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