stiletto 27 catamaran

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• Sailboat Guide

Stiletto 27

Stiletto 27 is a 26 ′ 10 ″ / 8.2 m catamaran sailboat designed by Bill Higgins/Don Ansley and built by Stiletto Catamarans (Force Engineering) starting in 1976.

Rig and Sails

Auxilary power, accomodations, calculations.

The theoretical maximum speed that a displacement hull can move efficiently through the water is determined by it's waterline length and displacement. It may be unable to reach this speed if the boat is underpowered or heavily loaded, though it may exceed this speed given enough power. Read more.

Classic hull speed formula:

Hull Speed = 1.34 x √LWL

Max Speed/Length ratio = 8.26 ÷ Displacement/Length ratio .311 Hull Speed = Max Speed/Length ratio x √LWL

Sail Area / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the power of the sails relative to the weight of the boat. The higher the number, the higher the performance, but the harder the boat will be to handle. This ratio is a "non-dimensional" value that facilitates comparisons between boats of different types and sizes. Read more.

SA/D = SA ÷ (D ÷ 64) 2/3

• SA : Sail area in square feet, derived by adding the mainsail area to 100% of the foretriangle area (the lateral area above the deck between the mast and the forestay).
• D : Displacement in pounds.

Ballast / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the stability of a boat's hull that suggests how well a monohull will stand up to its sails. The ballast displacement ratio indicates how much of the weight of a boat is placed for maximum stability against capsizing and is an indicator of stiffness and resistance to capsize.

Ballast / Displacement * 100

Displacement / Length Ratio

A measure of the weight of the boat relative to it's length at the waterline. The higher a boat’s D/L ratio, the more easily it will carry a load and the more comfortable its motion will be. The lower a boat's ratio is, the less power it takes to drive the boat to its nominal hull speed or beyond. Read more.

D/L = (D ÷ 2240) ÷ (0.01 x LWL)³

• D: Displacement of the boat in pounds.
• LWL: Waterline length in feet

Comfort Ratio

This ratio assess how quickly and abruptly a boat’s hull reacts to waves in a significant seaway, these being the elements of a boat’s motion most likely to cause seasickness. Read more.

Comfort ratio = D ÷ (.65 x (.7 LWL + .3 LOA) x Beam 1.33 )

• D: Displacement of the boat in pounds
• LOA: Length overall in feet
• Beam: Width of boat at the widest point in feet

Capsize Screening Formula

This formula attempts to indicate whether a given boat might be too wide and light to readily right itself after being overturned in extreme conditions. Read more.

CSV = Beam ÷ ³√(D / 64)

Originally called STILETTO as this was the first in the series. Available as: Championship Edition (1977) Special Edition (1978) GT (daggerboards in each hull) Beams collapsible to 7.95’/2.42m for transport. Dimensions and all up weight as shown on 1976 brochure.

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Stiletto 27 Spec. ED.

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Major Stiletto Hacks

There is, by definition, no boat out there that is ready to accept our electronic systems and magically become the Microship. We have too many strange requirements. The following comments are not intended as a complete catalog of mechanical projects, but instead address the major issues that MUST be dealt with if this is to work.

Kayak stow/launch

We need some sort of dinghy on the ship, and would like playboats as well for exercise and exploration. An excellent solution is a pair of kayaks (seaworthy, fast, light, and fun), but where to stow them on a sleek 27′ cat? After pondering this problem, I like the idea of fold-out stainless steel davits that hinge at the crossbeams, lay across the hull decks, and curve gracefully to match the decks of a pair of Current Designs rotomolded Solstice kayaks, one on each side (we’re trading the Libras back to the factory for the new singles). The interesting twist here is that the boats would be supported in stiff slings, linked to the mothership via blocks with about 6-part purchase. To deploy a kayak, simply load the hatches as necessary, step into it from the adjacent hull, uncleat the line, lower yourself into the water, and paddle away. To return, glide into the slings, haul up, cleat off, and step out. Since these would be in the way under most docking situations, the davits fold back onto the wingdeck and the kayak(s) stow onboard or under the boat between the hulls (the basement).

Self-trailering

This is not at all defined yet, but is a critical and inflexible requirement. Basically, the Microship will only work for open-ended technomadics if there is a way to take it on the road without having to import a tow vehicle and special trailer, and that translates into the need for a built-in trailer (trucks we can rent). Currently, the Stiletto trailer looks like a normal boat trailer with slide-out arms to accommodate the mode change; we’re going to need landing gear that deploy from the crossbeams, swing under the hulls for additional cradling support, and include adequate suspension. There also has to be a structure that serves as a tongue and hitch, but goes away when we’re on water. In addition, the boat has to come out of the water at 14′ beam and then slide into an 8′ road width… Charlie had the elegant idea of simply jacking up one side, slipping a little wheeled carriage under it, doing the compression, then removing the carriage. We discussed the self-trailering issue at length, and it seems possible; I’m hoping a UCSD student engineering team (Ames 156B next quarter) can take this on.

Mast deployment

Somewhat related to the foregoing is the mast deployment system. Normally this is part of the trailer — a gin pole is erected and used to winch the mast up and down. Here, we’ll need a pole or triangulated frame that can be folded vertically at the forward crossbeam and guyed, allowing the mast to be winched down (constrained loosely by the shrouds), until it comes to rest in a pair of rollers on the radar arch at the stern. At this point, the mast has to swing up off its step, rest on or near the winch, and roll forward until the CG is within that of the boat. This not only will allow us to raise and lower the mast when mode-changing between land and sea, but also when approaching a bridge that’s lower than 40′ off the water! Since we’re planning on some river and ICW travel, this is essential.

