Cat or Mono or............................

[Nomad]

Here's a poll to solve the hull type.

[Nomad]

I messed up on the poll and forgot to add it so just post your FINAL choice. There's the options Cat or Mono. After 1 week this will be final. Ok?

[Jeff]

I really enjoy catamarans, and I would have leaned that way if for example we were designing a boat for weekend hopping. But given the budget and trailerability requirements which limit size, I would probably have to vote for a monohull being the more feasible choice. Cruising for a week means headroom and decent accommodations, and with the budget already sounding tight, I’m not sure that can be done in a 25’-30’ trailerable cat with an 8’-6” beam, especially if we have decided to go for a 30-40 knot top speed. Of course, I would love to be proven wrong!

[Nomad]

That makes two votes for monos zero for cats........................

[Willallison]

I'm afraid that I too must side with Jeff on this one. I don't think that we could meet the performance and trailerability criteria in a way that would make the boat cost effective or pracitcal. If (as I suspect we may shortly be doing....) we were to lower our speed requirements then we might possibly come up with a multihull worthy of consideration.
I know it's a little out of left field, but here's a somewhat different approach that I dreamed up. Once again it's only a napkin sketch, so you'll have to forgive the quality.
Cats of the sort of dimensions we are looking at are generally of the planing variety. I'm a bit of a fan of the displacement type - this is an attempt to come up with a small displacement cat.
The hulls are 12m LOA and can slide in under the main pod (LOA 7.5m) making the vessel 2.5m wide (trailerable). It has comfortable accomodation for 2 + 3. With a pair of 75hp o/b's it should cruise at 20k and top out at about 23. 2 x 50's should see 15 & 19 k respectively

A darn nice concept for a 'napkin sketch'

[Nomad]

So three for monos.................................cats well 0

[Polarity]

Unfortunately a power cut wiped this out so she's a long way from looking how I'd like. She is absolutely max trailerable beam at 2.5 m. When the lights went out I was just moving the cabin forward ....

Paul

[Portager]

I'd also like to vote for a monohull. I think the monohull will sit on the trailer better than a cat and I prefer the ride on a monohull in rough seas.

Cheers;
Mike Schooley

[Portager]

I think this photo makes my point!

[Nomad]

any objections to the decision for a mono..............If so to bad!

[duluthboats]

Ya, mono.
Gary

[Willallison]

ditto