At The Risk of Starting WWlll

[DoubleWhisky]

Originally Posted by smj

Now tell me, if the steel and aluminum monos are so superior to fiberglass, why do most people choose fiberglass?

Steel = huge maintenance.
Aluminium = problems with electrolysis.

If You are building the cruiser You can be not overly sensitive about weight with a mono. Overbuilt composite structure can be not less robust than metal. Now the basalt fiber is the good replacement for glass fiber.
I think both the monos and multis can benefit a lot from this material.
Basalt is some 20 % stronger than glass of the same weight. With some addition of carbon and kevlar You can get amazingly strong composite even with use of vinylester, not epoxy, and not much more expensive than glass/polyester laminate.

[Razoo]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

ahem... children, it's time for your nap!

Jim

lmao....

[Scot McPherson]

Originally Posted by smj

My guess is the mono will fail in its weak spot, the hull to keel joint causing the boat to flood. If the catamaran was well designed it would also fail in the hull to keel joint. Difference being the keel was designed to be breakaway not allowing the boat to flood. Also with the draft now reduced to about 18" the catamaran will probably float of the reef pretty much intact. Of course I am saying this just to be argumentative. I'm sure we could come up with different scenarios and we could argue the advantages of our own boats coming out unscathed but in the end there is only one winner....and that is the boat YOU choose
Now tell me, if the steel and aluminum monos are so superior to fiberglass, why do most people choose fiberglass?

Well certainly it depends on how well the boat is built, however for full keels and half keels, the keel to hull "attachment" as you call it is the strongest part of the boat. They aren't "attached" it's what the boat is built on with the keel as it's core, spine and foundation of the whole thing.

I have heard of racing boats loosing their keels, but those boats are pushed to the edge of what they were engineered to do as lightly as possible. That's not a fair comparison when racers are intentionally building boats designed to excel at and survive one race.

True cruiser are designed to never break apart. They'll rot before they break if they are built well, and that's MANY dacades of life, sometimes even a century or more if not left to rot.

[Razoo]

Originally Posted by Scot McPherson

True cruiser are designed to never break apart. They'll rot before they break if they are built well, and that's MANY dacades of life, sometimes even a century or more if not left to rot.

That's comforting to know. I can be pretty hard on stuff.

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[geoleo]

I have had both. Main difference is a Cat costs twice as much to buy. dock and maintain.

[tomfl]

[QUOTE=smj;1617560]So why all the talk lately about monos with hull to keel joints separating?
All cats are able to sit on their keels AND remain upright when the tide goes out!

/QUOTE]

True there has been talk about monos having their keels fall off, but those are fin keels, a much different design than a full keel.

To answer another question as a rule it is much cheaper to build a fiberglass boat, especially with molds, than a steal/metal boat. Usually cheaper to maintain fiberglass than metal.

Lets remember all boats are compromises, the trick is to get one that fits your needs at a price you can afford.

[Pelagic]

Originally Posted by tomfl

To answer another question as a rule it is much cheaper to build a fiberglass boat, especially with molds, than a steal/metal boat. Usually cheaper to maintain fiberglass than metal.

Tom....I think there must be other "suitability " factors involved in metal vs fiberglass.

Otherwise why do small commercial boats (fishing, towing etc.) favor steel?
Or if cost to build was the only issue.... even large ships would be made of fiberglass?

[Sand crab]

I didn't read the entire thread so I apologize if this has already been posted but here's some good reading about monos and multis in a storm.

Multihull Dynamics, Inc. - News Article

Queens Birthday Storm 1994 - HMNZS MONOWAI

It seems like both types were equally (storm) seaworthy or not.
I call World War III a draw.

[Razoo]

Originally Posted by Sand crab

I didn't read the entire thread so I apologize if this has already been posted but here's some good reading about monos and multis in a storm.

Multihull Dynamics, Inc. - News Article

Queens Birthday Storm 1994 - HMNZS MONOWAI

It seems like both types were equally (storm) seaworthy or not.
I call World War III a draw.

You should read the whole thread. You might draw a different conclusion.

[tomfl]

Originally Posted by Pelagic

Tom....I think there must be other "suitability " factors involved in metal vs fiberglass.

Otherwise why do small commercial boats (fishing, towing etc.) favor steel?
Or if cost to build was the only issue.... even large ships would be made of fiberglass?

I am not sure what you are getting at.

Almost all the small boats (under 50 feet) I see, commercial or not, are fiberglass by a huge margin.

The advantage steel has is that once a boat (or more accurately a ship) reaches a certain size there is a strength advantage using normal construction methods.

[Blue Skye]

Large steel monohulls are very stable in rough seas:

LiveLeak.com - Cruise Ship Hit By Storm - View From Inside and Out

Sorry, couldn't resist. All in fun

[Terra Nova]

They didn't have the sense to seek safer quarters. Yikes! All that furniture being thrown around! But clearly that top-heavy beast was not designed for such conditions. Maybe they messed up on ballast.

[Terra Nova]

Building in steel can be very cheap for a DIY builder to produce just 1.

[ArtM]

Originally Posted by Terra Nova

The cat's greater windage is an unfortunate flaw offset by its solar power capacity.

It's not an unfortunate flaw, but a by-product of the huge above-deck saloon.

The very few monohulls which have a similar top-deck saloon have far worse windage. A major advantage of the Catamaran design is that it can have a very large top-deck saloon with minimal compromise, compared to a monohull.

With regard to the previous comment about the "need" for a catamaran to be lighter weight - a catamaran has an inherent weight advantage in that it does not need an enormous lead ballast to remain upright.

[Manos1955]

Originally Posted by 4music3

Ok so what actually happens on a cat if a surprise wind is way to strong?



Will the cat turn up/ rigging brake/ sheets auto release/ what?



We all know on a mono when it leans over it spills wind -- how will the cat take care of this-- no really I'm just asking because I don't get it?

I am sailing monos for over 30 years in the Med. Past three years I charter cats, love them!! As far as I understand if you get in a squall or microburst with a cat, then
A. A cruiser cat will brake its rigging/ de masted
B. A racing cat will capsize

I had some microbursts / squalls experience a. with my 45 one off ex UNIBANK II mono, main sail went flat on the sea until I released the main sheet, then she straitened up again. My two boys and I found ourselves hanging from the winches

B. With my 43 GULFSTAR , the microburst teared apart my main, before that, she heeled and then straitened up again this happened twice in four years

Never had such an encounter with a cat yet.

Never


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