Nauticats / Fishers / Cromarty 36 - do they actually sail??

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herdman

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A few questions on these. Certain members of the household are suggesting a motorsailer may be our answer - key point they do not lean over too much when you sail... a few questions...

1) Do these boats actually sail? I assume tacking is a waste of time but with a beam wind or further aft what wind speed would be required to get you near hull speed?
2) I have heard that Fishers often "sway" or "loll around". Is this true? does it apply to all motor sailors? Are any of these 3 types more "upright" when sailing than any of the others?
3) The Cromarty 36 seems much cheaper than Nauticats of a similar length? Is this really just due to cheaper labour costs in Sri Lanka vs Scandinavia? Or are the Nauticats significantly better built??
any thoughts very much appreciated..
 
Yep, they (and I include the Colvic MSailers, so sail, but need quite a bit of puff (F3 and above) to get going)

Some MSs roll because of underwater configuration, and some fit extra bilge keels.

Nauticats and Fishers are more expensive, but on value for £, you would be hard to beat the Colvic for space, grace and stately pace.
 
Suggest you ask at the following address

http://www.fisherowners.co.uk/


However I have the catamaran version of the Fisher the Catfisher 28 and since I cruise long distances personally speaking I cant be bothered using the sails only, since I want to get there ASAP so I use both engines and sails. With wind speed 25 knots or so on the beam or stern and clean hull and props usually get 7 knots + .Dropping the sails reduces speed by a couple of knots and increased revs increases wear on engine and fuel consumption . Sails also good for sheltering crew from hot sun .

Boats with out flopper stoppers pitch more than those with and flopper stoppers also increase water line length by about 1 metre
 
Suggest you get the March 2007 edition of Sailing Today to see a test on a used Nauticat 33.
Nauticats are expensive but after you have owned one for a bit you realise their value due to years of ongoing development and improvements by a yard owned by devoted sailors.
 
Both the Fishers and Nauticats will blow along with the wind but as far as proper sailing goes I dont think the combination of hull size and shape, and modest rig is ever going to set the pulse racing.

Give me the Cromarty anytime, although I've never sailed on one I was along side one in Weymouth and we sailed in convoy for a while..looked a really nice and quality boat.

Nick
 
Not all Nauticats are motor-sailors. I have a Nauticat 42 which is designed as a sailing yacht (mine is cutter-rigged) and she sails very well indeed. She also has a 110hp engine and large fuel capacity (750 litres) giving her good range at good speed under power. She has been round the world once, and is in fine shape to go round again.
 
I have an Evasion 32 ketch. It sails and it motors! It will with its long keel hold its own upwind with most similarily aged boats, weighing 6-6 tonnes. It does not need to be reefed until Force 5.5, and can be brilliantly balanced with the mizzen to sail under autohelm. Downwind it is a pig when running, so we generally lose the main and genoa and use a spinnacre... As it has a proper wheelhouse, when it rains, blows and is generally unhospitable, we sail her in the dry and the warm. The boat is 29 years old, and the engine has done 1628 hours, which means the sailing bit of the motor sailer has taken preference to the motor bit
That said last weekend and this, we shall be using the engine was there does not appear to be any wind..
 
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