Please critique my cat ketch thoughts

[CaptAirman]

We own a Freedom 39 cat schooner. While it's not a ketch in principle they're very similar. When shopping we were almost identical in our stated requirements, namely that she be easy to sail, have a separate (however small) shower area, capable of living aboard as a couple with a possible 3rd hand or another couple small in stature as we are. I will say that the Freedom does sail itself when trimmed correctly, but that trimming well can be difficult with so little in the way of sail controls. The foremast to mainmast balance can be tricky.

The biggest issue I would mention is that unlike self-tacking sloop/cutter arrangements, in a cat ketch/schooner you have an entire second *boom* to contend with. That has implications on what you can do on the foredeck, for example one must be extra cognizant of tacking if you're carrying a dinghy forward, particularly if upwind where the boom is sheeted in low. Yes it's "self-tacking" but it also means there is another boom even lower on deck that can sweep anyone going forward. This also means that going downwind, you have to account for the possibility of crash-jibing either of the two booms, and managing both booms under jibe. These are not unique to catboats, but your ability to mitigate accidental jibes of the foresail using preventers is somewhat limited by the fact that the mast is so far forward that there can be a lack of sensible attachment points for them with sufficient incident angle to arrest the motion.

Talking with other cat-ketch owners over time, I've learned that you can really pay out extra sheet on the for'sl to the point that the boom is almost perpendicular to the gooseneck attachment, and depending on your arrangement, even forward of it. This tends to make the motion of the boom much less ominous when running downwind with following seas rolling the boat. Another possibility is a boom brake, which we have not experimented with yet.

As for the benefits, other posters have mentioned generally shorter masts with comparable sail area, no-touch tacking, very good downwind performance, and looks that I appreciate. There is also a great argument for world cruisers that 2 masts means built in resiliency in the event of a severe crash jibe or other mast-altering incident. If I had to choose again, I think I would try to find a 39-42'er with a self-tacking cutter rig. The forward boom is a source of worry to me, and its mast a source of maintenance. But we enjoy owning weird houses, cars, and now boats, and the built-in conversation starter of owning such an odd duck.