One more hand holding session for a monohull sailor

[TacomaSailor]

Hello all in the Catamaran World.

I have posted several questions here in the last year and have gotten some great answers and information. Now, I need just a little more hand holding!

My wife and I have been racing and sailing monohulls (Sunfish, C-scows, 460s, Ton-boats, Tartan 42s, etc) and sailboards for over 40 years. We have also done quite a bit of cruising from the North end of Vancouver Island to Acapulco in our Caliber 40 during the last 20 years. We have lived aboard off and on during the last 14 years. I have single handed our Caliber 40 cutter all over the Sea of Cortez, Southern California, and Puget Sound.

Our Caliber 40 is our only home and we live on it in San Diego bay. I am 67 and my wife is 59 years old.

Last winter and again late last summer we looked long and hard at a couple 40ish foot catamarans for our next long distance cruising and live aboard adventures. We eventually chickened out and did not buy the cat.

Today, my wife shocked me when she ran into our friend Matt who is a salesman for a catamaran company and is also a professional sailor on a lot of racing cats. She told Matt that she wanted to make an offer on Adagio, a Brazapi 51 that we have toured several times. She is now quite serious about buying Adagio.

I know I have gotten some answers about these questions in the past but I need a little more assurance we have not lost our minds and embarked on a journey that is more than we are able to handle.

We want to sail south from San Diego thru Mexico (we’ve done that twice in 40 or so foot monohulls), continue south to Panama, thru the canal and then spend a number of years in the Florida Keys, Bahamas, Turks, Caicos. We will probably not buy a shore side residence for another five years.

- Is it sensible for an older, albeit very experienced, sailing couple to double hand a 51’ x 28’ catamaran that is a relatively high performance design?

- Is there any reason we should doubt our ability to manage that large a boat?

- I have no doubt about my ability to single hand our Caliber 40 monohull anywhere in the world – is that sufficient experience to take off to Mexico with almost no catamaran experience?

Thanks for any hand holding or hair pulling you can offer.

[colemj]

I have actually been on Adagio. It was owned by a pretty clueless owner and wife (the wife didn't even know what kind of catamaran it was and the husband wasn't sure and told me to ask the captain he hired), as well as captained by a constantly very drunk person.

But it is a wonderful boat. If it is in good survey I envy your choice to snag it. While a higher performance cruising design, this is not a bleeding edge boat. It is very much a cruising boat with good performance. And absolutely beautiful lines - you will never tire of looking at it.

I wouldn't expect you to have any issues double handing this boat, and that means single handing during watches with another on board - the usual.

If in good survey, I can't see anything wrong with your proposition.

The only holdup may be your application into the multihull community. We vet these seriously and you have to be in the very top percentile of good looking, smart, witty and other, more secret, qualities. Hopefully your wife can outshine some of your deficiencies…

Mark

[TacomaSailor]

"The only holdup may be your application into the multihull community. We vet these seriously and you have to be in the very top percentile of good looking, smart, witty and other, more secret, qualities. Hopefully your wife can outshine some of your deficiencies…"

The wife of 40+ years absolutely outshines me and she is used to keeping me underwraps or out of sight so high quality folks with discerning tastes, as you describe, will not think poorly of her and her choices.

Although, she is the one choosing and driving us to the purchase of Adagio.

She has been trying to get me to buy a big cat since late 2000 when we toured a 55 foot something in Coos Bay, Oregon on our first trip to Mexico from Seattle. We had been wallowing about the North Pacific for days and she was ready for the stability of a big cat.

It has only taken me 15 years to catch up with her good idea. But - isn't that the way it is in long term marriages?

[2Hulls]

Originally Posted by TacomaSailor

- Is it sensible for an older, albeit very experienced, sailing couple to double hand a 51’ x 28’ catamaran that is a relatively high performance design?

- Is there any reason we should doubt our ability to manage that large a boat?

Yes and No.

First, a Brazapi is a lustful boat. The only problem is the fact that it's a design rather than a builder and you're subject to that variable. But please invite me aboard for a windward sail...

