Good Value Cat: Is My Dream Still Alive?

[LeeV]

Originally Posted by boatman61

Hi Lee.. the best way for you to go behind Hatteras is in at Oregon Inlet and through the Pamlico Sound then back out at Ocracoke.. trouble is I cannot find the height of the old bridge there.. the new one is twenty foot higher so in future should be no problem.. but who knows how long you will need to wait
Ahah.. the new one is alledgedly 90.5 air draught so the old one is 70ft one assumes.. but I would if you, check that with the local CG as they have a big base there.

Thanks! We're heading down to see family and look at some boats in Ft. Lauderdale and to Miami for a "madness Saturday!" We're still hunting; I used to fish The Point at Hatteras, but those were power boat days, and we didn't "need no stinking bridges!" I'm not worried about it; I can wait for weather windows at Norfolk and go out and around from there. I was just curious if I could make the Ditch or the inside route.

I still don't know what size mast we'll have so it's a moot point at the moment!

Best regards,

[jimisbell]

The original poster said in another thread that he/she was learning to sail. I would NOT buy a catamaran for my first learning boat, especially for a bluewater adventure. You need to be an accomplished sailor before you try ocean crossings in a Cat.

[smj]

Originally Posted by jimisbell

The original poster said in another thread that he/she was learning to sail. I would NOT buy a catamaran for my first learning boat, especially for a bluewater adventure. You need to be an accomplished sailor before you try ocean crossings in a Cat.

Yet there are many people doing it successfully.

[yalon]

Hi
my suggestion to you is go for lagoon and compromis on the year of built.
It will be a blue water and will have a good resale value.
Good luck

[44'cruisingcat]

Originally Posted by jimisbell

The original poster said in another thread that he/she was learning to sail. I would NOT buy a catamaran for my first learning boat, especially for a bluewater adventure. You need to be an accomplished sailor before you try ocean crossings in a Cat.

No more so than any other boat.

[ausnp84]

Originally Posted by jimisbell

The original poster said in another thread that he/she was learning to sail. I would NOT buy a catamaran for my first learning boat, especially for a bluewater adventure. You need to be an accomplished sailor before you try ocean crossings in a Cat.

Haha what? You might not, but I can think of at least one couple who did and successfully circumnavigated.

Love to hear any sane reasoning for this...

N

[elliesa]

Our 1985 Prout Snowgoose (pre-Elite) model is for sale. We have lived on her for coming up 13 years. Taken her up and down the east coast U.S. and across to the Bahamas several times. She came here by crossing the Atlantic with previous owners. She is a sturdy and liveable little boat. svzulia.blogspot.com. We are currently located in Green Cove Springs, Florida

[anotherview]

Originally Posted by ocean.jedi

A few years ago I heard of a Gemini blown over on the San Francisco Bay. Probably not reefed properly but still scary.

No surprise there. The understood beam to ratio for a multihull is at least 1/2 the length in beam. ie. A forty foot cat should have at least a 20 foot beam. Gemini cats are nowhere near that and therefore lack the stability (stiffness) needed for safety. Sailed a Gemini in Buzzards Bay when looking for a cat to buy. Said no way after the weekend charter and ended up with a Seawind 1000. GREAT BOAT!!

Spend the money and get a cat that lights your fire! You'll never have a regret.

[Davy J]

Gemini cats are nowhere near that and therefore lack the stability (stiffness) needed for safety.

Good God............ I must be taking my life into my own hands.......... every time I go out........ I guess I'll just stay at the dock......... I might capsize.

Seamanship, you need it when sailing a lightweight vessel. Please don't risk your life. Because you don't have it.

[rramsden]

As to the ICW question. I have a 66 1/2' mast on my Bahia.
I had to go outside. I hit a weird weather window, motored in almost 0 wind.

The bridges are rated at 65, some aren't. I wouldn't go up the ICW with a mast higher than 63.

There's a trick to use a weight to heel a mono to get under bridges. Doesn't work with cats.


As for advice on cats. Get one with a salon galley. With the good ventilation a cat salon has the heat dissipates. Galley down traps the heat in that hull. There are good deal on older cats. Do some research on how much work it will need.

[blubaju]

Originally Posted by jimisbell

The original poster said in another thread that he/she was learning to sail. I would NOT buy a catamaran for my first learning boat, especially for a bluewater adventure. You need to be an accomplished sailor before you try ocean crossings in a Cat.

But a mono is ok for a novice crossing oceans? an ever rolling boat with the danger of easily falling overboard, no chance to cook a proper meal? Seems you never sailed a modern cat. Since my sailing license 40 years ago i never sailed a mono any more, the week after obtaining my license I bought my first catamaran.

[smj]

Originally Posted by rramsden

As to the ICW question. I have a 66 1/2' mast on my Bahia.
I had to go outside. I hit a weird weather window, motored in almost 0 wind.

The bridges are rated at 65, some aren't. I wouldn't go up the ICW with a mast higher than 63.

There's a trick to use a weight to heel a mono to get under bridges. Doesn't work with cats.


As for advice on cats. Get one with a salon galley. With the good ventilation a cat salon has the heat dissipates. Galley down traps the heat in that hull. There are good deal on older cats. Do some research on how much work it will need.

Having owned quite a few catamarans with both galley in the hulls and galley in the salon I can say your galley up statement is rubbish. Ventilation differs on all boats.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by blubaju

But a mono is ok for a novice crossing oceans? an ever rolling boat with the danger of easily falling overboard, no chance to cook a proper meal? Seems you never sailed a modern cat. Since my sailing license 40 years ago i never sailed a mono any more, the week after obtaining my license I bought my first catamaran.

Wot a load of rubbish..
No problems cooking on a mono.. rolling (on occasions mainly downwind) is predictable unlike catamaran movement so is no big deal..
Horses for courses.. some like stallions others opt for the geldings..

[thataway41]

Took a vessel with 62.5 foot air draft (plus vhf antenna)--a few ting/tings--but cleared all bridges North Of Miami. I have done over 200,000 miles on monohulls, and eaten hot meals every day--even in full storm conditions.

I am of the group who would say buy a smaller boat to begin with...actually to really learn to sail--start in a dinghy--noting re-inforces a mistake than being in the water.

[bluenomads]

Originally Posted by anotherview

The understood beam to ratio for a multihull is at least 1/2 the length in beam. ie. A forty foot cat should have at least a 20 foot beam.

Sigh. Unfortunately this is true that those who know nothing or little about naval architecture would say this. Fortunately, and it doesn't take too many looks at boats that have done trips - say anything from one ocean to circumnavigating - to prove that there are plenty that don't use those dimensions.

The reason is blindingly obvious - the beam for a particular multihull depends on a whole lot of factors, not just a simple 1/2. Otherwise any person on a discussion group could design AND PROVE IT THROUGH HAVING IT BUILT a successful boat .

Recent major manufacturers sailing boats are often 0.56-0.57, but plenty of boat have done things from Prouts that may be 0.43 through to the largest I could find at about 0.66. I couldn't find Jzzero's BOA but Harryproa's may be comparable. Tri's are all over the place too, but there's nothing like 0.5! (Remember you said above "multihulls").

Now while this is in the sailboats section, if you genericise multihulls to include power then anything from 0.3 to over 0.55 is available.

TLDR? There's no such rule as "1/2", or "more than 1/2"