Big cat small crew?

[Brandywine]

Any one have any experience handling a large cats. Say a Fountaine Pajot Marquises 56 short handed.

Trying to narrow down the list of possible boats and wondering what is the upper limit of size for a couple to handle comfortable (assuming all the gear electric winches etc...).


We have sailed 40ish foot cats and did not find them to be to large or difficult at all but for extended cruising I am a little concerned about the load caring capability of boats in this size range for a family of four and of course, all things being equal a large cat is going to be safer.

[dana-tenacity]

No problem Single handing a catana 431, went on board their 48 ft version but didn't sail it, at the time could see no reason i couldn't do that as well. Like a lot of these discussions more to do with the sailor than the boat.

[Dreaming Yachtsman]

My wife and I have been cruising on our 43 foot Fountaine-Pajot for two years, most of the time with just the two of us on board. I normally ask her to help me get underway from anchor but can do it alone in flat calm or nearly so. I also like to have her drive while I hoist and lower the main but have on occasion done both on autopilot. Reefing the main, dropping anchor, and mooring to a dock are the only activities I insist that she help with. I do most of the sailing, including tacking, myself unless the weather is really nasty. We do not have electric winches.

[Jeannius]

Wouldn't fancy something as big as a 56 short handed. Alright until something goes wrong, then those sails are just too big. I worry a bit at 44ft even with lots of electrical assistance.

[Talbot]

if single handed monos can "manage" a 90ft racing boat, then a 56ft cat can also be managed but:

Make sure the handling gear is designed for single handed

Have a pursuit boat full of extra crew for berthing/mooring

make sure you have no maintenance problems with the handling gear

dont get caught out in really bad weather.

[Brandywine]

I have read every web log out there but have not seen any couples or families out on any boats larger then 48.

From a cost stand point a new 44-47 foot boat would be about the same as a 7-8 year old 48-52 leaving some change for re-fit. The Eruo is killing us at the moment as well as lead times for the new boats is getting silly both Lagoon and Leopard quoted more the 18 months for a boat.

We are in the early stages of planning but right now are looking at pacific loop including some higher latitudes maybe the Aleutian Islands or down the South American cost to Patagonia.

[dana-tenacity]

Mono or multi, the bigger the boat the more time and money you spend on maintenance and service and the less time you spend sailing/cruising. Don't buy the biggest you can afford, buy the smallest you can get away with, then don't load it up with "stuff".

[catman]

I had a 39'Fidji by Fountine Pajot and found it to light for serious offshore cruising due to the limited load carrying capacity.
I am looking at a 46' Cat built by the previous owner of Solaris Yachts, U.K.
It is a relativly heavy cat by todays standards, one reason for the weight is a steel beam and strut system to support the mast.
This system was used in the Macalpine Downey designed cats, Cherokee,
Apache, Navaho. This model wasmade from a Navaho mold with widened
hulls. It should carry a lot of cruise gear.
I am 61 years old and plan to electrically aid the main sheet winches and install a furling device on the head-sail.
I need to have these aids in the case that my wife, who has less body strength, has to operate the boat.
I also need to had a power assisted device on board to help her retrieve me from the water in case of a man overboard accident.

[schoonerdog]

Send a private message to Randy Abernathy (search member list) he has a St Francis 50 that he and his wife are circumnavigating now on. Honestly, given the right boat and powerful winches, it would be as easy as a 40 footer. You'll first think you are driving an ocean liner, but the widely seperated twin engines make it easy to maneuver and when you mentally get your arms around it you won't have a problem. As to bad weather, I would rather be on a 50 footer as long as the reefing system was well designed and it had powerful winches.

[cat man do]

I don't have a problem on a big boat, but would have an issue with handling big sail.

The load's on a gybe in 20+ knot's can be huge,
Reefing a large main can be difficult in 20+ and rough.

and I sailed an a big 60 ft tri and when tacking you would winch and winch and winch......................and winch and winch and winch ..................and winch and winch and winch getting the heady in just in time for the next tack.

After 2 tack's I was flogged.

I did'nt have the strength to use the fast speed and in reality it needed "coffee grinders".

On a slower, heavier underrigged boat's this would not be as much of a problem.

Sure electric's would work, until the smoke get's out, and they tell me it's very expensive to get back in.


Dave

[kesey]

Originally Posted by Brandywine

I have read every web log out there but have not seen any couples or families out on any boats larger then 48.

From a cost stand point a new 44-47 foot boat would be about the same as a 7-8 year old 48-52 leaving some change for re-fit. The Eruo is killing us at the moment as well as lead times for the new boats is getting silly both Lagoon and Leopard quoted more the 18 months for a boat.

There's some pretty good value out there in Leopard 47s. I'll PM you a link. If anyone else wants it, just ask.
I'm biased towards Alex Simonis designed Leopards as I've been sailing a 42 for 4 years now - they are solid, tough, forgiving and fun to sail. And they are very comfortable.

[SeaKing]

Originally Posted by kesey

There's some pretty good value out there in Leopard 47s. I'll PM you a link. If anyone else wants it, just ask.
I'm biased towards Alex Simonis designed Leopards as I've been sailing a 42 for 4 years now - they are solid, tough, forgiving and fun to sail. And they are very comfortable.

My wife and I just moved up into our 1997 Voyage 470 also designed by Simonis and we are handling it just fine. I admitt at first it seem alot bigger than our PDQ 36 and it is 50% wider at 27', great stability. Now I feel pretty comfortable handling it after one season, but still learning always. It is alot more maintenance, just finished doing the bottom and polishing the sides, next is the top. No mentioning all the oil and filter changes, the fun stuff you know.

Check out the used Mayotte 47's on yachtworld, there are 3 used ones that are worth having a look at. All under $279,000, also designed by Simonis.