What Not to do on a Catamaran

[drfeelgood11]

Im trying to make a list in order to prevent possible mistakes and failures while water sailing">blue water sailing.

What would be your list of big no-no's on a catamaran in regard to storm maneuvering, repairs, navigation, etc.
I want to find the core concepts of bad mistakes.
Anything that comes to mind is welcome.

[atoll]

i would highly reccomend spending more than 6 weeks building the interior before taking one offshore

[44'cruisingcat]

Don't sail in water that is shallower than the boat's draught.

[Jimbo485]

Reef before you either flip or dismast her

[Wraith_Mac]

Do not ignore reading about the do's:
eg:
Sailing Catamarans | Fountaine Pajot Catamarans | Power Catamarans | Multihull Dealer Brokerage
look to the learning centre at the right of the page, plain language primer.
There's many other sources, once get an idea what to search for.
Cheers,
Mac
Mac

[Dulcesuenos]

If you ask yourself should I reef, its too late...
Never fight a storm, run with it, lifes much nicer
A squall line can be moving incredibly fast you see it miles away and the next minute it hits you. Any sail up , even reefed is too much.
On over nights one of my crew will sleep in the cockpit actually a.very comfy spot and easy to wake them if theres a problem.
We always keep a ditch bag very nearby.
Sh#t happens, its how you react to it that counts...
Dont keep a dinghy in The davits in rough seas.
Have some kind of drogue ready to slow u down if its going to be really bad.
Surfing at high speeds while fun can create alot of water pressure against rudder tubes and shaft seals, even dripless, check your bilges frequently and ensure pumps are handling any water ingress. Or have a high level alarm that will tell you if theres an issue.
Never drink offshore, even a beer can make you really tired...

[robert sailor]

Load it up with all the cruising gear that you can and your cat turns into a dog!

[REsCat]

Originally Posted by Dulcesuenos

If you ask yourself should I reef, its too late...

Dont keep a dinghy in The davits in rough seas.


Never drink offshore, even a beer can make you really tired...

Where else would you properly secure a 11' Rib with 15hp?

Hmmmm.... not even one small reward tipple each day for a great ongoing passage?....... I guess I wont offer to crew for you.....


Bob

[Dulcesuenos]

I only said dont drink if its rough out lol...as for the dink we are able to store ours upside down lashed down on deck. I guess its no biggie depending on the cat, and how you angle it. though i have seen pics of sone serious davit damage from a swamped dinghy

[Jimbo485]

Don't piss to windward.
Don't leave the dinghy upright in the davits before a long offshore passage - flip it over 180 degrees first, take off the outboard, hoist it up in the davits and lash it well. Or maybe adjust that order a little?
Don't forget to ring the happy hour bell everyday at sunset and then follow the tradition..... unless you have 3 or more reefs in.

[tamicatana]

Rather than don't's, how about just reading MULTIHULL SEAMANSHIP, by Gavin le Sueur

[REsCat]

Originally Posted by Jimbo485

Don't piss to windward.

Don't forget to ring the happy hour bell everyday at sunset and then follow the tradition..... unless you have 3 or more reefs in.

"Don't piss to windward".

I wouldn't do that anywhere....

"Don't forget to ring the happy hour bell everyday at sunset and then follow the tradition..... unless you have 3 or more reefs in."

Can I crew for you?.....


On a more serious note, Always have the main halyard neatly coiled with all twists worked out and ready to release... I have been caught by that with a sudden wind/squall line hit and with a 2to1 halyard as most Cats have, it is a lot of line that can become tangled and knotted right when you need to reef/drop in a hurry....

Bob

[ozskipper]

Remember that cats DONT come back up when capsized. If you're used to getting out in a blow and leaving lots of sail up in a mono, early reefing is vastly more important in a cat.

Keep weight out of the bows. Nose dives are dangerous

A couple of good rough weather videos.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUQ5sdEzOko

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETir8OEdDrc

[caradow]

if you need to make a list to go offshore then I personally think the very first thing on that list if at all possible would be to take someone with you who knows what they are doing.
from there things will get a lot easier.

[Jimbo485]

Originally Posted by REsCat

"Don't piss to windward".

I wouldn't do that anywhere....

"Don't forget to ring the happy hour bell everyday at sunset and then follow the tradition..... unless you have 3 or more reefs in."

Can I crew for you?.....

Bob

Good point, Bob! I will rephrase that.

1. On a cat, don't piss into the apparent wind, but feel free to piss into the true wind. (even though this is on the windward side of the boat, the apparent wind will hurl your piss aft so fast it won't even touch the topsides.

2. You are always welcome to crew with us, Bob, as long as you respect rule #1.