Restoring 1967 B-LION catamaran (2024)

Hi all brand new member here.I recently bought a 1967 B-LION cat to restore,it is in pretty good condition for a 40 yo boat.I figured with all the knowledge and experience here some may know something about these cats, how they sail,pros and cons etc.
Thanks in advance

I have never heard of it until just now. A quick google search reveals this:http://sailboatdata.com/viewrecord.asp?class_id=5766

It looks a lot like a Tornado, a much more common catamaran that is mostly the same. Tornadoes are crazy fast! Looks like you found a good boat! I would also check with the guys over at http://www.thebeachcats.com/ That seems to be the best database of cat stuff.

Pros: Crazy powerful and fast(for it's time)
Cons: Can't trailer it because it's too wide, hard to find parts.

Thanks for the reply, I am a member at beachcats, we have a few photos and specs but nobody owning or sailing one.There is a member (BMcF) on this forum that used to own but I do not know how PM him.They fold in half for trailering!

--------------------------
Look in the members list or just click on his name in any post he's made. I think you have to make 5 posts before you can PM anyone...

Thanks Doug , I guess I need to reply to my own thread 5 times!

Well, you only need two more. Just saw the info RC posted about the boat-do you have any pictures of the boat you bought? Sure does resemble a Tornado...

b-lion

will see if this photo uploads

b-lion

and this

Looks good!

Quite looking forward to sailing it,sail a 5.8 nacra at the moment so will be goid to see how far things have come!

That sure brings back some fond memories. I don't recall exactly..but maybe 1983 or so, our university sailing club/team received a beautifully built, but almost never sailed B-Lion, and the special trailer you need to haul one of those around folded up.

I was the only "multihull" sailor in the group at the time, with my Cougar MKIII, so I took over custody of the B-Lion naturally. ;-) They are a real handful....very fast, of course, but with the extreme beam, one of the most difficult to tack that I ever encountered. Unfortunately, that B-Lion was destroyed beyond reasonable repair when a group of folks (4 or 5..don't recal) took it out on a windy day and the cross-structrures failed... Lightly built...can't overload them.

BMcF,thanks for the reply,I felt a little like a stalker after reading a post of yours mentioning the B-lion and then trying to get your attention !
We bought it to do some ocean races off the coast in California this summer,boat was in pretty good shape considering it is 40 years old,there looks to be a few upgrades done to it including the third crossbar at the bows and reinforcing done around the shroud mounts.I would have thought the cross structures were pretty strong ,I guess a 10' beam puts a lot of stress on the boat,we may upgrade the bolts on the hinge.Yes I could see how it would be hard to tack ...the jib looked pretty small.Now I HAVE to go google Cougar MK111

My Cougar was #127. There was a fairly active Cougar racing group on the Chesapeake Back in the 60s and in to early 70s

Here's one up for sale...

http://www.sailboatlistings.com/view/41730

Looks like comfy cat to sail

I have a question for you BMcF, any chance you remember how the traveler worked on the B-lion? Started assembling the boat today.
Cheers