Solar array

Another major issue involves the 720-watt folding solar array. This is about 80 square feet of surface area, and there are only two possible places to put it when deployed: atop the tramp at deck level, or over the rigid deck as a cabin roof. In the former case, which is simplest, the 24 modules (30 watts each, 20×24″) are accordioned into a stack that is mounted athwartships just forward of the tramp. To deploy, we simply unfold the whole thing and lay it across the tramp, cinching it down along the sides to prevent problems with wind and water. (It is slightly frustrating that the 4-by-6 module array ends up with no exposed solar face when folded in this way, but I’m sure that’s a soluble problem.) The other idea is to perform a similar unfolding maneuver, but have rollers at the ends of all the hinges that carry the modules along an elevated track to form a convertible cabin roof. This can have zip-on fabric sides that extend over the cockpits, and otherwise be a useful space, but we would have to move jib tracks, change the centerboard to pivot (a good idea anyway), and reroute a few lines. To be truly comfortable, we might also want to raise the boom a bit, but the height is not bad as is and doing so involves a performance hit. I should add that there is currently no good place for Faun and me to comfortably share a berth, given the width of the hulls — in mild conditions we’ll want to tent over the tramp or do something similar with the main deck. So this could fit right in, as long as it doesn’t complicate sail handling overmuch…

Cockpit design

Finally, one of the Truly Major Issues here involves our actual working and living space. We have two hulls in the Stiletto, one for each of us, and they are not exactly palatial unless viewed beside the Fulmar. We had hoped to embed recumbent bicycles into the hulls as our primary seating area, auxiliary power generation system, and deployable land transport — though I still like this idea in principle, it badly impacts access to the berth areas. Abandoning that for now, the image I have is a rotating, sliding seat, allowing easy crawl-through access to the berth, comfortable forward-looking piloting with full helm control and console use, and backward-facing use of utility work areas (a lab/comm workstation in one hull and galley in the other). The bunks fold up to provide access to head, gear stowage, tankage, batteries, and so on; the bows are available as sail lockers and additional provisioning. The nice thing about this is that I can keep the console areas clean, limited to the Macs, navigation, and system monitor displays — moving the bulk of our control systems, power management, comm gear, and the like to the lab behind my seat where it won’t be so intrusive. There’s actually a moderate desk space there, giving me a small work area and chart table that can open to expose the systems for maintenance.

Well, Shall We?

As you can see, this possible Microship substrate would require some interesting mechanical engineering, but it is large enough to do the job without turning into a yacht. One of the reasons it’s so appealing is that I have found no other multihull that provides trailerability, adequate working/living space, good performance, and a high-tech “feel” at anywhere near this price (just under $15,000). The F/27 is a lovely machine, but even used ones cost $60,000 or more and, as Faun pointed out, they carry the cultural connotations of a BMW. Used trimarans abound in our price range, such as the venerable Searunner 31, but they cannot be made small enough to trailer (and we simply can’t relax that spec — not only do we have to do the development work in a land-based lab, but open-ended wandering requires occasional portages). Cheap monohulls are all over the place, but they don’t have enough deck for solar area and I don’t find them too interesting anyway. In short, we may at last be looking at a reasonable solution that does not involve a lengthy foray into boatbuilding or a radical departure from our basic design goals.

I look forward to any comments you may have… I want to make this decision soon, while the opportunity exists (although Stilettos do appear frequently in the classified ads in Multihulls Magazine , this one is in excellent shape, has rarely seen saltwater, and I have a good rapport with the owner).

Meanwhile, we press on — things are heating up with the project teams and overload is a way of life. And thanks go out to Adobe for the donation of PageMaker 5.0, which just arrived yesterday!

Continue to Issue #82…

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STILETTO 27 Detailed Review

If you are a boat enthusiast looking to get more information on specs, built, make, etc. of different boats, then here is a complete review of STILETTO 27. Built by Stiletto Catamarans (Force Engineering) and designed by undefined, the boat was first built in 1976. It has a hull type of Catamaran Single Dbrd. and LOA is 8.18. Its sail area/displacement ratio 50.55. Its auxiliary power tank, manufactured by undefined, runs on undefined.

STILETTO 27 has retained its value as a result of superior building, a solid reputation, and a devoted owner base. Read on to find out more about STILETTO 27 and decide if it is a fit for your boating needs.

Boat Information

Boat specifications, contributions, who builds stiletto 27.

STILETTO 27 is built by Stiletto Catamarans (Force Engineering).

When was STILETTO 27 first built?

STILETTO 27 was first built in 1976.

How long is STILETTO 27?

STILETTO 27 is 7.32 m in length.

Member Boats at HarborMoor

Phillips Boatworks grows its charter fleet with another Stiletto-27 catamaran

Phillips Boatworks adds a second Stiletto-27 Catamaran for sunset sails and sailing charters

Now, larger groups can sail together.

We are adding another catamaran to our Avon, NC fleet for sunset sails and sailing charters. Groups and families of up to 12 adults can sail flotilla style from Avon on Hatteras Island.

What is a flotilla?

A flotilla is when two ore more boats tag along together. Historically, back in the 1990’s, Capt. Jay ran flotilla cruises around the DelMarVa peninsula for SunSail Annapolis. Flotilla cruises have their origins in training new bareboat charter skippers to “learn the ropes” of bareboat cruising, but it applies really anytime multiple boats sail together. Here on the Outer Banks, with Phillips Boatworks, our flotilla sailing is a great way to accommodate larger groups.

