A cat for my family

[DiasDePlaya]

Hello everyone,

Please suggest me a catamaran:

My family is Mom, Dad, two daughters, two sons. I'm a regatta helmsman and crazy about speed, I really love to fly one hull sailing a Nacra 5.8.

The idea is to sell the beach house and replace it by a catamaran, then the boat must have some accommodations, but as the boat will be in a marina and nobody in my family like to cook probably we will never use the galley, just during one or two weeks on vacations that we will cruise we would use the galley, then I no need big freezer, nor washing machine. 99% of the boat use would be to sleep on weekends and daysailing.

But the fun factor under sail is very important.

I love ply-epoxy boats.

Budget around $400.000.

Any suggestion?

[alan white]

I wouldn't buy a fifty-footer just because it costs 400k and it sleeps six. Too much boat to daysail for the hassle. I'd buy a houseboat and sail a thirty-footer and have much more fun. With four kids, you gotta get everyone motivated to sail, but if you could leave a few behind, or take only a couple kids out at a time, the houseboat would come in handy.
Besides, not that it matters, you'll have at least 250k left over.

[DarthCluin]

Have a look at Richard Woods designs.
http://www.sailingcatamarans.com/
In particular, Meander.
http://www.sailingcatamarans.com/meander.htm
I don't pretend to know how much it would cost, but Richard could probably give you a ballpark figure.

[Richard Woods]

Thank you DarthCluin for suggesting the Meander. I don't actually think it would do, it's probably too cruisey

There seems to be two main requirements: Speed, and space for 6 adults in at least 3 cabins, (preferably five cabins, depending on children's ages). And all at a price tag that is essentially unlimitless for a daysailer/weekender.

I'd love to design a boat like that, but first why not look at the Crowther 38 that Mike Bell used to build?? I went on one in November in Florida, it was for sale for about USD70,000. It can be demounted for shipping.

Otherwise I agree with Alan White. So much so that we are now seriously considering the houseboat/fast trailable boat combination ourselves

Please email me (no PM's) direct if you want to discuss things further in private

Richard Woods of Woods Designs

www.sailingcatamarans.com

[DiasDePlaya]

Just to explain what I like: Without budget limitation probably I would buy a SIG 45, but this very nice cat is over a million ready to sail.

Anyway for now this is just an academic dialog because first I need to sell the idea to the family (wife) then sell the house and finally buy the boat, a long way to walk yet.