A Path to Multihulls

[Palarran]

Originally Posted by Full

I cannot put everything in my mind in a post, so don't worry about the inconsistency of the ideas. On another post, some 'experienced' folk told me that my mind was all over the place, because I was interested in full keels and a Catalina 315, as if I didn't know 315 not being a full keel. Don't be surprised if you find me wandering in powerboats section, talking about Trawlers these days...

Good grief Charlie Brown.

[lyl]

Originally Posted by Palarran

Good grief Charlie Brown.

[valhalla360]

A small beach cat can help with some aspects of sailing...but will have little relationship to the skills needed as a cruiser.

Your average cruiser spends more time working on boat systems than flying a hull.

So if you have next to no money and little available time, a beach cat can be a good option.

If you actually have the time and money, getting a small cruising boat will teach you far more about cruising. You can always work on your sailing skills with that boat.

[Redreuben]

If you have no sailing experience I’m guessing your wife doesn’t either and I’m also guessing she has been scared by the capsize boogie man.
You’ll be doing most of the work and possibly be the one providing most of the finance. Be your own man, she’ll come around if your confident in your position.
Next work on the confidence of your position by going sailing, sail as crew on anything and everything you can get a ride on. Racing may not be your end goal so just treat it as concentrated education.

[Nahbrown]

Originally Posted by dougweibel

Sign up for a 5-7 day live-aboard ASA 101-104 + 114 course. You will get some good instruction plus the opportunity to see what it is like to actually live on a boat/catamaran. For example (not recommending this particular school) water sailing">Blue Water Sailing School's Course A+ Cat: Bareboat Catamaran Skipper.
.

Exactly what we did. 0 sailing experience then we went to LTD SAILING IN GRENADA.

we now live aboard 1/2 the year on our catamaran

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by Redreuben

If you have no sailing experience I’m guessing your wife doesn’t either and I’m also guessing she has been scared by the capsize boogie man.

This could be a big negative to getting a beach cat. If she is constantly seeing it flip over, in a light breeze...she'll assume a cruising cat will...it won't.

[theDangerz]

Originally Posted by Full

A romantic, newbie post here, independent from my other posts. This might help all the newbie dreamers out there.
A forty-something-year-old man stares at the endless ocean in a deep thought. He watches the various catamarans sailing to the Bahamas in envy. His ambitions in life changes all of a sudden. He knows there is no going back; now, he is totally a new person...
So what should he do to safely sail a 40 - 42 something ft catamaran one day? He has no sailing experience. What path does he have to take? Let's give him some advice without insulting him too much.

Well... it isn't ever a very popular answer round here, but since what you just described sounded exactly like our story a couple short years ago, our path was:
- Decide to stop watching in envy and follow our dreams
- Buy a boat
- Move onto boat with a goal of learning 1 new thing a day (turned out to be closer to 1000)
- Take the boat out of the marina and lift the sails
- After a couple more sails, allow your paid month in the marina to expire (this is important to prevent you from turning around in shear terror) and after lifting the sails, point the boat S/SE (this works best if you bought the boat in Miami).

Honestly... the hardest parts about the lifestyle change you're asking about have little to do with sailing safely.

[Ndavies]

You might enjoy our story!
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...v6wtwW97KFcsYn

[Beach Panda]

Originally Posted by thinwater

Not a dinghy, a beach cat, such as a Hobie 16 or Prindle. Not one of the molded resort cats, either (Hobie Getaway). This will teach you about multihull stability factors, which a Laser will not.


And yeah, these aren't just for kids. I was helming a Prindle 19 just a few months ago. What a blast. They teach you a lot.

I live in Miami. Before coronavirus I used to frequently jump over to Key Biscayne and rent Hobie 16's for the day with my family (5 of us in total). Great sailing, and because you're low to the water, speed will seem a lot faster... especially in low winds.

I learned to sail when I was 9 on a Prindle. Expect to jump into something in the 50'+ range in the next year or so, to take the wife and circumnavigate.

IMHO... and it's been stated here before... when buying a boat... select one based upon the Keel. In other words, if you're sailing only "skinny water" (shallow drafts) then a Cat is surely the best way to go.

After sailing the Northern Caribbean for a few years, I plan on heading south to Trinidad... then West to Curaco and then Panama. Depending upon life... maybe I'll head out and begin the circumnavigating.... the dream is on the second loop to take the NW Passage.

So... FWIW choose your vessel carefully, based upon today, and where you expect to be 5 years from today.

[Vizsla_Buddy]

Originally Posted by thinwater

Not a dinghy, a beach cat, such as a Hobie 16 or Prindle. Not one of the molded resort cats, either (Hobie Getaway). This will teach you about multihull stability factors, which a Laser will not.


And yeah, these aren't just for kids. I was helming a Prindle 19 just a few months ago. What a blast. They teach you a lot.

"A Blast" is an understatement. I grew up on these things. In a good strong wind they are more fun than sex (I'm just say'in)!

[john manning]

JUST START. Do a course, buy a dinghy, join a club, crew other's yachts.

Stop thinking and just start. There is plenty of time for thinking after you have made your first mistake.

Starting small means small mistakes.

[Catabella]

Have a look at crewseakers. com. I have a 40 foot cat that I live aboard and have done for the last three years. We love it, the boat and the life. We have from time to time had to do a long positioning sail that was more than my wife and I could handle so we call on crewseakers to hel. This is a two way street some times we get very experiences crew that I gain so much knowledge from and some times we get people who just want to see the life.

[Rotten Ricky]

Always get some experience before buying a boat. Start actual sailing with a smaller one, and preferably one belonging to someone else, or where little money is needed.

One fantastic deal on beach cats right now is the former Olympic class cat - the Tornado 20. They are a fast racing cat - but there is no need to sail it like a bat outta hell. You don't HAVE to drive a Maserati flat out all the time right? These boats are just not the trendy one right now - as it was replaced by the Nacra 10 at the Olympics - so they are going for a song. However, they are more complex than a smaller beach cat and with a 10 ft beam - which makes them very stable - there are complications for transportation. Some hulls are glass and some are plywood, and as none are new anymore, get the glass one. I plan on reducing the mast height of mine for easier sailing, and hinging the beams to make it into a folding cat for easier sailing and trailering. Like I said, the price is right to play around with it.

But what value - mine cost two cases of beer!

Cheers, RR.

PS. Sailing requires muscles and joints you forgot you had, so make sure your back and knees etc can handle the new stresses and strains of sailing. You are not a kid any more!

[Gmann]

I was in the same position. I started weekly harbour racing (which I still enjoy), got some yachting qualifications and sought out crew positions on yachts doing blue water trips to and from NZ. After the first passage on a monohull, I focused totally on crew positions on catamarans, after 6 different cats and 3 charters also on catamarans I am now very confident in what size and type of catamaran I wish to buy. BTW this process has taken 8 years, but includes exposing my wife and children to sailing also. They're up for it and I'm just waiting for the right yacht to come onto the market.

[Rotten Ricky]

Quote: .. after 6 different cats and 3 charters also on catamarans I am now very confident in what size and type of catamaran I wish to buy. BTW this process has taken 8 years, but includes exposing my wife and children to sailing also. They're up for it and I'm just waiting for the right yacht to come onto the market.[/QUOTE]


Don't be cruel and keep us in suspense, man!
What have you decided and why?!
But I like your sensible process. Typical Kiwi!

Cheers, RR.