Multihull or Monohull

[simonmd]

Indeed it is, hence my first post in this thread. It really is 'horses for courses', where a Cat maybe perfect for one, it will be awfull for another.

I personaly own a small Cat but would never seriously disrespect a monohull. It's like comparing an SUV to a saloon car, etc. Each has its merits and downsides.

Back on topic, in the UK and tidal Europe, the 'bilge keel' is quite common, having two smaller keels gives you a shallower draft and is designed to be beached when the tide goes out. I would imagine (being tidal) that your part of the world has boats like this as well so may be worth looking for one of those as a good compromise.

[Southern Star]

I too am pleasantly surprised - we have gone almost a full day without any outrageous claims from either camp. Not only does the 'different horses for different courses', or 'different strokes for different folks' position seem to be carrying the day (as it should), but no one seems to be speaking in absolute terms, nor as if all cats, or all tris, or all monos are created equal (and thereby have comparable performance, safety and accomodation as all others of the same general type ).

Of course, the greatest difficulty in answering this question for someone else is that, just as with boats, no two people are exactly alike. My suggestion is to get out sailing (by crewing or chartering) on as many different boats as you can - eventually you will start to develop your own preferences. At the same time you should be monitoring the market to get an idea of relative prices and eventually you will be in a position to start actively looking for your boat.

Vive la difference!

Brad

[sww914]

I was completely sold on cats but I can't afford one. Well, I could have afforded the boat but not a drop of fuel, and inch of line, or a bite of food after that. I bought a full keel cruiser and I love it. No regrets. I'd rather have any cruiser right now than have no boat at all and still be waiting and hoping for an escape pod from all of this craziness.

[boatman61]

Owned both mono's and cat's...and sail anything....
each have their good and bad points...
but then you guys are talking Condo's not Cat's....

[malbert73]

It is completely worn out. Once people stop asking ridiculous questions like " i am wondering about a 40 foot monohull or mutihull" and start asking about a 38 foot cat vs 50 foot mono, then the price, comfort, liveability start to equate and the question gets harder. Folks seem to think that it is valid to think there is some magic about multis compared to monos, because they are looking in same size range. If you look at price, interior space, maintenance, total engine hp, number of heads to unclog, dockage, and haulouts, and bottom paint, you really have to multiply the cat length by at least 1.5 to compare.

So as a mono owner, I have to explain the reason many of us bristle at the multi proponents wondering aloud why anyone would sail a mono. It is like someone with a morris 46 asking me why I insist on my Luders 33 instead of their boat. Of course I would rather have the Morris if I wanted a larger boat, but the money and effort required to maintain is infinitely higher and out of my range/desire. So to us it sounds like someone with a larger boat bragging constantly about how much better it is, which never really happened when there were just monos, small vs large.

If I wanted a boat with the real estate and upkeep, not to mention cost, and of a 50 foot + mono, I may consider a 38 foot cat for shallow draft, but comfort and seakindliness may be better with the larger mono.

Meanwhile, those of us who value low cost, simplicity, and responsive sailing habits that smaller boats can offer, can only really look at monos.

[webejammin]

I grew up sailing Hobie cats and always wanted a crusing cat yacht but money was the bearier untill last summer when I noticed the catamaran we have now was listed on Yacht World and the owner had dropped the price $35,000.00 into our price range. We were anchored in the San Juan islands in the Salish Sea and I happened to look online and I immedately called our catamaran broker to make an offer. I recomend having some cash handy and keep looking for a great deal and make friends with a good yacht broker.

One of the biggest reasons we bought a catamaran was my wife and I both have bad necks ( from an auto accident) and setting at anchor on a cat makes life less painfull. My wife had never sailed a catamaran but had started sailing in the 50's with her parents on smaller monohull boats but the first time we were sailing at 12.5 kt's and we were able to dance in the cockpit without getting off ballance she was sold. We wanted a yacht that would accomidate kids and grand kids so our 3 staterooms was hard to find on a monohull unless it was 50 ft and those boats would not pass under the 65 ft bridge clearence here on the river even at low flow.

Good luck finding what type of yacht that fits your needs best

[four winds]

I would suggest the title could have been, "How much draft is too much draft for the Keys and Bahamas?", could it not?

And I would like to add that draft above water should be taken into account as well.

Having passed under several 49-50 foot fixed bridges in the last few days, and considering the routing options to bypass them, I happy to have been able to clear them.

Potential buyers should consider air draft as carefully as water draft in their research.

[Dsanduril]

Wow, all this talk about monohulls and catamarans. Personally my order would be trimaran, catamaran, then monohull. We had our Cross 40 in the Bahamas for about six months on two occasions, and the 4 foot and change (depending on how much cruising junk we have aboard) draft was a big benefit.

I second (and third, and fourth) the comments that you really have to compare living and sailing style rather than just length. I love the living style of a modern catamaran, but have found that most of them don't suit my sailing style. I'm extremely prejudiced, but would take a tri any day. And, they're usually cheaper than a cat, but much more difficult to find in sound condition.

