Sailing vs Motor Yachting?

[CapnBilll]

Originally Posted by TQA

Cats are great and if I could have afforded one I would have given it some consideration BUT they start to make sense around 44 feet, less than that they tend not to sail well if there is any chop esp. if weighed down with the usual cruising load. A popular 35 foot cat has 25 galls water eek!

If you have a cat there davits make it easy to lift the dink. On passage I like mine on the foredeck and it is ALWAYS there if I regard the passage as offshore. This can be as short as the 7 mile hop from Bequia to St Vincent. As it takes about 3/4 hour to derig the o/b and hoist everything on board if it is a sail in protected waters I tow it. Net gain in time and less expenditure of energy.

N.B. It is noticeable that these are getting popular in the charter fleets.


Why bother with the flappy stuff at all as many cat charters seem to motor everywhere even with the sails up!

If I was going to stick with power boating, I would buy a power cat myself.

[dropanchorfor3]

My game plan is to yes take sailing classes until I am comfortable and in those times rent sailboats. I do not want to make a big purchase like this and in 1 year or so say this isn't for me. When I feel comfortable and confident then the I'll take the next step.
I will not rush into this, which is why I have questions and am researching as much as I can. I like both sail boats and catamarans and there are pro's and con's to both. Neither are perfect, it's what makes me happy in the long run. I have learned a lot about these in a short amount of time, and still have a lot more to learn. Thanks for making this easy for me sailors.
Let me ask this does hull material make a difference in the boats handling in different types of waters and condition of waters. I see a lot of fiberglass some hulls made out of wood?

[CapnBilll]

Unless you like woodworking, welding, or masonery, buy a fiberglass boat.

Sailing allows you to cross an ocean without spending more than the cost of the boat in fuel. I'm transitioning to a sailboat because even though I will mostly be coastal cruising, I can't afford to go faster than a sailboat anyway.

[dropanchorfor3]

I am really liking the idea of sailing, I mean don't get me wrong I like yachts but I need to be practical. Besides out of all the videos I saw and the sailors here who have helped me see a different side to boating I am hooked. I like the idea of taking my time and enjoying the scenery then put the throttle down and lets get there.
My gf and I are going to experience it on a catamaran real soon here. Like I said if we like it then we both want to sign up for sailing classes. You sailors are right it is an adventure, it's not how fast you get there but how much you learn and have fun along the way. This site rules

[dropanchorfor3]

I forgot to ask, what publications can I get that will be of some education to me. I've seen sailing, yachting etc.

[miatapaul]

Originally Posted by dropanchorfor3

I forgot to ask, what publications can I get that will be of some education to me. I've seen sailing, yachting etc.

Pick up a few at the book store. Most are just advertizing for things most here can't and decide not to afford. I personally only read Good Old Boat on a regular basis. It is based on how to maintain an affordable older sailboat. There kitsch of "the boating magazine for the rest of us" (or something like that) seems true. The second best magazines tend to be the local ones and are often free. (here in New York we have Boating on the Hudson) and they give very practical info on your area. Also Latitudes and Attitudes help get you in the sailing mindset and can be interesting, but not real practical, kind of a biker magazine for sailboats.

Take your time, rent, or even better bum rides as much as you can. Put your name on as many lists for crew as you can find. (many marinas have boards, and be honest about your experience and intent) There are also some sailing sharing/club fleets that give a yearly membership, rather than buying outright. I have been looking seriously for almost 2 years now and I think I have it narrowed down. Remember you won't be getting anywhere in a hurry so no need to be in a hurry to get into a boat.

One other note, you will notice most people here tend to favor mono hulls but the main advantage of a Cat is space, and speed. The biggest disadvantages are going to be initial cost, motion comfort, cost of a slip (most will take nearly 2 slips so it will be more extensive, but not so on a mooring) and cost. There are some smaller cats that will fit in a normal slip (though tight) like the Gemini but they are in the minority. Life on a mooring can be nice as it is quieter, and generally might be more breeze, but will be rougher than most slips and has no water or electricity available.

The issue of displacement hull is really with mono hulls, as the cats don't really plain, but since there hulls are more like a canoe, they seem to be able to exceed there hull speed. Some are very fast.

[dropanchorfor3]

Never thought about joining a crew, good idea maybe I can do a weekend thing on board. I found this book on amazon called sailing for dummies and yes the magazines I have found are a lot on advertising. In the next month or so I want to go threw a 3 day sailing school, the cost is better then most.
If It was I think it is and I get even more bit, I will take the entire course. I'm thinking once I get more familiarized with the sailing concept I want to rent them for a while. Like I said time I have so in that time I will do all the above and go from there.

[Dean101]

If you want to read up on sailboats, how to sail, or really anything you want to know about anything, try using some relevant keywords in the search bar on Barnes and Noble website. You can find a book to teach you just about anything. The nice thing I like about doing this is that B&N also sells used copies pretty cheap through authorized sellers. The point is that you can learn the alot from reading an hour each night. I keep a copy of Chapman's Piloting and Seamanship on my nightstand.

[WDS123]

Get a small boat - dinghy

[dropanchorfor3]

I actually am looking into books. There are so many to choose from, I am going down to our library on Monday and look there to. By the way most of my boating expectance was on lakes in California. So this is a hole new ball game for me. And I like it...