Flotilla's Anyone?

Looking for a Flotilla?.  Here is a list that I am keeping for myself.  I will add more as I come across them.

Baja Ha-Ha - The Baja Ha-Ha cruisers rally is from (from San Diego to Cabo San Lucas) The Baja Ha-Ha occurs every year neat the end of October.

CW Adventures Charters Sail-a-Cat - This is according to CW their best-selling flotilla voyage of  the year and occurred Dec 3 - 11th, 2010.  I am assuming they will have another one this year.  They report it is a great way to learn about chartering and to try out a catamaran! In addition, they offered lots of extra fun: windsurfing and kite boarding lessons, kayaks and Hobie Cats, and a dive rendezvous or guided tropical water fishing excursion.

More to come.....

Need a Captain or Crew for Your Next Catamaran Cruise?

My wife and I are looking for an affordable vacation aboard a Catamaran.  Trouble is none of our friends share our dream yet, so if you are looking for an experienced captain or crew or someone to share expenses please let us know.  We will be researching all available options.  Money is tight.  I realize Catamarans are not cheap.  We will have to be creative to make this affordable but one way or another I will be taking a vacation aboard a Catamaran someday soon.

Last year I completed the ASA Cruising Catamaran Sailing and Bareboat Chartering classes through the Afterguard Sailing Academy.  

10.5 meter Gemini

It was great but I look forward to sailing without a teacher looking over my back and without the pressure of having to pass an exam.  I just want to sail and enjoy myself.  I have 1000’s of hours behind the wheel of various types of boats, mostly power, but lately some sailing vessels.  I consider myself to be an excellent navigator and driver of any size vessel.  Although I have much to learn I performed flawlessly navigating and docking the single screw 10.5 meter Gemini that we used in our 5 day Catamaran class.  Photo shown on the right. 

Flotilla’s seem like a good way to go.  Perhaps there is a catamaran owner that is planning to join one and needs someone to share expenses and crewing duties.  The Baja Ha-Ha looks like a lot of fun.  The Baja Ha-Ha is a two-week cruisers rally from San Diego to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, which takes place every fall.  I was just reading about the Cruising World Sail-a-Cat Adventure Charter.  Prices last year were from $1,700 to $2,200 per person.  A bit steep for me so I will continue researching.  If I have to save up, then that is what I will do. 

If flotillas and cruising rally's aren't for you, charting my own course on my own schedule is definitely in my future.  Email my if you need a crew or captain for your next Catamaran vacation.  catmandav@gmail.com.

Free TV for your Boat or RV?

OK, This is slightly off topic but you may find this interesting especially if you read my post "HD Satellite TV on Your Catamaran" or if you are looking for a cost affective way to enjoy TV on your boat or RV or at home.  I keep wondering how the transition from land to sea can be made as smooth as possible.  Having the creature comforts of home on your craft will certainly help although i suspect there will be much more than TV to keep me occupied on a Cat.

News flash! I was reminded recently that TV is free don't ya know.  I for one am starting to really question why I send Directv  over $100.00 a month.  TheFutureofTV.org  claims a better future for free TV.  Apparently you can help the Free TV cause by signing up here.  They claim that 3D could be coming and they already broadcast digitally in HD including moble DTV.  Wouldn't it be nice to take those ugly dishes off of your roof and pocket some extra cash?  As previously discussed dishes for boats or RV's are not cheap.  Oh but wait, you have to replace the dish with an off air antenna.  Oh well, I already have one on my roof.  Perhaps a small price to pay for Free TV.

But what about my DVR?  For 19.99 or 12.95 per month (Monthly price depends on which plan you go with) you can have a full featured DVR with Internet access, On Demand content and much more with your TiVo subscription! Sounds to good to be true and as I found out the price initial price has turned me off.

Here is the summary of my research on Tivo's pricing plans:
I have 4 receivers now, so to replace all of them would require an initial investment of approximately $1,860.00 if I go with the Premium plan.  The Premium XL came out to an initial investment of aprox $2078.  WOW.  Why so high?  You have to buy the equipment and they are not cheap.  There are a couple other plans where you pay less initially however it ends up being more down the road, at least in my case.

If my math is correct however since the monthly charge would be a measly $12.95 plus $9.95 each for the three extra receivers I would break even after two years and save around $700.00 per year thereafter.  But what if you need to replace a receiver?  The savings would probably end up being less long term.  Plus I would be giving up a ton of extra channels like DIY, Discovery and other outdoor channels.  I can live without them but is it worth it?  If I only needed one receiver, TiVo is a much more attractive offer. 

