Catamaran for offshore/ocean sailing?

snowleopard said:
There's a fairly wide scope for choice. Your decision will depend on your personal preferences, budget and cruising plans. I would start by considering weight. Do you tend towards the heavy steady end of the spectrum e.g. Prout or the light and fast e.g. Dazcats? Remember that unless you are ruthless with your packing the lightweights will be seriously slowed by the extra weight. It was once said that in a multihull you could have only two of the three big benefits - space, speed and cheapness. Of course with modern production boats cheapness is seldom an option.

A few points:

1. size: Theoretically, stability increases with the 4th power of the length. The bigger the better for speed too.
2. weight: Light=fast with the proviso that if you go too light and take the boat to high latitudes you might break it
3. volume: You'll do most of your living on the bridgedeck so it needs to have reasonable headroom and good visibility. The cockpit should be spacious and have protection from rain and sun. A hard top and curtains to close it off are a huge benefit.
4. ease of handling: Twin props are the best. Failing that a steerable leg. Outboards are a work of the devil. Sail plans need to be easily handled and easy to reef. In a multihull you reef for the gusts, in a monohull you reef for the steady wind.

I couldn't find what I wanted at a price I could afford so I built my own. 5 tonnes/12m LOA is an unusual combination.
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Prout or Dazcats?
Is the choice restricted to UK built cats then?
 
JimBrown said:
But be wary of the one that was fitted out at the C&N yard. Inch thick teak, bronze and a battleship mentally aren't really the ideal starting materials for a mutihull fit-out!
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I sailed on that one up the Florida coast - it was heavy and with a shorter rig for the inter-coastal waterway. It was borrowed for the 1994 Miami Boat Show. Still went well mind. The other I sailed out to the Nab from Itchenor and was extremely impressive and responsive - 15 knots without trying off the wind and 10 knots close to the wind, no slamming in big seas either. It had a lighter Northshore fit out and a taller rig.
 
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Neeves said:
Trapezeartist

How about adding:

they seem as lilely to capsize as a mono loose its keel

They are so stable you have a better chance of having female company

The galleys are so good you might become famous for gourmet meals

and developing from that

because they sail so fast you would need to provide dinner for the later comers

and

because they sail so fast you spend less time at sea

drying out flat you would not know when the tide comes in

and I am sure there are many more

We have:

Jackstays, (down each side deck and diagonally from each bow to mast)
clip on points, in cockpit
handrails on the coachroof
transom boards in slots
Large step 'below' the double patio type doors
Our windows are 8mm acrylic

Its a standard production 38' cat.

In 55 knots a bit bumpy, the cat took it better than the crew. With 20-25 knots we can average 10knots over 100nm. We can sit in the saloon at 8 knots with a pot of coffee on the table, jar of marmalade etc etc, have breakfast and have virtually 100% visibility (and nothing fall off the table). I can make breakfast and look at the scenery. I can look our of the berth windows and see the scenery to which we cruised.

What's not to lke?

Jonathan
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I wasn't poo-pooing cats. Rather more putting forward a few points I have noticed in passing to see if someone could assure me that there are solutions. I think you've nearly convinced me. Unfortunately I failed to win the lottery again last weekend so my ocean-going catamaran will have to wait.
 
"a previous generation Outremer"

Someone I know has sailed an Outremer 45 and is always talking about how fast it is and how easy to sail. He told me that one was owned by an English family as a family boat, kept near Plymouth, and father-and-son competed in at least two Two-Handed Round Britain Race. It seems this tough 'family boat' was right up behind the specialised racers all the way round. One cleaned out afterwards, it was straight back to being the 'family boat' again....
 
Trapezeartisit,

No problems, but I 'd not rely too heavily on a lottery, patience is more likely to be a success route.

Once you get one, you will not look back :)

Jonathan
 
doris said:
And didn't James spend most of his time afloat surrounded by a bevy of naked nymphets!
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Yes and they were very nice too! Met up with him in Deganwy many many years ago and eas converted - ended up building a 46' ORO Catamaran - unfortunately our crew had disagreements and the boat was sold. Moored a Woolverstone for a couple of years(before the marina was built).
 
marie galante said:
Someone I know has sailed an Outremer 45 and is always talking about how fast it is and how easy to sail.
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I was 3rd multihull in ARC 2001. 1st was an Outremer which was also 1st overfall on actual and corrected time, beating a 100' mono. A quick beast. Only their mothers would call them pretty though (and I make no claims for my own).
 
KellysEye said:
When we were in the Caribbean we saw quite a few Prout catamarans which are renowned for their build quality.
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A typically British boat of the last century. It was felt by British buyers, and still is by quite a few, that a 'quality' boat has lots of woodwork and any visible GRP below decks is cheap-and-nasty. The problem is that all that wood is heavy. That's not to say that French offerings are lightweight flyers. I was surprised to discover that a Fontaine Pajot of the same size as mine is 40% heavier despite having little wood below.
 
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