Apr 28, 2008

Update

My boat is now sailing and it's qualities are far from those advertised. This is partly because many important details were abandoned by the scammer. Speaking of him, weeks ago I found that his website is quoting part of the last paragraph of one message I wrote. As usual, the scammer took the paragraph out of context in such a manner that it would make readers think that I support him, when I definitely do not.

As you will see, my text is very different from the short quote he extracted:

"This is to send a word of caution with regards to Mr. Aldis Eglajs.

My Catri 27 plans remain incomplete three years after payment. I already had to purchase or do myself many of the drawings and specs. Also, for more then one year he failed to complete a Catri kit shipped to Latvia, causing various problems to the owner, who decided to finish it elsewhere. These are facts.

Then there is data received from reliable sources. It seems that no shipyard or customer ever received a complete set of Catri plans. From about nine shipyards that tried to build Catris, it seems that all those in direct partnership with Mr. Eglajs went bankrupt – including the one featured in last issue’s photos. To the best of my knowledge, there are three shipyards able to build Catris today and none is in direct partnership with the designer or has any agreement with him to sell boats.

In light of these facts and information, the article he wrote to MM’s last issue is at least questionable. For those interested in the Catri, the most relevant points are that Mr. Eglajs has an unsatisfactory business reputation, is not building boats and, as per my own experience, does not deliver plans to satisfaction. At your request, I can send a detailed analysis of the article’s flaws and a list of information sources.

Lastly, I was told of problems down to police level involving Mr. Eglajs. I am curious to know all about it. May I suggest an independent research followed by your own article?

Please note that I remain a Catri fan. The concept is outstanding and, according to all those who sailed one, it is a great boat to have. Sadly, everything indicates that the worse way to acquire a Catri is from or through Mr. Eglajs.

Luiz Schechter"

Jun 15, 2007

Third party messages - summary: avoid Aldis Eglajs

For your own safety, don't do business in conexion or with Aldis Eglajs.
Read what customers, builders, representatives and the like already said
about him:

From: Allan Hansen
Date: Fri Aug 12, 2005 6:58 pm
Subject: Re: [catriowner] Catri 30 from Allan Hansen catrine30

Hi Catri friends

My Catri 30 have been in the water a few weeks now. I have only had a very short testsail until now, but a few smaller problems need to be solved first before a really testsail can start. My mainproblem - that I am solving right now - is making an easy to use lifting system for getting a daggerboard out and into the outrigger. This has top priority because I have to fold on the water to get into my marinabed, so I am more or less cought in the marina until this is solved.

Very first testsail: Two weeks ago my wife and I had the first and only testsail. First problem We had, was getting out and later into the marinabed because we need to put in/remove the daggerboard to fold/unfold. We spend 3 hours getting out and into the marinabed that day, so we had only one hour left for sailing. Second problem that we had was the lines that holds the mast from the beams, I could not tightem them enough - they were in fact useless. So the mast was only hold by the headfoil and backstays. Therefore I put 2 reefs in the sail at a windspeed at 8m/s. We only sailed 7,5 knots with this configuration. Most of the time my head was working on how we could get safe into the marinabed without getting a scratch. We just sailed around trying different directions, but I notised that the tacking angles were fine. Since testsail I have tryed different solutions where I use a spinnakerpool as lifting arm, - it works, but a few changes is neccesary so the procedure can be done in a few minutes. Right now I am working out the final solution, so very soon I really can start sailing. I have not had time to make pictures, but that will come soon also.

To get to this stage where I am now, has been quiet difficult. And has only been possible because of a very clever boatbuilder, that I was very lucky to meet. As most of you know, the designer left the project when he started working with Aegean. The fully payed Catri 30 was at that time 3 empty hulls plus a few smaller fiber parts and there was only drawing for building the folding system. Like several of you have learned, I had to live with, that nothing in the world could bring the designer to complete the design.

All my spare time in more than a year (No - I did not spend any time in front of the TV) I spend on designing all the missing drawing and making a complete partslist so I could calculate the cost. With great help of a Swedish mast designer I came to the point where I was ready to build. During the periode I also spend lots of time looking for a clever boatbuilder that could take over the boat, and that showed up to be a big problem also, but suddenly I was lucky to find the right person. I travel to Latvia and visited the owner of the boatyard PHL where the boat was. We made an agreement, where he allowed me to "borrow" the boathall where the boat had stayed during some years now. I hyred the boatbuilder though PHL and started to order all the parts needed from all over the world. After a short time one more boatbuilder was hired.

