Multi-hull cruising: where to start?

[Redreuben]

Old saying;
Speed
Comfort
Economy
Pick two. [emoji13]

[Sand crab]

Originally Posted by valhalla360

Just keep in mind, they have a lot of rosy thoughts that turn out totally wrong.

I think they talked about that in a later video.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by arsenelupiga

mine likes to sail too. And what is your point ?

His has 'Go Faster' Stripes..

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by Sand crab

I think they talked about that in a later video.

True but if you just watch just the purchase process videos, they present themselves as very knowledgeable and we are sitting there cringing at some of the things they are saying.

It's only if you watch further on in their series, that they admit some of their mistakes (or they simply become obvious).

PS: We have been watching their series lately and there is a decent entertainment factor. Their how to/technical videos are good comedy more often than not. Go back and watch their RV solar videos.

[smj]

Originally Posted by boatman61

His has 'Go Faster' Stripes..

No just a much faster boat. To some performance trumps lush accommodations, even for some wives.

[Sand crab]

Originally Posted by valhalla360

True but if you just watch just the purchase process videos, they present themselves as very knowledgeable and we are sitting there cringing at some of the things they are saying.

How exactly did the Wynn's present themselves as knowledgeable? I didn't see that at all.

To the Op....Sorry about the thread drift here but these things frequently happen. It's what makes CF so f*^king interesting.

So back on topic. If you want speed then Outremer is the only major manufacturer that never made a slow boat and the new ones are pricey. The Catanas were decent performers but kinda heavy especially the newer ones. They stopped making them and focused on the Bali division but just unveiled a new design that might be a contender. Many say Seawind are good sailers but not really super fast except for the limited run of 1600s and the soon to be released 1370. Balance is a relatively new brand with some really cool and fast boast but there is that price issue. There are some other smaller manufacturers and some not so bad customs that would fit that category also.

[smj]

Originally Posted by Sand crab

How exactly did the Wynn's present themselves as knowledgeable? I didn't see that at all.

To the Op....Sorry about the thread drift here but these things frequently happen. It's what makes CF so f*^king interesting.

So back on topic. If you want speed then Outremer is the only major manufacturer that never made a slow boat and the new ones are pricey. The Catanas were decent performers but kinda heavy especially the newer ones. They stopped making them and focused on the Bali division but just unveiled a new design that might be a contender. Many say Seawind are good sailers but not really super fast except for the limited run of 1600s and the soon to be released 1370. Balance is a relatively new brand with some really cool and fast boast but there is that price issue. There are some other smaller manufacturers and some not so bad customs that would fit that category also.

I may be wrong but I was under the impression that the new Seawind 1370 is going to have wider load bearing hulls than the older models, thus maybe being a little slower?
My preference would be the Seawind 1190 sport.[emoji16]

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by smj

No just a much faster boat. To some performance trumps lush accommodations, even for some wives.

This is fine for coastal cruising and a home base to take a break in but on a multi year circumnavigation methinks it would prove wearing.. and standing headroom in the saloon would be essential.. also not many like the in hull galley, especially women, too claustrophobic.
Personally it makes no odds.
For me making do with less than optimal headroom below on a mono long term is not a big deal but for the vast majority here it's a no go for anything more than daysailing.
Let's face it.. 90% of one's time below is spent sitting down..

[smj]

Originally Posted by boatman61

This is fine for coastal cruising and a home base to take a break in but on a multi year circumnavigation methinks it would prove wearing.. and standing headroom in the saloon would be essential.. also not many like the in hull galley, especially women, too claustrophobic.

Personally it makes no odds.

For me making do with less than optimal headroom below on a mono long term is not a big deal but for the vast majority here it's a no go for anything more than daysailing.

Let's face it.. 90% of one's time below is spent sitting down..

