Why Do Catamarans Motor Nearly 100%

[Kenomac]

Let's try to drift back somewhat close to the original topic.

Why buy the sailing rig in the first place? If most prefer to motor around, why not buy a power boat in the first place. That goes for monohulls as well.

I've often said and recommended to others while we were cruising the windless summer coast of Spain, that if I had to do it over again, I would have purchased a Powercat or a trawler. Now that we're in a much windier Sardinia, I'm more pleased with my sailboat choice because we get to use the sails daily instead of just motoring about. Yet I see the multihulls motoring in perfectly awesome sailing conditions. The monohulls... not so much.

[transmitterdan]

People imagine they will take long trips. Fuel is expensive. Sails give the option to go far on little fuel so they opt for a sailing rig. The reality is many (most?) never make that long passage.

[AlwaysFORSAIL]

Lack of patience and sailing skills.

[LeeV]

I've owned all trimarans, and only motor when there's no wind or coming to a dock. I've chartered in the BVI with TMM @ 7 times, ranging from last summer's Mahe 36 to a Fp 48. The only motoring we ever did was to a mooring in a crowded field (and we usually sailed off the mooring) or to/from a dock.

I must admit I once motored when I found myself in irons coming around the back side of Tortola! 😉

I see all sorts of boats motor on the Chesapeake for unknown reasons!

Best to all,
Leev

[rabbi]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

Why buy the sailing rig in the first place? If most prefer to motor around, why not buy a power boat in the first place. That goes for monohulls as well.

First power cats aren't much cheaper from what i've seen. Most have much bigger engines, and even smaller ones come with all the powerboat stuff. Aircon, genset, hydraulic passarelle, trim tabs, underwater lights, etc

Second, under the assumption that most of these unsailed cats are in charter, the choice for a sail cat is probably smart. More potential customers than just a power cat.

Third is resale value. Sailing cats have a big market, power cats are somewhat exotic with a volatile resale value.

Next is long distance potential. Even if many sailboats don't sail long distances they could do it. Maybe the next nowner will circumnavigate. A power cat can't sensibly do that.

The last that comes to my mind is probably the biggest factor. Ego! even if many folks don't sail much, they still have an ego to satisfy and a story about fighting the elements in a sailboat for many hours to reach port sounds much more heroic than a story about running full throttle for half an hour.

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by transmitterdan

People imagine they will take long trips. Fuel is expensive. Sails give the option to go far on little fuel so they opt for a sailing rig. The reality is many (most?) never make that long passage.

Good answer. I'm sure that's the case for many, myself included..... Sort of.

Our original plan was to sail back to New England and our home in Whoville, following the purchase in Guernsey. Then sail New England and Canada with trips down to the Caribbean then onto the Pacific. We even added a $10,000 diesel heating system and complete cockpit encloser for the Northern trips.

Instead, we are here in the Med for most likely the next 6-7 years. The ocean crossings have been postponed and a power boat would have worked out just as well, maybe better.

[35S]

Originally Posted by robert sailor

... I think most of the Cats there are on charter and those folks want to get to the next port asap....

I experienced the same in Nosy Be, Madagascar but its across the board - mono & multi hull - and all of it charters - I suppose the fuel is just budgeted into the booking price so for the crew it is easier just to motor as opposed to hoisting sails and tacking etc - get the boat where it needs to go - no stress if a squall flies by - chef at his station cooking up meals - everybody happy...

[weavis]

I have a mixed background in motor and sail. I like both.

If I was berthed in Mallorca full time and operated between the Islands, or went to Corsica or the Spanish Mainland regularly, I think a motor Cat would be ideal.

However, it is cheaper to buy a Sailing cat. I would even be tempted to remove the sails. However, leaving the mast up gives more propulsion options.

[Sailingveterinarian]

I've got a Knysna 480 cat and I sail it every moment I can.....down to about four knots. That's my limit, unless I'm really not trying to get somewhere......then motor sail with one engine at 1600 rpm.
Fly my spinnaker as frequently as I can also. On long passages, sail day and night.

[Sail IC]

The fully batten big roach main on a cat takes a bigger effort to hoist than the in-mast furling main on many monos. So when people sit on the fence, hoist sails or not, the fence is slightly bigger on a sailing cat than a mono.


Could be a reason.

[TOYM1]

I Motor to get out of the Marina and into the wind to set the sails. Then I sail the rest of the time on my cat, no matter what the conditions. My cat sails great!

[weavis]

Originally Posted by weavis

I have a mixed background in motor and sail. I like both.

If I was berthed in Mallorca full time and operated between the Islands, or went to Corsica or the Spanish Mainland regularly, I think a motor Cat would be ideal.

However, it is cheaper to buy a Sailing cat. I would even be tempted to remove the sails. However, leaving the mast up gives more propulsion options.

In saying that, if I had a sailing vessel then I see no reason not to sail everywhere if Im pulling a minimum of 6 knots.

Not a great fiddler with sail trimming. As long as its in the ballpark and looks good and getting at least 85% of what it can, I dont go tweaking and pulling and adjusting.

If I got sails then I sail........

[Tim Godber]

Originally Posted by rabbi

I guess you are bored and trying to stirr things up a bit

Rabbi, it is a fact that the origin of catamarans was as light fast unballasted sailing boats. It is also a fact that most modern production cats are the opposite. So my theory concerns the reason most modern cat sailors seem to motor, and it is a perfectly reasonable suggestion!

[hoppy]

Originally Posted by Sail IC

The fully batten big roach main on a cat takes a bigger effort to hoist than the in-mast furling main on many monos. So when people sit on the fence, hoist sails or not, the fence is slightly bigger on a sailing cat than a mono.


Could be a reason.

A pretty poor excuse, if that's the case. I have a full batten main and I'm guessing it's no smaller than the main on a 40 ft cat (no idea really how sizes compare) and it goes up every time I leave harbour and as I solo, I have no help.

I must admit, in the Ionian I do see a lot of lazy mono sailors who in perfect conditions only use the roller headsail. I do get a bit when I see that they have a roller main still snuggly rolled up in the mast.

I think the real reason for perhaps there being a lot of motoring cats is the Admiral. It clear that there are a few cat owners out there who chose a cat because their admiral does not like sailing. Certain characteristics of cats that people like crowing about here make them more palatable to the non-sailors and I can agree with them.
An example of an Admiral driven cat purchase http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...-a-148749.html

Whilst a cat is more palatable to certain Admirals, perhaps for further peace and quiet, and permission to continue owning a sailing yacht, the captain further compromises and choses to have motoring days. Perhaps when the admiral is not on board, many more miles are sailed.

Whilst I am not interested in Cats (boat or furry), I've seen my Father and uncle sell their yacht partly because my mother and aunt don't like sailing. I have suggested that they try chartering a Cat because I think my mother at least would appreciate at it.

[Bulawayo]

Really? A few ago we were challenged by the owner of a flush decked Oyster to enter the Dar-Tanga yacht race which is upwind the whole way. Despite leaving last, despite being in heavy cruising mode we reeled in all bar one of the other boats - all monohulls. We were beaten by a totally open 26ft lifting keel mono who knew the reefs and skimmed straight over them.
I have not witnessed such motoring but can imagine it happening by charterers etc dashing from port to the next.