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08-01-2013, 15:00
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#1
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Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Berkeley Marina - San Francisco, CA
Boat: Glastron Spirit 28 - 28ft - Sizzle
Posts: 4
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Rafting two catamarans together
Hi there,
I searched for 'rafting' but couldn't find what I was looking for, so I'm trying out a post! Traveling to the caribbean this winter and will be traveling with another charter boat. My boat is a 47' and the other is a 43', both catamarans. I've rafted a cat and a monohull many times as well as two or more monohulls many times. Any special advice for rafting two cats together while at anchor?
I believe moorings are all designed for one boat, so I assume that rafting together on a mooring won't fly. Any thoughts there? (although my primary question is about rafting/anchoring together).
Techniques, do's, don'ts are all appreciated.
Thank you,
Erik
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08-01-2013, 15:25
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#2
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Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Massachusetts
Boat: Finnsailer 38
Posts: 5,077
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Re: Rafting two catamarans together
There can be problems with widely different freeboards and hull deadrise, meaning that sometimes the higher freeboard boat's rub rail is hitting the lifeline stanchions or even the stays on the other boat. Also, if your rub rails are too close together they can clash when there is wave action and cause damage. Obviously, the biggest fenders possible, and plenty of them, helps. At least you won't have the problem monos do of getting on opposite rolls and hitting masts and rigging.
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08-01-2013, 15:47
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#3
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Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Portugal
Boat: Between boats at the moment aka Fender
Posts: 358
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Re: Rafting two catamarans together
It's not a problem.
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08-01-2013, 16:28
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#4
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Registered User
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Alameda, California
Boat: Chris White Atlantic 42
Posts: 104
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Re: Rafting two catamarans together
Lagoon 38 rafted to Atlantic 42 LightSpeed in Hot Springs Cove, British Columbia.
Rafting tips:
1). Instruct your crew to NOT put themselves between the boats while rafting. This is not the time for heroics like jumping or stretching too far.
2). Use lots of fenders and tie them to stantion bases or cleats not the lifelines.
3). Do raft where you are not likely to get hit by large power boat wakes.
4). Do offset the boats so the mast are not aligned. The goal is to eliminate the possibility of rigging hitting/tangling. This is most important if one of the boats is a monohull as a wake could cause the monohull to roll and swing the mast into the others rigging. I've seen a topping lift get broken this way and the boom fall into a cockpit of people= not good.
5). Do use long spring lines and breast lines. Lines tied directly between cleats on similar boats might be short leaving little line to stretch. Longer arrangement's take advantage of the stretchy shock absorbing nature of dock lines.
6). Tie up in such a way as either boat can untie without the help of the neighboring crew. Run lines to the neighbor boat around a cleat and back to your boat. This way you can slip your lines without having to board or wake the neighbors, perfect for an early morning start or a middle of the night anchor dragging situation.
7). If multiple boats will be rafted consider deploying multiple bow and stern anchors.
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08-01-2013, 16:41
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#5
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cruiser
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Key West FL - Burlington VT
Boat: O'day 32 CC Ketch
Posts: 493
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Re: Rafting two catamarans together
I've recently become obsessed with round fenders. They seem to work better than the sausage style, as they are the choice of the commercial guys. My wife thinks im nuts for eventually spending $450ish to change over to five 18" round fenders. My old sausages are mis-matched, dirty, and old. But work fine, I just now want 5 new round fenders. Someone at dock said "naw ya gotta blow them up when you need them" My response "I'm a busy man and don't have time for that sh*t" as if I was breaking some yachtie code of fenders.
Go round, Round wont let you down.
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08-01-2013, 16:46
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#6
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Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 11
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Re: Rafting two catamarans together
You talk about the Carribean. It's a big place. Each governing island can have different regs on moorings. Look at the BVI. The regs indicate that 60 feet is the max for an overnight mooring. You start lashing two <2> forty footers together and you're winding up with an 80 foot vessel exerting its forces on the mooring anchor. That's a bit much. Of course if someone will be on watch to keep an eye out for spin drift that's one thing. But, if both crews head in for a four hour stint on-island, you open the door for a major PROB. Same thing if you overnight it and no one is left on watch.
