Motion: full keel vs small catamaran.

[pianopraze]

Wife fell in love moment she stepped on board our Prout (so we bought it) because she loved the stability. She was always happy with the Prout’s motion except when we encountered slamming.

I fell in love with a Formosa but it was too much of a project so we didn’t buy it. I would think the motion would be better with a 40+ comfort ratio such as Formosa, but don’t see any way to compare/contrast the two.

I’ve only been out on smaller fin keeled monohulls and my Prout (now sold).

Looking for our next boat wondering if any could compare/contrast cat vs full keel 40+ comfort ratio boat - eg Formosa, etc...

[thomm225]

Hard to compare the two.

The excessive heeling may freak you out at first, but then you have to remember all the ballast the Formosa has.

I went from racing beach cats with the only ballast being my body weight to a Bristol 27 with 2600 lbs. of ballast.

Ballast is nice!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3I2zc0_7wY

[pianopraze]

Originally Posted by thomm225

Hard to compare the two.

The excessive heeling may freak you out at first, but then you have to remember all the ballast the Formosa has.

I went from racing beach cats with the only ballast being my body weight to a Bristol 27 with 2600 lbs. of ballast.

Ballast is nice!

Zeehag said in one thread on here she doesn’t heel in her Formosa.

The heeling didn’t bother me daysailing but don’t know long term.

It’s a no-go for my wife.

But I think she would like the motion on a big full keel boat such as a Formosa 41 for example.

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by pianopraze

Zeehag said in one thread on here she doesn’t heel in her Formosa.

The heeling didn’t bother me daysailing but don’t know long term.

It’s a no-go for my wife.

But I think she would like the motion on a big full keel boat such as a Formosa 41 for example.

Zeehag probably doesn't sail her boat very hard these days she must be in her 80's I would guess.

I haven't seen her post in a while either.

Yeah, the motion is easy though on these old full keelers even when heeled to the max.

[Kettlewell]

I've owned both a small 32-foot cruising cat and a couple of comfortable 37 and 38 foot monos. The motion on our 37-foot, full keel Aage Nielsen was super comfy offshore. The cat was also great downwind and in flatter seas. In rougher conditions to windward the cat's motion was much quicker. My wife didn't like it and it made her seasick. OTOH we once had the wind on the nose at 20-25 all the way from Maine to the CC Canal and the Aage Nielsen just loped along very smoothly. Didn't miss any sleep or hot meals, tacking every watch change or so. I could just lock the wheel and she would steer herself for long stretches. Pluses and minuses. The lack of heeling is nice on a cat, but there is also lack of feel. Our current boat has a long fin keel and spade rudder. Also heavy. Not quite as comfy a ride as a full keel, but still very nice.

[pianopraze]

Originally Posted by Kettlewell

I've owned both a small 32-foot cruising cat and a couple of comfortable 37 and 38 foot monos. The motion on our 37-foot, full keel Aage Nielsen was super comfy offshore. The cat was also great downwind and in flatter seas. In rougher conditions to windward the cat's motion was much quicker. My wife didn't like it and it made her seasick. OTOH we once had the wind on the nose at 20-25 all the way from Maine to the CC Canal and the Aage Nielsen just loped along very smoothly. Didn't miss any sleep or hot meals, tacking every watch change or so. I could just lock the wheel and she would steer herself for long stretches. Pluses and minuses. The lack of heeling is nice on a cat, but there is also lack of feel. Our current boat has a long fin keel and spade rudder. Also heavy. Not quite as comfy a ride as a full keel, but still very nice.

I think wife would be happier/feel safer after she got used to a big full keel. Especially if we get one that doesn’t heel much and has comfy motion.

That sounds much more pleasant than slamming in our Prout. Loved everything but that. And she got quite scared. I’m suggesting full keel this time but she is very skeptical.

Only Prout on the market I would make an offer on is in Asia right now ( https://www.yachtworld.com/yacht/199...elite-9021800/ ) but lots of nice full keels for sell here in US. Oh and this one in Mexico which looks perfect to me: https://www.yachtworld.com/yacht/197...sa-41-7483834/

[donradcliffe]

Well, the Formosa won't go to weather either. Watch out for rot around the cabin to deck joint.

