Chartering a Catamaran in the Caribbean. What we liked. What we'd do different. Ep58
Вставка
- Опубліковано 6 вер 2024
- Ep58. In this episode of Cruising Off Duty, Janice and I sit down and tell our viewers what it was like to Charter a Catamaran in the British Virgin Islands. What places we visited that were so good that we would want to go again and what places we would skip. We discuss what things surprised us or we weren't expecting about Chartering in the B.V.I. and what we would do differently if we were to Charter a sailboat again.
We go over what we liked about being on a Catamaran Vs a Monohull. We also get specific about what we liked and didn't like about the particular model that we Chartered, the Nautitech Open 40'.
So if you ever considered Chartering a sailboat in the Caribbean and are trying to decide if you want to rent a Catamaran or a Monohull, this is the episode you want to watch.
OK I jumped the gun... THIS episode is a 100% No BS assessment of the trip. Thank you for the honesty and advice. Sheri and I really liked the series and it was nice to see the full review from you both. I like the "sails' pitch at the end! lol. Don't blame you, I would love to have a friend that would invite me on a sailing trip and I would do a video as well! Looking forward to more episodes and some drone shot's. O wait, you cant fly that in Canada!!! Sorry couldn't help it. cheers! Dave and Sheri.
Ya. Can't blame a guy for throwing it out there. You never know there may be someone with a Cat that would love to have some episodes created with them and their boat as the stars. ha ha. Ya the drone thing is a huge bummer. I'll still fly when I am out on my boat this summer.
How informative! You guys are awesome. We chartered with an owner/operator couple in 2015, and really enjoyed it. All your points resonate. Sad about the condition of your boat though!
Glad you enjoyed it. :-)
@@Bowmans-Woods That 2015 charter was in BVI, so we visited most of the spots "everyone" does. We did the Andaman sea in Thailand in 2017 (11 days), again with an owner operator (no wind, so we motored the entire time), and then again in Croatia this past summer but with a last minute captain and stew (long story!). I think we lucked out in that our catamaran in Croatia was 20 years old, but as such everything worked except the little fan in my wife and I's room, which was brutal (it was HOT last summer in Croatia!)!
Our 2023 goal is to get me certified so we can bareboat this coming winter, we shall see how that goes! Videos like your really help, especially with your nitty gritty details about why your charter boat was horrible!!
Regards from downriver, Hudson Yacht Club!
I am glad you guys added this review of your trip and the boat. It gave more insight into why you chose the places you did and why you chose that charter company and boat. On each episode I would scratch my head and say why on earth are they going there when there is this place that would be a better anchorage, snorkel spot, bar or restaurant. The allure of going to the "famous spots" won out and that makes sense on a first charter. Wanting to tick off Foxy's, Soggy Dollar, Willy T and the Bath's off of the list is important for your first time. If you do end up going back get yourself to Benures Bay on Norman and Cistern Point of Cooper for a great snorkel. Leverick Bay in the North Sound for everything else, a fantastic spot to tour Virgin Gorda from, you should eat at their upstairs restaurant and watch the Michael Beans Pirate Show or if on a Friday enjoy their Beach BBQ and Jumbies Party, Leverick could warrant 2 nights. After that head to Anegada, eat at the Wonky Dog, visit the beaches and beach bars like Cow Wreck, and Loblolly Bay, snorkel the reefs there as well. The next day go to Little Jost van Dyke to check out the B-Line Bar. It is what the Soggy Dollar used to be. You will see lots of turtles and have some decent snorkeling there along the shoreline. Thanks for the great series of videos, you made me long to go back so much that I have already booked a trip for next spring.
It will be great to see footage of your new sailing location in the Thousand Islands and of course I always love watching anything you do drone related. Happy Sailing!
Thanks Kim. I know. We sort of followed where Dan and Theresa said were the "must see" spots. We didn't do any research so we just seemed to go along for the ride. If we did it again or when we one day do it again on our own boat, we will do A LOT more research and probably skip most of the tourist Bars (except foxy's which was fun) and just focus on best places to Snorkel/Scuba and go hiking on shore. Now that we checked off these "must sees" we don't need to go back to them.
Cheers, one of the first vids I've seen where $is something that is factored in to your considerations.
Good job
Glad it was helpful!
Nice to hear experiences from fellow Ottawa ppl. We have been looking at renting a cat for a week or two in the Caribbean and have been doing some research. Glad to hear you loved it I’m excited to do it. I didn’t hear where you left from and where you went.
Glad you enjoyed it. We had a blast even with the poorly maintained boat. We left Tortola BVI.
Feel like you guys are really bad mouthing this boat for unwarranted reasons.
First off; sails well and high bridge-deck clearance (which you liked). It is obviously a performance oriented cruiser, Nautitech even says this themselves. To say it is small and compare it to a Lagoon is disingenuous. Lagoons are good boats, but they're built for comfort over performance. Don't say a coupe is bad because it isn't a sedan.
