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Strygaldwir · 14-05-2007, 08:18

Hmmm...

I'd get some experience sailing with my girlfriend/partner/wife before I decided on a circumnavigation. This is just observation, (okay personal experience too) but women tend to react in... "unanticipated" ways to extended offshore sailing. You certainly can't say all women react the same, but you certainly should gain some experience with you and your partner before committing to that round the world jaunt.

Good luck, fair winds

Intentional Drifter · 14-05-2007, 12:13

Well, that's a cryptically interesting observation! As a male, I'm often mystified by the "unanticipated" behaviors of other members of the species. Would you please elaborate (if it won't get you in trouble!) on what you saw? I'm really curious.

ID

Stella Polaris · 14-05-2007, 21:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by Strygaldwir

I'd get some experience sailing with my girlfriend/partner/wife before I decided on a circumnavigation. This is just observation, (okay personal experience too) but women tend to react in... "unanticipated" ways to extended offshore sailing. You certainly can't say all women react the same, but you certainly should gain some experience with you and your partner before committing to that round the world jaunt.

I'll definitely try to get as much as time on a boat as possible. The problem with working inland (Beijing) in a foreign country (China) where "nobody" sails is that it's much more difficult to get that sort of experience. We'll do at least a couple of more charters, but doing long offshore passages before we sell up and set sail is unrealistic.
I know it's not optimal, but we're both confident that it'll work. As long as she is truly committed (and she is) I'm not too worried.

jzk · 03-06-2007, 07:38

I would say that there are strong reasons to go with the Cat. I much prefer monos for day sailing because they are faster in lighter air, and really give you the "sailing experience." A mono going 7 knots is exciting and makes you feel alive.

The Cat dumbs down the sailing feel. The motion is dampened, and at 7 knots I have to keep looking to see if we are really going 7. However, you are less likely to spill your coffee. Your wife/girlfriend will be able walk around the cabin without finding handholds to guide her every step. And she will love the room.

Redbull addict · 16-06-2007, 22:54

We're still deciding on our purchase and the Cat vs. Mono evaluation is still not over for us either. We've chartered the last 3 vacations on Cat's and like the deck space, number of cabins, stability at anchor, shallow draft and visibility out of the main saloon.

Our pro's for owning a mono for us is berthing cost and availability where we live. The sailing motion for me is more pleasant on a mono. I also like the feel of sailing a mono as the lean gives me a feel for what the boat is experiencing. The cat feels like a houseboat. Upwind Sailing performance is a big plus and a requirement for me. it seems I'm almost always needing to go upwind.

I know we often generalize and say cats are more stable, they are faster, they offer more space....but for us, when we looked at specific multis in our price range (Lagoons, FPs in the 36-40ft range) and then compared them our mono list (40-48ft) the living space wasn't that much smaller on the mono's and the owner cabins were actually as large or bigger in some cases on the mono's. Draft is ~3 ft for the cats and ~5-6ft for the mono's. The 2-3 feet would make a difference in the bahamas but for us, in the places where we sail it wouldn't matter. Stability in marinas when tied to a dock is fine and equal in my mind. Only when anchored/mooring or sailing does the cats stability come into play and I've already mentioned that I enjoy sailing a mono more and prefer the motion. At anchor we will suffer some compared to a cat, but some mono's are worse than others.

schoonerdog · 18-06-2007, 13:50

this is a mono vs multi in terms of space. A bavaria 42 which is quite roomy for a mono vs a st francis 44 which is in terms of multis one more aimed at performance than space. It's very hard to get an accurate picture of space without really doing a layout side by side like this, sort of the same way it's hard to judge different stereo speakers without having them side by side.

windwoman · 19-06-2007, 09:33

I'm looking for stories from Leopard cat sailors. Guess we made our decision regarding mono vs multi. Our first sail involved 55+ knots and marble size hail. She was stable as can be. I love my cat. We are based in Florida and looking to meet other owners. I was glad to find this forum and look forward to learning more about cruising.

Troutbridge · 20-06-2007, 11:59

Just gone through the same debate. I used to live on a 39' mono and after a couple of years took her out to the Caribbean (usual route, from Channel isles, France, Spain, Portugal Madeira & Canaries. I spent about 6/7 months living in the Caribbean before running out of money and selling the boat (long, complicated story). anyway, I've now finally 'got it together' (hopefully) and decided it was time to go again. I have no great ambitions to do any high latitude sailing so thought about what I actually wanted in a boat. Even in a rapid circumnavigation you're going to spend about 80% of the time at anchor or tied up in a marina. A leisurely cruise and I reckon that would be closer to 90% of the time.
For me, the lack of rolling at anchor, the ability to sail upright (the 'trade wind roll' may be awfully romantic but it's bloody tiring) and as already mentioned the ease of storing a dingy at night clinched it. I chose a Broadblue 385, new. Fully equipped (as far as I can visualise it) the boat will cost circa £210,000 ex VAT.
I've chartered a Moorings 4500 and sailed in various parts of the world on a friends 35' Banshee. Not an ideal boat for a liveaboard, but they made it to NZ from the Channel Isles! I'm taking a bit of a leap into the unknown because I haven't sailed any great distances on a cat, but all things considered I reckon I made the right choice. The other consideration was there's not quite so much 'clambering about' on a cat and none of us is getting any younger. I also considered resale value down the road and so resisted the temptation to turn the third cabin into a storeage/workroom.
I really don't think that cats are really that much faster on a long trip, maybe a couple of days on an Atlantic crossing, but I think (hope) that it'll be more comfortable.
A final thought. As the idea is to enjoy the sailing (blue skies, dolphins bow riding, brown boobies etc)and arrive with nothing broken (unlikely, I know) I tend to be a bit sceptical when people talk about cats as being real speed machines. By the time you've loaded up with cruising stores a lot (but not all) of the speed advantage will have gone. I've made my decision, don't know if it's the right one. By this time next year I should be en route, so I guess I'll be starting to find out the answer. Good sailing and whatever you choose, enjoy!

