Living aboard with 3 kids

[skifinnatic]

Ok...i've sailed on singles and multihulls. I'm still confilcted. The family and I are looking at movin' aboard. We live in southern cali and plan to pack up and leave the landlubber lifestyle in 4 years. That would allow us to move aboard now, have the boat paid off in 4 years, then release the lines. I know if I bought a 42' cat it would be like being on a 50' single hull. Any advice out there?

[imagine2frolic]

Get what you can afford to maintain. Paying off the boat is one thing, and keeping it up is another. Cats & monos have their plus & minus. Just remember cats won't go to windward, but I sail one anyway..........i2f

[Talbot]

You dont say what age the kids are, or for how long you plan to cruise. If they are young, there is no problem with packing them in, but as middle teens, they will need some personal space.

[skifinnatic]

The kids are 6, 4 and 2. I plan to cruise for at least 2 years. At time of cruising, they would be 10,8, and 6

[Talbot]

a 42 ft cat has much more sunbathing and upper deck lounging space than a 50ft mono especially when close hauled!

With Children that age, you have the space to allow them to spread out when needed, but they are not too old to be able to share when guests are onboard.

[Ex-Calif]

Where are you planning to go?

If you are predominantly hopping between anchorages and islands I'd defeinitely get a cat.

If you plan to do weekly roundings of the horn I (personally) would go the mono. In other words I wouldn't take a cat for frequent hull pounding crossings.

[skifinnatic]

Originally Posted by Ex-Calif

Where are you planning to go?

If you are predominantly hopping between anchorages and islands I'd defeinitely get a cat.

If you plan to do weekly roundings of the horn I (personally) would go the mono. In other words I wouldn't take a cat for frequent hull pounding crossings.

I am thinking of leaving southen cali and heading south, hanging out in La Paz and the Sea of Cortez, going down to the Panama Canal (have relatives in Panama then heading out to Puerto Rico (relatives in Puerto Rico also) Rounding the Virgin Islands and then back through the canal.

[Ex-Calif]

Originally Posted by skifinnatic

I am thinking of leaving southen cali and heading south, hanging out in La Paz and the Sea of Cortez, going down to the Panama Canal (have relatives in Panama then heading out to Puerto Rico (relatives in Puerto Rico also) Rounding the Virgin Islands and then back through the canal.

In that case for me, with family in tow, the cat would be the choice. No question about it.

Plenty of living space (nice to have the kids in the oposite hull) and your living room looks out on the ocean and the moorings.

[Talbot]

Originally Posted by Ex-Calif

I wouldn't take a cat for frequent hull pounding crossings.

An aquaintance of mine is in the middle of his 4th atlantic crossing in his cat. - Not recommended in a lightweight cat such as a gemini, but a decent blue water cat such as the prouts, broadblue or privilege, it is not a problem

[Ex-Calif]

Originally Posted by Talbot

An aquaintance of mine is in the middle of his 4th atlantic crossing in his cat. - Not recommended in a lightweight cat such as a gemini, but a decent blue water cat such as the prouts, broadblue or privilege, it is not a problem

Like I stated. It's a personal preference. Plenty of cats make plenty of crossings.