Surfing Cat

Jun 14, 2010
2,081
Robertson & Caine 2017 Leopard 40 CT
:facepalm: Skill, luck, cujones, call it what you will. :beer:

PS - I wouldn't have tried it. :yikes:
 
Last edited:
Jan 1, 2006
7,040
Slickcraft 26 Sailfish
The cat tracked pretty straight. I'm impressed. Crazy Aussies for sure.
 

Tom J

.
Sep 30, 2008
2,301
Catalina 310 Quincy, MA
I'm proud of myself when I land my kayak in a two foot surf. That was amazing!
 
Jan 1, 2006
7,040
Slickcraft 26 Sailfish
I think the two hulls tracked in a way analogous to twin bladed ice skates. A monohull might have tripped on its keel and broached. Maybe not but a dicey proposition.
We used to run Shinnicock inlet with my father's cabin cruiser when I was a pre-teen. The technique was to ride the back of a wave in matching the speed of the wave if you could. Once it broke you'd just try to steer through the mish-mash using whatever power you could until the prop and rudder would bite. The displacement boats would get pooped waiting for the waves - sometimes with very negative results. The boat that led the way in the "New" inlet running in Shinnicock was a Bertram 31, which as many of you know had pretty good power for the 60's.
Power boats have such small rudders that when the water is moving almost a fast as the boat, as in after a wave breaks, the steering is poor. Power can get the rudders working again. You might stain your underwear but you'll prolly be OK.
As a kid it was - "Wow. That was cool."
 
Jul 12, 2011
1,165
Leopard 40 Jupiter, Florida
I think the two hulls tracked in a way analogous to twin bladed ice skates. A monohull might have tripped on its keel and broached.
I have always been concerned about entering across a bar or with a breaking following sea. That said, for keelboats "weebles wobble, but they don't fall down" is my motto. I may get turned sideways, pooped, or even broach, but I know that if I keep only half the water from going down the companionway, I'm going to land on my (lead) feet still floating.

Honestly, this scene is what scares me about owning a cat. For you experienced cat owners, does this situation bother you? Perhaps not with 5 meter waves as that would scare anyone, but with normal following seas or 2 meter breaking waves.