At The Risk of Starting WWlll

[ShaktisBoy]

I have a boat problem and own one of each. I will be selling my mono soon but only because I have to. You see Shaktigurl has made it clear that in order to keep my new toy I have to let some other less fortunate soul have my old toy. She says its not fair to our mono to only get to play once in a while while the cat goes out all the time. As for sailing they are differant. The mono speaks to you she tells you when your over powered and points well. I do not care for leaning 10 degrees for days at a time on long passages as everything is just a little harder to do. The mono definitely rolls more at anchor and tends to sail a bit no matter what I try doing with the anchor arrangement. The cat on the other hand has very little feel, she just goes faster and faster as the wind pipes up. We reef by the numbers and often. The cat wont point as high but will make very good VMG if you sail her correctly. The cat is more sensitive to sail trim if you want performance and contrary to popular opinion she will point reasonably well I am routinely in the 35 to 40 degrees off but trim is critical as well as seastate. As the seas get bigger pointing ability diminishes. The flat sailing angle of the cat makes for relaxing passages and all the space is wonderful once we arrive at our destination. We have had the cat about a year and a half and have dumped a ton of money into her getting her equipped the the way we want. That said I hear it all the time that a cat will cost you twice what a mono cost in maintenance. This might be true for items like bottom paint and routine engine chores but hasn't been true of the entire boat in general and that includes marina charges, at least here in the states.

[Dan316]

I will live on a dock on a multihull, but if I am cruising I want a mono. Mono's are safer in the nasty stuff.

[ShaktisBoy]

Originally Posted by Dan316

I will live on a dock on a multihull, but if I am cruising I want a mono. Mono's are safer in the nasty stuff.

I don't think that last statement has been proven by statistics especially when it comes to modern cruising cats. Racing cats on the other hand I might agree. That sentiment I think is based on very old tribal knowledge when cats were a bit of an oddity and mostly homebuilt . We have learned much since then.

[John Casey]

Razoo, another consideration may be the amount of draft for each. Will you stay in the shallow waters of the Caribbean and the like, or stay deep blue water cruising?

You can safely beach a cat and access a great deal more shallow waters, harbour, lagoons, protected areas, etc.

You can get swing/lift keel monos from companies like Southerly. Very pricey but very interesting technology.

Google Distant Shores (if you haven’t heard of them), and you’ll find some other fine Canadians, The Shards, and many of their videos about them on their Southerly 42 and 49 sail boats.

There are a couple US manufactures as well, but their name escapes me at the moment.

[ShaktisBoy]

There are a couple US manufactures as well, but their name escapes me at the moment.

Seaward os the name out of Stuart Florida. Nice boats.

seawardyachts.com

[1affiah]

My Ahh-Ha! moment came when I realized that a cat didn't need to be designed to carry around 10,000lbs of ballast.

[Ocean Girl]

Originally Posted by Capt Rottnest

I'm more interested to know what's so great about a tri - as a cruising boat. All that beam for tiny interior space..

Cool link Multihull Primer

I can't believe this cartoon hasn't made it debut on this thread yet.

[delmarrey]

Originally Posted by Capt Rottnest

I'm more interested to know what's so great about a tri - as a cruising boat. All that beam for tiny interior space..

For most it's speed. The less one has below the surface the faster they can go.

[goat]

Originally Posted by Capt Rottnest

I'm more interested to know what's so great about a tri - as a cruising boat. All that beam for tiny interior space..

I see a tri as a compromise between a cat and a mono. One prime mover as opposed to two, a tiller instead of a helm station on a bulkhead. Really it's a mono with a couple of hulls to carry some extra crap around.

That is all,
Goat

[IdoraKeeper]

Oh come on! Its about character. Its about common decency..... Its about individual superiority!!! That's why we never bring this up. Just don't say anchors..... Oops now I did it.

[Cheechako]

Getting from Point A to point B in comfort, speed, and engine redundancy the Cat wins. Pleasure of sailing and aesthetics the mono wins.
Cat Pros:
Ease of getting in the dingy or water from the swim steps.
Ease of storing the dingy for passage or at night between the hulls.
Light open living space.
No ladder and companionway/no bruised elbows or hips.
A backup engine.
Huge living space, even in the cockpit.
Speed, except to weather.
Great engine access for maintenance.

[Razoo]

Originally Posted by goat

Yikes, you're going to get opinions out the Razoo.

Hopefully. Lots of pro's and con's so far and a few questions I need to ponder. I know what I want to do, I want to sail from Vancouver to Costa Rica and Panama. But, I've now discovered while reading threads and blogs that island hoping around the barrier reef in the Caribbean is something that really appeals to me. Kinda like being torn between two lovers.

[senormechanico]

Originally Posted by Capt Rottnest

I'm more interested to know what's so great about a tri - as a cruising boat. All that beam for tiny interior space..

Flat, fast. Lots of room to spread out under a sun canopy rigged to the cap shrouds when the weather is nice.
Lots of unshaded places for solar panels.
No rolling at anchor. Able to anchor in skinny water where nobody else can.
Oh, and our tri loves to go to weather.
We beat the pants off that cat in the pic when we had a "race to the anchorage".

[Razoo]

Originally Posted by senormechanico

Flat, fast. Lots of room to spread out under a sun canopy rigged to the cap shrouds when the weather is nice.
Lots of unshaded places for solar panels.
No rolling at anchor. Able to anchor in skinny water where nobody else can.

It kind of looks like a float plane.

[oceannavigator]

Originally Posted by Capt Rottnest

You can go that way with a mono, I met a guy who lives on an ULDB, 30', it can go 15+ knots off the wind and 7 knots into it. Been inside, it was roomy too, those ULDB things have wide bums. Not common as a cruising boat though.

Not that I'm much use in a cat-mono war, next boat could easily be a cat..

Agreed! If i were going mono, I'd go performance as well. Maybe an ex racer, re set up for single handing.