Catamarans for cruising. Numbers continuing to grow.

[Trident]

Everyone seems to want mine. I have a collection of phone numbers of people to ring if I want to sell. We get approached by people in their tenders continually.

I think the ONLY problem with the Dragonfly is the price . Everyone wants them if they have the specific desire and the income . For cruising and world girdling, of course not, not enough space , but for about the most fun you can have with your clothes on...
The Corsairs are good too - not quite the build quality or function but substantially cheaper and nearly there.

 

[Trident]

I think by now that everyone is aware that cats are better in every way - faster, roomier, safer and far more self sufficient with acres of solar panels etc

I have only ever owned cats and mostly worked on them, from commissioning brand new, to warranty work to complete cruising conversions. What this experience shows me (and I can only assume its the same with monos built in the same factory) is that build quality is really rather slap dash in the rush to get things out at a price.

Of course thousands sail the world every year in popular makes with no ill befalling them but equally there are deck peeling off having been sikaflexed down (Parlay as mentioned above) , bendy bulkheads, sagging floors, lousy lay up , etc etc - and with some makes , check out "Travel Sketch" for example almost everything seems faulty on new £1m boats. Even super cats like the ORC (now bust and bought by Grand Large Yachting who have been very good at trying to resolve previous issues from the old company) have seen massive and dangerous faults from poor build .

The explosion in demand is great for the cat market but it has not lead to the best builds and buyers as ever should be very careful.

 

[Trident]

Is that a Neel? They do get around the space issue to an extent, and also tack better than many cruising cats. Probably quite a nice compromise for the transatlantic run. Not quite our thing, if we sold the DF for a different kind of boat, it would almost certainly be a Dazcat. Bet there aren’t many of those in your anchorage.View attachment 185247

Quite a few Neel falling apart now

Dazcat are just amazing - the 1495 would be my dreamboat - in fact there is one for sale right now . Fast and sturdy - some feel they are a bit basic inside but the fit and finish suit my aesthetic taste perfectly .

 

[Trident]

Not really lots of crew. Many couples on relatively large boats. One ex forum member here sailed his larger cat across the Atlantic solo.

It depends on the cat - Outremer for example will now not sell you a new boat unless you do their sailing course - the loads on a performance cat and the concept of 'Death Reaching" are things cruisers simply don't understand unless they have raced serious boats . A lump of a Lagoon is easy for anyone to sail but a Gunboat, an Outremer, an ORC etc definitely need a skill set .

 

[Stemar]

Taking your Catalac in there would require a degree of fortitude few possess.

Including myself.

I like Yarmouth, and taking my Snapdragon in there was fine. Helming my friend's Dufour 385 wasn't too bad going in, but getting out from a tight spot (are there any other kinds there?) with a significant current and a stroppy breeze the next day was mildly traumatic. We didn't hit anything, but it was closer than I liked

 

[Chiara’s slave]

It depends on the cat - Outremer for example will now not sell you a new boat unless you do their sailing course - the loads on a performance cat and the concept of 'Death Reaching" are things cruisers simply don't understand unless they have raced serious boats . A lump of a Lagoon is easy for anyone to sail but a Gunboat, an Outremer, an ORC etc definitely need a skill set .

I’ve not bought a new Dragonfly, but I daresay the uk importer takes his client’s safety pretty seriously. And DFs positively scream at you when you’re over pressing. If you don’t know the ragged edge is approaching, you’re not much of a sailor

 

[AngusMcDoon]

And have an abomination of a boat that no one else wants?

You've never tried to buy one then.

Everyone seems to want mine. I have a collection of phone numbers of people to ring if I want to sell.

So do I, and so does Al (UK Dragonfly agent).

 

[capnsensible]

It depends on the cat - Outremer for example will now not sell you a new boat unless you do their sailing course - the loads on a performance cat and the concept of 'Death Reaching" are things cruisers simply don't understand unless they have raced serious boats . A lump of a Lagoon is easy for anyone to sail but a Gunboat, an Outremer, an ORC etc definitely need a skill set .

Yeah, that's probably why the marina has lots of cruising cats and not many performance cats.

 

[Chiara’s slave]

So do I, and so does Al (UK Dragonfly agent).

I’m sure you do, yours especially as there are so few of them. But even the 180 odd DF920s sell almost instantly. Cashing in your Dragonfly chips is easy.

 

[zoidberg]

Cashing in your Dragonfly chips is easy.

The same Ould Barrister presided over an upturned Dragonfly 800 - after a Scottish Islands Peaks Race - which was 'turret-tossed' by a serious williwaw in Loch na Cuilce, close by the Loch Coruisk Memorial Hut, Skye. It was resurrected by a hired beam trawler then sold on pdq.