“We get many large groups that want to sail together, and I am so excited to offer our new flotilla sunsets sails and even raid style overnights with two catamarans together so that we can accommodate the larger groups”. Capt. Jay Phillips

Have a larger group? No problem!

Book A Flotilla:

Step 1: Check availability for both boats, and find a date and charter which is available for both boats.

Step 2: Book Rendezvous IV.

Step 3: Book Stiletto Classic.

Step 4: Call or Text Captain Jay 855-410-7245 and make sure he knows that you are a flotilla group, and let us know any special requests you have for your charter. He will set up and coordinate your flotilla.

Stiletto Classic

Rendezvous IV

So many possibilities

Adding a second boat of the same make and model opens up other opportunities for fun new adventures here in Outer Banks Sailing. Particularly when the two boats are the same make and model with the same rigging, etc. Our team is putting together team building, class racing, cruising raids, and other fun events. Stay Tuned!

Things to do with two identical boats

• class racing
• team building events
• raid-style cruising camping adventures
• multihull race tactics clinics

If you have a larger group and want to book a flotilla style charter, please contact us directly.

If you are planning a flotilla sailing activity for a large group, please PLAN AHEAD! Our boats book up early in the season and finding a slot with both boats open can be a challenge. We suggest planning well in advance.

If you would like to book a flotilla for groups over 6 guests, it is good to reach out to Capt. Jay directly and coordinate before trying to book online.

If you have any questions on flotilla sailing, or a match racing experience on these two Stiletto-27 catamarans, Call Capt. Jay 252-489-8193.

Online flotilla bookings.

We are setting up flotilla bookings here on our website, and expect that to come online before the end of May 2021.

“Adding a flotilla style booking feature to Charter Boat Bookings has been on our roadmap, and now our team have pulled that feature up into priority. We expect to pilot that feature with Phillips Boatworks through 2021 and roll that our to all our Charter Boat Booking travel agencies for the 2022 season”. Meg Phillips, author of Charter Boat Bookings

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• Sailboat Reviews

This so-called “coastal cruiser” (we don't think so) is far out on the fringe, but does offer some advantages.

Many sailors consider multihull sailing to be on the fringe of our sport. If that is true, then the Stiletto catamaran is dangling one hull off the edge. It’s hard to mistake her appearance, with blazing topside graphics and aircraft-style, pop-top companionway hatches. It’s also hard for the average sailor to appreciate the sophistication of the Stiletto’s construction—epoxy-saturated fiberglass over a Nomex honeycomb core.

The 26′ 10″ Stiletto is anything but conventional. Multihulls larger than 20′ can usually be classified into one of two genre. The largest group is that of the “cruising” multihull, characterized by beamy hulls, with a cabin house across the bridgedeck, stubby undercanvassed rigs, and monohull-like displacements. They often have mediocre performance, and are sometimes regarded with embarrassment by multihull enthusiasts.

The other genre of large multihulls is characterized by light displacement, powerful rigs and lean interiors. Custom ocean racing trimarans fall into this category, as do a very few production catamarans like the Stiletto.

The Stiletto’s builder touted her trailerability, “scorching performance” and “cruising comforts.” She is supposed to be the next step for the sailor weaned on small high-performance catamarans. In fact, three of the five owners we spoke to were former Hobie 16 sailors.

Almost anyone can understand why catamarans like the Hobie 16 are so popular—they offer breathtaking performance without making great demands on a sailor’s expertise or pocketbook. To step up to a Stiletto is expensive, however. She was offered in three versions, along with a 30′ version introduced in 1983. For $17,950 in 1982, the Standard Stiletto had a mainsail and all but stripped interior and no options. The racing version, called the Championship Edition, came with a few options like deck hatches, rubrails and removable berths, plus extra racing sails, winches and a knotmeter; it cost $22,900. The cruising version, called the Special Edition, cost $24,900. That healthy chunk of cash bought the boat equipped with the options needed for pocket cruising, such as galley, head, berths, carpeted interior and running lights. Most Stilettos are Special Editions, followed by Standards and Championships.

Force Engineering (later Compodyne), a small, high-tech outfit in Florida, formed to build the Stiletto in 1978. Before he joined Force Engineering, co-owner/marketing director Larry Tibbe was an aircraft account salesman for Ciba-Geigy, a manufacturer of Nomex. Nomex coring is used in a variety of aircraft parts (for example, helicopter blades), as well as for the Stiletto’s hulls. Force’s survival strategy included the manufacture of several non-marine products out of Nomex, which helped them survive some bad times.

Construction

Very few boats are cored with Nomex honeycomb as are the Stiletto’s hulls and bridgedeck. Sandwiching a core material between two layers of fiberglass laminate is not a new technique; many boatbuilders use cores of balsa wood, Airex foam or Klegecell foam. Core construction offers several advantages over single-skin construction. It is stiffer for a given weight, lighter for a given stiffness, makes the boat quieter and reduces condensation.

Honeycomb is rarely used for boatbuilding because the molding procedure is far more sophisticated (and expensive) than with balsa or foam cores. Honeycomb can be made of several materials. We question the use of paper or aluminum honeycomb in boats, because of their susceptibility to water damage should the outer laminate of the core be ruptured. The Stiletto’s Nomex honeycomb core is made of nylon.

Force Engineering stated that a Nomex honeycomb-cored panel, for a given weight, is stronger, stiffer, less brittle and more puncture resistant than foam or wood cores. Nomex is also said to be impervious to water, so there would be no water migration between the honeycomb cells should the outer skin be ruptured.