A few months ago the Catri 30 was finally ready, and I picked it up on its trailer and brought it to its final destination in Denmark - 4 years delayed.

I will use this occation to say thanks to all the people that has helped me to get this far.

Best regards
Allan

-----------------------------------------------------------------
From: Michael Domnich
Date: Sun Jun 26, 2005 7:32 am
Subject: Re: [catriowner] Open letter m_domnich


> Let us make a lesson, besause there are everybody of really Catri interested as a loser now. I mean Aeegean and real latvian builders still without serious production sufered by a wrong Catri marketing. There are my anual patent payments for market protection, still nearly 1/2 of time already expired. I mean a growing number of Catri owners without possibility to discuss the real tecnical and other problems. So Iet as think about culture and reasonable area of discussion.
Aldis.

O.K. Aldis, You are absolutely right. Everybody, who participate in """Catri World???""" is losers: Harijs Priede, Ilmars, Gints, Multicascos, Aegean and lovely Inga(she don't know about it, but it will be soon), Luiz, Jose and many more people who believe you.
Do you know why??? Answer: Everybody believe you with your idea: HYDROFOIL ASSISTED
TRIMARAN (very nice idea, opportunely idea), but nobody knows that YOU ARE not a real marine designer and architect engineer. Nobody knows that YOU ARE a pathological impostor. But now it is not a big news for everybody.

Big mistake Aldis, all of us who involve in relationship with you are not LOSERS. The biggest LOOSER is ALDIS EGLAJS, because you can't appreciate normal relationship with a people, you can't confirm your knowledge, skills and expertise. You immediately ruin a relationship with people when they start understand your core. It is very clear for everybody.

Lots of years I support YOU in multihull World, push your idea to the market.(You can ask CHARLES CHIODY, YAN FARIER, MIKE LINEMAN, JIM ANTRIM, TORBJORN LINDERSON and lots of other authoritative multihullers around the world). And every time it was not successful because you disturb me with your unsuccessfull business in Latvia.

From 1997 until this time Catri not in the world multihull market!!!!!

It is not builders fault. IT IS YOUR FAULT!!! And way to go that you choose is wrong. You did mistakes not only with design and engineering, you spurn out people who believe you, and very soon time when you will be alone.

From this moment you lost my support! You overfill cup of my patience!

Michael Domnich,
President of Aegean Marine.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

From: "karschulin"
Date: Sat May 28, 2005 4:44 am
Subject: Re: wellcome karschulin

Hi all,

I'm bound to say - I am a little bit shocked after have scanned through the communication in this forum. In meantime about four years ago I have had the first contact with Catri/Aldis and was enthusiastic about the design, like all of you.
I want to help Aldis by web promotion and as his representative for Germany. Hence I installed www.catrimarine.de and filled it with informations I get from Aldis.
Last year I had the luck to meet Aldis in Wismar at the IMM 2004 and could do a short trip with the No.1 CATRI 24. Now the result of my public relations are about 75 inquiries for Catri boats only from Germany - and I developed myself to a world champion of empty promises.

To Luiz' question. I haven't "problems like ours" (thank godness), but I have a problem to convince the potential buyers and myself to wait untill ...? And at last I don't want to make myself look silly, if the Catri story will not put to a lucky end (in a conceivable time).

I believe in retrospect that the marketing and selling starts to early. But I also know about the problem to have not enough money for an elegant product launch. But, what the hell - I have waited about years and I will stay on, and be it only out of curiosity.

Kind regards and 'Keep your pecker up'
Othmar

--------------------------------------------------------------------

From: "karschulin"
Date: Tue Aug 2, 2005 12:17 pm
Subject: Representation for Germany available karschulin

Hello friends.

After nearly four years I end the tragedy. In this time I got over 75 inquiries of people which are willing to do almost all to get a Catri trimaran. Now I can't be bothered no more to comfort them furthermore.

At last Aldis was not able to present himself or even a boat or something else at the most important event in Europe, the 'International Multihull Meeting' which happened in Riga! Last week. This was the the last straw that breaks the camel's back.

If you know somebody who wants to do the job, he may contact Aldis or me.

