The Cons of Owning a Catamaran

[mikereed100]

Originally Posted by Bash

For me, multihulls are like redheads. I didn't marry one, but I can't help admiring them.

I can't help admiring mono's, and my wife approves. She does not, however, extend the same sanction to redheads.

[Mr B]

Originally Posted by Ontos45

I sure would like to know as in the market for a 36-40footer in Australia and have sailed only monohulls in the 80's (Endeavour 24 and Roberts 36)
Looking at cats because of room for 2 couples for extensive cruising (ages from 50-70) Speed above 10knots not neccessary-not in a Sydney to Hobart- and like the perceived safty of dual motors. Most cats in Oz seem to have room, sleek lines but only 1 head and shower. For 2 couples feel that 2 heads neccessary.
As mentioned on earlier post, she who must be obeyed, likes Leopards but I dont like the blunt fore of saloon, sees to be a "wave-trap" to me.
Browsing at the moment but looking at upto AUD$300,000 (goodbye 4x4 and caravan). Am I in the right ball park?
Hope that I can get some constructive advice folks without the denigration of either mono's or multys.
Peter and Sue

Around $300,000-00 in Australia, for a cat,

Same Cat in America or Europe will be half that amount, Thats why I bought my Gem in Fiji,

OZ is just too exy for Cats,

[malbert73]

Originally Posted by Notpopeye

Over the past six months or so, I have looked at several boats - all monos - with a big range in cost. Boats considered bluewater seaworthy are expensive, despite most being 20 or more years old. For example, a 1989 31 foot Pacific Craft sells for around $70,000, a 1989 32 Island Packet sells for over $125,000.
Now, I know that Alberg 30s, Cal 30's, Endeavers, Cape Dory's, and others can be had for $20-30 or under but those boats are 25-30 years old and require serious expenditure for refitting.

When I was in my 20's I bought old houses, lived in the slums, and completely renovated the houses as I lived in them. When finished I sold the house and moved on to another.
Now, I am way past the tolerance of living in a slum, way too old to think about hard labor to restore the ancient and would rather not spend a year or two or three refitting a boat.

Over the past couple of weeks, while internet shopping for a catamaran, I have found an '86 Prout 37 recently completely refitted already for around $60,000 or I could get a pretty new model (2005-08) Gemini 105 for $100,000 to around $150,000 plus several other viable options. And just about all of the cats I have looked at include solar panels, a full array of electronics, dinghy, motor, davits and other nice little amenities that are hardly ever found on the aforementioned mono boats.

As a matter of fact, I have scratched off price as a con to getting a cat. I think overall, the catamarans are better deals. And I there seems to be a larger selection of available boats.

Conversely, I have also noticed some high quality cats that I know I would fall in love with - these include Outremer, Mahe, Lagoon and others but they are much more expensive and even though, obviously better boats, if I cannot afford one, they are not my ideal boat.

Lastly, to address what I want to spend. Well, that $60,000 Prout sure sounds appealing from a price point but do I want a 25 year old boat? Hmm, no. I would rather spend $100,000 and get a 2006-07 Gemini 105.

Cats seem really nice, and for long term cruising would be great. I do disagree with the price bit, and think you have to look really hard to find an example like the 25 year old prout where the price is down anywhere near similar monos. And any cat which is as much of an outlier in price as the prout likely needs updating. Simply put, I really don't think you can spend <100K on a cat without compromising 1 of the following: speed, comfort, or safety. Not at all the case with monos where 50K boat + 30K refit upgrades will set you up....

One other con I can see in cats is that in light conditions, like 5 knots of breeze here on the Chesapeake, I see cats like Lagoons struggling to sail because there is no inducible heel to help fill the sails. The sails hang limp and the leeches close off and it's tough to get airflow over the sails.

