Cat's a dog?

[Ken Honeycutt]

Probably would have died from hypothermia (link)

This is a link to an article on a large cat that capsized during a race on lake Huron. Food for thought.

 

[higgs]

Whoa

What a story from Lake Huron.For awhile they were building multi hulls with hatches in the cabin sole so one could get out if the boat capsized. I decided I would never own a boat that needed a hatch in the floor.

 

[xray ted]

once you had a cat you'll never go back!

I have not been back to this forum since I sold my hunter and bought my cat. Then I got this post through email and could not resit a reply.First of all big modern cats do not pitch pole or flip. This is a urban legend perpetuated by monohaul sailors on internet forums. 2.5 " draft - I can get to the nicest anchorages where the crowd cant follow. Saved my butt traveling through the Georgia ICW. Now when I hit 5 feet depth I don't give it a second thought. Word of advice to monohull sailors, dont follow a cat through the the ICW. Had a few run aground following me through some bad spots. Interior space. - My 35 cat has more space than a 45 monohull. Although I think the designers could have done a better job with the storage. There is way to much storage space on my cat. Seems like some of it could have been coverted to livable space with a better design. Having the guest suite 18 feet away on the other side of the boat is great. My guests can get up in the middle of the night use their own head or get up early and I never hear a thing. (I'm a late sleeper)View - The salon on my hunter was like being in a dark coffin. My cat has almost a 360 degree view from the salon, lots of light. Sometimes to much, on the super hot Florida days my AC has problems cooling.Deck - I call my deck "the court". It is so large I joke about putting up a hoop to shoot some B ball. Its great for enteraining. I have had a dozen people on my deck including a grill. Plenty of room.Ride - The only thing I can say is flat. while the monohulls are rolling like corks my cat stays flat and comfy. As you can tell I am one happy cat.Xray Ted

 

[higgs]

Urban legends

Ted - Under the right ( or call it wrong) conditions, any boat can roll over - even yours. The skipper who thinks differently is the skipper headed for trouble. I don't know how you use your boat, but if you do any passages where you may run into foul weather, how can you be so sure your boat will stay on its feet if things go to hell? The article from Lake Huron shows how this can happen in an instant even on an inland lake.

 

[Ross]

I am more concerned with my boat's ability

to right herself if she is rolled than I am in her ability to resist being rolled.

 

[higgs]

I concur

You said, Ross, with a lot less words, what I was trying to say.

 

[2 Hulls Dave]

Capsizing Cats

The examples of the cats capsizing in Lake Huron and the slideshow of a Cat Sass doing a pitchpole are racing cats in races. These folks are pushing their light weight boats and capsizes are not necessarily unexpected. These are not cruising boats. A better example for critics to cite is the one of the flipped cat that washed ashore in the PacNW. Those guys should not have been out in those conditions and any monos that might have been near we'd never see again - they'd be on the bottom - if they took on too much water in a roll.There are other misconceptions frequently repeated about cats not being able to tack, won't go upwind anyway, etc. This may have been more true many years ago but is certainly not the case for modern cats. Seems I couldn't get an OI41 to tack without using the engine many years ago, either."From a control viewpoint, I've heard that cats generally turn less well than monohulls, but trimarans turn virtually as well as monohulls. Thus, I wouldn't consider a catamaran...I may need to turn in tight areas."This statement deserves special attention. Don't know whether the writer was referring to turning as during a tack, or turning in "tight areas" as in a marina or docking under power. If it's the later, twin engine cats can spin around in place - there is no contest in this category. Maneuvering under power in tight quarters is child's play. Even a Caveman can do it. I'll have the roast duck with mango salsa.Just talked to some cruiser friends yesterday after their Pacific crossing in their mono. They estimated that cats comprised 25% of the long range cruising boats they saw.Dave

 

[Jadedcrew]

But, Tey're Not

easy to look at, and I wouldn't want that many humans on my boat, nor would I like to shoot hoops while on my boat. The assets you mention are not what I look for in a sailing vessel. I don't care for "Cruising Cats" because in my eyes they do not look like a boat.

 

[scolil]

Experienced Sailors

It is nice to hear opinions from both sides on cats vs. monohulls. There are many opinions on such subjects, but I always like to hear from those who have experience. That said, the internet is a great place to claim experiennce for those of us who have little to none.As for the original topic, I love the lines of a monohull. To me they are sleek and sharp looking. I would expect my wife to prefer the living quarters of a cat. One thing that was not addressed in the posts by cat owners was hull slap. I have heard that this is an issue. Is this also something that has been remedied in recent years, or is it something to get used to?

 

[Joseph Shirley]

One additional thought

2 Hulls Dave has implied that a monohull that rolls in a bad storm would sink and that would be a rare occasion indeed. Monohulls have often been known to do a 360 degree rollover in outlandish seas and a couple have written survival stories of rolling over twice without sinking. Yes they did get some water inside but not so much, because unless they are extremely broad beamed sleds (which are stable upside down just like a multihull) they are unstable upside down and flip back up quickly. Even more so if they get dismasted. The biggest worry then is getting holed by a mast tethered to the boat. So if you are going offshore, carry a large boltcutter, to cut away your rigging. I do.In the two races most infamous for loss of life, The Fastnet and the Sidney Hobbart, Some boats were found still floating after the storms with companionways open, with no crews on board. Nearly all lives lost were attributed to disastrous attempts to board life rafts. The rafts broke away or flipped crews into the water and blew away so fast that the crews couldn't get to them or get back. Crews who stayed with their boats survived. The lesson here is that the best way to abandon ship is by stepping off the top of the mast as the boat goes down,(which it probably won't).

 

[xray ted]

hull slap

Yea my cat has hull slap. All cats that I have been on do, some with higher decks have less slap. If a wave hits the cockpit bottom just right it will shoot a geyser of water up through my cockpit drain, I keep a floor mat over the leeward drain when in heavy weather. The slap noise doesn't bother me anymore. I was concerned more about slap while anchored or at the dock than while underway. My hunter would slap at the stern and keep me up at night. Surprisingly my cat does not have any slap while anchored.Those that are considering a first cat dont buy a Gemini. In my opinion its cheap construction, to narrow and a nightmare to work on the engine that is shoe horned into the stern. Look for a Manta, Prout, PDQ, or Victory. You can pick one up for about 120k-180k in the 35 foot range. Good solid boats.

 

[Ross]

Just as mono hulls come in many configurations

so also do Catamarans. There are some mono hulls that are just as bi-stable as catamarans.

 

[SailboatOwners.com]

Final results

Final results for the Quick Quiz ending March 17, 2008:Biggest consideration regarding catamarans:47% Not my thing; they are as stable upside down as right side up!27% Fast, stable and roomy!19% How can you find moorage for such beamy boats?15% Shallow draft allows for more anchorage options and even beaching