shopping pains
"NH_/)_" wrote:
.... so when the funds
come in, we know what we want. and the cat right now is
lurking top choice.
Reasons
1 will flip ...but does not sink
Neither will a monohull with either bulkheads or positive flotation, and
if the mono flips it will come back.
Actually, it takes really bad luck and/or stupidity to flip a big
cruising cat. Not a realistic concern, you should worry about being
struck by a meteor first.
2 more room
Depends on how you count 'room.' Most multis suffer from lack of stowage
and the extra room is divided up into small compartments. Except for a
few Chris White designs, I have yet to see a cruising cat that was
designed for cruising (ie a small number of people aboard long term)
rather than chartering or weekend partying (not that there's anything
wrong with that).
3 sails in shallow water
So will a properly designed mono.
4 more stable on the water
Yep. Definitely a plus there.
Down side
1 Costs are high
the one we are looking at costs 300K
we only have 140K right now so we have to
wait for the trust to come available.
2 mooring can be more difficult--finding room
3 can't use a windvane
4 poor performance in chop (also very noisy)
5 poor performance in light air (but you'll probably be motoring anyway)
but wait there's more! I always manage to PO the multi fans because I
point out the lack of perfection of their craft... of course all boats
are a compromise.
Personally, aesthetics aside, I don't think cats are a logical choice.
For what a big cruising cat costs, you can get & outfit a mono that is
bigger, roomier, faster, more seaworthy, with centerboard or lifting
keel, and the only thing you gain with the cat is no heeling.
Fresh Breezes
Doug King
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