Your observations are interesting but they don't seem to be backed up by facts. First
you're claiming that cats capsize and breakup, but the truth is it has probably never
happened to a production cruiser. Now you're saying you've seen waves you don't think a
cats can handle - but hundreds of Prouts have done circumnavigations without capsizes.
Almost all of the Caribbean charter cats got there on their own bottoms with (almost) no
problems.
Now you're saying the most cats aren't suitable for ocean passages. Are you claiming the
most monos are suitable? And you're claiming the cat can't go to windward? Most
cruising cats can go to windward as well as cruising monos. Structural damage? Again,
you're just making this up.
"The_navigator_©" wrote in message
...
I take your point about racers pushing it (racing monos also get
broken) but the fact is I've seen waves with near sheer faces that
would surely flip a cat -but not a mono. While you may get knocked on
your ear you are nowhere near capsize and even if you do, with the wash
boards in you'll come straight back up (assuming you have a blue water
vessel). Even with wash board out, most monos will come back up even
though they will flood down bit. Don't forget that more than 95% of big
ocean crossing are made by monohulls with no problems at all. While a
cat is nice in fair winds, you have to plan for the worst and that is
where the mono is surely superior. Talk about being your life raft
upside down is nonsense. The vessel should never become a life raft!
Most cruising cats are completely unsuitable for ocean passages. They
have massive windows to break, weak rigs, poor manouverability etc etc.
Since they are not used to heeling their stowage is terrible. If you
fall 20' across the bridge deck when she goes to even a mild 45 degress
tell me about how your broken bones feel!
The only choice in a cat is to run off and if that puts you in the
dangerous quad then you are in big trouble. The fact is that monos
generally sail the oceans because they are safer in extreme condtions
than a cat. This may not be true for coastal vessels/passages with
rescue close at hand. Listen to what really experienced ocean sailors
(e.g. Blake or Knox-Johnson) say about which vessel is most scary in a
storm... I think the ability to go to windward in a mono is a big plus
wheras a cat simply cannot do it (structural failure is inevitable in
slamming condtions). Since the speed benefit of cruising cats is now a
thing of the past what's really the big advantage (I assume you are not
going to object to a bit of heel) ?
Cheers MC
Oz1 wrote:
On Fri, 11 Jul 2003 11:18:51 +1200, The_navigator_©
wrote:
It is also rare for a cruising mono to break up and sink. In fact, they
often are found with no-one aboard. I've never heard of that being the
case for a multi. Once a cat gets flipped the loads on the bridge
structure get really enormous due to water in the hulls and 'suction' on
them. This will lead to structural failure PDQ in a storm and that is
why they'll sink. Give a good monohull anytime for survivability.
Cheers MC
"Although statistics are sparse, a study of 35 publicized multihull
capsizes between 1975 and 1985 contained only three cruisers, one
anchored in a 170-knot hurricane. Ninety-one percent were racers,
designed and sailed to the edge, and 60 percent occurred during racing
or record attempts. A full 54 percent of the boats were eventually
salvaged, some floating for months before retrieval. Ninety percent of
the crews survived, and half of those lost were on a single boat
shadowing the infamous 1979 Fastnet Race that claimed so many
monohullers."
http://www.2hulls.com/archive/Gen%20...apaulting.html
Oz1...of the 3 twins.
I welcome you to crackerbox palace,We've been expecting you.