These grandiose claims depend on a sophisticated and expensive molding procedure. Getting the honeycomb to bond to the fiberglass skins isn’t easy. First, Force Enginering buys its fiberglass cloth preimpregnated with epoxy resin. Most boat builders use polyester resin, which is an inferior adhesive, and saturate the fiberglass after it has been laid into the mold—a messy and inexact procedure. Preimpregnated cloth, or “prepreg,” has an exact resin-to-cloth ratio, which means that the builder always has the optimum strength-to-weight ratio. Most boat builders must err on the resin-rich side when saturating cloth, which increases weight but not strength.

To keep the prepreg cloth from curing before it is laid into the Stiletto mold, it must be shipped and stored in a refrigerator. To completely cure the prepreg after layup, the mold is placed in a modular oven and baked at 250 degrees for 90 minutes. At the same time, the fiberglass skins are vacuum-bagged to the honeycomb to ensure proper adhesion. Vacuum-bagging cored hulls is not a new technique, but for many builders it simply means laying a sheet of plastic into the mold and sucking the air out with a single pump (polypropylene line is often placed under the plastic to help distribute the vacuum).

Force Engineering uses a blotter to absorb any excess resin and 16 spigots to distribute the vacuum, a more effective technique. When finished, each of the Stiletto’s hulls weighs only 220 lbs. and is impressively strong and stiff.

The Stiletto’s hull and bridgedeck may be state-of-the-art, but the rest of her rig, like her aluminum mast and crossbeams, is built with conventional (and relatively heavy) technology. All-up, the Stiletto weighs 1,100 to 1,570 lbs, depending on optional equipment.

We wonder whether building the Stiletto of Nomex is worth the extra trouble and expense, or if she is being used as a platform to prove the material’s viability. Gelcoat cannot be used in the Stiletto’s molding process. instead, each boat must be faired with putty and painted with polyurethane. Paint has the advantage that it will not chalk like gelcoat, but it is more susceptible to nicks, scrapes and peeling, especially if improperly applied.

The Stiletto’s optional hull graphics are sticky-backed vinyl. Both the paint and the graphics were chipping on one five-year-old Stiletto we looked at.

The spars and the crossbeams are also painted with polyurethane. Although Force says it carefully sands and primes the spars, several of the masts we looked at had adhesion problems. The fittings were unbedded. The crossbeams were not anodized, and were only painted on the outside. Water can get inside the beams and accelerate corrosion.

The deck rests on an inward-turned hull flange, a common, safe design. But the deck is only epoxied to the hull without screws or bolts, inviting separation in the event of a catastrophic collision. Epoxy is undoubtedly stronger than polyester. However, we prefer mechanical fastenings in addition to a flexible adhesive like 3M 5200.

The Stiletto has a single daggerboard that is mounted on centerline through a slot in the bridgedeck. It is held snugly in place by a latticework of stainless steel tubes extending downward from the underside of the bridgedeck. This daggerboard frame is designed to collapse in the event of a hard grounding. There is no chance of the hull rupturing, as there would be with a daggerboard trunk built into the hull itself.

The Stiletto’s single board is not as efficient as the dual boards found on other catamarans, and the board’s support frame does tend to drag in the water while sailing. To keep water from squirting through the bridgedeck slot, the slot is covered by cloth gaskets. The gaskets occasionally jam.

The Stiletto has an airfoil daggerboard. Older models were made of wood, and chipped trailing edges were a common problem, The board is molded of fiberglass and more resistant to minor damage.

The Stiletto gets high marks for her rudders. They have strong aluminum heads and double lower pintles. To be beachable, a catamaran must have kick-up rudders; these kick-up systems often refuse to work when you need them most. However, the Stiletto’s rudders worked smoothly and positively.

The Price of Performance

Multihulls are separated from the monohull mainstream by several things (in addition to the number of hulls). The first is performance. Multihulls, particularly catamarans, are lighter, more easily driven and hence far more exhilarating to sail than most monohulls. Yet even a novice can enjoy catamaran performance in most wind conditions because of the tremendous initial stability that a catamaran’s beam offers.

The flip side of this hot performance is safety. Catamarans also have tremendous stability after they have capsized and turned turtle. All but the smallest catamarans are nearly impossible to right after they have gone completely upside down, especially if the mast is not airtight.

When reaching in strong winds, many catamarans have a nasty tendency to bury the leeward hull and pitchpole. Some cats can even be blown over backwards if a very strong puff catches the underside of the trampoline. Nearly all trimarans that are raced

offshore have watertight hatches on the bottom of the main hull to allow escape if the boat flips over.

Another price of performance is comfort. Multihulls tend to be wet. When you’re flying along at 20 knots, even a light spray can feel like a fire hose. It’s harder to find a comfortable spot to relax in when you’re sailing. The trampoline/bridgedeck separating the two hulls of a catamaran is usually flat—you sit on it, not in it. Moreover, the hulls of a thoroughbred multihull are narrow, so there is little space in which to put creature comforts. The wide-hulled, cabin-housed “cruising” catamarans are no more spritely than a monohull of similar displacement.

Multihulls are also less maneuverable than monohulls. They can be difficult to tack without getting into irons, and they have a much wider turning radius. Sailing in a crowded harbor takes greater care.

Trailerability

Force Engineering emphasized the Stiletto’s trailerability. True, she is light enough to be pulled by a modern automobile of modest power. But all of the owners we talked to said they rarely, if ever, trail their boats. 80% of the boats were sold with trailers, but it appears that most are used only for winter storage.

