Hi Paperairforce
The CardCat X900 is a miniboat so I won't be building a bigger version. It has certainly become something that I had not intended and I guess that for monitoring the environment in streams and nature reservations where wildlife is sensitive to man, it may be put to good use. So it has become a product in its own right, built in cardboard just as you are seeing it here on the thread. The CardCat X200 was too small for this job, so it has been relegated to test status. By that I mean that new principles and ideas can be carried out on the CardCat X200 before being transferred to the X900. I have built 2 CardCat X200 (incomplete hulls since both are lacking the deck hatches) for this very purpose.
Mind you the experiences I have gained building the CardCat X200 and the CardCat X900 have certainly affected the design of the original X200 full size boat (2m LOA) which I was about to build but which will now be delayed until spring at the earliest. It is autumn here and my asthma prevents me from working in the larger workshop. As yet there is no heating and electrical system in it. Last time I worked out there in autumn I ended up in intensive and a ventilator for 3 months. Never again. The great part about building the CardCat X900 is that I can do it in my office behind the kitchen. The only negative part is that my kittens Eek and Lille My find it a wonderful place to play.. :D
Ok on the Coast Guard requirements. Not relevant for the CardCat X900, but definitely for the X200 as it is a sea-going boat. But you raise an interesting question. How would the authorities over there view the use of a cardboard boat like the CardCat X900 in nature reservations ? Also your mention of lights gave me the idea that the CardCat X900 can have a blitz light installed so it can easily be located if there is trouble of one kind or another. a blitz flash can be seen a long way off, doesn't weigh much and does not use power when not being used. A feasible idea.
Generally speaking seperating the cardboard boats from the "real" boats is easy once you know how (isn't that always the case in life?) The cardboard boats are always referred to as CardCat X200 or CardCat X900. "Real" boats do not have the "CardCat" in front of the name. At the moment for example I have an almost complete 1800mm "Island Carrier" built in 4mm Meranti and ready for equipping in the main workshop. I can't afford to equip it being on a pension and all, so it will have to wait until I can. If I made a cardboard version it would be named "CardCat Island Carrier". That boat is a landing craft made to carry a remote controlled terrain-going vehicle. The boat acts also as a more powerful relay station for rc/signals and for wireless webcam to the more lightly equipped land vehicle, which cannot carry large enough transmitters to reach the operator station. It is a large but relatively simple boat (apart for the stern and bow loading ramps which are also rc). I don't need to tell you what that combination can be used for.
Today I carried out float and load tests on the CardCat X200 hull. Photo enclosed. It worked very well indeed. The tests showed that I can easily use normal oil paint on the hull and don't need to use epoxy like I do on the X200. Certainly good news, especially for my lungs while working indoors.. ;D The hull was designed to carry a max load of 1000g and it did without any apparent deformation whatsoever. I guess it is strong enough even though built in 0.65mm card. The CardCat X900 hull should be capable of supporting a full load of around 17Kg with an own weight of around 2Kg.
