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gilligansail · 13-03-2016, 14:38

Hi, I would love to hear from anyone who has experience with high latitudes in a Cat. I plan to do some sailing in the North Pacific as part of a 2 year trip. I've seen a couple blogs of sailors with Cats that went far north and far south. Most advise I get is to go with a monohull. Sharing any first hand experience on a Cat in High latitudes would be appreciated.
Thanks Stefan

Factor · 14-03-2016, 01:21

This high enough?

Seawind in Alaska

I was also talking with some people in an Outremer in Puerto Natales who were off to Antarctica recently.

I think, but could be wrong that the only boat to sail the northwest passage (in modern times) is a multi (Corsair Tri) and if its not the only boat its one a a few.

The people telling you you must have a mono have never sailed a decent multi.

robert sailor · 14-03-2016, 02:30

Sailing Alaska can be done in just about anything if you get there by coastal sailing the west coast. If you come via Japan then that in my mind is sailing higher latitudes.

riv33 · 14-03-2016, 02:45

Maybe not quite as higher latitude as you were asking but still is a good read and provides some insight-I have attached a link to a video I believe is the same passage.

Delivery Skipper's Report: Leopard 39 on the Southern Ocean | Leopard Catamarans US

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQ-svmgOxqw

Factor · 14-03-2016, 03:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by robert sailor

Sailing Alaska can be done in just about anything if you get there by coastal sailing the west coast. If you come via Japan then that in my mind is sailing higher latitudes.

Have you sailed to Alaska?
And the Outremer in Antarctica? got a response for that one? Link to it hereFMD, 3 posts in and its starts.

robert sailor · 14-03-2016, 05:35

No I haven't sailed in or to Alaska but several of my friends have and it's no feat, lovely area though. Sailing in the "open ocean" in the higher latitudes is a different game and I have done my share of that over the years.

cruisersfarm · 14-03-2016, 05:43

Water is water. Anchorages are anchorages. Wind is wind.

The primary difference is in heating the larger volume of a catamaran.

robert sailor · 14-03-2016, 05:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by cruisersfarm

Water is water. Anchorages are anchorages. Wind is wind.

The primary difference is in heating the larger volume of a catamaran.

Which is one of the reasons there are so few in large boating areas like the PNW.

yeloya · 14-03-2016, 06:40

A FP Salina did both Alaska and Cape Horn, I've lost their blog but you can google. The only thing they have had was covering the buttom of the boat with Kevlar..

Yeloya

Turnstone · 14-03-2016, 07:34

Hi

I sailed an Altantic 55 cat for soem 30000 miles. In Salavador (Br) I fell into conversation with a gentleman in a 40ft off monohull festooned with rope coils on drums and all the other antartic gear. He spend a lot of time there. I asked him the same questions; "in your boat, 55ft, I would be happy to sail there. But not anything smaller . . . " Never did do it thought ..

CHAZ · 14-03-2016, 07:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by yeloya

A FP Salina did both Alaska and Cape Horn, I've lost their blog but you can google. The only thing they have had was covering the buttom of the boat with Kevlar..

Yeloya

Yes, svLibellule made the NorthWestPassage (2013) and went back via Cape Horn.

NW Passage | NW Passage

and yes, she was a bit Kevlar enforced.

Fair winds
Martin

nortonscove · 14-03-2016, 07:38

The issue is pack ice. A strong mono can slowly push through but once ice jams between the hulls of a multi you soon realize you cannot push miles of ice. If you get jammed it will either crush you or you have to rise up on it.

captmikem · 14-03-2016, 08:11

Rosie Swale took Annelies, a 30 foot cat, around cape horn (and around the world) a while back, (in the days before GPS). She wrote a book about the trip which is an interesting read.

I have sailed the gulf of Alaska a number of times and it can kick up a bit.
Just for fun go to windytv.com and scroll up to the gulf of Alaska, gales just seem to suck up there like a huge magnet.

Sounds like an adventure! Have fun.

Michael