Power Cat or Sailing Cat?

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by Sailmonkey

A foiling power cat?

If you think rigs and sails are expensive, wait until you’re maintaining lifting foils!!

Go sail, the light weight required to foil efficiently means you’re not going to carry enough fuel for the range you’re considering.

Never seen one. Do you know of any foiling cruising power cats?

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by Dooglas

Yes, you certainly do. Makes for an interesting discussion. On the other hand, you really need to narrow down what you are trying to do, in order to narrow down what you would do it with.

My thought too. Its all about intended use. OP: got more criteria?

Another consideration: larger sailing cats can clip along at a good pace just under power and then you still have sail too...handy if you do seriously intend to cross an ocean or two as stated. Power cats have higher top end speed under power at the cost of dramatically increased fuel consumption, but you wont be cruising long distances at those speeds...it is nice for avoiding weather though (delivered a power cat in squally once and we scooted around every squall). In practice I think the average cruising speed of a bigger sail cat under power vs a power cat are likely to work out about the same on long runs.

[Paul L]

Originally Posted by belizesailor

My thought too. Its all about intended use. OP: got more criteria?

Another consideration: larger sailing cats can clip along at a good pace just under power and then you still have sail too...handy if you do seriously intend to cross an ocean or two as stated. Power cats have higher top end speed under power at the cost of dramatically increased fuel consumption, but you wont be cruising long distances at those speeds...it is nice for avoiding weather though (delivered a power cat in squally once and we scooted around every squall). In practice I think the average cruising speed of a bigger sail cat under power vs a power cat are likely to work out about the same on long runs.

Except the power cat can take shorter routes through high pressure systems and doldrums that the sail cat can't.

[belizesailor]

Yes, handy option. In fact, likely to favor that option for calmer seas. All my power boating friends wait for/seek much calmer conditions than I do on sailing vessels.

But with enough water line on a bigger sailing cat (and some extra fuel) you could do the same...not hard to lope along at 8 knots under power on cats of 50' and up.

[Paul L]

Originally Posted by belizesailor

Yes, handy option. In fact, likely to favor that option for calmer seas. All my power boating friends wait for/seek much calmer conditions than I do on sailing vessels.

But with enough water line on a bigger sailing cat (and some extra fuel) you could do the same...not hard to lope along at 8 knots under power on cats of 50' and up.

Take a look at link I posted above for Domino passages. The route is all the way across the Pacific west to east. You wouldn't practically take that route with a sail cat. Of course Domino is an exceptional, purpose built power cat.

[Chotu]

Some figures from my current catamaran.

49 loa
25 beam
150 gals fuel
375-400nm range at 8 knots

8 knots us maximum speed currently.

It's under propped currently but that was to get low speed maneuvering at the dock. I may increase prop pitch for more range/economy/top end speed.

Looking for a rig for it but wondering why I'm doing all this extra work when a power cat may tick all the boxes.

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by Paul L

Take a look at link I posted above for Domino passages. The route is all the way across the Pacific west to east. You wouldn't practically take that route with a sail cat. Of course Domino is an exceptional, purpose built power cat.

Is there somewhere you've seen with technical information about Domino?

I'm finding blogs of the travels around the world but not about the building and equipping of the boat.

Would be well worth a look.

[Paul L]

Originally Posted by Chotu

Is there somewhere you've seen with technical information about Domino?

I'm finding blogs of the travels around the world but not about the building and equipping of the boat.

Would be well worth a look.

Did you see this one?
Arctic Northwest Passage: Power Catamaran DOMINO is for Sale

[Quadrille in JB]

Originally Posted by Chotu

Regarding the waterways in Europe. They aren't good for catamarans, correct? A 25' beam is out, right?

I'd say you can have a fuel efficient power at if it's a 10-15 knot displacement boat. Look at Richard Woods Skoota for an example.

I'm wondering why power cats are so much more expensive than sail new even though the manufacturerers are making more sail. Hmm

Cats are definitely out for many canals in Europe. The controlling width in the locks was 17’. With our 14’ beam with 12” fenders on each side we had 6” clearance per side.
We spent 3 months from Marseille to Amsterdam and it was a great trip.
Air draft is definitely important also as we sometimes scraped our Bimini even though we had removed our masts and shipped them to Berlin.
Sorry about the second pic, it’s a Le Boat rental that we saw along the way. I chose it by mistake and couldn’t delete it.

[Nikki S]

I reckon the fuel cost will add up pretty quick and surpass sailing cost, but if money’s no issue, do what you love most

[cenicero]

Silent 55 if you have the dosh!!!!!!

[Kenomac]

Get a powercat, especially if you’re not fond of sailing. For us the decision to upgrade came down to a choice between an Oyster 625 or a powercat. A powercat would be ideal for the Med, Caribbean or coastal hopping and the Oyster, great for the Med and everything else.

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by Nikki S

I reckon the fuel cost will add up pretty quick and surpass sailing cost, but if money’s no issue, do what you love most

I’m not sure what size boat the OP is looking to buy, but sails for a 54ft Cutter cost over $25k, and a rigging replacement $15k.... which can also buy lots of fuel

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

I’m not sure what size boat the OP is looking to buy, but sails for a 54ft Oyster cost over $25k, and a rigging replacement $15k.... which can also buy lots of fuel

Exactly. I'm looking at a $60,000 rigging/sail estimate for a cat I own and am wondering if just focusing on making it a power cat could tick the boxes.

I like to get up into small places too. That $60k estimate is without the Tabernacle system I would like to lower the mast to get into places.

Seems I could just have her as a coastal power cat and ship her across oceans if I can't get more range. $60,000+ can buy an awful lot of fuel and rides on a freighter.

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by Chotu

Exactly. I'm looking at a $60,000 rigging/sail estimate for a cat I own and am wondering if just focusing on making it a power cat could tick the boxes.

I like to get up into small places too. That $60k estimate is without the Tabernacle system I would like to lower the mast to get into places.

Seems I could just have her as a coastal power cat and ship her across oceans if I can't get more range. $60,000+ can buy an awful lot of fuel and rides on a freighter.

A true powercat is much different than a sailing cat converted to a power only cat. The hull design is completely different with the true powercat designed for optimum speed and some lift. By switching to a longer monohull with more sail area like the 62 we now have, faster average speeds can also be attained in this manner.