60 foot Catamaran for Couple?

[Auspicious]

Originally Posted by riki

I always thought that for private use the max size should be up to the mid 40s, unless you don't have a family but a football team. Going bigger, unless a chartering business, makes no sense to me.

I disagree. I think for single or double-handed cruising there is a lot of merit to 40 footers, although when I was boat shopping the third cabin in an HR48 to use as a home office was really appealing. I have worked with a lot of people with small crews and big boats that are very happy with their choices and I won't judge their choices.

[Simi 60]

Originally Posted by Pelagic

A windlass is probably your biggest electrical load along with Thruster (sometimes used together) so it makes sense to have safeguards to make sure you have enough power.

On larger yachts the anchor windlass have AC motors, so often a 2nd Generator is paralleled to retrieve chain.

My boat is only 42 ton so the windlass is 24v from house bank, but I do not retrieve unless Gen and 70amp charger is on to keep AGMs voltage up.
A main engine with a high output alternator at idle (Mark Grasser) is my backup power
]

Our boat is 65 tonne with considerable windage
It has a Maxwell HWC 3500 24v windlass

Power comes from 2 x 12v truck batteries which are also the starts for the 14litre 855 Cummins engine

In anything under 20 knots we pull the boat up without using the engine using chain catenary

No genset used and no alternator on the engine but do have a 4 amp trickle charger off of the inverter to batteries - being replaced with a 12 amp victron charger next week

Its how we've been running for over 5 years now, never an issue.

IF needed, genset and a 60 amp charger to starts could be bought online in a few minutes.

[Pelagic]

Originally Posted by Simi 60

No genset used and no alternator on the engine but do have a 4 amp trickle charger off of the inverter to batteries - being replaced with a 12 amp victron charger next week

Its how we've been running for over 5 years now, never an issue.

IF needed, genset and a 60 amp charger to starts could be bought online in a few minutes.

I guess as long as you are not getting a big voltage drop on your batteries, it is fine to draw them down when hauling anchor.

I just think if you were to have a problem with something fouled and not recharging the batteries, you might forget about it when maneuvering with Thruster and Windlass.
So I always had a charger on in the past

Now I have a 24v Alternator that can put out 70a at idle, so don't need the Gen anymore

[MIRELOS]

...and so you buy a 60' and there's room for your children and friends and then the children grow and leave to have their lives,....there you are, two of you but you love the boat and so......

[Leighpilot]

And that’s why we have a handy 33ft cat. Perfect for the two of us. Plenty of space , easy to handle and if more than one child wants to come along , we can charter a bigger boat for a week.

[MIRELOS]

we are full time live aboard/cruisers, big boat, lots of space for bread making machine my tools and etc. yes its a bit large, handling her takes forethought, finding marinas and haul out spots is more difficult and expenses are larger, but hey she's our boat

[Lupin]

Originally Posted by dc9loser

Look I appreciate the responses. However the vast majority are conjecture.

I have one delivery Captain that I responded to. His comment seemed to indicate a competent single hander could sail a 60 footer.

One guy claims that a 60 footer will run through a 4 million dollar nest egg in two years? Math please?

Another guy claims a 40ish foot boat will perform as well as a 60 foot boat? Please show me your math? I have an article listing all the Atlantic crossing times for Catamarans and longer in actual crossings length trumps faster near 100% of the time. 62 foot Lagoons crush 40ish foot performance Cats without breaking a sweat.

There are lots of jabs at my purported abilities. Folks sailing a boat is simple. Yeah sailing a boat perfectly is near impossible, but sailing good enough is generally good enough. I readily admit I need some "learning" but I have the ability to do that quickly.

My plans are for the South Seas, maybe New Zealand?

60 foot is for sure more seaworthy than 40.

BTW I have watched many YouTube sailors. The Wynns boat is 43 not 46. And the Ocean passage to New Zealand tore parts of the little boat off. The hugely higher freeboard of a 60 would shake off a wave that crushed their boat.

The O'Kelly's claim $3k/mo is all they need, the Wynns less than that. I have several times that amount on tap monthly above the 4 million.

I have two teen aged boys in addition to me and wife. So, no a 40ish footer is a no. A 50 footer would do OK.

I will not even consider cramping aboard a 45 foot boat. 50 foot is fine, but they cost pretty much the same as a 60 footer.

Please respond with actual experience or math or logic.

I am open to suggestions, my mind is not made up. But real info that makes sense please.

I have a privilege 615 and my plan is the Pacific, we are now in the Caribbean,
I have a good sailing experience, including north sea crossing and 1 Atlantic crossing with my old monohull.
There are no doubts about the 615 quality and seaworthiness, it is just a fantastic boat, at the moment I have 2 daughters with us helping handling the boat, but I can handle it alone it with my wife too. You can’t dock her alone btw.
Maintain wise of course it is more expensive than smaller boats, almost everything a bit major is about at least 10 k
So far I have spent 25k for solar, 15 for cushions, about 10k for checking and fixing motors and gens, about 21k for new anchor and chain.
I hope this will give you a good idea.
You should indeed get more experienced before running a big cat like this, probably could be similar for me to start flying with a boeing 747 instead that with a Piper or similar.
But as catamaran choice I agree this is a great one.

[Leighpilot]

Why did you post this ? You’re not really asking questions are you ? Or at least , you’re not really wanting answers or advice , are you ?

The only advice I can give you is go find a broker who sells 60ft boats and he will tell you that you’re dead right and 60ft would be perfect for your small family , in fact probably he will likely tell you a 70ft will be even better , if he has one on his books.

[wawando]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvs5jEftbXw

looks great!

[Auspicious]

Originally Posted by Lupin

You can’t dock her alone btw.

Sure you can. It's all about planning and organization.

Originally Posted by wawando

looks great!

Nope. Not nearly enough handholds or fiddles. The broker is clearly not a sailor.

[Leighpilot]

Lol How did I know he was an airline pilot. I’ve flown with these Captains for years. There’s nothing you can tell some of these guys. Four stripes mean he knows everything about everything.

[Tetepare]

Originally Posted by Leighpilot

Lol How did I know he was an airline pilot. I’ve flown with these Captains for years. There’s nothing you can tell some of these guys. Four stripes mean he knows everything about everything.

Hmmm, some truth to that. But executives and cops too. First boat is a 50 foot, everything bad that happens is someone else’s fault, and when discussing navigation they don’t know when to stop digging that hole. I generalize, of course.

[Palarran]

Originally Posted by Auspicious

Sure you can. It's all about planning and organization.



Nope. Not nearly enough handholds or fiddles. The broker is clearly not a sailor.

This really is a pure egotistical sentence followed by a pure naïve one. Great job!!

[Auspicious]

Originally Posted by Palarran

This really is a pure egotistical sentence followed by a pure naïve one. Great job!!

You're going to have to be more specific.

[aqfishing]

Check this beaut. Even the Admiral who is not fond of older Lagoon styling liked her. Pity the timing is not right now. We would sail this as a couple no problem. Something to be said about a big heavy boat in rough sea. Not a huge fan of the fly bridge, but can live with it.

Have no connection to the advertiser or owners.

https://www.catamarans.com/used-sail...tlantis/572122