Do Multihullers Ever go Back?

[weavis]

Originally Posted by tomfl

For my purposes I like the Seawind 1000 better than the newer 1150. There are some small but to me important differences, and some of them are mods made by the previous owner.

There are lots of cats in the harbor in the season and I have been on FPs, Lagoons, Mantas, Shuttleworths, Catanas, Catalacs, Geminis, and more. I don't really like condomarans for my personal boat but they are nice to be invited on.

One story that illustrates what is involved in choosing a boat. I have a friend with a Shuttleworth. Great boat, fast, good cruising boat, easy to sail. It has an open bridge deck with a hard Bimini. Big square cockpit that can easily fit a dozen people comfortably sitting around a table. My boat has a real salon with nice windows that open and U shaped seating around a larger table that may sit four comfortably if it is two couples. A couple were looking to buy a boat and I was discussing it with them along with the skipper of the Shuttleworth. I mentioned the Shuttleworth was better for entertaining large crowds while mine was better for more intimate dinners. The husband said he liked the Seawind setup better, but the wife liked the Shuttleworth better.

There is no right or wrong answer to this, just which one suits your needs better. No question in my mind the small Seawind suits my needs better, but I understand how others could make a different choice.

I just could not be happy with the Shuttleworth as my vessel.

And I think I meant the 1160...

[tomfl]

Originally Posted by downunder

Definitely BS. There definitely are bowthrusters on catamarans. Not common but can be found in the Med.

CF member Lagoon4us has one on his Lagoon 440. he finds it useful med mooring in difficult conditions. Do not need to fit 2.

As tom indicated cats are actually highly manoverable with widely spaced props.

Cheers

I have no doubt someone somewhere has put bow thrusters on a catamaran. The question to me is not can you do it, rather should you do it. Putting one cat engine in forward and the other in reverse will spin most cats in their own length. If the forward and reverse are not at equal thrust the boat can be moved forward or backward instead of simply spinning. I would find it distracting to have to deal not only with the thrust of the engines but the thrust of a bow thruster as well. But I am a simple man.

[weavis]

Originally Posted by tomfl

For my purposes I like the Seawind 1000 better than the newer 1150. There are some small but to me important differences, and some of them are mods made by the previous owner.

Tom.. the 1160 is a bigger boat as you know, and the reason I would go for that is simply I think it is a GREAT all rounder.

However, I am considering the1000xl2... and spending more money than I want to from my budget.
That said, what are the differences that you consider important between your model and the 1160?

[tomfl]

Originally Posted by weavis

Tom.. the 1160 is a bigger boat as you know, and the reason I would go for that is simply I think it is a GREAT all rounder.

However, I am considering to 1000xl2... and spending more money than I want to from my budget.
That said, what are the differences that you consider important between your model and the 1160?

My Seawind is an older one. Newer ones, both 1000xl and 1160, have some type of solid doors on a hinge that between a cockpit and the salon. Mine has canvass and clear plastic that rolls up. It seems simpler, lighter, and cheaper. To me one of the things I like about the Seawind is the open salon and cockpit which results in a huge area to play in.

As I said the PO did mods on the boat. This included a composting head, and glassing over all the thru hull fittings. He also added a bowsprit to fly a screecher. The boat was rewired and two 215 solar panels were added to the arch along with 440 amps of house batteries. All of this could be done to any Seawind, but it was already done to mine.

I have also done some mods including more solar stuff and adding an Engel below the table in the salon which lets me only open the main fridge in the galley once a day if I plan well.

What ever boat most folks winds up with they will make lots of little mods that are very personal. I suspect you will wind up doing that as well.

[downunder]

Originally Posted by tomfl

I have no doubt someone somewhere has put bow thrusters on a catamaran. The question to me is not can you do it, rather should you do it. Putting one cat engine in forward and the other in reverse will spin most cats in their own length. If the forward and reverse are not at equal thrust the boat can be moved forward or backward instead of simply spinning. I would find it distracting to have to deal not only with the thrust of the engines but the thrust of a bow thruster as well. But I am a simple man.

More common than you think particually on cats larger than 50ft.

Absolutely not needed on smaller vessels.

Cheers

[smj]

Originally Posted by tomfl

I have no doubt someone somewhere has put bow thrusters on a catamaran. The question to me is not can you do it, rather should you do it. Putting one cat engine in forward and the other in reverse will spin most cats in their own length. If the forward and reverse are not at equal thrust the boat can be moved forward or backward instead of simply spinning. I would find it distracting to have to deal not only with the thrust of the engines but the thrust of a bow thruster as well. But I am a simple man.