Good bye
Othmar

Feb 20, 2007

More feedback from reliable sources

This one is from Harken's representative in Latvia
------

Dear yachtsmen,

Before expressing my opinion about so called Catri project, I have to present myself.

My name is Albert Rozin. I am a professional sailing coach, Executive Director of the Regate Company, official distributor of the Harken, North Sails, Tacktick, Spinlock, Nautix, Beneteau, Musto, Slam and many other marine equipment companies so well known to you. Besides that, the Regate Company is involved in designing and tuning of the racing yachts.

Up to now I thought it will not be correct to speak publicly about Catri. But I changed my mind yesterday, after Mr. Aldis Eglajs visited our company’s office to make the new order ... and expressed dissatisfaction about the Latvian Harken suppliers in our forum. It was made for the first time and in a very strange manner, although current order we are preparing for him was not cancelled.

But now about Catri.

1. All equipment for this project Aldis orders at our company without any explanations or project documentation.

2. All our requests to explain suspicious positions were declined.

3. In our opinion, it looks like:

3.1. Aldis has no real project of Catri, if by ‘project’ you mean a full technical documentation of a yacht design;

3.2. Aldis does not know how to design a real yacht and could not do it.

3.3. I am sorry to say, but all this looks like an attempt to take away money from credulous clients and unsuspecting boat builders.

3.4. Beware of this project. If you have not, I advise you to read ‘The Golden Calf’ and ‘Twelve Chairs’ - two books by Russian writers Ylf and Petrov.

Best regards & Happy sailing

Albert Rozin
HARKEN BALTIC

Feb 7, 2007

Third party informed opinions

Hello.

Lets continue with some quotes.
The first is from Mikhail Domnich, owner of Aegeanmarine, builder of the Catri 27 in the US and . He is in San Francisco and was born in Latvia:

Date: Sun, 12 Dec 2004 01:16:19 -0800 (PST)
From: "Michael Domnich"
Subject: Re: Catri 27 modifications

HI luiz,

Nice to hear you after long time.

First of all small history review:

I am working with Aldis almost 16 years, and believe me, I know him very well. (Centaurus 35, 38, 40uc, Catri 26r, 27. He is a great multi-huller and Multihull scientist, but he is not a real designer and engineer. For sure he is not a good businessman. He was so smart to make a patent of Catri hydrofoil system. That is all. Why he change a builders each year, and no final production line at full 7 years? Answer very simple: he is old and rush to make his own money off the patent royalty. If no production, change the builders and make your initial royalty from new builder. Simple!!! I was involve in this game and know exactly. He does not care about any responsibility before customers(you are a bright sample) and builders (myself,Gints,Harijs,Andersons & ect). No one builder have full designers documentation for any his projects, because he does not have it. Simple!!! He can make a blue print and wrong structural engineering(it is why I change about 90% of his structural reinforcement on Catri projects and make the project with full building documentation myself. It take time and lots of additional money). I was quiet lots of years about Aldis, because it is only my opinion, but after i read messages at the Catri owners forum and look at the situation, i can't to be silent any more. Now I am absolutely independent with good proof projects and engineering, and don't care about Aldis.(For sure he will receive his patent royalty). He lost a possibility to make a Catri line in Latvia, because no one builder would like to work with him, and i am worry about Catri idea. After 3.5 years of testing both Aegean Catri 27 at any weather and seas condition, lots of people strongly believe: Catri is # 1 competition for Corsair, and must to be successful on market. And You right about international corporation. We need to consolidate our knowledge, enthusiasm and power to establish a good production Catri line with strong responsibility fore quality of design and product.

About your other questions -later

Mike.

Feb 5, 2007

The boat seems fine. The designer sucks.

Hello,

If you are here, you certainly read or heard about the Catri and may be considering one.
The interesting concepts captivated me five years ago. I bought the plans, paid for them and still haven't comissioned my boat.

Before you ask:

-I have the money (to buy an open 60, if I wanted to).
-I have the time (to do it with my own hands, if I wanted to).
-I have the knowledge (to talk to manufacturers, shipyards, etc. all around the World).
-I have the contacts (to know everything that is going on in the sailing world).
-I don't cheat or lie.

Still, my boat is not ready.
Why?
Simple: I paid Aldis Eglajs for a set of plans and he never completed them.
More in the next entry.