What are the Slowest Cats?

[Sand crab]

There was a thread a while back about the fastest cats so I figured I start one about the slowest. I really want to know which ones are the absolute dogs including the new ones. For the sake of argument we will assume that Dennis Connor is the skipper of each one and he is doing the absolute best that he can do. Bless his little heart. And we won't talk about upwind or downwind. Mostly the cats should be limited to standard stock configurations although if you can recall a custom that was a pig then that will do. I won't name the brokerage but there is one that is for sale that is built out of steel. And that's the first contribution. Be nice now. BOB

[dtynan]

Don't really know much about dogs, but tabby cats are really slow.

[S/V Alchemy]

What an odd concept. I mean, you can choose to drive a Porsche in first gear, just as you can choose to put two tonnes of beer cans in the four ends of a cat. That would kill off a fair bit of speed and make it handle like a brick on a seesaw.

[muskoka]

Look at the displacement and then look at the sail area.

Unless the laws of physics have been repealed, heavy boats with small sail plans are slower than light boats with big sail plans.......

But, in my observation, orange cats tend to scamper faster than any other moggie...
The Orange Cat Superiority Page
At least when faced with a measuring tape....

[thinwater]

Any sort with the belly dragging in the middle (some can turn into real barges when overloaded and pounding into chop).

Of course, that applies to dogs too.

[Sand crab]

I had a Tabby that would go on 15 mile hikes with me. She was fast. The purpose of this thread was not to go into SA/D or other technical criteria because there are so many other issues that come into play like hull shape, hull fineness, sail type and configuration, windage and on and on. I just wanted members input on the boats they sailed or they were familiar with. But in a nice way. Now about that steel cat. If you're interested then I have some swampland in Florida for sale. BOB

[scook1]

the ones with no legs!

[bigpuff]

the amount of beer cans is the key;strait rum will definatly help the cat go faster,the only problem it some times can leed to sudden unexplained stops/keep her lite...

[Sailmonkey]

The only cats I've sailed were fountain pajot and lagoon charter cats. Neither one was a rocket ship, but off the wind I'd tend to favor the lagoon. Beating to weather they were equals as near as I could tell. I never had a chance to sail the lagoon in any seastate, but the FP turned doggy with confused steep seas and the wind on the nose. I would imagine that the Lagoon would have done the same as they're pretty similar underbodies.

[muskoka]

Originally Posted by Sailmonkey

The only cats I've sailed were fountain pajot and lagoon charter cats. Neither one was a rocket ship, but off the wind I'd tend to favor the lagoon. Beating to weather they were equals as near as I could tell. I never had a chance to sail the lagoon in any seastate, but the FP turned doggy with confused steep seas and the wind on the nose. I would imagine that the Lagoon would have done the same as they're pretty similar underbodies.

Where either of them orange?

[Sailmonkey]

Originally Posted by muskoka

Where either of them orange?

Nope, no tabbies here.

[muskoka]

Originally Posted by Sand crab

I had a Tabby that would go on 15 mile hikes with me. She was fast. The purpose of this thread was not to go into SA/D or other technical criteria because there are so many other issues that come into play like hull shape, hull fineness, sail type and configuration, windage and on and on. I just wanted members input on the boats they sailed or they were familiar with. But in a nice way. Now about that steel cat. If you're interested then I have some swampland in Florida for sale. BOB

I've sailed lots of boats and a few cats. So, my observations:

1. As said, the basic premise of light boat and big sails seems to be far more important in a cat than any other boat I've sailed.
2. Beware the self tacking headsail. Or rejoice in it's simplicity. It makes life easier but slower.
3. Cats with daggerboards sail way better than those without.

I will revert back to my comment about physics because that's the final word. A light boat, with fine hulls, big sails and a daggerboard is the best. I don't like categorical evaluations because they're fundamentally useless. I've specifically sailed a Lagoon 380, Broadblue 38/42, FP Lavezzi and Seawind 1160. And some lesser known cats.

I got the best turn of speed out of the Lavezzi, and thats why I bought her. The Seawind was second choice, very nice, but a self tacking headsail is never an asset so I don't feel I have an apples to apples comparison. The Lagoon 380 was a good boat but we just didn't fall in love. The Broadblue was a heavier cruising boat so I don't think the comparison there is fair. She was great but built to a different purpose at which I think she excelled.

All I can state is that my Lavezzi regularly leaves the rest of the cat fleet in the wake. She's fast on the stats, and not surprisingly fast on the water. But until we switch boats, I can't say whether the boat is faster or the skipper is faster.

[snort]

Island Packet cats look pretty heavy and slow; barge-like in fact.

[zeehag]

MAINE COON CATS WITHOUT LIFE PRESERVRS ARE PRETTY SLOW-- BURMESE SEEM TO HAVE THE LONGEVITY AND DURABILITY FACTOR BUILT IN-- THEY CAN SWIM FOREVER, AND ARE SLIGHTLY FASTER THAN MAINES WITH THEIR FURRY TAILS DRAGGING IN THE SEAS... IS LIKE DRAGGING WARPS......

[thinwater]

Originally Posted by atoll

have yet to see a cruising cat that will beat to windward through 140 degrees at any speed

Still not accurate or original, and perhaps just a troll.

This should be a fun thread.

_______________________

The slowest cat I've seen lately is one of my neighbors; he has a Gem 3200 and left his rudders on the deck for the winter. One of our windstorms picked them up and through them in the harbor. Through some bizarre stroke of luck, I saw them floating by and snagged them. THAT would have slowed him down.

Regarding the Packet Cat, they are comfortable, but slow. I sailed past one up the Delaware (to windward) while he was motoring; every wave was smacking the underside and spray was shooting forward, out of the tunnel.

I've got to say he was pretty comfortable looking at anchor that night, so all is well.