What Catamaran should I get?

[dowlo]

Hi all!

I'm new here and looking for a new adventure to get some joy for life back and I figured buying a catamaran and sailing in to the sunset would do that for me.

I have $AUD 150,000 so I was wondering what you would recommend. Initially I would plan to learn by sailing around Australia and then I'd want to make my way to Indonesia when the world allows it. After that who knows. I have been told that for water sailing">blue water sailing 37ft is recommended?

I am new to this world and any advice or tips is greatly appreciated.

Thanks!!

[Uncle Bob]

Originally Posted by dowlo

Hi all!

I'm new here and looking for a new adventure to get some joy for life back and I figured buying a catamaran and sailing in to the sunset would do that for me.

I have $AUD 150,000 so I was wondering what you would recommend. Initially I would plan to learn by sailing around Australia and then I'd want to make my way to Indonesia when the world allows it. After that who knows. I have been told that for blue water sailing 37ft is recommended?

I am new to this world and any advice or tips is greatly appreciated.

Thanks!!

Hi, and welcome to the madhouse .
According to one member here a lagoon 400 is the bees knees, able to outperform the big guns etc etc so perhaps that could be your aspirational objective.
Once again, welcome and enjoy the ride.

[grantmc]

Bula from Fiji and Happy New Year dowlo,

Hoping that you'll gain help and useful information from joining and posting in the forum.

Your question might be a little wide to receive any decent answers; it's not much different than saying "I want to drive around Australia and I prefer 4 wheels, what would be the best vehicle?"

Perhaps do a little research on sites like Gumtree, and see what cats are available in your price range. When you find something that appeals ask the forum what others thing of the listing. You'll be amazed how perceptive some people here have a really good eye, even from photos.

Google 'buy a boat in Ozstralia' and there are a bunch of such sites. Obviously boats for sale relatively close to where you are would make viewing and test sailing etc much simpler.

Here's a yacht in Tassie I'd definitely be looking at if I were in Oz.

Always do feel free to post your own thoughts, questions and ideas here on CF. The forum only works when people post, and 95% of members here seem reluctant. Don't be a lurker. Good luck with your search and let is know if you find anything.

[Cool Hand Luke]

Welcome to the CF!

What sort of sailing experience do you have? 40ft cat is a little tough to handle by yourself if you're a beginner. But 37+ ft cats are beautiful. Best of luck!!

[Tin Tin]

See link, this will get you thinking in a general sense about what to look for, mind you on a budget of $150kAUD you may have a very limited choice plus cost of bringing up to a seaworthy level to cross oceans.
https://www.multihullcompany.com/art...a-catamaran-3/

[dowlo]

Thank you all for your replies!

In answer to the research question what would you think about something like this:

https://yachthub.com/list/yachts-for...jessica/249577

Also experience wise you could say I am a beginner and I would like something I could sail by myself if I have to.

Thanks in advance!

[Sos]

Good luck with your search.

There are a lot of good cats in Australia but for that price you may have to put some work in. But older cats are still good if maintained. See what takes your fancy and then ask on here for opinion's

[dowlo]

Thank you all so much for the feedback. With regards to the vessel what do you think about this?

yachthubcom/list/yachts-for-sale/used/sail-catamarans/snell-easy-10-0-jessica/249577

Also is there a way you can do history checks on boats as you do with cars? Or is that not a thing?

Thanks again

[joelhemington]

Originally Posted by dowlo

Thank you all so much for the feedback. With regards to the vessel what do you think about this?

yachthubcom/list/yachts-for-sale/used/sail-catamarans/snell-easy-10-0-jessica/249577

Also is there a way you can do history checks on boats as you do with cars? Or is that not a thing?

Thanks again

I hate to say this, but on your budget a lot of the cats you'll see are probably made of plywood in somebodies' back yard. All fiberglass with a foam core is best if you can find one. The plywood boats tend to have a short shelf life if not meticulously maintained - no dings in the hull or deck gelcoat as plywood tends to rot and then disintegrate if it gets wet. You'd probably be better off with an older production boat - the Lagoon 38' gets pretty high marks from those that know.

[Cadence]

I would suggest getting some experience prior to deciding on a purchase.

