A cruising boat this is an acceptable compromise for both myself and my fiance - IMO anything else is bound to lead to 'Not Sure's' comment about her "wanting it sold".
The good news is that as I have gotten older, my preferences have actually gotten closer to those of my fiance: firstly, my sailing ambitions have become more modest (no more thoughts of a
circumnavigation - my longest passages will be from
Canada to
South America and then across the Atlantic to
cruise the
Med, and back); secondly, I have developed a definite desire for both some living space and the comforts of home; finally, I no longer get much joy out of a long bash to windward, nor of heading out in questionable conditions, nor of making constant adjustments to seek out the maximum performance from my boat.
The end result is that I now have my first
catamaran: no, she is not a performance boat, but she is solid and safe, designed and equipped to handle difficult conditions when they arise and extremely comodioius and comfortable. My lady gets a large ensuite
head compartment with a great deal of counter and
storage space, a separate 'tub room' with bathtub,
shower and another vanity, a 12 foot long
galley with both front load and top load
refrigeration units, a microwave, tons of
storage and counter space and a stove/oven that does not require gimbals, a 160 gallon a day
watermaker, a
saloon with a table that seats 6 and two other settees to seat four, a flat
screen bulkhead mounted TV, a stateroom with a queen size berth, a seat, a hanging locker and three cupboards with shelves, a large
deck area with netting (and removable closed-cell foam lounging cushions), a full size nav station with bench seat for using the computer/radios/back-up
chartplotter, two other private staterooms (private in that they are separated by at least 3 feet from any other stateroom), a separate
head compartment for use by our guests, a
cockpit with a removable full enclosure (including bug screens) and a solid
teak table and, finally, a full size door for entry into the
interior that does not require the balancing act of climbing a steep
companionway ladder in a heeling boat while trying to bring drinks or
food out to the
cockpit. And I get - well, I get the same (and a very happy lady).
Would I like a boat that is better to windward? Yes, although mine tacks extremely readily in all
wind conditions and through about 100 degrees on the
chartplotter (inclusive of side-slip). Hardly a meter boat, but for someone who is now trying to do largely tradewind sailing and who will have the luxury of time in planning voyages, I can certainly live with it. I do find that the performance/stability in reaching conditions and the ability to fly a symmetrical
spinnaker without a pole suit my
current needs perfectly.
I also enjoy
docking with twin diesels; I enjoy redundant systems (beats having to bleed your only
diesel just as you are approaching a narrow inlet); and of course, huge space and the ability to sit down when you do have to
service them.
I enjoy the visibility from the
interior (and especially from the chart table, which permits the ability to use a
remote for the
autopilot from the interior of the boat in bad conditions).
I enjoy the ability to move forward in adverse conditions on an essentially non-heeling platform and, the fact that when on
davits, the
inflatable receives some side to side protection from the aft portion of the hulls.
Now, if I can just free-up the
money for a cat with similar accomodation but better performance (boards, high-tech construction and a
LOA of about 55 - 60 feet) we could both have it all....
Brad