Prout 26

[Seewolf]

I´m thinking about purchasing a Prout 26 (model 1995) for cruising the baltic sea. Does anybody have experience with this vessel? I would appreciate any comments on this boat. How seaworthy do you consider it? Even capable of ocean passages?What about it´s quality? Leaky windows? Moisture eating up the insulation? Tell me!

Thanks for your advice!

[Talbot]

It is surprising that it doesnt matter how many forums you ask this question , the advice (which you seem unwilling to accept) will still be the same.

The Prout 26 is a bit small for safe trans oceanic sailing. It would be fine for short distance hops and weekending, but think about a bigger boat for longer distances.

There is a small cat that is capable of longer journeys - the Heavenly Twins Mk 3 but this is a very different boat to the 26ft Prout. I am a fan of the Prouts but 31ft is the minimum size for their design that is suitable of long distance passages.

[Seewolf]

I´m not unwilling to accept advices but I did not hear any convincing facts unless length is the only criteria. A 9m catalac does not appear more seaworthy to me. What makes the difference?

[Steve Rust]

Seewolf
Length is a big factor in the suitability of multihulls for offshore sailing. The righting moment (the abilty to resist overturning) can be expressed in pounds of force. 35,000 lbs is considered safe for offshore sailing. A cat is generally approaching this number at 30 feet. Another thing to consider is payload capacity. Many consider multihulls under 30 feet to lack the payload capacity for serious cruising.
It can be done but you have to be ruthless in keeping the weight down. It may be okay to overload a small multihull in sheltered waters but offshore you will have a slow, cranky boat that will slam it's underbody. It may lack the reserve bouyancy to rise to oncoming waves and to avoid stuffing a bow in the trough coming down a large wave. I am sure the Prout would be fine for the Baltic or the Med. You could even take it offshore but your margin for error is small. Keep it light.
See if you can find a copy of The Cruising Multiull by Chris White.

[Talbot]

Catalac 9m is designed for safety and ocean cruising, and would be considered cronically overweight by a lot of todays designers. It is very strong and has very good stability, it is also designed for swooping down long waves and having a very high reserve of buoyancy in the bows. this same feature means that it is a pig to windward in short chop (e.g. solent). It is more than capable of transatlantic (good numbers have done atlantic circuit, and some even as far as Australia, but IMHO does not have the load carrying capacity for trans pacific if more than two people onboard.

The Prout 26 is designed more for speed and thus does not have the reserve of stability, furthermore it has very little load carrying capability, and thus overloaded would be in severe danger in bad weather.

[Seewolf]

Is there no Prout 26 - owner in this forum, to share his experience? It seems, that the prout 26 is no popular cruising-boat at all. There is not much information on the internet as well. Maybe I should look for a different vessel.