[s/v Jedi]

I see Zeehag every week on Facebook. I am sure the Formosa will provide more comfort at sea and at anchor than the Prout.

Neither are performance sailboats, you may want to step aboard something like a 40’ Beneteau to compare.

[pianopraze]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

I see Zeehag every week on Facebook. I am sure the Formosa will provide more comfort at sea and at anchor than the Prout.

Neither are performance sailboats, you may want to step aboard something like a 40’ Beneteau to compare.

I’ve got this Beneteau Oceanis 390 bookmarked to see in person if it’s still on the market next spring: https://fortmyers.craigslist.org/chl...751474769.html

But I highly doubt my wife will like it. She objected to any fin keels we got on. Just the motion at dock made her immediately get off and say no.

[pianopraze]

Originally Posted by donradcliffe

Well, the Formosa won't go to weather either. Watch out for rot around the cabin to deck joint.

Yeah, my Prout couldn’t point well.

But you don’t miss what you never had

Comfort for my wife is most important consideration. She is convinced only a cat can provide that now.

Maybe I can find someone with a big full keel in Florida to take us out next year and let her feel the difference.

[Don C L]

I would suggest finding some keel boats for your wife to practice on. Maybe walk around a boatyard and show her all the keels full of lead! I think once she fully and deeply understands that heeling does not mean imminent danger she may relax and broaden her horizons as far as hulls go. I know I've taken many folks out who really panic as the boat heels. But if they can see that the boat cannot tip over and it is only balancing herself some of them will suddenly smile and say, "oh, this is fun!"

The motion on my long keel oldie is quite comfortable once she is heeled. At that point there is primarily motion on one axis, pitching, and even that is not dramatic. (Although I fully concede many folks get tired of living at a 15 or 20 degree angle) But if you don't understand how monos get their stability, no amount of heel will be acceptable I suspect.

[Tupaia]

I have a friend looking for a Prout, turned up this one in Florida, wrong side of the Atlantic.
https://www.boattrader.com/boat/1990...maran-8699752/

[crosswire]

I prefer to avoid the hull slap of small catamarans and fin keelers. I sailed on a Gemini 105 and was amazed at the noise and shaking as waves slapped against the underside of the cabin, between the hulls. Similar slapping occurred on both a Benetau 311 and a Catalina 30 that I had sailed on, even when tied up in a slip or at anchor, not all harbors are quiet and wave free. I much prefer the solid, quiet feel of a full keel boat even with 15 degrees of heel, especially, offshore.

[pianopraze]

Originally Posted by Tupaia

I have a friend looking for a Prout, turned up this one in Florida, wrong side of the Atlantic.
https://www.boattrader.com/boat/1990...maran-8699752/

Very sadly aware of that Prout.

I bought my Prout for 26k, put 10-20k in it and got it ready to cruise. That one is in muuuuuuuucccchhhhh worse shape.

The Prout I listed above in Asia would end up costing less money.

Any offer I would make on that boat is likely to be taken as an insult to that seller. I highly doubt they will get anywhere near that price.

I had fun rebuilding my Prout with new the systems inside out having replaced most of them. But my wife wants one ready to cruise this time instead of spending almost a year refitting.

[pianopraze]

Originally Posted by crosswire

I prefer to avoid the hull slap of small catamarans and fin keelers. I sailed on a Gemini 105 and was amazed at the noise and shaking as waves slapped against the underside of the cabin, between the hulls. Similar slapping occurred on both a Benetau 311 and a Catalina 30 that I had sailed on, even when tied up in a slip or at anchor, not all harbors are quiet and wave free. I much prefer the solid, quiet feel of a full keel boat even with 15 degrees of heel, especially, offshore.

Never had any shaking in my Prout. But it was built like a tank. Slapping was annoying in certain waves.

Powerboaters were worse than waves. Had an ahoyyiee do a circle around my Prout at high speed and created waves that made everything jump up and down off the shelves.

Powerboat then entered my vocabulary as a cuss word worse than the one beginning with F.