Newbie wants a CAT

[Oceanaut]

Hi there Newbie

I am also a newbie. We bought a 40' Admiral Catamaran about a year and a half ago and have done our dayskippers on her. We are currently busy with our Coastal practical after having completed the Coastal theory.

We bought the boat when she was about 18 months old with only 80 hours on the motors. She had had hardly been used. She cost us about 270,000 USD.

We are South African's and the boat we bought was manufactured here.

Admiral, Knysna, St Francis, Robertson & Caine, Maverick etc are all South African manufacturers.

I believe Admiral, St Francis and Knysna were all designed by Angelo Lavranos. They are regarded as good boats that handle difficult conditions well. Some complain that bridge-deck clearance is a bit low but we are very happy with ours.

The point is that these boats can be had at reasonable prices especially when bought second hand.

Google "Catamarans for sale South Africa" and follow the links to brokerages and see what they have on offer.

I think narrowing it down to just 2 or 3 manufacturers will exclude a lot of good boats from your potential list. Once you find something that looks like it is a candidate do your homework on the design and the manufacturer.

There has been some very good advice given here and I would totally agree with going with a well respected surveyor before finalising any purchase.

For us the qualifications are important to get us to a point where we will feel confident in managing the boat on our own under most circumstances. We believe that this will still take a year or two.

Kind regards and good luck!

[Canibul]

Originally Posted by 2Hulls

Well, there are plenty of deserted islands in the Carib. I've been to many of them, but this is another discussion.

No kidding. I could probaby list a couple dozen deserted islands as fast as I could write. And know where there's plenty more in several directions.

As for cruising, that line about "fixing boats in exotic locations" has turned out to be pretty true, especially with an older boat. Based upon my own newbie experience of it taking my also newbie wife and me 40 days to get this constantly breaking boat from Jacksonville to the Turks and Caicos.

I think I'd say that so far my cruising experience is a constant series of long days, trying to make miles during daylight hours, and up until 10 or midnight fixing things. Maybe "cruising" is a series of various repair, work arounds, and replacements until you look up out of the engine room hatch one day and realize you are anchored in some place you always wanted to see.

And have been there three days by the time you notice it. And that's only because you have a moment to look around while waiting for parts.

And we can't wait to get back to it. Full time. Took two carloads of perfectly good stuff to the dump yesterday. Four laptops. a thousand CDs. three cameras....

[Tdh001]

Originally Posted by Canibul

And have been there three days by the time you notice it. And that's only because you have a moment to look around while waiting for parts.

....

...that's the selling point right there...

BTW. I read on the Internet (and we all know how everything on the worldwide web is true) that CATs 40ft and longer get charged almost 2x as much in dockage... I also read that because of the 2x width, there's a 2x charge... anyone had any weird dockage fee stories because of being a CAT?

[2Hulls]

Originally Posted by Tdh001

BTW. I read on the Internet (and we all know how everything on the worldwide web is true) that CATs 40ft and longer get charged almost 2x as much in dockage... I also read that because of the 2x width, there's a 2x charge... anyone had any weird dockage fee stories because of being a CAT?

Not necessarily. There's a lot of variation. Most multi slips are T heads and there may be no "surcharge" at all.

2 Hulls Dave

[Canibul]

We've got a 40 ft. cat with a 17 ft. beam and 3 ft. draft. We can usually find a slip fairly easily. My favorites are the ones between the first finger piers and the shore. They're always single slips, but extra wide because of the shore slope and tide. But we also fit side by side with a lot of monos. It's been useful.

[yardie]

We are moored in Sicily. Due to a quirk in the pricing if we wanted to stay on a pontoon it would be 1.5x the normal price. I'm on dock wall with 1.4m under the boat. My boat has a draft of 1.1m. Since only cats and ribs can moor here I don't have to pay the premium.


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[Barra]

Originally Posted by yardie

We are moored in Sicily. Due to a quirk in the pricing if we wanted to stay on a pontoon it would be 1.5x the normal price. I'm on dock wall with 1.4m under the boat. My boat has a draft of 1.1m. Since only cats and ribs can moor here I don't have to pay the premium.


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yeah sometimes you get lucky and find a marina with common sense. other times you tie up ALONGSIDE an outside pontoon and get charged 2x just cos the price list says cats get charged 2x

Ive never heard of a boat being impounded because the skipper doesnt have ICC qualifications either BTW - what countries do this???

[millhouse_44]

Originally Posted by Barra

yeah sometimes you get lucky and find a marina with common sense. other times you tie up ALONGSIDE an outside pontoon and get charged 2x just cos the price list says cats get charged 2x

Ive never heard of a boat being impounded because the skipper doesnt have ICC qualifications either BTW - what countries do this???

There are a number of threads on this site and others that discuss the issue. I can only refer to what others have said I have no experience myself with impounding (thank goodness). I have heard one story with an article posted of a woman in the Netherlands and another gentleman in Belgium that got impounded. The gentleman actually had an ICC (or equivalent) and eventually produced it but from what I understand the woman had to get trained before she could get her boat back. It seems to be mostly a 'Euro' thing for now, but from what I understand things are getting more strict elsewhere in the world with both competency and radio licensing. In some ways it seems like a good thing, but could end up being a cash grab.

