Catamarans - love them or hate them?

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Well, here's something you can't do on a mono. Enjoying a game of jenga in mid-Atlantic on board Mojomo, ARC 2011

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- W
 
webcraft said:
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Well, here's something you can't do on a mono. Enjoying a game of jenga in mid-Atlantic on board Mojomo, ARC 2011
- W
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I'm impressed enough that you can leave your tabs and baccy on the table without them being washed into the oggin. First time I've seen an ashtray used in anger while underway too.
 
There are good and bad cat designs just as there are in monohulls.

My prejudices against cats having been a lifelong monohull racer and cruiser was extinguished when I sailed a Freebird 50 back in 1994. It did everything extremely well, was fast even upwind, tacked easily, didn't slam due to a high bridgedeck. Being a monocoque construction it was extremely light yet the interior was custom built. Sailed one in the UK in and one in the States. 15 knots was easily achievable and it never dropped below 10 knots under sail. Easily driven hulls meant 8 knots cruising under one engine and 10 under two yet they were only 38hp Yanmars so fuel efficient.

Most cats you see are designed for the charter market as per the Lagoon 400 delivered but imho there are much better designs out there such as Catana albeit more expensive.

Having stated that I'd happily charter a Lagoon or similar for a charter holiday.
 
We sailed an Iroquois for 15 years, which included the time our 2 boys were growing up. I think, for youngsters, it would be difficult to choose a better type of boat. When sailing they have either acres of deck space, or acres of interior floor space, or a comfortable table at the same level as the windows/cockpit and the whole thing stays level. At anchor, as well as the space on the boat, you have the option of drying on a beach and letting them roam free. I still sometimes miss the feeling of effortless speed we used to get but, nowadays, prefer the 'cosiness' of our monohull cabin when at anchor.
As others repeatedly say, horses for courses.
 
Halcyon Yachts said:
Years ago when I was cruising around Greece I developed a bit of a hatred for catamarans. The harbours are only small and we'd often arrive finding that there was no space at all on the quay... If there were any catamarans then there would be even less space!

It's fair to say that with such a low starting point my opinion could only improve as I started out as a delivery skipper. Various Prouts, Outremer, Nautitech, Catana etc and of course when I get a chance the odd Hobbie Cat or Dart! All good fun and with excellent space on board in relation to the length I have slowly but surely become a convert. No wonder then that I jumped at the chance to hop on a new Lagoon 400 for a sail from Les Sables d'Olonne to Gibraltar.



What do you think though - are two hulls better than one?

Pete
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To put an Outremer in the same sentence as a Prout is to compare a Porche to a Trabant.
 
Tomahawk said:
To put an Outremer in the same sentence as a Prout is to compare a Porche to a Trabant.
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Interestingly, the multihull yacht surveyor and author Charles Kanter, in his 2007 book about Catamarans did describe them by reference to cars. He rated an Outremer as a Sports car and a Prout as an Estate car.
Of the Catamarans that I come across sailing in the Thames Estuary, there are some heavily used Prouts. More often motoring than sailing, but at least being used.
 
Its lucky that Brent Swain does not build steel cats ,as the double standards mod, John, would threaten to close the thread down for advertising.

Great video and subject by the way ,just pointing out the double standards
 
Spice Cat said:
Interestingly, the multihull yacht surveyor and author Charles Kanter, in his 2007 book about Catamarans did describe them by reference to cars. He rated an Outremer as a Sports car and a Prout as an Estate car.
Of the Catamarans that I come across sailing in the Thames Estuary, there are some heavily used Prouts. More often motoring than sailing, but at least being used.
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It is an odd thing.
People buy sports cars or high performance saloon cars that really do go fast. Then sail slow and sluggish boats with oodles of space and luxury but no performance. Tomahawk is very much like a sportscar. And great fun to sail through the wind shadow of the racing boys who are concentrating whilst we enjoy a wine.
 
Tomahawk said:
It is an odd thing.
People buy sports cars or high performance saloon cars that really do go fast. Then sail slow and sluggish boats with oodles of space and luxury but no performance. Tomahawk is very much like a sportscar. And great fun to sail through the wind shadow of the racing boys who are concentrating whilst we enjoy a wine.
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I don't find it odd in the slightest. It all depends on the primary purpose of each form of transport. :)

Richard
 
Watching the latest from La Vagabonde has promoted the Outremer well up my lotery win wish list. It's not even all that ugly!
The ease, speed and comfort that they are blitzing the Atlantic in the latest episodes is a revelation. The main hardship seems to be that the fragrant Elanya is lacking a bit of sleep. They are sailing "very conservatively" due to the Blokes injury and still averaging well over 200 miles per day. The prep in the Canaries seemed to consist of getting a big shopping in at the hypermarket. ( appreciate it was well edited)
Kudos to them and Outremer- they've really tuned into the market zietgiest while racking up a lot of real ocean sailing.
 
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If you get a wiggle on you could always try crewing for the Outremer Cup.

Look it up on their web site and say you are interested in a 4X. Great fun... Outremer only regatta.
 
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