What is the best Catamaran to cruise and retire on?

[Cayuse51]

After 15,000 miles on the boat and crossing the Atlantic and half the Pacific, I would say an Outremer 51. The older Outremer 50 and 55 model's are great boats too. But, as always, it depends on how you intend to use the boat.

[CatNewBee]

Originally Posted by jcb47769

... Likewise, I'm not a big fan of the Lagoon and Leopard boats, too far at the other end of the spectrum. Cheap and roomy, but performance and safety offshore suffer for it. I would look at Fontaine Puegot, Nautitech, or similar boats....

I am very curious about your verdict.

Why do you think a Fountaine Pajot or even a Nautitech would be safer than a Lagoon or Leopard?

I know, the FP has boyancy foam bodies in the bow and stern compartments to make her unsinkable, not so the Nautitech.

The Lagoons have - as the FP - sacrificial keels and also can be beached, Lagoon does not sacrifice space for boyancy foam, but has 6 watertight sections to provide safety at sea if hit by something, I guess same with the R&C Leopard and Nautitech.

The Lagoons are wider and heavier then the FP / Nautitech but also seem to be more robust built.

Maybe Lagoons and Leopards are not that fast, but as cruiser you want mostly to live on board and not to race.

Why you consider Nautitech's layout saver? The helm is exposed to the elements, low visibility, fewer living space...

I am not saying this are much worse than Lagoons or Leopards, but I do not see any advantages regarding safety at sea. Also the FP design becomes more and more similar to the Lagoons in the newer models, there is not so much difference any more.

[rabbi]

Which cat is the best to retire on:
The cat one can afford to live & cruise on while still young. At least young enough so age health issues don't get in the way.

There is no point to do a few more years of wage slavery just to be able to afford 10ft more.
At the time the funds are available often health has detoriated enough to kill the dream.

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by CatNewBee

Maybe Lagoons and Leopards are not that fast, but as cruiser you want mostly to live on board and not to race.

This is a fundamental question you have to answer before suggesting what is the best option.

Unfortunately, a lot of cat marketing suggests you will zip around at freeway speeds while living in posh opulence of a 4 bedroom floating mansion.

While there is that select market focused on performance, I honestly believe most cats are not sold on adrenaline pumping performance. It may offer bragging rights but double digit speeds are such a non-event. It's not like burying the rail in a mono where you may only be doing 8kts but it feels exciting.

Even the worst of the condomarans can hit double digit speeds in the right conditions but at the same time, other than looking at the GPS readout, you might never realize it.

I believe the vast majority of cats are sold on the 4 bedroom floating mansion attributes. If they get a nice turn of speed in the right conditions that's great but 90-95% of the time, they are at anchor or dock where the accommodations make far bigger impact than the speed potential...so it's actually the logical choice for most.

There are the stray performance oriented cruisers but they are typically the exception...though they are often vocal.

[rabbi]

Originally Posted by CatNewBee

The Lagoons have - as the FP - sacrificial keels and also can be beached, Lagoon does not sacrifice space for boyancy foam, but has 6 watertight sections to provide safety at sea if hit by something, I guess same with the R&C Leopard and Nautitech.

I would not call these keels sacrificial. The Lagoons that I know will sink if you sacrifice the keel :-)

[CatNewBee]

Well the question is about cruising and retiring on...

So liveability and comfort plus easy handling are key - you want something you can handle while you are ageing. Easy access to all lines, easy sailing, electric winches, easy maintenance, furnance and a/c, easy docking and anchoring, not too much maintenance needed...

[smj]

Originally Posted by CatNewBee

Well the question is about cruising and retiring on...

So liveability and comfort plus easy handling are key - you want something you can handle while you are ageing. Easy access to all lines, easy sailing, electric winches, easy maintenance, furnance and a/c, easy docking and anchoring, not too much maintenance needed...

If you don’t want much maintenance then maybe forego the electric winches, furnace AC etc?
Impossible to answer this question as it depends on the person it relates to. If I wanted all the comforts of a home I would retire in a home. If I retire on a sailboat I want it to excel at sailing. Everyone Is different.

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by rabbi

Which cat is the best to retire on:
The cat one can afford to live & cruise on while still young. At least young enough so age health issues don't get in the way.

There is no point to do a few more years of wage slavery just to be able to afford 10ft more.
At the time the funds are available often health has detoriated enough to kill the dream.

[panglaodave]

Originally Posted by 44'cruisingcat

I'll take a shot. Gunboat 66.

After I win the lottery

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by panglaodave

After I win the lottery

Yep, the answer to this question is, how deep are your pockets?

[billknny]

Originally Posted by rabbi

I would not call these keels sacrificial. The Lagoons that I know will sink if you sacrifice the keel :-)

Wait! Wait! I thought all catamarans are unsinkable? That's what the salesman keep saying!

[LLizzard]

"One good way to get more info is to chat with a very patient broker and look at a bunch of boats. It will help you narrow down exactly what you are looking for, and hopefully point you in the right direction"

I highly recommend John Anderson of the Catamaran Company. It doesn't matter to him if your timeframe is 2 months or 2 years. John will walk you thru the pluses and minuses of styles, brands, price points of various boats, new and used, without ever pressuring you or hounding you. His contact timing interval is nearly perfect. He knows his stuff! Johns number is 954-449-4649.

[fxykty]

Originally Posted by billknny

Wait! Wait! I thought all catamarans are unsinkable? That's what the salesman keep saying!

Well, it depends. http://nzh.tw/12036190 This catamaran looks like it has completely sunk after seemingly ripping out the bottoms of both hulls.

As long as the structure is intact, most cats, especially if built with foam and/or balsa, and with several watertight compartments, will float just fine because they don’t have a whole bunch of lead trying to take them to the bottom. That’s why a hydrostatic release for a deck-mounted liferaft is generally unnecessary on a cat or tri, but desirable for a mono.

Cats built of solid frp and without watertight compartments and/or substantial flotation will sink. My old Hobie 16 with leaking hulls would sink until I put a bunch of plastic jugs into each hull (easier than taking apart and resealing the hull-deck joints).

[Factor]

Originally Posted by billknny

Wait! Wait! I thought all catamarans are unsinkable? That's what the salesman keep saying!

Who told you that?

[Factor]

Originally Posted by valhalla360

This is a fundamental question you have to answer before suggesting what is the best option.

Unfortunately, a lot of cat marketing suggests you will zip around at freeway speeds while living in posh opulence of a 4 bedroom floating mansion.

While there is that select market focused on performance, I honestly believe most cats are not sold on adrenaline pumping performance. It may offer bragging rights but double digit speeds are such a non-event. It's not like burying the rail in a mono where you may only be doing 8kts but it feels exciting.

Even the worst of the condomarans can hit double digit speeds in the right conditions but at the same time, other than looking at the GPS readout, you might never realize it.

I believe the vast majority of cats are sold on the 4 bedroom floating mansion attributes. If they get a nice turn of speed in the right conditions that's great but 90-95% of the time, they are at anchor or dock where the accommodations make far bigger impact than the speed potential...so it's actually the logical choice for most.

There are the stray performance oriented cruisers but they are typically the exception...though they are often vocal.

Oh Dear. When some talk about performance we dont mean high speed, we mean the ability to sail in light airs. The mean wind speed in my part of the world is 12 knots. If you own a boat that wont effectively sail in 12 knots then you own a motor boat.