tcm
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Excellent. Probly a coded message that she either wants to go long term cruising OR she is fine about you stashing spare wimmin in the extra cabins
The missus wants a catamaran
- Thread starter gandy
- Start date
boatmike
Well-Known Member
A very good summary in general but
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I have done 13 knots downwind but will be the first to admit that upwind I am not going to be first to the bar.
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Seems to suggest you need a Snowgoose with an oversized engine /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
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I have done 13 knots downwind but will be the first to admit that upwind I am not going to be first to the bar.
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Seems to suggest you need a Snowgoose with an oversized engine /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
gandy
Well-Known Member
Thanks for all the comments. With no background in catamarans it's a whole different world to try and learn about so all the comments about getting some sea time in a cat are spot on.
One problem that suddenly occurred to me ... I assume anything would be too wide for road transport, would that be right? Meaning it would need to be found locally, or sailed home.
One problem that suddenly occurred to me ... I assume anything would be too wide for road transport, would that be right? Meaning it would need to be found locally, or sailed home.
gandy
Well-Known Member
[ QUOTE ]
... I reckon people tried to sail a performance cat like a monohull, they got bitten, no surprise there. Just reef earlier.
[/ QUOTE ]Sorry, more total beginner's cat questions ... how do you judge when the boat is overpressed? I've always gone by feel, and angle of heel and consequent weather helm is a good part of that.
... I reckon people tried to sail a performance cat like a monohull, they got bitten, no surprise there. Just reef earlier.
[/ QUOTE ]Sorry, more total beginner's cat questions ... how do you judge when the boat is overpressed? I've always gone by feel, and angle of heel and consequent weather helm is a good part of that.
wotayottie
Well-Known Member
I always used wind speed off the anenometer. Its easy enough to calculate reefing wind speeds from the runing moment of the sails when hard on the wind, and then apply a 60% safety factor to allow for gusts. In practice with my Prout this meant first reef at 18knots even though it would stand full sail at 30knots in theory.
FWIW, we went through the same scenario and SWMBO still much prefers a cat. I found mine boring to sail so we went back to a mono. In effect it became a choice of a boring sail with my better half or an enjoyable one with the lads. Since SWMBO isnt really a keen sailor the choice was easy if a bit sad.
FWIW, we went through the same scenario and SWMBO still much prefers a cat. I found mine boring to sail so we went back to a mono. In effect it became a choice of a boring sail with my better half or an enjoyable one with the lads. Since SWMBO isnt really a keen sailor the choice was easy if a bit sad.
snowleopard
Well-Known Member
Yes, you can transport by road. I built mine (23 ft beam) in my garden near High Wycombe. The catch was that I had to break it down into 4 sections for transport and final assembly at the coast. Perhaps not what you have in mind!
Croak
Well-Known Member
I presume you mean tow it yourself, If so then there is the Cracksman, 20' long 8' wide. I have just sold one. There are others. I have known the Hirondelle (24') to be moved by the owner but not sure how legal that was. Or our new one 14' wide was moved by a boat transport company.
Otter
Well-Known Member
Two questions:
Transport - Unfortunately almost all cruising cats are slightly over the legal maximum for transporting yourself (13 feet). Means you need a professional haulier. Hirondelle are OK but only a weekender as no separate galley/heads.
Reefing - you're right, there's no immediate feedback by way of heeling (max heel is 5%). On an Iroquois or other daggerboard cat this is why you need to get it right because they grip the water - that's why they sail so darned well - and if you don't pay attention and get it very very wrong you'll capsize. They don't put floats at the top of some Iroquois masts for decoration! The trade off with a cruising cat such as the Catalac or Heavenly Twins is that they don't grip the water with their keels and as the wind increases they slide sideways dissipating the forces on the sail. You reef when you feel you should, just like on any boat. You will not be able to capsize a Twins or a Catalac by the force of the wind on the sails. Only one has ever gone over and that was in a force 11 north of Scotland. The owner fell asleep with the autopilot on set to a compass course. The wind shifted, so did the waves and the huge breaking seas tipped him over. Many more monohulls capsize than cats, it's just early racer/cruiser cats gave cats generally a bad rep and the issue has stuck. We don't have a wind speed indicator, I like to judge these things by feel, so we reef when the boat feels like she's making heavy weather of it i.e. about a force 5/early 6.
Good luck with the search.
Transport - Unfortunately almost all cruising cats are slightly over the legal maximum for transporting yourself (13 feet). Means you need a professional haulier. Hirondelle are OK but only a weekender as no separate galley/heads.
