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Old 02-11-2011, 10:38   #1
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Gemini 105 MC

I'm looking into the idea of switching from my Cal 46 mono to a 40' cat and I've seen a relatively large number of, not very old, Gemini 105 MCs on the market (one site alone lists more than 20, significantly more than any other type). I like the layout BUT my question is, Why so many, is/are there significant problems with these vessels? It seems as though folks are not keeping them very long before selling.
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Old 02-11-2011, 10:51   #2
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Re: Gemini 105 MC

For one thing the Performance Crusing co has built more than 1000 cats and are # 3 as far as the most catamarans built and sold. Most Gemini's are bought buy just folks and not lease companies like the other 2 #1 and #2 as listed on another thread here. A lot of folks buy a Gemini as there first catamaran and move up to bigger catamarans when the market has real deals like now. We love our Gemini 105Mc with the screecher and would keep it untill we find a better deal ( like a lot of boaters monohull and multihull sailors alike). If our Gemini is the last boat we could own we would be well satified, but we are dreaming big this time and would love to buy a Gunboat.
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Old 02-11-2011, 12:11   #3
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Re: Gemini 105 MC

I work on one sometimes; I wrote a blog entry about my experiences.

Rebel Heart - Sailing, cruising, liveaboard blog and website - Eric's Blog - spent some time on a Gemini 105 catamaran this*week
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Old 02-11-2011, 12:56   #4
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Re: Gemini 105 MC

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The first thing you need to learn is in a marina PUT BOTH CENTER BOARDS DOWN AND YOU WILL NOT DRIFT SIDEWAYS too quickly to manuver well and it will act like a much heavier boat. You will need to use the centerboards and if you short cut and don't use the centerboards your not reading the instruction guide. If you go out in an open area and practice spinning the boat ( with the center boards down ) using a SPEED KNOB (my catamaran broker told me about the SPEED KNOB ) you will find out how easy you can put the boat anywhere you want even with a 20kt breeze in the marina ,I park our Gemini anywhere with practice and always let my wife off the back step onto any dock to tie up. Also if you sail in any wind direction other than down wind you will love the lifting the center boards add to the leward hull. I know I used to be LAZY about using the centerboards but not anymore, because everytime I forget to put the centerboards down correctly I screw up handling. I've read to keep both centerboards down about half to have better helm when surfing ocean waves at speeds above 12 kts up to 18kts , that was in an artical from the creater of Gemini cats Tony Smith.
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Old 02-11-2011, 13:08   #5
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Re: Gemini 105 MC

We had the centerboards down. The boat has substantially more windage and less wet surface areas to provide tracking than a conventional monohull which is what I was comparing it too. And it never really moved sideways; I should clarify that point. The boat was pulled around by the bow once enough wind hit it laterally, pivoting on the leeward centerboard.

It was a nice boat in a lot of ways, I'm not knocking the handling characteristics other than to mention that they are quite different than both a conventional mono and a conventional twin engine multi.
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Old 02-11-2011, 13:20   #6
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Re: Gemini 105 MC

webejammin wants a Gunboat.

I want an Antares 44i or a Maincat or a Maverick just don't know yet.

Our plans changed some too like those made by Man. Gonna be a little longer with plan B. Getting some good practice now though.

Looked for 2 years for ours (while planning ) always lots out there. Usually 3-4 pages. Now 4-5 pages (YW) just like all the other boats out there - more pages. Hmmm....

Trade offs? Yep, it's a boat. Bang for the buck? Yep, try to beat it!

Don. webe is right. Plus it is a different boat. Gotta learn it. How long do you want to stop and wait for the wind to have an effect on you? In the Gem you get it faster. Just like the cruise speeds. If you want to hang there just point stern to wind and tap it once in a while.

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Old 02-11-2011, 14:20   #7
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What about all the charter cats out there coming off charter? Would they be a good deal?
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Old 02-11-2011, 14:49   #8
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Re: Gemini 105 MC

One of the other reasons that you may be seeing so many newer 105's on the market is that their price range is such that more of us 'average types' can (could) finance them pretty easily. With the downturn in the economy, there may be more than a few folks looking to reduce their monthly nut.