Tropic Cat · 13-07-2007, 18:16

Those boat layouts can be misleading. I figure a cat has 25% more interior space than an aft cockpit mono for the same LOA. On the other hand, I've been on some center cockpit monos which amaze me with their use of space.

We've had our small cruising cat for two years now and if the truth be told, the next boat will definately be a larger cat. Once you get over the way the boat looks and actually spend time on one, it's hard going back. Besides, I'm no spring chicken so I'm all for "no clambering about".

Yotboss · 13-07-2007, 23:06

Having cruised and raced cat for 7 years, we have observed the following:

We get to where we are going faster than most monomarans. The longer the distance, the better the chance that we will get there near the front of the pack. Racing monos will beat cruising cats most of the time. Racing cats will beat everybody always (well, almost). If you are performance oriented, as we are, there's a lot you can do to maximize your cat's capabilities.

When we get to our destination, we are more rested, in better spirits and have fewer whines than the tilted people and usually host the party because we have the room.

It really isn't important to us that we are faster than everbody else. Our goal is to achieve the best balance of safety, speed and comfort. If we only average the same speed as the monos but have a much more comfortable ride, then we're happy.

After owning and skippering numerous vessels, mono and multi, I'll take a seaworthy cat any day over a leaner, especially for cruising in the trades.

schoonerdog · 14-07-2007, 21:55

I too have been aboard center cockpit monos which are amazing for their use of space, but in terms of space appealing to the eye, the monohull is typically remembered as bigger. One remembers the biggest room in a boat when you walk away with your impression of space. I believe one tenant in Frank Lloyd Wright's design tenants is to allow the eye to be able to wander from one end of the building to the other. With a monohull it can with proper cutouts in bulkheads be made to appear as one big room with high ceilings and "varied horizons". The catamaran does in fact have much more room, probably 50% more room, but it's divided into 5 completely seperated cabins and sometimes a large walled off watertight forward section. It means many things, more watertight bulkheads, reserve bouyancy, more privacy, but not the big sense of space that some monos have. There are exceptions, a prout 45 has the bridge deck cabin extend far more forward and athwartships then most, so when inside you see through a cutout forward bulkhead into the forward cabin and down into the sides of the hulls thus presenting to you an eye popping 18 x 22 ft cabin when you walk in which is absolutely huge.

[quote=rickm505]Those boat layouts can be misleading. I figure a cat has 25% more interior space than an aft cockpit mono for the same LOA. On the other hand, I've been on some center cockpit monos which amaze me with their use of space.
quote]

Amgine · 25-09-2007, 07:01

There's been very little discussion of actual, factual differences between the two concepts, and there's a good reason: even though there are differences in loads, performance, etc. they are relatively minor when measured between with personal aesthetics and lifestyle differences.

Which in simpler language means: go with what you like.

If you don't have a gut reaction toward one or away from another, use a different criteria like price or feature set. But don't make the assumption you can pick one or the other because it's objectively "better". They both excel at nearly all the same criteria: they get you where you're going if you take the time to study and learn how best to cruise them.

beau · 28-09-2007, 00:36

There is another way?
Have a look at Multihulls/beau's boat on this forum.

I have designed a power trimaran for my wife and i to live on very comfortably and cruise the world. It is part power boat 10-20 knots speed with a sail assist for the downwind runs.
It is 40 ft long for comfort in a seaway and yet has the feel of a monohull with the accomodation.
Shallow draft 1 ft.
I had the shell built out of aluminium by a professional boatyard and I am fitting it out myself for an all up cost of under $200,000
It also fits inside a 40 ft container.

The main aspect that you need to consider for long range cruising is
NOT SAILING TO A SCHEDULE.
Once you can accept that concept, you wait for a weather window and go like **** to your next destination. If the weather is calm which it is most of the time in tropical areas you can travel a long way at 20 knots / hour.
If you feel comfortable with the weather situation put up your sail or cruise at 10 knots very very economically.

If you are interested I could have a similiar design and an aluminium shell in aluminium built for you and shipped anywhere in the world for under $100,000

Stella Polaris · 14-02-2008, 18:49

Hi Everyone.

Thank you for your input on this thread. When I started this thread one year ago I was torn between going sailing on a mono or a multi. I actually made up my mind a few months ago, but I haven't gotten around to posting here before now.

My choice is a catamaran

Based on the type of circumnavigation I want to make I think a catamaran is ideal. If I was doing a high latitude circumnavigation I might come to a different conclusion.

The hunt is on for a cat and I'm sure many of you have seen the thread "Characteristics of a circumnavigating Cat". Within the year I'm hoping to be the proud owner of a new catamaran ... though right now I have no idea which cat I'll be buying, but the search is narrowing and I'm getting closer.

Again, thank you for everyones input.