Catamarans for cruising. Numbers continuing to grow.

[capnsensible]

I've noticed over the last few years, more and more multihulls are entering the annual Atlantic migration. This year, more than ever.

Around our nearest marina there are a couple of anchorages and the transient visitors in catamarans dominate. There are more than I've ever seen before in the marina and probably many more to come this season if vessel finder is to be believed.

Seems like people want the space, the views, ease of sai.ing, yadda yadda. Still plenty of monohulls passing through but a big shift in the ratio. A couple we know arrived a couple of days ago on their Najad 33 from Italy and are setting off for Cape Verdes in a week or so. So smaller yachts still do it. However.....

I know it's fashionable on here for the usual suspects to drip about how these boats are 'soo ugly' but that's from an armchair watching the rain beat on the widows. Plenty more sailors are out there doing it in sunshine and fresh air and walking the walk.

Fair winds to all!

 

[Stingo]

And your coffee/beer/rum/*** doesn't spill on a catamaran

 

[Boathook]

And your coffee/beer/rum/*** doesn't spill on a catamaran

I don't like tacking on my boat. You have to put the glass down. The real big problem though is remembering where you put it after the nautical manoeuvre .....

What's it like on your half boat Stingo ?

 

[Stingo]

I dare not go anywhere on my wreck, so as long as there is no nasty chop in the anchorage, my whiskey doesn't spill. Cheers

 

[Stingo]

BTW, if there is a nasty chop, it makes it very difficult to be responsible when pouring an accurate measure, hence, in a fit of proper responsibility, the tot meaasure was tossed over board. I trust that a crab or somesuch loves his new shelter

 

[Chiara’s slave]

Lots of cruising multis are ugly. Come to that, racing multis are purposeful, not exactly pretty. However, the only time that is going to bother you, if at all, is when you’re in the tender.

 

[Stingo]

Lots of cruising multis are ugly. Come to that, racing multis are purposeful, not exactly pretty. However, the only time that is going to bother you, if at all, is when you’re in the tender.

If you're in your tender, heading towards your catamaran, there's a good chance that you're heading home after an extended beach bar happy hour, so you're unlikely to notice how ugly your cat is. It's the same with meeting slappers during happy hour.

 

[Hermit]

We are thinking about a cat for the next boat. We aim to downsize the house to a flt and be semi-liveaboard and a cat would work well for that.

 

[Irish Rover]

I'm not a sailor, and I'm not a serious cruiser by any standard, but I guarantee if I considered changing from a cat to a mono, I'd be a lonely lad. My wife loves the space exterior and interior we have on our cat and she'd seriously balk at the idea of going back. Most women I know rarely appreciate the exterior aesthetics of their house but are extremely particular about the interior. Same for boats, in my experience.

 

[Wansworth]

I'm not a sailor, and I'm not a serious cruiser by any standard, but I guarantee if I considered changing from a cat to a mono, I'd be a lonely lad. My wife loves the space exterior and interior we have on our cat and she'd seriously balk at the idea of going back. Most women I know rarely appreciate the exterior aesthetics of their house but are extremely particular about the interior. Same for boats, in my experience.

You have hit the nail on the head,women have lead the charge for double boats as they did for double beds kitchens and showers in boats

 

[capnsensible]

Lots of cruising multis are ugly. Come to that, racing multis are purposeful, not exactly pretty. However, the only time that is going to bother you, if at all, is when you’re in the tender.

Subjective, isn't it?

 

[lustyd]

If they were cheaper we'd have one, but even secondhand they are very pricey*. Having seen the Parlay Revival debacle as well as what happened to the Wynn's I'd be worried about design life a bit more than a monohull too. I definitely want one though, and a lottery win of sufficient scale would make me a buyer

*for someone not intending to work beyond 44

 

[Irish Rover]

If they were cheaper we'd have one, but even secondhand they are very pricey*. Having seen the Parlay Revival debacle as well as what happened to the Wynn's I'd be worried about design life a bit more than a monohull too. I definitely want one though, and a lottery win of sufficient scale would make me a buyer

*for someone not intending to work beyond 44

If you're not yet 44 I can understand the concern about design life, but for most of us 44 is a distant memory and even if we don't walk the plank soon our active boating days are pretty limited.

 

[lustyd]

If you're not yet 44 I can understand the concern about design life, but for most of us 44 is a distant memory and even if we don't walk the plank soon our active boating days are pretty limited.

Regardless of my age I’d want a boat that’s not knackered after 15-20 years and worthless. A lot of cats seem to have issues due to stress between the hulls, parlay being an extreme case of that.
I am 44 now, working until Xmas and then on to more pleasant things.

 

[Bouba]

Would something like ......

negate the need for a multihull ?

 

[Wansworth]

Would something like ......

negate the need for a multihull ?

You would need to hold on in a gale to line up the glass in a snapdragon 23

 

[Irish Rover]

Regardless of my age I’d want a boat that’s not knackered after 15-20 years and worthless. A lot of cats seem to have issues due to stress between the hulls, parlay being an extreme case of that.
I am 44 now, working until Xmas and then on to more pleasant things.

Understood. I'm just jealous.
My previous powercat was a Fountaine Pajot 2003 build and is still in super condition - I was on board only last week. It's probably true that longevity is not a priority for mass produced cats intended for the charter market, such as my current Leopard, but I can't imagine they're deliberately building in obsolescence, or compromising on safety.

 

[capnsensible]

If they were cheaper we'd have one, but even secondhand they are very pricey*. Having seen the Parlay Revival debacle as well as what happened to the Wynn's I'd be worried about design life a bit more than a monohull too. I definitely want one though, and a lottery win of sufficient scale would make me a buyer

*for someone not intending to work beyond 44

Recently I've seen a few smaller cats like the faithful old Heavanly Twins and a Wharram now and again.

What surprises me is the sheer number of people who have plenty of money and aren't interested in any of those old designs. Lots of those here are well above 40 feet. Saw one when we were nipping int o fuel dock today at around 70 feet. The average now is bigger and newer. Dunno about parlay,whatever it is, so can't comment. I've delivered a couple of Fontain Pajo cats (like), a Lagoon 49 (impressive, owner now in Pacific, Palau) and a Sunreef 74 (super luxury).

As much as I've enjoyed sailing them......bit beyond my pocket!!

 

[lustyd]

Much as I admire Mark on Wildling with his Warram those older designs don’t have any of the luxury or space of a modern cat so to me are a different category entirely that sits below monohull.

I’m also amazed how many are happy to drop a million on a boat. Jealous too, obvs, but I’d rather be on my £45k Jeanneau and on the water than on a swanky cat working, or worse yet, dreaming of my swanky cat at the office!

 

[dunedin]

I've noticed over the last few years, more and more multihulls are entering the annual Atlantic migration. This year, more than ever.

Around our nearest marina there are a couple of anchorages and the transient visitors in catamarans dominate. There are more than I've ever seen before in the marina and probably many more to come this season if vessel finder is to be believed.

Seems like people want the space, the views, ease of sai.ing, yadda yadda. Still plenty of monohulls passing through but a big shift in the ratio. A couple we know arrived a couple of days ago on their Najad 33 from Italy and are setting off for Cape Verdes in a week or so. So smaller yachts still do it. However.....

I know it's fashionable on here for the usual suspects to drip about how these boats are 'soo ugly' but that's from an armchair watching the rain beat on the widows. Plenty more sailors are out there doing it in sunshine and fresh air and walking the walk.

Fair winds to all!

Surely that is impossible!
It isn't possible to cross an ocean unless in a monohull, built before 1980, with long keel, two masts and hanked on jibs ?