Motorsailers, above and below the waterline
Mark asked:
But the Selene dealer said that many
people like the pilot house to avoid the cold and wind and then turn on the AC
when it gets hot. I'd love to hear the experiences of those folks who've been
underway for extended periods of time and how that effects their desired
configuration living configuration, regardless of hull shape and propulsion
approach.
Gary replies:
Just now I wish to set aside the very real issue of coastal cruising vs
passagemaking ocean crossings not because I don't dream of doing the
ocean passages and exotic destinations, but because my personal ocean
crossing experiences have only been on 4000 ton naval vessels (and long
past the time of sail). For the forseeable future we will have to rely
on Dockwise, chartering, crewing or vicarious experiences to get our
exotic destination fix. I do have some wonderful experiences on my PDQ
34 to share though. Our longest continuous cruises aboard Stray Cat
have generally been in the two to three weeks duration area, but we find
that our use of the open flybridge (no bimini) feels very much like the
experience of a large sailboat cockpit (lacking only winches to grind)
. Whenever the weather is halfway decent the Admiral insists that we
sit there whether we are underway or not. The accomodations at the
lower helm station are positively luxurious: heat/AC; roomy; comfy
seating; great light; open feeling; proximity to galley, head, dinette
and Admirals Lounge (you all know the long list from the brochure) --
while the boat is easilly conned from there as well: little bow rise;
superb visibility; good controls; etc. etc.. My point is that in our
instance we have a perfectly free choice of where we like to enjoy the
experience, and sit wherever the Admiral's fancy takes us. Sometimes we
have the experience much like a large center cockpit sailboat -- without
winches. Other times, perhaps only a moment later, we have an
experience like but generally much superior to that of the finest
displacement trawler monohulls. The lower helm allows us to cruise in
decadent comfort in the crummiest weather, which in the PNW we do quite
a lot. It's hard to describe the pleasure and psychologic decompression
one gets from a rainy weekend anchoage, no sign of civilization outside
of our cozy comfy cabin. Only have to step outside for lines and
anchoring.
Mark also asked:
If you were going to do a motorsailer or power only cat, would you
consider a boat that had
the equivalent interior space of a sailing cat?
and Gary replied:
I would suggest that the power cat has considerably more interior space
than an equivalent sailing cat, in that the cabins aren't shortened to
accomodate sails, booms and all. And that brings us right back to
boxiness, where this thread began. We chose a power cat for a host of
reasons, freedom from nauseating roll and huge gracious interiors key
among them. We had to accept that the choice limited our passagemaking
range, but took comfort in the notion that by far most of our cruising
was going to be near coastal anyway, and the aforementioned Dockwise,
crewing, chartering, etc. options would take up our long range
wanderlust. Most of life seems to be a struggle with tradeoffs.
Mark also observed:
I also find it interesting
that many people doing circumnavigation under sail have told me that they end
up powering 50-70% of the time. And several have commented that there is
another healthy percentage of time they spend reefed in the trades. Maybe one
answer is a slightly smaller rig tweaked toward downwind performance.
Gary suggests:
There are some other interesting options. I am not strongly attracted
to a modest sail plan compromised for the particularly tall deck house
and the already really tall hull shape of a motorsailer/catamaran -- as
well as by it's role as only a part of the propulsion options aboard.
Why not one of the new parachute/kite sails? Or a dismountable square
sail rig. Or a dismountable spinnaker of some sort? No upwind
performance, but perhaps a welcome boost in the tradewinds.... I have
fantasized about a large submerged fuel tank slung between the hulls
rather like the drop tanks on fighter aircraft. A Portland Oregon
friend who built a 62 foot power cat for the booze crooze trade in
Hawaii was pricing out an underway refueling rendezvous halfway across,
and even discussed speed record racing power cats to Hawaii.
Gary has to go to work now...
Good post once again Gary.
I'd be interested in knowing (and I'm sure the rest of the forum too)
on how your cat handles the big North West weather and seas.
