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Sand crab · 19-07-2011, 06:17

SaltyMonkey, This is a multihulls thread so no ladders etc. You would be standing up above the sea steering and pulling strings.

Captain KJ, I saw this cat for sale that is made out of steel and has 2 aerorigs. Can I change the hulls to fiberglass and paint the hulls paisley? (inside joke)
BTW no bear sightings but the wildflowers are going absolutely apes**t.

Jackdale, You could see the rig by some well placed hatches. Most of these cockpits need the ventilation anyway.

Poozer, I get the love/hate deal on the exposed helms on the Catanas. There is a really nice Catana 44 with everything including an in mast furler! I don't want to start that debate again. But seriously very clean and low hours but exposed helms.

Thinwater, I like Mainecats, too.

Ok so why not 2 hems? An outy and an inny? Best of both worlds. Thanks everybody BOB

captainKJ · 19-07-2011, 06:23

I just read about an aluminum hull that was encased in fiberglass,,,that sounded interesting,,no joke,,,it seems that they used a thin piece of aluminum then epoxied fiberglass over it to keep the water from getting to the aluminum,,,,that needs more research but sounds interesting

**James S** · 19-07-2011, 06:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sand crab

SaltyMonkey,

Ok so why not 2 hems? An outy and an inny? Best of both worlds. Thanks everybody BOB

I agree...two helms are the way to go IMO if $ and space allow.

jackdale · 19-07-2011, 07:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sand crab

Jackdale, You could see the rig by some well placed hatches. Most of these cockpits need the ventilation anyway.

I have sailed a monohull with those features. It is OK.

If the system requires hydraulic steering, that is a bit of an issue. You lose a lot of feel for the wheel with such a system.

Sand crab · 19-07-2011, 07:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by captainKJ

I just read about an aluminum hull that was encased in fiberglass,,,that sounded interesting,,no joke,,,it seems that they used a thin piece of aluminum then epoxied fiberglass over it to keep the water from getting to the aluminum,,,,that needs more research but sounds interesting

So, what I think you are saying is I should buy the 47' 50,000 # steel hulled, twin aerorig cat and fiberglass the hulls so they won't rust. Why can't I just paint them in paisley rustoleum.

nautical62 · 19-07-2011, 07:37

My guess is that more are not built because there is not sufficient demand to justify the extra cost, complexity and space use issues. The vast majority of boats will be used for day sailing and relatively fair weather coastal/island cruising.

For me the plus would be the ability to get in and out of bad weather.

For me the negatives would be:
another system to have to maintain and fix,
I'm more likely to get sea sick inside in bad weather
how it would interfere with limited salon space and affect the day to day usefulness

captainKJ · 19-07-2011, 07:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sand crab

So, what I think you are saying is I should buy the 47' 50,000 # steel hulled, twin aerorig cat and fiberglass the hulls so they won't rust. Why can't I just paint them in paisley rustoleum.

,,,while paisley might be your color of preference I would strongly advise against the rustoleum product,,,,that is mainly for light displacement aircraft,,you should know this being a pilot and adventure hiker,,,,
yes if you fiberglass the hull you will not have to look at the rust spots,,,also it will allow you to have the best of both worlds,,,,the strength of steel and the ease of repair of fiberglass,,,all you need now is a bigger engine so you can put on the hydrofoils and wings design that you were looking at last month,,,this way you would have an WIG boat,(wing in ground effect) getting more miles per gallon as you cross the ocean on only 100 gallons of diesel with enough to spare,,,you could start a hole knew trend in sailing-flying-powerboating for the adventure minded person,,just think of the bank loan you could get on this,,,build in panama at a fraction of the cost,,one of the problems that i see is the 2 hulls,,,,,if you took them and sliced them long ways you could join them together on make one long hull,,,i think this would be your best bet,,,,you could use the stitch and glue method for joining the hulls together,,,elmers and dental floss might work,,,just be sure to use the waxed floss,,,it gets better mpg on the water,,less resistance

Pelagic · 19-07-2011, 09:01

I know this is a multi-hull design issue but as a mono sailboat owner with inside steering I can attest that it is used whenever blind piloting with radar in dense fog or a monsoonal downpour.

Mine has good all-round visibility but I do keep an extra look-out on deck in case of debris when in those conditions.

I also love the option to be able to quickly take over if I happen to be down below and something happens

Some old photos

Aussiesuede · 19-07-2011, 18:51

I think the enclosed helm on the Crowther 56 is the best compromise I've seen. Full protection and full control without being fully detached from the "outside".

**James S** · 19-07-2011, 19:14

Wow...that's pretty cool!

Tropic Cat · 20-07-2011, 02:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sand crab

It seems that there are 4 basic helm positions. ...

When you step back and look where most cruising catamarans actually cruise, they are usually found in tropical climates.

Boat interiors get really warm in tropical climates and an interior helm is just too darn hot!!

dc9loser · 23-07-2011, 07:28

Interior helm is a big deal. You can't have only an interior helm, but a second one in the bridge-deck cabin is a good thing.

I don't have a sailing cat, but I do have an interior helm and a flybridge helm. When it is really hot, or really cold, or raining, or ya just feel like hanging around with everyone else in the cabin it adds a lot of value to the boat.

When I'm out in the winter I like to watch all those guys in open boats wearing raingear, pounding through the surf, cold and miserable while I relax with a cup of hot chocolate.

dc9loser · 23-07-2011, 07:33

‪"Afternoon tea"‬‏ - YouTube

I rest my case

mikereed100 · 23-07-2011, 08:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sand crab

It seems that there are 4 basic helm positions. We have the totally exposed aft helms as in the Catanas. Then there are the flybridge design like the Lagoons. the 3rd configuration is some sort of protected or semi-protected helm under the bimini like most of the rest. The fourth would be inside protected and dry. I'm not talking about the forward cockpit like the Atlantics and Gunboats but more like a Mainecat with all ropes and essential hardware running inside to the helm. Other than loosing some space in the salon is there some issue I'm not getting? BOB
PS. That post on an earlier thread with a pic of a custom cat with this got me focused on this idea. Where is that pic?

I think one of the reasons we don't see these on the typical bridgedeck saloon cat is that bringing all the control lines into the saloon could create a wet mess. Also, the holes where the lines would pass throught the cabin sides could allow water in. I would think you would still want some kind of quick access to the mast in case of trouble as well.
The Maine Cats are the only boats I know of that take this on successfully, but they are really more of an open bridgedeck design with a really nice enclosed bimini than a bridgedeck saloon boat.

Mike