from monohull to multihull

[bahamarich]

After many years of cruising monohulls, our last boat was an Island Packet 350,we are now headed south on a new Gemini 105mc to accommodate our dog that will not heel. My wife and I returned from cruising in the Eastern Caribbean and took three years off at our cabin in Minnesota. While ashore we got a dog and even with this great boat it seems like only a rat aboard would be worse. Don't get me wrong we love our dog but it seems impossible. And offshore passages seem even more so.

We are now ICW bound then across to the Bahamas to try it out.

[Therapy]

Good for you.

I wish to follow in a year or two.

What did you add?

A long list and many typed words will be fine by me.

Please post daily.

[bahamarich]

The boat comes from the manufacture with Raymarine Tridata, Autohelm Autopilot, and propane refrigeration.

We added a Raymarine C70 chartplotter with Raymarine 2kW radar,AIS system, and a Raymarine Lifetag system for the dog. All component work off the C70 screen.

We added four Life Line six volt batteries for the house bank and one Life Line starter.battery charged by a Victron Centaur 20 Amp charger, a battery combiner, Xantrex battery monitor and a 100 watt solar panel. We replaced all the incondesent bulbs with LED bulbs.

A Lewmar Pro windlass for a Delta anchor and a Fortress anchor second.

In addition to the stock sails we added a Sreecher sail with 12 footBow Track with Furex roller furling.Also Kato davits that supports the solar panel and hoists our 8X Carib.RIB dinghy with Honda four stroke five horse. .

The light air sail on the bow track has been wonderful for light Chesapeake Bay winds.Just a pull and its out adjust for down wind and raise.the boards and your moving good.

A pretty simple set-up; we are trying to keep her light.

[Therapy]

Originally Posted by bahamarich

The boat comes from the manufacture with Raymarine Tridata, Autohelm Autopilot, and propane refrigeration.

We added a Raymarine C70 chartplotter with Raymarine 2kW radar,AIS system, and a Raymarine Lifetag system for the dog. All component work off the C70 screen.

We added four Life Line six volt batteries for the house bank and one Life Line starter.battery charged by a Victron Centaur 20 Amp charger, a battery combiner, Xantrex battery monitor and a 100 watt solar panel. We replaced all the incondesent bulbs with LED bulbs.

A Lewmar Pro windlass for a Delta anchor and a Fortress anchor second.

In addition to the stock sails we added a Sreecher sail with 12 footBow Track with Furex roller furling.Also Kato davits that supports the solar panel and hoists our 8X Carib.RIB dinghy with Honda four stroke five horse. .

The light air sail on the bow track has been wonderful for light Chesapeake Bay winds.Just a pull and its out adjust for down wind and raise.the boards and your moving good.

A pretty simple set-up; we are trying to keep her light.

I understand Performance builds one boat and if you want anything different it is up to you.

Did you trade the batteries to whomever installed the charger/controller items?

Is the screacher the option or did you add it?

Are Kato davits ones they put on to hold their solar panels or did you go aftermarket for all that stuff? If so was it cheaper (or much better quality)?

Sorry for all the questions.

I will be looking at the Gemini at the St Pete show in Nov. and have three pages of questions for the sales persons. I sure hope there is a low turnout!

[bahamarich]

The folks at Performance build one catamaran and there are many options from the screecher to air conditioning, but yes only those that they offer. I wanted a different VHF radio, standard equipment, so I put an Icom in and sold the stock radio. Performance uses and offers equipment that they feel meets the boats needs/requirements; the Screecher bow track is such an option and specific to the bow of the 105.Their boats are built with specific equipment in mind by design it seems.

Next door to Performance in Annapolis is Peter Kennedy Yacht services and he did all our after purchase installations. I gave the batteries to a friend, I had a months use on them. I changed to Life Line sealed batteries from the lead acid because I added batteries to unvented locations.

Performance uses Kato davits, an option with a solar panel on top. I had Kato davits on my Island Packet 350 and I put a solar panel on top. If it had not been an option from Performance I would have used them. I have never owned any other brand so I cannot know if others are better or not, but I had them for five years up and down the Caribbean and some kind of rough conditions without a problem. Kato is located two doors down from Performance in Annapolis and they buy a lot from them, not sure about price difference. I thought it was pretty slick that I could have davits installed by the factory. Kato's stainless work is beautiful.

[Therapy]

Thanks for the info.
I had heard about Peter Kennedy, maybe from the site.

I could do the install myself but think someone who does a lot of the same things on the same boats could probably do a much better job.

I thought the battery compartment was a little cramped, i.e. no ability to service the batteries without taking them out. Yuk!

[Ativa]

We hope you enjoy your boat! Currently we are on an extended cruise with out 3000 Gem. I think that after you use the Fortress once you will never go back. We are quit suprised how much we have to run the A/c here in Mexico. There are days without wind and days with rain. I am truly happy we added a large gen-set and the a/c unit. We fly a spinker every chance we get... YOu will have an amazing time!