I've been reading up on these new Catamarans coming out of Florida and I was wondering if anyone has ever been on one? I wouldn't mind chartering one in the Bahamas for a week but it's pretty expensive. So I sure would like to hear about it first. They look pretty awesome.
Ever been on a Catamaran
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Sistar & B.I.L. returned from Virgin Islands a month ago. Rented a 53' cat with a few friends and took it out themselves for coastal cruising, mostly under power. Had a good time. One woman was seasick and mortified. The body has not been found to the best of my knowledge.
Any friend will help you move, but a real friend will help you move the body.
Any friend will help you move, but a real friend will help you move the body.
I think probably anything inthe BVI is a lot of fun now we have the cold winter months staring at us. 
A catamaran is much more stable than a monohull, so there is much less rocking when there is a bit of a sea. Sea sickness from what I've read is horrible. Most people just wish they were dead and that's that.
A 53 footer is a big boat alright. A nice fit for a small group. If you can all get along and work together, you're in for a damn fine time. As well with the engines, usually two, spread so far apart, it makes handling the craft, very easy. It can literally rotate on the spot. Sailing would be interesting as you can have no sound other than the water passing under the hull to listen to. Forward there are two trampolines that make up the foredeck and help to provide an air cushion that allows for a smoother ride I'm told. But hey, trampolines! boingy boingy
I was reading about one Cat that has a hybrid engine set up. Electrical/diesel that can do 7 knots right off the solar panels. That makes long range cruising under power much more doable I think.
Price wise for a charter in the BVI, it runs around $3500 per week. But the catch is you need a racing license or a masters ticket and I have neither yet.
A catamaran is much more stable than a monohull, so there is much less rocking when there is a bit of a sea. Sea sickness from what I've read is horrible. Most people just wish they were dead and that's that.
A 53 footer is a big boat alright. A nice fit for a small group. If you can all get along and work together, you're in for a damn fine time. As well with the engines, usually two, spread so far apart, it makes handling the craft, very easy. It can literally rotate on the spot. Sailing would be interesting as you can have no sound other than the water passing under the hull to listen to. Forward there are two trampolines that make up the foredeck and help to provide an air cushion that allows for a smoother ride I'm told. But hey, trampolines! boingy boingy
I was reading about one Cat that has a hybrid engine set up. Electrical/diesel that can do 7 knots right off the solar panels. That makes long range cruising under power much more doable I think.
Price wise for a charter in the BVI, it runs around $3500 per week. But the catch is you need a racing license or a masters ticket and I have neither yet.
I don't have many details on the BVI trip, but I could get them. This 53' cat had rigid decks and many individual cabins. i don't believe that the Canadian amateur skipper had any papers at all. They all 'went to sea' and trained in one day. The the captain was left ashore. The intrepid Canadian retiree who skippered the boat was a level-headed and generally capable fellow. He drove half the crew to Boston camping out in a large 5th wheel. The guy is not afraid to handle large vehicles, is a quick study and a bit of the adventurer. But they did not stay out at night, did not go beyond the 12 hour forecast range, which in weather terms is 'nowcasting', and took it easy generally cruising under power. As far as I know, he landed the thing several times in different ports with no pilot assistance.
I can get unlimited dope on this vacation, photos, contacts, costs etc. My sister and b.i.l. went.
I can get unlimited dope on this vacation, photos, contacts, costs etc. My sister and b.i.l. went.
My last boat was a 32 foot Carver. This was a very stable power boat that burned gas like it was free. ....I don't have the patience for sail. Fuel prices are driving a lot of people out of gas power boats but there are some nice diesel boats out there. The newer cats are very nice but also very pricy. There won't be any deals till these boats have been out for a few more years
http://tinyurl.com/ytso6r
http://tinyurl.com/ytso6r
Nice looking but I'm with you. No real interest is working like a dog just to get a round. I would much rather just hit the throttle and go. I've noticed that there are becoming more large slips here around Toronto for the larger yachts. Most have a spot for one or two up to 70' and there is a spot in Oakville here where I live that allow for up to 100' yacht to tie up.
