New Catamaran Owner: General Advice?

[rudejohn]

I spent some time sailing many years ago but haven't had the opportunity to own my own boat. I recently purchased my first sailboat (an old used 18 foot Sol Cat) and I'm excited to get out onto the water this spring! I have a few questions, though, and since my family members don't sail and I'm not in contact with those who taught me, I figured the experts here might be kind to a newbie and help out. -The ship does not come with a manual. Is there a way to locate a manual? Having sailed a 16-foot Hobie Cat years ago, will this 18' Sol Cat likely be difficult for me to rig?-The ship is billed as a "beach boat," meaning it can be beached. However, the property I'll likely be sailing from has a short (~3") wooden breakwater. I presume it's not advisable to "pull" the boat across this... so I'll likely be launching from the Public Access. Is this a correct/safe assumption?-The ship has dagger boards. I understand that dagger boards allow for faster movement and better lateral control at high speeds. Can the ship be sailed without the daggerboards while I reacquaint myself with sailing?-How big of a lake would I need to enjoy an 18' Sol Cat, roughly?-Any other recommendations/advice?Thanks in advance for your patience and assistance,RJ

 

[OldCat]

Beach Cats

John,I own a Nacra 5.8 which is very similar to your Sol Cat; some observations:You will not always be able to sail upwind without the dagger boards. Hobie 16 and Prindle 16/18 have an assymetric hull which functions to prevent side slip, but a boat like ours loses a lot of its pointing ability without the boards. If they are true dagger boards (go up/down, don't pivot), then they must be raised to beach the boat. With dagger boards, your boat may tack under many conditions without having to backwind the jib. I even single hand my Nacra with just the Main. I sail my boat on a 500 acre lake - I bought it when I lived in CA and had a whole ocean, but for now the lake is what I have. I keep my boat in mast up storage at the lake. Not having to raise the mast every time I go sailing is a real boon.Without seeing the wooden breakwater and your boat, I cannot say if it would be OK to pull the boat across it. Generally, I would not do this with my boat, the way the symmetric hulls were built is not strong on the bottom for concentrated bottom loading. Fine on a beach, but the edge of a wooden board would give me pause. You might be able to cross the breakwater w/o damage with padding or hull cradles, see the link.If you know Hobies, the Sol should not be difficult to rig. Any good sailing book should give you the info that you need. Even a Hobie manual would help - you can find them from Hobie on-line with a search. I don't know if you can find a Sol manual on-line or not.If you have kids, I think that they will take a liking to it. Rig the trapeze wires. I rebuilt my boat after sailing bigger boats for a few years. My kids had never seen a trapeze wire, and they looked at it very funny at first, in spite of time on bigger boats. First time a kid went out on the wire, he shot back in in a hot second. The he thought about it and went back out and stayed. Pretty soon, his originally skeptical brothers were howling for "my turn". Now I have little trapeze monkeys aboard whenever I go out. Murray's has inexpensive trapeze buckets.No kid of any age who doesn't mind an occaisional swim on a warm day will fail to get a thrill out of flying a hull, though I haven't dumped my kids in yet. Only me the last two years. Have fun. OC

 

[Ben16737]

welcome back to sailing

Sounds like you are going to enjoy it. I don't really have much to offer you as far as information, because I've never sailed a cat. The one thing that I will chime in on is the boards - I would advise that you use them. I've accidentally left the board up on a dinghy a few times, and quickly realized that without it, I couldn't get the boat to do anything other than crab sideways, downwind. I imagine that a cat wouldn't be too much different.My only other advice is to get out as much as you can!

 

[Rob19574]

Catamaran Sailing: From Start to Finish / Berman

RJ -You should buy this book - I read it when I bought my Prindle 16 and I can't tell you how much it helped me! Catamarans handle much differently than mon-hulls.I would get some type of roller on the wood bulkhead (2 one for aech pontoon).Good luck.Robhttp://www.amazon.com/Catamaran-Sailing-Finish-Phil-Berman/dp/039331880X

 

[CalebD]

How about some carpet remnants to cover

the wooden bulkhead? You could then slide the cat hulls right over it with no worries if the carpet is thick enough.

 

[Captain Bob]

A big chunk of styrofoam at the tip of the mast.

For a while anyway.Otherwise, it is a BLAST! My first sailboat was some kind a cat. Not pretty, but functional. Can't remember what it was called....

