We were having a discussion about finding the best catamaran to cruise in and some of this discussion may prove useful to cat buyers:
3 staterooms allow more storage space in the Owner's Suite that makes it easier to "kill the clutter"...but many buyers find that the $20,000-60,000 premium for a 3 stateroom version isn't worth it to them...the last time I lived on a cat I had a late model Prout 45 with 4 staterooms and it was just my wife and I...we turned the 4th stateroom into a store-room and absolutely filled it up to the top with stuff we really liked having: folding bikes (I think these are a great thing to have and when stored below last much longer and don't clutter up the deck), water toys (rafts, noodles), spare parts, extra tarps and awnings for monsoons, colder weather clothes, luggage for taking short side trips, and the best thing is to stock up on paper towels, toilet paper, cases of beer and other bulky items from WalMart to last you 6 months...this saves time and money and we also use them as trade items. I don't drink beer but if you run into a lobster fisherman in the middle of nowhere you can sometimes trade a cold beer for a 1.5 lb lobster or a fully cleaned fish...
I believe that the best way to go about this is to first establish a budget. Then focus on the newest/lowest-hours boats even if you have to go smaller in size...but first you have to determine what "makes/models" appeal to you... some of the late model 40' boats have as much usable interior space as 10-15 year old 45'-47' boats because the space designers got better! The smaller boats may not sail quite as well in some choppy conditions but usually interior space and comfort while at anchor or at the dock becomes much more important than sailing 1 knot faster with a little less hobby-horsing. At least that's what I and many experienced live-aboards think....
For whatever this is worth: I think the most important factors in order of importance are:
- usable interior space in the salon/galley.... galley up because you "remain part of the party" and don't become a galley slave...Fountaine Pajots have the least interior space
- well-maintained or late model machinery that isn't likely to break while you are in the middle of nowhere...I spent a lot of my early days "fixing stuff" and nowadays I dont want to do much of that. I prefer to spend my time having fun: exploring new islands, snorkeling, meeting sailors for drinks and good food, sharing the best islands with people who haven't seen them yet...I DO NOT like sweating my butt off in an engine room, getting grease permanently ingrained in my fingernails, getting my clothes full of oil and grease and having engines conk out at the "wrong time"...I have already had more than my share of that and I'd rather go smaller/newer/simpler and have an easy life.
- a raised steering station or better-yet: a flybridge (it's safer because you have better visibility underway especially at night and it's a great party platform at anchor)...so what (!), if the mainsail is 15% smaller! They are usually overpowered anyway.
- side tables by my bed so I can keep all my "stuff" nearby...OK, I know this is quirky but it's important to me...FP's usually dont have room for this
- cockpit enclosures so rain doesn't overpower you and the cockpit then becomes another "room" in all conditions
- sailing characteristics are over-rated...I qualified for the 1980 US Olympic Sailing Team and raced Tornados for a while...so I know something about speed in a cat...and 90% of the time it's not the boat making things go slow...it's the guy steering the boat and setting up the sails or course wrong for those winds. Also: in my opinion: if you are in a hurry, take a plane! They are much more efficient than boats.
No comments:
Post a Comment