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Old 20-08-2017, 22:53   #1
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Prout 33' or 34' information from owners

Anyone own a 33' or 34' Prout that would give me some firsthand info on sailing performance and pro's or con's on either 1 diesel /2 diesel or outboards. And what year production would be better to look at. Any information that you may have first hand would be appreciated.

It appears to be the only ocean going cat within my budget. I have owned and sailed a Heavenly Twin and it's just too slow and I don't have that many years left.
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Old 21-08-2017, 01:08   #2
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Re: Prout 33' or 34' information from owners

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Originally Posted by Taichungman View Post
Anyone own a 33' or 34' Prout that would give me some firsthand info on sailing performance and pro's or con's on either 1 diesel /2 diesel or outboards. And what year production would be better to look at. Any information that you may have first hand would be appreciated.

It appears to be the only ocean going cat within my budget. I have owned and sailed a Heavenly Twin and it's just too slow and I don't have that many years left.
the steerable sillette sonic leg seems to work reasonably well for manouvering on cats.

if you do a search on the gemini 105mc catamaran on youtube their are quite a few videos of closequarters manouvering for this model,similar to the prout snowgoose in its diamentions.

also an interesting documentation of an atlantic voyage in 5 episodes of a prout quest 33 on youtube.

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Old 21-08-2017, 06:43   #3
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Re: Prout 33' or 34' information from owners

Thanks for that info; I will check it out.
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Old 23-08-2017, 06:44   #4
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Re: Prout 33' or 34' information from owners

Hi-in regards to sailing performance, my Snowgoose 34 is similar I'd say to a cruising mono in average conditions. When the wind picks up probably faster, since I've sailed at 10 knots crossing the Gulfstream ESE. You'll need good sails as with any boat The 25 hp Yamaha has kept me off cays in 10 waves and 20 kt winds so again adequate. The outboard needs an extension to cut down on cavitation. These cost about $400. For several years I went around without moving the outboard, with the large rudders you can maneuver quite well. Now with a working teleflex cable to move the outboard direction better still. So, not a great sailing boat if you want speed, the Gemini is faster. A solid and safe choice.
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Old 23-08-2017, 19:29   #5
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Re: Prout 33' or 34' information from owners

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Hi-in regards to sailing performance, my Snowgoose 34 is similar I'd say to a cruising mono in average conditions. When the wind picks up probably faster, since I've sailed at 10 knots crossing the Gulfstream ESE. You'll need good sails as with any boat The 25 hp Yamaha has kept me off cays in 10 waves and 20 kt winds so again adequate. The outboard needs an extension to cut down on cavitation. These cost about $400. For several years I went around without moving the outboard, with the large rudders you can maneuver quite well. Now with a working teleflex cable to move the outboard direction better still. So, not a great sailing boat if you want speed, the Gemini is faster. A solid and safe choice.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Thanks Hurricanehole....good info on the outboard; I've been wondering if that would be a more logical setup. Seems it would be less expensive, less weight and easier to change out than a diesel.

I saw two outboards set up on a Heavenly Twin this way but never got a chance to talk to the owner about it. A back up might be nice; maybe go with two smaller engines. I know it's a sailboat but I've sailed enough to know it makes life easier.

With the lack of response, I was wondering if anyone owned a Prout 34. So thank you again for your response.

Do you think the Gemini is as seaworthy as the Prout? I have not read about the Gemini as a ocean going boat but more so as a coastal pleasure craft. I looked at them at the Annapolis boat show last year but they just didn't grab me the way the Prout does. One other question; what do you think of a self steering vane set up on a Prout on that size.?

Beemer/
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Old 24-08-2017, 06:54   #6
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Re: Prout 33' or 34' information from owners

On the self steering vane not sure that would work on a Snowgoose. I'd be interested in an answer. I use a Raymarine, their wheel mounted. Works great, even with the wind and waves hitting the aft side the boat and steers better than i can. Since I don't have alot of cat experience I'm not going to throw out opinions on other cats. After teetering over some large waves I think the low windage and large rudders keep a Snowgoose feeling planted.
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Old 24-08-2017, 07:05   #7
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pirate Re: Prout 33' or 34' information from owners

Great downwind with either.. upwind gets noisy and judders all over with each slam.. it is after all a reverse trimarran..
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Old 24-08-2017, 19:07   #8
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Re: Prout 33' or 34' information from owners

Any Cat owner out there with a steering wind vane that could educate me/us on pros and cons and how you have it mounted and what brand?

I have read some info on the Net but it's mostly from wind vane sellers and that's going to be all positive.

I had a Monitor on my HT26 mounted center line and it worked ok but the HT was slow and never used it in winds over 15-18 kts. Winds higher would usually break the wooden vanes; I broke a lot of them. I was sailing in the Gulf of Mex. in good sailing conditions and never more than a couple of days from land, so hand steering not a problem.