 

[Joe]

general advice....

first of all...take the advice of the previous responders. There's a number of good books on Beach Cats.... the best is "Catamaran racing for the 90's by Rick White. (see the link below) The Berman book is pretty good also.Bolting some rollers on the dock or wall sounds like a good idea. The type used for boat trailers comes to mind... check the online stores.I used to launch my Nacra off the trailer ramp because I didn't have the fancy beach wheels.... till I tried a couple of large inflatable rubber boat fenders placed under each hull to roll the cat over the ground after getting the boat trailer close to the water. You need the dagger boards, but they don't need to be lowered all the way until you feel comfortable handling them. 6-8 inches will keep you from sideslipping and still allow you to sail up on to the beach.Your lake sounds more than adequate... the thing about lakes, the wind is often fluky, so be aware of sudden shifts and gusts as you sail around it.Have a plan when leaving the beach or dock area. Determine the favored tack by knowing wind direction and obstacles you need to avoid... i.e. visualize your path to open water. Tell your crew ahead of time what you plan to do so there are no surprises.Jibing a cat is much easier than tacking.... the secret to a smooth, safe, controlled jibe is to pull the main across by hand rather than letting the wind slap it over. When tacking you can let the main take care of itself but you need to backwind the jib to help get the bows around.Keep one hand on the tiller and the other on the mainsheet/traveller. In fact, I tie the ends of the mainsheet and the traveller togetherso they're both close at hand. In the ocean I would loop them through my harness, then, in case I fell off I could intentionally capsize the boat. Beach cats are very lightweight and can accelerate dramatically. Conversely, they can decelerate even more quickly.... so.. Learn speed control.... i.e. release pressure on the sails to slow down when nearing the dock, then feather the main or jib to ease into the shallow water. If it's sand then you can sail right up; rocks or gravel, stop and get off with the sails uncleated, and maneuver the boat by hand to a place where you can de rig. You might consider wearing some kind of aquatic shoe.This following is highly important!!!! You must know how to get your boat upright after a capsize. The foam at the mast is a good idea... but looks geeky. Study the books that have been suggested to understand the principle. The main goal after a capsize is to keep the boat from turning completely upside down or "turning turtle". So grab the righting line and stand on the lower pontoon right away or have your crew swim to the masthead to hold it up. I recommend you capsize your vessel on purpose a few times to practice righting it. You will gain a lot of confidence knowing you can easily get the boat back on her feet after a capsize.So, buy the books and have a blast. Beach cats are truly a blast and the Sol Cat was a pretty good examply of one in her day.

 

[rudejohn]

Excellent Advice! Keep it flowing?

Excellent advice thus far. Caleb and Oldcat - I'll probably stick to trailering the boat and driving to-and-from the Public Access when I want to use it, unless I can find a neat roller solution. That'll be my Spring project (that, and doing some reading up on the subject again). The lake is around 500 acres, although across a large portion of it, the lake is very shallow (~3 feet). Can I sail in that depth of water or should I stick to the deeper areas?Rob - Went ahead and ordered the book off Amazon on your recommendation. Thanks! Joe - Lots of great advice and strategy! I'll have to skill up a bit out on the water, I'm sure... luckily I don't really care what people think so a bit of foam or some purposeful spills are right up my alley. Fortunately I took a sailing "class" in college (I was smart enough back then to smell the roses a little bit) and they made us turtle a Catamaran as part of the class. And the water was cold! I'll definitely try it again with this boat to get the specific hang of it.Thanks again and if anyone has any other comments, keep 'em coming! It's been a butterflies-in-stomach day at work, I just want to see my new toy.

 

[tweitz]

catamaran

If your prior experience is on a monohull, be aware of some big differences. On a monohull (even a dinghy), if the wind pipes up and you are concerned about capsizing or heeling more than you want to, you ease out or release the mainsheet and head into the wind. First time I tried this on a Hobie Cat I went swimming. The boat responds so quickly to the rudder that it develops a lot of centrifugal force that increases the heel. And the trampoline acts like a sail, so when the wind gets under the trampoline it can push the boat right over. Listen to the experts, but my feeling is that when you feel you are becoming overpowered on a reach, you should fall off, rather than head up, and be ready to dump the mainsheet quickly.

 

[OldCat]

Ted:

Ted,I luff up and sheet out all the time in Colorado's gusty and shifty winds. Going downwind can risk a pitchpole or accidental jibe (if the wind shifts like it does here). All it takes to sheet out and luff up is proper technique, a bit gentle on the tiller. Not meant as a flame, too many years on that type of boat and much of it is automatic for me, and you make a good caution not to make harsh moves in such fast boats. And Ted is right about the trampoline, get heavy air under there and you are over. Last year I got caught on the lake by a streaks-of-foam gale - keeping the top of the main luffed up and backwinded was what kept the boat flat and the wind from getting under the tramp.Regards,OC

 

[OldCat]

Three Feet?

Three feet is very shallow - the worry is running aground at speed with the daggers down and splitting the hull. You can pull the dagger boards up part way to reduce draft. You will lose some upwind, but that beats a split hull.I like dagger board cats for their windward ability, but an assymetric like a Hobie 14/16 or Prindle 16/18 is better for shallow water.Cheers,OC

 

[cat38skip]

Former 18' Sol Cat owner ..