Rigging and launching the Stiletto is not a simple chore, despite the fact that the builder claimed a man and woman can do it in only 45 minutes. Owners say it takes at least several men well over an hour to do the job. The Stiletto has a beam of 13′ 10″; legal highway trailering width in most states is 8′. To solve this problem, both the Stiletto’s crossbeams and the trailer collapse to legal width. The compression tube that spans the bows must be removed for trailering, as must the dolphin striker beneath the mast step, and the 125 lb bridgedeck.

To raise and lower the mast, the headstay is shackled to a short, pivoting gin pole mounted just aft of the trailer winch. The winch is used to pull the gin pole, which in turn provides leverage to hoist the heavy mast. Owners say that lifting the bridgedeck and manhandling the spar is next to impossible with just a man and woman. The Stiletto assembly manual points out, “…she never fails to draw a crowd, so help is usually available if you are shorthanded.” As long as you have the muscle, this clever system does work.

The Stiletto is a performance catamaran. In a breeze, owners report, she is as fast or faster than a Hobie 16, but a bit undercanvassed in light air, especially with her 106 square foot working jib. This is preferable to over-canvassing; a catamaran of the Stiletto’s size cannot afford, for safety’s sake, to be a bear in heavy air.

According to owners, the Stiletto does not have some of the bad heavy air habits of smaller catamarans. They say she is relatively dry to sail, does not hike up and “fly a hull” too easily, has no tendency to pitchpole, and does not get “light” as she comes off a big wave sailing upwind. Like most catamarans, the Stiletto has a fully battened mainsail. The advantage of these sails is that they can have a much larger roach, and because the battens dampen luffing, the sail will last much longer. However, this inability to luff can present a real safety problem in a sudden squall. It is prudent to reef when the wind reaches 20 knots. A smaller roached, short-battened cruising mainsail is available as an option for offshore cruising. The sails that came as standard equipment seem to be of better than average OEM quality.

Stiletto sailors told us that they sail very cautiously in a strong breeze, knowing the dangers of capsizing so large a multihull. Once capsized, a catamaran turns turtle (completely upside down)very quickly. A turtled multihull with a mast full of water is nearly impossible to right. The Stiletto’s builder offers a self-righting kit as an option, but they have sold very few. The kit consists of a bulky foam float permanently mounted to the masthead, and a 17′ righting pole stowed under the bridgedeck. The float is supposed to prevent the boat from turning turtle while the righting pole is extended outward and its three stays are rigged to the underside of the boat. Then two crew swim out to a ladder dangling from the end of the pole, climb up to right the boat, then quickly swim free before the ladder drags them 17′ toward Davy Jones’ Locker. It’s no small wonder that the self-righting kit is not a popular option.

Force Engineering points out that the air cells of her honeycomb construction make her unsinkable in the event of a holing or capsize. However, they do not point out that once the hull is flooded, the boat cannot be sailed or motored home without inviting the flooded hull to submerge and pitchpole the boat. The Stiletto, like most high-performance catamarans, has a rotating mast. Owners say they have not had problems with the mast popping out of rotation while sailing upwind. The older masts have only athwartships diamond shrouds; the newer masts have an added third diamond extended forward to control fore-and-aft bend in a strong breeze. This three-diamond system is strongly welded together and a real plus for heavy weather sailing.

Deck Layout

The Stiletto has a solid bridgedeck stretched between the two hulls aft of the mast, and a polypropylene cloth trampoline forward of the mast. Those few sailors planning to venture offshore might want to remove the trampoline, lest it collect water in heavy seas. On Stilettos older than two years, the trampoline is laced with a series of hooks. On the newer boats the trampoline has bolt rope edges, and slides into tracks on the hull and crossbeams, a simpler and cleaner system.

The bridgedeck, which is where you spend most of your time, has no seats and is said by several owners to be uncomfortable. Because of this, the temptation when sailing is to sit on top of the flimsy companionway hatches. We feel that a “cruising” catamaran should have proper seats with angled seatbacks.

A wire stretched between the bows forward of the headstay acts as a traveler for the optional reacher/ drifter. Most sailors opt for this sail before they buy a cruising spinnaker. Poleless cruising spinnakers are more effective on a catamaran than on a monohull because they can be tacked on the weather hull, away from the blanketing effect of the mainsail. A roller furling headsail with a Hood Seafurl system was an option. Headsail winches were standard on the Championship Edition, otherwise they were an extra-cost option. A main halyard winch, which owners recommend, was another.

The Stiletto has a ball-bearing mainsheet traveler, a worthy item rarely found on catamarans. But the mainsheet has only a 6-to-1 purchase, which owners say is insufficient in a breeze. The tiller extension passes behind the mainsheet and the tiller crossbar is adjustable so you can align the two rudders. The jibsheets are led to Harken ratchets to make trimming easier. The outboard engine bracket is hung off the aft compression beam.

Those of you who have peeked below on the Stiletto might ask, “What interior?” It’s a valid question. The Standard Stiletto version is nothing but an empty shell below. Depending on the care that was taken during the vacuum-bagging process, the interior hull surface can be smooth or quite rippled. Either way, the Nomex gives the boat a long-lasting smell similar to mouse droppings (we could still smell it on a five year old boat).

The popular Special Edition was described by the builder as a “luxury coastal cruiser”; though it cost nearly $25,000 new, we would be more comfortable on a Catalina 22. The Special Edition’s interior is completely covered—ceilings, overhead and sole—with Aqua Tuft marine carpeting. Owners say it is durable and does not mildew, but we feel carpet belongs in a house, not a boat.

The Stiletto has the narrow hulls of a fast catamaran, which means that her berths are only 31″ wide. The Special Edition has 14′ of built-in berth forward of the companionway in each hull. For two people to sleep easily in a berth, they have to lie end-to-end.

