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A good friend of mine just bought a 32 foot catamaran and I just bought a Westsail 32 (monohull) and we''ve been having fun comparing them.
In many ways, they are exact opposites. His boat is new, has two large private cabins, plus a large dining area, a bathroom with hot and cold water shower, a refridgerator, extra large cockpit area with lots of seating. It''s very light weight, moves quickly and in light wind. With two diesel motors, he''s got a backup in case one fails, and by reversing one motor he can almost spin the thing around it''s own axis. With very little draft, he never has to worry about running aground.
The negative aspects I''ve seen so far is that it''s very wide, so, it takes up a lot of space in a marina, and might cost you a lot more to berth. It can sail pretty high into the wind, but won''t sail very fast when pinching that much. It has a lot of freeboard, and so gets blown off by the wind pretty easily making approaches to docks or moorings more difficult. It doesn''t really heel much at all, which can be nice for keeping your food on the stove, but seems to take away some of that distinctive sailing feeling. Also, when going over choppy water, or someone''s wake it rocks violently, or gets slapped underneath by waves. I think that if you sailed in rough waters for any lenght of time, it might put a lot of torsional stress on the hull, particularly the bridge between the hulls, and you may get cracks or failures. Last but not least, if it ever did capsize, there is no way in hell it would ever right itself, and would most likely turn turtle.
Overall, I don''t think I''d try and sail his boat around the world, but I think it would be fine going to the Bahamas or Carribbean (from New York) in good weather.
My boat''s ballast weighs about as much as my friend''s entire boat. Built in 1988, it has none of the amenities described above (or very few). It does have a beautiful cabin, four single berths in the main salon, and room for two up in the V-berth. With a canoe stern, my boat rolls pretty heavily in a broad reach, but it rolls in a controlled mannor and doesn''t throw off the helm as much.
Since my boat is so heavy, it takes all the sails to get the boat moving in a 5 knot wind, and even so, it can take a while to make any turns. However, it''s weight makes it really stable in wind and waves, and it would really take something to knock it down. And, as long as I didn''t lose a mast (and rip a hole in the deck) or leave a hatch open, it would right itself in a matter of seconds. My 4 foot draft has already cost me heavily in tow charges while it was still docked in the ICW in Florida where I bought it.
I bought my boat with some serious cruising in mind, and would have no reservations taking it anywhere in any conditions (well, I''m not going to look for bad weather...)
Lastly, it''s a matter of esthetics. I think a monohull is beautiful to look at, and beautiful to feel under your feet. The cat will get you there in comfort, but doesn''t have the same charm for me.
Ultimately, a lot will depend on what things matter most to you. My only advice would be to spend some time cruising on each and see what feels right.
Good Luck!
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