Do Multihullers Ever go Back?

[44'cruisingcat]

Originally Posted by donradcliffe

I'll admit that I don't have offshore experience in cats,

Yet still an expert on them.

[donradcliffe]

Originally Posted by 44'cruisingcat

Yet still an expert on them.

I was Northern Calfornia champion in the Hobie 14 a few years ago, so I do know what a cat looks and sails like. I also was counting ocean passages of over 2000 miles, and am currently up to 13, so I do know what open ocean looks like. I spent a lot of time going downwind, not reaching.

Tell me more about screachers and code zeros--can you deploy/recover them from the cockpit single-handed?? can you use them partially furled??

If you think Santa Cruz has light air, read the coverage of the 505 North Americans last weekend.

Nobody's guessed my new ride yet--too busy slagging monohullers??

[Factor]

Originally Posted by donradcliffe

I was Northern Calfornia champion in the Hobie 14 a few years ago, so I do know what a cat looks and sails like. I also was counting ocean passages of over 2000 miles, and am currently up to 13, so I do know what open ocean looks like. I spent a lot of time going downwind, not reaching.

Yeah a hobie is just like my boat - exactly.

Tell me more about screachers and code zeros--can you deploy/recover them from the cockpit single-handed?? can you use them partially furled??

Something else you have no experience with? I have a screecher and yes I can single handedly use it. No you cant use them partially furled, why would you? The answer to long periods of downwind sailing is MPS, again easy to single hand.

Nobody's guessed my new ride yet--too busy slagging monohullers??

No one has slagged monohullers. As for your ride, hell I can post hundreds of stories of boats I ride on, alas - only one that I own.

[Mr B]

East coast of Australia, Your in the Tasman Sea,
South coast of Australia, your in the Southern Ocean, or Bass straight,
West coast of Australia, your in the Indian Ocean,

Tasmania, Its Bass straight, on the top, the rest is the Southern Ocean,

New Zealand, Its the Southern Ocean, or the Southern Ocean, or the Southern Ocean, Take your pick, Its still the Southern Ocean,

There is no place to hide when your at sea here,

Why use the main, I get 7 knots at 9 knots of wind, On the Genoa,

Mine is a Cruising Cat, Racing it, is only going to break things,

Some thing a lot of you might not know, In the middle of the ocean, if you break some thing, You cant walk to the end of the Marina and buy new bits for your boat,

There are no Yacht stops in the middle of the ocean, Your on your own,
Whatever you have broken, Its fix it on the spot with no help from no one,

The familiar cheer squad you usually have sitting on computers with all their advice, Parked in Marina's, Is well and truly out of reach,

Irrespective of the weather you may be encountering at the time, It may be a Mill pond, or it might be a Howling Gale, Stiff, Deal with it,

Unless you have Satnav, Etc, costing thousands of dollars to have on board, I dont,

You dont have a weather window, Your in it, End of story, Computers, Phones, Internet,
Only work to about 12 miles off shore,

Beyond that, Its Pure Bliss, No contact with any one,

Passing ships will give you weather info, If you ask, VHF, Thats it Brother,

You can pick a weather window before you leave here, But, If your out past 12 miles, there is Nothing,
The Beauty of being in the open ocean, In really Crap weather, Is you can just run before it,
It doesnt damage the boat, and its Pleasant sailing,

Going upwind in Crap and heavy weather, will smash your boat, And a really crap ride,
Its totally unnessesary to go upwind, Unless your heading for a Port,

There is a Hell of a difference between, Day sailing, and crossing an ocean for a week or two,
There are a lot of Cats in OZ, and the number is growing Fast, They do suit our conditions here,

There are a lot of Races here in the Tasman sea, With Cats, around 500 miles or so, You get the odd sinking, Same as the Mono's, You get the odd sinking of them too,

OZ has a coastline of some 12 thousand miles, A sinking any where on our coastline, Is a local event, Every one knows about it, TV and Radio, Its all over it like a Rash,

You want to buy a Cat in OZ, you want really deep Pockets, Thats why I bought mine from overseas and sailed it home, I cant afford to buy one here, and I live here,

Mono or Cat, Its just personal choice, or the conditions where you sail it in,

Deep water, Mono,
Shallow water, Cat,

Off shore, Either is suitable, All boats look Grouse, Mono or Cat,

Its like common sense, Which isnt so common any more, You either have it or you dont,

[weavis]

Originally Posted by donradcliffe

I was Northern Calfornia champion in the Hobie 14 a few years ago, so I do know what a cat looks and sails like. I also was counting ocean passages of over 2000 miles, and am currently up to 13, so I do know what open ocean looks like. I spent a lot of time going downwind, not reaching.

Tell me more about screachers and code zeros--can you deploy/recover them from the cockpit single-handed?? can you use them partially furled??

If you think Santa Cruz has light air, read the coverage of the 505 North Americans last weekend.

Nobody's guessed my new ride yet--too busy slagging monohullers??

Ive sailed Santu Cruz. I used to live a little further south. It was a motor vessel though so the weather specifics dont really count. I would say that generally in the mid California area it is not served that well by Cat dealers.. San Diego on the other hand seemed to have a few.
It may have changed since I was last there.

I for one am always interested in someones new ride...... whaddya get?

[weavis]

Originally Posted by Factor

Yeah a hobie is just like my boat - exactly.

No its not...... really.. it isnt

[weavis]

Waters around Tasmania are the most frightening Ive ever seen. Its the one place I refused to sail.

roaring 40s....... longest water wave in the world with nothing to stop it.

