Q: is a cat suitable for this:

Hi all,

I've been away from sailing for a while, pursuing other interests. Now I'm looking for a quick'n easy solution to getting out on the water again from time to time. Renting has crossed my mind, but it's hard to rent a cat where I live.

I'm used to mucking about in open keelboats which, as you know, get their stability via primitive means, usually involving a sizeable hunk of lead.

What I believe I need now is:
1) easily trailerable behind a typical continental (no, not a Lincoln) economy car.
2) stowable inside my garage which is max 6m (+/-20') long.
3) available second hand at a (ridiculously) tight budget.
4) Here's what I believe to be the hard part: Able to be dry sailed like your typical keelboat. So you don't need a wet suit in gentle weather. I don't mind reefing to keep the boat stable, but the low clearance of a cat probably makes it impossible to stay dry at all, right?

Could anyone either
a) recommend a suitable model
or
b) tell me whether or not I'm totally out of my mind.

Thanks in advance,
Dennis

For the dryness issue you claim, these cats come to mind, all wooden:

Shark
Wharram HITIA (maybe) or TIKI 21 (too long?)

b) 4)mostly

where the heck do you live to start with.

the problem with garage storage is the mast - most masts well exceed the length of the hull.

For the style of sailing you wish to do I would look into a Maine Cat 22. I'm not sure if they are being made anymore, but they would be perfect for the sailing you want to do. However, the size may not fit your garage, and the price may not be very low. It is trailerable (hinges in the middle). Also look for old Cougars, they came in wood and fiberglass, obviously you'd probably want the glass one. Not too common, but you might be able to scare one up.

PTP: I live in the south of the Netherlands.

TikiPete: The Wharram Tiki does look nice, I have his catalogue lying around from years ago. I'll go and dig it up. By miostly, do you mean mostly dry or mostly wet? I'm talking about sailing at below 4 Bft, above that I'd expect to get wet in any small boat on less than sheltered waters.

Boudicca: The shark looks nice, the designer must have been ages ahead of his time.

Thanks a lot everyone for helping out!

Your're gonna get wet!<img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

http://www.multihulls.uk.com/wharram/boats.htm

http://www.wharram.com/ctrek_photos/ctrek.shtml

Farrier Tramp, a 19' Trimaran that was produced in Australia (and US as Eagle) many years ago.

You may want to look at the older P-Cats (not Prindle). I think they are actually called Pacific Cats. They are completely fiberglass and are very comfortable boats to sail. They have a **** on each side that lets you sit in them as you would a large monohull.

They are heavy, I think about 700 lbs. This is the boat that most aged catamaran sailors in California coveted when they were young. Maybe the reason we are on a catamaran at all.

Later,
Dan

Thanks everyone,

Dan, thanks for the P-cat tip and the pictures. This probably comes closest to what I need (to convince the wife)...

Sparky, thanks for the tramp tip, I'll keep my eyes peeled although they are very rare in these parts. I'm actually planning to build a Farrier design at some point in the future, but 'things' will have to settle down before I take on a project like that.

I think I'll just hang-out here for a while and just lurk. Who knows I just might learn something from you guys.

Dennis

Dan, I don't understand those "****" on the P-Cat. They look like convenient places to collect pools of water. Plus, they appear to be where the centerboard trunks are located.

Mary:

I have not been near a P Cat in a while, I posted this pictures from another place, but as I remember the daggerboards are kick up and have a long slot in the boat for that. The draining of water is through that slot as well.

Mast is about 25'storage outdoors-recommemded-as long is it is off the ground you should be OK. About the P-Cat sailed one in the '70's the **** are self draining they have a 2" pipe that leads throught the rear of the hull to the transom. When there is a breeze the rubber gaskets at the bottom of the centerboard wells allow a jet of water to come up behind or in front of the board and that fountain drains throught the transom too. Not a bad light air boat for how heavy it is since it has 267 sq. ft. of sail. Much faster than the Aqua Cat it replaced. We sailed in Erie PA so we usually stayed dry when possible.

John

Hmmm, sounds like a combination potty and bidet. Either you are sitting on the drainhole or you are sitting on the fountain. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Let's hope the drainhole doesn't back up and become a fountain. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" />

I guess they never made a number two model then ;-P

Who knows what I'll run into. I'll keep my eyes peeled though.

Dennis

We got our boat about 10 years old and maybe the gaskets for the centerboard well were toast- I forgot to mention we docked it in a marina and would only have to pump out a gallon or so of water once a week from our one slightly leaky hull.