Need a Shoal Draft Floating Condo

[TrueBlue]

Lets see you get in and out of that "first slip" in your wide-azz boat, with a strong onshore wind pushing you onto the rocks. (g)

[sailingdog]

And you don't get much more shoal draft capable than a good multihull... and the Gemini is definitely more space than a Catalina or even a Nonsuch.

Originally Posted by chucklesR

Who's Dr. Phil

Since the OP's concern was related to shoal draft I do believe that is a germaine point.
I can squeeze my boat into that 20 ft space between the shore and the 'first' slip, essentially making use of dock space most marina's or private docks can't use for much besides row boats.

P.S. Look in a mirror. Then call Oprah.

[chucklesR]

TB,
Low windage from the side (comparitively speaking), centerboards to dig in and help track, 30 degrees side to side steerable motor, proper use of spring lines and fenders, no problems. I've turned it around and backed it in in less than it's own length on the motor in 20 knts of breeze and never once felt out of control.
I've even sailed it up to and then gybed and put it backwards into my normal slip on the main only, single handed.

[T34C]

Originally Posted by chucklesR

TB,
Low windage from the side (comparitively speaking), centerboards to dig in and help track, 30 degrees side to side steerable motor, proper use of spring lines and fenders, no problems. I've turned it around and backed it in in less than it's own length on the motor in 20 knts of breeze and never once felt out of control.
I've even sailed it up to and then gybed and put it backwards into my normal slip on the main only, single handed.

You forgot blindfolded.

[sailingdog]

Chuckles-

How big is the main on the Gemini???

T34C-

Nah, he had one eye closed... but wasn't blindfolded.

[Cruisingdad]

I am going to jump in here with some commetns on what seems to be a thread leaning towards catamarans:

I like them a lot. You get a whole lot of space. THe sail fairly flat and are comparatively flat. If you get into something like a Lagoon (esp the 440/420 series or larger) those things CAN cross the Atalantic. All of these positives, yet I do not own one.

Why??

Try getting a slip for that monster in S Florida. Seriously. If you can even find one, you will be paying out the butt for it... and that is if you can find one.

I have no real negatives against the boats. But before you get really serious about even looking for one, start checking around for where you can park her and haul her. That might change your mind.

Just my observations.

- CD

[sailingdog]

CD-

That's kind of why we're sticking to smaller catamarans with less than 20' of beam.

[JBan]

Up front cost is a big issue and I would think precludes a cat. Almost no Gemini's available in FL in my price range. In fact, I only saw one Gemini available at any price and it was a 2001. In the future, at a different price point, a Lagoon or Privilege might be worh considering, as long as they don't tack like the Hobie Cats I played with here while in law school. I can't imagine beating to Bimini in an E wind doing 270 degree gybes.

Anyway I digress, why is it that there seem to be so many 30+ foot CC's available in the area with so many amenities (AC, gen set, GPS, inverters, marine frig/frz) at such a low price (upper teens to $30k)? they seem to be well taken care of (the operative word being "seem") and are well outfitted. Is the answer simply that a "cheaper" boat like an Irwin that is 25 or 30 years old will hide many serious problems (i.e. delamination, etc.) even though it seems to be in good shape? The owner reviews on these older boats don't seem to be any worse than on similar aged but higher priced production boats.

I know a 25 or 30 year old boat will probably be a deeper money pit than a 15or 20 years old boat. I can live with ongoing expense, I am just trying to avoid anything catastrophic.

[kwaltersmi]

Check out the Seaward 26RK and 32RK. Both were built with coastal Florida in mind and have very shallow drafts. The 32 has a minimum draft of only 20"...which makes it beach-able. Both are built by Hake Yachts in Stuart, Florida.

[sailingdog]

JBan-

You didn't specific any budget range in your original post... If you have a specific budget range in mind... it would make sense to say so.

BTW, in some ways a 25-30 year old boat may not be a bigger money pit. In some cases, a 15-20 year old boat will just be getting to the point where major systems need to be replaced, like the standing rigging, which may have already been done in a 25-30 year old boat. You can't really make large generalizations about boats... so much of what makes a boat expensive to own is boat specific.