Can't choose. Need advice picking. .

[cosminzb]

Hello everyone.
As life goes on so do priorities. Me and the mrs wanted to start sailing a few years ago but postponed. 1st child came.. Then the 2nd ☺️
Am now as a family of 4 we are ready to start.. BUT.. the first time we were sure we wanted to go down the sailing route... And now.. We saw a couple of trawlers (azimut magellano/ absolute navetta) and a few motor cats (very very good mpg) And we're.. Puzzled..
We know that sa sailing cat (what we wanted in the first place) has engine.. But now we're considering the safety factor for the kids (2 and 5).
My wife wants motor as se considers it's easier to manage the boat vs sail handling.
Our cruising grounds would be mainly Greece/Turkey/Croatia/eastern med in general.

Can we have your input?
Cheers 🍷

[DDabs]

What's the safety difference between a power cat and a sailing cat?

[cosminzb]

Wife says sail handling. She's not sure we could keep and eye on our 2 blitz kids.

[DDabs]

You can always just throw them down in the brig when you're sailing...

[letsgetsailing3]

Get what your wife wants.

[cosminzb]

Though about locking the kids inside when sail handling..
But is motor.. That bad? Never set foot on a motor cat.
Sailed an Antares 44 a few years ago.

[DockDoc]

If money isn't a big issue Motor Cat wins hands down. No sails, no lines, point to where you want to go and go. Some of the power cats can do 45 knots and you need one free hand to do so. Plenty of diesel in the areas you want to traverse. A solar cat with electric engines might be the only better thing. A sailing cat is lucky to hit 10 knots in the best of conditions with great sail trim and perfect conditions (talking about family style cats here not racing! put the blow torches down nitpickers)

As my sailing buddy always says "nothing sails to windward like a 100hp diesel"

Having said that, I would not trade my Lagoon 42 for a power cat. I like sailing.

[cosminzb]

Thank you DockDoc.
I asked Silent yachts for pricelist.. Even for my budget.. Kinda expensive.
Wife likes FP 44MY but I like Catana 53.
Solar:
Prices (standard versions / starting prices):
* Silent 44 “Cruiser” – approx. 1.12 million EUR
* Silent 55 "Cruiser" - approx. 1.58 million EUR
* Silent 60 "Cruiser" - approx. 1.97 million EUR
* Silent 80 "Cruiser" - approx. 4.3 million EUR
* Silent 80 - 3-deck “Cruiser” – approx. 5.0 million EUR (open version)

[bauer965]

I'm interpreting from your initial post and questions that you may be new to boating, at least in terms of being in charge of a yacht and having the commensurate experience. If an accurate statement, I'm taken aback by the list of prospective yachts you are considering. Certainly not the vessels I would recommend for someone who is asking those types of questions.


By the way, there are lots of books on sailing with kids, including liveaboards and passage making, and all the lessons that goes along with that experience. If all else was equal, certainly kids spending significant time on sailing vessels will end up "smarter" in my opinion.

[Shrew]

Originally Posted by DockDoc

If money isn't a big issue Motor Cat wins hands down. No sails, no lines, point to where you want to go and go. Some of the power cats can do 45 knots and you need one free hand to do so. Plenty of diesel in the areas you want to traverse.

45kt powercats will not be as fuel efficient as an 8kt Trawler.

[waterman46]

Great question. IMHO you are safest at sea when you have the option of using either sail or power. With a power-only vessel, you are in an expensive and possibly dangerous situation if the engine(s) fail. Don't think that even having two engines is complete insurance. Some vessels have failed due to fuel tank contamination shutting down both engines.

For safety, there is no question in my mind that a sailing vessel with sufficient power capability, well maintained of course, is the safest choice.

Knowing that, you now may need to learn a new skill set, since I would guess, from the wording of your post, that you know not too much about sailing at this point. But this could be a very rewarding experience in your life and that of your family, if done in a methodical and patient manner.

[sailingchiro]

It will be your wife's boat. Get what she wants. Let her do her nesting and you will be a very happy man. She will want lots of storage, refrigeration, large head/shower, hot water, watermaker, comfortable berth, air/conditioning, generator, and plenty of places to lounge. She won't care if it has a stick in the middle of it.

Find the boat she wants to show off to her friends!

You are her mechanic and helmsman.

If she is happy, everybody is happy.

I would prefer to sail a 60' ketch monohull, she wanted a catamaran. Guess what we have.

[letsgetsailing3]

Originally Posted by sailingchiro

It will be your wife's boat. Get what she wants. Let her do her nesting and you will be a very happy man. She will want lots of storage, refrigeration, large head/shower, hot water, watermaker, comfortable berth, air/conditioning, generator, and plenty of places to lounge. She won't care if it has a stick in the middle of it.

Find the boat she wants to show off to her friends!

You are her mechanic and helmsman.

If she is happy, everybody is happy.

I would prefer to sail a 60' ketch monohull, she wanted a catamaran. Guess what we have.

I agree with this.

Most guys would go to sea in a dinghy with a tarp over it if they had no other choice. The wife, on the other hand, needs to be comfortable, or it's going to be a no go.

Happy wife, happy life.

Get the comfortable boat for your wife and kids, and you'll be spending a LOT more time on the water.

[joelhemington]

There's nothing unsafe about a decent sized sailing cat - even with two little ones on board. Cats don't heel so you have a fairly flat ride and the reality is once you get the sails set, you probably won't be touching them for hours at a time. Your wife would love the cat as it is much more like a house than a monohull for example. The best deals on cats are probably the South African boats - well built with a lower labor cost than the European makes. The Seawinds are also a good value for the money, but they're built in Vietnam - a long way from the Med. And, most decent sized cats have four cabins which means less stress on you as the kids can have their own space which is probably where they'll spend a good deal of their time as sailing tends to be a bit boring for many youngsters.

[letsgetsailing3]

I say again.


Listen to your wife, and get more hours on the water.