Do Multihullers Ever go Back?

[SaltyMonkey]

The problems with cats is you can't tie bowlines on them. The knot doesn't work.

You have to always use SPANISH BOWLINES.

[weavis]

Originally Posted by SaltyMonkey

The problems with cats is you can't tie bowlines on them. The knot doesn't work.

You have to always use SPANISH BOWLINES.

Salty, put down the blue tablet bottle and start with the red ones.

[44'cruisingcat]

Originally Posted by minaret

What about on any point but DDW? What about when waves and wind aren't coming from the same direction? Or a cross sea when waves are coming from more than one direction? Face it, cats aren't at their best in anything other than relatively flat water. I think this also contributes to the ARC numbers. In bad weather, everyone is reduced to about the same speed. In light airs and calm water, cats rule. In dead air, the monos can motor much more than the multis due to bigger tanks. The result is everyone gets there about the same time. The mono sailor just gets there with an extra hundred G's or two in his pocket...

Somehow in 20,000 miles I've never experienced anything other than perfect conditions...

Interestingly though, in the "perfect" 35-45 knot beam sea conditions we encountered for 4 days while sailing to Vanuatu, the cats arrived at least 24 hours before the first of the monohulls. And they all complained of having every bit of their clothing and bedding soaked, while we were dry.

But that's just my experience of actually sailing a cat. No doubt it doesn't compare to your ingrained knowledge that comes of never having done so...

[deckofficer]

Originally Posted by 44'cruisingcat

Somehow in 20,000 miles I've never experienced anything other than perfect conditions...

Interestingly though, in the "perfect" 35-45 knot beam sea conditions we encountered for 4 days while sailing to Vanuatu, the cats arrived at least 24 hours before the first of the monohulls. And they all complained of having every bit of their clothing and bedding soaked, while we were dry.

But that's just my experience of actually sailing a cat. No doubt it doesn't compare to your ingrained knowledge that comes of never having done so...

Now that puts things into perspective.

On the opposite end of the spectrum I remember sailing on Lake Tahoe during unusual light winds on my brother's Corsair. We were still sailing, others were motoring.

[Polux]

Originally Posted by caradow

..
and by those naysayers the small jaunt of 1000 ocean miles from the Abacos to Connecticut that I am preparing to take will be riddled with an uncomfortable motion, constant pounding, wave slap, and I will probably end up floating upside down off Hatteras somewhere but in the end it was my choice and despite my years of sailing many different kinds of boats I have come to the conclusion that they are ALL uncomfortable in their own way but there is magic in the sea that apparently keeps calling us back. It is also healthy to have strong opinions. So my thanks to all for a tremendous amount of information and your time taken to contribute.

Cheers to thatand fair winds to you. In some more days I will be out for my 4 months cruise and several thousands of miles and I do that in a boat that many say it is a race boat even if with a good cruising interior. The truth is that is more comfortable to go slow than to go fast but where is the fun in that

[minaret]

Originally Posted by 44'cruisingcat

Somehow in 20,000 miles I've never experienced anything other than perfect conditions...

Interestingly though, in the "perfect" 35-45 knot beam sea conditions we encountered for 4 days while sailing to Vanuatu, the cats arrived at least 24 hours before the first of the monohulls. And they all complained of having every bit of their clothing and bedding soaked, while we were dry.

But that's just my experience of actually sailing a cat. No doubt it doesn't compare to your ingrained knowledge that comes of never having done so...

Yea, see, that's the thing. I just don't believe you. Never known anyone to make a passage like that and arrive with the interior and all their bedding and clothing soaked. You keep making statements like that, and it just hurts your credibility. Let's stick with solid indesputable recorded data, like the ARC numbers you refuse to discuss.

[tomfl]

Originally Posted by minaret

Yea, see, that's the thing. I just don't believe you. Never known anyone to make a passage like that and arrive with the interior and all their bedding and clothing soaked. You keep making statements like that, and it just hurts your credibility. Let's stick with solid indesputable recorded data, like the ARC numbers you refuse to discuss.

Let me fix that for you.

I am right and you are wrong.

[Canibul]

Enough of this. I am thinking of giving up my catamaran and going back to a monohull. A Dragonfly 35 with amas.

[colemj]

Originally Posted by minaret

Yea, see, that's the thing. I just don't believe you. Never known anyone to make a passage like that and arrive with the interior and all their bedding and clothing soaked. You keep making statements like that, and it just hurts your credibility. Let's stick with solid indesputable recorded data, like the ARC numbers you refuse to discuss.

We meet monos constantly who, after "rough" passages that we found fine, spend the next couple of days in an anchorage with their mattresses, bedding and clothing hanging in the rigging. For a recent description of a mono in rather reasonable, but rolly conditions, have another gander at the Rebel Heart thread and blog. Bruised bodies, kids flying, wet bedding and water spurting through. And those were the words of the people on the boat.

What hurts your credibility on these issues is your refusal to describe how much ocean sailing you have actually done on a catamaran.

FWIW, I have done more sailing on monohulls than catamarans.

Mark

[weavis]

Originally Posted by Canibul

Enough of this. I am thinking of giving up my catamaran and going back to a monohull. A Dragonfly 35 with amas.

Ill swap my old Dragonfly for your catamaran....!!





it has one hull too many....

[colemj]

Originally Posted by Canibul

Enough of this. I am thinking of giving up my catamaran and going back to a monohull. A Dragonfly 35 with amas.

Sweet boat. If you had one, and were not living on it full-time, I doubt you would ever go back to a catamaran.

Mark

[weavis]

At some stage, we have to shake hands and be part of the boating fraternity again.
I like Cats.
I like pontoons (sue me)
I like monohulls.

I want a Catamaran for my lifestyle choice. It is not my life, it is part of my life.
I also loved my Westerly Centaur and if my #3 nephew get his thumb out of his *rse we will have another one soon to play with. I will enjoy it and love being on it. BUT............ it wont be my choice to live on.

[minaret]

Originally Posted by Polux

I don't agree. A condo type 45ft multihull like the Lagoon has standard a 1000L diesel tankage, way more than what it has a main market 45ft Momohull. Even in what regards performance cats, for instance a Catana 42 carries 430L of diesel and that is also more than the average of 42ft cruisers.

Having two engines, since the conditions when there are no wind are calm, they can run only one with a noticeable saving in fuel wasting, increasing even more their motoring authonomy regarding a monohull. Has the performance cats are lighter than the same sized monohulls they need a smaller engine and that again diminishes fuel wasting and increases authonomy. Regarding motoring on calm weather they are way better than a monohull.

There you go comparing a 45 ft cat to a 45 ft mono again. And it just happens to be the 45 ft cat with the largest tankage in the fleet, and the slowest too. If we compare it's tankage to a 60' mono, the truth comes out. Even more so if we pick a 45' cat with a more average (for a cat) tank size.

[weavis]

Originally Posted by weavis

At some stage, we have to shake hands and be part of the boating fraternity again.

Or not... sigh.

[Polux]

Originally Posted by minaret

There you go comparing a 45 ft cat to a 45 ft mono again. And it just happens to be the 45 ft cat with the largest tankage in the fleet, and the slowest too. If we compare it's tankage to a 60' mono, the truth comes out. ..

I don't get it. Why should I be comparing the tankage of a 45ft cat with a tankage of a 60 ft monohull and not with a boat of the same length? Even if we consider displacement as a measure a 45ft cat is closer to the displacement of a monohull of the same size than to a 60fter. So why 45ft to 60ft?