HI From Non Sailing Miss Who Has Just Purchased A Catana 42!

[The Miss]

Hi and thank you to all the contributors of this forum. I have spent many hours reading postings and following others journeys via this site.

My husband - The Captain has always wanted to buy a boat and sail the seas. When we met I couldn't swim and he taught me, so now we have just ordered a Catana 42 for an adventure I presume he will teach me to sail too.

With months to count down for "MissCatana" to be built and bank balance to grow I am very excited to be joining to sailing community - even if I am starting from only a few sailing experiences and all these with a glass of red or bubbly in my hand!

I have decided to bring lots of questions this way and have started writing my thoughts down to document the journey and I love the way it all seems to happen here as well.

SO yah and hi from a new miss who is really excited to be joining in some time soon

The Miss or otherwise know as the First Wife! xx
Homepage | Miss Catana

[Celestialsailor]

Congratulations on the cat and welcome to the forum. While sailing can be a glass of your fav in the hand, there is a lot more you'll experience...As Captain Ron says..."If anything is going to happen...it's going to happen out there".

[Teknav]

Hiya and welcome aboard, Miss! If you have the time, take a course or two in marine diesel engines. This is the best advice I can give, at your stage of boat ownership. You should get to the point where you'd take an engine apart, then totally rebuild it; assuming that you don't mind getting soiled, grimy and smelly while doing that. If you get certified and become experienced, you can even make money while practicing what you've learned. Marine diesel engine is the weakest link on boats. Good luck!

Mauritz
Simplicity and elegance through engineering.

[deckofficer]

Welcome The Miss. Hubby doesn't do things 1/2 way does he? Starting out with a new splash Catana sure puts you in the fast lane. Very safe cruiser, but also has a strong performance heritage from Loch's drawing board. Your going to love that boat, and if you buddy boat with friends, your going to enjoy first to anchor at all the stops.

[Rocketman]

Welcome aboard!!!!

You are already well ahead of alot of us if you are starting with a new boat. I assume your hubby knows alittle about boating. Just go along for the ride, become his greatest suporter and all will go great. New boats can also be a lot of work and a lot of work be keep looking new although I have never had the pleasure of owning one. Out fitting a new boat with all the stuff is going to be both fun and chalanging. Half the stuff you think you are going to need, you won't. I would take time to find out where you are going to go then ask members here about those areas. You might get some opinion's on members short list's of stuff they could not live without, so when you get your boat you already have an idea what's going on first. Have fun

[sww914]

Order and read the book Bumfuzzle and then be more responsible than they were and you'll be fine.
Find the closest place where people are sailing and start sailing NEXT WEEKEND!
Have fun!

[CSY Man]

Order and read the book Bumfuzzle and then be more responsible than they were and you'll be fine.

Second that..
Still not sure if the Bums were serious or just made up the whole farce.

[The Miss]

Hi From The Miss

Thanks for responding that in itself is exciting!

Great Advice re engine maintenance and we have a course in mind to do already. We are renovators more so than mechanics so lots to learn! In my spare time I write and design websites for others so hoping to take my craft onto the ocean as well but as to understanding motors I am a long way short.


I didn't want to sound shallow to say I only hold a glass but there is more to story than that as with all things. I have know from day one 25 years ago that my beautiful husband would one day take to the sea and to this point we have worked really hard to be ready to go. We decided not to buy a boat early but to buy what we wanted and go as soon as our children were adults. Our youngest turns 18 in March next year.

As to jumping in feet first and from a great height that just about sums up us all our lives! I wanted a safe nice boat my husband wanted a fast monohull so the Catana seemed to tick all the right boxes. Hey you only live once!!
We currently live in Tasmania a most wonderful part of the world and we plan to start in Turkey so it is a long way from home to begin. We are both so ready for an adventure!!

The Miss
Homepage | Miss Catana

[The Miss]

Hi There,


I would love to have opinion on the must have items we need to organise for our boat. We are yet to do a lot of the fit out but have tried to do items that are better to do when the boat is being built now and the rest once boat is moved from Yard.

My husband thinks a washing machine is not a high priority so I have taken his advice and put off for now.

Thanks again
the Miss

[Celestialsailor]

Uhmmmm.....I think you might be the washing machine. Here's how I do it...

