Catalac 9M confusion

[MSJourney]

I am not sure this is the correct forum to ask this question, so if not, please forgive me and redirect me to the correct forum.

I'm new to sailing but want to get out there NOW. I'm not going to buy the boat I want right now, cause I don't think it's a good size (40+) or price range to start in. Therefore I'm looking at pretty much whatever I can get my hands on asap, and intend to live and learn on that by coastal cruising in the Med the rest of this season and most or all of next year. I love the feel of monohulls but for different reasons, I am looking for a cat. I guess all of you guys know how difficult it is to get a sailing cat at > 30k €, but that's what I'm trying to do. I would love to get a fixer-upper so that can help the price a little I hope.

This leads me to a few questions about the old (1975) Catalac 9M

I have researched many many boats over the last 2 years and I have to say, the 9M is the boat that has the most contradicting "reviews" around the Internet. Normally people can debate a boat and disagree a little, but mostly it's about personal preferences and there seems to be a general consensus at the end of the debate. BUT, with the 9M it ranges all the way from older reviews and debates over the years saying that it is a great boat with some windward difficulty but otherwise with decent sailing and speed, all the way over to the other side, where it's a complete pile of unusable glass fiber that will fall over if the waves are over 1 meter, and will never reach a speed above 3kn in any wind direction unless motoring.

Guys, help me out here, which is it?

The second question is a short one, but probably not an easy one
How much am I allowed to pay for a really well maintained one from the 70'ties?

I really hope you guys can help me out here.

 

[Moderator]

Moved

Mod

 

[MSJourney]

Thank you so much. Sorry for the inconvenience

 

[MSJourney]

Forgot to mention. The one I am currently looking at is with 2 Tohatsu two stroke outboard engine 9.8 hp (2011)

Thought I should mention that since I know that has an impact on the price

 

[C08]

Having had an 8m Catalac for about 17 years I am biased in favour of the Catalac marque but that is due to their many good qualities and attributes. Having said that, if excellent sailing performance is your main objective then you should look elsewhere. I have also sailed many miles on a friends 9M and they are very good, solid and safe cruising boats but not close winded when you need to bear away a little to maintain a decent speed. Off the wind they are fine and repectably speedy unless overloaded. The accomodation is good, tankage ample and with room for a fridge, cooker, heater and other mod cons. The lockers are cavernous with room for an outboard, inlatable dinghy etc. The heads comparment is good and many have a shower.
Some of the 9m will have an outboard engine which works reasonably well but twin inboards are preferred. They do not seem to be prone to osmosis and the hull layup is generally heavy apart from odd bits of the hull to deck overlap join which is a bit thin around the rear chainplates, however this is not structural just the joint overlap.
You may get a fixer upper/shed for 10K but generally £16k - 26K is the range of prices for one in commission. If you can find a decent one that has been re-engined preferrably with bigger engines than 2x10hp which is on the small size for this pretty heavy boat. Although not pretty the wheelhouse for the 9M is well suited to the british climate an allows year around sailing with just light clothing. The wheelhouse also allows good siting for a couple of large solar panels on the roof. All in all a comfortable family sailing cruiser although the interiors a little dated by now.
There are a number of 9M owners on the forum who I am sure will have their comments to add.
There is a small but enthusiastic owner group who have lots of specific information, hull dgs, sail plans etc.

 

[C08]

Forgot to mention. The one I am currently looking at is with 2 Tohatsu two stroke outboard engine 9.8 hp (2011)

Thought I should mention that since I know that has an impact on the price

It is probably better to have a couple of recent outboards than a pair of old knackered inboards which would be a money pit to renovate. The saildrive outboards have a higher gear ratio than the standard engines and swing a larger prop.

 

[cherod]

have you considered a Wharram ,. it is not dificult to build on a bridgedeck cabin hich will make a big difference ,
sorry . . know nothing of the Lacs other than i think they are very ugly .
or Heavenly Twins ?

 

[Boathook]

Owning a 9m catalac .....
There don't seem to be many on the market which is bad news for buying. More 8m appear and they seem to be around £22K. 9m Catalacs don't go to windward much better than 50 to 60 degrees apparent wind but if the wind is over 10 knots you will see 5 plus knots and it doesn't feel like that you are moving. As CO8 has said the lay up is normally good and the only double skin bits is on the deck where balsa ribs were used to add strength. The ideal engines is a diesel in each hull and if they are 15hp each that is good. The wheel house is brilliant and keeps you dry if it is raining or seas over the cabin top. I've had full sail up with 25 knots of wind and she told me about it with a most uncomfortable motion. Reef in main and jib made it much more pleasant.

