Do Multihullers Ever go Back?

[Polux]

I guess you are right about the vast majority of wives liking more cats...not the cat sailing concept but the interior space of a cat. After that post of Bobby Schenk wife stating her preference for cats there was an interesting reply of a semi-professional sailor that started with cats, sails both types of boats and prefers monos. Regarding that reply Bobby Schenk agrees, saying that he has nothing to add.

The reply from Martin Gerlach:

"I just wanted to contribute to the assessment of the Cat / mono advantages/disadvantages:
My first sailing trips have taken place only on Kats. (Edel 43). I was thrilled with many of advantages and I am still thrilled with them.
Since 4 years now I am a professional skipper (part time) for a charter company and several times a year I am on the "road", on the Mediterranean, on the Caribbean and on the Baltic.

Even if I am not as experienced as you (Bobby Schenk) I can only say that I still prefer to sail monohulls at the moment. I just think that monohulls are very predictable. We know when to reef (heel, rudder pressure) while on cats I have sometimes the impression that he is going faster and faster till it crashes.

That makes me somewhat uncertain and therefore I prefer the predictability of monohulls. Besides many monohulls are just nice to look at while most cats look to me more like flying saucers. But that's personal taste. I just like classical shapes.
However many of the Cat advantages are undisputed...."

http://www.yacht.de/schenk/carlmein.html

[downunder]

Originally Posted by 44'cruisingcat

Yep. Monohulls are utterly boring. They all look exactly the same, popped out of the same jelly mould.

At least catamarans have some individuality. Like them or hate them, Lagoons don't look like Fontaine Pajots, or Leopards which don't look like Seawinds, which don't look like Katanas...

And the boredom extends into monohull sailing abilities... YAWN... you need time lapse photography to see if they're even moving... monohull sailors need to pay attention to plate techtonics - if that continent is drifting away from you, you might never catch it.. As for the much vaunted windward performance - garbage. The fastest boats on ANY and every point of sail are multihulls. We just sailed 50 miles to windward 2 hours faster than a group of monohulls, which we later discovered had been using their engines as well as their sails.

I a afraid I prefer the variety and look of cats and agree most monos look similar to me.

Great video of Kato. Boring

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XANGevejGJM

[arsenelupiga]

Originally Posted by Zzmeyer

A catamaran sailor doesn't go back for the same reason someone married to an ugly spouse doesn't go back - they can't. My 50 foot production cruiser will beat the 40 foot production cat on every point of sail and every wind condition at about the same price. No one ever walks down the dock and looks back at their lagoon or leopard and says "what a pretty boat".


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HUH ! where do you get that ? I'd say my wife has quite a taste and loves looks of lagoon. So do I.

[robert sailor]

Just an observation..lots of insecure Cat owners posting here. My observation: Cats are very roomy and have terrific cockpit/patios. They have bright living areas. They have lots of room and are wonderful for entertainment. They are either quick or ho hum speed wise depending on the design and the weight they carry. . My experience sailing them is limited but the Cat I did sail was a real performer and I enjoyed the speed, I experienced very little feel to the boat and other than the speed it was a bit boring to sail but I sure liked the speed. It might be fun to own one before I give up sailing, who knows? I will say you have to look hi and low to find a pretty one and even then its only the prettiest Cat which is a long ways away from a pretty mono hull.

[Dulcesuenos]

I really like not needing a chiropractor after a 2 +day crossing. As for aesthetics, I think all boats look good. As for cats boring to sail, Really? Do you need to be fighting for control and at risk of falling off the boat if your not strapped in for it not to be boring ?

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[smj]

Originally Posted by robert sailor

Just an observation..lots of insecure Cat owners posting here. My observation: Cats are very roomy and have terrific cockpit/patios. They have bright living areas. They have lots of room and are wonderful for entertainment. They are either quick or ho hum speed wise depending on the design and the weight they carry. . My experience sailing them is limited but the Cat I did sail was a real performer and I enjoyed the speed, I experienced very little feel to the boat and other than the speed it was a bit boring to sail but I sure liked the speed. It might be fun to own one before I give up sailing, who knows? I will say you have to look hi and low to find a pretty one and even then its only the prettiest Cat which is a long ways away from a pretty mono hull.

Now that's funny, insecure cat owners! Cats are the rage and you know you want one, come on get out of the closet!

[smj]

Originally Posted by robert sailor

Just an observation..lots of insecure Cat owners posting here. My observation: Cats are very roomy and have terrific cockpit/patios. They have bright living areas. They have lots of room and are wonderful for entertainment. They are either quick or ho hum speed wise depending on the design and the weight they carry. . My experience sailing them is limited but the Cat I did sail was a real performer and I enjoyed the speed, I experienced very little feel to the boat and other than the speed it was a bit boring to sail but I sure liked the speed. It might be fun to own one before I give up sailing, who knows? I will say you have to look hi and low to find a pretty one and even then its only the prettiest Cat which is a long ways away from a pretty mono hull.

Now that's funny, insecure cat owners! Cats are the rage and you know you want one, come on get out of the closet!

