Are monohulls safer in a gale?

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by barnakiel

Except JPD.

;-)))))))))))))))))))))))))))) Love, b.

Exactly why multi's need hatches in the bottom and should stay in port (tied down so it does't blow away) when the wind pipes up.

opcorn

[Fiveslide]

At night, when on a cat, I see weather coming on the radar I wish I was in a nice heavy mono. In a cat you don't have the luxury of waiting to see if there is any extra, sustained wind in that weather. You need to reef to prepare for the possibility of higher winds, on a mono you can wait and see if it is going to last.

I think a cat's motion gets more comfortable in larger seas than, say, 3' to 9'. You get bigger than that and the motion slows down, slamming all but stops. But I've only been in about 25' seas in a cat so i can't speak with experience of anything larger than that. I just know the motion and slamming is worse in smaller seas.

All that said, a nice, heavy mono is my preference when a blow is coming. It's less work if it isn't going to last long.

[ontherocks83]

Good luck trying to convince anyone with a multi that an equally size / quality mono is safer and vice versa. Why would anyone that has spent a life savings on a mono or multi cruiser agree that it wasn't a good decision for blue water.

[Benz]

You can be equally safe in each if you know what to do. I have run downwind in a 42-ft cat in a gale in perfect comfort, though I would not have wanted to go any other direction. I have sailed across the wind in a gale in a full-displacement mono, and though unpleasant was not dangerous. In either sort of boat, when wind as seas get big enough the best thing is to deploy a sea anchor. It is done differently for each, but assuming good-quality build, there's not one "safer" than the other. Choose the kind of boat you like, learn it's vagaries, make sure it's well-maintained and sturdy, and you'll be safe enough. And most importantly, learn prudence and good seamanship.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Benz

You can be equally safe in each if you know what to do. I have run downwind in a 42-ft cat in a gale in perfect comfort, though I would not have wanted to go any other direction. I have sailed across the wind in a gale in a full-displacement mono, and though unpleasant was not dangerous. In either sort of boat, when wind as seas get big enough the best thing is to deploy a sea anchor. It is done differently for each, but assuming good-quality build, there's not one "safer" than the other. Choose the kind of boat you like, learn its vagaries, make sure it's well-maintained and sturdy, and you'll be safe enough. And most importantly, learn prudence and good seamanship.

Wise words.

By the way, in a full gale which has been blowing long enough to get the sea up, you don't really want to go in any direction other than downwind in a mono, too, even if you might get away with it in a pinch.

But like the man said, safety is not a reason to prefer mono over cat or vice versa. Choose what you like.

[rebel heart]

I don't really like catamarans, and I worked as a charter captain on one so I'm not basing that on google images.

But honestly, a well founded and well crewed multihull is fine. As others have pointed out there are WAY more things going on than just multi vs mono.

All that being said I'd personally rather be on a heavy displacement monohull. The 70's era boats that are built like brick s-houses don't really have a contemporary in the multihull world. That's not to say that there aren't very able multihulls, but you're not going to find one ready to go for 40k like you can a westsail or pacific seacraft mariah, as an example.

[SimonV]

Can you hove too in a cat or must you put out a drogue?

[colemj]

Cats don't really hove to. Instead you fore-reach with them. This is the same for many, many monohulls also - they don't hove to well either and do much better fore-reaching. The hove to boats are usually the older, heavier, full keel designs.

Mark

[RichandHelen]

Maybe the question should be: Does it take more skill to safely manage heavy weather in a multi-hull given boats of similar size?

[s/v Beth]

I can only trust those that have gone before me. L&L have weathered hurricanes in a 29 ft mono. So I trust a well built mono. Others may have the same feelings about multi's. One thing I do love about tri's is the ability to sail out of harms way.

[colemj]

Originally Posted by s/v Beth

One thing I do love about tri's is the ability to sail out of harms way.

Wow, I would never trust or count on that.

Mark

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by SimonV

Can you hove too in a cat or must you put out a drogue?

Heave to, not hove to. Can you heave to - infinitive form. To heave to, I hove to.

The one cat I sailed myself (two week charter in the Windward Islands) hove to just fine. Sometimes you have to fiddle with sail trim. Cats will scud a bit with their shallow keels, but that doesn't mean they're not hove to; monos also make leeway on top of a bit of forereaching. My 30 ton (but light displacement for her LWL) bulb keel mono heaves to without any fiddling at all.

[44'cruisingcat]

Originally Posted by RichandHelen

Is it a reality that monohulls are safer in big seas and wind?

Mono's and cat's in the same storm: Multihull Dynamics, Inc. - News Article

[44'cruisingcat]

Originally Posted by RichandHelen

Maybe the question should be: Does it take more skill to safely manage heavy weather in a multi-hull given boats of similar size?

Cat's that have been abandoned in storms have been found later floating, right side up, and in fairly good condition. So they have survived with NO crew skill.

[rebel heart]

Originally Posted by 44'cruisingcat

Mono's and cat's in the same storm: Multihull Dynamics, Inc. - News Article

That is shockingly anecdotal.