What are the practical limitations etc.
thanks Jonah.
On Jan 9, 2007, at 12:08 PM, Candy & Gary wrote:
Mark asked:
But the Selene dealer said that many
people like the pilot house to avoid the cold and wind and then turn on
the AC
when it gets hot. I'd love to hear the experiences of those folks
who've been
underway for extended periods of time and how that effects their desired
configuration living configuration, regardless of hull shape and
propulsion
approach.
Gary replies:
Just now I wish to set aside the very real issue of coastal cruising vs
passagemaking ocean crossings not because I don't dream of doing the
ocean passages and exotic destinations, but because my personal ocean
crossing experiences have only been on 4000 ton naval vessels (and long
past the time of sail). For the forseeable future we will have to rely
on Dockwise, chartering, crewing or vicarious experiences to get our
exotic destination fix. I do have some wonderful experiences on my PDQ
34 to share though. Our longest continuous cruises aboard Stray Cat
have generally been in the two to three weeks duration area, but we find
that our use of the open flybridge (no bimini) feels very much like the
experience of a large sailboat cockpit (lacking only winches to grind)
. Whenever the weather is halfway decent the Admiral insists that we
sit there whether we are underway or not. The accomodations at the
lower helm station are positively luxurious: heat/AC; roomy; comfy
seating; great light; open feeling; proximity to galley, head, dinette
and Admirals Lounge (you all know the long list from the brochure) --
while the boat is easilly conned from there as well: little bow rise;
superb visibility; good controls; etc. etc.. My point is that in our
instance we have a perfectly free choice of where we like to enjoy the
experience, and sit wherever the Admiral's fancy takes us. Sometimes we
have the experience much like a large center cockpit sailboat -- without
winches. Other times, perhaps only a moment later, we have an
experience like but generally much superior to that of the finest
displacement trawler monohulls. The lower helm allows us to cruise in
decadent comfort in the crummiest weather, which in the PNW we do quite
a lot. It's hard to describe the pleasure and psychologic decompression
one gets from a rainy weekend anchoage, no sign of civilization outside
of our cozy comfy cabin. Only have to step outside for lines and
anchoring.
Mark also asked:
If you were going to do a motorsailer or power only cat, would you
consider a boat that had
the equivalent interior space of a sailing cat?
and Gary replied:
I would suggest that the power cat has considerably more interior space
than an equivalent sailing cat, in that the cabins aren't shortened to
accomodate sails, booms and all. And that brings us right back to
boxiness, where this thread began. We chose a power cat for a host of
reasons, freedom from nauseating roll and huge gracious interiors key
among them. We had to accept that the choice limited our passagemaking
range, but took comfort in the notion that by far most of our cruising
was going to be near coastal anyway, and the aforementioned Dockwise,
crewing, chartering, etc. options would take up our long range
wanderlust. Most of life seems to be a struggle with tradeoffs.
Mark also observed:
I also find it interesting
that many people doing circumnavigation under sail have told me that
they end
up powering 50-70% of the time. And several have commented that there
is
another healthy percentage of time they spend reefed in the trades.
Maybe one
answer is a slightly smaller rig tweaked toward downwind performance.
Gary suggests:
There are some other interesting options. I am not strongly attracted
to a modest sail plan compromised for the particularly tall deck house
and the already really tall hull shape of a motorsailer/catamaran -- as
well as by it's role as only a part of the propulsion options aboard.
Why not one of the new parachute/kite sails? Or a dismountable square
sail rig. Or a dismountable spinnaker of some sort? No upwind
performance, but perhaps a welcome boost in the tradewinds.... I have
fantasized about a large submerged fuel tank slung between the hulls
rather like the drop tanks on fighter aircraft. A Portland Oregon
friend who built a 62 foot power cat for the booze crooze trade in
Hawaii was pricing out an underway refueling rendezvous halfway across,
and even discussed speed record racing power cats to Hawaii.
Gary has to go to work now...
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