More multihull questions

[brak]

Does anyone know much about/have experience with Victory 35 catamarans?
I found very little information about them on the net, other than that they were presumably made in New York (??? sounds unusual).

[TropicCat]

Ive been around all sorts of cruising catamarans, yet have never laid eyes on this one. I suspect they made very few boats as my part of the world has lot's and lots of cats. In the photos I just looked at they do look very sharp.

Yachtworld has 2 for sale and they seem very expensive for a 15-20 year old boat, when compared to a Catalac ( my boat). The comparable Catalac will have two diesels instead of the single sonic legs in the Victory 35. A seemingly minor difference which becomes huge when you go cruising.

[brak]

Yep, I also found their prices to be a bit on the high side.

Not too many Catalacs for sale this side of the pond, unfortunately.

[mitiempo]

There is a Victory 35 catamaran in my marina, 2 boats away. I have been aboard but not sailed on it. Seems well done, nice layout and good rig. They are leaving for Hawaii in a month or 2.

[brak]

A different multihull question (I will keep all questions here to avoid proliferating topics if possible).

Centerboards on a Gemini. Draft without centerboards is something like 2', with centerboards - almost 5'. So you can motor in shallow water or sail when water is deep enough. But can you sail in shallow water (why would you want to is another question)? I.e. - does it sail at all with centerboards retracted?

[TropicCat]

Sure it will sail with boards up. Usually on a run or broad reach were leeway isn't an issue.

Note that the board trunks are a maintenance item as barnacles find their way into every nook and cranny. A Gemini owner could be more specific.

[brak]

I recently had a boat with centerboard - this one definitely could not sail without it (would move sideways only ). Which is why I asked about Geminis.

I am not a big fan of centerboards either, and would rather prefer a shallow long keel even though it might not sail so well. However, after recently owning boat with one - I also won't immediately discard it on a principle. I had mine bottom-painted inside the box, and it seems that at least in 6-7 months in water - it didn't overgrow too badly. Working the CB seems to help.

[TropicCat]

The paint was a great idea.

I sail a Catalac which is a cruising catamaran without boards. It took a while to learn to sail her with leeway being a particular issue. These days I can sail her at speed to 35 degrees apparent with minimal leeway in 10 knots of wind or more. Less wind reduces boat speed to the point that my hulls just won't grab and track. Since we sail for pleasure, this isn't an issue.

After all, all boats are a compromise

[brak]

Yep, they sure are - got to find the right one.