What Catamaran: Suggestions from the Community

[smj]

Originally Posted by Kita

Ok people, let me tell you a story, I live in west central FL & have only been on a 30ft sailboat a couple weeks on a two trips to the keys.. Dreamed of sailing since 7th grade when I wrote a short story for school.. I have a great deal of time on all kinds of small boats (ski stuff) as I have lived on a lake all my life. I can fix almost anything,Traffic crash changed my life, no family anymore, killed in the crash. Life happens while we make plans. Always had someone to deal with (wife,sick mother) no longer.. I am 53, Now I am selling two houses to buy a cat & sail & I need help to find the right boat for me to single hand,am planing to retire on it & live.. I like the lagoon 38 or an Island spirit 37, I am only going to have one chance to do this & will have to live with my choice a long time. Few people are better schooled as a live aboard than I, done the research & think I am ready. I have a small sailboat just to learn but there is so much more I need to know. 200000 max for a boat,friends think I am nuts,but we have to follow our own heart.. It is a major change for me,not a midlife thing cause I would have done it long ago cept for family, so I need help to choose... Can anyone give me a reason NOT to go with the Island spirit or have a better idea for a rookie? I looked at seawind 1000xl,seems underpowered? Any other ideas?

I guess with 2 outboards the Seawind 1000 would seem underpowered compared to other cats, but then again I think it takes less power to push a
seawind through the water. It's all personal choice. I like the Seawind 1000 because they sail well were others prefer the Lagoons etc. because they have larger living areas. Comes down to priorities.

[sandy daugherty]

Whataworld! You have by now observed that people like the cats they own, and if you criteria doesn't fit, they tell you why you're wrong!

But you are not wrong. You are just suffering from premature departuration.

Single handing a medium sized boat from one marina to the next is easy, if you can do it between sunrise and sunset. Staying awake for 3 days to get from Fort Lauderdale to a port of entry in the Bahamas is not. And that is not a good place to fall asleep.

History is full of stories about long single-handed voyages. Those guys slept when they had to. Back then the threats of high speed freighters or semi-submerged containers weren't there. Things have changed.

Those guys had a lot of sailing experience, were in smaller boats, and could read the weather enough to steer out of the path of big problems. You can't. Yet.

Single-handing requires you to be able to do everything on the boat, even when things are breaking. That means getting a mainsail up or down without a winch because you have to save the last of your battery power to make an emergency call when you get closer to land. It means being able to dock the boat without the engines because there's water in the lines. Or because of who knows what else. A smaller boat is easier to handle. The rig is smaller, the loads are lighter, and you can stop the boat with a line around a cleat without tearing the skin off your hands.

I suggest you start out with something easier; fewer complex systems you may have to fix. No need to get the boat back to some place civilized enough to have spare parts.

And I suggest you start NOW. That gives you more years to experience the joys of perpetual cruising.

Nobody buys their last boat first. What ever you get now will meet your present aspirations. With more miles under your keel, you will have different aspirations. Unless you are a complete hermit, you will be sailing with other people later.

So I suggest you start with something between 30 and 38 feet, with a modest sailplan, reliable engines, and sufficient storage to start your adventure, your voyage of discovery.

I suggest you stay within a day's sail of land, or within cell phone range, until you have experienced a few emergencies. And see how you can handle them. I expect you will decide you need to know a lot more about repairs, make-do's, and do-withouts. If you go NOW you have time to learn those things.

[gosstyla]

Great advise from Sandy.

Take a look at FP Maryland 37. It is not sail but you can do 150nm to 200nm days single handed and be anchored or in port in under 24 hours.

