Sailing Cats Under Power Alone

[jncreston]

I am a potential sailing catamaran convert looking for a boat between 34 and 40 feet that is capable of 8 knots or better under power alone. It is a long way for me to the inlet where true sailing can begin and I will be taking friends out for day sailing and short overnight trips. I am familiar with power cats that can easily do much more than eight knots but we still want to sail. My last boat was a 47 cutter with a strong diesel capable of maximum hull speed under power.
Any ideas would be appreciated.
Thanks
John N.

[Tomahawk]

You could try and find an Outremer 40..

We do 10 kits under full powers d she does sail like a daemon..

Only problem is there are not many around as they stopped building them some eight or so years back..

I did have an FP Lavessi once... It went very well under motor.. As to the sails, well she was not so hot there so never took them up the stick!!

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, John.

[jncreston]

Not sure what you are referencing about doing it right.WE did do it right the first time and spent two great years living and traveling on our 47 ' cutter which we sold at the end of our adventure. Now the situation is different. we are older,and now have a house on the beach but want to continue sailing..... on our terms.... until old age stops us.
Thanks for your response
Jncreston

[Palarran]

You should be able to hit 10 kts fairly easily with your average production catamaran. Any more and it's going to take a substantually larger amount of hp.

[Strygaldwir]

10 knots on power alone in under 40 feet is probably not fairly easy. My 35 at water cat is fairly well powered with two relatively new 3ym30 at about 58 HP total. I can do 9, maybe 9.5 after I have just painted the bottom and cleaned the 3 blade fixed props. As you get longer, it definately gets easier, but I'd think you're talking about a 44 foot cat, or so.

[Landkrabbe]

I'm no expert in boat design, but there are some motor sailing cat designs out there which have more powerful engines, think upwards of 2x100 hp, and a hull shape that makes them sit better in the water when under full engine power (power cat like hulls). Some are even designed for big outboards. If you go that route, you should be pushing 20 knots top speed under full engine power and I hear they motor sail well. Under sail alone, you have some extra weight to drag along though, but I wonder if it counts as ballast.

If you look at the designs from the late Malcom Tennant, if there was something a bit shorter than the Sundiver 46 that might be interesting for you perhaps?

[dirkdig]

Our lagoon440 will motor at about 8.5 knots in still water and wind.
One motor will do about 6.5 knots.

[shipofools]

12kt at 5k rpm. Shuttleworth 32 with 60 Hp.

[deckofficer]

Originally Posted by shipofools

12kt at 5k rpm. Shuttleworth 32 with 60 Hp.

Now that someone has mentioned "clamp-ons", how about a PDQ 36, 9+ kt with a pair of 9.9 hp clamp ons? Won't break the bank as far as fuel usage, great boat, and at 36' and 8500 lbs, very easy to handle short or single handed.

[SeaKing]

Originally Posted by deckofficer

Now that someone has mentioned "clamp-ons", how about a PDQ 36, 9+ kt with a pair of 9.9 hp clamp ons? Won't break the bank as far as fuel usage, great boat, and at 36' and 8500 lbs, very easy to handle short or single handed.

We had a PDQ 34(Hull#2) with outboards before they stretched them to a 36. We loved that boat and I sometimes miss the simplicity of that boat and the ease of maintenance especially the outboards.

The 36's are great boats.

[ausaviator]

Do you have any other criteria other than length and speed?

[Cotemar]

jncreston,

A FP Mahe 36 with twin Volvo Penta 30hp engines and folding 3 blade (17dia. x 12pitch) props will do 8 knots (2,400 rpm) on just one engine and 10knots with both engines.

I only use one engine when cruising. Both engines just to dock, anchor or moore.
Use's just .7 gal/h at that speed and rpm.

Autopilot tracks straight as an arrow on one engine.

[Strygaldwir]

Cruising, definately only on engine. Docking, both. Average cruising speed on one engine, 6.5 - 7 knots over extended distances.

[double exposure]

Sailing Catamaran Double Exposure, 0 to 20 knots in less than 25 seconds on a 40' cruising cat - YouTube