Why do you guys like monohulls so much?

[Palarran]

Originally Posted by Saleen411

The answer is .....

Because they can't afford a nice catamaran!

After pages and pages of cat bashing.....can't sail upwind, ride sucks, bridge deck slap, cats flipping all the time etc etc. It only boils down to one issue.....MONEY! Of course nobody will admit it or the fact that many if not most ENVY cats and would secretly LOVE one. But no, sadly the economic reality is that cats are expensive and many sailors just can't afford one and never will.

Also....

How many cat owners ever go back to a mono? Few.

How many mono owners buy cats.....LOTS!...the vast majority.

People can bash cats and extoll the virtues of a mono all they want....I KNOW the real reason they do it and it's got nothing to do with sailing.

Yep. Barnacle posted the same thing on page one. It's not an absolute, but close.

[malbert73]

Exactly. Cats are more expensive because they are bigger boats, and there are relatively low numbers of used cats so supply doesn’t meet demand. Simple.
So why do folks try to insist that prices can be same in used market? They’re not.

And, more importantly why do cat owners hence need to tout how much more livable their boats are? Kind of like me bragging “see how much more comfortable my bigger and more expensive boat is?” to someone on a 30 foot mono. Of course it is!

And no it’s not sour grapes as I love my mono and my current part time cruising lifestyle doesn’t require a bigger boat (cat or mono) And in future years post kids college could also see a cat as a liveaboard.

[Pelagic]

Originally Posted by Don C L

I was going to comment on catching a wave breaking at the top just as you get to it, and I found this video by chance. Just for the sake of reference this video shows how you can time it, or just get a little unlucky, on an otherwise nice day... and still pop up ok... in a monohull[emoji2]

I think any boat catching a wave breaking at the top like this will get tossed a bit. Whether it will threaten a cat or a trimaran I don't know, but it will probably spill a drink or two.

This does bring up an observation (not s criticism).of differences.

Mono sailors HAVE to prepare their boat for Sea, stowing loose items and simplifying the living space.

Cruising cats seem to depend on their inherent stability to keep loose or poorly stowed items in place.

So when conditions get nasty.or a wave hits you bad..... Cat's are less.prepared and suffer more breakages.

Not a design fault of a Cat, but more a conditioning problem.with some Cat owners

[markpierce]

The cat is better than no boat at all.

[chrisr]

Originally Posted by Palarran

Yep. Barnacle posted the same thing on page one. It's not an absolute, but close.

cheers,

[newhaul]

Originally Posted by chrisr

Attachment 226975



cheers,

Not always ! I personally prefer a monohull for personal reasons that have nothing to do with money.!!

If I wanted a multi hill I would have kept my kraken buccaneer hybrid

[smj]

Originally Posted by newhaul

Not always ! I personally prefer a monohull for personal reasons that have nothing to do with money.!!



If I wanted a multi hill I would have kept my kraken buccaneer hybrid

I absolutely agree with you, not all would make the switch from mono to multi even if the money was no object.

[Sailmonkey]

Originally Posted by smj

I absolutely agree with you, not all would make the switch from mono to multi even if the money was no object.

If money was no object I’d probably give myself ulcers trying to choose between a mono and a multi.

Then again, if this is truly unlimited funding I’d have one or more of each and then some

[wingssail]

Originally Posted by newhaul

Regardless of the number of hulls under you unless a fully crewed vessel it is good practice to shorten sail during the overnight hours . Good insurance against unforseen issues

I've know a lot of people who advocate shortening sail automatically (should I say arbitrarily?) at nightfall.

We've never done that.

We'd rather sail with the appropriate sail area for the conditions as we find them. Generally, while cruising, we are sailing with a small jib (85%) and a full main, or if windy, a reefed main. With that combination even a 40 knot squall will not sink us, roll us or knock us down. So sailing that way at night does not seem dangerous. If conditions change during the night we react.

It takes very little sail area to power up our boat so small sails are enough. But the boat is strong and powerful itself, so it stands up to squalls quite well.

With the combination I just mentioned we plan 150 miles per day but if we have trade winds we sail 175 to 190 miles per day. This, in a 43 foot 40 year old boat; not bad. Reducing sail every night would result is fewer miles per day.

