Why so few catamarans in the Great Lakes?

[LuckyCanuk]

Am considering boating options that offer large deck space, and roomy overnight cruising space.

[Svsumurun]

You don't say which Great Lake, as they are all different in some way, but a lot of the same issues I would bet.
1- Dockage- not many places a cat fits! My wife went through a CG course a few years back with a couple that bought an Outremer and the only place they could find was literally at the end of an airports runway- they had to radio to get clearance from the tower if they were moving as I understand.
2- Haul out when the water goes hard- same as above- not many places setup for cats
3- The choppy wave periods/crazy microburst activity - dangerous for all, can be game over for a cat. There was a cat at my home marina inverted a couple years ago (friends of another forum member as well) - was a beautiful day- then it wasn't. Thankfully everyone survived.
4- Even if it's not a dangerous event, I'm not sure the ride would be that great most days when the wind is good- again the steep waves with sort periods.

I kind of like cats, but this isn't really the place for them.

[pcmm]

In the great lakes you'll have issues with Cost/season length. but more important...I can't think of a single travellift on Lake Ontario that can haul anything much wider that 16ft! (maybe 18ft) Which gets seriously important in the fall! Water gets hard here in the winter!

[KimSails]

Fair question. I would guess it is a few things. One, more marinas than anchorages and many marinas are not geared towards cats (chicken v. egg). Two, it would be harder to justify the cost of a cat when only sailing in the short summer season (If you want to sail in the winter here you need an ice boat). Three, I think in the GL a lot of the folks looking for that extra space just get one of those noisy, mastless boats (powerboat).

On the other hand, I would think the lake conditions most days would be quite conducive to cat sailing.

[Nicholson58]

Originally Posted by Svsumurun

You don't say which Great Lake, as they are all different in some way, but a lot of the same issues I would bet.
1- Dockage- not many places a cat fits! My wife went through a CG course a few years back with a couple that bought an Outremer and the only place they could find was literally at the end of an airports runway- they had to radio to get clearance from the tower if they were moving as I understand.
2- Haul out when the water goes hard- same as above- not many places setup for cats
3- The choppy wave periods/crazy microburst activity - dangerous for all, can be game over for a cat. There was a cat at my home marina inverted a couple years ago (friends of another forum member as well) - was a beautiful day- then it wasn't. Thankfully everyone survived.
4- Even if it's not a dangerous event, I'm not sure the ride would be that great most days when the wind is good- again the steep waves with sort periods.

I kind of like cats, but this isn't really the place for them.

1&2 I agree. 3&4, not so much. We sailed the Great Lakes for many years. I have yet to note a marina or lift that can handle one. Our beam is 16 feet and that was tough. This is an undeveloped market waiting to happen.

[pcmm]

Originally Posted by Nicholson58

1&2 I agree. 3&4, not so much. We sailed the Great Lakes for many years. I have yet to note a marina or lift that can handle one. Our beam is 16 feet and that was tough. This is an undeveloped market waiting to happen.

I'd agree Item #3 isn't even a thing of concern up here on the great lakes? Microbursts? doesn't happen very often At least not really an issue on Lake Ontario

[LoudMusic]

I hear it gets quite cold up there. Most cats aren't designed for cold weather. Retrofitting would be costly.

[Svsumurun]

Originally Posted by pcmm

I'd agree Item #3 isn't even a thing of concern up here on the great lakes? Microbursts? doesn't happen very often At least not really an issue on Lake Ontario

Sorry, I should have clarified that (as I said all the lakes are different) - I was talking about Lake Erie where I am now- I grew up on Lake Ontario and they are completely different animals! It's the depth more than anything that makes Lake Erie bad (there isn't any)

Here is thread about the cat from my marina ......went a little long.....

https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums...rs-223838.html

[Nicholson58]

Originally Posted by Svsumurun;3419B062

Sorry, I should have clarified that (as I said all the lakes are different) - I was talking about Lake Erie where I am now- I grew up on Lake Ontario and they are completely different animals! It's the depth more than anything that makes Lake Erie bad (there isn't any)

Here is thread about the cat from my marina ......went a little long.....

https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums...rs-223838.html

I raced out of Cleveland for 20 years. I don’t see it as any different than Huron or Michigan. The western basin west of Cedar Point is shallow and nasty. Still not an issue for a cat. Unlike a mono, you would not worry about grounding.

[Nicholson58]

Originally Posted by LoudMusic

I hear it gets quite cold up there. Most cats aren't designed for cold weather. Retrofitting would be costly.

?? Cats have lovely enclosed cabins and great wind breaks on the aft deck. It’s the ultimate pilot house. The cats we see daily throughout the Caribbean are heated and air conditioned.

[rslifkin]

I think beam is a big issue. A lot of places on the great lakes aren't geared towards big boats. Get much over 40 feet or above 14-15 foot beam and quite a few options disappear for places to visit. Longer can be handled, but not everywhere. And above 16 foot beam, not a lot of places can handle hauling, so a big crane rental may be involved.

[SV Siren]

I think there are a few things which prohibit catamarans in the Great Lakes.
1. As mention beam, even a Lagoon 40 would have a seriously hard time finding a place to haul out, or find a slip. At 22'2" of beam, that would rule out almost every hoist, but would be possible by hiring a huge crane at no small cost to lift. End tie slips are extremely rare. I see only a cat or two every year, and even those are Gemini 105's, which use a mooring ball in my local harbors.
2. Transportation costs. Getting a bigger cat to the Great Lakes would be a dilemma. It would almost have to be brought in on its own keel via a canal, adding to costs to just get it there. Trucking a 23' beam or larger cat 800 miles from salty water would run into monstrous trucking costs, two escorts cars, most likely police escort the entire way..serious coin.

[Nicholson58]

Hadn’t thought about the transportation costs. On board ships up the St Lawrence is about the only way. Perhaps locally built?

We see a lot of these in the Caribbean, 70 ft +/-

[Mike OReilly]

Yup, very few cats on the GL, and those that are there are mostly smaller Gemini-type. Marinas just aren't built to handle these larger-beamed boats, and there are few lifts that can handle them.

[siamese]

I sail Lake Michigan. Not Erie, but I suspect they have traits in common.

Around here, there are a couple of the Gemini 34 footers that will fit into a slip, but other than that, you'd be on a mooring ball. And, as you traveled up and down the coast, you'd be unlikely to find a slip.

The waves on Lake Michigan, and I suspect Erie, are notoriously steep and close together. Six foot waves on the ocean are no big deal, but here, some fresh six footers will get your attention. A monohull deals with them by punching into them and riding over them. Less ability to punch through means more riding over the steep, frequent waves.

The short sailing season has been mentioned a couple times in this thread. That short season treats catamarans, trimarans, monohulls, and powerboats all the same, so I don't see it as being a factor.