If I compromise will i ever know?!

[Therapy]

Slightly blue as.....................
...............................................I.. ....................
.................................................. .....................Ty..........
.................................................. ..........................p...........
.................................................. ..............................e.....

[Thenaz007]

Thanks everyone for the group perspective. It is encouraging to me that someone else walked away from Miami and liked the St. Francis 50 for overall cost / performance/ size vs. Lagoon, Leopard, Catana, etc. I would have loved to see a Privalege, FP, Gunboat, etc. I appreciate that It might be better to pay my dues in a smaller cat. I intend to get out for at least 3 weeks in 3 different large cats before making my decision. I am also thinking about picking up a Hobie and paying some dues on it. I feel as if I could start in the BVI and never do more than day sail until my confidence improves. I envy you salty sailors, lashed to the mast in a gale and chewing on a crust of bread - but it is true I am mostly about kicking back and enjoying the party. I might never leave the virgin islands! I was looking at trawlers and the most efficient were cats - so why not have a sail? I am thinking my experience on large twin engine boats counts for something. So what if I motor upwind sometimes? I hear I won't be the only one....

[Palarran]

I've owned an old Venture 16, Solcat 18, Hobie 18, and Hobie 20. If your going for a Hobie - the 20 is one awesome machine. So fast it scared me a couple of times. I used to have my sister stand on the boom and lay back into the sail as I went up on one. We could hold it steady for miles on Lake Michigan. I could go on and on about that boat but suffice to say I never regreted spending the money for a Hobie 20 Miracle.

[GordMay]

Do I understand correctly that you plan to spend a week on a livaboard sailing course on a Leopard 45 - and expect that (and perhaps afew comments here on the CF) will set your expectations for a 300 - 400 thousand dollar investment?

Let me suggest that:
1. You're not as anal about "details" as most Engineers, that I know.
2. “A little knowledge is a dangerous thing”, but it's not near so dangerous as a lot of ignorance.”

[Thenaz007]

I meant that the week on the Leopard would set my performance standard. Faster cats will feel fast, slower will feel slow. Windward performance, etc., will then be judged from that baseline. In the 4 weeks since I became infatuated with the idea of my cat trawler having a sail I have devoured $400 worth of books, spent 4 days on 20 cats at the boat show">Miami boat show, spent a day each on cat charters in Naples and Provo, scoured the internet, and joined this forum. At this point, how much more educated do you think I should be? I know very little so far about actually sailing and living on board a catamaran, but thank you, Mr. Moderator, for your very accurate quotes.

[David_Old_Jersey]

Originally Posted by GordMay

“A little knowledge is a dangerous thing”, but it's not near so dangerous as a lot of ignorance.”

Absolutely love that!!.........will tuck it away for future use :cubalibre

But, I thought a little unfair to aim at Thenaz007

[fastcat435]

I feel Thenaz 007 should as much as he can go around the forum , boat shows , test sails . visit new and used cats for sale etc . This is the only way to get a feel of what one really wants , I cannot call that ignorant, It is the way most people develop in life.

Good luck OO7 in the hunt for a Cat
Do not shoot one

[fbchristo]

I single handed a Main Cat 41 and although I am not going to make it "my" retirement boat for a lot of reasons, it sailed fast, responded well, had lots of room inside (a full shower and 2 quueen and 2 v berths) and all could be controled from the helm, including the windless for the anchor.

Fred

[Thenaz007]

I really liked the Maine Cat 41 for a performance boat. Accomodations are a little tight for a livaboard to my taste.

[solarbri]

Long Live Fascat and all of his observations, idea, thoughts, promotions, and even his sales pitches...
The guy is clearly an honest, objective, and excitable individual.
I know I for one am working on my wife and the purse strings so that I might have a chance to do business with this individual in the near future... and I'm about as knowledgable and experienced as Thenaz007!!

[Nordic cat]

Originally Posted by Thenaz007

I meant that the week on the Leopard would set my performance standard. Faster cats will feel fast, slower will feel slow. Windward performance, etc., will then be judged from that baseline. In the 4 weeks since I became infatuated with the idea of my cat trawler having a sail I have devoured $400 worth of books, spent 4 days on 20 cats at the Miami boat show, spent a day each on cat charters in Naples and Provo, scoured the internet, and joined this forum. At this point, how much more educated do you think I should be? I know very little so far about actually sailing and living on board a catamaran, but thank you, Mr. Moderator, for your very accurate quotes.