The only other con is that I hate steering from behind a bulkhead. To me, it's too much like driving a bus and not enough like sailing. That said, I am a former college dinghy sailor and 505 sailor, so the feel of steering by tiller and watching the main and job and the telltales, while sitting on windward coaming, is too much for me to give up. I even converted my boat from wheel back to tiller. If I want protection, I can steer from under the dodger, warm and dry. If I want wind on my face, I can sit on the coaming. I don't doubt most multi owners also are serious sailors, but probably have chosen comfort first, which is probably the reason for the misguided darts thrown at them for supposedly not being real sailors.

That said, If I lived aboard, I might go for the 85% comfort factor for the 15% sailing compromise. Assuming I wanted to spend that much money on a boat. As it is, I have a passage ready sailboat with plenty of space and amenities for my wife and 2 young kids. Spent 16 K upfront which included the brand new 3YM30 recently installed. Another 12-14 K in for new sails, fridge, lines, electronics, upholstery, head, hoses, lifelines, rigging, chainplates, hull and deck paint. Now it's all gravy for the next 6-8 years of coastal, extended cruising. (Then maybe we'll upgrade to one of the glut of used baby boomer catamarans for sale, underpriced on the market, for our extended sabbatical!!)


Respectfully trying to answer the OP question honestly about my opinion of cons (and some pros) of multis.

[belizesailor]

Malberty73, many thanks for making an topic post!

Hopefully others will follow your example.

[kaimusailing]

You've got a lot of posts about the cons, but not many posted by cat sailors, and not many posted by sailors who've sailed on a cat. I grew up sailing dinghies, which are monohulls, and then learned to race and sail on big monohulls. I had an epiphany with the afternoon sun radiating into the mahogany cabin of the old raceboat, I could live here. Then there was the early morning grinding of the winches, which were under water, but we were young and trying to win a race. I would say most of the older sailors have cut their teeth on monohulls and know all about sailing them. The younger sailors who have opted to sail catamarans probably had a good experience chartering, or went sailing on one, or maybe sailed a smaller beach cat and that was their sailing experience that informed them to look for a multihull in a bigger boat.
There are some older sailors who did not have a Hobie cat upbringing, and yet they can compare their monohull experience with a catamaran experience. I have a friend who charters in the Caribbean every couple of years with a group. They bareboat and consider all the aspects when they choose to charter. They consider the area, what the charter companies are offering, and then make their decision. At some point they chose a catamaran and they've never gone back to chartering a monohull. They only argue about which catamaran to charter.
I kind of got into small catamarans, then worked my way down to owning a windsurfer. When I got the chance to own a catamaran, an old plywood boat that didn't cost very much, I jumped on it. I knew it might turn out wrong, but I jumped on it. I've never regretted the experience.
What I have the most regret is with the monohull sailors who haven't gone out on my boat. They are into a different mind game. They've got the draft problem and here on the Chesapeake they've got to worry a lot. Until they sail on my boat they don't take me seriously, like having a big full keel ketch means you are serious, but having a big full keel catamaran is less serious. I sail with them, knowing that if something goes kablooey, it can mean a sinking exercise. It only takes one sail on the cat when they start thinking about, maybe, could this catamaran, maybe, go anywhere? Like the Caribbean?
So I think that is a big drawback of a multihull, having some grief from sailors with preconceived ideas, and having to take them out and get them thinking right.

[rps13]

Originally Posted by markpierce

If it isn't leaning, it isn't sailing.

for all that bs like this post. if its not sailing then what is it. My point to have a sailboat is the capability to move without using power that has to recharge or what not for a year. If its not a sail boat but can go 10-15 knot without healing i dont care if its not a sailboat. Its in the water and it moves without using gas. i think this way cause i am new. but i have logic and not dead tied to something cause all my friends are like that. Im a blank book to start writing on. Please really you dont have to call it sailing, as long as its in the water moving faster and more comfortable, i dont care whats its called. If its not sailing then i rather not sail. as long as comfy fast safe and no nessesary recharging

[minaret]

Originally Posted by AllezCat

So, what brands?
And was this recently?

