Looking at a Gemini today any thoughts on boat or my plan helpful

[MikeHelms]

First time posting I want to thank everyone for the amount of time and effort they spend to answer questions I’ve been reading the form for six months now and learned a lot!

https://m.sailboatlistings.com/photographs/85327

Above is the link to the boat I’m going to look at today the owner says the first owner did not hardly sail it for the first 10 years of his life. He became ill but kept hanging onto the dream unfortunately he was not able to realize it.

That is one reason I retired now while I’m in good health but I’m not jumping around good enough to manage a mono hull as it aggravate some hip conditions I have. The second owner Lightly used it in North America on the Great Lakes and had it stored every winter

The current owner has cruised to Bahamas in it and lived on it for up to six months at a time.

the price looks inviting and after I look at it today of course I was going to have it surveyed.

Location of the boat on the waterway of Lake Okeechobee seems to be a good fit for me as I have only been sailing monohulls on a lake for six months to learn.

I figure I could find a marina in the area that the boat is currently located on the hard and then get to know the boat and practice on Lake Okeechobee and then make my way on the waterway to the intercostal.


After that I will find some more experienced Crew to get some sailing hours to prepare for an eventual crossing of the gulf stream to the Bahamas.

This seems like a pretty good timeline since I have a lot of learning and preparation prior to embarking to the Bahamas I could use this time during the virus epidemic to get to know the boat improve my sailing skills and study weather window plotting coastal navigation in general info to prepare me for the journey.

I have purchased numerous books of Amazon on sale that maintenance in passage making in the Caribbean which should make for a good reading while spending the time on the boat.

I just sold my business at 63 and pretty much retired and definitely looking forward to opening my horizons.

I’m particularly curious about any info pertaining to this model of Gemini as it was the predecessor to the 104 as far as the quality of construction seaworthiness. Ability to point and handle downwind sailing without plowing the bow. As a novice I plan to reef early always!

Thanks in advance for any insight you may have!

I chose this boat for the cost and the minimal draft to cruise the Bahamas.

[carlosproa]

Pictures looks good, Lavac head is a big plus. A single outboard looks to be 2 cycle which is very reliable and lighter. Having one engine only on a catamaran is not the best but you get used to it, not an issue.
Price seem fair but I would try to get $5,000 lower so you can spend it in a good bottom job in case you need to peel it to the bare hull and epoxy base it. That is a $4,000 job with anti foul. Get someone to look hard at the main and see how many years left it has. I did not see a code zero or Gennaker, that is a nice sail for Bahamas sailing and easier to handle than an asymmetric spinnaker.
I believe this model has the swing down keels, have the surveyor look hard at the pin structure. The rest is your typical personal survey on looking for any soft spots on deck, look for any leaks in hatches, look at standing rigging, and any play on the rudders as the noise while on the hook can drive you mad.
Good luck with it, is a good size boat for your situation and should be lower maintenance at that size

[Chotu]

Random addition to your plan. Just heaad out of the Okeechobee waterway. The lake is very shallow and is down from drought right now. Better to practice elsewhere where you have some water to practice in.

[carlosproa]

Originally Posted by carlosproa

Pictures looks good, Lavac head is a big plus. A single outboard looks to be 2 cycle which is very reliable and lighter. Having one engine only on a catamaran is not the best but you get used to it, not an issue.
Price seem fair but I would try to get $5,000 lower so you can spend it in a good bottom job in case you need to peel it to the bare hull and epoxy base it. That is a $4,000 job with anti foul. Get someone to look hard at the main and see how many years left it has. I did not see a code zero or Gennaker, that is a nice sail for Bahamas sailing and easier to handle than an asymmetric spinnaker.
I believe this model has the swing down keels, have the surveyor look hard at the pin structure. The rest is your typical personal survey on looking for any soft spots on deck, look for any leaks in hatches, look at standing rigging, and any play on the rudders as the noise while on the hook can drive you mad.
Good luck with it, is a good size boat for your situation and should be lower maintenance at that size

One last thing, avoid overloading the boat with too much stuff, catamarans will go from fast horses to fat pigs if overloaded with weight. Avoid weight at the ends as it will change the underside profile and performance. If you are tempted to have two outboards, that will require placing them midway from the transom to the center line via pods - do not hung them in the transom as it will kill performance - too much weight

[Boatguy30]

Many people consider the 3400 to be the best Gemini. Better bridge deck clearance than the 105.
They sure sold a lot of 105s so there is a tendency to think they are good boats. Spend a bit of time in one in a rough anchorage and you'll change your mind quickly.

