Please help! Buying advice for small cat

[PermTraveler]

Hello community,

I am new to the yacht world. I have traveled the world permanently on land and by air (lots of road-tripping on all continents, except Antarctic) for the past 11 years (since 2008). I have seen most of the countries I'm interested in.

I'm now 41 yo and seriously considering to bring my travelling to the next level by buying a small catamaran, which can be single handed. Maybe have it in the Caribbean/ West Indies for a few years and then ship it to the Mediterranean etc. or vice versa.

I'm just starting my research and have very limited knowledge so far. I mostly travel alone but might occasionally have a friend joining for a few weeks or so.

Hence, I would prefer a small cat with one double cabin and good sized bathroom with separated shower (not wetting the entire bathroom when taking a shower).

However, all cats I have looked at so far seem to be for minimum 4-6 people. Are there any cats which are configured for solo sailors instead of having two / three beds?

As this would be my first boat purchase, I was thinking about €100-200k for the purchase. I would like to keep my average monthly budget to around 5k (can be higher or lower depending on where I'm and what I do).

Here are the options I have explored so far: Aventura 34 (I like the design but shower not separated), Lagoon 380 (lots of beds, which are not needed), Mahe 36 (not a fan of the wooden fit-out). However, I don't usually like to go mainstream.

Are there any "secret models", which are not so commonly known and would suite my requirements better?

Because I'm novice, I would be grateful for any input from you. Also because I'm novice, I lack certain common senses that are shared among the community. Hence, please try not to be sarcastic.

Any help and advice highly appreciated!

Thanks,


@PermanentTraveler

[carlosproa]

There are a lot of 30 to 36 Ft CATs that will fit your requirements for $100K or less.

[PermTraveler]

Any specific models I should look into/ you can recommend?

[carlosproa]

It really depends how spartan you are looking. I prefer twin outboards than diesel. The PDQ32 or 36 may be at your price range.
https://www.google.com/search?q=pdq3...iw=320&bih=454

Remember that you may have to sink another $20k to upgrade the boat. There are plenty of PDQ sprinkle around the world. Where are you buying from? I am particularly obsessed with the Seawind catamarans but they are expensive.
My own catamaran is an EDELCAT33 which came with 1 Head in each hull. The Galley was at the center pod and relocated into one of the heads. Is a great boat for heavy winds but needs the screeched for light winds. You could find an EDELCAT36 which has better clearance, and if you really want a separate shower then convert one of the bathrooms/head to a filling enclosed shower.
There is a cult following for the IRoquis30 MKII which is so simple and cheap, you can get your sea legs with a small investment and if this is not for you then save your money

[Tupaia]

Have you considered a folding trimaran, Quorning, Corsair, Farrier and others.

Much better accommodation for one and foldable for transportation.

Small cats have divided accommodation half of which you are not going to use, tri's have centralised accommodation.

[PermTraveler]

Originally Posted by carlosproa

It really depends how spartan you are looking. I prefer twin outboards than diesel. The PDQ32 or 36 may be at your price range.
https://www.google.com/search?q=pdq3...iw=320&bih=454

Remember that you may have to sink another $20k to upgrade the boat. There are plenty of PDQ sprinkle around the world. Where are you buying from? I am particularly obsessed with the Seawind catamarans but they are expensive.
My own catamaran is an EDELCAT33 which came with 1 Head in each hull. The Galley was at the center pod and relocated into one of the heads. Is a great boat for heavy winds but needs the screeched for light winds. You could find an EDELCAT36 which has better clearance, and if you really want a separate shower then convert one of the bathrooms/head to a filling enclosed shower.
There is a cult following for the IRoquis30 MKII which is so simple and cheap, you can get your sea legs with a small investment and if this is not for you then save your money

Thanks. I have just looked at those you mentioned. It seems they are older models. I would rather opt for a smaller cat with modern design (big window frontage and outside chilling/ lounge area) than an older model, which looks dull and would need upgrading. I would prefer driving a new Abarth Spider over an old Mercedes S- Class. I'm not really the DIY guy, who would buy an old cottage and the turn it around into something modern either.

