Advantages and disadvantages of cats for solo sailing

[pir8ped]

For single-handing a cat is great. Mine had a seat that went right across the saloon up forward. So it was very comfortable and easy to keep watch from there. All my navigation data fed into my laptop, which I had on the table beside me, running OpenCPN. With the AIS connected to the computer too, it was easy to see just where I was and where all the other boats were and where they were going. It was easy to set an alarm from the AIS.

So from that position, I had all my nav information. I could also see all round (OK, there were blind spots between the windows, but it was still possible to get a good look around). Once out far enough from regular shipping routes, my radar alarm was invaluable. I could also look up and see my jib tell-tales.

Just great to be able to keep watch while you're eating lunch, reading a book, or far out to sea, to sleep there and rely on the alarms (in busier places, it was good to to be able to set an alarm every 15 minutes or so with my phone, sit up in bed and have a look around, and go back to sleep....)

Up and down the Atlantic and across it a couple of times. The only time I came across boats not running AIS far offshore were British fishing boats up to 3-400 miles off the Lizard.

If I was going to go round again, it would be in a cat, and with the same layout, just for that ease and comfort of keeping watch that way (which doesn't diminish all the other good reasons people have mentioned).

[Happ]

Originally Posted by wingssail

There is little which is more maneuverable than a fin/keel spade rudder, monohull. They will spin on the axis of the keel. They will usually back up in whatever direction you wish to go.

The trick to docking any vessel is anticipating the wind. Look aloft, then plan your approach and get a line over as quickly as possible. If the situation is tricky (gusty wind blowing us away from the dock) I'll take a temporary line from midships and get that to a dock cleat first, holding the boat to the dock parallel to the dock, then set the bow and stern and spring lines.

You don't need a catamaran to accomplish good docking; there are other justifications for that change.

Well said! The advantage of cat is the twin engines set far apart. You can run your outboard engine to help offset a crosswind. Look on Youtube for how to dock a catamaran. There are lots of videos. You can actually crab a catamaran side ways.

[David1033]

Originally Posted by CassidyNZ

... and my boat lives on a swing mooring 100 yards from my house.

What a luxury! I was hoping to find that kind of set-up in Portugal, but the prices for that kind of waterside accommodation, even if the house is nothing special, are prohibitive. So are the marina costs, especially in the South, from Lisbon down to the Algarve.

Don't know if I'll be able to find a convenient (and affordable) anchorage. Anybody with experience in Portugal with advice??

[dcssteve]

Well, I sail almost entirely solo. I have done time on my Bristol 35.5 and now a Catalina 42 Mark II. I spent of 14 days on a Seawind 1160 in the Whitsunday Islands basically single handing. There is no downside single handing the Seawind. It sailed upwind nicely, sailed flat, and sail handling was easy with the Stackpack.

The Whitsunday Islands have 10 foot tides and lots of wind so it makes for interesting sailing.

Anchoring was easy and picking up a mooring ball with two engines is a never miss operation. No missing the ball and going around although that one by yourself is always hard. I did have someone to grab the pendant.

You have to remember to reef by rules rather than feel for sure so you don't overtax the rig. Cats are grand, just expensive and quite wide when you want to find a slip or haul them out. Sailing against the sea can result in pounding with a quite loud bang that drives some people batty but no healing and bouncing around side to side, never lost anything off the table. Great live aboard with room and light. I am sold! Just the cost is keeping me on my mono.