Have you done any bluewater cruising Juan?
Boaters! Power boaters!
Latest high efficiency boat concept, adopted by Malcolm Tannant, among others: high aspect ratio (length to beam) hulls on displacement cat. Cuts power requirements to reach planing speeds in half. Radical prismatic co-efficient. Cabin recessed on deck, not in, hulls. Fast, stable, efficient, improved ride, but a little pricey.
Cats are now in for medium speed power cruising. Stabilized monohulls coming on strong for high speed cost-no-object applications. Trimarans will make an entry with a big beam cruiser with hulls thinner than the cat. Four hulls, then two, three, then one. These designs are all competetive and one will never be exclusive in non-commericail design.
Latest high efficiency boat concept, adopted by Malcolm Tannant, among others: high aspect ratio (length to beam) hulls on displacement cat. Cuts power requirements to reach planing speeds in half. Radical prismatic co-efficient. Cabin recessed on deck, not in, hulls. Fast, stable, efficient, improved ride, but a little pricey.
Cats are now in for medium speed power cruising. Stabilized monohulls coming on strong for high speed cost-no-object applications. Trimarans will make an entry with a big beam cruiser with hulls thinner than the cat. Four hulls, then two, three, then one. These designs are all competetive and one will never be exclusive in non-commericail design.
Being a natural coward, I was first drawn to a boat with enough power to get the hell back if bad weather blew in. My first boat was a 27 foot Campion with a 350 hp V8 stern drive. I've been boating since we retired to Gabriola Island ten years ago. When I got the Campion I hadn't a clew how to handle the boat or even dock it. At the marina I used to draw a crowd of people who wondered what I would hit next. I eventually learned how to handle that boat and I took a few navigation courses at the local college.
I haven't done any blue water cruising unless you count my trip around Vancouver Island. I've never been out of sight of land but the weather on the outside of Vancouver Island can get really interesting. The trip took us three weeks.
Right now I'm looking for a thirty to forty foot fibreglass displacement cruiser with twin diesels and a cruising speed of 12 - 15 knots. There are a few around. I'm just looking for the right price.
Ahoy Juan!
My last was a 24' Sea Ray but before that I owned a thirty foot Chris. Yes they love gasoline! My Chris had twin inboards but the SeaRay had a sterndrive. I grew up around boats and qualified for a 500 ton Ocean operators license when I lived in the U.S. Did a years appreticeship on a 65' sportfisherman out of Chicago.
My last was a 24' Sea Ray but before that I owned a thirty foot Chris. Yes they love gasoline! My Chris had twin inboards but the SeaRay had a sterndrive. I grew up around boats and qualified for a 500 ton Ocean operators license when I lived in the U.S. Did a years appreticeship on a 65' sportfisherman out of Chicago.
Love gasoline......how about 26 gallons an hour as a worst case for the Campion? My Carver had twin shaft drive V8s. The Sea Rays were among the best of that kind of boat. Pricey new, but fairly reasonable second hand.
Only Carver I had the opportunity to run was a 40' with twin V-drives that seemed to be forever being repaired... never liked the V-drive system. The SeaRay was a fibreglass toy that I thouroughly enjoyed. My Chris was spacious and more like a cottage on water. I was that peculiar sort who believed that a boat was a vehicle and was intended to be used. I frequently logged more hours out of my marina than all the other boats combined. All the great lakes and many of the rivers out of them were my gunk-holing grounds.
I've only seen the west coast of Vancouver Island from land. I know some damn big rollers come in there seeing them from Long Beach. Have you looked at http://www.yachtworld.com/core/listing/advancedSearch.jsp for boat listings? Handy to keep track of boat prices at least.
How about insurance? Do they require it at the marinas in BC? A lot of the ones here demand you have a 2 million dollar liability policy before letting you stay. Same with down south and Florida is gone bananas. Being a new boater, this is something that has us worried.
We're about the same as you but we want something a little bigger to live aboard. I figure 57 is about right. I like the two engine idea even though it means more fuel, it also means that I have an engine to get home on if one quits. I'm not so much into speed so I want a displacement hull too. 12 to 15 knots is just about right for me as well. Though I think I would rather go with a steel or aluminum hull.
