I think we settled on a Gemini, change my mind

[lyl]

Originally Posted by Gilligan8

Forgive the meme'ish title. Just more so mean, "is there anything else we should be looking at that is better or just as good?"

We basically are looking to get our "first boat" and the wife is semi-claustrophobic.

We will originally use it as a liveaboard while she is still working. She lives out of town and we (10-year-old daughter and I) visit on weekends.

We will learn to sail, learn if this life is for us and then save up for a nicer cruise the world option after those things are answered.

So right now with a sub 50k budget, the Gemini seems to be the right fit.

Are we overlooking another gem that might be right for "getting our feet wet"?

How about a full keel old boat? Could be the most reliable boat with that budget maybe.

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by catama

How about a full keel old boat? Could be the most reliable boat with that budget maybe.

That violates the claustrophobic concern for the wife.

Of course as it's the OP's first cruising boat with at least a few years of coastal cruising, no need to get an offshore battle wagon. Very few people wind up with the "perfect" boat the first purchase anyway. Better to get something suitable for the current usage unless you are heading out in the next 6 months.

Sailed conservatively, I see no reason to be concerned about going offshore. Many have done it. Just make sure everything is in good shape before heading out.

[lyl]

Originally Posted by valhalla360

That violates the claustrophobic concern for the wife.

Of course as it's the OP's first cruising boat with at least a few years of coastal cruising, no need to get an offshore battle wagon. Very few people wind up with the "perfect" boat the first purchase anyway. Better to get something suitable for the current usage unless you are heading out in the next 6 months.

Sailed conservatively, I see no reason to be concerned about going offshore. Many have done it. Just make sure everything is in good shape before heading out.

Aw, the wife... Well, then he has not many choices; I would definately go with the wife's wishes. Gemini it is!
Gentlemen, don't even think, just do as your wives say.

[searoom]

Tried and true...a proven design that’s a dream to sail with lots of room for its size. Nice choice.

[Boatguy30]

Originally Posted by geoleo

I had a Gem 105M for couple years. It is a lot in a small package. I just couldnt get over the feel of flimsyness. Plus the high noise level the hulls make with small waves even at the dock. I went back to mono with a Beneteau 41S5 which is very strong and great upwind..

The knifes are out for sure! I have to say I agreed 100% possibly the first time ever with serial boat swapper Geo here.

I spent and hour visiting aboard one 105m on a mooring in the Exuma Land and Sea park. We are getting wet in the cockpit from the waves slapping under the cockpit and spraying back into the cockpit as we sat side to the current. Sure they made it to Grenada and back, but just have been hell into anything but a slight chop.

[Davy J]

Originally Posted by Boatguy30

I spent and hour visiting aboard one 105m on a mooring in the Exuma Land and Sea park. We are getting wet in the cockpit from the waves slapping under the cockpit and spraying back into the cockpit as we sat side to the current. Sure they made it to Grenada and back, but just have been hell into anything but a slight chop.

Waves slapping under the cockpit

Spraying back to the cockpit.........

This post is so full of sh!!t I can smell it from here...........

You do know these boats have a hardtop, you know, that prevents such things........

Try again.........

[Mr B]

I got wet once on my Gemini, I was putting up a raincatcher on the transom,
It was bucketting down and I was actually standing in the rain, So I got wet, Hahahaha

As for getting wet in the cock pit,
A very large following wave came over the transom and I was standing knee deep in water,
That happened twice in the same day, If the extremely large wave standing up at the transom landed on my boat,
I would have been chaff floating in the ocean, I was in 20 foot waves at the time,

I have been in some very violent oceans and water never comes over the Transom,

[Davy J]

Originally Posted by Mr B

I got wet once on my Gemini, I was putting up a raincatcher on the transom,
It was bucketting down and I was actually standing in the rain, So I got wet, Hahahaha

But, but, but.... this "marine service provider" once spent an hour on a Gemini..........