I wont get into brands, as in some cases NDA's were signed (by my boss not me but same difference). I freely admit that I haven't commissioned a cat in a couple of years, and the only major structural failure I have seen on a cat that wasn't due to an impact in that time was a custom 90 ft. powercat. It was a big job to properly stiffen, but doesn't really count as it was one-off. However, techniques haven't changed much in the last two years. And the vast majority of cats out there are older than two years, certainly all the ones I can afford. As my personal identity is not protected at all on this forum, and I don't want myself or my employer to get sued, all I will say as to manufacterer is that there is a clear correlation between volume of production and quality of build. In otherwords the biggest builders are the worst offenders. This obviously has a lot to do with price points. But I have also seen some examples of problems in very large high end cats which cost millions. The problem is that building a cat well is actually very complex, while building a mono well is easy. Cat construction in large fiberglass boats can be subjected to astronomical loads which just dont happen in a monohull. This leads to greater challenges in design and construction. This in turn leads to a higher rate of failure. It's simple really. Build something bleeding edge and it will fail.
And no, I don't have a chip on my shoulder about cats. I think they are really cool, and would probably like sailing a big one as much as the next guy. I just happen to also be the guy who fixes broken boats. I've seen lots of broken monos and cats, and I'd much rather fix the mono because I know it will stay that way instead of stress cracking through the glass repeatedly because the laminate is too light for the forces involved and it keeps overflexing. If I was going to own a cat, I'd build it myself and it would cost millions of dollars. I don't have millions of dollars, hence I own a mono and love it.

[minaret]

Originally Posted by Ram

Yes let us know the details this could help all of us !

Don't know how it would help you guys since you all own production cats already.

[Bash]

Originally Posted by mikereed100

I can't help admiring mono's, and my wife approves. She does not, however, extend the same sanction to redheads.

Wonderblond feels the same way. And she keeps insisting that I've purchased my last boat.

[Palarran]

Originally Posted by kaimusailing

You've got a lot of posts about the cons, but not many posted by cat sailors, and not many posted by sailors who've sailed on a cat.

Really? You count differently then I do.

[minaret]

Originally Posted by D&D

Where to begin here...

For a start, let's look at the "couldn't think of a single real con" remark. A cursory check of posts by multihullers on this thread shows the following cons...
- costs (many variations on this theme...up front, maintenance, cleaning, berthing, etc etc)
- more limited access to marinas
- hobbie horse sea motion
- bridge deck slamming
- lack of wave penetration ability
- lack of rig stress 'feedback' when underway
- leeway

So minaret, tell us again about how we couldn't find a single con...

Learn to read-I said half of them couldn't think of a single con not all of them. More distortion from those who can't bear to see a single con mentioned. The few cons you mentioned were posted by only a few serious responders the rest were all tongue in cheek at best.

Then there's the really offensive bit about how multihullers are (somehow?) the greatest 'my boat is better than yours' sinners. Another cursory scan of this thread (and many others!) will show an almost limitless supply of monohullers who post the most extraordinary and mis-informed attacks on multihulls...and what, we're supposed to just say 'OK...whatever'?!? Here's a thought for you...perhaps there may actually be people reading these threads in search of information and who want to be accurately informed...and thus there may also be an obligation to correct the "bluster and bs" wrongly posted regarding multihulls.


I absolutely agree that ill-informed posters need to be corrected. But so do those who obfuscate the truth of the matter even though they know better. Which boat would you rather accidentally park on a reef, a heavily built mono or a cat? I know the honest answer.

Minaret you seem (with the greatest respect here) to carry a bit of 'chip on the shoulder' toward multihulls. We're no different to anyone else...including yourself...in that we chose our vessels for personal reasons and we respect others' rights to do the same. In fact it seems to us that we probably share a lot of the values you embrace in your own posts. So please, stick to your experience and skip the back-handers toward multihullers, or anyone else for that matter.