Crawling toward the bow to get to the forward berth is like crawling down a narrowing tunnel—it gave us claustrophobia. If a normal-sized couple really wanted a good night’s sleep, they would have to bed down in separate hulls. There is some stowage area under the berths, but access to it is just plain difficult.

The Special Edition has a self-contained head under one berth. A pump-out head was not an option. The Special Edition also has a small galley built of “marble finish” plastic laminate over plywood; we think that even the most “with it” cat sailor would consider it gaudy. The galley has a sink with a hand pump and a two-gallon water tank. There is no permanently mounted stove; a portable stove is more practical for the weekend cruiser.

An option that we recommend is the mosquitotight bridgedeck tent. The bridgedeck cushions that are standard on the Special Edition should make the tent, and hence the whole boat, somewhat livable. The Special Edition is also the only version of the Stiletto that has running and interior lights.

Perhaps the most distinctive feature of the Stiletto is her conical companionway hatches (“canopies,” as in jet fighter-like). It’s hard to be impartial about their appearance—you either like ’em or you don’t. We don’t. The canopies are formed of dark, bendy plastic. They open vertically like a pop-top hatch, and swing on flimsy aluminum tubes that are not well secured to their mounts.

Owners say the canopies are watertight, but the rubber gaskets in which they sit were rotting badly on the older boats we saw. For that matter, the rubber gaskets on the bridgedeck were rotting, too. Trying to sleep in the Stiletto’s hulls could be very stuffy on a rainy night. Because the canopies rock forward as they “pop-up,” it’s hard to leave them open a crack like a conventional hatch, and there are no companionway boards.

Conclusions

There is probably no production hull built in the US with a better strength-to-weight ratio than the Stiletto catamaran. Her Nomex honeycomb fabrication is truly impressive. But is it necessary? Just as some builders “overkill” with heavy solid laminates, we feel that Force Engineering overkilled in the other direction. Conventional coring probably could have created an adequately strong and light boat that would have provided just as much sailing fun for less money.

The next question is, “What do you do with her?” The Stiletto seems to appeal to the catamaran sailor hooked on high performance, but who wants a boat in which he can “go someplace.” The Stiletto is quick, but she won’t get someplace any faster than a small catamaran. She may be dryer, but she still lacks comfortable seating and sleeping. When you get to where you are going you have very little comfort for the money you’ve spent on the boat. And when you get home, you have a considerable chore ahead of you if you plan to load her onto a trailer.

All the owners we talked to said they love the way the boat sails and have no complaints about her construction. Yet we still don’t feel the Stiletto is practical. There are other, less expensive options for the multihull sailor who wants to weekend cruise. Any catamaran can be rigged with a tent on the trampoline/bridgedeck. Inflatable air mattresses stow easily and make fine temporary berths. And some catamarans, such as the much-less-expensive P-Cat 2/18, have the dry stowage in their hulls to carry camping supplies. Small catamarans are ultimately safer, because they can be righted from a capsize, and they are infinitely easier to trailer.

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The official website for owners of the stiletto catamarans, welcome to wildjibe.com.

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Stiletto Catamaran made their first boat, the Stiletto 27, in 1976. The Stiletto 27 is an American trailerable catamaran sailboat that was designed by Bill Higgins and Don Ansley as a racer/cruiser. It was one of the most technologically advanced sailboats ever built in production. 43 years later, hundreds of Stiletto Catamarans are still sailing today, faster than most catamarans in her size range. Over 500 Stiletto 27s were built between 1976 and 1985. With an epoxy and Nomex core this cat was ahead of her time.

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Stiletto 27 SE

Silverdale,

Very clean Stiletto 27 SE located in Washington, State. Factory Trailer. 4-year old canopies, always kept covered. Square Top Main sail w/Sail Slides. 3-head sails 1-screacher. 3-spinnakers. 8' Daggerboard & Stock Daggerboard Boom Tent. Stereo. VHF Radio. Interior and Deck Speakers. Wind Speed. New battery. 1-year Tramp. Additional Forward netting. New Tires. Honda Outboard. Porta Potty. The boat is currently in the water and is turn key ready to go. Email for additinal photos and information.

performance in cruising catamarans

Basic Assembly

STILETTO® has been designed and engineered to be easily trailered. Numerous innovations on the boat and trailer carry out this concept. As a result, two people can set up STILETTO® from the trailering to sailing configuration in approximately one hour, once the routine has been learned. The addition of one or two more people makes the procedure even faster and easier. A nice thing about setting up a STILETTO® is that she never fails to draw a crowd, so volunteer help is usually available if you are shorthanded.

The following procedure will assure a fast, easy, and safe launching or recovery. We suggest that you familiarize yourself with the sequence by reading through these instructions before beginning your first set up.

Be sure to choose a safe launching site. The ramp and set up area MUST BE FREE OF OVERHEAD POWER LINES and tree limbs. The ramp needs to be at least 15 feet wide.

The STILETTO® mast is 36 feet long. When sailing, the mast is about 40 feet off the water. When on the trailer it is about 43 feet high. ALWAYS ALLOW AMPLE CLEARANCE AROUND POWER LINES!

Remove mast from trailer stanchions and place it on the ground behind the boat. (Photo 2) Remove all tie-down straps. Remove bridgedeck from fore decks. (Photo 3) Disconnect winch cable from over the forward torsion tube, remove aft mast stanchion from trailer and push boat aft on trailer approximately 12 inches to clear bow chocks as the boat is expanded. Expand one hull at a time by pulling the 2 spring loaded release pins on one side of the trailer (Photo 4) and pushing outward from a position midway between the torsion tubes, as shown in photo 5.

