Newbie Getting a Catamaran ! Any Inputs ?

[bbh1236]

Hi my name is Brian. I am 23 and from NC. I am about to graduate college finally with a degree in business. Me and my father will be sailing to the Bahamas/Caribbean after I get done for my enjoyment and his retirement for an extended amount of time . We have always talked about doing this and I can't wait to set sail. I love to travel. Our price range is 100,000-175,000. We have been looking at Gemini's but I see people on the forum do not like them that much? Personally I like the fountaine pajots and the Lagoons but they seem a little out of our range. Does anyone have input for me? It will be our first sailboat and we are looking for something that can go in shallower waters. Any input would be greatly appreciated. Looking forward to reading more on here.

Thanks,

Brian

[Waterway Guide]

We love our Gemini, and it's perfect for the area you want to cruise. If the layout works for you, all of the other issues can be mitigated with a little preventive care (lots of info on its yahoo group...I download the whole thing to my computer). It is probably not the best choice if you plan to travel farther asea. You want to pick your passage windows carefully, and find the more protected anchorages (but with 2' draft, there is lots of places to anchor!). There are other cats in this price range to consider, (older pdqs or Catalacs for example). Good luck with your search...you'll get a lot of good advice on this forum.

[krafthaus]

These guys have circumnavigated their Gemini. It's an interesting read:

The Slapdash | No Fixed Address

They are selling it and here is the link to that:

The Slapdash | Gemini 105Mc For Sale

Good Luck to you and your Father. Sounds like a lot of fun.

[Rocketman]

Hi Newbe and welcome to this forum, I think that the people on this forum would be able to answer your questions a little better if they knew what, if any, experience you have. What exactly are your goals? Do you want to live on the boat with your dad for 6mo or 6 years? Why do you want a catamaran? For the budget you have, you could have a first class mono-hull that could take you anywhere, provided you have, or get, some experience. I think what you and your dad are trying to do is fantastic, you both will never regret this experince if you both get the knowlage needed to sail safely, have the equipment you need and agree on your expectations.

[Talbot]

Good to see the standard Mono owner's response to someone asking about a catamaran.

You will find a lot of discussions about Gemini suitability for the useage you mention. In my view, the Gemini has a lot of great points, and these are maximised when coastal sailing. However, long distance/time cruising tends to add weight to the boat as you add this and that, and the Gemini does not handle this as well as those boats better designed for blue water use. The passage to the caribbean is definitely not a stroll in the park, and a gemini is designed for performance, thus unless you are going to be fanatical about weight, there may be better options.

The available money immediately constrains you, but there are options. Probably the best value for money is a Privilege 39, but a good Prout Escale should also be considered.

[Cotemar]

bbh1236,

Increase your budget a little bit ($189,900) and your can purchase one of these FP Mahe 36 out of charter in the BVI.

2007 Fountaine Pajot Mahe Sail Boat For Sale - www.yachtworld.com

2007 Fountaine Pajot MAHE 36 Sail Boat For Sale - www.yachtworld.com

[Sand crab]

There are some good older boats such as the Lagoon 35cc, 37, and 42 TPIs in your price range. Also decent customs. You can search all of Craigslist with SearchTempest. They always have cats and tris and monos. There's an interesting Catalac 1200 for $120,000 in the Caymans on a members website, Tropic Cat. Nothing wrong with a Gemini but may be a bit on the small side but for your budget you could buy an almost new one. Good Luck

[girouxkj]

I'm a biased Seawind 1000 owner who loves this catamaran. I've seen all in this size and price range and none are more seaworthy, as I demonstrated on my maiden voyage from NC to FL mid-winter caught with only one reef in the main in gale force north winds that are notorious for creating high seas in the Gulf Stream. I had a crew with less experience than I had so at one point we were doing 360's while I unsuccessfully tried to reef the sail further. Spent a very dark night surfing large waves by feel going 15-22 knots (GPS). Pooped once but never felt like we would pitchpole or capsize.

Seawind's are built in Australia to handle rough conditions. The mast is sturdy and has double diamond bracing. That said, it also makes a great boat for socializing with a hard top but fairly open bridgedeck and bbq with seating on the stern arch.

Check out the adventures of a novice couple who bought their Seawind 1000 in Australia and sailed her around in the Pacific including a voyage near Alaska:

Welcome to Siudzinski KatieKat

My other bias is that I am reluctantly selling my Seawind 1000 because I am retiring and have not met the right guy to cruise on her with. See my ad at

1999 Seawind 1000 - Boats.com

I live most of the year in NC but am currently on Aussie Cat in Key Largo if you want to check her out.

Karen

[Sand crab]

I was doing the Search Tempest thing for myself and ran across this.
37' 1990 PDQ Catamaran
It's a 1990 PDQ 37 for 125k in Daytona. It's loaded with lot's of new stuff. These boats are known to be well built and hold their value. And cash talks. Good Luck

[maxingout]

The challenge you face is not the initial price of the catamaran. What you need to know is the amount of money necessary to get the catamaran where it should be. For example, some insurance companies don't like to insure mast and rigging unless the rigging is less than ten years old. You could easily purchase a cat with older rigging that you could not insure without replacing all of the standing rigging.

You have to be brutally honest with yourself about the real costs of ownership of any yacht that you consider. You may need to spend 25% of the purchase price to fix problems and repair worn out gear. Repairing and replacing things can add up quickly to a large sum.

The asking price is just the starting point. From there you figure out the real cost.

[bbh1236]

Thanks for the input! My father insists on a catamaran he likes them much better. As I said before he is retiring I have very little sailing experience and my father has minimal experience also. We plan on sticking around the NC coast before doing anything serious. We plan on cruising from island to island. I figured ask questions and read as much as possible before we purchase. We could possibly be on the boat for a couple of years maybe more? What boat do you think holds its value better Lagoons, Geminis, or Fountaine Pajot? I really like the 2007 Pajot Mahe in BVI.

[Cotemar]

bbh1236,

If you want to find out everything about the FP Mahe 36 just go here.

Fountaine Pajot - Cruisers & Sailing Forums

Their are plenty of them cruising the Bahamas

[deckofficer]

I've lowered my price range because I want more funds left over for some refit and the cruising kitty. The Seawind is a fast and great boat, but for me I'm starting to lean towards the PDQ 36 with outboards as I want to swap out the Yamaha 9.9's for a pair of Torqeedo Cruise 4.0 electrics. I do envy the fact that you and your dad are going cruising. My dad will love to go with me, but at the age of 92 and a lot of joint pain, I don't think he would be comfortable.

[kaimusailing]

Ahoy Brian,
The best thing for you to do is crew on or charter one of the boats you think is suitable. Most sellers will take a prospective buyer out for a daysail to show the boat off. Brokers too, of course. It seems there are more catamarans on the market now available and you are in the middle of the coast, a quick visit would be worth your while. My first catamaran was a moonlight visit on a Friday night and I was hooked by the moon and clouds and mists blowing through the rigging. The owner let me sleep aboard and I did a thorough search of it. There were some problem areas, but I ended up buying it and had a great experience.
I recommend getting some familiarity and experience, and as much advice as you can, but this sounds like a great opportunity to have an adventure with your dad.
Go for it!

[SkiprJohn]

Aloha and welcome aboard!
Good to have you here and asking questions. I see that the multihullers are not shy about expressing their opinions on which cat is best.
I hope you find your dream cat.
kind regards,