I wimped out big time.

[SaltyMonkey]

Wimp! Put on a diaper and go for it!

[weavis]

Originally Posted by SaltyMonkey

Wimp! Put on a diaper and go for it!

With the amount of water over the tops, a diaper is not required.....

Ive seen the water change in 5 minutes, and I was flying over it!

Mt B will confirm... its rough out there when it wants to be....Like the Bay of Biscay on its worse day..... X 2.

[downunder]

Originally Posted by colemj

Just up and down the US East coast and around the entire Bahamas and Caribe. Most passages 1-4 days. Six days at most. Been sailing it like this full time for 6 years, and 5 years weekend/short cruise before that.

The job of a delivery skipper of a new catamaran is to get the boat to the owners with a minimum of wear. They are given cheap sails to do this with. Also, the charter boats they deliver often don't have good main handling gear.

If one can make 6-7kts on a small headsail and life is easy, then what do you have against them doing so? Our last 3-day passage had us reaching in 15kt of wind averaging 8-9kts with a reef in the main. Why should we press it harder just because we have more potential in it? We have a code zero for lighter winds, and many catamarans have a screecher genoa that works well by itself if wanted.

Yes, I am sure the reason there are not many multihulls in Santa Cruz is because of the fierce sailing conditions there. That is why multi's are so popular in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Biscay - mild, easy conditions to sail in. You also won't find multis in the Caribbean's 15-25kt winds and 6-10' waves.

BTW, a quick glance at Santa Cruz's average wind speeds shows me that one really has to pick their days carefully to be in 15-25kt winds.

Mark

Don is a racer, who has also cruised.

I suspect many multihull owners enjoy their time on the water (lounging on the level) and that Leopard delivery approach is as you state, taking it easy, looking after the owners boat. it was a delivery not a race through the southern ocean and shows how it can be done if preparation, the crew and vessel are up to it.

I was surprised by the number of multi's on a recent trip to Tasmania. Further north and particually in Queensland there are nearly as many new and imported cats than monos these days.

Some will always have one leg shorter than the other.

Cheers

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by weavis

Waters around Tasmania are the most frightening Ive ever seen. Its the one place I refused to sail.

roaring 40s....... longest water wave in the world with nothing to stop it.

I wimped out big time.

What in the world are you on about, Weavis? The cruising grounds of Tassie are some of the best that we have encountered in all our years and miles of cruising. Of course the Southern Ocean can be fierce, but it isn't always, and the forecasts are reasonably good. The D'Entrecasteaux channel is wonderfully protected and sports many excellent anchorages. The East coast has excellent sailing conditions most of the time, and good anchorages for the usual frontal passage gales. The North coast (the infamous Bass Straits) has plenty of good anchorages. The West coast is indeed a bit ordinary... exposed to strong winds and big seas, and sporting only two decent refuges, one of which is not accessible under storm conditions, the other (Port Davey) which can be entered under all but the most horrible conditions.

And for Mr B... you seem to love to tell everyone how awful the sailing venues of Australia are, but there are thousands of folks enjoying these waters on a daily basis. Like essentially everywhere in the world, conditions can be bad and prudence is called for, but even the normally benign coast of Southern California can make the same claim. And New Zealand, while immersed in the Southern Ocean and Tasman sea... well, if I am not mistaken the Kiwi's have the highest per capita boat ownership in the world. Odd that this should happen in such a dangerous place!

OK, rant over, folks! I just wanted to post a somewhat different view of cruising Down Under.

Jim

[Mr B]

Port Phillip Bay, Millpond to 2 metre waves in ten minutes and zero visibility, Torrential rain and screaming winds,

I sank my Speedboat on the ramp with Following seas, Dragged it out with the car, A 60 foot sail boat was up on the rocks beside the Ramp,
13 boats sank in Port Phillip that day,
It wasnt forecast, It just happened, Bang, Out of nowhere,

Boatie sailed a Mono across the Southern Ocean from Perth to Hobart, Ask him about it,

Tasmania is only 140 miles away from where I live, across Bass Straight, Hahahaha,

Victoria or Tasmania, Australia, you dont like rough weather, Dont buy a boat,
New Zealand is the same,

You will get caught in it, No matter how well you plan your trip,
Winds in excess of Forty knots is quite common here,

And there is nothing between us and the Antartic to slow the winds down, we get the full Whammy, If your not prepared for it, You will die, Its quite simple,

[Mr B]

Plus, I am not a Tourist, I have lived here all my life, and been boating the whole time,

Just not on a sailboat, Motor boats, the wind is not an issue,

[weavis]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

Of course the Southern Ocean can be fierce, but it isn't always,

OK, rant over, folks! I just wanted to post a somewhat different view of cruising Down Under.

Jim

Well I appreciate your different experience Jim. I just go with your statement above and my abandoned attempts to cross the bass Strait in a reasonable weather window. In the end, and after reading a lot of the history of the roaring 40s and watching it blow up quickly, I am left with a huge respect for the crossing and changeable sea states. Im may not be a mouse but I like cheese.

[downunder]

Mr B,

What Jim was saying is that despite all the Souther Ocean aspects of the area. Tasmania has some excellent cruising grounds and very well protected anchorages.

Great cruising area, Just take care and watch the weather forcasts, and don't sail to a schedule.

Good place for a shakedown cruise close to Victoria when you get your vessel shipshape, Mr B.

Cheers