440: For Sale

[rebel heart]

Originally Posted by colemj

Other than feeling the wind in one's face, on many catamarans, one does have their head up into the actual conditions and can see what's going on just by sitting on the settee. We don't have to pop out of holes like groundhogs.

It is no different than sitting under a dodger in a mono, other than it is infinitely more comfortable and pleasant and the visibility is better.

Mark

Not trying to get into an argument about it. I worked as a charter skipper on a fleet of catamarans and even just the glare of the glass at night isn't the same to me as sticking your head out with the unobstructed mk1 eyeball. Not to mention that you can't usually see through the dinghy usually hanging on davits to your stern.

Just hard to understand any situation where someone would be in a cabin all night long or not coming out enough that it makes sense to have remote helm control in the cabin.

I guess eventually the nuisance of even needing to be on the boat will be removed from the enjoyment of sailing.

[colemj]

Originally Posted by rebel heart

Just hard to understand any situation where someone would be in a cabin all night long or not coming out enough that it makes sense to have remote helm control in the cabin.

I agree with you on this - that's why I posted that I didn't see the usefulness of them. Personally, our passage making course changes are mighty few and far between and I prefer to dodge things by disconnecting from the AP and manually steering. Routes that require many course changes are usually associated with landmasses and reefs - where one should be at the helm, or at least next to it. We spend all of our watches outside anyway because inside is always too hot where we sail. When we sailed in colder weather, we had a cockpit enclosure, which is the same as being inside, I guess.

But an hour inside cooking or doing dishes, etc in an up galley on most catamarans is no problem simultaneously keeping a general watch on a passage.

Mark

[Lagoon4us]

Originally Posted by FLLCatsailor

Bow thruster on a 440??? Very neat setup

A vast majority of boats in the MED have thrusters, the quay's and marina's tight and crowded.

I had never seen cats with thrusters prior as i had done all my sailing in Australia.

With one motor down they are a blessing for bringing the head over/steering which is almost impossible otherwise.

Cheers

[FLLCatsailor]

Originally Posted by Lagoon4us

A vast majority of boats in the MED have thrusters, the quay's and marina's tight and crowded.

I had never seen cats with thrusters prior as i had done all my sailing in Australia.

With one motor down they are a blessing for bringing the head over/steering which is almost impossible otherwise.

Cheers

I've driven some pretty decent size cats with a lot of Windage, and never needed one. I can say tat the times I've med moored with 1 engine in a cat it would have been a little bit nicer than having a dinghy on the hip!

[Lagoon4us]

Regardless the thruster came with the boat and i 'aint about to remove it, Med mooring with one engines not a huge challenge but manoeuvring in a very tight marina in 20+ knots a different beast totally.

A dinghy push can be very comforting....