Crowther 42 Catamaran (2000)

Heron was designed by renowned Australian multihull designer Lock Crowther, and custom built in Palm City, Fla by Paradise Custom Catamarans in 2000.

Hulls and deck are foam sandwich construction utilizing Divinycell foam sheathed in fiberglass with epoxy resin. They are extensively reinforced with fiberglassed plywood bulkheads as well as horizontal fixtures (the fore and aft bunks in both hulls).

The main cross beam supporting the mast is a truss structure of 2x4 fir that is 24" deep enclosed in plywood extending into the hulls and fiberglassed overall. The aft beam is similar just not as deep.

The main cabin deck is a sandwich of plywood and a Nidacore plastic honeycomb, reinforced by a central longitudinal box beam and four longitudinal stringers.

Extending about 4’ forward of the main beam is a third smaller beam that supports a section of deck reaching back to the main beam. Underneath, a curved fairing sweeps down from the forward beam to the bottom of the main beam. The bows are connected by a cross tube (an old mast section) that is anchored to a heavy aluminum plate on each bow, bolted through into wooden reinforcing structure below the deck. The forward area is covered by two sections of trampoline, on either side of a 2-foot-wide plywood strip, all laced to fittings on the cross tube, along the hull-deck joints and on the forward beam. There is a Lewmar deck hatch toward the bow of each hull.

The cabin, which is a custom design, has ½” plywood sides, fiberglassed, that slope back from the forward cross beam and inward from the centers of the hull decks, with a vertical aft wall. There are large fixed glass windows on all sides plus a pair of opening windows on the aft wall. In the forward surface there are also two opening hatches. There are screens for the hatches, for the opening windows, and for the cabin door, in the aft wall. The cabin top is a cored structure, supported on slightly arched crossbeams made of laminated fir. The top easily supports the weight of 2-4 people, but is not designed to support crowds.

Retractable dagger boards are foam-cored fiberglass with a spine of fir wood. They can be lifted up and down by hand, and have stops for fully up, part down (about 4’ draft) and fully down (about 6’ draft).

The rudders have a 2" stainless-steel post with a stainless blade welded on, over which a foam-and-fiberglass, partly-balanced foil is formed. The post runs through a fiberglass tube extending through the deck to the bottom of the hull, where it is strongly reinforced with gusset plates glassed down onto the hull. The post runs in nylon bushings fitted into the tube, and the weight of the rudder assembly is taken by a PVC collar that runs between a stainless washer on the top of the top bushing and another on the under side of the tiller mounting bracket.

The rudders are linked together by a carbon fiber tube (old windsurfing masts). The engine also has a linkage to the rudders which provides excellent maneuverability.

There are sleeping accommodations on board for 8 people. Aft in each hull is a cozy double berth and forward in each hull is a single berth. There are 4" foam cushions for each of these. There is also a very comfy full size double up in the main salon.

A head is located forward in each hull. The starboard toilet is a recent Jabsco, the port toilet fixture is an older Wilcox-Crittenden (Model #1460). The toilet in the starboard hull is plumbed for discharge into either a holding tank or overboard while the port hull unit is only plumbed for direct overboard discharge. The holding tank, of course, has a standard pump-out fitting on deck.

The port area has a small sink and shower, with sump, (and there is also a cockpit shower). The pump for pressure water is mounted in the enclosed space just forward of the main beam, on the port side, but drawing from either water tank. There are two 30 gal water tanks (plywood epoxy) mounted amidship against the outer hull adjacent to the daggerboards.

The galley is up in the salon and is "L" shaped, facing aft. It is constructed of plywood with mahogany trim. There is a propane stove with 3 burners and an oven and a sink with pressure hot/cold water. There is an icebox for food storage. The dining table is teak and is located to starboard.

~ Mainsail: Full battened dacron w/ 2 reef points-slab reefing (2016) ~ Jib: Full battened hank-on dacron (2016) ~ Spinnaker: 3/4oz nylon (2000)

SAIL HANDLING ~ Harken B/B batten car system ~ Mack Pack sail storage system by Mack Sails (mainsail) ~ Jib has a custom cover to protect it while it is hanked on the forestay ~ ATN spinnaker sock

MAST: rotating aluminum extrusion, 5x8 inches in cross-section and just 50’ long. It has diamond bracing on the sides and a third strut on the forward edge. It is stepped with a nylon socket resting on a 2” stainless-steel ball, so that it can rotate. The masthead is about 56’ above the water, and with a Windex and VHF antenna (and masthead tricolor/anchor light) requires about 58’ of clearance. The mast is supported by a three-wire system, with two shrouds swept aft to chain plates, and a forestay going down to a bridle that connects to the ends of the forward cross-tube, all of 3/8” stainless wire.

BOOM: also an aluminum extrusion, with outhaul and two reefing lines led forward internally to cleats on the boom, with access to a small winch (Lewmar 16) mounted on the aft side of the mast, just below the gooseneck. The boom is supported by a topping lift and by lazy jacks, which incorporate a Mack Pack mainsail cover.

HALYARDS (New 2024): Main, jib, and asymmetrical spinnaker, all of low-stretch braid. All four lines (include topping lift) lead through line stoppers to one of two mast-mounted winches (Lewmar 40 and Lewmar 30).

MAINSHEET (double ended): Main sheet (6 parts) is led through blocks on a Harken roller car, mounted on a track that extends across the full width of the rear cross beam. Each side of the car is controlled by a four- part tackle leading to a clam cleat. Each end of the sheet leads through a Lewmar line stopper to a Barient 22 winch, which is shared with the other two sheets (via their own line stoppers).

JIB SHEET (double ended): 4:1 purchase led through blocks, also on a Harken B/B car, and then each end through turning blocks aft to its sheeting winch. The car runs on a curved track on the foredeck, and the jib is self-tacking. Stops on the track control the sheeting position.

SPINNAKER SHEET (single): Led to a turning block aft on one or the other transom, and then to a sheeting winch.

EQUIPMENT: ~ Hydraulic lifting sled for the outboard engine ~ Sunrise fwd trampoline netting - Black ~ Danforth anchor with chain and rode ~ Bruce anchor with chain and rode ~ Fenders and Docklines