Pull the release pin as far as possible and cock it to one side so it will stay in the released position until you have telescoped the boat slightly. Then put the pins back in their normal position so they will spring into place when the arm is at its correct expanded position. Insert the vertical taper pins into the tapered holes furthest outboard on the torsion tubes of the expanded hull. The forward vertical pins (which also secure the dolphin striker) are grooved at the small end of the pin. With one hull expanded and secured by the vertical taper pins, follow the same procedure for the other hull.

Place the bridgedeck into position by carrying it over the aft torsion tube and resting on its supports between the torsion tubes. (Photo 6) Insert the 4 horizontal taper pins making certain that they pass through the bridgedeck and hold down brackets on the underside of the bridgedeck. Seat in all taper pins by pounding them firmly with a brass mallet. (Photo 7) Insert hitch pin clips into the taper pins. (Photo 8)

Check all taper pins periodically to insure that they remain seated in their proper position; particularly during the first several times the boat is sailed. Put a coating of grease on the pins before inserting to help prevent corrosion of the aluminum torque tube around the pins which cause sticking of the pins with time. (It would be wise to remove and re-grease the pins at 6-month intervals.) Always use a brass mallet when seating in or removing taper pins. We recommend a 2 lb. mallet. Use of steel hammer will result in deformation of the taper pin which will hamper its removal.

Now is a convenient time to unload all the rigging and gear for inside the hulls.

Install dolphin striker by removing the adjuster on the strut and inserting the strut into the hole in the center of the main beam. (Photo 9) Be certain that the spacer remains in position between the mast support ball and the main beam. Slide the outboard ends of the dolphin striker strap into position on the dolphin striker taper pins. (Photo 10)

After screwing the adjuster back into the strut, remove the keeper ring and insert the end of the adjuster into the hole in the dolphin striker strap. (Photo 11) Replace keeper ring. Adjustment of the dolphin striker takes place later in the sequence.

The next step is to raise the mast, but before doing so it is necessary to secure the boat to the trailer in such a manner that the boat cannot slide forward. Securing a line or hold down strap between the daggerboard support bracket and an aft cross member on the trailer frame as shown in photo 12 will restrain the tendency of the boat to move forward brought about by raising or lowering the mast. Attach shrouds and forestay to mast hound using the shackle provided. Be certain the forestay is in the middle between the two shrouds. The head of all shackle pins should be pointed away from the mast as in photo 13 to prevent them from scarring the mast. After securely tightening, be sure that all four shackles are safety wired.

Attach the topping lift at the top of mast to the pin that separates the main halyard sheave cheek plates and tie off the other end temporarily to the mast rotator or anything convenient at the bottom of the mast. Step mast base onto the mast support ball and support aft end of mast with the rear mast stanchion off the trailer at a point about 15-20 feet behind the boat. Do not allow mast to slide aft off the mast support ball at this point or scratching the bridgedeck may result.

Angling the stanchion toward the mast base will help keep the mast step safely on the support ball. Secure lower shroud shackles to chain plates and pass the shrouds over the canopies and insure that the shrouds will not get caught on anything while raising the mast. Raise the gin pole on the trailer to the vertical position and attach o-ring in forestay bridle to aft side of gin pole. Use several wraps of heavy line tied securely as the stain here is great. (Photo 14) Attach a winch cable to forward side of gin pole.

Before proceeding to raise mast check the following:

ARE THERE OVERHEAD WIRES OR TREE LIMBS IN THE VICINITY? ALLOW A MINIMUM OF 50 FEET CLEARANCE IN ALL DIRECTIONS.

• Is the line or strap restraining boat from moving forward on trailer attached?
• Are shrouds and forestay in proper alignment at hound?
• Are all shackles properly aligned- not twisted? Are they safety wired?
• Are shrouds free from any possible entanglements while mast is being raised? Are they attached at chain plates?
• Are halyard shackles and topping lift secured temporarily at bottom of mast?
• Is the line between o-ring and gin pole secure?
• Is the ratchet securely engaged on the trailer winch?

After taking the above precautions you are ready to raise the mast. IMPORTANT: The mast must be assisted out of the horizontal position by physically lifting the aft end with the mast support stanchion while simultaneously cranking in the winch cable. This will relieve the forward strain on the mast—which is very great initially—and prevent the possible bending of the mast support rod. Then with one person standing in the bridgedeck guiding the mast and one person operating the winch, simply winch the mast up to its vertical position. (Photos 15 & 16)

Attach forestay bridle to chain plates with the shackles provided. You may have to extend the forestay turnbuckle to accomplish this. Make sure the ring in the bridle is on the aft side of the toggle. Once the bridle is attached you may release the gin pole.

Install the compression tube with the port side (end without notch) of the compression tube socket, slid the starboard side on to the lower flange as shown in phot1 17 and rotate the compression tube 90 degrees. Slide the tube straight up, over the top flange (Photo 18) then rotate the compression tube 180 degrees so that the cut-out on the tube points straight down. You will probably have to force the hulls apart slightly to get the  compression tube started on the socket. Tighten the headstay until the rig is snug. The standing rigging should always be kept tight; the mast should be relatively plumb. (After sailing a while you may need to move the shrouds  down a notch in the adjusters to compensate for wire stretch.) Now is a good time to adjust the dolphin striker.

The purpose of the dolphin striker is to accept some of the compression loading from the mast and transfer that load back to the outboard ends of the main beam. The dolphin striker is essentially superfluous except under the most severe conditions of high winds and seas and heavily laden boat. Therefore, the dolphin striker should be adjusted to where it is snug while the boat is static. Starting with the dolphin striker adjuster screw (#3 in photo) in full up position, back the adjuster screw out (turn counterclockwise) until the adjuster is snug against strap (#4).