Secondly, this boat would have been sold as a bare bones charter. Water maker which 'never worked', solar panels installed with no controller; it is clear that the charter company installed these themselves, and obviously did not do a great job. Nautitech, or any manufacturer, would never deliver a boat with a water maker that doesn't work, nor would they have installed panels with no controller. So, you have a dodgy aftermarket installation of electrical components; it's no surprise that while working with the boat's electrical system things were messed up (lights, fridges).
I agree. The boat seems to have been not well maintained by the charter company. The boat properly maintained may be quite good for the right owner. We just were not a fan of the exposed steering areas. Just not a boat we would consider. But to the right buyer it may be perfect.
as u say..each to their own. the open 40 is perfect for australian conditions and the open helm fantastic for forward vision. on a passage use the auto pilot. its a great boat some negatives but open and social esp when racing. the whole crew can be part of the action. a lagoon or lucia and many others definitely not. great show however. have a good one
Thanks Mark.
Very honest and useful boat review. I am a fan of the Wharrams cat designs, the 46 tiki mostly. Stock design is NOT built for North American chartering, but if you had tested one, I would love to catch the review.
Thanks Chris. Glad you got something out of it. I wish I had the time and the connections to test sail every boat we see at the show. But, sadly I can’t.
@@Bowmans-Woods If you have the chance, try to get in touch with the Lucky Fish folks, they have a Wharram design (and I think they're currently in Florida). It's not a boat I'd want as a liveaboard, but they're three people that sailed from Mongolia to Florida...
They have a fairly nice UA-cam channel, too... :-)
This was great, I learned a lot! A BVI catamarran cruise is on my bucket list. You two are an adorable couple. I subbed and look forward to watching more episodes.
Thanks. You have a fair number of episodes ahead of you. Hope you enjoy.
Wife and I are on the same time frame. We will probably do a similar Cat familiarization trip this umber or next. Thanks for sharing your journey and all the great info. Maybe we can met up in 2023.
Sound good. Always will be fun to meet other Cat owners and compare boats and Sailing Stories. Look forward to it.
Thanks for the fun ride guys...Summer is coming!
Thanks Mike. We went for a ride on my MC tonight and it finally is really feeling like summer. We can't wait until we never have to deal with the Ottawa Winters again. Maybe at worst we slide home to visit at Christmas just to see snow and by new years we run to the airport and escape to the warmth and our boat again. 1 Week only of snow. That would be awesome.
Hi Craig glad you enjoyed the holiday over all, and those 5 years will just fly.
Thanks and perhaps 5 years will fly by. Its the last one that is going to grind on. I just know it. ha ha. I actually have 6 years left. I could leave earlier but I wouldn't get my money for 6 years.
Hi Greg, Thanks for sharing the series and the "no holds bar" review love the input from the both you and Janice. Two thoughts: 1) I think you'll find there are more marinas in the Med that can hall out cats than you realize (I'm constantly seeing videos of marinas in the Med with cats on the hard); and 2) You might look at selling your home and boat a year or two early and rent the remaining 1-2 years (down size the size of rental unit and you might get a better price for your house if the market is good in your area). This could give you time to get use to the cat that you buy and work-out any kinks or make any changes/upgrades you want to make without being under a time constraint. You might even realize you could "untie the lines" a little early! ;-) Just a thought...
Great review! ! I have really enjoyed watching. Glad to hear you made it home safe and sound. ! ! Cheers Keep the excellence coming! !
Thanks Rick.
I've re-watched your charter trip series with my wife. I'm trying to get her interested. It's a hard sell.
Thanks Roger for becoming our latest Patron. It is much appreciated. Getting her on a Cat in the fairly protected waters of the BVI would have been a nice way for her to have fun and not push her to the point of it being scary. Good plan for the future but after the hurricanes you may have to wait a bit for the foliage and the beauty to come back and for the Charter companies to restock their fleet. All of the sites we showcased in that multi episode series are all destroyed now. Sad time for that area.
The Indians outside of Norman Island is a great snorkeling spot. Also the caves by Norman Island.
Thanks. We only heard about the caves and other great snorkelling after we got back. We will have to check out these great spots the next time we sail in the area.
Merry Christmas Janice, Craig and all the viewers!. That 6 years must be getting close to being up so I was wondering how your cat is coming along? 🙂
Retirement has been pushed back to a year or 2 from now. Will not seriously shop until we are retired as we need to sell the house to have enough money.
@@Bowmans-Woods 10-4 Roger that Crrrck
I have a couple questions. I'm just starting out sailing and have taken asa 101 course and have 103,104 lined up. I have a ton of powerboat exp like 20+ years. I live near Cleveland ohio and have been on lake erie my whole life. So my question is would it be difficult to rent a bareboat charter boat for me? I would just be doing USVI waters around ST. John and Thomas not bvi,
I don’t think it would be hard. You just have to explain you experience to the charter company. They decide if you are good enough. They want your business so I bet they just take you out for an hour to show you some things and you’d be good.
the only issue with the cat: price. price in a marina and price when you buy it. thats all, if you cruising or living on it. if you can pay for it, go for it.
Ya. I believe if you plan to spend a lot of your time sitting in a marina at a dock then perhaps go with a mono-hull. Cats are meant to be floating condos out exploring the world in comfort and spending most of the time at anchor in some far flung place.