Another showstopper for the boat or RV is that it requires a phone connection for the program guide and other things I presume.  You would need an Internet connection for the On Demand and browsers features as well. 

TiVo did mention that the new DVR's are Smaller and more energy efficient and more powerful than previous TiVo generations.  This is important for Catamarans and RV's.

The future of TV is so unknown.  Who knows what it will be like in two years.  You can already watch your favorite shows through the networks web site and TV's now days are internet ready.  There’s a thought.  Internet on your boat.  Sounds like a topic for a future discussion.

You could go with Free TV and not pay the 19.99 per month.  This would most likely be the only for me if I were setting up my Catamaran today.  You loose the convenient program guide which you don't get with Free TV. 

Remember the small TV Guide magazine?  Do they even sell those any more?  I used to see the TV listings come with the Newspaper.  Can't say I recall seeing one of those for a year or two, at least not from our local newspaper.

Additional Resources:
TiVo’s Free HD over-the-air signals page.

If you don't know what TiVo or DVR's are by now (Read Consumer Reports for the low down on DVRs ) you are behind the times.

The Mailman Stole my Multihulls World Magazines

I was flattered and surprised when I saw my Catmandreams blog mentioned in the Nov/Dec 2010 Multihulls World magazine.  It has been a while since my last post.  I have not lost interest.  For a while I wasn’t seeing a whole lot of new information on the web.  This is partly due to the fact that I hadn’t been receiving the Multihulls World magazine.  There is a wealth of information in it.


I think the mailman is a Catamaran enthusiast.  I emailed Multihulls World magazine staff recently to inform them that I had not received the last three issues.  According to them they were sending them to the correct address.  They offered to send them to a different address, but I assured them that I receive mail at my home all the time without issues.  They were nice enough to resend them to the same address using a different mail carrier.  They also came in a brown envelope so the contents would be disguised.  I guess this way they won’t be stolen by the mail man or whomever.  After all, the magazine probably goes through many hands between France and the US. Thanks Multihulls World Mag.

HD Satellite TV on your Catamaran?

I saw an ad introducing the revolutionary KVH TracVision HD7 which allows you to watch HD DIRECTV from your boat.  They say you can watch whatever you want whenever you want.  They claim rock-solid performance, enhanced tracking algorithms and a stainless steel bearing construction.  You can watch, record and replay with full DVR capability. Sounds too good to be true but if it really works wouldn't that be cool?

Once I saw the ad, the next question I had was "How Much?".  One price I saw was almost $12,000.  Wow!  I did the math.  The entire season 4 of Lost can by purchased new on Blue-Ray through Blockbuster for $60.  There are 13 episodes.  With tax it comes out to around $5 per episode, so for $12k you could purchase 2,400 blue ray dvd's.  After watching them you could give them away as gifts to the locals when you travel from one tropical island to another.

I haven't included the monthly fee you have to pay DIRECTV.  Currently I am paying close to $100.00 per month.  I guess the TracVision is only for the very wealthy.  I hope the prices come down by the time I am ready to put a dish on my Cat.  Maybe I could win the Lottery.  I guess you have to play to win though right?

I know what some of you are thinking.  If you can afford the Cat, what is another $12k.  When you put it that way maybe it is a small price to pay.  I may be able to buy a Cat someday, but unless I hit it big in the stock market I may not be able to keep it for very long.  Hopefully the KVH will hold it's value.  Then again, I hope the price comes down between now and then.

Photo of a Sunreef Yacht with KVH domes:

Review of the Online version of Multihulls Magazine

I just finished reading the Online version of the Multihulls Magazine and I must say I am impressed. There is something to say about holding the paper version however I am not sure how they could do it any better.

If you haven’t tried reading a magazine online I think you might be impressed. I have seen some in the past that were slow and cumbersome. This one is fast and simple to use. A click here and a click there and you are turning pages, zooming in and out and panning up and down with an easy nudge of the mouse. One advantage the online version has is you can perform a keyword search. Can’t do that with the paper version. It is an excellent alternative to the hard copy.

This may be my 1st time reading the MultiHulls Magazine surprisingly. You don’t see it on the shelves to often where I am from. I felt it had a balanced mix of information, news, education, stories and product reviews. I was disappointed when I got to the end. You always want more ya know. I am looking forward to the next one.

