Does anyone know who manufactures this catamaran

[Deleted member 478]

Its a Pro Kennex 380 designed by Groupe Graal (Van Peteghen/ Lauriot Prévost) and built in France.

 

[nighthawk]

ProKennex, 9 chausse Jules CŽsar, BP 263, Cergy-Pointoise, 95523, France, (33) 5 34 41 40 30, (33) 5 34 41 40 25, Cruising catamarans 38' & 45'.

from->
http://www.hypermax.com/multihullsmag/boats/boat_builders.htm

 

[Rowana]

You've definately got the "Cat bug" badly, haven't you ?

 

[Deleted member 478]

Thank you MaCH1.

Has anyone ever heard anything about these cats- good/bad/whatever? I am am more interested in finding out about build strength and build quality.

 

[Deleted member 478]

[ QUOTE ]
You've definately got the "Cat bug" badly, haven't you ?

[/ QUOTE ]

Yep, REAAALLY badly. And besides that, I have to admit that being back on this cold and wet island has made me the most miserable shyte you could ever have the missfortune of meeting. So now it's all go, go, go to get back onto the water in a warm climate, and as far away from cops that fine you for eating apples and from over zealous bureaucrocy and.... well Tony B.liar and..... Do I need to state the obvious?

Stingo went on the market yesterday with a US broker that is confident of getting a reasonable price for her and I've come across a Kennex in my price range.

 

[snowleopard]

why don't you go and see one of the major multihull brokers and get opinions on a range of cats. multihull world at thornham or multihull centre at millbrook for example.

have you visited any of the multihull websites?

http://www.multihullsmag.com/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/multihull_boatbuilder/
http://www.themultihull.com/
(careful with the last - only opinions coinciding with the owner's are permitted)

 

[Deleted member 478]

Thanks for those links, will have a look at them now.

I spoke to that multihull crowd that were at LIBS and all they wanted me to do was buy a new cat that is being built in Poland. I lost interest in their advice when they ignored my financial constraints. I wasn't impressed with their Polish product either.

 

[Rowana]

So you're not bringing Stingo back to the UK then ?

Hope the sale goes well for you - and the cat purchase, although I don't think doing a stability test on a cat during the Scuttlebut Cherbourg jolly will have the same appeal. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

 

[Deleted member 478]

Knowing this lot, they'll probably want to see if it can fly a hull.

 

[jamesjermain]

I sailed a Kennex 45 in the Bahamas a few years ago. It sailed well enough, including getting us through the outskirts of a full blown tropical storm. However it was a charter boat and it terrible condition with a list of faults which ran to two sheets of A4. I don't think Kennex can necessarily be blamed for this but some of the equipment seemed a bit under specced.

 

[boatmike]

Don't listen to the great unwashed in their monohulls Stingo mate. You are going in the right direction...... One of the better French boats, this, with a good build quality. Beamier than a Snowgoose, but not quite as spacious inside as an Elite 37 with restricted headroom on the bridgedeck, but good space in the hulls themselves. Good underbridge clearance especially forward and light displacement (5.5 tonnes?) should make it a fast boat off the wind compared with the Snowgoose but in ocean conditions will possibly "hobby horse" a bit. Certainly worth a good look depending on price. I would say anything under about £90K would be a bargain if it gets an A1 survey. Above £100K would be overpriced. Really depends. If light wind performance was a criteria for a boat with reasonable space it's a good contender. If comfort and seakeeping are your priorities you can buy a Snowgoose for the same money.....

 

[kesey]

Stingo,

The Leopard catamarans used by the Moorings and built by Robertson & Caine look to be an evolution of that Pro Kennex. The 3800, 4000, 4200, 4300, 4500 and 4700 are fine boats. I've sailed both the 4200 and the 4500. Build quality is excellent

I was out in 55 knots of wind in the 4200 and she handled it extremely well.

 

[Deleted member 478]

Thanks for that, the M3800 is a very close 2nd choice and I am in touch with the brokerage that handles the Moorings fleet sales.

 

[snowleopard]

have you had any thoughts about singlehanded berthing of a beast that size? i've only had to do it a couple of times and it scares me!

 

[Deleted member 478]

At least I'll have two engines. On Stingo, any wind and the bow would do whatever it wanted, so I doubt that it can be any worse.

.... aaah, isn't ignorance bliss?

 

[nighthawk]

The designers of this cat seem to be designing all of the Lagoon cats
we looked at the lagoon 440 at Southampton boat show, SHMBO reckoned that the galley decor an looks were lovely BUT I didn't fancy being on the fly bridge for long crossings etc - nice in the calm though -we could install a remote joystick in the cockpit £380k /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif then we went to LIBS and on leaving received a free feb issue of YM and saw tha cat of all cats GUNBOAT 62 £1.5M /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif CHECK her out:-
http://www.gunboat.info/video/safari.html
Oh well back to reallity,
Hope you find a good one.
rgs

 

[Birdseye]

Two engines doesnt get round the windage problem Stingo. Or at least, only to a limited extent, because you will still slide sideways in a crosswind. All you will be able to do is to ensure the stern slides sideways as fast as the bow. Or to turn into the wind but you can do that with one engine.

Personally, I am less sure about the modern high bridgedeck cats than I was about my Prout. High bridgedeck = high windage and high C of G and high centre of effort, unless you go for a cat with all the accomodation in the hulls. The penalty of the old Prout style was some bridgedeck slamming but I never found that either a worry or a problem. What you could say about them was that they were built like brick privvies, so you may not get there as fast as a modern design of cat, but you would get there. And the stability was at least as good as the modern wide beam designs where the bridgedeck height counteracts the theoretical benefits of wide beam.

I've sold my cat because I will only be day sailing now on. But if I were to go long term sailing, it would definitely be in a cat, and I would certainly chose a Prout again. Probably a 37 or (if I had the money) a 39.

 

[bob_tyler]

Stingo, If you want good advice I would suggest you contact Bill Bullimore at Patrick Boyd Multihulls.

http://www.multihulls.co.uk/

He has been sailing cats since he was a young teenager and what he doesn't know about that market could be written on a pinhead. That's my opinion anyway.

Good luck, Bob