At The Risk of Starting WWlll

[SailFastTri]

Edited out duplicate post. Not sure what happened on server.

[Razoo]

Originally Posted by StuM

No, he was correct.

"Heave to, clean your pants, reef deeper, and either get underway again or stay hove to "

ok. sorry about that , still learning terms.

[mcerdos]

This truly is a question that will always have a fierce debate.

During our 4 year search for a boat we looked hard at both cats and mono-hull boats. We saw huge advantages and disadvantages in both. I am not going to list them because I believe it all boils down to a personal preference.

No doubt people will respond to this thread with their “factual” information regarding both options. However, the opinions of others are just that and should not weight into a decision of this magnitude. YOU have to decide for yourself, which vessel design is best for your needs. Your decision should be made on reliable information sources such as specifications provided by the manufacturers. Then determine which manufacturer best meets your sailing requirements and desired performance level.

[Don1500]

Originally Posted by ShaktisBoy

Admittedly i just cruise Florida and the Bahamas so far but what marinas charge for extra hulls. Here its price per foot LOA not beam

Most of them that I have been to will charge double if you take a slip because you will use two slips with a cat.
Example (a marina on St. Johns River, FL) Not exactly double, but significantly more.

Monthly dockage - Non Full Time Cruisers
$10/slip foot Slip length 35' 45' 50' 55' 60' 65' 70' Cost/month $395.50 $508.50 $565.00 $621.50 $678.00 $734.50 $791.00
Catamarans (non-full time cruisers) or Full Time Cruiser (non-catamaran)
$13.35/slip foot Slip length 35' 45' 50' 55' 60' 65' 70' Cost/month $528.15 $679.05 $754.50 $829.95 $905.40 $980.85 $1,056.30
Catamarans Full Time Cruisers
$16.65/slip foot Slip length 35' 45' 50' 55' 60' 65' 70' Cost/month $658.35 $846.45 $940.50 $1,034.55 $1,128.60 $1,222.65 $1,316.70

[a64pilot]

I think truth is for most it's financial, equivalent sized cats and I don't mean length are more expensive than mono's, for me at least it puts them out of reach.
I think you can get more boat for less money in a mono, now if money is no object, I'd take a Gunboat if it were forced upon me

[colemj]

Regarding pointing abilities. Most of the cruising monos we run across are of the Vagabond/Whitby/Liberty/Out Island/Tayana/Hans Christian/etc types. Almost all fat, ugly production cruising cats have upwind VMG's at least as high as them. Better designed production cruising cats outperform them. Cats like Catana's, 44C's, etc leave them in the dust upwind, even when the monos are motorsailing.

So it is all fine to have an ideal mono or cat in mind when making this generality, but look around the anchorages at actual cruising boats and, without cherry-picking, think about it again.

Mark

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by Razoo

....

But, I'm going to try them both out to see which feels right in my hands because holy crap those catamarans are pricey. Not too sure if I can find a decent one with a $50K budget, but I have at least 6 months ahead of me before I have enough hands on experience to buy my own cat or monohull.

...

Ah, you just hit on another key difference....purchase price. Cats are more complex to engineer and build properly, tend to use more materials and labor, and are very popular now. So, prices are high. Very unlikely to find a decent cat for $50K (practically nil), but there are some good old monos in that price range. A Pearson 36 for example can be had, in decent shape, for under $50K. Great little boat. I'm sure others will give lots of other examples.

[SkiprJohn]

If it has been said before in this thread I didn't see it. Aesthetics is another reason I prefer monohulls.

The cats vs monohulls debate has been done here on the forum several times and if you want more opinions you can just do a search. Cats are very popular now in some parts of the sailing world. I don't see as many in deeper anchorages but that doesn't mean they won't migrate there.

Are cats just a passing fad? We'll see in another 50 years or so. Polynesians have been using them for many years.

[jostalli]

Originally Posted by SkiprJohn

Are cats just a passing fad? We'll see in another 50 years or so. Polynesians have been using them for many years.

Fad? Just go to any of the large sailboat shows and look where the crowds are. They congregate more toward the catamarans. This will continue.

[socaldmax]

Originally Posted by Capt Rottnest

To compare like with like, for example, a 40' cat should be compared with a 65' mono, then there would be no "slaughter" involved.. and the mono could still be cheaper.

In that case, the slip fees for a 40' cat are cheaper than a 65' mono.

[Razoo]

Originally Posted by SkiprJohn

Are cats just a passing fad? We'll see in another 50 years or so. Polynesians have been using them for many years.

I'm fairly sure I won't be around in another 50 years or so. That would make me over 100 and there's no one in my family tree that has gotten over 89.

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by SkiprJohn

If it has been said before in this thread I didn't see it. Aesthetics is another reason I prefer monohulls.

....

Are cats just a passing fad? We'll see in another 50 years or so. Polynesians have been using them for many years.

Yes, harder to design an aesthetically pleasing cat, but there are a few out there.

Ironically, may Western sailors think of modern full keel boats, or even older sailing ships as "traditional", but Eastern cultures were using multihulls before we Westerners started building sailing ships. So, in a sense, the Polynesian multis are more "traditional".

[socaldmax]

I'm planning to live aboard for 5 or 6 yrs, so for me the decision is all about safety, comfort and convenience. I'm looking at catamarans only.

[Southern Star]

Hey, this thread hasn't resorted to nastiness - yet. Cats have a different aesthetic than monohulls for obvious reasons, but I actually have come to like the sort of spaceship inspired look of some cats. Those with huge windows and flying bridges - not so much.

Then again, I love the look of a traditional monohull with a sweet sheer, some overhangs, relatively low freeboard and a low coachouse. Many of the new monohulls, however, sport high freeboard, flat sheers, huge windows, incongruous lines and are even less attractive, IMO, than many cats.

Yes, I prefer the motion of some monohulls in heavy seas/a chop to that of some catamarans. That being said, many 'modern' monohulls are designed with very little rocker, significant beam and flat sections aft. Unlike many older designs, they too can pound while going to windward.

Really, its trite but true that it is largely a matter of different horses for different courses. This is true not only with respect to the of type of boat - mono or multi, but also with respect to the design and construction of each mono and each multi.

As has already been pointed out, do a search - there are a number of threads on this topic that contain virtually unlimited opinions. Some are balanced, while others contain incorrect generalizations. Some attempt to be enlightening, while others attempt to denigrate all multis or all monohulls.

Brad

[44'cruisingcat]

Originally Posted by belizesailor

Ah, you just hit on another key difference....purchase price. Cats are more complex to engineer and build properly, tend to use more materials and labor, and are very popular now. So, prices are high. Very unlikely to find a decent cat for $50K (practically nil), but there are some good old monos in that price range. A Pearson 36 for example can be had, in decent shape, for under $50K. Great little boat. I'm sure others will give lots of other examples.

Yes, cat's can cost more to build. But the price of a second-hand boat is a function of it's desirability, not it's build cost. Second-hand cat's cost more because people are willing to pay more for them.