Millhouse

[Barra]

Originally Posted by millhouse_44

There are a number of threads on this site and others that discuss the issue. I can only refer to what others have said I have no experience myself with impounding (thank goodness). I have heard one story with an article posted of a woman in the Netherlands and another gentleman in Belgium that got impounded. The gentleman actually had an ICC (or equivalent) and eventually produced it but from what I understand the woman had to get trained before she could get her boat back. It seems to be mostly a 'Euro' thing for now, but from what I understand things are getting more strict elsewhere in the world with both competency and radio licensing. In some ways it seems like a good thing, but could end up being a cash grab.

Millhouse

If its Europe your worried about it dont sweat it. Like you say there are plenty of other threads on this re Europe. We have been sailing the med for the past 3 years as Australian flagged boat without any formal skippers qualifications. As many have said you only have to conform to your flags requirements.

We have had no problems being granted entry to any country let alone someone wanting to impound us!

We are leaving the med next year though and had thought maybe you knew of a situation elsewhere.

Radio licence is different - Australia requires it so we must have one.

[Tdh001]

A quick question re security/privacy.., are these boats boarded/searched on a regular basis (like when arriving at a new country) and if so, are they given free access to the entire boat or are bedrooms and private quarters private?

Does anyone have any firsthand knowledge of Fountaine Pajot's 40ft Lavezzi? I see a couple of 2007 models priced very reasonably (too reasonably perhaps... Makes me suspicious)....

Does FP enjoy a good reputation?


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[travellerw]

Originally Posted by Tdh001

A quick question re security/privacy.., are these boats boarded/searched on a regular basis (like when arriving at a new country) and if so, are they given free access to the entire boat or are bedrooms and private quarters private?

Does anyone have any firsthand knowledge of Fountaine Pajot's 40ft Lavezzi? I see a couple of 2007 models priced very reasonably (too reasonably perhaps... Makes me suspicious)....

Does FP enjoy a good reputation?


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You are entering a foreign country, by boat... Nothing is off limits, and if they suspect something they can tear your boat apart. If they find something (drugs, guns, ect) you will most likely loose your boat and possibly face jail time in that country. Again, I'm not speaking from experience, just research. It is a fact, that people have lost their boats.

FPs are still on my short list. The older ones (2004 and before) did have an issue with osmotic blisters, but I think they resolved that after 05 or so. I did a quick search on Yachtworld for the Levezzis you refer too. They are ex-charter boats, which is why they are priced that low. Many people don't like the layout of the Levezzi and say the galley is terrible. I haven't been on a Levezzi so I can't comment. The FPs I have been on, were very spartan and lacking on storage.

[Tdh001]

Ok... I seem to have found the right Cat at the right price for me (pictures and details when deal is closed)...

I have several questions but the 2 most important ones:

1. I'm buying a boat in the EU that is registered in the EU. What documents do I need to get from the owner/broker to prove that this is my boat? I plan on sailing it to FL and registering it there (I'm a FL resident)

2. What are the absolute essential navigation doohickeys (there might be a different nautical term for this category) I -a very inexperienced sailor on a very reliable sail boat- need to make it through the 17-25 days of passage easy to west.

ANY life saving advice is appreciated... )))

I may take on one or two people to help me with the sleep/watch cycle which brings me to another point: what do you do when you are alone in the middle of any ocean and you want to go to sleep? (Sea anchor? Reef the main, take all sails down, etc.) there is probably a host of different techniques people use. After all, there is no way people circumnavigate the world without sleeping "out there"....
We can safely assume that I will have all modern sailing electronics functioning before I leave the dock..,




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[2Hulls]

Originally Posted by Tdh001

1. I'm buying a boat in the EU that is registered in the EU. What documents do I need to get from the owner/broker to prove that this is my boat? I plan on sailing it to FL and registering it there (I'm a FL resident)

Well, for starters you'll need to import the boat into the US. Your broker should be able to advise you on that process. Then you should consider getting the boat documented (US flagged) and THEN get it registered in Fl.

2. What are the absolute essential navigation doohickeys (there might be a different nautical term for this category) I -a very inexperienced sailor on a very reliable sail boat- need to make it through the 17-25 days of passage easy to west.

For you an essential navigation doohickey sounds like a professional delivery Captain.

2 Hulls Dave

[Tdh001]

It does, doesn't it?
My potential future boat will be unregistered first, stay in the dock until it's documented by USCG and insured and then it can be registered in FL? Can I do all those things abroad or do I need to have the boat in FL to pay taxes and get registration?

What's a doohickey like that cost nowadays?


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[MokaKat]

I took a year sabatical last year and bought a 2009 Leopard L40, coming out of Moorings Charter in Belize. We had an excellent year, sailing in Belize, Guatemala, and Mexico. I then sold the boat, recovering most of my original investment. It was a great year, and I plan on doing it again, but for a longer period, after I retire (4 years or so). Our blog documented our sailing school, buying the boat, and the ups and downs of learning the crusing life. www.MokaKat.com