I believe it’s all personal choice. We’ve found we like very simple cats that sail well and have been comfortable aboard them.
My wife actually prefers galley down and I’m tall and have gotten used to stooping or bending over a little. The sky’s the limit on head room in our bridgedeck cabin as we don’t have a bridgedeck cabin which makes for a great sailing experience.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by smj

I believe it’s all personal choice. We’ve found we like very simple cats that sail well and have been comfortable aboard them.
My wife actually prefers galley down and I’m tall and have gotten used to stooping or bending over a little. The sky’s the limit on head room in our bridgedeck cabin as we don’t have a bridgedeck cabin which makes for a great sailing experience.

Ahh... you have the open bridgedeck version..
That's why I love Wharrams.. one can opt for fresh air..

[sailjumanji]

Originally Posted by smj

I may be wrong but I was under the impression that the new Seawind 1370 is going to have wider load bearing hulls than the older models, thus maybe being a little slower?
My preference would be the Seawind 1190 sport.[emoji16]

Mu understanding as well, re: the 1370. And unless you are opting for the 1600, the 1190 Sport is the performance boat in the Seawind line.

That said, big carbon sails on an 1160 Lite make a big difference. Especially light air. ;-) But still not in the same class as your TRT1200 rocket ship.

[OneKoolCat]

jbox84126,

I have a cat and find lots of information on this forum from many of the forums. I think it would be hard to pin down one area, but there is the Multihull Sailboats forum here and the search will help you for specific topics.

I agree that there are a few sailing youtube channels can be a good source of inspiration. I watch a few with my daughters that I have found helpful. Many of them are monohull channels by the way. In the end we are all sailors.

Look around and go on a few boats if you can. See what you and your SO like. Some people even like Lagoon 380s. (Sorry boatman61, I could not resist. I like the Lagoons as well!)

In the olden days we had boat shows, I miss those, but going a around and working with brokers or private individuals to view boats works until the world gets back to normal. Make sure you have survey by a qualified surveyor when you get to that point. Your surveyor can give you recommendations if you tell them what you are looking to do with the boat.

The biggest single issue working I have found from the boat is connectivity. Not so bad when you are near a populated area, but on even a modest passage you will find connectivity drops to zero. Satellite could solve that in the future, but we are not there yet at a reasonable cost. The other problem I find is that my boss keeps annoying me with work stuff
I have been able to work pretty well from the saloon. I have a monitor, keyboard, and mouse connected to a small docking station that makes it easy. If things get snotty I have a place where I can lay the monitor down and everything stays in place.

Last year I was caught in a squall the first real big one for my wife and kids. My wife had a deadline and was working in the saloon while I sailed us toward our home port. I saw the squall and tied everything down, gave instructions and warnings, and switched to the engines. I was calm so I guess the family was too. The wind peaked at about 58 kts with heavy rain. My wife never stopped working. If the squall had driven up the sea state more it would have been a different story.

What area are you in now, and where are you thinking of cruising?

Cheers,
Peter

[markiobe]

It's not necessarily speed=safety, it's having a large performance envelope that matters.

A performance boat can be sailed both more quickly when required and is safer when at speed, either when you want to sail quickly or maybe have little choice in the matter, such as if caught in a squall.

The other advantage is that you can sail when the Lagoons, FPs Leopards, etc have to motor.

BTW speed doesn't mean more money at all, that's a fallacy, it's design that matters. You can absolutely build a quick boat for the same price as a heavy boat, what's more expensive is building a quick boat that has the same internal space as the heavy boat...

[markiobe]

Originally Posted by smj

I may be wrong but I was under the impression that the new Seawind 1370 is going to have wider load bearing hulls than the older models, thus maybe being a little slower?
My preference would be the Seawind 1190 sport.[emoji16]

Neither the SW 1370 nor the Balance 442 are performance boats, regardless of what the marketing says. They are just faster than the FPs, Lagoons etc. but that's not a high bar to get over. Look at the weights and hull forms, not much else to say...

[Ndavies]

Performance, cruising, and catamaran don't fit in the same sentence - pick any 2 from 3. Since its totally weight driven - cruising and low weight don't go together. And if you are buying a boat to last - lightweight should not be your criteria.......just my thoughts, and not from my armchair!

Here's a cruising story for you
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...v6wtwW97KFcsYn