Displacement

[Heath68]

Hi Everyone,

I'm new to this site and wondered if anyone could advise me. I have had a sincere desire to slowly circumnavigate... the plan is to arrive at each port down the coast and look around, taste the food, go inland, look at the scenery etc..

To do this I'm smitten with the idea of a cat.. but which one? The reason for the title is because in order to help me venture inland I would love to take with me a Quadski XL (Gibbs Sports Amphibians) but it weighs in at a hefty 650kg.

I know I'd probably need special davits as I can't see any way of "towing" it properly but I don't want to put the boat out of kilter and kill all the handling or performance the manufacturers have painstakingly put into the design.

I've looked at the Antares 44i but they said it would be too heavy and would look at a longer/larger cat but which one would cope AND is it one that I would then need a small crew to control (not ideal... hoping 2-3 on the boat at most).

Comments please

[StuM]

Totally impractical for a circumnavigation. Apart from trying to find a boat that can carry it - every time you land in a new country you will have to get it licenced for use. That will be impossible in many places and very time consuming in most others.

Even where you can do it, you will need to consider the costs of getting local compliance certification, insurance and registration.

It would be cheaper and far easier to hire vehicles wherever you go.

[Sand crab]

You will need to go 50'+ and even then it's so heavy that the boat will be sitting with the stern low which is not good. Light is good on most boats and especially cats. By comparison a 14' center console dinghy which is huge and a 70 hp motor which is really huge would weigh about half.


And StuM is correct because you ain't gonna be riding that in the US without lots of extra offialdom..

[StuM]

Originally Posted by Sand crab

You will need to go 50'+ and even then it's so heavy that the boat will be sitting with the stern low which is not good. Light is good on most boats and especially cats. By comparison a 14' center console dinghy which is huge and a 70 hp motor which is really huge would weigh about half.

I'd have said 70'+

[44'cruisingcat]

Really big stern extensions?

[carstenb]

Why not just ride the quadski and use the cat as a fuel barge?

[american]

Originally Posted by carstenb

Why not just ride the quadski and use the cat as a fuel barge?

Maybe drag this around with the quadski?

[BigBeakie]

To try and be a bit helpful, why not consider an electric bike. Take an extra battery to extend the range and enjoy the environs of wherever you make landfall at a more relaxed pace.

[Heath68]

Originally Posted by StuM

Totally impractical for a circumnavigation. Apart from trying to find a boat that can carry it - every time you land in a new country you will have to get it licenced for use. That will be impossible in many places and very time consuming in most others.

Even where you can do it, you will need to consider the costs of getting local compliance certification, insurance and registration.

It would be cheaper and far easier to hire vehicles wherever you go.

I thought it would be like a car... insure it for use round the world and travel?

[Heath68]

Originally Posted by carstenb

Why not just ride the quadski and use the cat as a fuel barge?

Very funny! .. I had seen them years before their launch and thought they looked great... maybe I should re-think

[Heath68]

Originally Posted by american

Maybe drag this around with the quadski?

I showed it the Mrs... she said it didn't have an ice maker...

[Heath68]

Originally Posted by BigBeakie

To try and be a bit helpful, why not consider an electric bike. Take an extra battery to extend the range and enjoy the environs of wherever you make landfall at a more relaxed pace.

I think in fairness to the daring/adventurous/funny/daft and serious responses you are probably right... whilst I'm happy to cycle quite a long way an electric bike for the Mrs would be a must... followed by car hire/train if we go far inland.

[Heath68]

... looks like that idea was going nowhere... ah well, next stop.. choosing the right Cat! ... am tempted to nip to Paris this weekend and have a look at the Helia 44....

[blazeit420]

Originally Posted by Heath68

Hi Everyone,


Comments please

how do you like the quad ski? seems kind of bulky

[2Hulls]

Originally Posted by Heath68

I think in fairness to the daring/adventurous/funny/daft and serious responses you are probably right... whilst I'm happy to cycle quite a long way an electric bike for the Mrs would be a must... followed by car hire/train if we go far inland.

A lot of this depends on where you are going. Imagine taking an electric bike or whatever else you might use to shore in a dinghy and landing on a beach. Now imagine you and the Mrs pulling that dinghy up the beach far enough to lock it to something.

We considered taking regular bikes when we first started cruising and decided not to. We haven't missed them. If you're an avid cyclist, you're in a different category.

The best ground transport for us has been walking and using whatever public transportation is available, if any. For example, in the E Carib almost all the populated islands, with some exceptions, have a "dollar bus." These are typically micro buses that are more like a combo bus/taxi. Some of our fondest memories on shore have been riding these things with the locals and getting fully immersed in the local culture. Talk about a bargain. On St. John in the USVI the buses are more like city buses. The round trip route from Cruz Bay to Coral Bay is still only $1 each way and it's the cheapest roller coaster on the planet.

2 Hulls Dave