Bottom line though, what manner of boat you go in doesn't matter nearly as much as that you go.

[Sea Yawl Later]

It is great to see the Berlin Wall of Mono versus Cat crumble a bit on this thread....

If I was crossing the Atlantic I'd want a big honkin' monohull, not my 5 ton cat.... but where I go and what I do (hang out on the beaches of the Bahamas under my boat) the ship fits the duty...

I attribute the popularity of the catamaran to the fact that more women are going to sea. Either with a spouse or alone. I know I'd have NO chance of bringing mine unless it was on a cat.

I don't mean to slight those women out there that love their single point boat.... don't get me wrong, I'm just sayin'... guys like me (that could be happy enough on a comparably priced Monohull) do what they need to do to make mama happy.

What Dsanduril said............. the main thing is just find a way to go!

[Bash]

Originally Posted by malbert73

It is completely worn out.

+1. It's nice to see this forum mature a bit.

[44'cruisingcat]

Originally Posted by maxingout

Shallow draft makes it easier to cruise in the Bahamas, and you have more freedom of movement. More places to go in settled weather. But if the weather turns bad, you can find yourself in real strife if you rely on your shallow draft to get you in and out of certain places.

Shallow draft is a Venus Fly Trap that takes you places where you can get in real trouble. You may tuck into a place and find that you are banging the bottom of your keel on the seabed when the swells and chop start running. You may make it through a shallow entrance and be trapped until the swell goes down because you can't get out.

Lots of shallow places have bad holding from the hard pan bottom with the sand being scoured away by fast Bahamian currents. You may drop your anchor in a shallow patch of sand inside the Venus Fly Trap and when the weather turns bad, you are in big trouble.

A shallow draft can get you in real trouble without a good weather eye and meticulous anchor technique.

All valid points, but an amazingly "glass half empty" way of looking at it!

You can also end up banging the bottom in a deep draught boat - and the shallow draught boat next to you will be fine!

Many of the best anchorages require crossing a shallow bar to enter - much of the NSW coast is exactly that - rivers accessed by bar crossings.

Isn't that the definition of cruising - sitting in nice anchorages until a) you decide to move on, and b) the weather is right to do so?

I love having shallow draught!

[D&D]

Originally Posted by 44'cruisingcat

You can also end up banging the bottom in a deep draught boat - and the shallow draught boat next to you will be fine!

Many of the best anchorages require crossing a shallow bar to enter - much of the NSW coast is exactly that - rivers accessed by bar crossings.

Isn't that the definition of cruising - sitting in nice anchorages until a) you decide to move on, and b) the weather is right to do so?

I love having shallow draught!

What he/she (44'cruisingcat) said!!

[D&D]

Originally Posted by Dulcesuenos

Most Cat owners started with Mono's, Most would never switch back.

What he/she (Dulcesuenos) said too! After a lifetime on mono's and enjoying them immensely, we're absolutely and totally converted to the 'dark side'!

Upwind is the cat's Achille's Heel, but some cats do it better than others. It can even be said that some cats go BETTER upwind than some mono's, but the general rule is otherwise. All sailors know, however, that no vessel goes easily into the wind. Expressions like..."If you're heading upwind, you need to change your destination" and "Nothing goes into the wind like a 747" spring to mind. So as much as we may admire a beautifully set monohull pounding into the seas and wind, we aim to do our best to keep such conditions to an absolute minimum in our sailing plans so we wouldn't pick a vessel for those conditions.

For us, the vastly greater comfort of level sailing + the better speeds off the wind + the great living spaces at ALL times (sailing and at anchor) = good value, even after allowing the greater costs of the cat. Boats are certainly not about making or saving money, but they are about enjoying oneself on the water.

[nautical62]

Comparing the two options is interesting. For me it's not as simple as comparing my monohull to a catamaran that might have similar interior space or cost.

My 30-foot monohull has standing headroom and is probably worth under 25K. One just doesn't find catamarans with standing headroom that have a comparable size or interior volume, let alone in that price range. So for me it's not about comparing boats that have similar sizes, volumes and prices. It's about comparing what I have in a fairly affordable monohull to a boat that due to what's availability will have to be a notable step up in size, volume and cost.

[mellowboat]

Originally Posted by 44'cruisingcat

All valid points, but an amazingly "glass half empty" way of looking at it!

You can also end up banging the bottom in a deep draught boat - and the shallow draught boat next to you will be fine!

Many of the best anchorages require crossing a shallow bar to enter - much of the NSW coast is exactly that - rivers accessed by bar crossings.

Isn't that the definition of cruising - sitting in nice anchorages until a) you decide to move on, and b) the weather is right to do so?

I love having shallow draught!

What are you considering shallow draft? I have been sailing a 16 foot centerboard mono for a number of years and am considering buying a 30 foot mono with a 4 foot draft. Where does this fall, shallow -deep or in-between? I really want to hear what you think.