There's a 2001 Seawind 1000 on the market right now with a bow thruster! Why I don't know. And to say the Seawind 1000 can only seat four around the table? They must be super sized people!


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[weavis]

Originally Posted by tomfl

My Seawind is an older one. Newer ones, both 1000xl and 1160, have some type of solid doors on a hinge that between a cockpit and the salon. Mine has canvass and clear plastic that rolls up. It seems simpler, lighter, and cheaper. To me one of the things I like about the Seawind is the open salon and cockpit which results in a huge area to play in.

As I said the PO did mods on the boat. This included a composting head, and glassing over all the thru hull fittings. He also added a bowsprit to fly a screecher. The boat was rewired and two 215 solar panels were added to the arch along with 440 amps of house batteries. All of this could be done to any Seawind, but it was already done to mine.

I have also done some mods including more solar stuff and adding an Engel below the table in the salon which lets me only open the main fridge in the galley once a day if I plan well.

What ever boat most folks winds up with they will make lots of little mods that are very personal. I suspect you will wind up doing that as well.

LOL.. I have modded every vehicle and RV and boat Ive ever owned.

[tomfl]

Originally Posted by smj

There's a 2001 Seawind 1000 on the market right now with a bow thruster! Why I don't know. And to say the Seawind 1000 can only seat four around the table? They must be super sized people!


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AJ I said sit four comfortably. Because of the U shaped seating only two people are able to get up without someone moving. It is also not so easy to get in and out if you are sitting on the forward part of the U. I often sit under the arch and eat there if the weather is nice because it is easier to get up and get more food. Charles' Shuttleworth has a much different seating arrangement. It is very easy to get up and move around with out disturbing folks. As much as I like Charles I am not sure I could put up with cleaning up the way he does after he entertains. Actually Hillary probably cleans up, but still it would drive me nuts.

All boats are compromises and if I wanted a boat to entertain the maximum number of people it would be a set up like Charles has. Since I seldom have more than one guest at a time the Seawind suits me much better.

[Factor]

Originally Posted by tomfl

I have no doubt someone somewhere has put bow thrusters on a catamaran. The question to me is not can you do it, rather should you do it. Putting one cat engine in forward and the other in reverse will spin most cats in their own length. If the forward and reverse are not at equal thrust the boat can be moved forward or backward instead of simply spinning. I would find it distracting to have to deal not only with the thrust of the engines but the thrust of a bow thruster as well. But I am a simple man.

I have skippered cats up to 65 feet, never once did I think - I need a bow thruster. Needlessly puts a hole in the hull, disturbs water flow, needless expenditure. Still I am still wondering why people do in mast furling on Cats, its almost a silly.

[Factor]

Originally Posted by tomfl

AJ I said sit four comfortably. Because of the U shaped seating only two people are able to get up without someone moving.

Get (or make your own) the folding timber table from the XL2.

[SaltyMonkey]

Originally Posted by Factor

Still I am still wondering why people do in mast furling on Cats, its almost a silly.

So they can relax and lick their drink stirrers instead of dickin' with reefs and bags.

[mbianka]

Originally Posted by Cotemar

I have a cat because I like having women aboard.

All the women I know hate leaners.

Most cruisers as they get older would rather go with a small trawler than go back to a leaner.

You are probably right. My companion of 30+ years drags me on a crewed Catamaran vacation at least once a year. She prefers it to monohulls. I go along to get along. It's not terrible but, then again I'm sitting back sipping a beer while someone else has to maintain it I'm still glad to get back to my monohull after the trip is over.

[colemj]

Originally Posted by SaltyMonkey

So they can relax and lick their drink stirrers instead of dickin' with reefs and bags.

A boom furler makes much more sense for that. Removing the roach and battens from a sail and putting all of its weight up the mast makes no sense on a catamaran. Doesn't make sense on a mono either, but seems very popular, but they don't rely on their mainsail as much for the primary driving force.

Mark

[Factor]

Originally Posted by SaltyMonkey

So they can relax and lick their drink stirrers instead of dickin' with reefs and bags.

In mast furler equipped boats have mains without battens and little roach, in short, well, lets just say they have plenty of time for drinkies, cause they never sail.

[kiper204]

I know a couple who had a Cat for 12yrs ... then bought a mono and 4 months later put it up for sale. Its whats comfortable for the individual.

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