Catamaran Surfing - Awesome

I came across this video posted on the Multihulls Magazine web site that I just had to share.  This video shows a brave sailor taking on some big waves.  Didn't know Catamarans could surf.

A Little Time Out to Dream

Occasionally I find time to search the web for anything new in the Catamaran world. Since I am still not yet able to live the dream I settle for watching and researching more about the dreams others are already living. In my search today I came across some information that is new to me and I felt very unique and worth sharing.

The SMG Multihull company has done something that I have not yet seen on a Catamaran. When you watch the video, like I did, you might notice something is missing. Where is that dangerous boom that I am sure every sailor has been hit by at least once. Guess what? It doesn't have one. It has two roller furling jibs instead. Talk about keeping it simple and safe. My only question is, is there a hit on overall performance with this design. Other then that I think there are many advantages.

They are using what they call an A-mast which you can read more about on their website. Here is a summary of the Advantages according to them.

Advantages of the A-frame rig:

• Easy sail reefing with roller furler - possible on any course!
• Safety at all maneuvers in all weather conditions. Nobody has to watch out for the dangerous boom.
• All the sailing operations can get done in the safe center cockpit.
• Best approaching flow for main sail and jib on close hauled course.

I am no expert on the price of replacing a mainsail, but I suspect this would add savings over time when the sail has to be replaced. It should be real easy to stow the sails for extended periods to keep them out of the sun i would imagine.

I also like that this Cat is powered by a Hybrid Diesel Electric Engine. I figure the more that adopt newer and more efficient propulsion systems, the closer I'll be to enjoying fossil fuel free sailing. They also made this comment "Future orientated. In some years the diesel generator can be exchanged with the environment-friendly fuel cell". I like it!

It's been too long since my last post

Although I have not posted lately, the catamaran dream is still very much alive in my mind. I am working very hard now so that I can make this dream come true in the future. It is not easy. We are still stuck in the mud financially but the economy is beginning to show signs of improvement. I am very hopeful and optimistic that one way one day I will be cruising behind the wheel of my very on Catamaran. At the very least i will bareboat charter a Cat to get the feel for it. I won't be fully satisfied until I can chart my own course aboard my own ship on my own schedule.

The plan in the spring of 2011 is to continue sailing classes which will include Bareboat chartering and catamaran sailing. I believe Mary Swift of Afterguard Sailing Academy indicated I may be able to combine the two into one class. We shall see.

I finally took some time out to do a little Googling for anything new regarding Catamarans. The charter cat called Catatonic which is a Lagoon 440 popped up. It peaked my interest because it comes equipped with Scuba equipment. For those that don't know I also help run a web site called DiversOne which is a social networking site devoted to Scuba Divers. DiversOne has consumed much of my spare time which is one reason why I have neglected this blog. If I get the point where I am trained and can afford a Catamaran Sailing vacation I will look for one that has Scuba equipment and a compressor to fill the tanks on board. This cat also comes fully equipped. Even has Wifi on board. Sweet! Check out the video.



For the really big dreamers I also read about the new Sunreef Yacht equipped with Eco Friendly Solar Panels. Photo shown above upper right.

Coastal Cruising Done! Bareboat and Cat Class Next

I had the pleasure of delivering a sailboat from Richmond to the docs of the Afterguard Sailing Academy in an effort to finished my Basic Coastal Cruising course. Next up is the Bareboat charter and then the Catamaran class. Now I just need to find the time to squeeze it in. We are off to Bahamas for 5 days of Diving this month. Perhaps I can find time in August. What I would do for a couple weekends with nothing planned. Sounds refreshing.

I just can't catch up. Friday I was Tuna fishing out of HMB, Saturday was the 4th of July block Partner and Sunday I was finishing up my Sailing certification. Very busy and eventful weekend. If I am not doing any of the above then I am either playing soccer or watching my 12 year old play. In addition to that I do have a day job and in my spare time i help out with www.diversone.com which by the way is really starting to take off.

I am at a time in my life where no matter what i decide to do there is something else that I have to pass on. I am doing my best to balance family, work and play and still strive to achieve goals and dreams. Don't get me wrong. Life is pretty good even though the economy is in the tank. I still feel very lucky to be me, but oh do I look forward to a simpler life.