I've owned this boat for almost seven years........ you know, about 61,000 hours...... ridden out two tropical storms, and one small hurricane.

During a few of those instances, I was cooking a couple of steaks on the grill, I never even needed a towel to go back into the cabin............

[AKA-None]

So why would you want someone to change your mind on what you like?

[Tusitala]

This post is so full of sh!!t I can smell it from here...........

You do know these boats have a hardtop, you know, that prevents such things........

Try again.........But, but, but.... this "marine service provider" once spent an hour on a Gemini..........

That marine service provider is currently in NZ with his family aboard the Woods Vardo 34 he built. They sailed it there from FL. He might have a clue about what he's experienced. Try again.

[Davy J]

Originally Posted by Tusitala

That marine service provider is currently in NZ with his family aboard the Woods Vardo 34 he built. They sailed it there from FL. He might have a clue about what he's experienced. Try again.

So after sitting on a boat for an hour, he's now an expert on that boat.....?

Try again.

[Tusitala]

why assume he's only ever been aboard one Gemini for one hour? he mentioned one incident where the boat was anchored sitting beam to the chop. You seem to have an extreme tendency to go off at any criticism of a Gemini. We get it, you have one and really like it, but to assume people have no experience with them is ridiculous.

[redneckrob]

Originally Posted by Tusitala

That marine service provider is currently in NZ with his family aboard the Woods Vardo 34 he built. They sailed it there from FL. He might have a clue about what he's experienced. Try again.

No one doubts that someone living on a Woods Vardo 34 would know a whole lot about a Woods Vardo 34. It's not at all clear what that has to do with their knowledge of Geminis? I know a whole lot about the H-65 helicopter having flown several thousand hours in one, but I'd never use that as a basis to talk down the hover capabilities of an Apache because I once sat in the cockpit of one with a friend.

I'm really quite baffled at Boatguy30's assertion just based on simple physics and geometry. It just doesn't make any sense how a wave slapping under the cockpit of a Gemini could then bend and leap upward and backward to get people sitting in the cockpit wet? If you explained how this very improbable thing was happening, i.e. there was a 30 knot wind AND the tide was 180 degrees to the wind AND the tide was strong enough to keep the stern of the Gemini pointing into to the wind AND the tunnel between the hulls somehow funneled through the tide AND caused it to form a standing wave that was breaking just aft of the stern AND the wind then blew the tops of that wave into the cockpit over the 3' transom to get you wet? Of course with that bizzare set of circumstances I'd be getting wet in my Mahe and he'd be getting wet in his Woods Vardo 34, so not sure how any circumstance that could realistically get you wet in a Gemini cockpit at anchor would be a knock on that model of cat specifically?

Absent a detailed explanation, it certainly sounds like he doesn't remember the situation quite right, may be mistake on what a Gemini is, or for some reason felt the need to exaggerate to the point of being deceptive.

And by the way, your "Try again" was gratuitous and completely uncalled for. Especially given the implausibility of our friend Boatman's claims and the information provided from people who actually do have thousand of hours of experience sitting in the cockpits of Gemini's at anchor.

[Mr B]

People dont sit in the cockpit of a Gemini on anchor,
They sit or lay on the hammock on the transom or sit or lay on the cushions in the salon,
Or even lay on the front deck,

Even sailing my Gemini, It has an Autopilot, I spend most of my time laying or sitting, on the hammock above the transom,
And I certainly dont get wet, from spray or waves,

And yes, I have spent thousands of hours on my Gemini, 105MC,

[Tusitala]

Cmon Rob, you're just being contrary trying to compare helicopters to sailboats.

Boatguy states that they were indeed sitting side to the current.

And yes, the Try Again that originally appeared in Davy J's post was was gratuitous and completely uncalled for, that's why I posted in the first place and reused it.

There aren't any boats that don't have negatives that offset their positives, at least in my experience.

Pat