FP, Privilege or Lagoon ?

[gbanker]

Yes, DotDun, I reviewed that web site. I still decided to go with Voyage. I have been in and out of the Caribbean since 1982 and have a network of friends there. In researching my purchase of a catamaran I relied on my friends for input. For instance, I did not see, in person, the catamaran in Grenada, that had its keels (both!) pushed up into the hulls when it was hauled. However, I decided that if my friend saw it, it happened. It was second hand information but I decided not to buy that brand. Just one example of input I received from my friends. I also looked at a number of catamarans in the bareboat and crewed charter fleets in the Virgins. The Voyage boats, IMHO, seemed to have held up the best. Not sure how much that is the boat or the upkeep at the Voyage charter base. A good sign never the less.

muskoka, I agree that a newer used boat is the best way to go. We looked but could not find one that fit our desires. Now, the "dark side"? I think about monohulls as being the "dark side" in that one goes below into a cave like atmosphere in a monohull (hope I don't start a firestorm with that comment!). Don't get me wrong. I have owned monos from Hunters to ex-bareboats to Swans and Hallberg-Rassys and enjoyed then all. I now want a boat the has a back porch, a saloon that I can look out of while sitting down, shoal draft, no wood on deck, better able to handle waves or swell at anchor, sailing at 0 -5 instead of 10 -20 degrees of heel, etc.. And the adventure of the sail back from SA to the caribbean.

[DotDun]

Originally Posted by gbanker

Yes, DotDun, I reviewed that web site. I still decided to go with Voyage. I have been in and out of the Caribbean since 1982 and have a network of friends there. In researching my purchase of a catamaran I relied on my friends for input. For instance, I did not see, in person, the catamaran in Grenada, that had its keels (both!) pushed up into the hulls when it was hauled. However, I decided that if my friend saw it, it happened. It was second hand information but I decided not to buy that brand. Just one example of input I received from my friends. I also looked at a number of catamarans in the bareboat and crewed charter fleets in the Virgins. The Voyage boats, IMHO, seemed to have held up the best. Not sure how much that is the boat or the upkeep at the Voyage charter base. A good sign never the less.

I am in no way questioning your decision to purchase a Voyage cat. I respect that you made the decision based on a set of criteria that you are happy with. Every purchase decision is made with a custom set of criteria, hence the variety of choice in manufacturers and vendors.

What bothers me is when a claim is made (FP is a Pinto) and only anecdotal data is provided to back up the claim. Readers of this public forum, and more importantly the person asking this particular question, are more interested in the experiences, good and bad, and technical data, than someone's conclusion. Give me the data and let me draw my own conclusion.

Good Luck! And I do hope you share your experiences from your Atlantic crossing. Some/most of us will never have that experience.

[gbanker]

DotDun,

I am currently in South Africa and the friend of mine who made that comment when I asked him for his opinion of various catamarans, is the the Virgin Islands. I don't have his e-mail address. If I can remember when I get back to the caribbean I will ask him why he made that remark.