Special thanks to Mary from AfterGuard Sailing Academy for taking and sending this photo of me at the helm crossing the slot with the Golden Gate bridge in the background. Mary has an unending wealth of knowledge that she passes on to her customers going above and beyond what is required for the class. Awesome!

New Found Respect for Sailors

I have a new found respect for Sailors after my 1st weekend of the Basic Coastal Cruising course. Although I learned a lot I still have many questions and much to learn. It is not as easy as I had imagined. Unless you are the skipper and all you to is hand out orders I found sailing to be a mentally and physically challenging in the windy part of the bay. Not to mention there is much to learn about sail trim and the affects of the wind, tides and currents. To be honest it is a lot more work then I imagined at least aboard the boat that we learned on. I know it is important to learn the hard way but I am also learning about what not to do and how I will want my boat to be configured so that sailing is enjoyable for me.

We learned in the SF Bay which is known for strong winds, currents and constantly changing conditions. I learned aboard a 32 foot sloop rigged monohull without a roller furled Jib. This meant dragging a sail to the front of the boat and manually connecting the sail. Most importantly when the wind conditions suddenly changed and became very windy our teacher decided this would be a great time for us to experience changing the Jib in rough conditions. Since we had not practiced this in calm conditions we experienced this for the 1st time in rough conditions. We donned our wet gear and attached ourselves to life lines with safety harnesses and self inflating life vests. Although we completed the task successfully with our teachers guidance and without any issues it was by far the most nerve racking and physically challenging adventure so far. I can only imagine what it would be like to be caught in a storm in the ocean with swells and waves and wind. Even keeping the boat cruising in a straight line required a lot of concentration. I imagined being caught in a storm for 12 hours or more under these conditions which I am sure is not uncommon during an extended crossing.

As I am learning I am realizing what my limits are and what it will take for me to warrant the charter and eventually the purchase of a sailboat. I imagine inviting friends many of which will not have any experience. I will need a boat that can fairly easily be single handed. I will require a boat with a boom that is high enough so as not to knock anyone out do to an accidental Jib. Although performance will be important I may choose a self tacking Jib option for those days when you are entertaining non sailing guests. It will have to have a roller furling Jib. I will require a wind direction gauge located in the cockpit so I don't have to look up to the top of the mast. From what I can tell so far my only acceptable boat choice will be a well thought out performance cruising catamaran. From what I can tell a catamaran is the only choice to balance comfort, performance and ease of sailing.

We still have one more weekend to complete the Coastal Cruising course. After that I believe I have two more courses to round out my experience and prepare me for bareboat charters on a Catamaran. I will be very happy once I have completed the training and hope to have answered the majority of my questions and concerns about sailing. It has been an adventure to say the least. This phase however is the hard part and I look forward to the part where sailing is less of a challenge and more of an adventure.

We are taking our sailing lessons through the AfterGuard Sailing Academy. I have been very pleased with their operation and highly recomend them.

http://www.afterguard.net

Sailing Classes Finaly

Finally signed up for Sailing classes. The next step towards achieving my dream. Soon you will have to refer to me as Captain CatManDav or some rendition of that. lol. Soon I plan to charter a Catamaran in the SF area. Awesome!

I signed up through the Afterguard Sailing Academy. I met the instructor at the Strictly Sail boat show in Oakland last month and was impressed with their operation and prices. Per her request I have purchased the book Sailing Fundamentals book by Gary Jobson. I have a lot of reading to do although I am sure I will do fine on the tests. three weekends and 3 or 4 weeknight sails and I should have completed the Basic Keelboat and Basic Coastal Cruising courses. After that it is on to bareboat and Catamaran classes at which point I will be ready to sail.

I found out at the Strictly Sail boat show about the Electric Leopard Catamaran that is available for day charters. I believe they said the price is about 500 for the day. Not bad if you split the costs amongst 12 friends give or take. Maybe I can even rent it for a big weekend someday soon. Might even make my captain services available for a chance to log some sailtime. Just need to find the time.

I recently won a 6 night stay in the Bahamas. We also have a week long trip planned to Lake Davis and I will no doubt spend a week hunting again this year. That only leaves me with 4 days of random vacation days. Maybe the boss will slip me an extra day or so here and there.

Strickly Sail Boat Show 2009

My wife and I attended the annual Strictly Sail boat show in Jack London Square on Friday which included some power boats as well. I had seen all the cat’s there before accept for the Electric Leopard 43. It is powered by a Mercedes diesel generator. One motor instead of 3 sounds like a good idea to me unless it breaks down. I had a couple snapshots taken of me behind the wheel. Someday it will be for real rather then tied to the dock.