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08-01-2013, 22:51
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#7
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Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Sydney
Boat: Egan 12.40, Carter 33, Seawind 24
Posts: 163
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Re: Rafting two catamarans together
Quote:
Originally Posted by RabidRabbit
I've recently become obsessed with round fenders. They seem to work better than the sausage style, as they are the choice of the commercial guys. My wife thinks im nuts for eventually spending $450ish to change over to five 18" round fenders. My old sausages are mis-matched, dirty, and old. But work fine, I just now want 5 new round fenders. Someone at dock said "naw ya gotta blow them up when you need them" My response "I'm a busy man and don't have time for that sh*t" as if I was breaking some yachtie code of fenders.
Go round, Round wont let you down.
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Fenders are cheaper than repairs, that investment has gotta be less than your insurance excess. You need some sausages too for lashing to a fender board to lay against piles, too much aint enough when it comes to fenders. Jeff. ......
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14-01-2013, 07:39
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#8
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Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: North Carolina
Boat: Seaward 22
Posts: 1,027
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Re: Rafting two catamarans together
Make sure to clear rafting with your charter company. Some do not allow it.
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14-01-2013, 09:34
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#9
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Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: W Carib
Boat: Wildcat 35, Hobie 33
Posts: 13,479
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Re: Rafting two catamarans together
Another suggestion for rafting in general...go your separate ways at night unless you are in an extremely well protected anchorage. If the wind/waves pick-up then so does the likelihood of damage/injury. Two boats lashed together in a squall when the hook drags is not going to a fun evening.
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14-01-2013, 11:56
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#10
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Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Berkeley Marina - San Francisco, CA
Boat: Glastron Spirit 28 - 28ft - Sizzle
Posts: 4
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Re: Rafting two catamarans together
Thank you all for the replies! If we wanted to deploy two bow anchors for extra security what should be the procedure? Obviously one boat drops, sets. Does the other boat drop/set and then raft? Or raft, then dinghy out the second bow anchor and attempt to drop/set? The other skipper and I have been going back and forth, but I was imagining that both cats would drop/set and then maneuver to raft.
Thoughts?
We're chartering in the windward islands (St. Vincent to Grenada one-way) through TMM. Sorry for not mentioning that earlier.
ERik
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14-01-2013, 15:13
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#11
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Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Massachusetts
Boat: Finnsailer 38
Posts: 5,077
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Re: Rafting two catamarans together
My preference would be to tie up and then take out a second anchor in the dinghy. Just imagine the trick of dropping an anchor in a windy Caribbean anchorage upwind of another boat and then maneuvering in reverse to end up alongside gently, while someone else pays out chain and line on the bow and other people catch lines. I think that would be pretty tricky. I have seen folks raft up first, and then pull in the first anchor while motoring off to one side slowly, then dropping the second anchor while rafted up and falling back. Obviously, you don't go ahead far enough to trip out the first anchor.
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17-01-2013, 18:45
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#12
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Registered User
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 38
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Re: Rafting two catamarans together
What happens when wind shifts directions and you have two anchors out? Sounds like a nightmare
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18-01-2013, 00:47
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#13
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Marine Service Provider
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 911
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Re: Rafting two catamarans together
Boatpoint is ok.
Yacht and Boat is hopeless and half of the photos don't match the advertised boat.
There are some other randoms like MDBS sell yachts/power boats in Australia-Asia-New Zealand-Noumea that sometimes have some gems.
As stated earlier the good ones don't seem to make it to the big sites, they sell first locally.
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17-02-2013, 17:36
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#14
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Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Nelson NZ
Boat: Novara 16.4m catamaran
Posts: 57
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Re: Rafting two catamarans together
Arrrgh, yr all bunnies, if yr gunna raft, get every-one involved. This was in a very sheltered anchorage in Tasmania, all hanging off one 60lb anchor in the centre. Stayed all night and had a legendary party!!
Rob
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