - for want of a better word - where the hull forked.

If anybody want to see the hull pics just shout and I'll see if I can dig them out!

Hi Nick
Yes you are all right the design did have lots of problems, in-fact it was a disaster in more ways than one, !!! the boat would go along very nicely then suddenly do a very tight turn all on it's own and at Brighton rolled over.

It had 2 V12 Bonner's on Arnson drives.

I had lots of problems getting paid, after the boat rolled over at Brighton I had to put a Admiralty Writ on the boat so I could get my money

Jimmy

Alacrity · 27-09-2010, 11:15 AM

Is she painted blue now Blue Mist & on the CYC moorings? If so I saw her going out this August so she is still being used.

littlenige · 27-09-2010, 11:57 AM

Lo res pic from Cowes years ago.

Cesa · 27-09-2010, 09:39 PM

A couple of shots from the Jaguar Cowes Classic: