I think the dock space issue is, at least out here, one of the biggest
issues with multis. Space is at a premium. Occasionally, you can find an
end-tie, but more typically, you would have to pay for a double slip..
that's one reason why the folding tris are so interesting.

--
"j" ganz @@
www.sailnow.com

"Bob Crantz" wrote in message
k.net...

"Jeff" wrote in message
...
A fair description, except that the newer PDQ's have the aft
bench/davits for additional seating with more visibility. More often,
however, guests hang out on the bow while under way. There's room for
4- 6 to spread towels and sunbath, while the tramp tends to funnel a
good breeze up over them. If you've ever stood at the bow while
underway, imagine lying on a mesh trampoline while doing 9 knots!

Down below, there is no "womb like security." Actually, most
monohulls feel like a cave compared to the spacious open fell of most
cats.

Capt. Rob wrote:
What I find lacking in the layout of this cat is the feeling of
womb-like security I get when I go below on a traditional monohull.
There are no sure design specs to produce this feeling, but it has
always been a major part of my attraction to cruising boats.

You don't have to worry about crashing around in the cockpit because
you are not going to heel 20 degrees. Unfortunately, the seat level in
the cockpit puts your eyes down where your only clear line of sight is
directly aft and this could get annoying. You steer from an elevated,
powerboat-style seat with the wheel mounted on the bulkhead. Sail
controls all lead to the cockpit including single line reefing
controls. Steps are molded into each transom. There are virtually no
side decks on this design, but sunning space is optimum with the large
area provided by the bow trampolines.

The boat points reasonable well, given the absence of deep
daggerboards, tacking most comfortably through about 100 degrees
(multihulls generally are not able to strut their stuff until their
sheets are eased for reaching).

Amazing speed off the wind, but don't expect too much upwind.

Downwind the PDQ is as fast or faster than any surfing J-Boat. This is
NOT an exaggeration. The boat truly performs off the wind. This
performance does not extend to abilities to weather.

I think the PDQ gets a bum rap for upwind ability. She's about as good
as any heavy cruiser upwind, but it might feel worse because of the
stellar speeds off the wind. Still, if all around performance and
pointing ability are at the top of your list, look elsewhere.

Probably not a sailor's boat in the traditional sense, but a viable
alternative for you Chevy Chase types hauling the family. Poor helm
compared to other cats I've sailed.


Your PDQ has a really, really nice interior, both in esthetics and
function.
The lightness and airiness put it on a much higher plane.Now you've piqued
my interest.

Is it hard finding dockspace for them? What problems do you know of with
dock space?

Thanks,

Bob

think the dock space issue is, at least out here, one of the biggest
issues with multis.


At my club you can grab a T-head for the same price as a slip, but it's
more bump and grind for a boat. The Gemini and Prout we have here sit
in pretty big slips against their true LOA, which is too bad for the
owners. They're probably among the least sailed boats here, though I've
been out on the Gemini. We refer to them as swim platforms with sails.

RB
35s5
NY

It depends, but usually the end-ties are a bit more than a regular slip..
not always... depends on a number of factors. Out here, the cats are sailed
just as frequently if not more so than the monos. I think by numbers, the
cats are sailed more frequently, since they are vastly outnumbered by monos
in general. No science behind that of course... just my impression from
being out there a fair amount.

--
"j" ganz @@
www.sailnow.com

"Capt. Rob" wrote in message
oups.com...
think the dock space issue is, at least out here, one of the biggest
issues with multis.


At my club you can grab a T-head for the same price as a slip, but it's
more bump and grind for a boat. The Gemini and Prout we have here sit
in pretty big slips against their true LOA, which is too bad for the
owners. They're probably among the least sailed boats here, though I've
been out on the Gemini. We refer to them as swim platforms with sails.

RB
35s5
NY

I think by numbers, the
cats are sailed more frequently, since they are vastly outnumbered by
monos
in general. No science behind that of course... just my impression from

being out there a fair amount.


Except for my friend who was younger, all of the Cats I see have much
older sailors, often in their 60's or older. The multi makes a lot of
sense for someone getting on in years. I wonder why Doug didn't explore
the option since it does more than his trawler and is still a
"sailboat" to some degree.

RB
35s5
NY

They also make a lot of sense for people who like cats. The multis out here,
especially the tris, are sailed by people under 50.

--
"j" ganz @@
www.sailnow.com

"Capt. Rob" wrote in message
oups.com...
I think by numbers, the
cats are sailed more frequently, since they are vastly outnumbered by
monos
in general. No science behind that of course... just my impression from

being out there a fair amount.


Except for my friend who was younger, all of the Cats I see have much
older sailors, often in their 60's or older. The multi makes a lot of
sense for someone getting on in years. I wonder why Doug didn't explore
the option since it does more than his trawler and is still a
"sailboat" to some degree.

RB
35s5
NY

They also make a lot of sense for people who like cats. The multis out
here,
especially the tris, are sailed by people under 50.


Agreed, the tris are very cool. But upwind ability is big downfall of
cats. It's like having a fast car where the steering wheel stops
turning when you try to make a left. A performance cruiser like my 35s5
or an even faster C&C 34XL will have as much as 15-20 degrees of added
directional ability/pointing. I can sail 10 degrees closer to the wind
than Jeff's boat at 7 knots...where his boat literally needs it's
engines. That's nothing to sneeze at. (Actually the polars for my boat
show 6.5 knots at 35 degrees, but owners do better with the newer sails
of course, claiming hull speed even closer to the wind)
I love those F boats though! Dying to try one in some heavy air.

RB
35s5
NY

Capt. Rob wrote:
....
Actually the polars for my boat
show 6.5 knots at 35 degrees, but owners do better with the newer sails
of course, claiming hull speed even closer to the wind

What a crock! Are these the super secret polars!!! Sure, booby, they
do hull speed at 30 degrees true!

Please show us these polars!


RB
35s5 ... for the hallucinating boater!
NY

Well, my experience in the BVI, which had pretty steady 15-20 kts wind, on
an Athena 38, was that it pointed pretty much just as well as the big
Beneteaus. This was no high performance boat with decent, but no where near
perfect sails. The upwind speed was not better, but on the other hand, I was
comparing a 38 ft boat to monos that were much longer. The smaller charter
monos could not keep up... those in the 35-40 ft range. On that boat,
tacking really was pretty simple, never stalled in 10 days. And, if you just
cracked off the wind just a few degrees, you basically trashed the other
boats.

--
"j" ganz @@
www.sailnow.com

"Capt. Rob" wrote in message
oups.com...
They also make a lot of sense for people who like cats. The multis out
here,
especially the tris, are sailed by people under 50.


Agreed, the tris are very cool. But upwind ability is big downfall of
cats. It's like having a fast car where the steering wheel stops
turning when you try to make a left. A performance cruiser like my 35s5
or an even faster C&C 34XL will have as much as 15-20 degrees of added
directional ability/pointing. I can sail 10 degrees closer to the wind
than Jeff's boat at 7 knots...where his boat literally needs it's
engines. That's nothing to sneeze at. (Actually the polars for my boat
show 6.5 knots at 35 degrees, but owners do better with the newer sails
of course, claiming hull speed even closer to the wind)
I love those F boats though! Dying to try one in some heavy air.

RB
35s5
NY