We stopped at every booth that offered sailing training. As it turns out the best deal might be to train out of Isleton ca. Apparently there is an outfit located there just off hwy12. Although you will be training in a wide part of the Sac delta I am told by ASA(American Sailing Association) it doesn’t matter where you learn to sail the certification is the same. I still have to research the Isleton outfit to see if it will suit my needs and budget. We also met a nice lady who ran the Afterguard Sailing Academy. Pricewise that would probably be the second choice. The OCSC sailing outfit is top notch and a little more expensive. They did have a pretty good price on a package deal but I am afraid money is a factor and as long as a certification is a certification then I may end up taking the less expensive route.

We took advantage of the free 30 minute sail aboard one of their Hunter sailboats. That was fun but again, not the same until I actually venture off for the 1st time on my own on my own boat or at least for now a rented one. 30 minutes is fun, but it is not the same as going on a sailing adventure. Apparently you can rent one of the big Cat’s for around 500 for the day. Dived that by 12 and you have a full day of fun for less then 50 bucks each. Not bad. Some day….. Some day….

DiversOne.com is going strong. We are already up to over 300 members and 1500 high quality photo, videos. you can blog and contribute to some of the many Forum topics. We added a Classifieds section and have many new features coming any day now. If you like diving or are considering becoming a diver please join us. Click here to sign up for free. www.diversone.com

What have you been up to?

Some might wonder if the dream is still alive. It is and I still keep an eye out on the Catamaran front. I just haven't had much time to devote to my blog. In case you are wondering I have been busy with new web project which has occupied all of my free time. I have partnered with a fellow dive buddy of mine to build a social networking site for Divers. It is phase one of a larger project to offer a complete source for all things diving related. As soon as I can catch my breath I plan to do something similar for Catamarans.

The goal of DiversOne is to become a one stop shop for all things dive related. If you are a diver this website should the 1st place you go for diving related socializing and information. Obviously we are on the ground floor so bare with us. We are looking for beta users. Please sign up and give us your opinion. Don't be surprised if in the next week or so to find lots of new users joining in on the fun. We are very excited to launch this site and look forward to adding features to it as soon as possible.

I am sure many of you Catamaran owners enjoy diving whether this includes snorkeling, scuba diving or hunting for food in some exotic location. I look forward to combining Catamaran cruising with diving among other things. I would love to hear from other cruisers about their diving experiences from their sailboats.

This looks like fun.

Free Multihulls World Magazine Download

Looks like the link to the download is no longer valid, but I will leave the post anyway in case you want to check out their site.

The Multihulls World Magazine is available for download and it is free as of the time I am posting this blog entry. I thought I would pass it on to other members. If you are interested in Multihulls this is a must read.

http://www.multihulls-world.com/us/download-magazine-103,462.html

4 New Fast Cruiser Racers

There are four new cats I have read about that have peaked my interest. The Jan-Feb 2009 issue of Multihulls World magazine reported on two of them. The January 2009 Sail magazine had a lot more Catamaran information in this copy then usual. You will notice a theme surrounding these tree cats. Sail magazine called them Feral cats. I call them fast, affordable and have the accommodations that should suit my needs when the time comes.

The Sig 45 looks like it has potential. They claim in only 8 days of sea trials as of Nov 2008 that the top boat speed is 22 knots with 24 knot wind. Check out this video for a view inside and out at high speed. Sure does make me wish I were sailing. I would want some shade as the summers in and around the SF Delta and Bay Area can get hot. Additionally it can be just as cold so I would consider some sort of shelter to get out of the weather. You can’t have everything though. I am not sure I want a tiller driven cat, but we will have to see. According to a recent article in MultiHulls World magazine, the 9th commandment is “Thou shalt buy a multihull that is easy to sail”. I don’t know how easy this cat is to sail, but it sure looks like fun.

While researching the Sig 45 I came across the Moxi 37 which also peaked my interest. I am seeing a pattern here with these new designs. Light, fast, functional and affordable. They are not something to live on, but you could certainly be comfortable for a week and get from point A to B in no time. The Moxi 37 weighs in at only 7165 lbs. The cockpit forward design boasts the ability to enclose both the helm area and the entire bridge deck area with canvas and vinyl windows.

