Catamaran for offshore/ocean sailing?

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alant

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Following on from the thread on 18' sailboat for Atlantic crossing, how about you twin hull devotee's coming up with your offerings/design parameters/issues, for an offshore/ocean cruising cat?
Many mono sailers, seem to think they are unsafe/uncomfortable, other than in reasonable weather/sea conditions, so could the pussy fans try to convert us?
 
alant said:
Following on from the thread on 18' sailboat for Atlantic crossing, how about you twin hull devotee's coming up with your offerings/design parameters/issues, for an offshore/ocean cruising cat?
Many mono sailers, seem to think they are unsafe/uncomfortable, other than in reasonable weather/sea conditions, so could the pussy fans try to convert us?
Click to expand...

Practical or theory? :D
 
image.jpg

Delivered one of these from St Lucia to Croatia a few years back. Got a bit bumpy in 55 knots near the Azores, but otherwise ok. The 18hp donks were a bit lightweight though. In ones sense good, the other bad!
 
Did a 'thread the Needles' on one of those many years ago, with a rather 'cheerful' Australian owner.

Eventually logged a few thousand miles on that, an Event 34 and a Snowgoose. The last one was my favourite.
 
I have no experience or knowledge of cruising catamarans (but I'm a forumite, so that little detail won't stop me :encouragement:) but here are a few hypotheticals:
The ones I see around seem to lack a lot of the details that an ocean sailor would take for granted:
No handrails on the coachroof
No jackstays
No clip-on points
Straight-through transoms for falling overboard
What else have I missed?

But those things above could be easily rectified. What concerns me more are the design characteristics that can't be so easily changed:
GZ curve. If something horrible happens and there is a knockdown, a cat is never going to get up again
Those huge patio doors. Will they resist being pooped?
The big windows around the saloon. They also look vulnerable to being smashed by a big wave
And I expect the forum can add a few more.
 
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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capnsensible said:
View attachment 55385

Delivered one of these from St Lucia to Croatia a few years back. Got a bit bumpy in 55 knots near the Azores, but otherwise ok. The 18hp donks were a bit lightweight though. In ones sense good, the other bad!
Click to expand...

A mate who delivered one from Canaries to Carib, complained about the horrible 'shuffle', as one hull dug into wave & stopped, with the other hull moving forward until the dug-in caught up & so on, quite uncomfortable.
 
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.
 
Freebird 50 would be the ultimate ocean cruising cat for me. As a died in the wool mono sailor having sailed this cat really changed my mind. It was a superbly designed and engineered monocoque structure. It was fast and close winded, the bows lifted out of the water when surfing rather than "digging in". Not many were built unfortunately.

Catana's come a close second.
 
E39mad said:
Freebird 50 would be the ultimate ocean cruising cat for me.
Click to expand...

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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