[PermTraveler]

Originally Posted by Tupaia

Have you considered a folding trimaran, Quorning, Corsair, Farrier and others.

Much better accommodation for one and foldable for transportation.

Small cats have divided accommodation half of which you are not going to use, tri's have centralised accommodation.

I just had a quick look at the trimarans you mentioned. While I like generally their modern design, it seems they are more made for speeding and the sailing experience as such. I'm more looking for a cruising boat with nice inside and outside area to chill and relax. The Bali 4.0 looks great but is too big and expensive. A smaller version of it would be ideal.

[Nicholson58]

Consider that in the Caribbean you may prefer to shower on deck or bathe in the ocean and rinse on deck. This keeps the moisture out of the boat where it is otherwise raise the humidity.

[singlespeed]

Look for an Admiral 38. Very nice sailing boat. Many came with a no wood interior and a no cloth liner interior. This makes cleaning and mold removal/prevention very easy. Diesels are heavier, but even a novice can change the oil and fuel filters. Additionally unlike gasoline, conditions to cause a diesel fuel to explode.

[Sand crab]

Separate shower and one bedroom are tough but here are some that might fit your specs.
Gemini, Lagoon 35CCC and 37, and Tomcat.

[Kita]

Hello, I went through the same thing myself about 3 years ago. I wound up buying a 2005 Gemini 105 MC. They fit the price range and I love the shallow water capability. The Tank Engine could be a little bigger for water and fuel but I can live with it & the shallow water stuff is just absolutely wonderful so much less stressful!
The bathroom is fairly large but I have not found that the shower is any kind of a problem. There is a partition that separates the toilet..has a nice bed & two aft rooms that are good maybe one as a pantry / storage. . Some are setup with outboards. . But I like the diesel that works as a great generator also.. the only drawback on that design I think is a low bridge deck & the stiletto outdrive that I had to order parts for from England! But they got here really fast so they do a great job! If I ever had to repower it I think I would go with something besides that westerbeke diesel though. Parts are too pricey.

[CatNewBee]

There are small Fountaine Pajot cats like the Mahe, Athena, Lavezzi, Venezia, Belize, Lipari and also some Nautitechs...
https://www.yachtworld.de/Boote/Kate...ajot/Athena+38
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fountaine-Pajot#Models

[onavegador]

I like one of the older cats of 32ft. She sails beautiful, fitted with OBs or inboard Diesel, sailing her is a real pleasure. But if you d'ont like the moisture of the inboard shower, shower outside what you will prefer in warmer climates after a short experience.
Quite a good catamaran unfortunately not often on the market.

[wcapital]

I'm sure many of the designs mentioned have merit, but one I don't see here yet is the MaineCat 30. While I don't know I'd want to cross oceans in one (though you probably could) for one person or a couple I think it's a great design. The giant open bridge deck is a great indoor/outdoor space for tropical living while one hull makes for a pretty comfortable master cabin (w/ galley & additional cabin in the other.....no space wasted on extra heads (bathrooms) or cabins you dont need.

If it wasn't for Dorian you'd be able to charter one out of Hope Town (Abaco Bahamas) but try to look up Ron Engle of Abaco Multihulls and Dick Vermuelen, the builder & designer.

[Realize]

+1 for a Gemini. My partner and I are sailing the Legacy model, designed in 2013 as a single-handed boat. We are three months into a year living aboard, sailing the east coast, next onward to the Bahamas in the upcoming months, about 2000 nautical miles so far. Very liveable, best for one or two, but we’ve had up to three guests comfortably. All boats have compromises. Certainly can convert one of the heads to shower only very easily, but as others have said, you’ll likely prefer to shower on deck. Our boat will be available summer of 2020 (for sale). We’ll be very sad to sell her. Great boat!