Multihulls are increasingly popular for cruising and multihull owners are exceptionally enthusiastic.So why are they not on our radar screen?
Here is a summary of the pluses and minuses that we've found:
Pluses
‘The cats' large, open areas for living and entertaining guests in shaded comfort and their stability in the anchorages that tend to be a bit rolly are where the cats excel.’ -- Hud3, Cruisers Forum*
‘If you want tons of living space, can afford the greater cost, and want shallow draft, go cat.’ -- Kettlewell, Cruisers Forum*
‘… most of them can be beached on any nice sandy shorefront for a quick stay or an over nighter ( if the tides are right).’ -- ozskipper, Cruisers Forum*
‘In large anchorages you will see the masts of monos swinging perpetually back and forth while the masts of cats are hardly moving at all… a significant comfort difference. And since 90% of your time is spent anchored there is a considerable enjoyment factor in cats versus monos.’ -- osirissail, Cruisers Forum*
stability**
Minuses
Cats ‘… demand a huge premium on purchase price… unless you have $200k to spend, I would suggest a mono. The cat's you see for $100k when you show up and check them out will most likely disappoint you. You can get a very good mono in excellent shape for the same money.’ -- Palarran, Cruisers Forum*
estimated 50% higher fees when staying at marinas* -- pablothesailor, Cruisers Forum*
and higher haul out fees… *
‘… manoeuvering a cat, without dual engines, they aren’t as easy as a mono. If the cat has dual engines, you have great control but you have double the maintainance. ’ -- ozskipper, Cruisers Forum*
difficult to manoeuvre in general, especially when loaded for cruising**
flipping in a storm during an ocean crossing is a veeery small risk as they are very stable – but if it happens, well… it’s hard to recover from
Conclusion
Doesn’t sound like the boat for us (though the extra area for lounging and yoga mats does sound appealing…). But we’ll look for opportunities to crew on a catamaran and check it out just in case. It’s good to cover all the bases.
Budget constraints, finding berths in crowded marinas and the long tail risk of an irrecoverable wipe out all combine to make us stick to our monohull agenda.
Have you ever owned/cruised a catamaran? Or trimaran? Would you recommend one for blue water?
We’re looking now just at the specs, pricing et al here for the Monsun only as our overriding goal is to get cruising.
A long forefoot cut-away keel (as opposed to a fin and skeg design) is supposed to be better suited to cruising in that - among other things - it’s a lot more resilient to running aground*. And the Monsun has the cut-away keel.
We could expect the fin and skeg with the Hallberg-Rassy 31MkI, MkII and H-R310, on the other hand, to produce better upwind and racing performance – but this is not our goal. So. Focusing on the goal…
Hallberg-Rassy Monsun 31
Specs**
LOA: 30 ft 9 in
Beam: 9 ft 5 in
Draft: 4 ft 7 in
Tanks fuel: 120 litres/32 US gallons
Tanks water: 160 litres/43 US gallons
Displacement: 4,200kg/9,250 lbs
Pricing***
32yrs – £ 19,500 ($ 31,196)
32yrs – $47,585 (£ 29,750 )
33yrs - $30,556 (£19,104)
33yrs - $52,038 (£ 32,533)
35yrs - £ 33,357 ($ 53,349)
37yrs - $ 28,750 (£ 17,974)
37yrs - $ 60,484 (£ 37,812)
38yrs - $ 42,554 (£ 26,603)
Hallberg-Rassy built its 904 Monsuns during 1974 – 1982.
The yard at
Hallberg-Rassy currently produces an H-R310 but has discontinued its other 31
footers: the Monsun 31, 312, 94 Kutter, 31 Mk I and 31 Mk II.All theHallberg-Rassy
31’s were designed by Germán Frers and built at the H-R yard in Sweden*.
The
Hallberg-Rassy website says they made 904 of the (most popular) Monsun design
(which is a LOT), and 2,145 of all 31 footers - but no breakdown for how many
was made of each of the other models. I can’t find owner feedback in the forums
on the H-R31 Mk I or Mk II, although the Mk II was produced for 16 years*.
This famous yard
is still happily in business and providing original spare parts to all its
models, always a helpful factor*.
Feedback on 31
footers in the Hallberg-Rassy series
Hmm. Once again I
find mostly rave reviews about this class of boat and a few piddly negatives.
Pretty solid feedback. Either we are working from a can’t-lose list of
recommended blue water models or all boat owners love their boats blindly,
oblivious to flaws.