Lots of good advice here. Pick the stuff that fits Your situation and sailing location/conditions. I sailed an 18' SOL Cat for many years. After an early Venture Cat and a 16' Hobie cat. I sailed on California lakes, San Francisco Bay and mostly Monterey Bay. I found it to be a much better lake boat than ocean boat. The boat has a very high aspect ratio (tall mast), even for a cat. The hulls are very narrow and and not as full in the bows as many other cats and have almost no rocker. So they aren't quite as bouyant. This is good and bad. Well trimmed this boat is very fast. It is sensative to sail trim. I have sailed mine with the lee hull buried and barely slowed down. I have also stuck it in and pitched the boat with my crew on his trapeeze wrapped around the headstay. Whoooo Hoooo !!! The boat backs out and sails on...Be sure it doesn't sail on without You!!! NEVER LET GO OF THE MAINSHEET!!! Even on a lake it's embarassing to have Your boat sail up on a beach while You are swimming to catch it!! Now just how would I know that??? Tacking a cat can be fun as well, especially if it's blowing hard. I found that if You do not bring the jib across and allow the backed jib to push the bows around and wait until the main has come across and powered up before you tack the jib, you can usually avoid having to jibe in order to come about. If You want to discuss more details about your 'new' cat... email me at cat38skip@excite.com ..

 

[tweitz]

Reply to Old Cat

I defer to your catamaran expertise -- I obviously do not have much. But the one thing I knew for sure is that doing what I did on a monohull left me in the drink. Your comment about not letting go of the mainsheet is also a wise one. Once i capsized, and the boat no longer had the great weight aboard (me), the trampoline made a fairly efficient sail and the boat headed downwind at a nice pace even though it was on its side. I was just barely was able to grab on to a line, or it would have been far away. Of course I was wearing a PFD. This was all in Pleasant Bay in Cape Cod. One more word of advice -- don't sail with your wallet. The fish there still have my credit cards.

 

[2 Hulls Dave]

A couple more suggestions.....

Hi RJ - good luck with your new adventure.A couple more suggestions - if these were already covered, my apologies.You will capsize this boat. Guaranteed. Set it up in the yard and tip it over. Then try to right it as if you were in the water - just skip the swimming part. This is where you see if your righting lines ought to work and can judge how big a crew you'll need to right it. You won't be able to do it yourself.WHEN you capsize on the water and WHEN that power boat comes by to see if you need help, resist the offer to have the power boat pull on your righting lines to "help". This is the "obvious" way to help for those who don't know any better. The right way to use help - if you really need it - is to have the power boat go to the top of the mast, lean over the side, and grab the mast and raise it while you are doing your righting job on the boat. Just a little raising will get it going. Make sure the power boat guy knows that a significant portion of the top of the mast is underwater.A variation on this theme - if it's shallow enough - is to right the boat standing on the bottom, starting from the top of the mast and moving up the shroud. Practice this in the yard.After a capsize, always maneuver the boat so the mast is pointing upwind. This should happen whether you like it or not if it's windy enough. The wind blowing on the tramp will help you right the boat. The downside of this strategy is that when the boat comes up it may keep going and capsize on the other side - especially if you haven't loosened the sheets. So, as the boat comes up, prepare to leap to the opposite hull to hold it down. Oh, I forgot - before you ever sail this boat, ensure the mast is water tight. try floating it and looking for bubbles. A mast filling with water after a capsize is a bad day.For your crew when trapezing - rig a "sissy line" from someplace aft for the crew to use as a preventer when on those screaming reaches. The first time you dip a bow you'll know why this is important.DaveS/V Pas de DeuxCatana 471-44Capsizing beach cats for almost 30 years

 

[OldCat]

Generally Good Advice . . .

Generally good advice from many here, a couple of points:I can right my NACRA (19') single-handed, I weigh 210. It is a good idea to test this on the water, I'd rather do it there with a friend than in the yard - dropping hulls on the ground does not sound good, or safe, to me.My Nacra, with dagger boards, can be sailed single handed and tacked (under most conditions) without the jib or without backwinding the jib, unlike a classic assymetric hulled Hobie(16') which is less likely to tack without backwinding the jib. It is easier to single hand the boat without the jib up. In very heavy winds, or light winds with a lot of chop, or a crew of two, tacking is more difficult and may require a backwinded jib.Going Turtle is not as bad as it may seem, if your hulls have enough bouyancy. Simply sit on one hull at the transom - the boat should come up on its transoms and may rotate to sitting sideways. If it is on its transoms, can rotate it over on its side and right it normally. This works best on boats with high volume hulls like a Nacra or a modern Hobie, and not as well (or not at all?) on older bananna hull Hobies (14-16'). Of course, on a shallow lake, turtle won't be a problem - just mud on the mast.Some of this is boat dependent, so you will wind up experimenting with you and your boat.OC