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colemj · 03-07-2015, 16:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jon Eisberg

Try to picture sailing under a full moon, or a million stars, while wearing one of these full cockpit condoms... Hell, would you even notice the moon up there?

I think you have cherry-picked your argument to fit your point, Jon.

Now imagine sailing in a cold, rainy gale for 3 days with nothing over your head at all. Hell, would you even notice when your wife jumps ship at the next port?

We are one of your completely condomized boats, and we love overnight passages - to a point. No problem seeing the sail because it is stored right where we left it on the boom. We love single overnights, find 2 night passages annoying, get into the swing at day 3, then never want it to stop after that.

Of course, being a catamaran, we have no option but to motor because nearly 100% of us do that. 44CC is the only one that keeps us below 100%, but he is lying - as pointed out by many.

Mark

**weavis** · 03-07-2015, 16:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by D&D

We sailed from Sardinia to Sydney via the Panama Canal (just under 14000nm) and used ~1400L of fuel for that voyage. We now cruise the OZ east coast, from the Whitsundays to Tassie, spending roughly 6 months/year living on board and we fill the tanks (325L/side=650L max) once a year.

Why so much fuel?!

**weavis** · 03-07-2015, 16:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by colemj

would you even notice when your wife jumps ship at the next port?

You are not obliged to answer this question!

44'cruisingcat · 03-07-2015, 16:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by Guy

That's funny. Down in Belize I had a tacking duel, hard on the wind with a 38' charter cat one day. The channel was about 5 miles wide and the wind was blowing about 12 knots. I passed him in about 4 tacks over 6 miles in a boat with a 28' waterline.

I'd guess he wasn't motoring then?

But seriously - you're all puffed up about passing a charter boat?

44'cruisingcat · 03-07-2015, 16:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by D&D

When we first saw this thread, we thought it was just stirring along the old cat vs mono thing...and now, after reading through the many contributions, we remain of the same view, mostly. As a stir, it makes for amusing reading.

There clearly are, however, still a few here who cling to the underlying assumption, viz. that sailing cats "motor nearly 100%"...

FWIW our experience is quite the opposite. We and the very great majority -- We can think of no exceptions -- of other sailing cat owners we know SAIL nearly 100%. We only motor (typically motor-sailing with one engine) when we can't maintain 4kn or when we're going into marinas, etc...and we generally avoid marinas.

The 'proof of the pudding' for us would be our fuel consumption. We sailed from Sardinia to Sydney via the Panama Canal (just under 14000nm) and used ~1400L of fuel for that voyage. We now cruise the OZ east coast, from the Whitsundays to Tassie, spending roughly 6 months/year living on board and we fill the tanks (325L/side=650L max) once a year.

...and we will now withdraw, leaving the thread back to (for us) its amusing purpose...

Yep.

Brisbane - Huon reef, about 750nm, less than 2 litres of fuel. Wouldn't be surprised if we used less than 1 litre in fact.

Huon reef - Luganville, about 300 nm, very light winds, maybe 50 litres of fuel.

1050 miles on only ~ 50 litres of fuel. Guess that must be why we motor 100% of the time - it's so economical.

colemj · 03-07-2015, 17:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by D&D

There clearly are, however, still a few here who cling to the underlying assumption, viz. that sailing cats "motor nearly 100%"...

If it wasn't for 44CC's moon landing-quality fake video, that would be 100%.

Don't kid yourself, the word "nearly" was just to be polite…

Mark

IdoraKeeper · 03-07-2015, 17:11

Well, really the most convenient thing would be to stay home. Doesn't matter to me..no matter what boat I am on, if it's under power it's likely to put me to sleep. Motoring smacks of schedules and deadlines. Now for a nice nap (just the thought of it).

rickdelz · 03-07-2015, 18:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kenomac

We sail every opportunity we get, even if we're only making 4-5 knots; or we motor sail to bring it up to 7-8 knots.

Why don't the catamarans do the same?

I sail a Leopard 47 Catamaran and my sailing policy is the same as yours.I will sail if we can do 3 kts or more .Around Phuket Thailand where I am based we sail about 60% of the time and motor 40%.

D&D · 03-07-2015, 19:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by weavis

Why so much fuel?!

A good portion of the 1400L was going through the Panama Canal!

captlloyd · 03-07-2015, 20:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

The above is one man's unbiased opinion/observation...

Mate, we get it that your cat sails very well indeed, as do some others. But my unbiased observation here in Oz is that many of the cruising cats do motor a bit, and are not very weatherly. And yes, we see monohullls motoring when they don't need to as well.

Don't you think it is more a matter of the mind set of the sailor than the type of vessel he is sailing?? This constant bickering about the evils of monos vs cats is getting boring.

Jim

Just click on that little box at the top of your computer screen that has an X on it.

GoingWalkabout · 03-07-2015, 20:54

I think perhaps both mono and cat sailors have their sails down so they can get a clear shot with their shotguns. They motor just in case there are pirates and they are forced to discharge their weapons.

Now mono or a cat as the best shooting platform. That is a much bigger question. But I am sure that if cats motor more than mono's its because the cat owner can afford to buy and carry a gun and they want a clear line of sight, not obstructed by those sail thingamajigs. Just saying.

model 10 · 03-07-2015, 21:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by 44'cruisingcat

I'd guess he wasn't motoring then?

But seriously - you're all puffed up about passing a charter boat?

Hell yes. I'm happy to pass any boat. It's not like I'm some great sailor so it must be our boat is faster than theirs. Which given the the 50 year old design of our boat, it doesn't say much for a new looking Lagoon.

hoppy · 03-07-2015, 22:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kenomac

It doesn't cost anything to poke around and dream.

That's what I was doing four years ago on the Hunter. I'm very patient and don't really need a boat, which is a very good position to be in when poking around.

Poking around and dreaming cost you the price of a 53 foot Oyster

Kenomac · 03-07-2015, 22:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by sail2travel

Ok so we are currently sailing in the Med near Sardinia on our new to us Catana 472. We've chartered several different catamarans in the Caribbean as well. When you charter, you have limited time to get from A to B and beyond so if the wind is on the nose, it is faster to motor. Mono or multi, it's faster. Most charter cats don't have daggerboards and that adds to the decision to not sail upwind. Our Catana has boards, and we love to sail her upwind and downwind. However, if we only have to go a couple miles to a cool spot like we did today, we just motor because hoisting sails for a 2 mile sail isn't worth the trouble of opening the sail bag, hoisting, dousing, getting anchor ready etc. but a 20 mile sail? Heck yeah! So it really depends on the cat and how far we are going, and of course the wind speed to answer the question " to sail, or not to sail?". And the bonus of having the cat? We have a back porch and a living room and deck chairs and leather couches and it is AMAZING how comfortable we and our friends who visit are. We also have a smaller racing monohull and have raced and cruised our whole lives on monos and cats.
The cat is better than we could have dreamed. Lying on the trampoline looking down at Dolphins? Can't do that on a mono. Monos are really nice for sailing, but I wouldn't trade this cat for any monohull while cruising. Ever.

Sail2travel,

Where are you? I'm just outside of Portisco until Wednesday if you're nearby. Were you anchored next to me off south eastern Corsica five days ago in the Catana with red canvas covers? 70ft off my stern there was a Catana with dagger boards.

Ken