Congrats to Seawind.

[phlbald]

Originally Posted by sailjumanji

That said, we are cruising warm weather for 4+ months and that doesn't require a lot of heavy clothes.

Thank you for your response. My goal at retirement is to never experience winter again! So yes I hope to minimize the number and type of clothing I need. Hopefully after this weekend I will have a better feel for the boat.

[sailjumanji]

Originally Posted by phlbald

Thank you for your response. My goal at retirement is to never experience winter again! So yes I hope to minimize the number and type of clothing I need. Hopefully after this weekend I will have a better feel for the boat.

Lots of synthetic, like swim suits, Columbia fishing shirts, nylon shorts, sun shirts, etc. All of these can be washed in a bucket, dry quickly, are light, don't wrinkle. Cotton t shirts and cotton shorts take forever to dry. Blue Jeans never dry. Some bath towels are faster drying - and same for bed sheets.

In the galley, we have a full set of stacking Magma pots and a couple of frying pans. Pick your favorite knives and sharpener - not the whole set. We have a full service of eight galleyware plates, bowls, and our glasses are all tervis tumbler variety that maintain ice longer and don't sweat. (Important not to get the table wet on card night!). Except we have polycarb wine glasses.

People carry more stuff than us, and we still have empty spaces. But we also like to sail, and a light boat sails better. We met a couple on a 44 ft Lagoon the other day complaining that they couldn't do any better upwind than 50 deg AWA, and closer than that, they motor. (Some of that was probably owner issue.). But we set the autopilot on 32 deg AWA and we are pretty fast, and can push it to 28 deg pinching if we have to. We have a set of DP Lite Skin GPL sails (carbon), so we are a cruising boat with race sails. We sail past a lot of boats, and it's especially funny sailing by trawlers and some of the motor yachts on the same course!

[phlbald]

sailjumanji

Do you sail back and forth from Port Aransas to the Bahamas every year? If so was wondering what route you take. Do you take the ICW or cross the Gulf? I grew up around the Seabrook Kemah area and might head back that way eventually.

[sailjumanji]

Originally Posted by phlbald

sailjumanji

Do you sail back and forth from Port Aransas to the Bahamas every year? If so was wondering what route you take. Do you take the ICW or cross the Gulf? I grew up around the Seabrook Kemah area and might head back that way eventually.

Our first time was in 2015-16. We took the boat from Kemah - where we had rigging done - to a friends house in Orange Beach, Alabama. Left it there until Feb. ICW to the other side of Louisiana, then offshore. (My wife's preference is ICW, or single overnight hops.). Then in 2016, offshore hops then around the Everglades, out at Snake Creek, Bimini, Chubb, Nassau, Exumas.

On the way back, she got off the boat in Ft Myers, and a friend and his grandson helped me. From there to Grand Isle, Louisiana, straight shot. Then offshore hop to Galveston. Then some shipyard work, and slow ICW trip back to Port A. We are retired.

This year it's a new boat that arrived container ship in Miami. On the way back from Bahamas, will probably do the same offshore, two-leg hop. I didnt find the Gulf rigs to be an issue. We kept watch, radar and AIS. It's a lot less traffic!

[phlbald]

Originally Posted by sailjumanji

This year it's a new boat that arrived container ship in Miami. !

I will be asking this question this weekend. What is the delivery cost from Vietnam? I'm sure it is significant. Looking forward to getting on the 1260 and seeing what 3 more feet and several thousand $$$ gets you over the 1160.

[sailjumanji]

Originally Posted by phlbald

I will be asking this question this weekend. What is the delivery cost from Vietnam? I'm sure it is significant. Looking forward to getting on the 1260 and seeing what 3 more feet and several thousand $$$ gets you over the 1160.

Mine was $33k to Miami, including insurance. I think the 1260 on the same ship was about $6k more. Seawind will get bids from several shipping companies. You also have a cradle charge around $4k.

[phlbald]

Originally Posted by sailjumanji

Mine was $33k to Miami, including insurance. I think the 1260 on the same ship was about $6k more. Seawind will get bids from several shipping companies. You also have a cradle charge around $4k.

That raises the price significantly.

[sailjumanji]

Originally Posted by phlbald

That raises the price significantly.

Yes, and no. Have you talked with a dealer and got a price list? The options add up fast, and the cost. Our $310K base price boat, came in at about $435K after options and shipping, duty, insurance. Then add another $5K for rigging mast and commissioning, plus whatever sales tax where you live. I don't know what base price is for the 1260, but suspect options, etc., will have similar effect. All-in we came in at about 50% above base boat price.

I could have purchased one of the condo cat brands for cheaper. But OTOH we are here in Bahamas sailing past them as they run their engines.

As far as shipping goes, other than Maine Cat, what large cat are you going to buy that doesn't incur large shipping cost?

[Jafal]

Having just started looking at this forum, and at multihulls this is an interesting thread.
My wife and I come from a dinghy/yacht racing background and we did our first multihull charter May this year on a Seawind 1160.

Loved the layout and convenience of it all and disliked the look and layouts of the Lagoons/ Bali's / F-P's etc that we saw.... they look like a block of flats on water, the flybridge helming station is exposed and isolated .. this also lifts the rig and makes getting to the boom difficult.

BUT - I am sure that if you come from a Cruiser / Motorboat background, and want to spend a lot of your time entertaining at anchor then these issues are less relevant to you. Horses for Courses as they say ..... equally now looking at going back to a monohull like a Jeanneau 419 ... little less space but more performance. (can't take the dinghy sailor out of the yachty)

[Multihull Solutions]

Hi Jafal,

When you actually get to sail on a current FP you will find all models up to the 50’ Saba do not have a fly bridge, and actually have an exceptional layout allowing communication between the helm, saloon and cockpit. Boom access is very good and performance for a cruising catamaran very good. Please take the time to make an educated assessment. My wife and I spend many years sailing on an 1160 but settled on an FP for cruising. Currently waiting on taking delivery of a New 45.

[Jafal]

Originally Posted by Multihull Solutions

Hi Jafal,

When you actually get to sail on a current FP you will find all models up to the 50’ Saba do not have a fly bridge, and actually have an exceptional layout allowing communication between the helm, saloon and cockpit. Boom access is very good and performance for a cruising catamaran very good. Please take the time to make an educated assessment. My wife and I spend many years sailing on an 1160 but settled on an FP for cruising. Currently waiting on taking delivery of a New 45.

We were looking at the 40' sizes up at the recent Pittwater Boat Show .. the FP may not technically be a fly bridge, but the raised single helm station is not for us ...
As I said I come from a dinghy/monohull background and the idea of only one helm on a boat this size is not appealing, as like to look past sails not at the headsail all of the time on one tack.. also the helm raised needing go up to a platform to us is fraught with dangers of slips and falls.

Only the Nautitechs and Seawinds had the duel helms, and felt the Nautis' were to exposed back where they were.

We like the Seawinds, others obviously like FP's, Nauti's, Lagoons etc ... guess that is why there is choice.