Cat Survey

[captainslarty]

Gludy - Paul, or whatever..

please define what you WANT out of you liveaboard boat.. never mind multi or mono .. where you want to go etc..

You seem to be blinkered as to the cause of cats..
I was, obviously, joking re trading in the swmbo .. well, sort of /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif ... but its a matter of adapting yourselves AND the boat to suit your needs.

If you just want to sail arounf the SW uk.. then no worries.. you intimate blue water ?. where and when ?

You need to think that what is good in a marina is NOT necessarily good at sea.
I couldnt imagine a better apartment then a cat in a marina..
in the same breath , I couldnt imagine a less capable boat at sea.

 

[Gludy]

I plan the following.

To circumnavigate the UK taking a long time - maybe 6 months or more. We plan to dry out in a lot of places.

Trans Atlantice to the Caribbean

Trips all around Europe and the Med.

Why can you not imagine a worse sea boat?

I have just seen a survey on another forum where almost nobody having owned a cat would go back to mono but many owning a mono will go to a cat.

Please understand, I am not arguing here - I do not have the experience or the knowledge to do that - I am simply trying to understand the strongly held opinions in what seems to be two camps.

 

[captainslarty]

Hiya Paul.
Unfortunately there are owners who have one type or another that will say black is white, then get run over on a pedestrian crossing lol..

at sea, as said, the motion of a cat is 'different' to a mono, but by no means 'flat' sailing.
the bigger you go, the more the boat is designed as a floating apartment or for multi occupancy charter use.
the details of a usable boat at sea - ie, small spaces to not get thrown across, handholds.. bracing positions etc are omitted in most cases.
Cat or mono - as you may well have found on your mobo.. are al akin to being in a washing machine in even mildish condition offshore. there IS no magic solution - apart from adapting

To adapt a large cat to a sensible layout for offshore use would involve the placement of many upright hand holds and effects that interupt the apparant space one sees in the initial design..

Take a look at something like a 50 foot awb and imagine WHERE you would brace yourself at sea in the spacious accomodation, it doesnt add up...
You dont seem to have sailed offshore, so perhaps a trip offshore as a crew would be advantagious ?.

Dont get me wrong, its not all hoolies and nightmares, far from it.. but you have to accept a motion aspect from the boat.. whatever design. and, the ability to remain with limbs intact. it is so foten an eyeopener for many - just adapting to the ever moving environment.

My perfect boat would be a 50 foot cat in a marina lol.. but a nic 32 for serious offshore use.. you cant win lol.

 

[Gludy]

We will both want to be out in at least a f5 to get the experience we need to even begin to choose.

I agree you have to adapt - our last MoBo with stablisers still threw everything all over the place in a bad sea. We have been in 19 foot sea allbeit running with them in a planing 60 foot MoBo.

 

[captainslarty]

Good attitude Paul, yes, go for it.. try to get a place on the arc if possible (I hate hte arc with a vengence lol) but, to get the experience would be beneficial in your ultimate choice.

A standing joke I have - with serious undertones - when designing a layout or assessing one - is to go out and get absolutely rat arsed... then come back to the boat..

If you make it down the pontoon.. so far so good..

then.. how do you get ONTO the boat without drowning or greenstick fractures ???

Ok, so we is now on the boat..

everywhere you stagger into or lean against needs to be rounded or have a handhold.. go below.. the same applies.. take a felt pen with you.. when you get up off the floor /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif - add a mark to place a handhold... where you bruise yourself.. round the corner and add a handhold..

The offshore experience is the same, with bells on.. so its a great start.

Nice one dude.

 

[jimg]

Pity you are not here in Dartmouth at the moment, there is a Lagoon 410 from Brisbane in for a while.
They would probably have some good stories for you. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Gludy]

That is a pity - I am about to leave for the BVI so all my searching plans are over - mind you should see a dew charter ones out there and maybe some more serious ones.

I am thinking of getting a smaller used one for now(say 38 to 40 feet) before committing myself to a new build - it would give me some first hand to a much more expensive 50 footer. It would also put me on the water - this good weather is killing me without a boat.

 

[jimg]

I will be very interested to see how you get on, having had mobo's myself from 23 to 60 feet for 20 odd years, my only sail experience has been in a dinghy.
Look forward to watching your progress over the next few months.

 

[Jeannius]

Paul

How long are you going to be in the BVI? If the dates fit I can arrange for you to have a good look over my boat in Road Town, Tortola. Just started a 19 day charter a few days back so might not be possible. Even if my boat is not around though you can probably get a look at some other cats at the base.

PM me if interested.

 

[Gludy]

Thanks - have sent PM

 

[michael_w]

Have a look at the Gunboat Don't miss the video.