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Old 02-07-2015, 13:14   #16
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Re: Why Do Catamarans Motor Nearly 100%

I'm sure it is the same reason you see boats out sailing on their head sail and the cover is still on the main sail, they're just being lazy.

But it matters none to me if people what to semi-sail or motor their sailboat.
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Old 02-07-2015, 13:21   #17
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Re: Why Do Catamarans Motor Nearly 100%

I came into the cat world from 30+ years of racing high performance monohulls.
My last boat prior to my cat purchase was a 50 foot "cruising" monohull.
Sailed a few cats prior to buying one. I came close to purchasing a Leopard 46 until I sailed it which to me it felt as if I were sailing a house. So we agree on something.
For the money spent I am well satisfied with my Voyage 440. You can actually feel the helm and we can easily do 200 mile days without a problem. Of course we have folding props, good sails to include a screecher and two spinnakers (asym and sym). The interiors of the Leopards are much nicer but after having a 50 foot boat for 15 years with teak decks, a 6 inch toerail and a virtual teak forest down below, the austere interior of my Voyage feels like a fresh breeze. So not all cats fit into your statement.
However I have made similar observations as yourself here in the Caribbean. I do think if you take a closer look those individuals you speak disparagingly of are on charter boats, sometimes overloaded, minimal sail inventory, time restraints, probably crew that are not that helpful and last but not least they may just not know how to trim sails.
If I have 6-8 kts of wind I am sailing and in 25 my wine glass stays on the table.
All boats including mine have their pros and cons and despite my love for cats on any day here in the NE you may see me racing a monohull and throughly enjoying it however for cruising I suggest you try a few more cats so you can further discuss this topic with more experience.
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Old 02-07-2015, 13:21   #18
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Re: Why Do Catamarans Motor Nearly 100%

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Originally Posted by sailorboy1 View Post
I'm sure it is the same reason you see boats out sailing on their head sail and the cover is still on the main sail, they're just being lazy.
We tend to do this when we have guests aboard, because it's just one less thing to worry about. I'm afraid of a non sailor standing on the traveler during an unplanned gybe, and getting launched fifty feet overboard.
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Old 02-07-2015, 13:22   #19
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Re: Why Do Catamarans Motor Nearly 100%

This Lagoon 52 was in my marina recently. Looking at it, I suspect they motor because no one can reach up and unzip the boom cover

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Old 02-07-2015, 13:33   #20
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Re: Why Do Catamarans Motor Nearly 100%

Quote:
Originally Posted by caradow View Post
I came into the cat world from 30+ years of racing high performance monohulls.
My last boat prior to my cat purchase was a 50 foot "cruising" monohull.
Sailed a few cats prior to buying one. I came close to purchasing a Leopard 46 until I sailed it which to me it felt as if I were sailing a house. So we agree on something.
For the money spent I am well satisfied with my Voyage 440. You can actually feel the helm and we can easily do 200 mile days without a problem. Of course we have folding props, good sails to include a screecher and two spinnakers (asym and sym). The interiors of the Leopards are much nicer but after having a 50 foot boat for 15 years with teak decks, a 6 inch toerail and a virtual teak forest down below, the austere interior of my Voyage feels like a fresh breeze. So not all cats fit into your statement.
However I have made similar observations as yourself here in the Caribbean. I do think if you take a closer look those individuals you speak disparagingly of are on charter boats, sometimes overloaded, minimal sail inventory, time restraints, probably crew that are not that helpful and last but not least they may just not know how to trim sails.
If I have 6-8 kts of wind I am sailing and in 25 my wine glass stays on the table.
All boats including mine have their pros and cons and despite my love for cats on any day here in the NE you may see me racing a monohull and throughly enjoying it however for cruising I suggest you try a few more cats so you can further discuss this topic with more experience.
Sounds like I test drove the wrong multihull. At the time, we were genuinely interested in the Leopard.... I still have the promotional hat that I wear with the paw on it. I was actually on the cover of cruising world four years ago at the helm of the boat.

Is it fair to assume, that most people I see are just trying to scoot from one Marina to the next as fast as possible, and they only use the sails when the adventure involves a much longer passage, like crossing an ocean?

I'm not making disparaging remarks... 'Just pointing out what I see around here everyday... an observation-and asking why?
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Old 02-07-2015, 13:34   #21
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Re: Why Do Catamarans Motor Nearly 100%

Have had my cat 17yrs. The only thing I don't budget for is fuel!! Every thing else cost.
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Old 02-07-2015, 13:37   #22
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Re: Why Do Catamarans Motor Nearly 100%

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Originally Posted by hoppy View Post
This Lagoon 52 was in my marina recently. Looking at it, I suspect they motor because no one can reach up and unzip the boom cover

Attachment 104550
How in the world can they do that? On our Hunter it was interesting at times having to climb up the mast or up onto the arch, but that boat might start a nose bleed.

Was the photo taken using the secret weapon?
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Old 02-07-2015, 13:39   #23
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Re: Why Do Catamarans Motor Nearly 100%

Quote:
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This Lagoon 52 was in my marina recently. Looking at it, I suspect they motor because no one can reach up and unzip the boom cover

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There's a boat a couple rows from me in the mooring field that in 4 years I've never seen use the main sail. When I asked him why, that was the reason he told me.
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Old 02-07-2015, 13:43   #24
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Re: Why Do Catamarans Motor Nearly 100%

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Have had my cat 17yrs. The only thing I don't budget for is fuel!! Every thing else cost.
On our boat too. Fuel is insignificant because it's only used to very occasionally motor sail or motor at 5 knots early in the morning before the wind comes up. Most of the diesel goes to the generator.