I was unable to find much on the XLight 45. It appears to have some similar structural characteristics from the small photo in Multihulls World. They say if you liked the TS 50 you will like this one as well. They report it will be light fast and easy to maintain. I will keep an eye out for more information.

The choices seem to be increasing with the popularity. Sail magazine n the Jan 2009 issue compared Monohulls to Multihulls and gave the advantage to Catamarans in 4 out of the 5 area's that were compared. The area where Monohulls won was in Sailing Performance. I am sure with the right Cat you could easily give the advantage to Catamarans in all 5 categories

I like what I am seeing, but where will the microwave and big screen TV with Surround sound go? Later in life perhaps…. .

Christmas in Puerto Morelos

My family decided to spend Christmas in Puerto Morelos Mexico this year. Puerto Morelos is a short drive South of Cancun. There were 12 of us in all. Rather then spend a bunch of money on gifts we spent it on travel expenses and excursions. Puerto Morelos is a family friendly town and was not overrun with Tourists. It is much less expensive then Cancun and not so crowded.

We stayed at the Posada El Moro. It may be the best deal in town for the money. It was no 5 star resort by any means, but for location and staff I give it a 10. It has a pool with a shallow area for kids. It is less then a block away from the center of this family friendly town and has free Internet Access in the hotel lobby for its guests. There is some construction going on and they have some kinks to work out with the hot water heater and AC unit in the room we were in, but over all it was a pleasant stay.

One day on my way out to a local dive spot, I spotted a large 50 foot Catamaran moored behind the protected reef near the peer at the center of town. I imagined what it would be like to stay on the Catamaran VS the Hotel we were at. Especially on the 5th or 6th day without a TV, a fridge and sometimes hot water. It was windy so there may be some mild waves slapping and a bit of motion. I am curious what a night in those conditions would be like. I suppose as you get used to it you would be rocked to sleep. Unfortunately for me after the 5th or 6th night at the hotel I began to miss the comforts of home. I am confident a properly outfitted cruising Catamaran would eliminate the desire to go home.

Since I am still a long way from retirement but still strongly desire to spend a lot of time on a Catamaran I will require full functional while at sea. What I will be seeking in a Cat is a mobile office. Since I primarily work from home I could conceivably work from a properly configured Cat. As long as I have a strong Internet connection I could theoretically work wirelessly from the back porch of the Cat sipping coffee in the morning enjoying a new and amazing each day. During breaks for lunch I could drop a line in the water and maybe catch something for lunch or take a dip to cool off. Some day….. Some day…..  Still dreaming.

Hybrid Catamaran and Hydrofoil Speed Record

One of the major reasons I have become fascinated with Sailing is the fact that I can theoretically get from point A to B without using Fuel. Initially I thought about buying a yacht, but I know I wouldn’t want to take it out due to the huge cost of fuel. Even if I can afford the fuel, it still bugs me to know with each passing mile I am burning expensive fuel not to mention the smell, impact to the environment and the noise. I know someday I can afford the boat, but can I happily afford the maintenance and fuel that it takes to fully enjoy it. This why I get so excited when I read about new technologies that harness the Sun, wind, water etc to help power the craft.

I just heard about the new Island Pilot DSe Hybrid Catamaran. It takes advantage of two hulls rather then one which is a must for me and it runs on solar power. It is a step in the right direction. They claim it can go for 4 hours with 0 emissions at a speed of 7knots. Although that is not fast enough for my taste you can run the generator and go 13knots burning diesel. Still not ideal for me but I know things can only improve. I still like the idea of letting the wind do most of the work. The Island Pilot option would take some of the fun out of it for me.

CNET Car Tech recently reported that the Internal Combustion engine is on the way out, but that batteries are still the weak link. They need to be lighter and more efficient. Apparently the new Chevrolet Volt only has a range of 40 miles. But I am optimistic and look forward to the future. The more products that jump on the bandwagon to reduce our dependence on Oil and do it cleanly that happier we all will be.

Have you seen this yet? For the performance minded sailor you have to check out this You Tube video. The title is Hydrofoil Speed record. The craft is apparently sailing along at 54 Mph. If my French is correct they claim a top speed of 47.2 knots per hour. The hydrofoil is just floating over the waves. It is amazing. The next step is flying. Check it out. Here is the Image Gallery for the craft.