Don't be put off by all trhe experts 15 years ago, i had never sailed a monohull or a keel boat, wanted to sail using the wind, looked at the options. As an engineer, the only logical way as far as I could see was a multihull. I chose a cat for the space and privacy it offered us as parents with 2 young kids.
I bought the first boat i looked at, as it was what i could afford. (an Iroquois - 32 ft) Got a friend who once owned a monohull to help with the delivery trip- only 100 miles in coastal waters.
From then on, I did some reading on sail trim, an understanding of how sails work etc. Got caught in irons a few times - just fired up the engine the first couple of times, until someone told me how to reverse the rudder.
Basically, learning by doing. For short trips you can always fire up the engines if the boat won't go where you want...

Build your skills and confidence, and enjoy.

I reckon boats are a bit like houses, its probably the third one that ticks most of the boxes, because then you know enough to be able to make well balanced compromises.

My suggestion is:
Buy something that is easy to sell, not a new boat to begin with, learn the ropes, then get something closer to what you want. Don't invest in a whole lot of upgrades on the first boat, as you probably won't get it covered when selling again.

Good luck

Regards

Alan

[fastcat435]

Originally Posted by Nordic cat

Don't be put off by all trhe experts 15 years ago, i had never sailed a monohull or a keel boat, wanted to sail using the wind, looked at the options. As an engineer, the only logical way as far as I could see was a multihull. I chose a cat for the space and privacy it offered us as parents with 2 young kids.
I bought the first boat i looked at, as it was what i could afford. (an Iroquois - 32 ft) Got a friend who once owned a monohull to help with the delivery trip- only 100 miles in coastal waters.
From then on, I did some reading on sail trim, an understanding of how sails work etc. Got caught in irons a few times - just fired up the engine the first couple of times, until someone told me how to reverse the rudder.
Basically, learning by doing. For short trips you can always fire up the engines if the boat won't go where you want...

Build your skills and confidence, and enjoy.

I reckon boats are a bit like houses, its probably the third one that ticks most of the boxes, because then you know enough to be able to make well balanced compromises.

My suggestion is:
Buy something that is easy to sell, not a new boat to begin with, learn the ropes, then get something closer to what you want. Don't invest in a whole lot of upgrades on the first boat, as you probably won't get it covered when selling again.

Good luck

Regards

Alan

Something else you might want to do if you have the time is become a crew member on a delivery of a catamaran for a 3 to 5 week trip and that way you will know what it is all about it will save you to purchase the try out boat and you might even find out it is not for you or that living on a cat is everything.Plenty of Catamarans leave South Africa for the carribean or the Med and this will give you 8000 nm experience with minimal cost.

Good Luck

Gideon

[BigCat]

Fastcat, since the manufacturer of your resin doesn't publish its properties on the internet, and since you claim great things for it, I wonder if you would be willing to publish its tensile strength and elongation before breaking? Epoxy varies a great deal in these properties, and some well-respected epoxy resin have properties lower than Reichhold vinylester resins which are designed to reach maximum strength without postcuring (baking.)

Thanks,

BigCat

[Therapy]

Originally Posted by fastcat435

Something else you might want to do if you have the time is become a crew member on a delivery of a catamaran for a 3 to 5 week trip and that way you will know what it is all about it will save you

Gideon

There have been several like that and what I find out is no one really wants a person with monohull experience from the past and no "real" recent experience. They are not interested in crew aboard to get taught things.

The charter stuff is just too expensive. 4k for a week........just for the boat! I'm thinking that is a plotter, batteries, water heater, bottom job, or some such "upgrade". But I guess if one is looking at 400k cat then pissing 6k away on a week of charter (like it will teach you much) (maybe a school week?) is probably pretty painless huh?

Oh well back to the MacGreggor thread.

[Randall]

Originally Posted by BigCat

Fastcat, since the manufacturer of your resin doesn't publish its properties on the internet, and since you claim great things for it, I wonder if you would be willing to publish its tensile strength and elongation before breaking? Epoxy varies a great deal in these properties, and some well-respected epoxy resin have properties lower than Reichhold vinylester resins which are designed to reach maximum strength without postcuring (baking.)

Thanks,

BigCat

Did i fall into a different thread..