What kind of fuel consumption do most cats get? With the added windage, do they consume more or less diesel?
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Old 02-07-2015, 13:47   #25
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Re: Why Do Catamarans Motor Nearly 100%

Maybe you are just noticing the catamarans? The mono-hulls motoring usually still have the main up to settle the motion whereas it makes very little difference on a catamaran. When we were in the Med and Caribbean, I saw lots of boats motoring, mono-hulls and catamarans.

For charter boats I expect it. They have limited time, and want to see lots of places, and then secondly most would like to get a bit of sailing in as well if it fits in. So unless the conditions are ideal they are usually motoring. I guess the constantly increasing popularity of catamarans for chartering may be skewing the numbers of boats motoring as well.

The charter cats also do not sail as well as a lot of other cats. They are optimized for comfort and space rather than sailing performance. They also never seem to have any light wind sails. We on the other hand do, and sailed everywhere we could in the Med. With the wind on or forward of the beam we come close to doing wind speed - 7 knots boat speed in 8 knots of breeze. But even for us there are a lot of times in the Med when it was either very very light, or light and from the stern, and motoring is the sensible option.

Also to be fair, comparing an Oyster to a Lagoon is not really a meaningful comparison. You may as well compare an Oyster to a Beneteau. A fairer comparison would be copmaring to boats like a Catana.

As a single data point we've sailed off and on with a Discovery 55 since Sicily (we are now in Tahiti) and the performace between it and our Catana 48 is about the same on passages. Our passage times were within hours of each other for both the Atlantic (2700 miles) and the Galapagos to Marquesas (3150 miles) passages. We are a bit faster in light winds (even though they start motoring before us) and they are a bit faster (or choose not to slow down as soon) in the heavier winds.

Mark.
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Old 02-07-2015, 13:48   #26
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Re: Why Do Catamarans Motor Nearly 100%

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Originally Posted by sailorboy1 View Post
There's a boat a couple rows from me in the mooring field that in 4 years I've never seen use the main sail. When I asked him why, that was the reason he told me.
Great! We have an answer regarding the main sail.

But how about the jib on the roller furling?

I understand why catamarans don't tend to have in-mast furling for the main sail due to the roach, batons and rake of the mast, but it would seem quite easy to use the jib for added propulsion. Right?
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Old 02-07-2015, 13:52   #27
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Re: Why Do Catamarans Motor Nearly 100%

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How in the world can they do that? On our Hunter it was interesting at times having to climb up the mast or up onto the arch, but that boat might start a nose bleed.

Was the photo taken using the secret weapon?
Some of these have a continuous zipper lanyard that is rigged with small line and tiny blocks so zipping and unzipping can be done at the mast.
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Old 02-07-2015, 13:57   #28
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Re: Why Do Catamarans Motor Nearly 100%

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Originally Posted by mark_morwood View Post
Maybe you are just noticing the catamarans? The mono-hulls motoring usually still have the main up to settle the motion whereas it makes very little difference on a catamaran. When we were in the Med and Caribbean, I saw lots of boats motoring, mono-hulls and catamarans.

For charter boats I expect it. They have limited time, and want to see lots of places, and then secondly most would like to get a bit of sailing in as well if it fits in. So unless the conditions are ideal they are usually motoring. I guess the constantly increasing popularity of catamarans for chartering may be skewing the numbers of boats motoring as well.

The charter cats also do not sail as well as a lot of other cats. They are optimized for comfort and space rather than sailing performance. They also never seem to have any light wind sails. We on the other hand do, and sailed everywhere we could in the Med. With the wind on or forward of the beam we come close to doing wind speed - 7 knots boat speed in 8 knots of breeze. But even for us there are a lot of times in the Med when it was either very very light, or light and from the stern, and motoring is the sensible option.

Also to be fair, comparing an Oyster to a Lagoon is not really a meaningful comparison. You may as well compare an Oyster to a Beneteau. A fairer comparison would be copmaring to boats like a Catana.

As a single data point we've sailed off and on with a Discovery 55 since Sicily (we are now in Tahiti) and the performace between it and our Catana 48 is about the same on passages. Our passage times were within hours of each other for both the Atlantic (2700 miles) and the Galapagos to Marquesas (3150 miles) passages. We are a bit faster in light winds (even though they start motoring before us) and they are a bit faster (or choose not to slow down as soon) in the heavier winds.

Mark.
Thanks Mark, yours is the well thought out answer I was looking for.

I'm really not looking to compare our boat to anything... 'just wondering why I don't see the multi hulls enjoying a nice day of sailing and the quiet time associated with not having the stinky engine turned on whilst the wind is blowing 20 knots from the stern. That is the puzzlement...
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Old 02-07-2015, 13:59   #29
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Re: Why Do Catamarans Motor Nearly 100%

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I definitely think our next boat will be a powercat, you can't beat the living quarters and the living room view.

How big does a cat have to be to include a walkaround queen berth?

The only one I'm aware of is something like a 46' Endeavor, but to do that, the master isn't down in the hulls.

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Old 02-07-2015, 14:01   #30
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Re: Why Do Catamarans Motor Nearly 100%

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Some of these have a continuous zipper lanyard that is rigged with small line and tiny blocks so zipping and unzipping can be done at the mast.
So, there's no need to climb the mast? Is it done from the upper deck?
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