Best Cruising Cat For Liveaboard Couples

[stefano_ita]

Hi all

I was taking a look on sailboatlisting and yachtworld, for a cat, max 80.000 euro, i've found quite good looking and in good shape quite old boat...(about 30 ft for the price, 35 or more ft if in quite bad shape or too old)

I declare that i never sailed a cat but the big sunny saloon give lot's of space that a monohull can't have.

My dubt after lots of readings are about:

Safety, ok unsinkable, but if i get no sails, a parachute anchor, all the hactes closed, NEVER getting waves from the side, always from the bow, i guess is safe and pratically impossible to capsize alright? (get me scare the 3d about the 38 ftt too small, or ok or unsafe for circumnavigationm that i would like to make in the next few years)

Stiffness between the 2 hulls and at the mast attachment to the roof/floor of the deck, it has much more sollecitation than a monohull...

Mainteniance between a 30 ft cat vs a 35 mono hull can be same? (ok marina is 50% more expensive)

Did i miss somethings?

Thanks all

Stefano

[stefano_ita]

I get my eyes on a 1990 Prout event 34 in very good condition, and a snowgoose 35 of 1988...Wich one would you get and why?

As far as i get informed the Event 34 is the "new" version of the snowgoose 37, just a bit smaller and modern.

OR a for almost 30-40% more the price, and less equipped, a snowgoose 37 (Elite or not) but all before 1996 when they had some tweak (like standing rigging no more attached on the roof but on the hull with more reinforce, a bit more beam, better weight carrying capacity)

Wich one would you get and why?

I'm for the Event 34 but for better interior, much better equipment, newer boat, but the only things that scares me is the weight..

It carry even 100 liter of fuel (25gal) and about 270 liter (60 gal) water, i know weight in cat is very important, but for liveaboard, maybe at the anchor full some big tank well distribuited along the hull for balance, and when need to sail, just leave a bit of water and no more (he has watermaker)...plus add all the things for long cruising and liveaboard...

Thinking in a near future to get longer hull for the Event 34, recovery a bit of speed and shallow draft due the added weight...


Anyone knows if the Event 34 is cored with solid fiberglass or foam? (like the Snowgoose 37 if i'm not wrong)

[Dulcesuenos]

Things to check on either, window leaks causing damage to wood sash, check the water tanks, the event should have large inspection hatches, use a good flashlight to look for pitting or holes. I hear they arent fun to fix once they are bad.
Im a light sleeper, the noise from the nacelle and in between the hulls would keep me awake. I think both have glass hulls but plywood cored decks, checking for moisture around all deck fittings is very important.
Some really good deals out there on other boats as well. Are you looking only at boats in one country?

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[stefano_ita]

Originally Posted by Dulcesuenos

Things to check on either, window leaks causing damage to wood sash, check the water tanks, the event should have large inspection hatches, use a good flashlight to look for pitting or holes. I hear they arent fun to fix once they are bad.
Im a light sleeper, the noise from the nacelle and in between the hulls would keep me awake. I think both have glass hulls but plywood cored decks, checking for moisture around all deck fittings is very important.
Some really good deals out there on other boats as well. Are you looking only at boats in one country?

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Thanks

No, cheking everywhere, all the country of the world

also seen a cherooke 35, but not sure about reliability -stiffness as Prout...

[smj]

Originally Posted by stefano_ita

Thanks

No, cheking everywhere, all the country of the world

also seen a cherooke 35, but not sure about reliability -stiffness as Prout...

We owned a Cherokee 35 for almost 10 years. Very stiff, well built and seaworthy boats. Much more room and a much better load carrier than the Event 34.


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[stefano_ita]

Originally Posted by smj

We owned a Cherokee 35 for almost 10 years. Very stiff, well built and seaworthy boats. Much more room and a much better load carrier than the Event 34.


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Of it i really like the galley together with the saloon, and not apart in one hull, but it's looks smaller than the prout's kitchen...
But i just found at the same price ( or even more expensive) and far less equipped and 10 years older (like 1977...)

Did you get offshore with it? how does it behave?

Thanks

[Southern Star]

Cherokees were well-built and performed better than the comparably sized Prouts of the same era. One of the reasons, I suspect, is that she was designed by J.R. (Rod) McAlpine-Downey, who had a history of designing performance catamarans.

I believe that SMJ owned one some years ago, so perhaps he can can contribute.

Brad

[Southern Star]

Thanks SMJ, you beat me to it!

brad

[stefano_ita]

Originally Posted by Southern Star

Cherokees were well-built and performed better than the comparably sized Prouts of the same era. One of the reasons, I suspect, is that she was designed by J.R. (Rod) McAlpine-Downey, who had a history of designing performance catamarans.

I believe that SMJ owned one some years ago, so perhaps he can can contribute.

Brad

Thanks for the info

Mh, and what about loading carrying and so on ?

And about an apache 36? same builder of the cherokees...

[smj]

Originally Posted by stefano_ita

Thanks for the info

Mh, and what about loading carrying and so on ?

And about an apache 36? same builder of the cherokees...

