Catamaran build quality & life expectancy

[thinwater]

I've taken out a 105mc on a 8knot day, and a PDQ Altair on a 25 knot day; the PDQ pounded less and felt rock-solid.

Another issue is forward visibility. On the Gemini I felt I was steering while looking out a closet door, with 2 separate layers of windows and blind spots in front of me.

The Gemini has lots of pluses, a few things I even liked better, but in the end, not nearly enough. Do take a test drive. It's a lot of money to go by what we say.

[off-the-grid]

Originally Posted by thinwater

I've taken out a 105mc on a 8knot day, and a PDQ Altair on a 25 knot day; the PDQ pounded less and felt rock-solid.

Another issue is forward visibility. On the Gemini I felt I was steering while looking out a closet door, with 2 separate layers of windows and blind spots in front of me.

The Gemini has lots of pluses, a few things I even liked better, but in the end, not nearly enough. Do take a test drive. It's a lot of money to go by what we say.

Actually I already have. Did a week on a 3400 back in October...and we even had a few REALLY windy days with some nice chop.

[Tropic Cat]

good luck

[Southern Star]

Grunster, I think thinwater's point was that you may also wish to test-sail a PDQ 32 for comparison purposes.

Brad

[James S]

It seems to me that over all, given the configuration, a cat would have more stresses placed on it structurally than a mono in aggressive seas.
I know that’s a very broad statement...but all things being equal is it the case?
Add to that that cats seem to be more sensitive to weight, necessitating a “lighter build”….could this be where the misconception of poor build quality comes from?

[Tropic Cat]

Originally Posted by James S

It seems to me that over all, given the configuration, a cat would have more stresses placed on it structurally than a mono in aggressive seas.

Not according to recent history.

Google "The Queens Birthday Storm". Cats survived with little damage where every mono either sunk or was dismasted after multiple rolls. There were no injuries on any of the Cats.

It's one of the few documented storms (30 meter breaking seas) where boats of both types were at ground zero.

I will mention that both the Cats and monos involved in this tragedy were all blue water cruisers and have little in common with the Gemini being discussed in this thread.

Originally Posted by Southern Star

Grunster, I think thinwater's point was that you may also wish to test-sail a PDQ 32 for comparison purposes.

Brad

How very diplomatic !!

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by James S

It seems to me that over all, given the configuration, a cat would have more stresses placed on it structurally than a mono in aggressive seas...

Catamaran engineering is more challenging than monohull engineering, because they (Cat's) are more complex structures.
Some of the loads unique to the catamaran, primarily in the cross-structure connecting the two hulls, are the wave-induced loads (transverse vertical bending moments, axial force, shear, and torsion moments). The cross-structure is unique to the multihull, so these loads don’t act upon a mono’.

[off-the-grid]

Originally Posted by Southern Star

Grunster, I think thinwater's point was that you may also wish to test-sail a PDQ 32 for comparison purposes.

Brad

Ohhhhh!!!

Well maybe.

But NJ is already expensive. At least the Gem will fit in a slip.

[Southern Star]

Grunster, the PDQ Altair's beam is only 16 feet. Typically, you can fit into a slip that is designed for a 40 foot powerboat and avoid the double dockage charges. In any event, if beam under 15 feet is your principle criteria, then you are pretty much limited to the Gemini.

Brad

[Captain Bill]

If your going to live aboard for a few years and limit yourself to coastal cruising you should consider looking at an endeavourcat 34 or 36 on the used market. They are a bit boxy looking but sail well. They are well built. I have a 44 but that includes about 4 feet of steps on the transom. The 36's and 34's don't have the extended steps so you get usable space. An endeavourcat 30 just made a successful crossing of the Pacific to Australia so they can do blue water, though it may have been more luck than a blue water design. There is a 1997 34 on the endeavourcat web site (www.endeavourcats.com), which is located in DC. By the way the beam is 15'.

[Tropic Cat]

There's an Endeavour 30 in our Marina. All of us are envious of the full shower...and TUB in their starboard hull. Other than cavitation with the outboard, they seem to be very happy with this well built boat.

[Captain Bill]

The 34 and 36 Ft Endeavours use saildrives and have more bridgedeck clearance than the 30. Of course they're a bit bigger too. I've got 2 showers but no tub on my boat. I recently had a couple on board that have a Manta 42. They could not believe how much more room I had on my boat. I do have to suffer comments on what a nice condo I have, but I can live with that.

[thinwater]

Try a work boat type marina. Oyster boats are fat.

[cat man do]

Originally Posted by GordMay

Catamaran engineering is more challenging than monohull engineering, because they (Cat's) are more complex structures.
Some of the loads unique to the catamaran, primarily in the cross-structure connecting the two hulls, are the wave-induced loads (transverse vertical bending moments, axial force, shear, and torsion moments). The cross-structure is unique to the multihull, so these loads don’t act upon a mono’.

And catamarans don't have the stress of a few tonne of lead trying to tear the bottom out either.

Dave

[Therapy]

Originally Posted by Captain Bill

If your going to live aboard for a few years and limit yourself to coastal cruising you should consider looking at an endeavourcat 34 or 36 on the used market. They are a bit boxy looking but sail well. They are well built. I have a 44 but that includes about 4 feet of steps on the transom. The 36's and 34's don't have the extended steps so you get usable space. An endeavourcat 30 just made a successful crossing of the Pacific to Australia so they can do blue water, though it may have been more luck than a blue water design. There is a 1997 34 on the endeavourcat web site (www.endeavourcats.com), which is located in DC. By the way the beam is 15'.

I have not heard that.