‘After 35 years,
she is in remarkably good shape: no blistering, no deck delamination, no
gelcoat crazing…’ and ‘…excellent engine and shaft access through the cockpit
sole, a foredeck anchor well, H-R's trademark windshield, raised bulwarks, and
heavy duty deck hardware’ but ‘…main shortcoming, in my opinion, is lack of
headroom, about 5'10" in the main cabin’. – ByrSac, Sailnet boat reviews
on HR Monsun 31****
‘Biggest downside
for extended cruising is mainly that you are living in a boat designed for the
cruiser's of a simpler time… you won't find a convenient place for that big
6,000 watt generator or any place to stuff a microwave, washing machine, or
whatever else electrically dependent cruisers come up with. – 1Vagabundo,
Sailnet boat reviews on HR Monsun 31****
‘…spirited but
secure, comfortable… impeccably built and, because of the name, sure to hold
her value’. This reviewer also points out there is no chart table. Instead you
get an extra hanging locker and a roomier galley. -- Cruising World mini-review
September 2009 on the new H-R310**
Overall
We prefer the
lines of the old H-R31 Mk II so far. Just looks sleeker somehow. Handsome teak
on deck and it has an extra 17 inches of beam (vs the Monsun) – we like beamy
boats for a spacious feeling and just that much better storage.
I guess most
buyers would rely on GPS and not really need the chart table that is absent in
the H-R310. And there’s always the main saloon table to spread out on for chart
work (which we plan to do regularly) that’s bigger anyway. I don’t expect there
will be too many of this model on the second-hand market yet as it hasn’t been
out long.
Hope to see some
examples of any of the Hallberg-Rassy series boatsat the Boat Show next year, if not sooner!
Next post
We’ll cover the
specs, price examples by age, the pluses and minuses versus our dream boat
criteria and decide if a Hallberg-Rassy 31 makes the short list in the next
post (though, hey, it’s lookin’ good...) Stay tuned.
Have you ever
sailed (or owned) this type of boat?
What do you
think? Would you buy this boat (or buy it again)?
Book the Captain is currently snoozing on: The Solar Boat
Overview so far
I was pretty excited when I got my paws on this book.
Sunshine – not just for basking in! Power the boat in an eco-friendly way. Save money for more key purchases instead. Increase your boat’s electric capacity. It has much promise. But…
We don’t actually know so much about electrical systems yet. Have to admit we are a bit overwhelmed at the straight launch into amp, ohm and watt calculations in the first chapter. Hmm.
So we’ll have a quick snooze on Don Casey’s chapters on marine electrical systems to get some electrical theory background and then go back to the The Solar Boat…
How much to keep the Captain on board in the style to which he aspires?
Lin Pardey says in Cost Conscious Cruiserthat ‘a couple setting out should project a yearly cruising budget of about 1/3 of one person’s income’. Can I therefore estimate the Captain’s sea-based costs to be 1/3 of what he costs on land?
I’m thinking ‘no’.
But his land costs are not that bad. He is a young and healthy cat.
Looking at the owner comments over at Sailnet and Cruisers Forum, best wisdom mentions the following cost categories: food, water, kitty litter and tray, vet fees, safety equipment*, and customs/import permit/vaccination fees for country entry requirements.
Rough Back of the Envelope Calculation
Food I don’t foresee a happy future if I were to cut back on Captain Cat’s food supply. Ditto the water and kitty litter. (You got that right, mate.)
But there should be many opportunities to fish in the great watery supermarkets of the sea when living aboard. That should provide some savings. (Ahhh, I can taste the mahi mahi now…makes my tail curl just thinking of it. And if you stay in my good books, I may even share).
Safety
Cat safety equipment items* are a one-off investment and not too pricey.
harness $7 (petco.com), £7 (petplanet.co.uk)
hanging 5-step rope ladder $35 (West Marine), £20 (Force 4)
boat hook $20(West Marine), £21 (Force 4)
scoop net $20 (doheny.com), £9 (fishing4fun.co.uk) + handle
pet first aid kit
netting along life lines
snap-on net cover for the companionway
Fun and Grooming
toys
catnip
carpet shampoo
nail clippers
Vet and Entry fees
Costs here of course depend entirely on the country/ies visited and how many visited. From the info at noonsite.com on importing pets into countries, it looks like the required rabies shots, other vaccines, import checks and permits will eventually add up…
Conclusion
The one-off cat safety equipment amounts are pretty nominal – and most of the equipment is needed for humans too. Any gains on food savings, however, will probably be way offset by customs/cat import/vaccination entry fees.
Overall, I predict a slight increase for the on-the-water cat budget. But probably worth it. (Probably??You bet yer deck boots it’s gonna be worth it!)
Are there any other significant costs of keeping a feline safe and happy on board? (Yeah. You forgot the cost of my water toys: sea kayak, fishing tackle, pool noodles...)
Guest post by
--The Can Opener
(supervised by Captain Cat)
* The forums mention that cats do not take well to lifejackets. Something about their balance being thrown off when their shoulders are covered and they get unsteady/woozy. We’ll give the jackets a shot anyway, just to be sure. (Oh no we won’t.)