 

[Boathook]

have you considered a Wharram ,. it is not dificult to build on a bridgedeck cabin hich will make a big difference ,
sorry . . know nothing of the Lacs other than i think they are very ugly .
or Heavenly Twins ?

Ugly? Don't notice it when on board!

 

[stu9000]

We chartered one many many years ago and I did not fall in love with it.
I generally prefer monohulls, although had a lot of fun in a Horondelle back in the day.

My experience was that it really didn't sail well and seemed quite bluff bowed so stopped in a seaway.
As always it comes down to the kind of sailing you want to do.
Reasonable accommodation, quite a lot of space for the money.
Perhaps best viewed as a motorsailer.

Personally, if I was going to sea I would want something more seaworthy.
Monohulls are cheaper in the marina and are more seaworthy than cats of that vintage.
Maybe a Westerly 33, Moody 33, Westerly Discus?

All the best with your adventure

S

 

[Boathook]

There is a private group on face book called Catalac catamarans that is quite active and may be of help to you.

 

[jwilson]

Over 35 years ago with two toddlers chartered a Catalac for a fortnight out of Poole, and took it down to Cornwall and back. Sailed very acceptably offwind, not brilliant to windward but it would get there. For the children the accommodation and cockpit space and ability to dry out on sandy beaches many days was good. The one I chartered had a 25 hp petrol outboard, that gave maybe 8 knots under power but drank fuel.

 

[MSJourney]

@CO8 That's exactly what I see in this old boat. Safe, crazy spacey (for a small 40-year-old cat) and seems beginner-friendly. I am not looking to race anything. I just want to cruise around the coastline, I just don't want to end up motoring half the time to get above 3kn.

About the engines. Yes, I would actually prefer to get one with outboards instead of old diesels I can end up spending more time and money on instead of sailing. Also because I'm planning to go electric because I want to build the setup, and as always, just because I can

Thank you for pointing out some weaknesses and points I should keep an eye on should I buy one. With my close to no real-life knowledge of boats, I need all the tips and tricks and can get. And thanks for wagering a guess at the prices, that will come in handy.

 

[MSJourney]

@cherod . Considered them might be a big word, but I have read up on them and they do sound like an alternative. The thing is, I want to sail now, and I haven't seen any up for sale.

And I agree, the 9M is not a pretty boat in my eyes but I want to sail so I really don't care much about looks, and especially not in my current price range where I just want as much sailboat as I can squeeze out of it. That being said, should I end up on a 9M, I might make a few "adjustments" and try to put a little "lipstick" on her down the road

 

[MSJourney]

@Boathook . Thanks for joining in with a price "example" to point me in the right direction. 5kn into the wind under sail,,, I'll take that any day with a smile on my face. I have nowhere I need to be except alive and enjoying myself. It's the "not moving" or always motoring I don't feel for.

 

[MSJourney]

I'll definitely check in on the FB owners group. Thanks for the info.

 

[MSJourney]

@stu9000 . Thanks for joining in with your experience here. I'm sorry to hear the "Maybe best viewed as a motorsailer". That's exactly what some people seem to think about this boat and that concerns me a little, cause I'm not buying a sailboat to motor around. Are you referring to the windward sailing or was that your experience of the boat in general? Can I ask how heavy you were on this trip? I'm asking because I have noticed in other threads around the internet, that some of the people that say they ended up mostly motoring also oftentimes gave an impression of being heavy when they set sail, and I was kinda hoping that might be a big part of the reason they ended up not liking the boat.

 

[MSJourney]

@jwilson . Thanks for joining in here. "the accommodation and cockpit space and ability to dry out on sandy beaches many days was good", that is a few of the things that pulls me towards this boat. And the very shallow draft so I can squeeze in tight when anchoring, which I plan will be most of the time.

 

[MSJourney]

Here's an article from 2007 I believe, I came across the other day.

Catalac Catamaran - Catalac 9M PBO article

This guy is pushing crazy performance out of a 1981 model. I know that is the newer version, but reading about it they didn't change that much in the overall design. But as I believe he also states in the article, he has a lot of focus on keeping her light. That and other threads I have read makes me hope that maybe that is the key to sailing this boat.

 

[MSJourney]

@stu9000 . I forgot to address the monohull suggestion. Yes, I love monohulls, but I have some different reasons for aiming specifically at a cat. I am looking at mono's and I have actually looked at exactly the names you are talking about here, and have my eyes on a center cockpit Moody 36 with a bow thruster to assist my lack of skills, but I'm hesitant to pull the trigger and will at least give myself a little more time to see if I can dig up a cat.