Cats

[Beadle]

I'm looking at a change of boat and fancy a catamaran.

SWMBO is convinced that a cat will:-

a Capsize in any wind over F2

b Make her seasick in the marina

c Fall apart in any wind over F4

Does anyone have a strategy to change her "mind"

 

[causeway]

Watch 'My family's crazy gap year', the one with 'The Lawrence' family. It's on 4od.

They survived one hell of a trip in a cat.

 

[Iain C]

With regards to reason b, I agree. They do tend to be, erm, aesthetically challenged...

(...runs for cover)

 

[fergie_mac66]

http://www.catamaransite.com/women_love_catamarans.html

 

[grumpy_o_g]

I'm looking at a change of boat and fancy a catamaran.

SWMBO is convinced that a cat will:-

a Capsize in any wind over F2

b Make her seasick in the marina

c Fall apart in any wind over F4

Does anyone have a strategy to change her "mind"

Charter something decent (Catana 50, etc) in the BVI or somewhere similar and pay as many 30' monohull owners as you can to invite aboard their boats for drinks. That should do it.

 

[TQA]

I'm looking at a change of boat and fancy a catamaran.

SWMBO is convinced that a cat will:-

a Capsize in any wind over F2

b Make her seasick in the marina

c Fall apart in any wind over F4

Does anyone have a strategy to change her "mind"

Get her to read about the bumfuzzles http://www.bumfuzzle.com/2003/09/01/septemberoctober-2003/#respond

 

[Bosun Higgs]

I'm looking at a change of boat and fancy a catamaran.

SWMBO is convinced that a cat will:-

a Capsize in any wind over F2

b Make her seasick in the marina

c Fall apart in any wind over F4

Does anyone have a strategy to change her "mind"

Depends on her age. My experience is that women over 30 dont do mind changing. Whats more, unless you have that rare thing the female engineer, no amount of technical explanation as to why a/b/c are wrong will work. You might try introducing her to the wife of a cat owner - just make sure the owners wife is homely rather than worth one and your swmbo might listen.

 

[Nostrodamus]

Cats.. a complete waste of perfectly good DNA that could be used elsewhere such as trees.

Oh, you mean the plastic ones...

a complete waste of perfectly good plastic that could be used elsewhere such as patio doors and trampolines... oh that's what a cat is isn't it?

 

[mjcoon]

Depends on her age. My experience is that women over 30 don't do mind changing. ...

Hence the phrase "mind-set" (set=congealed)!

Mike.

 

[Garold]

I'm looking at a change of boat and fancy a catamaran.

SWMBO is convinced that a cat will:-

a Capsize in any wind over F2

b Make her seasick in the marina

c Fall apart in any wind over F4

Does anyone have a strategy to change her "mind"

A quick walk around any cat at a boat show should confirm that modern cruising cats are far too heavy to capsize in the seas that most of us will ever go out in. I reckon that my rigging would fail first. This also makes most of them fairly docile to sail most of the time.

Not sure what your second point refers to. If its the look, then it's down to personal preference. If its the movement, then she's wrong. We sit more squat and solid than the pontoons in most moorings. We don't bob and roll like a motorboat, and we don't have the pendulum action of a monohull keel which will often prolong any roll.

We don't like sailing in uncomfortable wind but we've been out in 30 knot winds in both our cats and frankly it's me that starts to fall apart rather than the boat.

We moved to cats largely because my wife decided that it was the only way to sail. She was no longer willing to sail whilst heeled over, she didn't like sitting on a mooring not able to see outside whilst sitting, she reasonably wanted to have more civilised home comforts in the larger living spaces, and to be able to conduct normal life on the level whilst passage making.

Then again, the sailing isn't so athletic and exciting, getting into marinas can be tricky with the size, the sailing motion doesn't suit everyone (you must experience this before you buy), and they are more expensive to buy and run.

So, not all good..

However, I rarely see any cat sailors out on the water on their own because their wives would rather stay at home. On every other boat type, there's plenty of guys on their own or with a group of their mates.

You need to get your wife to talk to another cat sailing wife who will give her some insights, spend some time viewing some cats to feel how stable the platform is, and perhaps try to get a test sail to see if the motion is acceptable.

I obviously have my own angle as a second time cat owner, but the whole monohull experience seems to more often please men rather than women sailors.

Cheers

Garold

Ps. when it's chilly we have the option to sail the boat from inside or under a canopy (sitting or standing upright). My wife doesn't like sitting out in the freezing cold so this also influences her preference for cats.

Pps. We use our boat all year round so this may be an influencer for us. Cats are ok to while away a whole day on board either in a marina or at anchor because one doesn't tend to get stir crazy from the confinement below in other boats. Good for these recent rotten weather periods. It's amazing how being able to see outside easily from the saloon can improve boat life. We currently do about 100-120 days per year on our boat..

 

[alant]

I'm looking at a change of boat and fancy a catamaran.

SWMBO is convinced that a cat will:-

a Capsize in any wind over F2

b Make her seasick in the marina

c Fall apart in any wind over F4

Does anyone have a strategy to change her "mind"

How about one of these?

http://www.yachtworld.co.uk/boats/category/type/Corsair

 

[Garold]

Cats.. a complete waste of perfectly good DNA that could be used elsewhere such as trees.

Oh, you mean the plastic ones...

a complete waste of perfectly good plastic that could be used elsewhere such as patio doors and trampolines... oh that's what a cat is isn't it?

Too much time spent wintering below decks on a monohull?

See, it gets to you after a while.

Without noticing, even the nicest people can change if they have to suffer constant rolling in a dark place for too long.

 

[jamesjermain]

Charter a cat, even for just a weekend. Talk to other cat owners.

Our move to two hulls was largely driven by my wife after we had chartered a couple in the Caribean and she had joined me on a couple of test sails (including of the cat we bought, a Dazcat 10).

Comfort at anchor or in a marina is hugely superior to a mono - no rolling, plenty of cockpit space, good visibility for the saloon, the cook (M or F) is in a well lit and ventilated area and can also see out and remain in touch with those in the cockpit. Until you've done it, you can have no idea what a relief it can be to sail upright all the time. It transforms the whole sailing experience.

Having said that, some people just don't get on with the motion of a cat, even after some experience, which is why it's important to try before buying. However, I find that many friends I have taken on board Belladonna expect it to be unfomfortable but quickly find it quite the reverse.

Modern cruising catamarans capsize so rarely it's a headline event; the circumstances are usually quite exceptional. In practice it just doesn't happen. Belladonna is a relatively high powered cat and must be handled with more care than, say, a Prout Snowgoose or a Lagoon 381, neveretheless, she has come through near gales in the Celtic Sea, Channel and Wester Approaches in company with sevferal monohulls, all of which have fared a lot worse than we have in terms of comfort, damage and ability to make to windward over a long passage. I have never had any fears for our safety.

 

[AngusMcDoon]

Modern cruising catamarans...

Does that mean that if you get a third hull it gets even safer and more comfortable?

 

[snowleopard]

Does that mean that if you get a third hull it gets even safer and more comfortable?

Having built, owned and sailed both, I'd say yes, safer, because you get more warning when you're getting close to the edge. But not more comfortable - a cat gives 150% of the space of a mono but a tri about 60%.