This 3400 looks pretty nice. If you're flush with cash the price seems OK, but I'd think 35k should buy it considering the current situation

[SunKing]

running backstays??? would be installed by owner and not needed unless they removed the backstay... if so i would wonder why and have a rigger look closely at it...

[SunKing]

running backstays???? also looks like extra side stays... why??? is there a problem that they were trying to solve with extra stays??? i would definately want to know why???

[smj]

Looks like a great example of the 3400.
The new 25hp Yamaha high thrust outboard is s great addition. The single outboard that pivots with the wheel will give almost the same maneuverability as twin outboards once you get use to it.
I wouldn’t sail the boat in lake Okeechobee. Since it’s in Indiantown I would take the boat to Stuart and put it on a mooring. Learn to sail her in the river. The mooring will save you $$$$’s and it will also be easier to come and go vs being in a slip. Just my opinion of course.
Great boat for the Bahamas!

[Lazerbrains]

Looks good but for the love of god, rip out that gross carpeting - yuck!

[Lazerbrains]

Incidentally, there seems to be some "fire sales" going on with Gemini's in your area. You might want to check this one out for $20k: https://www.sailboatlistings.com/view/83601
Or this one for $27k: https://www.sailboatlistings.com/view/84652

[Sailorman Ed]

MikeHelms - that looks in great condition and a fair price. The price on the other 3000 is a steal!. The T25 is a very desirable engine, has the better gearing and bigger prop. The newer 25s has less desirable gearing and smaller props but 55 pound lighter. There is a VERY active Gemini user group on io groups, (previously on Yahoo groups), lots of helpful people there. I know the 105Mc had split backstays as std, suspect the 3400 did also. Biggest issue is leaking chainplate in the deck and rotting bulkheads below, inspect that carefully.
I didn't see that they tied the motor steering to the rudders, easy to do and gives you all the maneuvering you will need.

Ed

[onavegador]

I would say a dual motor installation makes a cat more easy to manoevre. But I'm not a friend of Outboards. As I know some liveaboards starting with Outboards and after some years they remodeld the cat and changed to twin inboard Diesels.
I look from time to time to catamaran website of catamaransite.com where for some time a Catalac 10 m (34 ft) is offered. I have the same cat model, an earlier building# (built #5) since now 5 years and be happy with her. I use her as a river cruiser, at present on the Maine River near Frankfort am Main , Germany. With the two small Yanmars GM2-20 she is easy to manovre and the engines work very well.
To be clear my cat is not for sale, but as you look for something affordable in the same length range, I think it is worth to tell about the Catalaca 10m what is for sale at Affordable Cruising Catamarans
Good luck!
James

J

[1boat2many]

I had my boat at Indiantown Marina for some refit work - great place to get work done and/or do your own work (bottom painting, etc)- it is a liveaboard marina of sorts, as many cruisers live and work on their boats in the work yard ($35 per day, slip is cheaper but you are not supposed to work on the boat in the marina).


Marinas in south Florida, from Palm Beach County on down to Key West are closed due to Coronavirus restrictions. Indiantown is Martin County, but now that we have a statewide "stay at home" order that may impact Indiantown as well - you should ask about this at the marina today. Think about all of this before you buy, good chance prices will start to drop soon. If you fall in love with the boat right away, definitely get a survey before you complete the purchase - you will need it for insurance anyway, and you have to have insurance if you plan on staying in a marina. Once the boat is yours, it's yours, all the joys, all the worries. Not to be a downer, but we will have hurricane season coming up in just 2 months. Indiantown is a good hurricane hole (unless direct hit). The trip out towards Stuart on the Okeechobee is pretty straight forward - as others suggested, get a mooring, they are (as far as I know) available at Sunset Bay marina, you will be close enough to get back to Indiantown in a hurry if have to, but you have to plan way ahead as they fill up quickly. Plan for the trip to the Bahamas next year, give yourself time to learn the boat and get some experience - the Florida Keys are pretty darn good too!

[Jean Michel]

The Westerbecke inboard is so noisy - I have been looking at the electric engine option but batteries aren't there yet for some meaningful independence (half a day at 6knots). 4 stroke outboard engines are quieter but heavy -
Any comments?

[smj]

Originally Posted by Jean Michel

The Westerbecke inboard is so noisy - I have been looking at the electric engine option but batteries aren't there yet for some meaningful independence (half a day at 6knots). 4 stroke outboard engines are quieter but heavy -
Any comments?

The 4 stroke outboard will be much lighter than either the Westerbeke/ outdrive setup or an electric engine with all the batteries and charging systems needed to keep it running.