Cat question

[landlockedsquid]

Hello all, Ive introduced myself in the introduction forum, so if you wanna know whats up with me, you can find out there.
I have a question concerning Cat size. I think I read somewhere that less than 40' is really not advisable for a bluewater cat. Is this true or no? What would be the smallest size recommended for bluewater?
THX

[Redreuben]

Depends. Mostly on your demands for creature comforts, do you want air con and a dishwasher or are you happy backpacking ?

Tiki 21: Rory McDougall crosses Atlantic both ways in 'Cookie'.

[Factor]

Plenty of good boats do oceanic voyages at 35 foot 38 foot and similar. There is no magic figure for blue water voyaging. Bigger will usually mean more carrying ability etc but also bigger engines bigger sails etc.

just be aware that some manufacturers who sell 40 footers - their boats aren't actually 40 foot. EG the FP Lucia 40 is 38.5 feet. The lagoon 39 is in fact longer than the Lucia 40. Go figure.

[landlockedsquid]

So if I went 35' Id be fine? I saw one advertised at that size and I thought it was affordable.

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by landlockedsquid

So if I went 35' Id be fine? I saw one advertised at that size and I thought it was affordable.

Length by itself doesn't answer the question.

Yes there are small cats that are ocean capable (most in fact) but there is a lot more too it.

There is no definition for "blue water boat". The tropical route is far different from the roaring 40's. Both are blue water crossings.

[Mr B]

I sailed a 34 foot Gemini across from Fiji to Australia with no problems,
I never felt unsafe in it at any time,
Pacific, Coral Sea, and down the Tasman,
I live on the corner of the Southern Ocean, The Tasman Sea and Bass Straight.
I intend sailing it across the Great Southern Bight, which is the top of the Southern Ocean,
I bought this size vessel as it was easy for me to single hand,
Bigger vessel may require extra crew,

It also depends on who's sailing it, and your capability, Can you repair things that break,
There are no Yacht stops in the middle of the Ocean, Your on your own,
So you do need to be able to repair any faults or breakdowns, and carry spares for every thing,

[yeloya]

If you are asking from safety point of view small cats are (almost) as safe as large ones. As mentioned earlier, you will have much less payload, hence, very few staff to carry. From comfort perspective , there is a huge difference between small and big cats. Any cat below 40 ft is much more prone to hobby horsing than the big ones on a shaky sea. Big cats are (generally) faster too..
Lastly, big cats, hence, larger beams are safer. Any cat is at risk if the wave hight is exceeding the beam length. Big cats are therefore more foregiving (didn't say safer) in big seas.
In short, I would buy the largest cat possible within my budget, provided that you can handle her.


Cheers


Yeloya


Yeloya

[Factor]

Whilst its true that the longer the boat the better the ride, it does not follow that a shorter boat will necessarily hobby horse, pitching is a function of design, weight placement etc, simply more than length

[yeloya]

Originally Posted by Factor

Whilst its true that the longer the boat the better the ride, it does not follow that a shorter boat will necessarily hobby horse, pitching is a function of design, weight placement etc, simply more than length

It's true, but my note should read "everything else being equal" small cats are more prone to hobby horsing.

Cheers

Yeloya

[arsenelupiga]

Originally Posted by landlockedsquid

Hello all, Ive introduced myself in the introduction forum, so if you wanna know whats up with me, you can find out there.
I have a question concerning Cat size. I think I read somewhere that less than 40' is really not advisable for a bluewater cat. Is this true or no? What would be the smallest size recommended for bluewater?
THX

38 ft cats can sure do it. Smaller - big catyards dont do them so we cant tell. Probably due to max load not enough for luxurios crossing. But I would say yes.

From what I have seen so far - smaller = more fun.

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by yeloya

It's true, but my note should read "everything else being equal" small cats are more prone to hobby horsing.

Cheers

Yeloya

Not sure I agree with this.

I suspect it's a misunderstanding based on older cats generally being smaller but also generally having little buoyancy in the bow and stern. Some bad examples were "fixed" by extending the stern leaving the impression it's length that corrected the issue but really they just added buoyancy in the stern.

It's that lack of buoyancy at the ends that causes hobby horsing. Most newer designs, eliminate the bow overhang and have wider hulls near the sterns (creating an exaggerated raindrop shape). It just happens that most newer cats are in the 40' plus range so it appears length eliminates hobby horsing.

Obviously, take a 35' cat, leave everything else the same and stretch the hulls to 40', it will have less hobby horsing but that's not what typically happens. Typically, they also add more accommodations and storage which takes more buoyancy to resist hobby horsing.

While length plays a factor, it's incorrect to say short boats hobby horse substantially more if they follow similar design principals.

[AD28]

Rory MacDougall circumnavigated on a 21 foot Wharram design catamaran

Frankly, if you have to ask this question you're not nearly ready for an, um, 'bluewater' boat of any flavor

[Mr B]

By asking the Dumb questions, Is how you learn,
None of us was a professional when we started out,
We were all beginners once, Some people forget this little fact,

I spent 6 weeks in Fiji learning how to sail my cat and all the systems on it, With a day and a halfs instruction from the PO, Before he took off for Hawai,
Then I crossed three Oceans on it Single handed, and I couldnt sail for ****,

But I did have 40 years of motor boats as a back up, So I wasnt really a novice, I could have motored it the whole way with out a problem,
But it was a sail boat and I wanted to learn how to sail, Which I did, and no, I never had lessons of any kind,
But I did ask some rediculous questions every night at the sundowners at the bar every night,
Hahahaha, Sails were a whole new experience, and the ropes on them hahahaha, they were every where, four out of the boom, Duhhhhh,

[Emerald Sea]

Its not actually true that less than 40' is really not advisable for a bluewater cat. There are, and we have met them, cat cruisers with <40ft cats. Many of them. We have friends who last year crossed the Indian and Atlantic Oceans without any issues in their Lagoon 38. Their boats are well kitted out for blue water and they're competent skippers. Understand your boat's abilities and limitations, have confident abilities, know the weather and reef early!

[landlockedsquid]

Originally Posted by Mr B

By asking the Dumb questions, Is how you learn,
None of us was a professional when we started out,
We were all beginners once, Some people forget this little fact,

Yep. Thanks for that.
Also, to whom it may concern, I KNOW I am not ready yet. Thats why I am asking the questions.