Having a well designed perfomance oriented, fin keel, spade rudder boat with a big rig and powerful sail handling equipment, opens a lot of options.

Reducing sail at night is not a requirement.

[newhaul]

Originally Posted by wingssail

I've know a lot of people who advocate shortening sail automatically (should I say arbitrarily?) at nightfall.

We've never done that.

We'd rather sail with the appropriate sail area for the conditions as we find them. Generally, while cruising, we are sailing with a small jib (85%) and a full main, or if windy, a reefed main. With that combination even a 40 knot squall will not sink us, roll us or knock us down. So sailing that way at night does not seem dangerous. If conditions change during the night we react.

It takes very little sail area to power up our boat so small sails are enough. But the boat is strong and powerful itself, so it stands up to squalls quite well.

With the combination I just mentioned we plan 150 miles per day but if we have trade winds we sail 175 to 190 miles per day. This, in a 43 foot 40 year old boat; not bad. Reducing sail every night would result is fewer miles per day.

Having a well designed perfomance oriented, fin keel, spade rudder boat with a big rig and powerful sail handling equipment, opens a lot of options.

Reducing sail at night is not a requirement.

I prefer to take an extra day on a long passage like to Hawaii shortening sail at night when conditions are good is much better than being awoken to rush on deck and reef my main at 0300. Just my personal choice and there are many that advocate doing it when sailing single or short handed .

[fxykty]

Originally Posted by newhaul

I prefer to take an extra day on a long passage like to Hawaii shortening sail at night when conditions are good is much better than being awoken to rush on deck and reef my main at 0300. Just my personal choice and there are many that advocate doing it when sailing single or short handed .

Single handed and having to be off watch to sleep is one thing, but short handed with a crew awake is something totally different. One would hope that a cruising boat of whatever flavour can be set up for single handed operation (plus autopilot/wind vane that can be set to hold a wind angle). In that case, what’s the problem of reefing at 03:00?

I’m with wings, have a sailboat that can sail well even with small canvas and you have a more resilient and enjoyable sailing boat. That comes with trade offs that only you can decide are worth it.

It’s easy to say an extra day here or there is no big deal, but every hour you spend out on the open ocean increases the marginal risk, so it makes sense to minimise that. Besides which, wallowing is no fun.

[newhaul]

Originally Posted by fxykty

Single handed and having to be off watch to sleep is one thing, but short handed with a crew awake is something totally different. One would hope that a cruising boat of whatever flavour can be set up for single handed operation (plus autopilot/wind vane that can be set to hold a wind angle). In that case, what’s the problem of reefing at 03:00?

I’m with wings, have a sailboat that can sail well even with small canvas and you have a more resilient and enjoyable sailing boat. That comes with trade offs that only you can decide are worth it.

It’s easy to say an extra day here or there is no big deal, but every hour you spend out on the open ocean increases the marginal risk, so it makes sense to minimise that. Besides which, wallowing is no fun.

I am sure we have a different ipinion as to what fun is when sailing .
Hence my preference for a smallish monohull

[Yihang]

Originally Posted by smj

I absolutely agree with you, not all would make the switch from mono to multi even if the money was no object.

That's it isn't it. If we are forced to 'switch' due to only being able to afford one boat then maybe not. But who would not like to have a Outremer in the tropics, A garcia to flyout to in Patagonia, a sirius 35ds for the french canals and a nice Amel 60 just for kicks.

In the end there is nothing wrong with these boats just our inability to have them all.

Kinda like Jay leno and his cars. Why just be a ford or chevy man when you can have both?

[newhaul]

Originally Posted by Yihang

That's it isn't it. If we are forced to 'switch' due to only being able to afford one boat then maybe not. But who would not like to have a Outremer in the tropics, A garcia to flyout to in Patagonia, a sirius 35ds for the french canals and a nice Amel 60 just for kicks.

In the end there is nothing wrong with these boats just our inability to have them all.

Kinda like Jay leno and his cars. Why just be a ford or chevy man when you can have both?

Because I'm an kenworth man

Just because I could afford them doesn't mean I want them .

[Yihang]

Originally Posted by newhaul

Because I'm an kenworth man

Just because I could afford them doesn't mean I want them .

Hahaha, fair enough. I'm a Turo man so I don't have to choose. Something different every weekend. Poor man's jay leno's garage if you will.