NealB
Well-Known Member
They certainly didn't improve the looks, did they!
PLease educate me about Catamarans
- Thread starter wytco0
- Start date
They certainly didn't improve the looks, did they!
Garold
Well-Known Member
If you like sailing upwind and are engaged when tacking your way to a destination then a new or old cruising cat will probably not satisfy you. Most don't do upwind destinations very well.
However, if you value comfort at anchor, and like your sailing to be flat, then you may want to test drive a cat. Monohulls can't compete.
An earlier poster mentioned the strange motion when sailing. This should not be ignored and you should test sail a cat to see if you are happy with this motion.
It is often easier to motorsail rather than sail upwind in a cat if the distance is not too great. However, in a nasty headwind cats do climb high over waves and fall a long way back to the water. In this type of sea, the lack of ballast is very evident.
We've paid more than our length rarely and only as a visitor. However, if you don't want to pay say 1.5x length then this does limit the number of marinas that you can visit when cruising. We circument this somewhat by being self sufficient and so we use marinas only about 50-60% of the time when crusing. If you are willing to pay the multihull premium (usually + 25% to 50%) then most marinas will currently take you as a permanent berth holder or as visitor. There are a couple of exceptions that demand double fees but this is obviously unrealistic.
As for the shallow draft, and the ability to dry out or sit in mud, this is very handy and enables cat sailors to visit places that monohull guys avoid. This feature particularly offer us some reduction in anxiety when anchoring in tidal locations when you may swing into a shallower area than anticipated.
So, cats have some advantages but you need to value them if you are going to commit to a purchase.
A cat cannot easily offer the monohull benefits without some sacrifice and vice-versa.
Cheers
Garold
However, if you value comfort at anchor, and like your sailing to be flat, then you may want to test drive a cat. Monohulls can't compete.
An earlier poster mentioned the strange motion when sailing. This should not be ignored and you should test sail a cat to see if you are happy with this motion.
It is often easier to motorsail rather than sail upwind in a cat if the distance is not too great. However, in a nasty headwind cats do climb high over waves and fall a long way back to the water. In this type of sea, the lack of ballast is very evident.
We've paid more than our length rarely and only as a visitor. However, if you don't want to pay say 1.5x length then this does limit the number of marinas that you can visit when cruising. We circument this somewhat by being self sufficient and so we use marinas only about 50-60% of the time when crusing. If you are willing to pay the multihull premium (usually + 25% to 50%) then most marinas will currently take you as a permanent berth holder or as visitor. There are a couple of exceptions that demand double fees but this is obviously unrealistic.
As for the shallow draft, and the ability to dry out or sit in mud, this is very handy and enables cat sailors to visit places that monohull guys avoid. This feature particularly offer us some reduction in anxiety when anchoring in tidal locations when you may swing into a shallower area than anticipated.
So, cats have some advantages but you need to value them if you are going to commit to a purchase.
A cat cannot easily offer the monohull benefits without some sacrifice and vice-versa.
Cheers
Garold
alahol2
Well-Known Member
Twister_Ken
Well-Known Member
alahol2
Well-Known Member
You must be wrong. Sure I read somewhere that cats don't capsize!
You may well be right. I think they probably have a wicked sense of humour and just enjoy a bit of 'mooning'
Bosun Higgs
N/A
Cant answer for the Solent, but obviously having a much wider boat does make it more expensive to moor and more difficult to find space at times. One reason why I gave up the cat was the premium on marina fees - it wasnt so much that I could not afford it as I felt it was grossly unfair paying double with a Prout cat not much wider than a mobo of the same length.
On average across all points of sail about 15% faster .
F8 is survival conditions in any 35 - 40 ft boat. And it would be in a cat but the big difference is that you would not make to windward in a cruising cat and it would require helming . You couldnt just put it on autohelm and leave it to it.
alant
Well-Known Member
I can't think of a much more inappropriate boat to suggest for someone who wants so sail round the world than a F24.
