Cruising Cat with Shaft Drive

[Catalysis]

We are looking for a cruising cat with shaft drive (not sail-drive) in the 42 to 50 foot range. We're not gonzo racers but also not tortugas.
Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Paul and Maureen

[Big Macca]

The Moorings/Robertson & Caine 45/47 have shaft drives. Saves a fortune when you wrap a fisherman's pot line around the prop!

Big Macca

[amarinesurveyor]

The older Lagoon 42 and 47 were shaft drives, and the Privilege cats use shaft drives also. There are others but I can't think of them now. Straight shaft drives are my preference also.
Brian

[sandy daugherty]

Kent Grimbeek at www.justcatamarans.net has a daggerboard Crowther 42 (listed as a 39) named Mabriga. It could have come out of some Catana molds, but has two Perkins M-30s with shaft drives. She is a serviceable cruiser, not finished to Yachty standards, but more like a back-woods cabin inside. Unfortunately, the helm position has to look forward through the bridgedeck windows. I hope someone buys this cat so I can quit agonizing over it.

[Jeannius]

and the Privilege cats use shaft drives also.

Current Privilege range are saildrive

[JustHank]

I believe that the Dean 441 has prop shafts instead of sail drives...you can check it out at Dean Catamarans. There is also information available from The Multihull Company at Dean - 441 - Introduction.

[Gludy]

The St Francis 50 has saildrive or shaft drive - your choice.

I have now actually chosen the saildrive on the balance of all the factors.

[Catalysis]

Gludy:
I wasn't aware that SF50's now come with shaft option.
When we lived in Cape Town in 2002/3 they were only offering saildrives on the 48.
You have an awesome boat and one which I intend to research further.
I would be interested in the criteria you used in making your final selection.
Paul

[Gludy]

Do you mean the selection of the boat or the saildrive?

[Catalysis]

Sorry ........I meant the boat selection criteria

[Gludy]

We wanted a boat that was easy to sail for just the two of us.
A boat that could be comfortable with about 200 miles a day in trade winds without working too hard. - so on the fast side.
Must have volume so that it can take all the weight of the luxuries we like and still stay on the fast side.
Must offer a flexible design - the forthcoming video will show how we have changed just about every part of the boat to suit our needs.
Must be above all safe with a pedigree from an established boat builder and be backed by all the owners - I contacted many owners for critical as well as praising comments.
Must be able to dry out with safety.
Must offer the space we wanted for extended live aboard.
Must offer reasonable value for money and have some wow factor.

Basically we accepted compromise from the outset but with the St Francis for example, we could shape the stern beds so that they an element of island beds if we wanted to, we could wow up the appearance- we are doing that. The video will explain a lot detailing what we are doing right throughout the boat and why.

[S/V Mother Ocean]

Check out the older Lagoons as mentioned above. I have an older Lagoon 37 and it has shaft drive Yanmars in it. I installed dripless seals and Life is Good.

Dan

[Catalysis]

Interesting ... would you mind sending a link to your video .
Thanks

[Gludy]

This is the link to the test sail video.
Gludy Boat Reviews
The more detailed 30 minute video is a few weeks away.

[Catalysis]

Great video... takes me back - I raced in the Out Island Regatta in 1978. I spoke to George this morning who told me he won it on the SF-50 last year - small world :-)