The following year, the mast fell down on his nearly-new Dragonfly 1000, coming back down the Irish Sea after another SIPR, on a dark and stormy night. The agent then was a rigger, who'd omitted to fit the top toggle to the forestay! 'You can bend stainless - once!' We recovered the mast, and in turn were discovered by nuclear attack submarine HMS Torbay - which frightened the pants off us when it suddenly appeared out of the blackness! They must have thought we were in trouble.... We were, for the posh ceramic hotplate had failed, so hot tea was off the menu and so was everything else until we made port!

 

[Trident]

I’ve not bought a new Dragonfly, but I daresay the uk importer takes his client’s safety pretty seriously. And DFs positively scream at you when you’re over pressing. If you don’t know the ragged edge is approaching, you’re not much of a sailor

he's certainly a nice guy and I would guess very cautious.

The problem Outremer found was rich but inexperienced sailors buying boats that don't heel, don't give any warning really unless you have load sensors on the rig and where to bear out of trouble you have to know whether to bear up or away so you don't inadvertently give greater load (so called death reaching) and as a company they decided to make it mandatory for all new owners to be trained by their staff; there may be exceptions for second time owners of if Ben Ainsley trolls up for one but it makes a lot of sense now the fashion for rich folks is to but £1-2m cats with their competent crew certificate in hand and head off or even for long term mono sailors to move up not appreciating that cats have no feel

 

[Trident]

Yeah, that's probably why the marina has lots of cruising cats and not many performance cats.

That and the cost and the multi year waiting list

 

[Trident]

I’m sure you do, yours especially as there are so few of them. But even the 180 odd DF920s sell almost instantly. Cashing in your Dragonfly chips is easy.

An interesting contrast to some almost new Corsair for sale (and I mean last year's hardly used) for a big discount on new and taking some time to sell it seems

 

[John_Silver]

I’ve not bought a new Dragonfly, but I daresay the uk importer takes his client’s safety pretty seriously. And DFs positively scream at you when you’re over pressing. If you don’t know the ragged edge is approaching, you’re not much of a sailor

My recent test sail, with Al Wood (UK agent) , comprised four hours of on the water coaching, in the ways of the Dragonfly. Majoring on when to head up v’s when to bear away. Huge fun and most enlightening. Currently talking to the Quornings, out in Denmark, about a charter next season. Their first precondition is that the skipper must demonstrate "good sailing skills." The second (which is proving something of a blocker for me) is that solo sailing is forbidden. The third, that the charter begins with a day of on board tuition. During which the skipper and crew's claimed sailing skills are no doubt discreetly assessed, whilst they are being enhanced . All speaking to a healthy regard for both client safety and brand reputation.

 

[Trident]

Off topic - its still completely hardwired that I had to stop even typing from 1100 until 1102 hrs

 

[dunedin]

I think by now that everyone is aware that cats are better in every way - faster, roomier, safer and far more self sufficient with acres of solar panels etc

I have only ever owned cats………

Surprised that didn’t prompt a bit of discussion - from the triples as well as the monos

 

[Chiara’s slave]

The same Ould Barrister presided over an upturned Dragonfly 800 - after a Scottish Islands Peaks Race - which was 'turret-tossed' by a serious williwaw in Loch na Cuilce, close by the Loch Coruisk Memorial Hut, Skye. It was resurrected by a hired beam trawler then sold on pdq.

The following year, the mast fell down on his nearly-new Dragonfly 1000, coming back down the Irish Sea after another SIPR, on a dark and stormy night. The agent then was a rigger, who'd omitted to fit the top toggle to the forestay! 'You can bend stainless - once!' We recovered the mast, and in turn were discovered by nuclear attack submarine HMS Torbay - which frightened the pants off us when it suddenly appeared out of the blackness! They must have thought we were in trouble.... We were, for the posh ceramic hotplate had failed, so hot tea was off the menu and so was everything else until we made port!

Is there any multi he hasn’t totalled? My crew in the Poole bay race was able to look back, and commented that the DF1000 behind was trying harder than maybe was comfortable, but then, so were we, main hull on the point of lifting, both of us on the ama. But you can drive an 800 quite hard, with the sheets in your hand.

 

[Stemar]

On the subject of cats falling over, does anyone know what happened to Coco de Mer, the Gunfleet that tried a bit too hard on the RTI last year?

 

[Chiara’s slave]

On the subject of cats falling over, does anyone know what happened to Coco de Mer, the Gunboat that tried a bit too hard on the RTI last year?

I know one of the crew, but we haven’t spoken for a bit. Not sure how I’d raise that subject with him.

 

[capnsensible]

I know one of the crew, but we haven’t spoken for a bit. Not sure how I’d raise that subject with him.

I heard your radar is now a sonar?