Micro Cruising Multihulls

other choices

Good point Richard, I can't think of any. I wouldn't really consider Cindy a car topper either, but at least it wasn't too heavy to lift- I use trailers. Skint, there seem to be very few small production monos that have built in flotation, but many small special purpose and racing boats do. A standard J-22 has built in air tanks that work fine if they are maintained. It usually takes about 20% of interior volume to have useful flotation, and it doesn't impact space all that much if designed in from the start. Every thing from Bolger boxes to state of the art Mini-Transats have been built that are pretty much self righting and rescuing. On another note, please don't judge all cats by a Hobie 14. All though they are wet and fun in the right conditions, they are also responsible for many of the misconceptions about multihulls. B

 

There is Etap, a belgian company. They are building monos with foam filled double walls.

 

Macgregor has built all its boats including the 36ft cat i used to own up to the 65 footer with foam floatation for many years . Using water ballast on the smaller boats helps.
Steve.

 

Negative headway, I think Svern in his small mono was not making headway the other day. I would think that going in a micro cat you'd go with the flow so to speak, I would or I wouldn't go.

Jarcat is another and Richard has a neat little motoring cat.

Just a comment too. People have asked me what motorcycle they should begin riding and I believe they should start small and move up. Too many guys with enough money just go buy a large cruiser and they really lack the skills to control it....and they crash! Some have a need for cheap transportation and an old 350 Honda or a 500 Vulcan might be all they ever "need" for what they intend to do.

I think that would go with boats as well. I think that just because someone says catamaran does not mean they are into speed or the ultimate sailing experience. I have received alot of good advice about keeping a cat light, exactly as drawn or I'll end up with a swim platform that should be tied to the banks. Super efficiency for fast sailing is far from my goal, I'll never want a hull out of the water on a cabin cat (I would a Hobbie). Moving along at a decent cruising speed, even slower than a mono of similar length, would be great, flater ride, stable, more room in a cabin and larger rear deck are all positive reasons to look at cats. The small cat moves efficiently enough to be pushed by a 25hp or less outboard is, to me, just the cat's meaow.

It's been so long since I have sailed anything that I wouldn't know a bad sailing boat if I were on it! If it hits 8 knots, it's moving and I can hear the water splashing. If I need more, I'll run the motor or sail my kayak.

Motorcycle guys are always into how quick it is, top speed and quarter mile times......kinda silly since most, 99 out of a hundred, don't race at a track and they usually will be riding in areas where there are speed limits. What difference does it make if my bike will do 135 miles an hour, I can't legally ride that fast anywhere?

Micro cats would be great with shallow waters, camping or livingabord gunkholing on some river or a cove of the great lakes, Florida and the ICW.

Richard has a great little motor cat, just wish there was a little longer motorsailor.

 

The first try out of the hobie was also our first time setting it up. We decided to do it that way as setting it up at home meant we couldn't try it and that is the acid test really. Also the trip away involved other entertainment so if the hobie had issues it wasn't a big deal.

On the first day out we had 3 people on our little hobie 14 turbo on the lake, we learnt the hard way that it was designed for 1-2 people not three, crew weights appx 80kg, appx 80kg, appx 55kg. The first day was a shocker, no rope for the jib (one crew holding it all the time). We picked a downwind landing to sail to (so my brother could look for deer sign in the native bush). The boat sailed okish downwind,

Sailing back up wind with just me and the light crew member (girl) The boat performed ok, Once my brother had been picked up though it was a different story, the boat sat very low in the water, was very hard to get out of irons, even with paddles, found the best way was to slack the main, hold the jib to catch wind to turn the front around, then once the boat was sideways enough tighten main and jib, straight rudders. It was a real battle, it was also very easy for us to get back in irons, tacks were not happening. The boat sank often if the crew weight was slightly wrong, it was a very wet ride, we all wore wetsuits and lifejackets, emergency supplies and GPS onboard. A rudder linkage bolt broke and we jury rigged it to get back to shore.