So, just wanted to know from cat owners who have steering wind vanes and if they work on larger cats in Oceans with large rollers and winds above 20kts. Do they still work well when surfing or do they not react to the fast and slow changes is speed? Any info appreciated and thank you.
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Old 25-08-2017, 01:52   #9
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Re: Prout 33' or 34' information from owners

33 and 34 are very different.

The 33 is basically a larger 31. The 34/35 is a different, then the 37 is different still.

From what I've heard, the 31 is the best sailor of them all, and the 34/35 is faster than the 37 due to being lighter and slimmer through the water. The 37 has 'sticky out bits' to accommodate the double berths in the rear.

Under engine (30hp Yanmar) I do 5-6knts at cruising speed. Practically every mono overtakes me. Not sure how as when I was last on a 37ft mono, it cruised around 5knts too. The French guy I met recently had a 40hp suzuki outboard. He said he could cruise at 8knts, only using a little more fuel than my diesel.

Handling is abysmal compared to all modern catamarans and monos. The rudders turn 20 degrees and the drive leg by a similar amount. At least one person on the Facebook group has added a bow thruster.

Sail-wise, mine struggles in lighter airs. Anything below 12-15knts and she won't move more than 2knts. Once I get 15knts on the beam though she will fly. I need new sails though, so read anything into that.

Going windward is bad. Very bad. On a recent trip it was like crashing into a brick wall every time it slammed, with all rigging, and hulls flexing. I thought my toilet was going to tear itself out.

Compared to something like a Commanche 32, or even the twins 27, the layout of the Prout is poor and leaves a lot of space wasted.

Still, after all that, they are nice boats, and I'd be unlikely to trade for a similar size mono.
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Old 25-08-2017, 08:32   #10
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Re: Prout 33' or 34' information from owners

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33 and 34 are very different.

The 33 is basically a larger 31. The 34/35 is a different, then the 37 is different still.

From what I've heard, the 31 is the best sailor of them all, and the 34/35 is faster than the 37 due to being lighter and slimmer through the water. The 37 has 'sticky out bits' to accommodate the double berths in the rear.

Under engine (30hp Yanmar) I do 5-6knts at cruising speed. Practically every mono overtakes me. Not sure how as when I was last on a 37ft mono, it cruised around 5knts too. The French guy I met recently had a 40hp suzuki outboard. He said he could cruise at 8knts, only using a little more fuel than my diesel.

Handling is abysmal compared to all modern catamarans and monos. The rudders turn 20 degrees and the drive leg by a similar amount. At least one person on the Facebook group has added a bow thruster.

Sail-wise, mine struggles in lighter airs. Anything below 12-15knts and she won't move more than 2knts. Once I get 15knts on the beam though she will fly. I need new sails though, so read anything into that.

Going windward is bad. Very bad. On a recent trip it was like crashing into a brick wall every time it slammed, with all rigging, and hulls flexing. I thought my toilet was going to tear itself out.

Compared to something like a Commanche 32, or even the twins 27, the layout of the Prout is poor and leaves a lot of space wasted.

Still, after all that, they are nice boats, and I'd be unlikely to trade for a similar size mono.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++


I read it a few times but maybe I missed it. Which Prout do you have the 31,33,34,35 or 37? And thank you for you candor; it sounds like a love hate relationship.
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Old 25-08-2017, 08:36   #11
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Re: Prout 33' or 34' information from owners

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Great downwind with either.. upwind gets noisy and judders all over with each slam.. it is after all a reverse trimarran..
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

In that case I'll just plan on going downwind.
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Old 25-08-2017, 09:32   #12
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Re: Prout 33' or 34' information from owners

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++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++


I read it a few times but maybe I missed it. Which Prout do you have the 31,33,34,35 or 37? And thank you for you candor; it sounds like a love hate relationship.
I have a 35.

Today I was doing 4knts with 11 knts of wind past 130 degrees. I have 36m2 Genoa, that seems to like to be sheeted very tight. I presume that is because it has lost its shape. Anyway, I was happy enough.

There's no real hate. All the Prouts have the potential to be a great live-aboard cruisers, but they are old now in both age and design. The thing about the Prouts is, you tend to find 31s in the £20-30k price range, 34/35s in the upper 20s to low 40s depending on the work that needs doing, and 37s in the 50s and 60s.
With all of them, even if you spent another £15k or so, you'd still be a long way off being able to buy even the cheapest used 'modern cat' such as a Lagoon. You might just get a very well used i.e. chartered Fountaine Pajot for the price of the best condition Snowgoose Elite 37, but certainly not a Mahe 36.

I've not seen a 33 in person, only the 31,35,37 and Mantra. "Same, same, but different" All have the Prout character.

