4 with the wind...

[Black Sun]

Hi all!

here is a story:
4 people - 2 men - 2 women
1 wish - build something powered by the wind
2 indecision - catamaran or sailboat - metal or plywood and poliester

one guy spent 8 years on the sea, and other 15 was crying for it, other guy is son of capitan of 200 meters transocean ship.
girls are here just cause they like sun and a sailors!
but we're all in love with the sea!

we need a sugestion : how long is "not too big" catamaran/sailboat for 4 people? am i wrong saying that we need a catamaran? we want to have privacy from each other, we could use some comfort, and again, we want to have fast one and secure...

these are only the first questions....

[Pericles]

This should help.

http://www.boboramdesign.com.au/

Pericles

[Black Sun]

it helped... but i don't like them (the small ones)... thanks

[rwatson]

... you dont like them because ???????
wrong colour ?
Pointy at one end ?

[charmc]

Originally Posted by Black Sun

we need a sugestion : how long is "not too big" catamaran/sailboat for 4 people? am i wrong saying that we need a catamaran? we want to have privacy from each other, we could use some comfort, and again, we want to have fast one and secure...

these are only the first questions....

"How long is 'not too big' for 4 people"? That may be a budgetary question more than anything else. Does your response that you didn't like Oram's smaller boat designs mean that you do like the larger ones?

"privacy ... some comfort ... fast ... secure" OK, you have some criteria established.
A catamaran with a cabin in each hull would give each couple lots of privacy. A well laid out monohull designed for two couples cruising can give a similar degree of privacy.

"Some" comfort implies that you're not looking for a fancy luxury yacht, but you want more than bare bones necessities.

"Fast" is subjective, but it sounds like you are leaning towards a cat again.

"Secure" This word needs to be defined. Do you mean able to make headway and take a pounding for weeks on end in the open ocean thousands of kilometers from land? Fast enough to avoid approaching storm systems? Capable of surviving a storm when an inexperienced, sick, or injured crew goes below and trusts to the strength of the boat for their survival?

Before selecting a type of craft it would be good to think carefully on what you want to do: day sailing and short cruises along a coast, longer open sea passages between islands, trans oceanic passages lasting months, or some combination. Include a brutally honest evaluation of the sailing experience of each crew member. Serving on large ships might have developed some valuable skills, but sailing a boat requires other skills. What will you do to develop the skills you will all need based on how you will use the boat?

These are just a few offhand thoughts. You need to ask and answer a lot of specific questions in order to determine what type of boat will be best suited to your needs and desires. Doesn't have to be all somber, if the purpose of the boat is to have fun, some time in the beginning spent asking and answering questions that only you and your companions can answer will result in more time having fun and less time dealing with unforeseen problems. The more you know about what is most important to you, the more help you will be able to get from the forum.

[Pericles]

Black Sun,

If you don't like small catamarans, build a big one.

http://www.boboramdesign.com.au/62-c/

http://www.deltayachtsbrokerage.com/...unboat-en.html

http://www.boboramdesign.com.au/building-system/

Pericles

[Black Sun]

ok,

i would use a cat.
i don't need luxury, bones would be better! i don't like shiny things on boat.
it won't be used just for fun, i have plan to go across the ocean and to have fun on Croatian coast, so it would be combination.
secure? i need something to live trough fun days on that ocean.
fast- i have plan to come back home while i am still young.
the main question (how big is not too big) is cause i won't use it to have parties on it, but to sail! sure i have no money to spent it for fun, but i have enough for making 32-48 feet catamaran in 2 years.
i have found some Lidgard design that looks fine.
i have wooden monohull with two cabins, but i don't want to use it... she took one life 5 years ago but my father don't want to sell it even he is not using her...

to rwatson: yep, the color ain't right

[messabout]

Charmc:
Yours is an insightful and intelligent reply. Would that aspiring boaters listen to wise council. Many won't . A few lucky ones do. Hopefully Black Sun is one of the lucky ones.

[Black Sun]

sure i did! i found him wise too.. so i am thinking what to do now...