Assuming the build is good, you will have no problem handling the boat with at least an electric winch for the mainsail. The Admiral and I are small people and we do fine on our C471. PM me for more specific questions.

Go for it. You will outsail just about everyone out there.

2 Hulls Dave

[a64pilot]

I know nothing about Cats, but ask yourself this, could you do this in three years?
I assume you can afford the thing, and just maybe when help may be good to have, can it be that hard to find?
I'd go for it, how often do you get this chance?


Sent from my iPad using Cruisers Sailing Forum

[UNCIVILIZED]

Based on what you've said, my vote's for buying it also. And as to your concerns about the learning curve, you pretty much know how to handle all of the chores onboard.
My transition from a 33' lead mine, to a 31' engineless trimaran was pretty painless.

In terms of building in some of the instantaneous responses which you might need on a cat, like helming techniques when the wind strengthens unexpectedly. Then buying a pre-loved beach cat as a learning tool is an option. As small boats, regardless of the number of hulls, have always been the way to learn quickly & well. As you're a lot more in tune with the wind, water, & the boat's responses to your input.

Worst case, you have to hire a "sailing master" for a bit, to show you the ropes so to speak. Although I'm thinking that most likely, the biggest thing to learn will be docking the thing. Due to the high windage, & lack of momentum (no keel to provide such). But it doesn't take long really. Especially for those with experience, like the two of you.

[Sand crab]

Brazapi was a Belgian builder. They moved to Sri Lanka and are now called Barramundi.
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ge-102387.html

History

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[FSMike]

TacomaSailor -
Sent you a pm.

[arsenelupiga]

been on eric lergue boat.

great boat designed by person that loves sailing cats.

make sure you have enough money for maintenance. mast replacement not a joke $ wise.

highly recommended if you ok to sacrifice some comfort for speed. At 51 ft that should not be an issue.

[Kara Kara]

so does that mean the 40 mono is going cheap ?

[smj]

Originally Posted by arsenelupiga

been on eric lergue boat.

great boat designed by person that loves sailing cats.

make sure you have enough money for maintenance. mast replacement not a joke $ wise.

highly recommended if you ok to sacrifice some comfort for speed. At 51 ft that should not be an issue.

As he's moving from a 40' monohull I don't think he will be sacrificing any comfort on the LeRouge designed cat.

[colemj]

Originally Posted by arsenelupiga

make sure you have enough money for maintenance. mast replacement not a joke $ wise.

Mast replacement is maintenance? Most people don't even plan on mast replacement because the need is so rare.

Mark

[Southern Star]

And why would mast replacement be any more of a consideration on a catamaran than on a monohull? In fact, since monohulls are many times more likely to have knock-downs which can damage the rig, it is probably more common in a monohull.

Brad

[arsenelupiga]

Originally Posted by Southern Star

And why would mast replacement be any more of a consideration on a catamaran than on a monohull? In fact, since monohulls are many times more likely to have knock-downs which can damage the rig, it is probably more common in a monohull.

Brad

Sure, however if one pushes the boat and targets 300+ miles days, rigging will suffer.

If more conservative, no issues.

[Southern Star]

Tacomasailor, I suspect that with your experience you will have few problems adjusting to sailing a cat and I would not recommend that you start out sailing beach cats in order to get the necessary experience! You will not be flying a hull on a cruising cat and I suspect that the experience will only cause fear and discomfort that you need not go through at your current ages.

And trust me, age is a factor. Over the years I have lost sight of the appeal of having to climb a steep companioway ladder while heeling. I no longer enjoy meal preparation on a gimballed stove wearing weather gear">foul weather gear. Heck, I don't even like rolling at anchor, or while motoring!

I am not saying that this is the boat you should buy (although it is a great boat) - and having advertised your intention re: a specific boat, you may find the vendor to be a little less flexible on pricing. Indeed, if your intention is to spend most of your time in the Caribbean/Bahams/Turks and Caicos, why not buy one in Florida or the Caribbean where you will have relatively benign conditions in which to gain experience (to say nothing of a much bigger market).

Anyway, since I made the leap to a catamaran I have NEVER regretted it.

Brad