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I researched the Gemini for a couple of years before purchasing a 105MC...
The boat sails nicely, points well, is awsome for shallow water with the kickup rudders and retractable boards (I know somebody said they "trip" over the boards but PC says they should be up in heavy weather or moderate winds in the first place)
The interior is roomy for a 34' boat and the admiral loves the berth compared to our old mono. It is relatively quite under power and it is nice having the engine out of the living area for noise and heat. The LPG fridge is something I didn't think I wanted until I got it.. I LOVE IT. I can go over 2 weeks on a single tank and I am not constantly worried about how to charge the batteries.. (obviously if cruising in more remote areas, folks have either added a portable 12v fridge or have opted for the ac/dc/lpg version)
The negatives start with the interior as it is not as nice as a lot of other boats. There is also more routine maint... associated mostly with the outdrive. You can't just let it sit for months without lubing the components with a grease gun and some dry lube.. (takes all of 5 minutes and in 99% of the cases that solves the reversing issue). The steering cables also need to be lubed to prevent premature failure.
The water tank and holding tank vents also need a fix. They have a loop in them so when you overfill a tank, the pump will not prime since the fluid in the line will not allow for venting. Most owners reroute the vent lines to fix the problem. There a few other things like that, but make for a fun saturday.
Bluewater cruiser? It doesn't have the tankage, hardware etc from the factory that most would want in a bluewater cruiser and a relatively low bridge deck will slam if wieght is not kept in check, but I wouldn't think twice about the MC's overall structural integrity.. Folks sail them everywhere and I just followed one on the users group who just sailed it to Hawaii from LA and was thrilled with the boat. And of course there is the builders trip across the Atlantic via the Northern route.
In summary, the boat is perfect for Bahamas or shallow water and will take you safely much further with upgrades, but it will be hard to keep it light in doing so for longer voyaging. Some things do need upgrading, but the boat is also 25% less expensive than any other cat coming off the line which does allow you to spend the money on the parts of the boat that are most important for your style of cruising.
Brian
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