History
The information here may not be accurate - its the best I have and I am willing to be corrected by anyone that knows better than me. Think of it as a work in progress.
The Solaris Sunrise was as far as I know designed by Malcolm Taylor in the 1980's and built by Solaris Yachts In Woolston, Southampton, England from around 1988 to 1995.
Early boats were built with a smaller centre hull and without the bulbs/winglets on the bows, although in some instances these have been retro-fitted.
If anyone can supply any further details, or knows how many were manufactured or where the moulds have ended up I would love to know.
Stephen from Shania sent me the following text which was apparently on the Solaris Catamarans Ltd Website when it existed. I have reproduced it in full so hope nobody claims copright to it, it is certainly worthy of being on here:
Our Sailing Experience
You may well be interested in our sailing experience and the criteria upon which we first became involved with Solaris Catamarans Ltd.
We have both sailed for about twenty years in a variety of monos and multihulls.
We have both owned and lived aboard boats of varied construction including steel, GRP, sheathed ply and foam sandwich.
We have a wide experience of living aboard with and without our families, cruising in areas without marinas and jostling for marina space with the Mad Med crowd in peak season.
We have extensively cruised the Med and the Caribbean and have several Atlantic crossings between us.
We believe that high average passage speed is a significant contribution towards crew wellbeing, safety and overall cruising enjoyment.
We are also aware that a well built and strong vessel (preferably equipped with equipment at least one stage overspecified) is also a contribution to these factors.
We have followed the development of the cruising catamaran since 1980, when we considered crossing the Atlantic in a Prout Snowgoose 37.
For long term ownership and live aboard cruising, we believe that the Solaris Sunstar/Sunrise and the Prout 38/37/34 are good examples of well designed and well built, sensible cruising catamarans. We believe that it is difficult for any smaller vessel to carry the twin diesel configuration which we believe to be a "must-have" option for any serious offshore cruising catamaran. These types of catamarans represent the best compromise of sailing performance, durability and long term high resale value. We believe that some of the catamarans claiming to compete in this market sector (often with extravagant performance claims) are insufficiently built to remain in good condition after a number of seasons of hard cruising. The high resale values for older Solaris catamarans seem to back this up.
Four years ago we chose to build and fit out a Solaris Sunrise 36 at Exmouth. We were so impressed by the results of this first boat that we have now acquired the rights and the moulds and all the tooling for the Sunrise 36 and the Sunstar 32.
Introduction
We believe that production yachts are very expensive and that the same vessel can be achieved at up to half the list price, where the customer is prepared to be involved to
some degree in the manufacturing process.
The selling price of a production yacht can be regarded as made up of three roughly equal parts, being Materials & Equipment costs, Direct Labour costs and Overheads (mould design & build, factory rent & rates, boat show costs, marketing brochures, admin staff costs etc).
Anyone who has sailed offshore will know that there are no savings to be made in the cost of materials and equipment, save for purchasing top quality products when they are available at discounted prices. The sea has no respect for the savings made by using substandard fittings or materials. This still leaves great potential for significant savings in the costs of labour and overheads. A top quality production 36' catamaran fitted out to full cruising spec with twin inboard diesels lists in excess of £125,000.
Around 3,500 man hours are required, during which time the manufacturer continues to charge the full effect of overheads and labour. It is only for the first eight weeks or so that the boat really needs to incur these overheads, while the controlled environment and specialist equipment are essential. Around 1,000 man hours are needed during this period. The irony is that the overheads continue to inflate the cost during the labour intensive fitting out which requires little or no specialist environment or plant.
There is no reason why a moulded boat cannot be completed in the open air.
Although part completed boats have proved popular in the UK, the self-builder has almost always suffered the disadvantage of having to "invent the wheel" at virtually every stage. It is not an exaggeration to suggest that each self builder in turn often ends up effectively designing each simple fabrication required and then locating a supplier and a price. This was certainly the expense we found when completing our first Sunrise 36 kit back in 1994.
We are able to offer the self-builder a better deal than most mainstream manufacturers for several reasons. We currently have only two models of catamaran, being the Sunstar 32 and the Sunrise 36. We were fortunate to acquire the moulds and the building rights on extremely beneficial terms compared with the cost of designing and building an entire new set of moulds. We have no design overheads because we are offering extremely well developed designs with all fittings and fabrications already specified and sourced.
We have not exhibited at Boat Shows and we spend very little on advertising and marketing material.
Our Record this year
The current situation with Solaris Catamarans Ltd is that since the start of 1998 five kit Sunrise 36's (hull numbers 15, 16, 17, 18, 19) have been built.
Hull 17 has been delivered to its owner in Birmingham. Hull 16 is being stored by us at Dorchester awaiting completion.
Hull 15 will be kept at Dorchester where the owner will finish the boat on site with some help & advice from us.
(Our storage rates are very competitive, especially, as we are able to supply electricity to your boat if required).
Hull 18 is being fitted out & engined by AMAC Marine. Hull 19 is having its hull & deck bonded together.
This boat is to be completed by AMAC Marine and used as a demonstrator for delivery late spring.
We are currently building a Sunstar 32 for a customer in Norfolk. We hope to start Sunrise 36 (hull 20) in the spring of this year.
This boat we believe is for export to the USA.
Solaris Sunrise 36 & Sunrise 36 Sport
Specifications
LOA 36' 10.97m
LWL 35' 10.67m
LOD 33' 10.05m
BEAM 15'10" 4.82m
DRAFT 2'10" 0.86m
Sail Area
GENOA 380 sq ft
MAIN 185 sq ft
Displacement
5 tons 5,090 Kg
Motors
2 x Volvo 19 hp Sail Drive Units
2 x Lombardini 27hp Normal Stern Gear
The SUNRISE 36 contains many of the features normally found on much larger and more expensive yachts.
