Who Has Rode Out A Big One On A CAT

[capcook]

I have read a lot of the negative POVs regarding CATs and their risk of capsizing in a heavy confused sea. Was just wanting to hear some first hand accounts of those who have presumably survived a heavy storm on a Crusing CAT +35'... If you can contrast the difference in the experience between a monohaul and a CAT that would be great...

I was also wondering if a Sea Anchor works on a CAT, do you have to position it midship? Would a Sea Anchor positioned aft and stern prevent a capsizing?

Any thoughts greatly appreciated by this novice...

Cheers

[schoonerdog]

maxingout is a frequent contributer and has written about lying to a sea anchor. In short, sea anchors work probably better on cats than other boats as the beam allows easier adjustments, the structure height and windage mean the boat tends to stay pointed into the seas better (as opposed to some suggestions for monohulls attaching the sea anchor to the stern), and the inherent stability allows you greater comfort. From what people who've been out have described, they were able to sit back and relax in 50 knots of wind and nasty seas.

para-anchor or drouge? - Sailing World Forums & Community

[Alan Wheeler]

Maybe schoonerdog. Not doubting you at all. But lets respect this question by having some replies from those that have really been through something big. I don't want to hear second hand news. I want some first hand experiance described here. Honestly and all due respect. I am not insinuating anything. I have read many negatives and have only ever heard second hand positives. If my wife ever gets her way and we one day buy a cat, I want to know the real facts first.

[44'cruisingcat]

With respect, how many of the negatives you have read were first hand?

WHat Schoonerdog referred to IS first hand experience.

STROM MANAGEMENT FOR CRUISERS

[Robertcateran]

I spent a bit of time out of Sydney in a storm that peaked at force 11. The name of the boat was Catriona B and was called Cat. I don't think this counts.
Robert

[Factor]

see Welcome to Siudzinski KatieKat for sea anchor discussion on a seawind 1000

[ssullivan]

Looking forward to hearing input on this discussion as well.

Now that I have about 1000+NM on a cat, I can say you don't want to get the beam facing rough conditions... that's the key. Heaving-to in really steep stuff doesn't seem natural for a cat.

But... I am not someone who can answer the question (and hopefully never will be!)

[schoonerdog]

Correct, that's why I point to maxingout as the source.

Originally Posted by Alan Wheeler

Maybe schoonerdog. Not doubting you at all. But lets respect this question by having some replies from those that have really been through something big. I don't want to hear second hand news. I want some first hand experiance described here. Honestly and all due respect. I am not insinuating anything. I have read many negatives and have only ever heard second hand positives. If my wife ever gets her way and we one day buy a cat, I want to know the real facts first.

[Lodesman]

Sorry, no first-hand info from me, just what I've read. There seems to be two common schools-of-thought on this: 1) para-anchor on a bridle from the bow; and 2) series drogue from the stern, although many in this school advise against this option for 'condomarans' as they see the necessity for a proper watertight door vs sliding glass patio door. If you read Shuttleworth's notes on stability, it would seem that deploying a para-anchor from the beam would be eminently do-able. And some stories lend credence to the bare-poles, boards-up and ride-it-out approach. Good first-hand discussion on experience in a hurricane here: Woods Designs Sailing Catamarans - look for "Eclipse's Perfect Storm" under 'Articles'.

[cnj]

Sept 06 bring our new to us Tobago35 home from Fla to RI off S Carolin we hit a low comeing off the coast with 50k true with 15ft sea in the gulf stream going north and 10-12ft sea heading east I reefed down as much as I could put the wind on the port aft and ran northeast for 15hrs. The boat handled it better then we did. It was my first offshore as skipper and the wifes first offshore ever but we live and learned from it and will be more ready when we go south this fall.

[capcook]

Thanks CNJ,

That's interesting... Was there much trouble keeping water out of the salon..e.g. the sliding doors etc...

Wow, 15hrs of getting knock around and your wife didn't divorce you... she's a keeper....

Cheers

[Alan Wheeler]

cnj, I am certainly not belittling your experiance as I know myself just how terrifying the first experiances can be.
But can someone come from the experiance of say 25ft plus waves. Something that makes the stability of any boat a real test.

[ssullivan]

Originally Posted by Alan Wheeler

cnj, I am certainly not belittling your experiance as I know myself just how terrifying the first experiances can be.
But can someone come from the experiance of say 25ft plus waves. Something that makes the stability of any boat a real test.

Wheels, if you have 2 wave trains coming together at a 90 degree angle as described, wouldn't at least some of these top the 25ft mark as the crests sometimes would add when in phase?

(and of course, others would be tiny when out of phase, and yet others would be large "pits" your boat falls into)

Also, add the relatively short length of the boat and you do have quite a ride.

The stability factor really does seem to be dependent on running or pointing into the seas, as he said.

Oh... and just a little background... (not to change Wheels' request, but to let people know about where the poster is from)

Where this person lives (RI) has some of the most annoying confused seas from the FL Keys to Maine. In fact, I vote them as *the* worst. I get queasy all the time going from Montauk, NY to Newport, RI. There is often a strong westerly wind (prevailing) which goes against rather large south swells coming from Africa or god knows where. This puts the swells and wind-induced seas at close to 90 degrees apart, like the storm the guy from RI above is talking about.

My point being... he has this kind of stuff right at home. It had to be pretty bad for him to make a note of it.

[Alan Wheeler]

wouldn't at least some of these top the 25ft mark as the crests

No that is pretty much a normal sail for us here. I am talking about at least a 25-30ft wave base line and the nasty stuff on top of that again. I mean, stability in any boat is only ever going to be in the extreme situations. A multi hull will handle the smaller stuff with ease. The danger is when you are in the hopefully once in a life time, and hopefully it is someone elses life time where you are in serious danger because of the size of the seas. When I had my nightmare trip, we had at least 18-20ft in every wave. It was the nasties that washed across the face of those monsters that then when two meet on the big swells face, they smashed together and crested and broke. It was the mess that then meet us crashing down the face that gave us the real scares.
I have a lot of experience in small beach cats, but I honestly don't know how I would have attempted to take on waves of that size with a large multi. The mono may have been uncomfortable, but she could handle it well. So I want to know can a multi handle that sort of stuff well too.

[ssullivan]

Understood.

Yeowch! I hope my poor little multi never has to experience the seas you're talking about here. If it did, I would have to do more weather and route planning forecasting.

Originally Posted by Alan Wheeler

No that is pretty much a normal sail for us here. I am talking about at least a 25-30ft wave base line and the nasty stuff on top of that again. I mean, stability in any boat is only ever going to be in the extreme situations. A multi hull will handle the smaller stuff with ease. The danger is when you are in the hopefully once in a life time, and hopefully it is someone elses life time where you are in serious danger because of the size of the seas. When I had my nightmare trip, we had at least 18-20ft in every wave. It was the nasties that washed across the face of those monsters that then when two meet on the big swells face, they smashed together and crested and broke. It was the mess that then meet us crashing down the face that gave us the real scares.
I have a lot of experience in small beach cats, but I honestly don't know how I would have attempted to take on waves of that size with a large multi. The mono may have been uncomfortable, but she could handle it well. So I want to know can a multi handle that sort of stuff well too.