Bob is absolutely right. If your love of boating is based primarily
on the rush of sailing rail down, and your annual cruise is a weekend
at the marina across the bay, then a cruising cat is not for you.

Ironically, Bob imagines a time in the future when a cat might be the
best match for his needs. I've said that my next sailboat will
probably be a small overnighter, perhaps 22 feet. Right now we're
between long cruises but still spend about 6 weeks each summer aboard,
so the cat still serves our needs.

Capt. Rob wrote:
I find it interesting that this ultimately pragmatic thread has not
touched on the actual sailing experience itself. I've sailed two cats,
a Gemini and PDQ 36. In both cases my wife and I were bored to tears.
The PDQ was fast off the wind and there was some novelty in that for a
few minutes, but it didn't last. The heeling and motion of a monohul is
part of the romance of sailing for many of us. It feels right, even if
our drinks spill. I think the fellow who posted that while they are
both wind powered, they are too different to truly conpare. No doubt if
I was planning extended cruises with little chance of day and night
sails, a Cat might be the better pick. But for the way most folks sail,
with many daysails and long weekends a mono will be a lot more fun.
Then again, the novelty of heeling and having an exciting ride with the
rail buried can also lose it's charm. My wife and I plan to buy a
larger boat for part-time liveaboard in about 4-5 years and we'll look
at cats again, but I expect we've been spoiled to want the fun factor
more. Maybe our aging bones will change all of that! I do agree that
cats are not attractive, and I'm still young enough (no offense meant
here!) to place that high on my list, though I own a "modern" looking
boat she's still pleasing to my eye.

RB
Beneteau First 35s5 http://hometown.aol.com/bobsprit/index.html
NY