Best Upwind , Blue Water Cat ?

[Cruising Couple]

Originally Posted by Tropic Cat

And you know what? You'll fit every one of us on board that monster. Each of us can probably have our own stateroom

For sure! I'm going out the buy the Florida Powerball tonight. Say your prayers!

[Cotemar]

Cruising Couple,

Here are a few cats that go very well into the wind. One is even fying into the wind. Just amazing. Just shows that there are cats that can do it well

[Cruising Couple]

You know I thought I had had sarcasm (the playful kind, not the cutting kind) and satire down quite well until I started reading this forum. But, you all just take the cake. LOL

Good thing that I believe that sarcasm and quick wit is a sign of high intelligence.

Love these cats Cotemar!

[downunder]

Thread drift

[Cruising Couple]

Originally Posted by downunder

Thread drift

So true .... and that means, by my comment earlier in this thread, that I have to put $5 in my new boat fund. Ka-ching.

[colemj]

Originally Posted by Cruising Couple

Mark unless there is a Hot Wheels version of the Amber Cat .... it isn't going to happen. That didn't take much research to discover they don't make them small enough and they haven't been making them long enough for us to be able to purchase one. LOL

It appears there are two for sale worldwide, both ~$2M US.

Well, it's fun to window show anyway.

I'm sorry, I wasn't clear. Erik LaRouge is a designer. Ambercat just happens to build one of his designs. LaRouge has many designs of all sizes (25'-75' and even trimarans and monos) Other companies and people build them. Even our Manta catamaran is a LaRouge design (with extensive modifications by Manta).

Mark

[tamicatana]

Um, it's 'Erik Lerouge'

you'd have a hard go searching with the wrong spelling

[colemj]

Originally Posted by tamif27

Um, it's 'Erik Lerouge'

you'd have a hard go searching with the wrong spelling

Sorry for the spelling. I just typed in "Larouge catamaran" in google and got all hits to Lerouge boats, including the designers website. In fact, I got the exact same sites in the same order when I typed in "Lerouge catamaran".

Don't think she will have too much trouble...

Mark

[beiland]

Originally Posted by Sand crab

Here's that Crowther. Might be able to get it for $200K
http://www.yachtworld.com/core/listi...g_id=22624&url=

That boat looks like she has been well cared for.

But I would have one question, if I look at the photos #1 & #3, it definitely looks as though she has been lengthened in the stern. I don't recall stock Crowthers that look that long in the stern, except for maybe Invesigator ll

View Boat Photos - YachtWorld.com


No, now that I look at Investigator, she was not that long in the stern
RunningTideYachts, Ltd. Photo Album of Design References Page 9

It would be interesting to see her shafting/prop arrangement considering this extra length.

[beiland]

Originally Posted by catty

Nice find sand crab. Looks like a crowther 44 (deign 85) with 10 foot stern extensions. Stern extensions are a sign that the vessel is overloaded. This particular boat is around 40% heavier than the designer intended ( displacement advertised at 25000 lb ,designed 18000 lb) . Be wary of multihulls displacing more than the designer intended. The extra weight erodes or even cancels out structural design safety factors among other things.
Regards

Yes, I now see someone else has recoqnized this extra length. I'm not so sure it would be detrimental in this case...would have to take a closer look and do some backgrd checks.

[Erik C]

Catana's are fast but have very little load carrying capacity. Wanting to circumnavigate you will have/need a lot of kit on board. Overload the boat and your Catana will sail like a dog. I would look for a boat with wider hulls that won't squat as soon as you put some weight on her, much more space as well. Personally I like these cats. Antares Yachts: Building the World's Best Liveaboard Catamaran
Good luck with your search.

[Tropic Cat]

Originally Posted by Erik C

Catana's are fast but have very little load carrying capacity. Wanting to circumnavigate you will have/need a lot of kit on board. Overload the boat and your Catana will sail like a dog. I would look for a boat with wider hulls that won't squat as soon as you put some weight on her, much more space as well. ...

You've put your finger on the compromise necessary in catamaran boat design. Finer hulls = more speed, but can't carry a heavy load. Wider hulls = heavy loads but are much slower.

Personally, in modern designs, I think Manta had it right and was devastated when they closed up shop.

Of the older boat designs, I prefer the Catalacs with their chined hulls. These were deemed outdated hull designs yet I couldn't help noticing that our America's cup winner last year had a chined hull. Seems what goes around, comes around. The benefit is when lightly loaded, the finer lower hull is very fast, yet when you load these hulls up, they are able to carry heavy loads.

[Cruising Couple]

Originally Posted by Erik C

Catana's are fast but have very little load carrying capacity. Wanting to circumnavigate you will have/need a lot of kit on board. Overload the boat and your Catana will sail like a dog. I would look for a boat with wider hulls that won't squat as soon as you put some weight on her, much more space as well. Personally I like these cats. Antares Yachts: Building the World's Best Liveaboard Catamaran
Good luck with your search.

Interesting point Eric, thank you. I will not tell my Cairn Terrier, Logan, AKA: Logan, The Sailing Dog, that you used the term "sail like a dog."

Thanks again!
Darby

Going now to check out Antares.

[44'cruisingcat]

I don't really agree with this argument. Overload a fast boat and it will be slow, so better to buy one that's slow to start with?

For one thing, it may not be neccessary to overload, or you may only need to go slightly above design displacement. A bit of common sense, and most cruising designs will carry all you need. And it's not as if oveloading a Catana by one kilogramme will suddenly transform it into a dog.

At times, when we're fully stocked up our boat is technically overloaded. I'd say we're about 500 to maybe as much as 800kg over design displacement. Our transoms are just immersed about 10mm.

But we still sail very well, in the right conditions often getting to within a knot of windspeed. And we live aboard full time.

[colemj]

Originally Posted by Erik C

Catana's are fast but have very little load carrying capacity. Wanting to circumnavigate you will have/need a lot of kit on board. Overload the boat and your Catana will sail like a dog. I would look for a boat with wider hulls that won't squat as soon as you put some weight on her, much more space as well. Personally I like these cats. Antares Yachts: Building the World's Best Liveaboard Catamaran
Good luck with your search.

I would argue that comparison. Most of the Catana's carry weight very well - particularly the 401/431/471 era boats. The Antares has very narrow hulls and narrow sterns, where most of the weight problems manifest themselves.

I am currently staring right at a Catana 431 and 471, and recently spent a lot of time staring at an Antares and the Catana has wider hulls - most noticeably the sterns.

Disclosure: I love the Antares and Catana 431/471.

Mark