This reality in no way impugns the Geminis. They really are a relatively good way to cross over to the 'dark side' and find out just how could it can be,
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Old 02-11-2011, 17:23   #9
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Re: Gemini 105 MC

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What about all the charter cats out there coming off charter? Would they be a good deal?
Kinda like asking if used cars are a good deal and the answer is "maybe".
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Old 02-11-2011, 18:06   #10
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Re: Gemini 105 MC

you should also look at the Lagoon 37s. There are three or four on the market right now. Don't know anything about Gemini, and I am prejudices to Lagoon 37s,
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Old 02-11-2011, 20:42   #11
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Re: Gemini 105 MC

One of the biggest advantages about a Gemini is paying the moorage on only a standard 40 ft slip ( which I did today ) because it's beam is 14 ft instead of wider like bigger cats. I should add we have a dingy hanging off our stearn and were about 39 ft long. Moorage in a std slip is a real advantage when traveling ,there's not always end slips to be had.
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Old 03-11-2011, 06:56   #12
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Re: Gemini 105 MC

Gemini has now completed it's 1106 boat and it's for sale, new. One reason they are so successful is that they found a good design and didn't change it much over the years and yes the older ones are pretty affordable but there's nothing wrong with them design-wise. One downside is that they really are coastal cruisers. Some people have taken them across the ponds but most agree they really are not a "blue" water cruiser. Nonetheless I like them and admire them for what they are. BOB
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Old 03-11-2011, 07:47   #13
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Re: Gemini 105 MC

SeaSeeker, I wonder if the one site that you said has 20 listings of Geminis is the Catamaran Company. They have been a Gemini dealer for years and bought Gemini last year and moved production from Maryland to Fla. Nothing wrong with that although some have complained that they cheapened up the interiors. BTW I think the CatCo are the biggest or 2nd biggest cat dealer worldwide. The other one being The Multihull Company. And both are in Fort lauderdale so if you want to shop with the biggest selection that's where you go. BOB
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Old 03-11-2011, 08:09   #14
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Re: Gemini 105 MC

I was also looking at the Gemini 105 MC's because they are priced pretty low, but then I started reading about the issues related to their low bridgedeck clearance. Stories about waves slapping the bridgedeck at anchor in 20 knots of wind are scaring me. I've never been on one, but would appreciate some honest comments from the owners about the clearance.
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Old 03-11-2011, 10:45   #15
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Re: Gemini 105 MC

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SeaSeeker, I wonder if the one site that you said has 20 listings of Geminis is the Catamaran Company. They have been a Gemini dealer for years and bought Gemini last year and moved production from Maryland to Fla. Nothing wrong with that although some have complained that they cheapened up the interiors. BTW I think the CatCo are the biggest or 2nd biggest cat dealer worldwide. The other one being The Multihull Company. And both are in Fort lauderdale so if you want to shop with the biggest selection that's where you go. BOB
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We used Mathew of North West Multihull of the Multihull Company out of Seattle as our agent and was well pleased, Mathew the owner had owned a Gemini 105Mc and knew lots of little things to help us understand our boat at the purchase in San Diago as he traveled there for the 3 days of test sail and survey inspection, the sellers agent didn't even show up.
About the slapping of the bridge deck, It does slap some but at anchor we only get a little splashing noise like being by a small creek but like most sailors we pick our anchor locations achording to the weather. Out sailing in wind waves of 5 to 6 ft if you sail at an angle to the waves you do not get much noise with a smoother ride and when you do get the odd wave it does not bounce an empty glass off the table even when healed at between 5 and 7 deg's which is the max you should heal a cat. The width between the hulls on a Gemini is narrower than most bigger cats and does not need all that much bridgedeck height and the amount of water that hits the bridge deck is much less than a beamier cat.
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