Catamaran sailing

pessimist

pessimist

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7 May 2003
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Just had an offer accepted on a cat. Definite cruiser - twin engines, no boards etc. Previous multihull experience is limited to crewing on Shearwaters and Hurricanes (about a million years ago); and a couple of trips as virtual passengers on friends/relations cats. So reasonable to say b. all relevant experience on cruising cats. Looking for some useful reading matter (pref. electronic). Any suggestions?
 
Cats are a wonderful cruising sail boat. However usually they are not so good beating to windward. But most importantly a cat will not complain when over pressed with too much wind and too much sail. Indeed they seem to love being pressed and go fast in an exciting manner. Until seeming without warning they can crumple the rig or even capsize. So it is up to you the skipper to keep an eye on conditions and reduce sail when wind gets up. A lead mine (keel boat) will just lean over to the gusts and tell you it is in trouble the cat is brave up until it is over powered. Keep an eye on hull speed and wind speed. Cruising cats will never lift a hull. To let that happen is madness. ol'will
(being provocative)
 
William_H said:
Cats are a wonderful cruising sail boat. However usually they are not so good beating to windward. But most importantly a cat will not complain when over pressed with too much wind and too much sail. Indeed they seem to love being pressed and go fast in an exciting manner. Until seeming without warning they can crumple the rig or even capsize. So it is up to you the skipper to keep an eye on conditions and reduce sail when wind gets up. A lead mine (keel boat) will just lean over to the gusts and tell you it is in trouble the cat is brave up until it is over powered. Keep an eye on hull speed and wind speed. Cruising cats will never lift a hull. To let that happen is madness. ol'will
(being provocative)
Click to expand...
Having sailed both Hobie cats and cruising cats, I agree with everything you say. :)

Richard
 
As a comfortable way to sail, the cat has everything going for it. It’s easy to manage, doesn’t tip, usually has vast areas of internal space and the ability to cope easily with most weather conditions. As a family cruising platform, there really isn’t much to be said against it. Twin engines make for easier close manoeuvrIng, once you’ve master the techniques of balancing the motors.
Downsides of a cat..... there had to be some.... Higher freeboard makes getting on and off when moored alongside a bit of a pain. You either need a set of steps on shore or a step fender. As ol‘will mentions, they give much less feedback as to what they’re doing. I found that you really did need the table of wind speed v stage of reefing, as the boat doesn‘t give you the cues about when to reef that you get from a monohull. To balance that, the sheer speed you can get out of them in the right conditions is exhilarating.
That’s all based on taking a Fontaine Pajiot Belize from Lefkas to Barbados. I’d have one like a shot but can’t afford one nor the berthing fees....
 
Nice one Duncan. I reckon its important as you say to stay inside the manufacturers reefing recommends, they are given for a reason.

Top tip, instead of luffing as you would normally do, quickly ease sheets and bear away is a much better option.

I once delivered an FP Lavezzi from St. Lucia to Croatia and I stuck with those rules especially in 55 knot winds near the Azores. :oops:

Have thought about a Cat from time to time but then muse about what I would have put in the parking meter over the 21 years we lived on our Moody! But I get to skipper a charter one from time to time so get the cheeky best. :cool:
 
I sailed in a cat from France to Greece a few months ago. Only used in monohulls I was feeling very insecure at the beginning of the journey it felt like it was going to broach but that was actually how it was sailing with 1 reef in the main and around 25-28 knots true wind ( sailing downwind). Another day the wind increased rapidly to around 30knts true, again sailing downwind but this time with full mainsail on (boom open starboard). At one point, a gust came and the rudders couldn't keep the stern any more. The boat started to luff up as a result of the pressure on the huge mainsail and a tiny headsail for the boat size. It turned until the mainsail was completely depowered. This incident made me feel more secure sailing on a cat. The downside is that when we motored against tiny waves of no more than 1 meter, it felt like being in a large baking pan hitting on the sea. ?
 
Note we are located in Sydney.

If the OP defined what he has bought the answers might be more useful to him, like monohulls catamarans are designed for different markets and perform differently

There is nothing to compare with sailing at 8 knots, making breakfast with a view of the sea and eating on a flat saloon table with decent china, a real coffee pot and no fear of everything ending up on the cabin sole.

We keep our cat on a swing mooring, moorings are priced by length, we pay the same as a 38' monohull.

Catamarans can sail to windward, or some can, - but if there are big seas or breaking swells - they are not much fun. Better to stay an extra day. Cats tend to have small headsails and when seas are flat and winds light - the headsails are then too small, we replaced our self tacker (effectively a No4) for a 150% overlapping genoa. We also have a furling screecher - magic when off the wind.

Comments on reefing (early) are very valid - its easy to forget how strong the wind is.

When you want to furl the headsails - run further downwind - the main will blanket the headsail making it easier to furl.

We rely exclusively on the autopilot. Unlike a mono you cannot steer to the seas as you have 2 hulls and one hull is in a different part of the sea to the other. 2 engines make them exceptionally manoeuvrable in tight spaces. You can turn them through 360 degrees in their own length. They can have big windage - caution is needed it tight spaces. If you are motoring - its more efficient to motor under one engine than 2, the fuel doubles with 2 engines running but your maximum speed will increase by only about 20%-30%.

The idea that cats might capsize? I think keels fall of monos more regularly and insurance companies have the same replacement 'rules' for rigging for monos as multis.

One thing we have found - the idea that having 2 engines gives you redundancy - we find the same components need replaced at roughly the same age, exhaust elbows, impellers etc Keep the engine hours similar and when you service one engine - do the other.

Jonathan
 
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