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multi-hulls?
Dick, I''d like to revisit your question: you were placing the context of ''cruising'' on top of your question. The glowing answers so far address space, maneuverability under engine, and overall comfort when used in coastal environs or in quite limited offshore applications, which is what I think sailing to/in the Bahamas is. We don''t know if that''s what YOU mean by cruising...and that can make a big difference in the answers you deserve getting, so perhaps you should repost with your intended cruising plans.
I sail a monohull but surely have cruised with and shared many a port with a multihull. If coastal U.S. cruising is what you have in mind, then the main disadvantages I''ve seen (just to give some equal time to the positives posted) are:
- Dockage can be more expensive and/or harder to obtain as e.g. many marinas on the Chesapeake are older, have narrower slips. (Depends on the size of your multi).
- Hauling can be a problem, depending on the yard facilities available where you would prefer to haul OR where with sudden urgency you NEED to haul; again, depends on the multi
- For boats of comparable quality and capability, I think it''s fair to say multi''s are more expensive. If you think about it (2 engine installations; more volume to be embraced; more challenge in structural assembly since weight is more critical; etc.) that seems reasonable...but for you the question is whether that''s OK
But once the boat is taken away from the coast to distant shores - which is also cruising...and in fact what is usually imagined by folks when ''cruising'' is discussed - things can be very different. Just how safe it is at sea, how easy/hard it is to haul, how readily available a winter berth is, how readily it can get the job done in tough water, how comfortable it is...these and many more questions are more challenging to answer, the answers are less glowing, and the answers depend a great deal on the type of multi being discussed. As one simple example, we happened to be collocated with 18 other boats at Gun Cay who were hoping to cross the shallows of the GB Bank to the Berry''s and points east several years ago. We all left at midnight (timed for arrival over the reefs when exiting the Bank), just as a front began making its presence known. It ended up being a tough slog and it wasn''t fun for any of us who got to the far end...but not a single multi (of 10) were able to handle the short chop and headwinds. This doesn''t mean multis are uncapable boats generally, it means they have some weaknesses that can make longer distance passages more problematic. (You only have to agree to buddy boat with a multi for a period of time to begin understanding how contrained the crews feel).
I''d encourage you to repost and let''s see what you have in mind when asking your question.
Jack
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