Robin
Well-Known Member
Re: Cat owners -> the new \"smug gits\"?
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Rudders seem to enjoy falling off as well - eg various vessels in the last ARC experiencing serious humour failure after seeing their steering device saying Sayonara.......
At least cats have two of 'em....
And sensible monohullers also have two - the 2nd being in the form of a Hydrovane!
(I know that Guapa will agree with me re Hydrovanes!)
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We met a charming Belgian couple a few years back who were returning home from an Atlantic circuit in a Catalac 10m cat. They had lost BOTH rudder blades in heavy swells mid Atlantic and had to manufacture new ones using wood floor panels reinforced with steel stolen from the cooker lining. They had to wait several days for the swell to die down and another day for waiting sharks to move away before being able to get in the water and fit the new blades. They were planning on working again on their arrival in Belgium to fund the purchase of another boat - a monohull that could average more than the 4kts of the cat.
I must admit I have often wondered if the rythmic rolling that can occur at anchor in the tiniest swell from the wrong direction might be non-existent in a cat but have never found someone to confirm it. I do hear tell the movement is very different, akin to a rocky 4 legged table with one leg a tad too short.
The biggest drawback in my opinion is the cost of berths and also the availability of them for multihulls in the UK and popular spots in mainland Europe. Boats in general have grown in size yet few marinas have adjusted berth widths to match the trend, so fitting 2 fat monos in adjacent berths is often impossible let alone a mono plus a cat. So the poor multihull owner looking for a visitor spot has to hope for two empty fingers together or to settle for becoming an extension of the hammerhead for others to raft up to.
[ QUOTE ]
Rudders seem to enjoy falling off as well - eg various vessels in the last ARC experiencing serious humour failure after seeing their steering device saying Sayonara.......
At least cats have two of 'em....
And sensible monohullers also have two - the 2nd being in the form of a Hydrovane!
(I know that Guapa will agree with me re Hydrovanes!)
[/ QUOTE ]
We met a charming Belgian couple a few years back who were returning home from an Atlantic circuit in a Catalac 10m cat. They had lost BOTH rudder blades in heavy swells mid Atlantic and had to manufacture new ones using wood floor panels reinforced with steel stolen from the cooker lining. They had to wait several days for the swell to die down and another day for waiting sharks to move away before being able to get in the water and fit the new blades. They were planning on working again on their arrival in Belgium to fund the purchase of another boat - a monohull that could average more than the 4kts of the cat.
I must admit I have often wondered if the rythmic rolling that can occur at anchor in the tiniest swell from the wrong direction might be non-existent in a cat but have never found someone to confirm it. I do hear tell the movement is very different, akin to a rocky 4 legged table with one leg a tad too short.
The biggest drawback in my opinion is the cost of berths and also the availability of them for multihulls in the UK and popular spots in mainland Europe. Boats in general have grown in size yet few marinas have adjusted berth widths to match the trend, so fitting 2 fat monos in adjacent berths is often impossible let alone a mono plus a cat. So the poor multihull owner looking for a visitor spot has to hope for two empty fingers together or to settle for becoming an extension of the hammerhead for others to raft up to.