[beiland]

Originally Posted by robert sailor

Just an observation..lots of insecure Cat owners posting here. My observation: Cats are very roomy and have terrific cockpit/patios. They have bright living areas. They have lots of room and are wonderful for entertainment. They are either quick or ho hum speed wise depending on the design and the weight they carry. . My experience sailing them is limited but the Cat I did sail was a real performer and I enjoyed the speed, I experienced very little feel to the boat and other than the speed it was a bit boring to sail but I sure liked the speed. It might be fun to own one before I give up sailing, who knows? I will say you have to look hi and low to find a pretty one and even then its only the prettiest Cat which is a long ways away from a pretty mono hull.

I understand where you are coming from. I came into the boat industry when fiberglass boats were just getting started big time, and I saw a lot of new designs morph into what I called 'floating Clorox bottles', primarily as they tried to stuff the max accommodations into a certain length. Gone where a lot of graceful overhangs, and nice sheer lines. Lots got more boxy

As I took up the multihull mantra I kept this same appreciation of 'pretty' in mind, and here it is even more difficult to not end up with a 'boxy' look. Perhaps these days lots of folks have become accustom to this look, but it still bothers me when I realize what pretty 'classic' boats use to look like.

Peter Wormwood's catamaran design 'Indigo' has always been a guide post for me, and Peter's guide was Peter Spronk






There are a few more examples on my website which is rather dated now:
RunningTideYachts, Ltd. Photo Album of Design References

Longer length catamarans are easier to make pretty. And trimarans are easier to make pretty. ....at least that's my thoughts.

[hoppy]

To my mind Cat's are for people who are too old to enjoy a yacht doing what they should do, heal over. They are also for married people when the spouse does not like sailing.

There's not much better in sailing than sitting at the helm on the leeward side close to the water

As people don't recover from old age, the only people who probably go back to monohull's are those who are enjoying their newly single life

I do concede that a performance cat could sway me but never a multi-story condo

[jaybird1111]

I own and will continue to own multihulls, but do crew with regularity on monohulls.

There's no 'back' for me. Going to monohull? That's a trip to Nopeville on the No Way Express, gettin' off at Nuh-uh Town.

[Polux]

Originally Posted by magentawave

And the multihulls ability to sail in light wind without the expense and noise of having to fire up the engine is a HUGE advantage over mono's that few mention.

That has nothing to do with being a cat or a monohull but with being a light sailboat with a small wet surface and a big SA/Displ. Of course it is true that if you are talking about an old heavy sailboat and most cats but in what regards modern boats it all depends on the multihull or monohull you are considering.

[robert sailor]

Originally Posted by beiland

I understand where you are coming from. I came into the boat industry when fiberglass boats were just getting started big time, and I saw a lot of new designs morph into what I called 'floating Clorox bottles', primarily as they tried to stuff the max accommodations into a certain length. Gone where a lot of graceful overhangs, and nice sheer lines. Lots got more boxy

As I took up the multihull mantra I kept this same appreciation of 'pretty' in mind, and here it is even more difficult to not end up with a 'boxy' look. Perhaps these days lots of folks have become accustom to this look, but it still bothers me when I realize what pretty 'classic' boats use to look like.

Peter Wormwood's catamaran design 'Indigo' has always been a guide post for me, and Peter's guide was Peter Spronk
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Attachment 97365

Attachment 97366

There are a few more examples on my website which is rather dated now:
RunningTideYachts, Ltd. Photo Album of Design References

Longer length catamarans are easier to make pretty. And trimarans are easier to make pretty. ....at least that's my thoughts.

That first one is one of the nicest looking Cats I have ever seen. I'm so used to seeing these super wide hulls with a stack of phone booths in a half circle that I forgot a real pretty Cat could be designed, thanks for those pic's. I know many of the new ones are ugly on the outside and pretty on the inside, sorta how Dashew discribed a full enclosure dodger/bimini on a mono hull.

[Polux]

There are lots of very nice cats, the problem is the money to have one. I agree that it is very difficult to make a small cat nice. 50/60fts is the size from where it is possible to really make them beautiful.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxhWxKjsRdI

This is one of the few small cats with less than 40ft that look good to me:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkWu6bKo4E4

[weavis]

The Comet cat, im sure is an excellent sailer. However, the modern trend for square everything and super open cockpit and interior, plus the Scandinavian type styling doesnt sit right with personal layout preferences. It is reminiscent of the Seawind styling and the Broadblue..... Ok just a little.

Be interesting to see in action, but not grabbed by the design.

Thanks for showing. I have not seen before.

[smj]

Originally Posted by Polux

There are lots of very nice cats, the problem is the money to have one. I agree that it is very difficult to make a small cat nice. 50/60fts is the size from where it is possible to really make them beautiful.

This is one of the few small cats with less than 40ft that look good to me:

I couldn't agree more, we have owned cats for 23 years, lived aboard for 18 years and now own a house. I'm having a hard time justifying the expense of the cat we currently own since we no longer live aboard, but I'm also having a hard time finding a cat to replace it with at a lesser expense that we will be happy with. Maybe a trimaran will be in the future.