I was actually looking for a 33cs when I started my search but they seem to be the rarest of the lot. Would love to see some images of yours when you are ready to share.
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Old 25-08-2017, 17:08   #13
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Re: Prout 33' or 34' information from owners

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I have a 35.

Today I was doing 4knts with 11 knts of wind past 130 degrees. I have 36m2 Genoa, that seems to like to be sheeted very tight. I presume that is because it has lost its shape. Anyway, I was happy enough.

There's no real hate. All the Prouts have the potential to be a great live-aboard cruisers, but they are old now in both age and design. The thing about the Prouts is, you tend to find 31s in the £20-30k price range, 34/35s in the upper 20s to low 40s depending on the work that needs doing, and 37s in the 50s and 60s.
With all of them, even if you spent another £15k or so, you'd still be a long way off being able to buy even the cheapest used 'modern cat' such as a Lagoon. You might just get a very well used i.e. chartered Fountaine Pajot for the price of the best condition Snowgoose Elite 37, but certainly not a Mahe 36.

I've not seen a 33 in person, only the 31,35,37 and Mantra. "Same, same, but different" All have the Prout character.

I was actually looking for a 33cs when I started my search but they seem to be the rarest of the lot. Would love to see some images of yours when you are ready to share.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Thanks again Mike for the insight into the cats...and I will share when I buy one. In my OP I was asking for info because I am beginning my search. The modern day cats are out of my price range so not even a consideration. I still have two daughters at home to put through college and that comes first.

Seems like the 31' to 34' Prout should fit the bill.
Have you seen any cats in your part of the world with wind vane steering set up? I had a Monitor on my Heavenly Twin when I was sailing in the Gulf of Mex. It worked well at the speeds I was sailing..(slow) ...but wondered how they would react/adjust to acceleration, surfing down roller in higher wind speeds. Any ideas? I was thinking in those conditions I would have to probably use a drogue to keep speed down for wind vane to react and steer properly. Any thoughts?
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Old 26-08-2017, 01:32   #14
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Re: Prout 33' or 34' information from owners

Is there a particular reason you want a wind vane?

Any Prout you buy these days is likely to have hydraulic steering. A modern autopilot should be able to cope with pretty much anything you are going to throw at it if you oversize the actuator and have a quality pump. But anyway, I've not seen any with a wind vane in the flesh, but I do remember seeing on one of the wind vane manufacture's website, an images of cats using their system. Can't remember the site now though.

Prices on Prouts seem to be better on your side of the Atlantic. I remember seeing a few on Catamaransite.com that peaked my interest last year.

Are you dead set on a Prout though? Something like a Commanche 32 uses its internal space better, and much much faster. Some of them (not many) even have dagger boards for better pointing. Unlike their brother the Iroquios (mk1 not mk2), the Commanche has a good reputation as a cruiser. It also has a higher bridge deck than the Prouts.


I have 400w of solar and 675ah of house batteries. They easily take care of the autopilot, and radar even when on night passages.
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Old 26-08-2017, 08:38   #15
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Re: Prout 33' or 34' information from owners

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Is there a particular reason you want a wind vane?

Any Prout you buy these days is likely to have hydraulic steering. A modern autopilot should be able to cope with pretty much anything you are going to throw at it if you oversize the actuator and have a quality pump. But anyway, I've not seen any with a wind vane in the flesh, but I do remember seeing on one of the wind vane manufacture's website, an images of cats using their system. Can't remember the site now though.

Prices on Prouts seem to be better on your side of the Atlantic. I remember seeing a few on Catamaransite.com that peaked my interest last year.

Are you dead set on a Prout though? Something like a Commanche 32 uses its internal space better, and much much faster. Some of them (not many) even have dagger boards for better pointing. Unlike their brother the Iroquios (mk1 not mk2), the Commanche has a good reputation as a cruiser. It also has a higher bridge deck than the Prouts.


I have 400w of solar and 675ah of house batteries. They easily take care of the autopilot, and radar even when on night passages.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Thanks Mike, that's the kind of info I'm looking for. I'll check out the Commanche 32 ...I'm not dead set on any particular cat; I'm just set on a particular price range and size. I do want one that is built for blue water sailing rather than coastal.

I plan on having autopilot but would like to have a wind vane for backup. I will be sailing alone as my wife wants no part of it, which is OK. The last two boat I crewed on, (65' cat Panama to Galapagos and a new SF50 from S.A. to Annapolis) both had problems with their auto pilots. It both cases of course they carried spares or were able to fix the problem and plus there were crew to steer.

There is a 31' prout for sale in Puerto Vallarta with a wind vane.
http://www.sailboatlistings.com/sailboats/Prout

Looks like he put a lot of money into it in Calif. and was on his way to the South Pacific but for reasons only he knows, needs to sell now. I'm still trying to contact him for info on boat and wind vane.

Thanks again, I'll check out the Commanche 32.
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