If I remember correctly the Apache came as a 41' and 45' model. Same basic design as the Cherokee but had centerboards. The Cherokee was supposedly designed as a luxury model for the American market and the Apache more performance oriented. When we sold our Catfisher 32 and offloaded all our junk the waterline rose almost 6". Putting the same junk on the Cherokee and the waterline dropped less than an 1.5"'s.. The Cherokee had a really smooth motion offshore though she would pitch a little going into the waves. No matter what point of sail her helm was absolutely neutral, you could easily walk away from the helm and she wouldn't deviate much on her course.


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[stefano_ita]

Originally Posted by smj

If I remember correctly the Apache came as a 41' and 45' model. Same basic design as the Cherokee but had centerboards. The Cherokee was supposedly designed as a luxury model for the American market and the Apache more performance oriented. When we sold our Catfisher 32 and offloaded all our junk the waterline rose almost 6". Putting the same junk on the Cherokee and the waterline dropped less than an 1.5"'s.. The Cherokee had a really smooth motion offshore though she would pitch a little going into the waves. No matter what point of sail her helm was absolutely neutral, you could easily walk away from the helm and she wouldn't deviate much on her course.


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Thanks

And about a prout escale 39 and a solaris 12 mt? bigger, but in italy i could charter it for 42 days a years legally...so a big bigger, a bit more expensive but i can have 6 paying guest (even 8 on the solaris ) , and the rest of the year have a bigger/faster more confortable boat..

Except marina (i guess to stay pratically always on the hook) i don't think there are main difference in maintain a 35 or 37 or 39?

Let's take the 2 engine, (safer) 2x mainteniance....78 sq meter of sails vs 55sqr meter of the 37 feet..but almost 24 sail area/displacement ratio vs 19 for the 37ft...

But well the prout 39 is almost double the price of the previous 33-34-35 feet...just the solaris cost 20% more and offer 8 guest berth but old (1977) sloop rig and not a cutter, interior...not very well honestly..i don't like it much...


So after this long self-thinking i would say, smaller for a couple just, and convert the 3rd room to storage for long cruising, or adding a small genset...

Thanks for the help all...My mind included...

Joke apart...cherokee 35 or event 34 or snowgoose 34-35.

So as for the model i found:

Cherokee

5300 kgs, the heavier , 19,8 sail area/displacement, but 12% more sail area (only 8 square meters difference)
300 liter fuel (great) and 200 water
Quite old (1977) and least equipped (and even not cheaper), don't like exterior and so on...and polyester deck..


Event 34
Llooks the faster but only if kept light (sail area/displ of 21) but only 4.000 kg displacement, almost a fifht less...just add 200 liter of fuel and you have increased the 5% of the weight, add another 200 kgs of big battery bank and guessing i perfectly balance it all is 10% more

Only 68 liter fuel and 318 water, but for a good price and completely equipped with everything, all included..

I like a lot the interior/design, very bright and sunny under


Snowgoose 35
Good year (1988), same price of the event 34, quite well equipped too, pratically same price, just watermaker and some stuff missing to reach the Event34's equipments..

The lightest with only 3600kgs but the best sail/displ ratio as 23

136 lt fuel (very nice ) and 378 liter water

I like the interior/design



So my idea would be for the Event 34, maybe adding the sugar sloop for more swim comfort and a a bit longer waterline (recoverying speed and payload)?

I will also look at the snowgoose 35, but the big windows of the 34 (maybe good leaking LOL) get me a lot for it...like an open space

What do you think about my confused ideas?

[Dulcesuenos]

If I wanted a sub 100k cat, Id look really hard at the 36 endeavourcat in Ft myers Fl if it hasnt sold. You wont find a more comfortable cat under 38ft. Its 70k.us. maybe not a blue water cat but great us bahamas caribbean, its smaller sister the 30' has crossed oceans. Maybe even a 36 pdq you can fi.d some deals on them.

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[rabbi]

Originally Posted by stefano_ita

And about a prout escale 39 and a solaris 12 mt? bigger, but in italy i could charter it for 42 days a years legally...so a big bigger, a bit more expensive but i can have 6 paying guest (even 8 on the solaris ) , and the rest of the year have a bigger/faster more confortable boat..

Except marina (i guess to stay pratically always on the hook) i don't think there are main difference in maintain a 35 or 37 or 39?

Well it does get more expensive. Maybe not a big issue between 35 and 37 ft, but certanily as you get into bigger boats like a 12m. And its not just more antifouling or bigger sails in need of replacement.

Bigger boats typically have more systems and stuff aboard. A 35ft cat may have tiller steering with a small tiller pilot for 250 Euro. A 40ft cat certainly has a hydraulic autopilot which costs 20times of that.
A 35ft cat may have a small kerosine stove. The 40ft cat will have a gas installation with stove and oven.


Don't expect much charter income. A 30yr old cat will fetch a fraction of the charter income of a new one. I doubt its worth the hassle.

[StuM]

Originally Posted by rabbi

Bigger boats typically have more systems and stuff aboard. A 35ft cat may have tiller steering with a small tiller pilot for 250 Euro. A 40ft cat certainly has a hydraulic autopilot which costs 20times of that.

My 43ft cat doesn't have a hydraulic autopilot.

[UNCIVILIZED]

Any thoughts on the Louisane 37'. Aside from the annoyance of each of it's living spaces being seperate?