[Kita]

OK,great info from Sandy, but, with the info I gave I understand what you are saying, but as bad as it sounds I am not most people. I was invited on that trip to the keys because of my ability on boats. I just don`t have alot of time sailing. Cell phones only reach 3 mile or so offshore here & I have a great deal of time on fishing rigs much farther out than that & I do read the weather quite a bit because I have been caught before & have a healthy respect for it. A 25ft fishing rig has a better chance of making a run for the shore. Start now, Yeah I dig that,before I am to old to enjoy it!! This is the second start really..Modest sail plan, less than 40 ft, GREAT ENGINES!!!! All a must & as a mec, I will make sure of that, Cause I KNOW what can happen there. I have been in bad spots before & have rescued serveral friends because of it. I can`t think of anything that can go wrong with the boat that I can`t fix but with time I am SURE I will find something.. Now the do without part can bite you. That`s where being prepaired comes in.. Sometimes things happen,be ready when they do.. Been planing forever with no money,now it is a path I will follow soon no matter what.. anyway what I really need is schooling on Cats. Info to help find out which boat for me. The info about inside temp difference between the I.S. & lagoon is huge, that is GREAT INFO. Didn`t see that untill said, makes sence though,better air flow inside. Narrow hulls,better in rough but less room. That kind of thing. Last boat first, thats so true. I tried to count boats & got less than ten I guess,25ft max.. I think I am ready for what I am looking for,seems as though I have been getting ready for this a long time because I have.. It will be like the fishing trip that never ends!!!! So far the rookie says the Lagoon 38 is winning!! Can someone show me something better for the money? Remember 200000 MAX,would be better to be a little less.. Also it is not about me,, its about the boat.I gave a little background so people can better understand,beginer sailor,not boater, Thanks to all!!

[snort]

The reason I like the Seawind 1000 or 1000XL is because you have good visibility all around inside the cabin. If you're on a long passage and want out of the rain, sun, wind, whatever, you can sit comfortably inside the cabin with a 360 panorama and be out at one of the two wheels in seconds in case you need to change course.
High enough bridgedeck to avoid slapping waves. One of your boat choices there might make you "slap-happy" after a while, so clearance is important.
At any rate, bum some rides on some catamarans to get an idea about their sailing characteristics and layout, and you'll soon know what you like and don't like.

[Cotemar]

Originally Posted by Kita

So far the rookie says the Lagoon 38 is winning!!

Can not go wrong with a Lagoon 380

Their is 83 of them for sale in Yachtworld

lagoon 380 Boats For Sale

[Kita]

I would love to bum a couple rides, I just hate to,,well sound like a bum... I got on a Island spirit 37 & liked it. I can see how the owners model would be the one if possable,or same for the Lagoon.. What scares me about them is I see many of them & to me it says mass produced.. Sometimes it is more about how many they can build more than how good they can be built, So I ask for the Lagoon owners to speak up & tell me if you are happy with what you have & with how its built?

[limejucer]

try not to think of bumming a ride then think helping a fellow traveller first in galley them later standing watches. you can travel and learn a lot while shareing and helping others while keeping your kitty intact.

[downunder]

Originally Posted by Kita

I would love to bum a couple rides, I just hate to,,well sound like a bum... I got on a Island spirit 37 & liked it. I can see how the owners model would be the one if possable,or same for the Lagoon.. What scares me about them is I see many of them & to me it says mass produced.. Sometimes it is more about how many they can build more than how good they can be built, So I ask for the Lagoon owners to speak up & tell me if you are happy with what you have & with how its built?

From your comments you are ready to go now if steady as she goes. Sounds like you have plenty of boating experience just not sailing.

The Lagoon/FP's with their vertical windows are a real positive for liveaboard in tropics. Check any FP for osmosis issues.

I chartered a Seawind 1000 in Whitsundays in March of last year and believe for a permanent liveaboard which is your intent, and similar to mine the Lagoon 380 would be preferable.

I was impressed by the sailing/sea keeping ability of the Seawind but not the poor fuel range of the outboards compared with diesels when motors are required.

If you can get a ride on a L380 you will know if that's your vessel.

[Sand crab]

Originally Posted by Kita

What scares me about them is I see many of them & to me it says mass produced.. Sometimes it is more about how many they can build more than how good they can be built, So I ask for the Lagoon owners to speak up & tell me if you are happy with what you have & with how its built?

