Catamaran Capsizes in Galveston Bay

[Ram]

Originally Posted by 44'cruisingcat

Then there's the Queen's Birthday storm. No cat's flipped, but several mono's rolled repeatedly, and one sank with the loss of 3 lives. Draw your own conclusions.

44 Cruising cat-- it’s hard to argue with those facts, but as a current Mono owner for decades and 5 year Cat owner –for me personally the Cat is the way to go and I believe is more and more the way of the future in boating–-

[Joli]

Want more?

Mills Race 2009; one multis, over, no mono sunk
Mac Race 2007; 3 multis, over, no monos sunk
Trans Erie 2008; one over, no monos sunk.
Mac Double Handed 2004; two multis over/two dead, no monos sunk
Ontario 200 2006; one multi over, no monos sunk.

Originally Posted by 44'cruisingcat

Then there's the Queen's Birthday storm. No cat's flipped, but several mono's rolled repeatedly, and one sank with the loss of 3 lives. Draw your own conclusions.

[Joli]

Ram, you get to sail whatever you like, no doubt.

Just hate hearing sales people sell the sizzle.

[delmarrey]

Monohull vs Catamaran?
Here are the facts!

A professional delivery Captain's opinion >>> Monohull or Catamaran-what's right for you? Bay Yacht Agency Page Bay Yacht Agency Group.

[44'cruisingcat]

Originally Posted by Joli

Want more?

Mills Race 2009; one multis, over, no mono sunk
Mac Race 2007; 3 multis, over, no monos sunk
Trans Erie 2008; one over, no monos sunk.
Mac Double Handed 2004; two multis over/two dead, no monos sunk
Ontario 200 2006; one multi over, no monos sunk.

If you're willing to take the time to search for statistics to support an argument you inevitably will.

But these are all races. Nobody has ever argued that multihulls, sailed "on the edge" as they are in races, won't capsize.

In a cruising situation, I can say I've seen NO upside-down cats, but just this year on the Qld coast I've seen 3 sunken monohulls, and read about another in notices to mariners.

[smj]

Originally Posted by Joli

Want more?

Mills Race 2009; one multis, over, no mono sunk
Mac Race 2007; 3 multis, over, no monos sunk
Trans Erie 2008; one over, no monos sunk.
Mac Double Handed 2004; two multis over/two dead, no monos sunk
Ontario 200 2006; one multi over, no monos sunk.

Being that we are on a cruisers forum I don't think race results have anything to do with the seaworthiness of a cruising cat. The stats 44c came up with relates to this conversation. These were cruisers crossing the Pacific, both mono and multi that ran into a heavy storm and according to those results the catamaran was vastly more seaworthy. The catamaran that flipped in Galveston Bay does not resemble a cruising cat in the least.

[clockwork orange]

I owned a Mac 36 ,they bear little resemblance to a cruising cat, they are basically a beach cat on steroids and are very,very fast, that said a guy by the name of Hal Andersen cruised one solo down thru the carribean to venezuela,back to Florida and then across the north Atlantic to Ireland enduring some nasty weather and being hit by a fishing trawler taking a foot or so off the port bow,and then sailing the last 500 miles unaided, clearly well sailed but also a suprisingly tough little boat. There was a guy doing day charter with 2 of them on Galverston Bay a few years ago,they were CG licensed for 16 passengers plus crew and still sailed fast by his account.
Steve.

[callistov42]

But yesterday was still, hazy/foggy and very little wind on Galveston Bay! There were no storms and no high winds at all. Something doesn't make sense here!

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by clockwork orange

I owned a Mac 36 ,they bear little resemblance to a cruising cat, they are basically a beach cat on steroids and are very,very fast, that said a guy by the name of Hal Andersen cruised one solo down thru the carribean to venezuela,back to Florida and then across the north Atlantic to Ireland enduring some nasty weather and being hit by a fishing trawler taking a foot or so off the port bow,and then sailing the last 500 miles unaided, clearly well sailed but also a suprisingly tough little boat. There was a guy doing day charter with 2 of them on Galverston Bay a few years ago,they were CG licensed for 16 passengers plus crew and still sailed fast by his account.
Steve.

Very true... and he had a neat deckpod on it as well... ran into him in the Med in the 90's at Agua Dulce, Spain where he tried talking me into a straight swap for my Carter 30..... One of the beams was failing... I said no thanks... did like the boat tho'...
We crossed paths again a few months later in the Faro Lagoon (Portugal) when I was taking a boat back to the UK... he blagged me into buying his book...

[MikeThibodeaux]

I was out on West Bay that day - winds gusting to near 20. We had a reefed main and headsail most of the day. We had a good day of sailing, but I could see how it could have gotten out of hand if we had been fully sheeted.

[Factor]

Originally Posted by Joli

Want more?

Mills Race 2009; one multis, over, no mono sunk
Mac Race 2007; 3 multis, over, no monos sunk
Trans Erie 2008; one over, no monos sunk.
Mac Double Handed 2004; two multis over/two dead, no monos sunk
Ontario 200 2006; one multi over, no monos sunk.

Had a look at the top of the page and yep - this is still the cruisers forum. As others have said, when considering safety issues and capsize propensity race results are pointless.

And for those who aren't familiar with the MAC 36 here is another photo

[Joli]

How about the Prout that capsized at anchor earlier this year or the Atlantic 57 or the Atlantic 42 or the FP 35 or this boat in Galvaston Bay...

Race result are simply indicators of the result we can expect to see in the future. As more and more multis are built and sold we'll see more capsizes.

Around here we are friendly to multi's, we let them come play in our regattas and happily "pluck the crews out of the water" when required. Obviously that is not the case in your area, witness QCYC, CYCA or RYCT.

Originally Posted by Factor

Had a look at the top of the page and yep - this is still the cruisers forum. As others have said, when considering safety issues and capsize propensity race results are pointless.

[Joli]

I guess that is why we we don't see things the same way. I've seen dozens of multi's upside down and no sunken monos. Maybe the folks here take better care of systems below the waterline because we have a season that requires annual haul outs. We have time to service and maintain seacocks and hoses.

Originally Posted by 44'cruisingcat

I've seen NO upside-down cats, but just this year on the Qld coast I've seen 3 sunken monohulls, and read about another in notices to mariners.

[webejammin]

In the pic of the overturned beach cat they were in very shallow water and they had there centerboards down that hit the bottom or sand bar and flppped.

[44'cruisingcat]

Originally Posted by Joli

I guess that is why we we don't see things the same way. I've seen dozens of multi's upside down and no sunken monos. Maybe the folks here take better care of systems below the waterline because we have a season that requires annual haul outs. We have time to service and maintain seacocks and hoses.

And maybe you're in deeper water.