Are Cats that Great?

[meyermm]

The whole point of this latest thread was to draw attention to an article not written by a journalist or salesman that pointed out some negatives about Cats. Sure enough we are again berated by cat owners as to how wonderfull they are. Maybe they are far superior to any other design of boat. But the many readers who do not post replies will also notice that the mention of price brings a deathly silence. My opinion of cats is the majority like them because they are a condominium on water rather than a sail boat for all conditions whether sailing up wind or down. When cat prices are competitive with monos I will take a serious look. If there was one point that you cat lovers constantly like to boast its this non sink bull. The Titanic sank remember but I must admit when ever I look out to the ocean there is at least one mono sinking in fact with this sinking problem they have it is lucky there are any left afloat!!

[cat man do]

Originally Posted by meyermm

If there was one point that you cat lovers constantly like to boast its this non sink bull.

The Titanic sank remember

Yeah, I remember

It was a MONO wasnt it?

[Stillraining]

meyermm...Quit frankly your the only one here i sense any bereavement from..

So far... all Ive heard is only honest answers from cat owners whom have stated they like what they have for what ever reason given...one was because his wife was willing to cruise on one and not a mono...another stating they go back and forth and cant decide which one they want..none have pontificated on how much better they are then monos.

I sense a frustration on your part maybe because you cant afford one and have seen some wealthy non boat savoy people just go out and buy one and set sail ( The bumfuzzels come to mind...and they bug me too FWIW).....well...welcome to the club.. I cant afford one either.

I'm sort of a traditional kind of guy myself , and i actually like a rail in the water so I would initially lean to a mono if I won the lottery... but I sure would like the experience of a 30 knot run on a cat sometime...it might get me leaning the other way you never know..

Be happy for people that already have what they want...sympathize as well for people that have made up their mind as to what they don't want but haven't rid themselves of it yet...but most important know what you want and the heck with everyone else's opinion.

[meyermm]

"I sense a frustration on your part maybe because you cant afford one" You are assuming a lot there!
"Yeah, I remember It was a MONO wasnt it?"
Yes it was and the sales pitch was unsinkable!!!

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by meyermm

the mention of price brings a deathly silence.

My ambition in the nearish future is to buy a brand new Beneteau (which is a monohull).

If I bought a 45 foot new multihull I could buy the new Beneteau 58!!!!!!!!!

A 58 footer is a substantial boaty-boat!!!

So even if I had the money I would still tell the Cat salesman where he could stick both hulls!

[cat man do]

Originally Posted by meyermm

""
Yes it was and the sales pitch was unsinkable!!!

But you are the one that mentioned unsinkability, not me

I merely pointed out that chances of sinking are far greater on a vessel that has a few tonne of lead strapped to it.

Unless for some reason lead has suddenly become positively buoyant.

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by cat man do

lead has suddenly become positively buoyant.

Mine is very happy. Buoyant even.


I think catastrophic losses in both mono and multi hulls are just that: catastrophic. A flipped multi is hard to survive. A sunk mono is hard to survive. I feel people should get over themselves and let others live the way they want to. There are very few multi hulls, here, cruising so far from the USA and Europe - sure, there are some, but not many. So if they are such great cruising boats instead of berating the mono people about how wonderful your boats are, instead of that, get out here and SHOW us they can cruise!

Mark

[cat man do]

Originally Posted by MarkJ

So if they are such great cruising boats instead of berating the mono people about how wonderful your boats are,

Who's berating?
Do we need to go back and see how this thread started?

There are very few multi hulls, here, cruising so far from the USA and Europe - sure, there are some, but not many.

Strange, when I was up there (Malaysia and Thailand) not that long ago I saw a pretty good selection of multis in most marinas we visited.

Also worth noting that it was the Multis that actually were out on the water being used, and in anchorages it was predominately multi's that I saw.

I have plenty of photo's of cats and tri's at Telaga Harbour and the anchorage out front, RLYC and the anchorage out front of Kuah, Boat Lagoon, Yacht Haven, Chalong Bay, Cape Panwa in Phuket, even down in Penang and south we saw some, so they are out there, more from here heading up all the time and Oz multihull builders setting up there as well, apparently to build multihulls.

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by cat man do

Who's berating?
.

I am so hurt I had to change my avitar....

[barnakiel]

What is eating meyerm???

I am an owner of a relatively small mono. And I think cats ARE great!

Now the Las Palmas anchorage is full up (ARC starts in a week). One third of all boats at anchor are cats - all sorts - from homebuilt pretty shooters to Privileges 65. Now I walk the adjacent beach afternoons and each time the swell sets in I look at the monos rolling WILDLY, I say to myself - next time ...

So what is eating you? Have you ever sailed a cat? I have and it was great.

I cannot see any cats vs. monos here - monos are great for some travells cats for others - and since very many people sail downwind a lot - I believe the cat is a much better tool for that than a mono (faster, safer, more comfortable). To go to Svalbard I would probably pick a brick Van de Stadt, etc..

Where is your (problem?) with cats?

b.

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by barnakiel

- and since very many people sail downwind a lot - I believe the cat is a much better tool for that than a mono

Ahhhhh but there be a lil problem. Too down hill and cats grind to a halt. Gybing all the way done wind adds lotsa miles.

[Intentional Drifter]

These threads seem to always devolve into:

YouTube - Argument Clinic

Even with the economic factor thrown in.

But, no punch line.

ID

[Blue Stocking]

Back in the 60's I sailed a day charter 48ft Paul Lindenberg-built cat with airfoil hulls (would you believe?)
In the 70's and 80's I sailed Tornado's for 10 years.
Now I sail a 1965 12ton monohull.
The cats, in a breeze create an unforgetable feeling of exhileration.
The Reliant will sail itself for hours, while I have a beer or two
I loved to sail all 3 of them.

[Dave852]

Originally Posted by MarkJ

Ahhhhh but there be a lil problem. Too down hill and cats grind to a halt. Gybing all the way done wind adds lotsa miles.

Ahhhhh but thats not true Mark, in the video of Ovive posted above she was sailing dead downwind with three reefs in the main and the jib on a whisker pole, wing and wing. She does not appear to be grinding to a halt. If the wind was less we would of had the kite flying also dead downwind. Now if we were racing another cat perhaps we would gibe downwind but for cruising and passing any monos we were going plenty fast. In our experience when sailing with our mono friends they would hate having the wind directly astern because of the rolling. They would gybe downwind to keep the wind on the quarter for comfort.

[Cormorant]

I don't own a cat, but I often dream of buying one -- just as soon as I win the lottery. . . .

I currently own a shallow-draft mono, and I am addicted to shallow draft. I love to step off the boat into ankle-deep water, or right onto the beach.

If I could have a blue-water cruiser capable of circumnavigation (which my current boat isn't) -- and also have shallow draft, that would be my dream come true.