[MIRELOS]

You are in Australia,....get in touch with Multihull Solutions, they are friendly, knowledgeable and very trustworthy. They have a ton of knowledge with catamarans.
I did not buy my catamaran from them yet they went out of their way to help me, so I recommend them.
Good Luck....learn to sail first, start with a little boat, I mean little.

[MartinF]

It seems as tho you don't have any/much experience. You certainly don't have enough to contemplate the voyages you speak of except as a distant goal. Join a sailing club and work your contacts to sail on other people's boats. Take lessons. If you are still interested buy a boat 20 - 25ft. Learn to sail that in all weathers. Then look again at your ocean voyages.
Good Luck,
M

[xbillaroo]

The snell looks a good boat with reasonable sailing performance. Another to consider would be an older seawind 1000 which are glass and foam core.

[ausnp84]

Originally Posted by dowlo

Thank you all for your replies!

In answer to the research question what would you think about something like this:

https://yachthub.com/list/yachts-for...jessica/249577

Also experience wise you could say I am a beginner and I would like something I could sail by myself if I have to.

Thanks in advance!

Good choice! Check out Sailing Papao on YouTube - they have a similar boat and love it.

Oh, and ignore the “you don’t know what you’re doing” “get a small boat first” “ take sailing lessons” posts... a mid-30’s cat is fine for a beginner, there’s plenty of coastal sailing to be done in Aus which is great for learning, and nothing’s better than learning on your own boat.

N

[All for naut]

I am in the same boat (sorry about that), I have been looking for a bout six months, researching cats under US$125,000 for liveaboard, potentially single handed cruising and ideally, eventually, circumnavigation. Some of the things I have been looking at specifically are:
Beam: 15’ is cheaper to haul out and keep in a slip than larger ones. I don’t know where the line is drawn, I don’t think there is a hard and fast number for this, so I have been aiming for 15’-16’.
Ability to be sailed single handedly.
Good for blue water sailing.
I think I’d prefer a trampoline than a solid deck, I have heard that there is a possibility of “slapping” in rougher seas making for a difficult time sleeping even at anchor.
Sugar scoops are preferable as I will be doing some diving.
Windlass anchor system.
Furler jib.
Main sail lazy jack system.
If it already has solar/wind power that’s great.
I have spent the last 51 years running around as fast as I can. Speed of the boat is helpful, but not too important me.
These are some of the results of my research in no particular order.
Leopard: Good boats, the only ones in my price range are in really bad condition and I’m not willing to put in that much effort.
PDQ 36 MkII LRC: Built for shorthanded long range cruising. Beam is wider than I’d like (18’ 3”). Solid boat and manufacturer. (See https://www.boats.com/reviews/perry-...review-pdq-36/ for further)
Prout (Event, Snowgoose, Manta): The Snowgoose was my number one for a long time. It has a long history of blue water sailing single and shorthanded, narrow beam, the only down side in my opinion is the solid foredeck and the lack of sugarscoops. (See https://www.katamarans.com/prout-snowgoose-37/ and https://www.katamarans.com/prout-snowgoose-37/ for more)
Fountaine Pajot Athena 38: Love everything about the boat, but the beam is very wide (20’ 8”). It is still edging in on being my number one choice at the moment. The layout is beautiful with lots of light.
Gemini 105Mc: I see loads of them for sale. There is long range cruiser model, but I can’t find it at the moment, although I may be confusing it with the PDQ LRC. It is a good boat and affordable.
That’s not nearly an exhaustive list, just where my head is at while pondering the same issue as yourself. I will be looking to buy in around two – two and a half years.
Good luck, keep us informed.
Mike

Informative advice is always good, but good advice isn’t always informative.

Originally Posted by dowlo

Hi all!

I'm new here and looking for a new adventure to get some joy for life back and I figured buying a catamaran and sailing in to the sunset would do that for me.

I have $AUD 150,000 so I was wondering what you would recommend. Initially I would plan to learn by sailing around Australia and then I'd want to make my way to Indonesia when the world allows it. After that who knows. I have been told that for blue water sailing 37ft is recommended?

I am new to this world and any advice or tips is greatly appreciated.

Thanks!!