Damn, dog emergency, brb.
Sheesh, dumb dog got a balancing weight for a car tire( where does this stuff come from) wedged between his lower canine and a small molar. I tried to remove it four times and got ready to go to the vet. Wife gets home and out it pops like nothing. Oh brother! Crisis resolved.
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Here is a picture of waves from Ucluelet.......not too far from Long Beach. Judging from the size of the rocks that we were climbing on earlier, (low tide) the waves were about twenty five feet.
I've had that Yacht world site bookmarked for a few years now...but thanks.
Insurance is fairly reasonable if you have even the minimum boating qualification which entails a bit of study and a short exam. I haven't heard of a marina demanding that you get insurance yet.
Steel or aluminum? Very expensive. Fibreglass requires less maintenance and is a lot cheaper. When I first started boating I had an unexpected wave pick the carver up and drop it on a big rock and other than a big noise, all it did was put a few small scratches in the hull. A steel or aluminum hull will double the price of your boat.
I'm hoping to find a good price around March or April.
I've had that Yacht world site bookmarked for a few years now...but thanks.
Insurance is fairly reasonable if you have even the minimum boating qualification which entails a bit of study and a short exam. I haven't heard of a marina demanding that you get insurance yet.
Steel or aluminum? Very expensive. Fibreglass requires less maintenance and is a lot cheaper. When I first started boating I had an unexpected wave pick the carver up and drop it on a big rock and other than a big noise, all it did was put a few small scratches in the hull. A steel or aluminum hull will double the price of your boat.
I'm hoping to find a good price around March or April.
Great site that yacht world. I can sit sifting through boats for a while each day.
I don't know the values in strength that differs between steel and fiberglass, but all the guys I've talked to said they wouldn't want to be in the Atlantic in anything less that a steel hull. Something about the trough between waves and dropping off the crest of one into the trough. Maybe it's an East coast thing???
I'd like to get to the Caribbean with it and all around the Islands there. The BVI looks fantastic though it's a pretty shallow draft that gets in there. 3-4 feet I'm told in some places. So that's a concern also.
I don't know the values in strength that differs between steel and fiberglass, but all the guys I've talked to said they wouldn't want to be in the Atlantic in anything less that a steel hull. Something about the trough between waves and dropping off the crest of one into the trough. Maybe it's an East coast thing???
I'd like to get to the Caribbean with it and all around the Islands there. The BVI looks fantastic though it's a pretty shallow draft that gets in there. 3-4 feet I'm told in some places. So that's a concern also.
Steel rides better. like ballast. Tough and cheaper and practical for 50' and up. Less than that and aluminum and fiberglass generally get the nod.
All three materials have good characteristics capable of meeting any strength requirement. Many modern fiberglass boats are gel coat over bondo garbage. Metal alloy is a known quantity but 'fiberglass' could mean chopped strand and cheap rosin over unspecified filler. But glass is great when the right materials are used.
I cannot afford a boat though I would accept one made of o.s.b and Elmer's glue with lawn mower drive.
All three materials have good characteristics capable of meeting any strength requirement. Many modern fiberglass boats are gel coat over bondo garbage. Metal alloy is a known quantity but 'fiberglass' could mean chopped strand and cheap rosin over unspecified filler. But glass is great when the right materials are used.
I cannot afford a boat though I would accept one made of o.s.b and Elmer's glue with lawn mower drive.
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This is the exact boat I want to make a deal on. It is a thirty four foot Trojan with twin shaft drive Volvo Diesels. It is an older boat but very well maintained. It has a fourteen foot beam and a beautiful aft cabin. Sleeps six very comfortably.
I like the tough aspect of it though it should cost more in fuel. Composit is stronger still but that's just so out of my league it's not worth looking at. There were a number of I think, Monk built boats that were fiberglass over wood that were basically junk. So that kind of put me off the whole fiberglass hull thing. I wouldn't know good from bad and a survey is only as good as they guy doing it. Well you may not be able to afford a boat, but you would probably make for good crew. Politics aside that is.