Mass produced is not necessarily a bad thing. Lagoon has built about 700 380s. The interiors are kinda cheap looking but they are good boats and Lagoon is a division of Beneteau which is the worlds largest boat builder.
Check out my thread which has the complete production run for every model for Lagoon and FP.

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ers-69895.html

[Awenasa]

I reently purchased a 35 Victory with owner layout and find it very pleasant to sail I just have to adapt to her way of sailing. I have always sailed mono's and now i am ready for the good life. Wait did i say that hahaha. good luck my advice goto many marinas and actually talk with and walk on (if allowed of course) and see what REALLY gets the blood pumping. I had settled for a gemini at first but found this and haven't looked back. Nothing against any boat they all have their draw but yours will call to you.

[tomfl]

Originally Posted by downunder

SNIP

I chartered a Seawind 1000 in Whitsundays in March of last year and believe for a permanent liveaboard which is your intent, and similar to mine the Lagoon 380 would be preferable.

I was impressed by the sailing/sea keeping ability of the Seawind but not the poor fuel range of the outboards compared with diesels when motors are required.

If you can get a ride on a L380 you will know if that's your vessel.

Been on Lagoons and FPs. Also own a Seawind. They are very different boats. One of the first things I did after moving aboard the Seawind was take the dinky around the harbor taking pix of the sterns of all the cats. The hulls of what I will call condomarans are about twice the beam of the Seawind and from the back they look like a brick wall. The Seawind, and a Shuttleworth in the harbor, have great 360 degree visibility. The Seawind and Shuttleworth are much more comfortable in a seaway than the condomarans. At anchor the condomarans are much more comfortable, lots more room and often more things like heads, microwaves, TV sets, ect.

The outboards do not have the range of an inboard, but it would probably cost $US6.5k to replace both outboards on a Seawind compared to maybe $US30k for a Lagoon motor replacement. I question my ability to single hand something like a Lagoon as easily as I single hand my Seawind.

Bottom line is there are many differences between the various catamarans and what you need to do is figure out which features are most important to you.

[downunder]

Originally Posted by tomfl

Been on Lagoons and FPs. Also own a Seawind. They are very different boats. One of the first things I did after moving aboard the Seawind was take the dinky around the harbor taking pix of the sterns of all the cats. The hulls of what I will call condomarans are about twice the beam of the Seawind and from the back they look like a brick wall. The Seawind, and a Shuttleworth in the harbor, have great 360 degree visibility. The Seawind and Shuttleworth are much more comfortable in a seaway than the condomarans. At anchor the condomarans are much more comfortable, lots more room and often more things like heads, microwaves, TV sets, ect.

The outboards do not have the range of an inboard, but it would probably cost $US6.5k to replace both outboards on a Seawind compared to maybe $US30k for a Lagoon motor replacement. I question my ability to single hand something like a Lagoon as easily as I single hand my Seawind.


Bottom line is there are many differences between the various catamarans and what you need to do is figure out which features are most important to you.

I was not knocking the Seawind 1000 by any means and my review stands. Great little/economical and
very seaworthy vessels. Small motoring range with outboards amongst the GBR and coral sea for my requirements of diving. May well be more suited to the Caribbean where there is more chance of refueling than amongst the 2000 KLM of the GBR.

For full time liveaboard for a couple the L380 offers much more space. The L400 I chartered was pretty good in a seaway also so I doubt the L380 is a problem given the number that have circumnavigated. Certainly the Seawind is as seaworthy as a L380.

It all comes back to the individuals, their specific need. As I say try before you buy and you will know. The new Seawinds out of Asia are well finished.

For my own purposes a Seawind 1160/1250 are more in the ballpark.

Cheers

[Dulcesuenos]

Wow this thread is 4 years old and still kicking I say forget overgrown beachcats! Once you go Condo you never go back!!! If your gonna have a 20'+ beam may as well have important things like heads a d showers and staterooms and all that. Want to do double digit speeds add a bow sprit and a screecher.

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