Seawind 1000XL2 for circumnavigation

[PTMD]

Hi all,

We are new to these forums and we are looking to do a circumnavigation. We have spent countless hours, years even, looking at boats. We settled on a catamaran a long time ago based on our needs. Since then, despite looking at tons of boats, we always came back to the Seawind 1000. Then, a year ago, Seawind outsourced the boat to Corsair in Vietnam and ended up being able to produce the 1000XL2 for cheaper, while reducing weight, making a better boat, more options, etc. This has sort of sold it for us and brought it into our price range.

The big question we have, however, is whether or not it will be "big enough" for our circumnavigation. We plan to follow a fairly docile route (Carib > Australia), but we plan to go from Sri Lanka to Cape Town and round the horn eventually, then head up to the Med before sailing home back cross the Atlantic to Florida.

Besides that, we have a few other questions for Seawind owners (or anyone):

- How big is the double bed in the owners version of the boat? Is it a full 54" wide bed? It looks small in the photos.
- I've heard people mention on here that the hulls on the 1000 are very narrow compared to other boats, and this means the boat gets better performance and speed. Is this true?
- Does the exposed upper deck get soaking wet in rough weather? Is it overly exposed to the elements? Or does the way it is designed keep it relatively dry.
- How big (long) of a dinghy can you fit between the hulls on the rear davits. Any issues with the davits holding a 200lb dinghy?
- How long do the two propane tanks on board last with daily liveaboard use?
- What are your thoughts on the two 9.9HP yamaha outboard engines?
- Does anyone know if Seawind sells the catamarans for pick-up directly from the Vietnam factory? The thought has crossed our mind that we could maybe start our journey there, and therefore save ourselves the costs of having the boat sent to the US, import fees, etc. This is probably a Q directly for Seawind I am guessing but worth a shot

Any other comments would be welcome, good or bad. If you think our choice sucks feel free to tell us. We want to hear any criticism.

[tomfl]

Some of the questions you posed are very subjective.

I have no doubt a Seawind would be big enough to circumnavigate for some folks, but not for others. You are the only one to answer that question.

My biggest concern would be the 9.9 Yamahas, or perhaps the tankage, if you needed to motor a lot. But for some folks this would not be an issue since motoring is not something they would do. I do think two 9.9s are a little underpowered in some conditions, but some folks have a lot less HP and get along.

I think you made a mistake in saying you were going to round the horn and really are going to round the Cape Of Good Hope. In any case I would consider going through the Suez Canal instead, or the Panama Canal if you really are rounding the horn.

Because the Seawind has two steering stations it tends to be a very dry boat, not to mention you can add some type of plastic window if necessary. I found the Seawind to be a very dry boat, but I tend to alter course to reduce pounding and spray.

My boat has had some mods that I strongly suggest. Get plenty of solar and a good battery bank. Get a composting head. Add a bow sprit and a screecher.

[Factor]

Certainly fine for the trip.

Lloyd Price is half way round on his - SEAWIND - DEJA VU

and see Joe and Kathy for really broad info and the use of the boat in various climate extremes and generally for a comprehensive review - KATIE KAT

Just a minor point, the build wasn't outsourced to Vietnam, Seawind bought Corsair who were producing in Vietnam, and most of the senior management and production staff moved to Vietnam to build the boat, small but important difference.

9.9s are fine, its a sail boat - you don't motor much, you sail. MAGIC CARPET is a podcast interview with owners of a Rogers CAt with one 9.9 that circumnavigated.

[tomfl]

Originally Posted by Factor

SNIP
9.9s are fine, its a sail boat - you don't motor much, you sail.

SNIP

Not sure if you have been keeping up with the RH threads but the issue of his fuel lasting long enough to get him out of the doldrums was an issue. Another consideration is how much fuel would be available to run a water maker.

I know Seawinds have circumnavigated and I am very happy with mine. But I have been in situations where I was only able to motor at one or two knots. It was against a very bad current and thirty or forty knot winds, but there were other boats making better headway.

YMMV

[Factor]

Originally Posted by PTMD

How big is the double bed in the owners version of the boat? Is it a full 54" wide bed? It looks small in the photos.

It is not huge, you would need to check if it suited you

- I've heard people mention on here that the hulls on the 1000 are very narrow compared to other boats, and this means the boat gets better performance and speed. Is this true?

Sort of. There are plenty of faster boats with narrower hulls, and plenty with wider

- Does the exposed upper deck get soaking wet in rough weather? Is it overly exposed to the elements? Or does the way it is designed keep it relatively dry.

Very dry boat, I have used my foul weather gear rarely

- How big (long) of a dinghy can you fit between the hulls on the rear davits. Any issues with the davits holding a 200lb dinghy?

I have a 3.1 metre and it fits fine, I think 3.4 is about as big as you can easily fit. Weight limit is about 100 kilo (220pound) You can also put the tender motor on a cradle on the targa which I do on longer passages. I will get a photo of my boat for you
-

How long do the two propane tanks on board last with daily liveaboard use?

We get about 5-7 weeks per tank

- What are your thoughts on the two 9.9HP yamaha outboard engines?

Like most 1000 owners - love them

- Does anyone know if Seawind sells the catamarans for pick-up directly from the Vietnam factory? The thought has crossed our mind that we could maybe start our journey there, and therefore save ourselves the costs of having the boat sent to the US, import fees, etc. This is probably a Q directly for Seawind I am guessing but worth a shot

Certainly you can pick up ex factory, no problem, though Vietnam has some "curious" cruising yacht rules which you will need to understand.

