Catamaran open water, solo sailing stories?

Question

I have basically no sailing experience, have a year and a half minimum to learn, decide on a boat and buy one. The suggestion has been made that building a catamaran is an option. I'm currently reseaching that possibility and with a limited budget it's looking interesting.

Please refrain from giving negative opinions on the overall plan but if you have personal experience I would love to hear your story. Best Thoughts kdkd

Answer 1

I am always glad to hear of someone with like dreams & ambitions...  There is nothing negative to it, in fact, you have a very reasonable approach to all of it.

I have built many boats in my life and I am currently building my third "Catamaran" over 48'.  This one is going to have a "Polynesian" style and look.

    Building a boat (especially a catamaran) is a very viable and smart option.  It is my experience that you can build one that is bigger, better, stronger, and safer... then you can buy new - period.  They just don't make production boats like they used to...  In addition to the above, you will (if you shop around a little) probably be able to build one at about 1/3 the cost of a comparable new one - and believe me, yours will be the better, stronger and safer boat.

    Don't get me wrong - its not cheap - and (by the way) neither is it magic...  But it is certainly worth your time and effort.  With todays boat-building epoxy - resins - it is really quite easy (even for someone who has never done it) to build a truly wonderful boat.

     If you haven't done so already... I suggest you check out these sites:

>  http://glen-l.com/

(They may not have the boat, or plans you want - but they have an excellant website - with a very good description of boat building methods.  I use their plywood method with boat epoxy and then figerglass and I have built several of their boats.  They are good people and offer you lots of help and support - even after the sale. They don't want you to fail.  They want to to finish your boat so they can post a picure of it on their website. (lol) And as a result, they have lots of happy customers. )

  

>  http://wharram.com/index.php

(these guys have been around for a long time - and their designs are excellant and their catamarans are very fast and maintain a very high resale value which is rare for a home-built.)

Feel free also to check out my site... I have some pages on there with some progressive build photos with descriptions of the step by step process...  (by the way, SummerWind, the boat you will see there, was built on catamaran hulls)

>  http://boatwrights.org/

     The bottom line is... I can't encourage you enough to consider building your own...  And I mean this for several reasons...  The building experience will:

#1 It will make you a better person and sailor, ( I know it did me. )

#2 You will learn more about sailing than you can possibly imagine during the boat-building process...

#3  When you finish - and you are "out there" sailing - you will have a rare and unbelievable "peace of mind" in knowing that no matter what breaks or goes wrong... you can fix it.  You will know how - because you built her!

#4 The $ you save = more $ to go sailing on!!!!!

Happy & Safe Boating!

Answer 2

The thing to remember with a catamaran is that it isn't a keelboat. It isn't worse than a keelboat, or better, just different. The catamaran has a shallower draft for the size, which means it can negotiate shoaly areas better. This is why you see so many of them in Florida and the Bahamas, and so few of them on the west coast; if you are sailing in areas with lots of sandbars a catamaran is a godsend, but if you're sailing in wide, deep water this really isn't a benefit. Catamarans have three points of sail--running, reaching, and motoring. Sailing a large cruising cat close-hauled will have you tacking back and forth smartly 45° into the wind...and losing 45° of leeway. You simply cannot make forward progress. This is not BAD (contrary to what some keelboaters will tell you), it's just what is. Square-rigged sailing ships couldn't sail much to weather, either, and managed to circumnavigate the globe. You just have to think and sail more like a square-rigger in a catamaran than a keelboat. I've done ocean crossings in both, and currently drive a jet catamaran for a living. Cats and keelboats both have their plusses. Here in the Pacific Northwest, a keelboat is the obvious choice, but in Florida the catamaran is the official state bird!

Answer 3

I have a 34FT Gemini cruising catamaran which I sail pretty much solo, mainly in coastal waters around New Zealand. This is an easy boat to sail, no dramas and very dry, stable  and comfortable by comparison with my previous keelboats. Also I think much safer as with built in buoyancy compartments it is less likely to sink. The trick with sailing catamarans is to reduce sail as the wind increases. I start reefing at 18knots wind speed. They will sail just as fast.

Answer 4

Hi There,

Great,you will buy planes and build your first boat, Great.

All The Best for your one or two years building.

You will end up with the boat you dreamed to own. Great.

But, what will happen if your choice was not realistic.

Many people are selling unfinished boats for theirs reasons.

Many people are sealing theirs boats because they are in no condition to race anymore. Pick one of those or other "oldee"

for fraction, test if it is to your exception and what is not and decide on what you will build.

Check for your closest family to back you up and share your dream all the time.

All The Best