Pros and Cons of Ketch?

[BillKny]

Most sailors these days don't seem to know how to balance a boat, or particularly care about it. Just punch the button on the AP and power on through. They don't even seem to notice they are dragging 15 degrees of leeward rudder through the water!!!

I once sailed a 40 foot ketch 600 miles with no self steering gear. Just trimmed the sails, locked the rudder. Did you want to head up? Trim the mizzen in 6 inches. Bear away? Ease it out. It was a great and fun ride.

You'll notice that the people who say they don't understand why anyone would want a ketch have no experience with them. I haven't seen anybody who says, "I used to have one, and never again!"

For day sails, it doesn't matter, but God invented ketches for crossing oceans, and because they are so damned pretty.

[markpierce]

Ketches are only second to schooners.

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by Joh.Ghurt

And on a ketch you can put up the linens over the triatic stay to dry. Try that with a sloop!

Ah, yes, the triatic stay... kinda awkward for drying the linens, but Ooohhh so handy for the cormorants and shags to roost upon whilst taking their hourly dumps.

Priorities...

Jim

[akopac]

Mizzen & Jib’en
We call it the “Magic Carpet Ride”

[sailingchiro]

Mast height and balance. Most sailors love the balance of a ketch rig. They also love the mast height. Personally, I love the hum of the ketch rig with everything out with 15-18 knots of blow with 7 knots of VMT. Just lovely!! But my wife wants to be happy. So, we have a cat that will do 8-9 knots in the same blow. Still love the hum!

[dfelsent]

Ahh ketch, ketch, ketch, ketch.
Yup. I’m a fan. Balance and manageability. Never going to go to windward like a 747. But reaches like a bandit. And jib and jigger when it’s blowing (like stink) (dogs off chains) (pick one) is a real thing. Especially short handed.

Cons? More stuff to maintain.

Pros again? More places to put stuff to maintain, like radar, and wind generators, and antennae, and radar reflectors, and foghorns, and halyards.......

[markpierce]

Originally Posted by dfelsent

A...
Pros again? More places to put stuff to maintain, like radar, and wind generators, and antennae, and radar reflectors, and foghorns, and halyards.......

and flags.

[Factor]

Not too many ketches in the multihull world, which is where this thread lives?

[akopac]

Originally Posted by Factor

Not too many ketches in the multihull world, which is where this thread lives?

Geee, “That” looks like a very special trimaran ketch ;-)
http://outrigmedia.com/outrig/multih...an-named-that/

[auwekamanu]

I single hand one easily. Lots of flexibility and easy to handle. I have a Cheoy Lee 36 clipper and I love her. She is 50 years old this year and a gem.

[MicHughV]

while I was building my boat, I got to know two guys building trimarans...one was a Piver 36...and the other a Brown...a 34' ?...I think...they were both rigged as ketches..

[nortonscove]

This seems to be a traditionalist thing. Also very subjective. I would still prefer the look of the sloop and as stated before modern technology removes all of the advantages of the ketch and offers few of the drawbacks. When we see the market moving away from something you have to question why. Amel anyone?

[Joh.Ghurt]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

Ah, yes, the triatic stay... kinda awkward for drying the linens, but Ooohhh so handy for the cormorants and shags to roost upon whilst taking their hourly dumps.

No need for a ketch to accommodate cormorants. On my sloop they sit on top of the mast and with a little wind also hit the neighbouring motorboats. I already had complaints from the owners.

Considering that every load not hitting my boat is a win, I would say that's positive for the sloop with the higher mast and less space to sit on for cormorants and seagulls.

-1 for the ketch

[BigBeakie]

I think I'll start a bridgedeck clearance thread over on the Monohull forum. I'm sure lots of those interested in multihull issues will find it there.
At least we can see there are lots of half boat sailors perusing multihull topics, which is good[emoji106]

[boatman61]

You know something.. I never think to look which forum a thread is in.. if its interesting I read it, and if anything to say I comment..
But then I've no petty prejudices, a boats a boat be it 1, 2 or 3 hulls.