She is large enough to make it the ideal family cruiser with two enormous double berths aft and one or two large single berths forward (depending on specification).
Yet just small enough for most of the French canal system and for handling in tight, marina situations. She has a sleek profile with low freeboard and windage.
The large galley to starboard is eight feet long and has two large sinks and fridge inboard, with an oven/grill and four-burner hob outboard.
There is plenty of worktop and storage space. A hot and cold pressurised water system is standard.
The galley is in white with teak & ash trim with easy to clean surfaces and will be the delight of any seagoing cook.
On the opposite side we have fitted a workshop/bosons locker into the port hull. This means that there is a dedicated area for tools & equipment with an easy to clean work top.
Maintenance doesn't have to be done on the dining table.
The spacious heads compartment to port contains a wash-hand basin, toilet and shower, plus storage for toiletries.
This is fitted out in white with teak & ash trim with all easy clean surfaces.
The airy saloon has a large wrap around seating unit, big enough to seat and dine the whole crew with excellent views all around through the large, alloy & glass windows.
The drop-leaf table although centrally mounted, is removable. Aft of the saloon, to port, is the chart table, which can also be seen from the helm position in the cockpit.
This is an excellent place for a chart table, (especially when passage making single handed or with a small crew) as it is so close to the helm position.
Under sail the Sunrise is a delight. She has the well proven Prout style cutter rig with the step backed mast, large overlapping genoa and small main.
The genoa is easily reefed and controlled from the cockpit.
The lazy jack, fully batten mainsail system makes light work of the mainsail.
Couple this with a self-tacking stay-sail and the fact that all the sail handling can be done from the cockpit must make the Sunrise one of the easiest yachts to sail.
Under engine the boat is unequalled in its versatility.
It can either come equipped with twin inboard diesels with sail or direct drives, or have a single engine centrally mounted, coupled to a lifting and steering outdrive leg.
A Sunrise with the twin engines fitted must make her one of the most manoeuvrable and easy to handle yachts built.
The Sunrise, with her shallow draft can moor or anchor where other yachts can not. She is designed to take to the beach to dry out.
This will allow for those maintenance chores on the hulls, or perhaps a short stay just for lunch, a swim and a glass of wine.
Her keels are protected at all times by her replaceable keel shoes.
The Sunrise has a sleek profile with low freeboard and windage and yet has standing headroom in the saloon (excellent for a catamaran of only 36').
All this is achieved by the cleverly designed nacelle / wave breaker unit beneath the saloon floor.
On the safety front the Sunrise complies with all the latest EEC rulings and more. She has 27" stanchions & rails with plenty of grab handles and jacking points.
She has positive buoyancy in the bows, nacelle, and transoms. She has two pack foam in every under floor space where possible. She has crash bulkheads fore and aft.
The internal bulkheads in the Sunrise segment the accommodation into cells. This will localise any flooding to the damaged areas of the yacht.
This we believe makes the Sunrise virtually unsinkable.
The SUNRISE will give you years of fun and enjoyment, whether it be coastal weekends or voyages to the other side of the world.
You will be proud to own her, knowing that she has the latest constructional technology, with a standard of equipment and finish that is second to none.
Sunrise 36 pricing (Nov 1998)
Stage 1
Hull and Deck mouldings in white with all reinforcement moulded in for deck fittings etc...
Hull & deck trimmed and bonded together with anodised aluminium forebeam fitted and bonded in. Mast support ‘A' frame supplied & bonded in. 4 main lifting bulkheads fitted and bonded in.
All GRP locker lids & hatches supplied untrimmed and not fitted. Rudder shells supplied loose, untrimmed and not fitted.
£22,500.00
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Stage 2
As Stage l with main bulkheads, fore and aft collision bulkheads, nacelle bulkheads, nacelle floor and keel collision bulkheads fitted. Rudders made complete with stocks and fitted.
(The boat in this state is partially engineered with front lockers fully formed. The boat is empty inside but nearly structually complete, ready for a beautiful custom interior to be built.)
£27,750.00
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Moulded GRP units (including fitting, bonding in & fitting bulkheads to suit)
Using some or all of the modules saves a considerable time in the construction of the interior of the Sunrise 36. All modules incorporate the floors in their respective areas.
Port module: En-suit heads unit £900.00
Port module: Bosuns locker / workshop unit £750.00
Forward Cabin bunk unit (port or starboard) £900.00
Forward Cabin head unit (port or starboard) £900.00
Central Seating unit on bridge deck £1,250.00
Starboard module: Galley unit. £1.100.00
Cockpit door complete & fitted (the boat now has a front door with a key) £500.00
Remember that these module prices include making & bonding in the bulkheads to each module. In most cases this includes the door way, which means the cabins are complete rooms awaiting finishing.
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The total cost of all the above is £34,050.00 (engineered boat). At this stage the basic boat is made and well formed on the inside with rudders fitted. It will then need equipment such as cookers, taps, water tanks etc.. motors, a rig and all deck equipment to complete (the easy part). We are happy to supply any big ticket items such as the motors, rig etc.. to you at trade prices giving a considerable saving on costs. (This can save thousands of pounds!)
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Stage 3
Motor away: Complete as above with all modules, bulkheads and floors fitted, deck equipment and windows fitted, steering, two 19 H.P. Volvo saildrives fitted. £70,000.00
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Stage 4
Motor / sail away: As Stage 3 with mast and rigging from £76,900.00
COMPLETE BOAT
Complete yacht including all internal systems and fitout to standard specification from £99,500.00
(All prices ex factory Dorchester/Exmouth & exclude VAT)
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