Reefing - you're right, there's no immediate feedback by way of heeling (max heel is 5%). On an Iroquois or other daggerboard cat this is why you need to get it right because they grip the water - that's why they sail so darned well - and if you don't pay attention and get it very very wrong you'll capsize. They don't put floats at the top of some Iroquois masts for decoration! The trade off with a cruising cat such as the Catalac or Heavenly Twins is that they don't grip the water with their keels and as the wind increases they slide sideways dissipating the forces on the sail. You reef when you feel you should, just like on any boat. You will not be able to capsize a Twins or a Catalac by the force of the wind on the sails. Only one has ever gone over and that was in a force 11 north of Scotland. The owner fell asleep with the autopilot on set to a compass course. The wind shifted, so did the waves and the huge breaking seas tipped him over. Many more monohulls capsize than cats, it's just early racer/cruiser cats gave cats generally a bad rep and the issue has stuck. We don't have a wind speed indicator, I like to judge these things by feel, so we reef when the boat feels like she's making heavy weather of it i.e. about a force 5/early 6.
Good luck with the search.
boatmike
Well-Known Member
I built mine in my back garden too but at 16ft 3" wide it could be transported in one piece as a "wide load" which requires a special licence but is quite do-able.
Yet another reason to have a Prout! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Yet another reason to have a Prout! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
I
Iota
Guest
Make the delivery your summer cruise!!!! and or get friends to crew longish legs.
Noddy
Well-Known Member
It is possible to move an Iroquois by road (13'6").
You need to do it on relatively minor roads and before 5 in the morning.
Works for me over about 5 or 6 miles each season.
P
You need to do it on relatively minor roads and before 5 in the morning.
Works for me over about 5 or 6 miles each season.
P
Croak
Well-Known Member
We still need to know your budget before any firm sugestions
Bajansailor
Well-Known Member
Richard Woods has designed some very nice catamarans - however they very rarely seem to come up on the brokerage websites (which perhaps says a lot about them...)
Lots of good background info re cats on his website at www.sailingcatamarans.com
I would also agree with the above posters who suggest either a Catalac (8m or 9m versions were built) or a Heavenly Twins - they both appear as if they would 'tick most of the boxes' on your list.
How much is your budget?
Here is a general search on Yachtworld for sailing cats in the UK between 25 - 33' ; 10 boats, including a Catalac for 24k, and an Iroquois for 18k - the rest are all a lot more expensive.....
http://www.yachtworld.com/core/listing/c...ddedSelected=-1
Lots of good background info re cats on his website at www.sailingcatamarans.com
I would also agree with the above posters who suggest either a Catalac (8m or 9m versions were built) or a Heavenly Twins - they both appear as if they would 'tick most of the boxes' on your list.
How much is your budget?
Here is a general search on Yachtworld for sailing cats in the UK between 25 - 33' ; 10 boats, including a Catalac for 24k, and an Iroquois for 18k - the rest are all a lot more expensive.....
http://www.yachtworld.com/core/listing/c...ddedSelected=-1
pragmatist
Well-Known Member
Hi Gandy
We're fairly dedicated one-hull people (and like the Griffon) but have friends who are deeply into cats. He had a Hirondelle (24) which I assume wd not be your cup of tea and then a Prout 26 and Prout 34. Found the saloon issue without standing headroom no problem. Oddly enough it was other issues I didn't much like - the cockpit might be a great place in a warm climate but we found it cold, draughty and not at all like the cosy cockpits on our Sadler and now Rival. The motion was most odd - had us staggering about while the owner and his family seemed quite happy ! (No comments about drink pls /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif) I also didn't fancy the sideways chart table but then I have a tendency to s/sickness and facing forwards always seems a nice idea. Don't remember the 26 really but the accommodation on the 34 was amazing and I'd murder for a galley like that !
Penny
We're fairly dedicated one-hull people (and like the Griffon) but have friends who are deeply into cats. He had a Hirondelle (24) which I assume wd not be your cup of tea and then a Prout 26 and Prout 34. Found the saloon issue without standing headroom no problem. Oddly enough it was other issues I didn't much like - the cockpit might be a great place in a warm climate but we found it cold, draughty and not at all like the cosy cockpits on our Sadler and now Rival. The motion was most odd - had us staggering about while the owner and his family seemed quite happy ! (No comments about drink pls /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif) I also didn't fancy the sideways chart table but then I have a tendency to s/sickness and facing forwards always seems a nice idea. Don't remember the 26 really but the accommodation on the 34 was amazing and I'd murder for a galley like that !
Penny
snowleopard
Well-Known Member
Cockpits vary enormously from mine which is wide open (apart from the hard top) to Twins which are quite enclosed.
As for the motion, they are very different and you need to give it time to accustom yourself. After 15000 miles on two hulls I went back to a mono for a cross-channel trip in a bit of a breeze and for the first time ever I threw up - continually for about 3 hours.
As for the motion, they are very different and you need to give it time to accustom yourself. After 15000 miles on two hulls I went back to a mono for a cross-channel trip in a bit of a breeze and for the first time ever I threw up - continually for about 3 hours.