Thad Allen's Apache + The Birth of the Cheetah Cat

[Racerguymiami]

Steve,
This is a great thread.

I'm noticing the hull steps on the cheetah cat. From the pics they seem to have a steep longtitudal down angle running to the stern, It also appears that the trailing edge of the forward bottom, the trailing edge of the step and at the transom are all on the same line. Just curious as to your thinking on this step design. Most of the newer cats have 0 degrees on the last running surface. I've played around with several step configurations on V-hulls (adding inserts in the molds as well as adding and removing material later on the actual hull bottom) and have found that that on lighter race boats (Single I/O and outboards), turning both running surfaces down a bit have led to a boat that runs faster than it's non-stepped counterpart and will fly absolutely level in the rough with positive trim with the running surfaces acting as a 'hook'. Built the same boat again but added a full cabin and the results were not near as good as the boat wouldn't carry the bow that well. After raising the aft end of the rear step insert to near 0 degrees on the next boat it carried the bow much better but lost in the rough water handling charactoristics even though it was 500 pounds heavier. I watched the video of the cat running and it looked to run awesome. So I guess I'm asking, did this bottom design on this particular cat come from much on water testing and R&D or was it figured out during the design process?

[Steve 1]

Steve,
This is a great thread.

I'm noticing the hull steps on the cheetah cat. From the pics they seem to have a steep longtitudal down angle running to the stern, It also appears that the trailing edge of the forward bottom, the trailing edge of the step and at the transom are all on the same line. Just curious as to your thinking on this step design. Most of the newer cats have 0 degrees on the last running surface. I've played around with several step configurations on V-hulls (adding inserts in the molds as well as adding and removing material later on the actual hull bottom) and have found that that on lighter race boats (Single I/O and outboards), turning both running surfaces down a bit have led to a boat that runs faster than it's non-stepped counterpart and will fly absolutely level in the rough with positive trim with the running surfaces acting as a 'hook'. Built the same boat again but added a full cabin and the results were not near as good as the boat wouldn't carry the bow that well. After raising the aft end of the rear step insert to near 0 degrees on the next boat it carried the bow much better but lost in the rough water handling charactoristics even though it was 500 pounds heavier. I watched the video of the cat running and it looked to run awesome. So I guess I'm asking, did this bottom design on this particular cat come from much on water testing and R&D or was it figured out during the design process?

Hey Thanks ,Now Coming of a straight edge from the front step looking at the rear step @ transom would be 3/8" up that is all the rocker I give , Yes the running attitude is off the drafting table ,when I designed the first one and later in the thread I will go in depth on what went on in the early design stages when I was putting the first one down on paper as I had but one shot!!

[Steve 1]

We are placing the Bulkheads/frames there was a "Iron Maiden" built for this operation as the fit was critical,The steel cross-spars from side to side are still on the mold until this step is completed.There is aluminum angle holding the frames dead straight as well

[Buoy]

Ha Ha, he said Iron Maiden.
I love it.

So when do I buy a plane ticket to come and be an apprentice on building boats.
I'm following this thread post by post.
Amazing.

[2TR]

This really should be a "Hall Of Fame" thread!!

[Steve 1]

Ha Ha, he said Iron Maiden.
I love it.

So when do I buy a plane ticket to come and be an apprentice on building boats.
I'm following this thread post by post.
Amazing.

Thank you for the support.

[Steve 1]

This really should be a "Hall Of Fame" thread!!

Thank you very much.

[Ted]

This really should be a "Hall Of Fame" thread!!

This thread has well over 20,000 views and will definitely be a "Hall of Famer". It is an example of what this site was started for, and the great interest in Steve's work is testament to the fact that a lot of people share the Founder's interest in a better understanding of where we are and how we got here

Steve, thanks for sharing so much insight with us.

[Bobcat]

I will dig out the pictures of this boat.

I can't wait for these pics. love the center console cats !

[glassdave]

Hey Steve how did you find the workforce in Kuwait compared to here? Were the skills already present and how was quality control? Was there much of a language barrier? How were things as an American living over there? Just curious really, thanks.

[Steve 1]

Hey Steve how did you find the workforce in Kuwait compared to here? Were the skills already present and how was quality control? Was there much of a language barrier? How were things as an American living over there? Just curious really, thanks.

Dave after the War the place still had tank tracks on it and some supplies were hard to get local for this business that is why I made a lot of things we needed ,most of the Kuwaiti's speak American English and I was treated very well where ever I went, Now when the larger plant was setup I brought in 42 people for the staff, my top molders were Sri Lanken

they have a lot of fiberglass industry there (Sri Lanka) when I was in Bahrain I saw them bare footed on wet glass,a lot of the staff also were from India and Bangladesh ,I had a couple Africans also.the Aluminum shop our welders were Pakistani which I depended on for my Tanks and stainless work.

The standard practice there was to take a Kilo scale (like a baby scale) to weigh out resin in their area they worked very well and did exactly what they were told.

When I got there a Kuwaiti I was friends with through a Boat sale years before was showing me around and whereever we went his money was refused when it came time to pay, I wondered about this and found out when the Iraqis Kidnapped a lot of his country men during the occupation and put them in a prison by Baghdad he dressed up like an Iraqi traveled through Iraq Bribed his way in to see these people and gave them letters and took messages back to their families with him, brave dude and a hero to his people,


the Crew and myself

[Steve 1]

This thread has well over 20,000 views and will definitely be a "Hall of Famer". It is an example of what this site was started for, and the great interest in Steve's work is testament to the fact that a lot of people share the Founder's interest in a better understanding of where we are and how we got here

Steve, thanks for sharing so much insight with us.

Sir you are welcome.

[Steve 1]

I can't wait for these pics. love the center console cats !

Thank you and coming up.

[Steve 1]

We are working on the hatch grid plug here, there are Two, port and starboard and when finished slip in under the gunnel caps and get glassed in place,We coated the mold's with a heavy latex material that protected them while we were working then it peeled right off.there are 12 Hatches Two in the center and 5 on each side

[Steve 1]

Another with the sides off this allowed us to work quickly then the sides were bolted on and the liner portion was finished (above photo) then Molding.

[Steve 1]

These are the molds which finish off the cockpit, the liner goes up right under the gunnel cap and gets a glassed along the top edge.

[Steve 1]

Transom Install in our own putty with some custom clamps we built for this mold.The small valance face is off and the cross braces have been removed from the Mold.

[cosmic12]

Steve, I don't know if I missed it or if the ? ever came up but did you own all the tooling and if so did you bring it back?

[Steve 1]

Steve, I don't know if I missed it or if the ? ever came up but did you own all the tooling and if so did you bring it back?

I came back to tool the PP 38 which I gave Danny my word I would do ,planning to return to Kuwait when finished, I left everything there ,I could have brought out a Pattern boat if I wanted ,then 9/11 who knew? I never went back ,These people were very good to me BTW.

[glassdave]

Do you still keep in touch with anyone that has any of your tooling? Great stuff, thanks