Newly Discovered Catamaran Manufacturers

Wow. It’s been a month and a half since my last post. Lets just say life throws curve balls at you once and a while. My desire and dreams have not changed although the time frame to make my dreams a reality seems very far in the distant future. This doesn’t stop me from learning and researching though. I came across some new Catamaran manufacturers that I thought I should pass on. They are new to me anyway. Enjoy!

The Boat System Prometh looks very interesting but the website is all in French from what I can tell so I didn’t spend much time there. They build their boats in Aluminum and some models appear to have dagger boards.

I was impressed by the performance stats of the Tournier Marine Catamarans. They appear to be great performers. The accommodations appear practical, functional and durable rather then posh, delicate and expensive. For the Freydis 46 and 50 cruising models, they advertise a speed of 7.5 knots with a wind speed of 10 knots. For the 50 footer, the Aluminum rotary mast is required to achieve this speed VS the carbon rotary mast. The amount of bridge deck clearance appears to be more then adequate for serious ocean cruising conditions. The photo shown here suggests you might be able to use the underside as a parking garage for a small fishing vessel or two. I would sure love to take a closer look at this line of Cats.

Schionning Marine sells catamaran kits. One of the Cat’s in their line, the G-Force 1400 boasts a top sailing speed of over 25 knots. They also sell the Waterline performance/cruising catamarans. They come in several sizes from 38 to 57 feet. They have the Cosmos cats more suited to cruising and their new Wilderness X Series with 6 different models to choose from.

I keep finding more and more catamaran manufacturers out there. I can only hope that supply is going up which will bring prices down. Unfortunately as supply goes up I suspect demand is also going up. Perhaps more and more boating enthusiasts are switching from power boating to sailing due to the increase in fuel prices.

Wave Slap on a Catamaran

I recently posted a question on an active yahoo live aboard community group called Captain’s & Admiral’s Café. As a subscriber to this very active group I was receiving lots of posts but none were on the topic of cruising Catamarans. So I asked for some Catamaran related experiences from the members and I received several opinions.

The 1st advice I read was to go to the Toast Floats. I read “That which doesn’t kill us” and loved it. Although it talks about things that break I am jealous and I can’t wait to be that person fixing that which is broken. It appears there is much more to read and learn from this family living aboard their Lagoon 380 catamaran named Don Quixote. The blog contributor describes his cat as a slow starter houseboat. Check it out.

Someone also mentioned TeamHudson and their excellent adventure. So far I have just skimmed this blog, but from what I can tell he is just like me only quite a few steps ahead. He began his blog before buying his cat and is now living on his cat with his family. Again, I am jealous and inspired to keep dreaming and to find a way to make this dream a reality. His blog covers many topics from Environment, fishing, moving aboard, financing and sharks to list a few.

The one comment that stood out as a possible deal breaker was the issue of Wave Slap. It started with some comments about a Catana owner that complained of wave slap on a recent passage. Wave slap is what occurs when heading into steep waves and is more prevalent on cats with low bridge deck clearance. The wave crashes underneath the bridge deck and can make for some uncomfortable passage making. See the photo of the Catana shown to the right. The bridge deck clearance is good in some places but not all, so perhaps the design although maximizing interior space, contributes to wave slap. There is no doubt wave slap is a concern, but so is healing over at a 45% angle in a monohull.

I was concerned and was happy to hear from the owner of a Fountaine Pajot Athena 38. His thoughts were just what I needed to hear and as I expected. His thought was “All designs have their unique design effects” and that wave slap is an issue and just that. With over 2000 miles on his boat he claims only 200 or so were miles that may have included some wave slap. He mentioned one trip that was particularly bad. “Slogging into 8ft swells sucked and was noisy with the slap issue “ but he also said there aren’t many boats that would have been any more fun in those conditions. He also said if needed the boat was doing fine and he could have kept going, but instead changed course to resolve the issue. He still prefers his Cat and said “All and all the positives far out weigh the negatives for my family.”.

Another family chimed in that switched from a Morgan 41 classic to a Manta 42 Mk IV and said there are ups and downs, but they are very happy with the switch.

"We’ve had no problem at all getting used to our new huge salon, cockpit, washer/dryer, water maker, genset… the list goes on and on."

They did bring up some important information surround rig fatigue.

"Since cats don’t heel the standing rigging is tensioned far more often than a mono hull so rigging needs to be replaced way more often. Most experts I know say 5 years max. The good thing is that we have a lot less wire so it only costs about $1500.".

They are happy with their Manta and recommended them as a great company to deal with.