Then simply tighten the lock nut (#2) against the dolphin striker rod (#1) to secure the adjuster in its proper position. You may need to readjust the dolphin striker from time to time to maintain the proper tension.

To install the trampoline, first slid the rear edge of each half into the track on the bridgedeck. The rear edge and outboard sides have bolt rope sewn into the edge. The front edge and center edges have grommets for lacing.

Next slide the outboard edges into the tracks on the hulls. If you encounter difficulty in getting the trampoline started into the track, you open the end of the track slightly by inserting a round shaft (such as a Phillips screwdriver) into the end of the track and prying it open. Do this carefully!

Once the tramp is in the tracks, begin lacing. The longer of the two laces lines is for lacing the front of the tramp after it has been passed over and around the front compression tube. At first the lace lines won’t seem long enough; but as the trampoline is tightened you will find you have just enough without long unsightly ends.

Notice that the grommets are offset so that lacing can be done in a zigzag pattern. The best method we’ve found is to loosely lace the center and front first—then come back and tighten things up. This way you will work all of the wrinkles out. The front lacing should not be so tight that it pulls the compression tube out of column. If your boat has an electrical system, fasten the hull to hull wires to the Velcro straps on the underside of the trampoline.

When completed your safety net installation should appear as in photo 19. You will probably find it necessary to retighten the lace lines another time as everything stretches a little the first few times you use the safety net.

During this lacing most people are preoccupied with the trampoline and walk into the greased arms of the trailer or pull tramp lines through the grease.

Install the outboard motor bracket by positioning it over mounting holes in the center of the aft torsion tube and dropping in the stainless steel quick pins as shown in photo 20. Be sure to insert the hitch pins (safety pins) into the bottom of the quick pins. Your motor can now be mounted on the bracket—be sure to tilt the motor up for launching.

Install the rudders by dropping the pintles into the gudgeons. Note that there is a port rudder and starboard rudder as indicated by tiller angle. When properly installed, both tillers will point in toward the mast. Be sure to  insert the clevis pin into the pintle pin once the rudder is in position. This will prevent the pintles from accidentally  coming out of the gudgeons.

Install the tiller cross arm by attaching it to the tiller ends with the clevis pins. The tiller extension should be on the side of the cross arm facing up and forward.

Install boom by dropping 1/4 inch bolt into the gooseneck fitting and tightening the self-locking nut. Do not over  tighten this bolt- the gooseneck must swivel freely. Attach topping lift to hole in the casting at outboard end of boom. Attach mast rotator line between shackle on mast rotator and eyestrap on boom and adjust line so that the mast can rotate approximately 30-40 degrees out of alignment with the boom.

Install traveler by removing an end-stop and cheek block on the traveler track and sliding traveler car onto the track. Replace end-stop and cheek block and reeve traveler line according to diagram 21.

Install mainsheet by shackling the triple block to the pigtail at the outboard end of boom. Shackle ratchet block to traveler car and reeve mainsheet between the two as in photo 22.

Install jib sheets by attaching jib blocks with stand up spring to jib car. Then tie the two bullet blocks to the jib tag line with a bowline. Temporarily tie the other end of the jib tag line to the o-ring in the headstay bridle.

Thread the continuous jib sheet according to diagram 23 by tying off at becket on one jib block, then over through the other jib block, up to the other bullet block and back to the becket.

Attach optional reacher bridle by shackling it to the forward most padeyes. The reacher tack adjustment lines attach under the drum of the roller-furler (or to the snap shackle if you don’t have furling gear) and lead through  the blocks at the outboard ends of the bridle, aft along the sheer to the cam cleat with bullseye on deck near the forward corners of the bridgedeck. The reacher sheets are lead from the clew aft (passing outside the shrouds) to the stand up blocks on deck, then in-board to the cam cleats near the forward corners of the bridgedeck.

The optional Genoa bridle attaches by either lacing or shackling it between the padeyes at the base of the forestay bridle.

The Cunningham (downhaul) is reeved by tying one end to the eyestrap on the mast, passing it up through the tack grommet in the main, down through the cheek block located under the mast rotator, up through the tack grommet again and down to the clam cleat on the other side of mast. The tack pin at the gooseneck is superfluous  and is not meant to hold the tack of the main. With daggerboard and sails lying in the forward safety net STILETTO is now ready for launching.

Drive slowly and carefully to launch ramp being cautious of overhead wires and obstructions. A line or the winch cable should be secured between boat and trailer to prevent the boat from rolling off the trailer prematurely. You may or may not want to tilt the trailer, depending on the angle of the ramp. Simply back the trailer in until the aft trailer wheels touch the water and guide the boat off, keeping it in alignment with the trailer to avoid scratching the boat on the trailer. (Photos 24 & 25)

When recovering the boat a stout line should be tied to the main beam (not to the dolphin striker rod) and run forward under the trampoline. The trailer winch cable can then be hooked into a knot at the end of this line insuring a safe attachment to the boat that won’t mar the paint on the main beam. Then, simply release the tilt mechanism and winch the boat back as not to scratch anything.

More Assembly Instructions

Basic Assembly | Assembly Check List | Tuning Manual | Jiffy Reefing | Mast Rotator | Genoa Instructions | Trampoline Installation | Mainsail Traveller Control | Roller Furler Installation and Use | Installing Deck Snaps on Cockpit Tent | Reacher Running Rigging Installation