need advice on which cat to buy

[admiralslater]

Originally Posted by Dulcesuenos

Really??, you have substantiating data to back this or is just a bunch of opinionated hot air?

Don’t get sucked he is to ashamed to mention the boat he has .

[sailjumanji]

Originally Posted by navy davy

Any cat under 40ft in length has a danger of pitch polling ( flipping ) when surfing down a wave in big seas ! Keep this in mind when planning a passage .

Dang, now you tell me? Been sailing offshore in my 33 ft cat for thirteen years now, including pushing it in some long distance offshore races. We have plowed into the back of waves, but they generally just break over the bow, wash over the hard top, and dump into the back of the cockpit and drain. Yeah, when the front windows get opaque with boarding water, its a good idea to step forward under the hard top so you don't get a load of water down the back of your jacket. But never even a hint of pitch polling. Just a temporary slowing of the boat.

Now on my Corsair 28R, that boat could stuff bows and amas and make you feel like you were going to pitch pole. Even had a few times when it stuffed and the stern started coming up, but release the sheets, recover, and then haul a** again. Usually under spinnaker. Top speed logged was 23 knots, but lots of run at 19-20 knots.

But a 33 ft or 40 ft cat - rubbish.

[Factor]

Originally Posted by navy davy

Any cat under 40ft in length has a danger of pitch polling ( flipping ) when surfing down a wave in big seas ! Keep this in mind when planning a passage .

Rubbish

[valhalla360]

I think the PDQ's are a bit overpriced but otherwise really like them.

I would take an outboard over diesel in a heartbeat. The days of running the engine to top up the batteries are over. About the only advantage of diesel is if you want to run it to make hot water but in boating weather, a solar shower does quite nicely.

[weavis]

Originally Posted by stnick

Just dont buy a CAT. In big seas there is danger. Just to island hop long as danger is low
They can be quite comfortable

Oh please.....

[danielamartindm]

Originally Posted by navy davy

Any cat under 40ft in length has a danger of pitch polling ( flipping ) when surfing down a wave in big seas ! Keep this in mind when planning a passage .

Well, that's true of course; but that possibility exists for larger cats as well and, let's be honest, monohulls. Boat speed always needs attention in large following seas.

[BruceOz]

Thanks Admiralslater!

[Southern Star]

I don’t know, I think that raising the spectre of pitchpoling in a catamaran is very relevant to a thread discussing the relative merits of two different catamarans. We all know that monohulls don’t pitchpole. It is a long established fact: Miles and Beryl Smeeton, circumnavigators and CCA Blue Water award winners confirmed that in their seminal book ‘Once is Enough’, where their 46 foot monohull pitchpoled twice in efforts to round Cape Horn.

Cheers!

Brad

[waterman46]

There are places and conditions where outboard power is not safe due to large waves swamping them. Some harbor entrances provide pilots, where the entrance is subnect to shoaling and changing conditions. I know of one such in El Salvador where bar pilots will not service any outboard powered craft. That's enough for me to prevent me from avoiding outboard power for any cruising boat

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by waterman46

There are places and conditions where outboard power is not safe due to large waves swamping them. Some harbor entrances provide pilots, where the entrance is subnect to shoaling and changing conditions. I know of one such in El Salvador where bar pilots will not service any outboard powered craft. That's enough for me to prevent me from avoiding outboard power for any cruising boat

Can you point to any incidents where outboard powered cruising catamarans had their engines swamped and thus were unable to make it into a harbor?

I'm betting 95% of the local boats in San Salvador are outboard powered and do the same entrances on a regular basis.

Your example is leaving out a lot of details regarding why there is an issue and if it really applies to catamarans designed from the start to be outboard powered.

[waterman46]

Originally Posted by valhalla360

Can you point to any incidents where outboard powered cruising catamarans had their engines swamped and thus were unable to make it into a harbor?

I'm betting 95% of the local boats in San Salvador are outboard powered and do the same entrances on a regular basis.

Your example is leaving out a lot of details regarding why there is an issue and if it really applies to catamarans designed from the start to be outboard powered.

I apologize for not updating my research. The bar in question is at Bahia Del Sol. Latest info on noonsite makes no mention of any restrictions or advice regarding outboard powered boats.

[stnick]

I have a friend with a 40 foot cat from France. The french will not let builders in there country build a cat with out a escape hatch in the floor in case it tips. They have had it 25 years They fish sitting on the couch drinking bear . All while in AC and line in the water thru the main salon deck hatch . Thats living .

[sailjumanji]

Originally Posted by waterman46

There are places and conditions where outboard power is not safe due to large waves swamping them. Some harbor entrances provide pilots, where the entrance is subnect to shoaling and changing conditions. I know of one such in El Salvador where bar pilots will not service any outboard powered craft. That's enough for me to prevent me from avoiding outboard power for any cruising boat

Only place that we have encountered really large waves while trying to motor was coming in thru a pass with jetties on both sides. (Most times that we've encountered waves we had the sails up, not motoring.) Didn't have any issues with swamping. The Seawind 1000 has a cowling that is manufactured into the hull that protects the motor head though. I have never heard of any instance of swamping, and we have a pretty active owners forum in past years, and none reported.

That said, I have heard LOTS of reports of diesel-powered sailboats and motorboats having problems motoring in huge waves. Think about how many instances are reported of sludge or whatever in the diesel tank being churned up and killing motors. Don't think I've ever heard of that with a gasoline outboard.

[sailjumanji]

Originally Posted by valhalla360

I think the PDQ's are a bit overpriced but otherwise really like them.

I would take an outboard over diesel in a heartbeat. The days of running the engine to top up the batteries are over. About the only advantage of diesel is if you want to run it to make hot water but in boating weather, a solar shower does quite nicely.

Both of my Yamaha 9.9's have alternators. When we motor long distances, I turn on lights and other electric-powered equipment to keep from overcharging the battery. When we were cruising, it was a good time to run the watermaker as well.

Once we had the battery system completely crap out just before entering the Houston Ship Channel. Had just finished a spirited leg sailing from Grand Isle to Galveston. All electrics went dark. My motors have pull starts, so I pulled one and it started right up, and was enough juice to run the lights, GPS, radio, etc. Scared the crap out of us, because there was a lot of ship traffic then. Next day we realized the windlass had blown an linkable inline fuse between batteries. Replaced it and all was well.

My strong recommendation is that if you get twin outboards on your cat, get the model with pull start backup to electric start. That way if you lose a starter, or a solenoid or something else, you can pull start them to get them going.

[Factor]

Originally Posted by waterman46

There are places and conditions where outboard power is not safe due to large waves swamping them.

Never ever ever had an instance of outboards being "swamped" as you call it. As for you assertion re bars etc, Most of the VMR/Air Sea Rescue craft in my part of the world are in fact Outboard Powered