The second day out we scavanged a rope for the jib, made a better repair of the rudder linkage and went out. With less wind and 2x80kg crew the boat performed much better, was easy to sail and tack, the boat didn't feel like it wanted to go into irons. When we had finished sailing we noticed the end cap of the boom (closest to the mast) Had rivets failed and was barely attached to the boom, it probably happened on the first day.

Our impressions, although it was great fun to sail with 2 people. the boat just isn't designed for 3 people, or cruising (weight). We would like a small trailer sailor cruising boat that can easily take 3 crew, and gear for camping to explore lakes and coastal waters, sleep aboard potential would be nice, but not essential. Easy beaching would be great. Oh and the boat must go to windward! Unlike an overloaded hobie 14!

 

I looked at building one of these a few years ago before I got side tracked into buying and renovating a small Wharram. Significantly less materials than the 16' tri I was also considering at the time. Apologies for the quality of the copy.

https://www.iserve.co.nz/users/pepper/pelinplans.co.nz/htdocs/catalogue.htm

 

Well, this is like dangling a steak in front of a starving person. I can't resist any longer.

Here's a boat that answers that description:



You can put a queensize airbed on the deck, and hang a tarp over the boom. The boat goes to windward very well. She tacks as easily as a monohull, and is very dry. We've gone sailing many times with three adults and camping gear.

This is a video of a fishing trip out into the Gulf, but toward the end of it, we're sailing home in 20-25 knot conditions, dead to windward.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YaZEtzWMYtk&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL

In the first part of this short video, Nancy tacks Slider in a good breeze, with no jib and the daggerboard up, just to show what a reliable tacker Slider is.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OCnSN-6kcY&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL

Honesty compels me to say that you're not going to get Hobie 16 speed out of Slider, because Slider has a lot less sail area and more weight. But she's faster than most non-planing monohulls her size, and vastly more comfortable. The modest sail area was a trade-off to permit trailing assembled. From trailer to ready to go sailing is about 5 minutes, if all goes well, because raising the mast is a matter of lifting it up and tightening one lanyard. The main remains furled on the boom while trailering.

I also should say that Slider is a very big 16 foot cat, and takes longer to build than a beach cat. But you get to sit inside, in a comfortable molded seat, steering with a line, your arm supported by the side deck, like being in a very lively armchair. Visibility is perfect, you stay completely dry except in the rowdiest conditions, and the boat is the best-behaved boat I've ever sailed aboard.

Lots more stuff on the site.

Skint, show your girlfriend some of those videos. I'm building a 24 footer now, and the other day I asked my wife if I should maybe put Slider up for sale. She was horrified by the idea, and exercised her veto immediately.

Think about that, guys.

 

Just quickly posting this up as another possible: http://proafile.com/view/magazine/article/evergreen_a_fast_expedition_sailboat I like the idea of free standing masts, one per hull.

 

Skint, that's a beauty with lots of sail. I have never sailed anything like that, looks like twice the fun and twice the work...must you coordinate each independently or are they rigged together?

 

Nevermind the question, I found an answer, but wondered too if the OP has seen any of the Gilbert designs?

Veto power......that's funny Ray, think when you get the new one built she'll be swayed?

 

I think that depends on if the new boat is any good. But she says she likes Slider better than any of the larger yachts we've owned, either mono or multi. Part of that is that Slider is small and not intimidating to sail, I think, and part of it is that she (Slider) is so well-behaved that it's hard to get into difficulties while sailing her. My wife is well-behaved too, I hasten to add.

 

Talking about super simple folding, the new seaclipper 20 Tri from Marples/Brown has probably the simplest system ever. I don't know if It could be easily done in sufficient size for your cruising needs though. I do know they sized these up to put a basic dome tent over the cockpit.

 

Try the Marples/Brown 26.

 

Hirondelle

New to site. Use to own a Gemini 30. To my mind a Hirondelle MKII would meet my needs. Trailerable on a poontoon trailer (with wide load permit). Shoal draft & very sturdy. I will be looking for one later this year.

 

I like what he is trying to do. I am not so sure if it would work easily.