"Capable of a trip round the UK"
Always sceptical about anyone suggesting RTW & yet still floundering about boat selection.
Heavenly Twins/Catalac, more suitable?
alant
Well-Known Member
Sponsons held out by tensioned wires suffering shock loads (not an engineering solution I'd be happy with)+ again seem to be always very heavily laden.
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wytco0
Well-Known Member
"Capable of a trip round the UK"
Always sceptical about anyone suggesting RTW & yet still floundering about boat selection.
Heavenly Twins/Catalac, more suitable?
I notice you are a very experienced yachtsman, I am not I am a novice. We all have to start somewhere. I am just trying to work out options.
snowleopard
Well-Known Member
Well what a lot of interesting comments have appeared in the last few hours.
HT/Catalac 'ugly' - well who cares what the guy looking at you thinks. You are looking from inside at the space and comfort, level horizon etc. One of the ugliest cats around is the Lagoon but what makes it look bad from outside i.e. the windows, make it great from inside.
Dragonfly - have you seen the price of those things!!
F8 as survival conditions in a 35-40 footer!!?? No way. Not a lot of fun unless you're going downwind but something you should expect to face on any ocean passage. We met F8 on the ARC with everything up and averaged 11 knots. In my previous tri I had to beat into a F9 which the boat handled just fine making 6 knots steered by a windvane gear. (both boats were 39 ft).
HT/Catalac 'ugly' - well who cares what the guy looking at you thinks. You are looking from inside at the space and comfort, level horizon etc. One of the ugliest cats around is the Lagoon but what makes it look bad from outside i.e. the windows, make it great from inside.
Dragonfly - have you seen the price of those things!!
F8 as survival conditions in a 35-40 footer!!?? No way. Not a lot of fun unless you're going downwind but something you should expect to face on any ocean passage. We met F8 on the ARC with everything up and averaged 11 knots. In my previous tri I had to beat into a F9 which the boat handled just fine making 6 knots steered by a windvane gear. (both boats were 39 ft).
alant
Well-Known Member
My experience, shouldn't cloud your ambition, but why RTW, if inexperienced?
Yes, we all have dreams, but suggest some realism first. A RTW boat, may be totally different to the one you sail in 'local' waters, learning what you like & don't like, before settling on the one which matches your requirements.
Look at what you want in the 'short term' whilst gaining experience + what is affordable, then go for the 'one'.
Best of luck.
Garold
Well-Known Member
Tropic Cat
Active Member
Cruising Catamaran ownership is seldom about speed these days, and always about comfort. They are the very best type of boat for keeping SWMBO very happy on her boat. A subject which I feel is neglected in this forum, yet the woman who feels the same strong attachment to her single hulled boat as a man, is very rare indeed. This changes dramatically when two hulls are involved.
In America, we know that when the Admiral is happy ... everyone aboard is happy... does this axiom not apply to Britain?
In America, we know that when the Admiral is happy ... everyone aboard is happy... does this axiom not apply to Britain?
RichardS
N/A
stevensuf
Well-Known Member
cats mmm
pros-
usually unsinkable
lots of space
shallow draught, beachable , anchor where others cannot
twin engine/rudders - lots of redundancy
sail flat
good at anchor less roll
cons
cost, to buy, marina fees, service
wont self right
slamming
need to keep light - poor load carrying ability
danger in strong winds
lots of deck/hull to clean/antifoul
can be difficult to find haulouts or marina spaces if large
pros-
usually unsinkable
lots of space
shallow draught, beachable , anchor where others cannot
twin engine/rudders - lots of redundancy
sail flat
good at anchor less roll
cons
cost, to buy, marina fees, service
wont self right
slamming
need to keep light - poor load carrying ability
danger in strong winds
lots of deck/hull to clean/antifoul
can be difficult to find haulouts or marina spaces if large
Tropic Cat
Active Member
Yes but.... Admirals pleasant disposition?? -- immeasurable.. 
