Why Do Catamarans Motor Nearly 100%

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by ranger42c

How big does a cat have to be to include a walkaround queen berth?

The only one I'm aware of is something like a 46' Endeavor, but to do that, the master isn't down in the hulls.

-Chris

Our friend Peter's Lagoon 450 is enormous compared to even a 55ft monohull. I could easily live with the boats sleeping accommodations. No need for the walk around master.... an item easily sacrificed in exchange for the upstairs living room with a view.

[caradow]

If you ever have the opportunity sail one of the new Outremers.

I predict you will change your mind.

[ranger58sb]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

Our friend Peter's Lagoon 450 is enormous compared to even a 55ft monohull. I could easily live with the boats sleeping accommodations. No need for the walk around master.... an item easily sacrificed in exchange for the upstairs living room with a view.

Yeah, we shopped on cats a lot, but it was quite some time ago. Lots o' space!

But a walkaround queen-sized master isn't negotiable. Ideally household dimensions.

-Chris

[rabbi]

We sail whenever we can, that is down to 3kn boat speed. Below that we start motoring typically on one engine @2400 rpm doing 4.5-5kn consuming just under 1.5lt/h.
At these speeds raising the sails doesn't help much, and if there is any old swell they start to flap just because of the rig motion.

[2Wind]

120 engine hours in 5 years. I suspect about half of that will be getting in and out of the marina and the long entrance channel.


So much of this is rubbish. Even the production boats like mine sail just fine to windward equal to a cruising Beneteau and yet somewhat better off the wind.


This should be a discussion about who the crew are, their sailing pedigree, how much time they have and what is their purpose and not about the boat's sailing capacity.


I suspect most "sailors" will go out of their way to have the sails up and the engine noise and vibration terminated. However, on a passage, in my time poor world, I have been known to motor sail if the boat speed falls below 5kts, usually to make the destination in either the right time, conditions or light.

[StuM]

Originally Posted by caradow

I do think if you take a closer look those individuals you speak disparagingly of are on charter boats, sometimes overloaded, minimal sail inventory, time restraints, probably crew that are not that helpful and last but not least they may just not know how to trim sails.

I second that.

Cruisers tend to sail/motor sail at every opportunity. One week charterers don't.

[pir8ped]

As a catamaran sailor, I always used to wonder how come monohulls would overtake me in light airs. I mean, multis are supposed to be the best in light airs aren't they? It took me a ling time to realise that the monohullers overtaking me were using their engines!

I've just sailed from the UK to the Caribbean, right through the islands, the Bahamas, Bermuda and back and used less than 10 gallons of fuel on the whole trip. I use the engine to get in and out of harbour sometimes. Out at sea, I never use it. When the wind stops, the boat stops. (and it really does stop - none of that rolling around business!). But it doesn't take much to get it going. 6-7 knots in a 10 knot breeze...

[weavis]

I have a friend who is very keen yottie. He lives in Menorca.
3 years ago he bought a Princess Motor Yacht.

His reasoning is that for year round boating, he would use the engines more than the sails due to poor Med wind conditions. He is now looking at Motor Cats for the stability factor.

I really enjoyed the time on the Princess. Not sure I want to go back to the cost of constant use engines. Now the power cat is quite a frugal beastie........

[44'cruisingcat]

Originally Posted by Guy

When our little overloaded tub can out sail a modern charter Cat into the wind, I can see why they would motor so much. It looks as if they drive like a car or truck? Maybe all these charter guys are more used to that, so it's easier to just drive around all the time.
The whole thing looks weird. They seem to have sliding glass doors into the cabin, just like your patio at home might have. People seem to be sitting around in lawn chairs or something. Nobody seem to be doing anything execpt the guy driving. It does looks like they go pretty good under power.

Yeah, cat's just can't sail to windward.

[44'cruisingcat]

In Aus, it seems to be the other way round. The guys with mono's seem to motor nearly all the time. Even when they have their sails up, in good breeze.

Not just charter boats either.

They still don't seem to be able to catch us upwind though, even with their engines going...

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by 44'cruisingcat

In Aus, it seems to be the other way round. The guys with mono's seem to motor nearly all the time. Even when they have their sails up, in good breeze.

Not just charter boats either.

They still don't seem to be able to catch us upwind though, even with their engines going...

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

[44'cruisingcat]

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

I didn't start the thread pal.

[rabbi]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

Mate, we get it that your cat sails very well indeed, as do some others.

Wonder why nobody asked 44c to calibrate the instruments. ROFL

[SaltyMonkey]

The answers are thus:

1) cat owners are soft - the only reason they own a sailboat at all is for the comfort and space.
2) cat owners by being soft are naturally lazy.
3) lazy boat owners do not necessarily learn to sail. They just want the space to party and have friends aboard.
4) cats actually sail very fast, so lazy sailors do not want to bother putting up the sails to only arrive 10 minutes later and take it all down again. Waste of time. Just motor.

Please send me lots of money for my Caribbean Boat Fund. I would like a Lagoon 39 two cabin premiere version. I will sail it. Promise. i will show you.

Thank you

SaltyMonkey - hey thats me!

[thinwater]

Originally Posted by ranger42c

Yeah, we shopped on cats a lot, but it was quite some time ago. Lots o' space!

But a walkaround queen-sized master isn't negotiable. Ideally household dimensions.

-Chris

Different priorities. My 34' cat has 2 x queen cabins (household dimensions), but what I would love are kings. While I have no problem sleeping close when it is cold or there is AC, when it's steamy in the summer there is no substitute for ventilation and space. Wide berths are not a problem in cats; I find sleeping in the queen comfortable underway (aft cabins minimize motion) even when my back is in spasm, and no one has complained of rolling in the berth even in very fresh conditions.

Even in a large cat, I would prefer to use space other places than walkways. In my mind bigger is not better unless it gets me something I need, since bigger means heavier everything and more work. It's supposed to be vacation!