[DotDun]

Originally Posted by PTMD

.....The thought has crossed our mind that we could maybe start our journey there, and therefore save ourselves the costs of having the boat sent to the US, import fees, etc. This is probably a Q directly for Seawind I am guessing but worth a shot

Assuming you'll document the boat in the US, I don't see how to avoid import fees.

[44'cruisingcat]

I know their davits are strong. Recently saw a guy standing in his dinghy while it was hanging from them.

[PTMD]

Originally Posted by tomfl

Some of the questions you posed are very subjective.

I have no doubt a Seawind would be big enough to circumnavigate for some folks, but not for others. You are the only one to answer that question.

My biggest concern would be the 9.9 Yamahas, or perhaps the tankage, if you needed to motor a lot. But for some folks this would not be an issue since motoring is not something they would do. I do think two 9.9s are a little underpowered in some conditions, but some folks have a lot less HP and get along.

I think you made a mistake in saying you were going to round the horn and really are going to round the Cape Of Good Hope. In any case I would consider going through the Suez Canal instead, or the Panama Canal if you really are rounding the horn.

Because the Seawind has two steering stations it tends to be a very dry boat, not to mention you can add some type of plastic window if necessary. I found the Seawind to be a very dry boat, but I tend to alter course to reduce pounding and spray.

My boat has had some mods that I strongly suggest. Get plenty of solar and a good battery bank. Get a composting head. Add a bow sprit and a screecher.

Tom thanks for the information. Yes you are right, I meant the cape, not the horn. My wife was born in South Africa and has lots of family there. It's going to be one of our most looked forward to stops Getting down there and around it may not be so easy. We are least looking forward to the trip up the west coast of Africa, but... that's probably just due to our lack of knowledge. I am sure it will be a wonderful unique trip. Curious about the composting head, never heard of anyone using one of those on a boat.

[PTMD]

Originally Posted by Factor

It is not huge, you would need to check if it suited you.

Any chance you have the dimensions of it? (the bed)

Originally Posted by Factor

I have a 3.1 metre and it fits fine, I think 3.4 is about as big as you can easily fit. Weight limit is about 100 kilo (220pound) You can also put the tender motor on a cradle on the targa which I do on longer passages. I will get a photo of my boat for you

Would really appreciate that. Can't seem to find any good photos of the rear of the boat showing dimensions. And any photos taken are usually taken from the dinghy (which means its not on the boat!).

Originally Posted by Factor

We get about 5-7 weeks per tank

That much? The propane on demand hot water system must be very efficient.

Originally Posted by Factor

Like most 1000 owners - love them

The 9.9's are one of the big reasons we are looking at the 1000 to be honest. We are huges fans of the simple design, low maintenance, easily replacement, no holes in the hulls, etc. I have heard great things about them

Originally Posted by Factor

Certainly you can pick up ex factory, no problem, though Vietnam has some "curious" cruising yacht rules which you will need to understand

Thanks for letting me know.

[PTMD]

Originally Posted by DotDun

Assuming you'll document the boat in the US, I don't see how to avoid import fees.

Good question. Well, for us, the boat is actually going to be carrying a Canadian flag because we are based in Vancouver, Canada. Normally if we imported an Australia built boat, I believe we would need to pay 12% tax, plus some a 9.5% duty on it. However, the loophole is that as long as you never bring it into Canadian waters, you can document the boat federally without paying the taxes or duties. This is perfect for us because Canada is pretty much the only place we don't plan to sail. We will sell the boat in either Florida or Australia (wherever we finish our journey)

[DotDun]

Originally Posted by PTMD

Good question. Well, for us, the boat is actually going to be carrying a Canadian flag because we are based in Vancouver, Canada. Normally if we imported an Australia built boat, I believe we would need to pay 12% tax, plus some a 9.5% duty on it. However, the loophole is that as long as you never bring it into Canadian waters, you can document the boat federally without paying the taxes or duties. This is perfect for us because Canada is pretty much the only place we don't plan to sail. We will sell the boat in either Florida or Australia (wherever we finish our journey)

Sounds like you have it figured out...

[smj]

We have owned two Seawind 1000's as well as a few other catamarans. Great boats, they sail well and have a very sea kindly motion. We had composting heads on both boats. Very simple and gets rid of two more holes in the boat! The outboards were great and is a simple well thought out boat. Our favorite by far so far.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[tomfl]

Originally Posted by PTMD

SNIP

Curious about the composting head, never heard of anyone using one of those on a boat.

Composting heads have some real upsides. Don't need a holding tank, and the associated weight and space. No smell, no pumpout, and if you are in a place where there regulations about dumping waste water or required pumpouts the officials love these things. You do have to be careful about liquid and solid wastes mixing but it is easy to avoid this.

I am a single hander and the bed is plenty big for me with extra room. I have shared it with a guest a few times. But the salon table can be lowered and the whole table/seat area made into a huge bed with a lot more headroom than any of the bunks in the hull. You can extend the bed to shelves on the outboard hull with a sheet of plywood (what ever) and the bed gets a lot bigger. But headroom is still limited when you are in the bed.

My boat is very easy to sail single handed, and would be easier if it had a pinhead instead of a square top. I may replace the roller furrer with an endless furrer like I have on my screecher. Also trying to figure if a water maker is worth getting. But all in all I am a happy camper.

[ausaviator]

PTMD, I PM'ed you some pictures of a 1000xl, did you get them? They showed a lot of detail with regards to space on-board and bed sizes.

[PTMD]

Originally Posted by ausaviator

PTMD, I PM'ed you some pictures of a 1000xl, did you get them? They showed a lot of detail with regards to space on-board and bed sizes.

Yes, got it! Great photos. Really helps put into perspective some of the dimensions. I sent you back a PM.