[deckofficer]

Extra weight hurts the performance of a light weight cat, so I understand his reluctance for a washer, but does that mean he will do the laundry? If not, either get the combo washer/dryer or go nude.

As to fitting out, AIS is new but being adopted at a quick rate, and to keep the boat light, a watermaker. I'm a fan of HF SSB, so since it is a new build I would ask for foil glassed in the hulls for the counterpoise for the antenna. Also at least enough solar to handle fridge/freezer needs so you can leave the boat for longer periods.

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by Teknav

Hiya and welcome aboard, Miss! If you have the time, take a course or two in marine diesel engines. This is the best advice I can give, at your stage of boat ownership. You should get to the point where you'd take an engine apart, then totally rebuild it; assuming that you don't mind getting soiled, grimy and smelly while doing that. If you get certified and become experienced, you can even make money while practicing what you've learned. Marine diesel engine is the weakest link on boats. Good luck!

Mauritz
Simplicity and elegance through engineering.

That is actually a terrific suggestion. I would LOVE to find such a class here. They used to have one in St. Pete, but it has been discontinued.

Be careful about that new diesel and operate it the way the MANUFACTURER says to operate it, even if experienced sailors tell you otherwise. I have had experienced sailors tell me to run my diesel at 2200 RPM, but that certainly isn't what the mfgr says.

Sailors often have beliefs that border on the superstitious (in other words, not much basis in factual knowledge). Be polite and thank people, but double-check what you're told.

[The Miss]

Hi There,

Thanks for advice
Here in Tasmania they run adult education courses and diesel engines are one of the options so we are very keen to complete.

We have always been renovators but never worked with engines so this is a big learning curve for us, as is understanding nearly everything else on the boat.

I will certainly look at your site for mew sailors as this sounds perfect for us both. My husband has lots of experience sailing but always on others boats. My passion is writing and web design but this is about as far removed from an engine as possible. As I am working more than full time I seem to have a very limited amount of time to learn new skills which I hope will be ok as long as I keen to work hard and learn once we start.

Is there a list somewhere with the must have items for a live aboard boat?

Cheers

The Miss
misscatana.com

[The Miss]

Originally Posted by Celestialsailor

Uhmmmm.....I think you might be the washing machine. Here's how I do it...

Having camped for many years I have tried my hand at this type of washing machine but always wonder how sailors do the sheets ????

Cheers
the Miss

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by The Miss

Hi There,

Thanks for advice
Here in Tasmania they run adult education courses and diesel engines are one of the options so we are very keen to complete.

We have always been renovators but never worked with engines so this is a big learning curve for us, as is understanding nearly everything else on the boat.

I will certainly look at your site for mew sailors as this sounds perfect for us both. My husband has lots of experience sailing but always on others boats. My passion is writing and web design but this is about as far removed from an engine as possible. As I am working more than full time I seem to have a very limited amount of time to learn new skills which I hope will be ok as long as I keen to work hard and learn once we start.

Is there a list somewhere with the must have items for a live aboard boat?

Cheers

The Miss
misscatana.com

Ohhh you're going to live aboard? Been doing it for close to three years, and really love it.

Here's the rule for my galley: the only gadgets that go in my galley must be able to perform three services. They don't all have to be galley-related. For instance, a corkscrew does a dandy job of popping cellophane wrapping so you can open certain packages. "One trick ponies" just don't make it in my galley.

Store ALL your food in containers designed to store food. Then if li'l critters get in, such as ants (they can crawl on via the dock lines), it will be a minimum of fuss to deal with them.

When I have guests on my boat, I put a big plastic bin on the cabin floor. I tell people -- whatever they use, please DON'T put it away. Put it in the plastic bin and I will put it away. Sometimes you store items in spots that others wouldn't expect. I've had workmen on the boat who would stash things *anywhere.*

That drives me nuts. I actually use a label maker to mark where things go or what's in plastic bins, because things get misplaced easily on boats.

I understand your desire for a washer and dryer and have to tell you -- not just laundry, but everything takes longer on a boat. I would suggest that while you're waiting for your dream machine to be finished, you charter a boat for at least a week. Two would be four times better. Then you'll have a much better idea of what you want on yours. Second best is to rent an RV, which also requires mimimum possession and a variety of creative storage solutions.