BoatBanter.com - Ideal Characteristics of a long range Cruising Catamarran

"DSK" wrote
Bart Senior wrote:
I like the center cockpits of the Gunboats yachts and
the Chris White designs--with inside steering. Long

I like the center or forward cockpit ones too, that Chris White 48-footer
was awesome.

Some of his boat don't have access to the stern of the
boat except through the front. I think that is a mistake.
I'd want good air flow through the center pod and quick
access to the fishing rods.

I also like the Soloman Technologies electric propulsion.
Often big cats have to throttle back in heavier seas. It
makes sense to trade some of that speed for Amp-Hours.

It makes more sense to try and spin a prop for electricity on a fast multi
than on a mono- but remember it's not coming for free. It costs in speed &
wear/tear on the gear. If you think "the speed isn't that much" think
about how fast the boat would be driven by that same prop spinning at
those same RPMs... that's how much you're losing. 1.5 knots? 2 maybe? Not
a big problem but it adds up.

There are sure to be times when you want to reduce your
speed. Perhaps some sort of pod that can be used for
power or generating power, or removed for performance.
I read someone was using that concept.

.... Power is also needed for
water makers--no need to carry the weight of all that
water when you can make it!

Yes but I'd still want tankage for at least 4 or 5 days at minimum. The
water maker might break down or some other link in the electrical/charging
system. Repairs should not be a matter of "fix it or die."

That sounds reasonable. One gallon per day per person would
only be 36 gallons for 6 people. That's only about 220 pounds.
Not very much water. Also, one could always manually make
fresh water with a hand operated watermaker for more extended
periods.

A combination of water driven generators, photo-voltaics,
and even multiple noisy wind generators, could make an
electrically driven wheels on a Catamarran not only feasible,
but a desirable option. Electric Wheels are only feasible on
light weight boats like Catamarrans. I have no doubt these
will be common in the future.

Agreed. It's still an emerging technology with a lot of promise.

It would be nice to see some performance comparisons for
various configurations.

I believe it is possible to get entirely away from diesel gensets
with large banks of solar panels coupled with water and wind
generators.

It would depend on the cost of the overall plant. Diesel gensets are
relatively cheap, so is fuel (for now). The issue here is where to get
more when you're cruising. How much of a premium do you pay for thesame
power from solar panels, to gain independence from a fuel supply? The cost
of solar is coming down, so are most 'alternative' energy systems.

I agree with you on the cost issue. And it is cheap to swap in
a new genset that fails. However, fuel is a link to shore that still
must be met for extended cruising. With these other means of
generating power, you could stay out far longer with greater
independence.

That leads to my final choice in characteristics on Big Cats:
Carbon Fiber for light weight. This allows you to carry
extra equipment or provides for more speed. I'd opt for a bit
more weight and bring a clothes washer and dryer if I were
circumnavigating, and still have less weight than a fibgerglass
yacht.

You can wash your clothes in a bucket, it's the dryer that is critical.
When you're out of dry clothes & dry towels, the fun part of the cruise is
OVER!

A dryer is less important than a washer. I've washed cloths
in a sink. Not much fun and then there is the drying aspect.
at least on a large catamaran you could provide space for
hanging wet cloths to dry without making the whole boat wet.

Fresh water for washing is important too. In warm climate
drying would work well on a cloths line. In colder climates
a dryer could also provide heat. How often would you use
it in the Caribbean anyway? Perhaps once or maybe twice a
week for cloths and bedding? I've spent plenty of time trying
to find coins and Laundromats in the islands. I'd really rather
not waste my time with that.

Carbon-fiber does allow you to reduce the weight of the boat
and allow a few luxuries like this.