Motor Sailers?

[Pericles]

Fair enough, let's keep the term Motorsailers for monohulls with pilothouses. Mooring and going ashore in a good sized tender is what I would have in mind, because the clamour from other vessels is minimized as well as saving money at the slip. As far as self righting is concerned, while monohulls often roll back upright in a knockdown, that 10K keel will sink the boat like a stone if it fills with water.

Cruising catamarans have a nearly flawless safety record. A well built, well designed boat is safer than its monohull cousins because of width, stability, and righting moment. Most cruising catamarans are unsinkable, and the foam core boats generally have enough flotation in the foam alone to keep the boat afloat many times over. Having enough speed in many cases to stay ahead of weather is another great safety bonus.

Racing catamarans and trimarans take calculated risks to push speeds to unbelievable levels. While these boats do end up upside down from time to time, rarely is anyone hurt.

Speeding downwind, even with bare poles, in a catamaran can be unsafe, so streaming a drogue aft should improve matters. Heaving to with head to wind with a sea anchor and with dagger boards raised, will allow the twin hulls to slide over and lift with each wave passing underneath as there are no keels to cause the vessel to trip. I suspect a modern catamaran will survive far worse weather than the crew can.

I guess we can leave Brian Eiland to have both the first and last words in the matter of Monohull verses Multihull powersailers / motorsailers. http://boatdesign.net/forums/showthr...t=4499&page=11

Regards,

Perry

[brian eiland]

Originally Posted by Pericles

...I would love to have a Gunboat 66, when and if the next Jacques Varbre takes place and shadow the leading ORMA, probably Groupama 2, all the way to Bahia, Brazil and about a few miles from the finishing line, let the Gunboat have its head and surge past the trimaran, to take line honours, whilst having a good meal at the table and glugging the Bolly.

It's an eleven day passage, hardly time to get used to being at sea and the vessel would be on autopilot for 90% of the voyage. The helm is a joystick.

Some may argue that the Gunboat 66 will not have the speed, but a heavier Gunboat 62 has exceeded 36 knots. I'd be delighted to give it a go.

In a single-handed situation, I do find the trimaran configuration much more preferable for racing across the ocean. It is just more 'predictable' in heavy or gusty conditions.

Am I dreaming? Absolutely! However, the dream does point out the essential difference between Catamarans and Trimarans, that there is much more available space in a Catamaran and far less spray.

No question the catamaran form at larger sizes is more cruising friendly.

[Pericles]

Brian,

In my dream I'd have a full complement of 5 personnel plus me on board the Gunboat 66. We wouldn't be racing Groupama 2, only shadowing. Single handed and racing, I think I would still prefer a Catamaran, because for boats of equal length, I think (could be wrong here) the Catamaran is slightly quicker for reasons of less drag. I've seen videos of Trimarans flying on one sponson in calm waters and it was awe inspiring, but to finish first, first, you have to finish and such grandstanding in the cold South Atlantic? Brrrrr.

Best regards,

Pericles

[Guillermo]

Three 'Royal Kings' just 'caught together' at the Frisian islands (Skylge), by friend Hans S.

Fisher (43?), Banjer 37 and Dartsailer 38 (Hans') in a row.
Aren't they beautiful?

Cheers.

[charmc]

Beautiful and comfortable.

[OldYachtie]

"the foam core boats generally have enough flotation in the foam alone to keep the boat afloat many times over" - Actually, this is not true. Did you ever do the calcs for an actual catamaran and check this out? I have, and it wasn't true. A 65' boat with 5000 square feet of 1" thick core = 416 cubic feet = 26,666 pounds of displacement. On a cat there are lots of places to put some 2# polyurethane floatation foam, so you can give one positive floatation, but I wouldn't count on the structural core to provide it all without doing the math.

[Ronald]

The Noordkaper is an nice yacht with classic lines
She is ocean going, has a safe deckhouse and deck layout.
The Noordkaper is easy to handle an there is a range from 40 till 60 feet.

A hydraulic Centre board keel for a shallow draft and good sailing performance.
A engine room with place for a generator hydraulics and al you want.
Big tank capacity (in a 40 feet 900 litre diesel).
The boats are custom build you can have a interior who is fit to your personal wishes.
A perfect boat fore long cruising
See also on www.noordkaper.com

[brian eiland]

Originally Posted by Ronald

The Noordkaper is an nice yacht with classic lines
She is ocean going, has a safe deckhouse and deck layout.
www.noordkaper.com

You are right Ronald. She has sweet lines, particularly the 55 shown under classics heading.

[Ronald]

The 55 feet is a Noorderclassic indeed a nice design as well.
The Noorderclassic is not a motorsailor but the deckhouse is useful as well.

[RHP]

Originally Posted by Ronald

The Noordkaper is an nice yacht with classic lines
She is ocean going, has a safe deckhouse and deck layout.
The Noordkaper is easy to handle an there is a range from 40 till 60 feet.

A hydraulic Centre board keel for a shallow draft and good sailing performance.
A engine room with place for a generator hydraulics and al you want.
Big tank capacity (in a 40 feet 900 litre diesel).
The boats are custom build you can have a interior who is fit to your personal wishes.
A perfect boat fore long cruising
See also on www.noordkaper.com

I hope they provide storm boards for the wheelhouse windows.
There's so much glass there you could grow tomatos on the chart table.

[Pericles]

From the website.

"Both styles of deckhouse are fitted with insulated security glass together with insulated frames to prevent condensation."

Storm boards?

Pericles

[Ronald]

The windows are from indeed thermic isolated security glass and styles.
They are also stronger than a surveyor advised for ocean going yachts.

Al lot of glass is nice to view around.
Deckhouse is very safe and comfortable place to be, during rain, storm, nights, etc etc..

Of course you can have stormboards as well.

[Pericles]

Then how do you see out through them?

Pericles

[Ronald]

Now you know why we do not like storm boards.

[Pericles]

OK, I'll play. Why did you mention stormboards in the first place?

You can't see through them and the boat doesn't need them. Are you selling them?

Pericles