Best stay at home

[oldgit]

Or maybe it's the charter companies realising that people want more and more space and aren't so keen on boats that tip your glass off the table

,,,,,...also those who do not think spending the entire day at 45 degrees and having to change into dry clothes at the end of each and every day is "fun" ?

 

[38mess]

We chartered a yacht in Corfu, myself and my 4 brothers. 3 had never even been on a yacht before.. the look on their faces on the first day out when I managed to get the gunnels under? a multi hull would be interesting trying to get into the little anchorages in the afternoon.

 

[Stemar]

We chartered a yacht in Corfu, myself and my 4 brothers. 3 had never even been on a yacht before.. the look on their faces on the first day out when I managed to get the gunnels under? a multi hull would be interesting trying to get into the little anchorages in the afternoon.

Park it in the shallow bits where the half-boats can't go

 

[johnalison]

We chartered a yacht in Corfu, myself and my 4 brothers. 3 had never even been on a yacht before.. the look on their faces on the first day out when I managed to get the gunnels under? a multi hull would be interesting trying to get into the little anchorages in the afternoon.

Most of my guests, adult and child, have been delighted to be aboard, with the exception of a young nephew who spent the whole hour or so cringing in the corner of the cockpit - in moderate conditions within the river Orwell. In ordinary sailing twenty degrees is as much as we normally heel, though even that feels quite a lot. However, it is the control of the boat in these conditions that gives the most satisfaction, as the helmsman is dealing with a problem in three dimensions. I liken cat sailors to flat-Earthers in this regard.

 

[Stemar]

I liken cat sailors to flat-Earthers in this regard.

A flat earth has some advantages when you're trying to sleep, not to mention that if your coffee cup spills, you're overcooking it!

 

[38mess]

Park it in the shallow bits where the half-boats can't go

Good idea ?

 

[Wansworth]

Good idea ?

Historically double boats and rafts etc came before keel boats

 

[Spirit (of Glenans)]

I just ignore all the ads. Paying attention to them seems to make them multiply?
(In response to Wansworth's Post #20)

 

[Lucy52]

It is a bargain, the renter gets the comfort and space. The rental company can make a biger wedge from each booking.
Why care if you don't like it, they will be gone tomorrow, and you can moan at someone else.

 

[Wansworth]

It is a bargain, the renter gets the comfort and space. The rental company can make a biger wedge from each booking.
Why care if you don't like it, they will be gone tomorrow, and you can moan at someone else.

Lowers the tone?

 

[Sea-Fever]

It's not like this is new. Charter companies in the prime areas of the Eastern Med and the Carribean have seen this punter demand for mebbe twenty years. Its clearly working for them from what I've seen in visits to both places, again over a number of years.

Im not so sure of the economics of cat fleets for the flot companies. Most of our favourite tie up spots in the Eastern med are quaint little places aren’t they? If you’ve got X metres of quayside space you want to maximise the number of paying customers no? Monos are surely more profitable.

 

[Skellum]

Im not so sure of the economics of cat fleets for the flot companies. Most of our favourite tie up spots in the Eastern med are quaint little places aren’t they? If you’ve got X metres of quayside space you want to maximise the number of paying customers no? Monos are surely more profitable.

The harbour masters charge extra for cats so they get the same money from their quay for less work. The last few years it’s become increasingly difficult to charter a small yacht as the charter companies are moving their fleets to cats and larger monos. Greece is no different from Croatia in that respect. Not sure about Turkey but no surprise if that’s also true over there. I think it also reflects a change in the charter market - holidaymakers are looking for more “Below Decks Bling” than a “Swallows and Amazons Adventure”.

 

[Lucy52]

Lowers the tone?

Indeed yes, but we had a loverly holiday, it was like having our own apartment on the water. We motored mostly, and it didn't half go with the wind behind us.

 

[Sea-Fever]

The harbour masters charge extra for cats so they get the same money from their quay for less work. The last few years it’s become increasingly difficult to charter a small yacht as the charter companies are moving their fleets to cats and larger monos. Greece is no different from Croatia in that respect. Not sure about Turkey but no surprise if that’s also true over there. I think it also reflects a change in the charter market - holidaymakers are looking for more “Below Decks Bling” than a “Swallows and Amazons Adventure”.

I was thinking more from the flotilla company point of view rather than the harbour master, but I get your point if holiday makers are wanting cats and choosing not to rent monos then that’s what the companies will buy. Personally I would find trying to get a cat into some of the smaller med towns quite stressful….at least with a mono you stand a chance of wedging yourself in somewhere using the pointy end.

 

[johnalison]

A flat earth has some advantages when you're trying to sleep, not to mention that if your coffee cup spills, you're overcooking it!

I haven't tried sleeping on a cat, and to be honest, I have never sailed on a cat, whether cruiser or dinghified. However, I would need evidence before accepting that the motion on a cat is 'better' all-round than an equivalent ballasted hull. Making size comparisons might itself be difficult, but I would assume that the cat would weigh less, possibly a lot less, and this might affect the motion adversely. My feeling is that the cat would be more relaxing in moderate conditions but the keeled boat better when the going gets tough. Heeling in itself can be overcome in various ways and I don't see it as a problem in itself. The only time it has bothered me was when the boat was stationary at an angle, which felt very strange, but that was a long time ago before we learned to avoid mud.

 

[dslittle]

Cats are probably too broad for Norfolk.

Cats don’t like water !!!

 

[laika]

Another observation from Greece: the ubiquitous tourist rental scooter seems to have been supplanted by quad bikes. Hulls, wheels…everything seems to have doubled here except prices which have at least tripled

 

[LittleSister]

It might suit the charter companies and harbourmasters, but a lot of those Greek harbours are rather tight for space. Could have a negative impact on the tourist income reaching other businesses.

Not to mention Wansworth's perceptive observation that it lowers the tone!

 

[Bouba]

It might suit the charter companies and harbourmasters, but a lot of those Greek harbours are rather tight for space. Could have a negative impact on the tourist income reaching other businesses.

Not to mention Wansworth's perceptive observation that it lowers the tone!

Not necessarily so....these cats can take a lot of crew...they are expensive to charter..so large groups tend to get together in order to split the costs...so the restaurant trade and souvenir shops in these ports probably won’t suffer

 

[Wansworth]

Not necessarily so....these cats can take a lot of crew...they are expensive to charter..so large groups tend to get together in order to split the costs...so the restaurant trade and souvenir shops in these ports probably won’t suffer

So I was right lots punters from Wolverhampton clutching their savings and wearing string vests and Sandles with socks in charge of a Lagoon 42 with a Rya cert coastal,banging their way into a berth ?