No back handers here, just the straight dope. You are more than welcome to your opinions, and I'm sure you purchased your boat for all the right reasons for you. Lets just let others make their decision based on solid experience, not smoke and mirrors. I'm happy to share my experience, but you don't seem so happy to hear it. Tough.

Glad to hear you share your beer with equal magnanimity for all.

[minaret]

Originally Posted by Bash

I think that a lot of us jump into the main portal and then just look at new threads, regardless of what forum they happen to be in. If it's an interesting question, I click it, often without knowing that I've just landed in the women's forum, or....

The question "why be here at all?" is certainly pertinent. I suspect the best answer might be, "Because we like boats."

I often feel that people who claim only to like certain kinds of boats really don't understand boats at all. It's like the guy who claims he's only attracted to blonds. Does he have any idea what he's missing?

For me, multihulls are like redheads. I didn't marry one, but I can't help admiring them.

Clearly we're on the same page on that. I rarely know or care where on the forum I am at the moment, unless it's a really slow day and I actually have to go looking for content. I just like boats. Construction & Maintenance is the obvious exception for me.

[minaret]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

For me, multihulls are like redheads. I didn't marry one, but I can't help admiring them.
Yeah.... like my wife said when that buxom blond walked by and I was daydreaming.... "sure Honey, you can look at everything on the menu, but there are only certain things you can afford!"

I think this is a bad analogy. I lust after the odd multi just like the next person, but certainly not 'cause it's pretty. I think the vast majority are fugly, something most boaters I've met agree on. Yet it's a con which hasn't been mentioned yet.

[minaret]

Originally Posted by terminalcitygrl

I'm one of those newbie folks who reads these threads for real information/ experience. I take all comments with a sense of humor generally and have learned a few things over the past few months which will help me decide which boats I'm interested in buying when the time comes. I'm interested in both monos and multis and what I really appreciate is when folks name specific boats in their critiques, as opposed to ALL monos or ALL multis. For example, I have learned that Gemini's have less bridge deck clearance than most other multis so tend to slam but they also have a narrower beam and can fit in a regular slip which means sometimes you won't be charged 1.5x the mono marina rate. I happen to love the Dana but am concerned that they are too heavy for the light air we often have in the PNW in the summer. I know minaret is well respected around here and does amazing work fixing boats and so I'd love to hear more about the specific multis that he finds are currently being built sub-standard... problems or defects prospective buyers might look for on certain models when shopping would be really helpful. And not just minaret of course but other posters to, your thoughts on specific boats are really helpful and I get that finding MY boat is not as simple as multi vs mono.

LOL! ME-respected?! Thanks for liking my work but I'm not sure theres a whole lot of respect for me around here.
To address your question, the problem to me is that you don't know if your boat is not structurally strong enough until you get out there and break it. Most production multis will never be taken offshore for real, and many will never leave protected waters. I know this is hard for those of you on CF to believe, but the average boat owner does not cruise or even put that many miles on his or her boat, and that includes cats. Therefore most production boats are built to fill that niche. It's only when they start to have enough expense with warranties to cover the cost of changing their production that they will actually do so. Until then they just shell out for warranty work on the few boats that actually get out there and do it, or they do their corporate best to weasel out of it. You all know how big companies work. So what I'm saying is it's impossible to know if a boat is built "sub-standard" if you don't know what that standard is. And they don't want you to know. That's why they make people like us sign NDA's. All manafacturers do this to some degree or another, it's the nature of business, monos too. But a cat is much more susceptible to that sort of thing and much harder to fix once you do break it. I can't tell you how many times I've found major structural fractures all the way through the glass in a cat only to hear back from the manufacterer "Oh that's just normal" or "it's only in the gel" or what have you. The usual corporate runaround. They never want to warranty it and we have to start emailing pictures back and forth until it becomes clear to them they will be sued if they dont stand by their warranty.

[Ontos45]

Originally Posted by minaret

Don't know how it would help you guys since you all own production cats already.

Sure is helping me mate, thanks

Peter and Sue