Catamarans - love them or hate them?

The same old cat-mono thread. Snore.

I think it was Uffa Fox that said...
* Weight is of use only in a steam roller.
* Form must follow function.

The simplest rule is to see what the market place says. It says that we need a lot of different kinds of boats. Common sense says if we had any we'd take up a different hobby.
 
AntarcticPilot said:
But then again, I have recollections of being passed very handily by catamarans when sailing my Dad's Halcyon 27 - no slouch. It depends a LOT on what point of sailing they're on!
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Totes. we'd get passed by seaweed in the water if we tried to sail our Heavenly Twins 27 very close to the wind, but from 60 degrees onwards she started to do well and we would frequently sail past older vintage monohulls, but against the wind and waves she was a slow old girl. Those older multis you have to think of as being like a motorsailer and have the right expectations, the modern ones are fabulucious though.
 
thinwater said:
The same old cat-mono thread. Snore.

I think it was Uffa Fox that said...
Weight is of use only in a steam roller.
Click to expand...

Yeah but Uffa Fox was a nutter. Brilliant at designing crazy dinghies that were capable of going crazily fast, but he was bonkers.
 
I was lucky enough to crew on an Outremer 55 standard on an ocean delivery. Compared to the battered old gaffers I normally schlep about on, she was a drop-dead-gorgeous rocket ship.

However she could not carry any decent weight, so would be hopeless as a long term liveaboard, (assuming you had 500 grand..)

Also the middle saloon bit slammed like an outhouse door in gale, in any swell over 3m

Cracking boat to sail though.
 
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Have sailed a few, took one on a transatlantic once, St Lucia to Croatia. Was OK but took a while.

As I write, I'm sat in Gatwick, off to pick up a Sunreef 74 to take to Malaga. As you do......;)

Sailed the boat on a short trip last November, it's kinda big. Will certainly be the fastest I've done the trip!

Let you know in a couple of weeks, intend to slip Friday.
 
I've had a couple of old cats, over the years: a 31 foot Wharram Pahi, then a 32 foot Commanche (Iroqious' bigger sister, or Apachache's smaller sister).

I loved the performance off the wind, we occasionally exceeded 17 knots in the Pahi, and 13 in the Commanche.

Joscelyn loved the lack of heeling.

They were both, however, less than enjoyable to windward. The Pahi, in particular, having to be sailed round, with backed jib, and reverse helm, in the style of an old gaffer, when tacking with any sea running.

Both were 'interesting' to handle under engine, at close quarters, with their single 10 hp Yamahas mounted rigidly between the hulls.

So ... we sold the Comanche, and have gone back to a monomaran: for now, at least.
 
My only experience was a week with three other couples on a skippered/hostess charter out of St Maarten.

It was big-over 60 feet, four en suite staterooms plus crews smaller accomadation.

Sailing was not good.

Hospitality was outstanding. The first thing you saw on entering through the pilothouse patio doors was a bar counter and four chrome stools......................
 
Halcyon Yachts said:
Yes, there are several different tracks though - which one is it you like?

If you read the description under the video then you'll see the music listed.

When i clicked on your link here I was directed to your blurb about Halcyon Yachts, not about the catamaran. On your advertising blurb there is only on piece of piano music and no credits on Utube that I could see. Can you help please?
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Wife and I chartered a lagoon 44 in BVI for a weekend when I was working there a couple of years ago to see what it was like, having seen how popular they were. Pretty unimpressed really, comfy but boring to sail.

However we did Gib to Guadeloupe on a Fontaine Pajot 60 over the winter and reappraised..,it's a very comfy ride and made easy work of downwind sailing. It was much slower than I expected, and very poorly put together and finished for a £1.5m boat, but it always seemed stable, comfortable and secure. I'm not sure I'd want one for the sailing we do, but I can see the advantages for liveabaords and downwind ocean crossings
 
mainsail1 said:
Halcyon Yachts said:
Yes, there are several different tracks though - which one is it you like?

If you read the description under the video then you'll see the music listed.

When i clicked on your link here I was directed to your blurb about Halcyon Yachts, not about the catamaran. On your advertising blurb there is only on piece of piano music and no credits on Utube that I could see. Can you help please?
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The music used on the homepage video was written and performed by a friend of mine. He's no longer making music, which is a shame - I think he's very good!

Pete
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Well, on the boat now in Antigua Yacht Club, Falmouth Harbour. The Classic week is on and it's heaving. All sorts of super yachts here for the racing.

I'm on a Sunreef 74 which is quite ok but our next door neighbour is this:

https://www.burgessyachts.com/en/ch...arter/sailing-yachts/hemisphere-00006437.html

This is the biggest charter cat in the world.....feel free to discuss!

Gonna slip today around 12 and take advantage of weather forecast. Original plan was tomorrow but we can get 200 miles by then.

:cool:
 
capnsensible said:
Well, on the boat now in Antigua Yacht Club, Falmouth Harbour. The Classic week is on and it's heaving. All sorts of super yachts here for the racing.

I'm on a Sunreef 74 which is quite ok but our next door neighbour is this:

https://www.burgessyachts.com/en/ch...arter/sailing-yachts/hemisphere-00006437.html

This is the biggest charter cat in the world.....feel free to discuss!

Gonna slip today around 12 and take advantage of weather forecast. Original plan was tomorrow but we can get 200 miles by then.

:cool:
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I was moored next to it in Guadeloupe in December...it's quite a beast isn't it !
 
I've no personal view on them myself, each to their own I think. I remember asking an old time traditional sailor whether he would sail a cat, the look of horror on his face was a sight, catamarans are junk he bellowed. I think I would have got less reaction if I'd raped his daughter.
 
Cats as with monos can be fast or slow depending upon design choices.
http://www.benfleetyachtclub.org/NoreRace.html
The Nore Race is run annually in the Thames Estuary and attracts several Multis. The results show how well they perform.
Iroquois, Gemini and my Comanche all have movable boards, and no trailing props and so are the faster cruising ones.
The Maldives 32 and the Beneteau Blue 2 are seriously fast.
 
If I could afford a cat I would have one instead of a 12m mono - although that’s plenty of space for mostly two of us.

Sailed a few cats including a couple of new Lagoons 15 years ago across the Atlantic. Fastish then (18knots downwind in a 380 and 15 knots in a 410 but those were exceptions). We normally did 6-10 knots and beating at 45 degrees apparent at 6 knots without any heeling was a joy as was the lack of rolling downwind. Motion otherwise a bit odd above 8 knots like driving along a rutted track.
 
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