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Looks like the link to the download is no longer valid, but I will leave the post anyway in case you want to check out their site.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