Nautitech Catamarans

[jssailem]

KG. It looks like an interesting boat.

We cruised on a Leopard45 in Belize. Worked well for the waters and sailing experience. First time with such a big cat. The room on the boat fit the statement "A condo on the water". The particular boat while big and nice lacked rigging design and suffered from use as a chartered boat with lines past replacement stage, and friction due to equipment making it difficult to easily sail the boat. But that could be addressed. The space both for use and storage was tremendous. I was easy to enjoy. We had 3 couples aboard. Room to spare.

I liked the single cockpit station on the Leopard. It was high in the boat providing excellent visibility.

You will need a cover for the 2 Nautitech helms. I see they add little bimini's to give the two helm stations some cover from the elements.

I guess such a boat decision might include consideration of the waters you want to cruise. While boats are cruised across the globe I think the catamarans lend themselves to the warmer waters. They would demand a lot of heating capacity to be sailing up here in the PacificNW. Yet we see them in the sound.

 

[Kings Gambit]

OK. But it could take some time before I learn much, and form opinion!

Have not gotten very far on this project. Admiral and I went down to San Diego in early March right around the time COVID-19 was getting up to speed, which sort of put the kabash on things. The charter company there required hands-on “multi-hull” experience that could be somehow documented, or else completion of an ASA combination course on cruising catamarans ($$) which I was loathe to do, of course. A few of the boats could not be chartered without a hired captain or the owner aboard. None were Nautitechs.

In the meantime I’ve read in large measure ASA’s text: Cruising Catamarans Made Easy where the big “issues” seem to be on controlling the vessel under power at low speeds, including docking. (Evidently, this requires practice and “training.”) And how to prevent the boat from capsizing suddenly in high wind.

P. 25. “Catamaran sailors must be alert to the strength of the wind at all times because if the windward hull flies, the boat is at risk of capsizing.” ... “Modern cruising catamarans are highly resistant to capsize. It would take severe wind and sea conditions to invert one ....”

The point being, that the skipper must monitor the true and apparent winds (especially the higher of the two) and follow manufacturer’s guidelines for when (at what wind speeds) to reef the mainsail. Visual signs of being overpowered include: slack leeward shrouds, and highly uneven wakes of the hulls caused by a deeply-set leeward hull, etc. Riding “on the edge” is risky due to possibility of a strong gust hitting at the “wrong time.“ You also don’t want steep wind waves on the weather beam when the leeward hull is already running deep, etc., it cautions.

I’ve also noticed looking over a few PHRF ratings of cruising catamarans that race, that a multihull, if large and heavy, may not necessarily be faster on average than a “comparable“ monohull. Point of sail and wind speed would obviously be factors.