16º 26.888s 145º 21.924w
Mon Jun 24 2019
We
think we want a 14 meter catamaran sailboat. JollyDogs is 11.6 meters (38’) LOA
(length overall), 37’ at the waterline, and the beam is 21’ 4” or 6.5 meters.
Production of the Seawind 1160 (now called the 1160 deluxe) began around 2003
and has evolved a bit since then with the 1190 sport, 1160 lite, 1250 (short
lived) and now the 1260, which appears to us to be a restyled and slightly
larger version of our 1160. Some things we like about it, but we still don’t
think it offers the storage capacity in terms of volume and weight that make
for a long term cruising boat fit for remote locations, capable of hauling
enough fuel, provisions, toys, mechanical and electrical spares, tools,
additional food refrigeration, solar panels, and related machinery necessary to
live off the grid for long periods of time. As well, there are interior and
exterior design elements that we desire, some which we’ve seen on other boats.
It’s
astonishing to be in the company of so many other catamarans here in French
Polynesia. In Mexico monohulls ruled, here in the Southeast corner of Fakarava
it may be 30-40% catamarans. Part of that is due to the number of families with
children that are cruising the world. These “kid boats” tend to stick together
to enhance the social and educational lives of the children, while also
improving the social opportunities for the parents, but there are also plenty
of catamarans with only adult couples on them. It says something about the
livability of a catamaran, as well as the supply of more affordable older cats
available for sale.
We’ve
toured lots of other boats recently; it’s one of the things folks do while
relaxing and playing in anchorages. There are newer and older examples from the
big three in the charter market - Fountaine Pajot, Lagoon, and Leopard, but
also the higher performance production boats - Catanas and Outremers. We’ve
even had a chance to tour a Dean and a Knysna in the last few weeks, the first
we’ve ever seen. There has been one giant Privilege 58’ cat with a big family
from Texas around as well. We find design elements on nearly all them that are
appealing to us as a full time live aboard couple. Some look like they’ll sail
well, others leave us with the impression that sailing wasn’t nearly as high a
priority as internal volume, weight capacity and a living space layout that
appeals to a homemaker. As our pal Stephen on SV Triple Shot, a rather
capacious Neel trimaran noted, “I wanted a boat; I got the boat my wife liked
and lucky for me it’s also a blast to sail.”
I’ve
been reading “Yacht Design According to Perry” written by Robert Perry. It’s a
good read, and he readily notes the struggle between the designer aiming for
performance, and the marketing folks aiming for mass appeal and sales. As
Isabel is fond of saying, “there’s a boat out there for everybody”. The weekend
before we took ownership of her, JollyDogs (then Lahaina) was the featured
Seawind 1160 at the 2013 Oakland, California boat show. She was moored next to
several condomarans, and it was remarkable to me how many couples came aboard
to have a look about then comment how they didn’t like the boat. Personally I
felt insulted and regarded them as mentally deficient.
What
we know is that we’re not willing to trade for a sailing brick that feels like
a high-end apartment. Seawind really got it right on the compromise between
livability and sailing performance, especially in light airs we commonly find
even in this trade wind belt. Many of these condomarans will sail once the wind
is howling, but the rest of the time they end up motoring about. We certainly
don’t want a pure performance machine like the Outremer (can’t pay for it
either), and the older Catanas that are within our budget aren’t appealing for
a variety of reasons. Like any husband, I need to make sure my wife is happy.
However, unlike a lot of husbands, I’ve got a wife who was born a sailor, who
loves the live aboard life, and who understands the compromises inherent in all
sailboats. Isabel’s rules, which must not be violated:
·
This is our home, it must be comfortable and livable.
·
This is our mode of transportation around the world. It must be SAFE, and we
must be able to sail with reasonable performance when the wind is forward of
the beam.
·
While the raised helm station is unsightly (FP, Lagoon, Leopard), and the helm
station out on the ends of each hull (Catana) are exposed to the elements and
may increase the risk of going overboard, when navigating through the bommie
ridden waters of an atoll a high helm station offers the advantage of excellent
visibility. When easing our way onto a pontoon in a marina a helm station on
each hull end offers both excellent visibility and quick access to dock lines.
In the first case odds may be improved in avoiding the total loss of the
vessel, in the second more likely a lessening of the risk of cosmetic damage to
our vessel or another around us. We only maneuver in a marina 3 – 4 times a
year, so we don’t get a lot of practice.
·
Happy wife, happy life.
We
reckon the fundamental bones JollyDogs may have originated with Tony Grainger,
as the older Lightwave catamaran looks a lot like our Seawind, but all
designers get ideas from one another. Regardless, Richard Ward of Seawind
really turned out a wonderfully sailing and highly livable boat, and we’re
hoping he’ll identify a market for a larger version truly designed for long
term live aboard couples.
The
galley up versus galley down argument continues, although on a 46’ cat the up
design might be fine. A chart table / nav station facing forward in the saloon
area already is standard on the 1260, and that’s a key element. There are times
when we need a place to be alone, and in lousy weather that means comfortable
seating areas both in the saloon and down in one of the hulls. We recently were
aboard a Marlow 40, a beautiful Swedish monohulls, and they had two very
comfortable individual seats in the saloon – something we absolutely coveted.
We want a cockpit that we can keep dry in rainy climes, we want to be well
ventilated even in rainy squally conditions at least while at anchor. We saw a
Catana with forward opening hatches underneath the decks and high above the
waterline, an ideal location to flush fresh air through in foul weather.
There’s more, and of course we want it all, and we want it yesterday.
And
people in hell want ice water. . .
No comments:
Post a Comment