Blue Water Cruising a Small Catamaran

[salticrak]

Oh crap, as mine is a 26 footer I'd better buy eight more sheets of ply to lengthen it.Will I now have enough space for a microwave,washing machine,t.v.?
Extra deck candy?

[valhalla360]

The smallest seaworthy catamaran you can live with is a good starting point.

Bigger is not always better. Everything becomes heavier and harder with more complications.

As others have said, get on some catamarans and think about how you would live long term in the space. Even monster 40'+ cats will be tiny compared to a 5000sft house.

[Factor]

Originally Posted by belizesailor

What size (esp. LOA) buys you is more load carrying capacity (important for cruising) and more boat speed potential. It does not make the vessel inheriently more seaworthy..

Very true, it really is about how much you want to carry with you. Plenty of cats around 10 metres have crossed oceans/circumnavigated

[ausaviator]

You could sail the world in a 10 metre weekender, but if you want to be comfortable, go with 40ft plus@

I've seen a number of comments from cruisers in Lagoon 38's complaining about hobby-horsing, but less so in the 40 footers. 40+ seems to be the magic figure for ride comfort.

Jump on youtube and search for "Lagoon 380 Honeymoon" and you'll see a young just married couple heading from the USA to Aus.

[barnakiel]

Not inherently more seaworthy, but both boats being equally well built, the bigger is the safer one.

b.

[smj]

Originally Posted by barnakiel

Not inherently more seaworthy, but both boats being equally well built, the bigger is the safer one.

b.

Not always true. I would say design is just as important as size.

[Factor]

Originally Posted by ausaviator

You could sail the world in a 10 metre weekender, but if you want to be comfortable, go with 40ft plus@

I've seen a number of comments from cruisers in Lagoon 38's complaining about hobby-horsing, but less so in the 40 footers. 40+ seems to be the magic figure for ride comfort.

Jump on youtube and search for "Lagoon 380 Honeymoon" and you'll see a young just married couple heading from the USA to Aus.

Here we go again with the weekender rubbish.

For those that are interested a good REAL WORLD experience is Magic Carpet a 10 metre Rogers cat that Chris and Karyn Ennor circumnavigated on.

One blog by Karyn

PODcast interview (see #6 with Chris focussed mainly on cruising with outboards but some interesting insights to the trip none the less.

And just because a 11.6 metre lagoon hobby horses doesn't mean all cats do it irrespective of size range. Hobby horsing is predominantly a function of hull shape. And actually I don't think the 380 does hobby horse that much, at least not the half a dozen I have sailed (usually std-bris or bris -syd), certainly more than some designs but less than say most Prouts I have been on. And 11 metre prouts would I am guessing be right up there in the amount of a cat design that have circumnavigated. Having said that a 15 metre prout (quasar) was possibly the most uncomfortable cat I have sailed, with regard to motion and hobby horsing and slamming.

There is no magic about 40 foot, none at all. What boats over 12 metres do for you is increase your carrying capacity and that is very very important to some people, particularly those that want air Con and gen sets etc. Fatter boats under 12 metre also can carry plenty - its a trade off longer means you can stay slim and carry more, want shorter and carry stuff, hulls need to be fatter.

Seriously, plenty of 10 and 11 metre boats have done ocean passages. If you have more money - well yeah a nice 5X Outremer would be good. But its always better to sail what you can afford than dream about it.

[barnakiel]

Originally Posted by smj

Not always true. I would say design is just as important as size.

Yes. At least as important, possibly more important too.

What I am trying to say is:

When two boats are of the same design and quality, the bigger one is safer.

b.

[ausaviator]

There is no magic about 40 foot, none at all.

Each to their own Factor and my experience says that I disagree with you. How many times have you circumnavigated or been in international waters versus just hugging the east Australian coast on extended weekend trips?

[salticrak]

I know for sure i won't have to worry about standing headroom or galley up or down options. I have just made some ''storm'' hatches for the main cabin hatches that will allow me to stick me nut out for a look see.
Anyone got a pair of goggles going cheap?

[Factor]

Originally Posted by ausaviator

Each to their own Factor and my experience says that I disagree with you. How many times have you circumnavigated or been in international waters versus just hugging the east Australian coast on extended weekend trips?

Never circumnavigated. How about you?

Been in international waters about 20/30 times or so. And you?

And you know a non stop trip from Sydney to Bris or Sydney to Melb is harder work than a trip to NZ. That I know for a fact.

And tell me why is 40 foot better than 39? Precisely why?

I thought you had me on ignore.

[rivonia]

Our first CATAMARAN was a Dean Ocean Liner 36. We sailed from Cape Town Sth Africa across the Sth Atlantic to the carribean. No problem, just me my wife and the labrador.

We bought our next CATAMARAN in Scotland it is also a 36 footer. We sailed it from West coast of Scotland all the way to Cyprus in the Med. Now in Crete and she is for sale.

[capttman]

Weather not the size of your cat makes for a good trip.
No one can answer this question for you. You need to answer your own question by asking yourself questions.
What do you need then what do you want in this cat. A bucket or a tub and shower; a one burner camp stove or full chef galley. I'm not trying to be funny but some times smaller is better for a rookie. Then move up. Will you be docking your cat? Most marinas are set up with just a few spots for beams north of 25 feet.
My favorite cats, and I've delivered many, are in the 36 to 40 foot range and sometimes I think 38 is utopia. It's your call many have made open long passages

[ausaviator]

Never circumnavigated. How about you?

Been in international waters about 20/30 times or so. And you?

Just the one 3/4 circumnavigation. So therefore being in international waters, the answer to that is obviously yes. Do you want me to count up the number of days on the water or something to precisely compare?

And tell me why is 40 foot better than 39? Precisely why?

For the same reason that diesels are better than petrol outboards.

[boatman61]

Maybe you'd be better off looking at LWL....