Catamaran Sails

[Keegan]

Originally Posted by jaydh

Just got 'em from Petima. If anyone is truly serious and interested in flying a parachute drop me a note. I'll ask our friends if we can give out their email or send yours to them....they seemd to like talking about it. PM only for private emails please.

- J

WOW!! Those are cool pictures Jaydh. Thanks for posting those. Somethin new every day...

Ciao
Keegan

[mark_morwood]

Originally Posted by schoonerdog

Not to hijack the thread, but if one were looking for the best option for downwind sailing and had to choose between a symmetrical, assymetrical, or gennaker which would you choose for your catamaran?

I'm just making that decision at the moment for my Catana 48. I'm going with an assymetric on a bow sprit as my first. At some stage I'll probably follow with a screecher on a furler on the bow sprit (smaller than a gennaker - also good for light air upwind).

I'll normally fly the assymetric from the bow sprit, but if sailing very deep downwind move the tack to the windward bow.

I'll let you know how it works out in a month or so once I have it.

I have heard of others having good experiences with deep downwind sailing with a symmetrical spinnaker flown with the guys running to the bows. No pole needed on a cat.

Mark.

[db8us]

I am using the Parasailor2 from Istec.

I see several advantages with that design.
Due to the hole in th sail pressure can escape, so it is NOT a lightwind sail but i had it up to 25-30knots of wind without problems.
Then the boat is going to fast (surfing at 18knots makes freaking noises on the lagoon)
Below 25knots i can easily bring it down with starting the engines and just give around 8kn of speed with the wind. This reduces pressure enough to be able to easily pull the sock over the sail.

Only once i had problems where it was more than 25knots and the waves were really horrible. But even there i managed without letting it loose on one side completly.

http://www.linocat.de/DSC_2466.JPG

http://www.linocat.de/DSC_2470.JPG

Some of the pictures are taken with a 10mm lens, so do not wonder why my mast is bent

http://www.linocat.de/DSC_2700.JPG

http://www.linocat.de/sock2.jpg
shows the sock and its shape. Have an oval sock instead of a round one is a huge plus. i can pull it done more esy, less etanglement of the sail itself and easy stowing. (it fits through a normal hatch)

http://www.linocat.de/flap.jpg
shows a closeup of the flap. Yes it looks flimsy with the thin ropes etc, but so far never one broke or was entangled.

The 105sqm sail works nice on my 38feet Cat. Also when inside the boat i like the 360 degrees lookout because the sail is higher than the windows.

Andy negative things ? Yes, price and the rigging of the boat.
I am missing cleats and the blocks on the bow are almost below the front seats.
For sailing the seats are a PITA or the blocks need to go to the end of the bow. This a friend of mine has already done, so i am waiting for his experience and then when my warranty period is over i will change that.

For the discussion about going dead down the wind. The Autopilot needs to work more and the sail is bobbing left right a bit more, since i can not get a good angle with the ropes at the ends of the sails.
So i prefer a slight angle to the wind, but riding it exactly downwind is still not a problem at all.

How do people do it in big waves ? When getting really fast i wondered if straight down the wind is bad for pitchpoling or if an angle is bad because of capsizing?

Most likely the only safe solution is to slow it by taking down the sail?
Abobe 15kn in surf i have to steer from hand or otherwise i have the feeling some serious stuff might happen.

Curious on your opinions.

Michael

[swarren]

In those high winds do you have your main up Michael? I know the manual says the front sails shouldn't be up without the main up. And yeah, I would worry about pitchpoling, I think it's entirely possible.

[db8us]

Originally Posted by swarren

In those high winds do you have your main up Michael? I know the manual says the front sails shouldn't be up without the main up. And yeah, I would worry about pitchpoling, I think it's entirely possible.

No, normally not since bringing sails down in an emergancy would be bad, since one sail you have to bring down against the wind and the other with the wind

[schoonerdog]

Michael,

According to the literature, the parasailor2 can be used from 70-180 degrees. Do you find this true? You also mentioned it's not a light air sail though. What sort of wind do you need to fly this?

Originally Posted by db8us

No, normally not since bringing sails down in an emergancy would be bad, since one sail you have to bring down against the wind and the other with the wind

[db8us]

Originally Posted by schoonerdog

Michael,

According to the literature, the parasailor2 can be used from 70-180 degrees. Do you find this true? You also mentioned it's not a light air sail though. What sort of wind do you need to fly this?

I use it from 180 degrees to maybe 100. But more due to the fact that then my rigging is not optimal with the seats on the bows and so it is difficult to route the ropes properly.

Usually i use it when the wind is more than around 10 knots.


Regards from India


Michael

[rtbates]

Running Sails - The Twistle Rig for Tradewind Ocean Sailing

This rig was specifically designed for tradewind sailing. It works great on a mono, have no idea how it might work on a cat.

[cat man do]

And here was me thinking the Catana was originaly a Crowther design.



I do not like Green egg's and SPAM, I do not like them SPAM I am.

Dave

[colemj]

Cat man do,

I don't understand your post. You feeling OK?

Mark

[cat man do]

Originally Posted by colemj

Cat man do,

I don't understand your post. You feeling OK?

Mark

The post before that has been deleted was someone linking to a Knock off Catana 50 cat.

Was a bit spam like.

Dave

[fdurivau]

Dear,

This is not a Catana 50 !! It is a Absolu50 maybe you know it?
Faster and confortable this cat is gorgeous for sensation !!
Do you know it?

[cat man do]

Originally Posted by fdurivau

Dear,

This is not a Catana 50 !! It is a Absolu50 maybe you know it?
Faster and confortable this cat is gorgeous for sensation !!
Do you know it?

I think you said that the Absolu50 was designed by the same designer as the Catana?????

That'd be Lock Crowther I'd reckon.

He passed away a few year's back.

CATANA 40, Catana, 1987 - French West Indies, for sale

Emultihulls Yacht Brokerage - Crowther Catana

Sail Around the World - Boat

Dave

[db8us]

And as long as the website is in french i wonder why they post it here ?
They should get it translated. I had french in school, but english is the more common language.

Regards from India

Michael

[mark_morwood]

All of Catana's current production catamaran's (43, 47, 52 and 58) are designed by Christophe Barreau who at least according to the Absolu50 website is also the designer of the Absolu50.

Lock Crowther did design a long series of boats for Catana, including our Catana 48. I'm not quite sure of the exact timeline, but there was a transition period where both Lock Crowther and Christophe Barreau were credited as designer on some boats, e.g. the 44.

Mark.