The Bristol Channel Cutter 28 was designed by Lyle Hess and built by Sam L. Morse Co.*
Unfortunately the Sam L. Morse Co. went bust in 1997**, despite the ongoing popularity of the Bristol series boats. This is not generally a good thing from a holds-its-value point of view.
Holds its value
However, it seems the Bristol Channel Cutter 28 is now being made again by Cape George Marine (they also make other 'Cape George' Cutters, but only the Bristol Channel Cutter 28)***.
So add this to the Bristol Channel Cutter 28’s long history of ongoing popularity and maybe there won't be too significant an impact on resale value going forward. They are hard to find for sale.
Owner Feedback
According to owners posting at Sailnet commenting on all models of the Bristol, the designs optimise use of space, with tons of storage. Construction is meant to be to a very high standard.
‘...if there is a downside to the BCC (BCC 28) it’s her abundance of exterior woodwork that needs maintenance to keep it looking sharp' - Boat US Review, May 2005*****
I can’t find any owner reviews that have too much negative to say about any models in the Bristol series. One comment at the Sailnet boat reviews about slight pumping due to a deckstepped mast on the Bristol 29 – but I’ve also seen mention that some other models are keel stepped. Guess it depends. Overall, great reviews.
reasonable tankage – at least the most I’ve seen so far in this length category…
holds its value!
blue water designed, tested and a popular design series
tiller – simpler steering system, less to go wrong
massive storage – same as on a much longer boat
no 'interior liner' so nearly the whole interior is accessible for maintenance*****
extra strong construction and attention to detail by the builders
everybody raves about them
reports on Sailnet for all the Bristol series boat reviews say that they sail beautifully and are well balanced
Minuses
of course, because it holds its value… it’s expensive
has a lot of wood trim inside and out which means high maintenance. If you’re prepared to put in the work, you’ll be proud, tired and happy. If you want low maintenance, this may become quickly a big drag. Depends if you gets addicted to the varnish fumes or not, I guess. For us, probably not a plus.
foresail changes means going out on the bow sprit
is the cockpit comfy? Mahina****** comments indicate maybe it’s not the comfiest in his opinion. Worth checking out to see how we feel about it.
Decision
The Bristol Channel Cutter 28 definitely makes the short list. Hope we can find a chance to volunteer to crew on one soon!
We will also investigate the 'second series' Bristols within our length criteria: the Bristol 27.1, 28.1, 29.1, 30.1, 31.1 and maybe the 32.1.
Have you ever sailed (or owned) this type of boat?
What do you think? Would you buy this boat (or buy it again)?
Today the First Mate and I made an arduous journey to an intriguing foreign outpost: the Red Tabby Yacht Club. The Can Opener has insisted that our taking on membership here will be good for both of us. I do not see how as most members are tomcats.
The Can Opener countered that Pussy Galore had recently joined as a member. Hmm, maybe. He also said there is a bar with endless whiskey and where they hand out free catnip. So count me in.
I donned my cape and sceptre, and off we went.
And whaddayaknow, the Can Opener was… right!
The Red Tabby sits in a kind of modern building that overlooks a park with an artificial pond in it about the size of a water bucket. I was perplexed to note that this appeared to be a yacht club with no yachts.
Apparently they scatter the boats about the countryside where there are good winds, particularly to the south.
On the up side, however, it has not one but two well-stocked bars. Also a restaurant, some meeting rooms and… a library! Stocked with endless tales of the sea. I could snooze there on stacks of sailing books – for years! I shall certainly install the Can Opener here for its inspirational qualities as he studies for all the exams I have put on his training list.
We also met a few locals as, after a snootful of prime quality bar catnip, I used the leg of an old-ish chap as a springboard while racing round the front entryway in my euphoria. I scaled his trouser leg (fine wool gabardine, great for gripping with my finely sharpened nails), ricocheted, skidded across the Welcome Desk and bounced into some admin office at the back.
I was back again at the old guy’s leg in a shot, as he had scooped for his home journey the last pocketful of catnip from the bar and I was determined he should share.
The old tom who styles himself ‘Prince Somethingorother’ (obviously some sort of cliché rock and roll stage name) seemed momentarily outraged.
But as he had had a fair snootful of the catnip himself (and good quality it is too), we were soon arm in arm on the bar lounge sofa crooning ‘Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats’ to the assembled bar crowd for the remainder of the evening. (He was a solid tenor, probably lead singer for his old band.)
So, kudos to the Can Opener! Looks like the Red Tabby Yacht Club will be a key part of our plan after all. It promises to fill the ‘Get Social’ part of my ‘Big Plan to Get Cruising’ admirably.
And maybe Pussy Galore will even turn up as a member here too.