One big plus is you took your drone down, and you brought it back! LOL!
Yep. Only flew it 3 times but at least I still have it. Now that is the glass half full way of thinking . :-)
Another episode! and I'm still here :) I just realised something/found out.
You reminded about "Dream Yacht Charter" and that green carpet, went to check papers of my sail trip. Company I get the boat from it's called Dream Yacht Charter, wait a second... But I take the boat from Croatia, EU. It's just coincidence that's the same name (it seems quite generic to me). Quick google search aaand it's the same international company.
Now I'm terrified of what I'll see when I get there...
Hey Q. I got it out quick, because I knew you were leaving. ;-) Hmmm DYC is there too. Well, hopefully that location works a lot harder on maintaining their boats. Have a great trip!
Thanks for that :)
Yeah, I am very hopeful right now :D Usually when I took the boat in Croatia all was fine in the end, but You had to be very through at the start, cause sometimes they slip. Like one time we took the boat that was supposed to be full on fuel. Fuel gauge was showing max, so first thing we did, we go to the gas station and top the gas tank with 50L of diesel. Fuel gauge was broken and always showing max even when there was about 2/3 of the tank. Got our money for that refuel back, no problems here. Just that they "forgot"/ didn't know about broken gauge.
Thanks, will send you a postcard :P
Good suggestion about filling before you go. Thanks
Be sure to let us know how your experience with DYC/EU goes. As noted, "Locally owned and operated franchise"!
I was on a trip in the Windward Islands on a Lagoon 450 from DYC last year.
The boat was about 3 years old, it was the charter version and it was (IMHO) really basic. No radar, no AIS, no solar, no genset, no aircon, no watermaker, no anything fancy (except for the B&W chartplotter and that might be standard on the Lagoon).
I can't say anything really bad about them - the boat worked, everything that was there was in good working order (except for the batteries, that seemed to be on their last legs or just too small).
I went there with 8 friends, we shared the cost, so the 6.9k we paid for the boat (based in Le Marin, Martinique) was affordable for me.
Snorkeling areas I can recommend: Tobago Keys with their sea turtles (but if you have Scuba gear, you'll see real beauty outside the horseshoe reef) and Mustique. Mustique was quite expensive (mooring ball was $210 for the minimum stay of three days), but you just jump in the water and are almost immediately surrounded by fish. :-)
very informative...I like how you are "so Canadian" you never wanted to offend anybody...lol
Ha Ha. I guess that is it. We were upset by how DYC tried to give us a total lemon boat but it is not in our nature to freak out on them. "Please sir can you give us a boat that has working fridges...... Please?" ha ha
Craig & Janice don't you think that the problems encountered are specific to "charter" configuration? I think that an owners version, even with four state rooms would necessarily be better?
When we said it was small inside we were talking about the Galley/Salon. Not the rooms in particular. But a Lagoon definitely has bigger interior volume everywhere compared to this Cat. It didn't feel like a 40' It felt like a 37'. We hated the Helm positions on this boat so we would never get this brand no matter how cheap we could find it. When we buy a Used Cat (probably a Lagoon) we will definitely look for an Owner's version.
Cruising Off Duty I know this is untimely, but I’m just seeing your videos as now. I really enjoy them! That said, I think your assessment of the Nautitech 40 was a bit unfair. It was a charter boat. Of course it was abused, not kitted out for long term cruising, etc. You described the twin helms as awful, but I think that’s just preference, not a flaw. The twin helms have a lot of benefit. It’s much better for actual sailing, you have better helm feel, and you actually have better overall visibility when you account for both helms, particularly considering the engine controls are on both helms. Docking is SO much easier with this design. You are exposed more to weather, which is a very fair comment. There are things you can do to ameliorate (mini-biminis), but you definitely are more exposed. You complained about not having full instruments/autopilot on both helms or in the saloon, but that’s just outfitting, not a flaw in the boat. Anyway, just thought I’d lob in these thoughts. I don’t own one of these boats by the way (did charter one a couple years ago), and I don’t work for Nautitech. Keep up the great videos!
Really enjoyed your video and the information, and Janice is beautiful!
Well, thanks for both compliments Wayne.
Exactly what I was looking for. I've been thinking of doing this
The BVI is a lovely place to charter.
Regarding restaurant prices...
One comment I'd make: Did you see many cows? No? Then steak is going to be pricey. Because if there aren't cows, that beef has to be brought in and that cost is going to passed on to you. (Though I would think they'd make it up by giving you a bigger lobster, but Caribbean lobsters may not grow that big compared to other places).
Yep. You have to eat what the locals can make or raise. Or, expect to pay for the nose for it.
No auto gratuity in Australia and you don’t always get great service either. We are in the middle of selling our home to buy a cat and your info from last year Annapolis boat show was helpful. Hope to see u on the seas.
Thanks Veanne. We are putting up episodes now about the Cats from this years show. Hope you enjoy them too.
Awesome episode. How will you be storing all that video footage? Do you keep the clips after the edit. I ask because I'm a Photographer and stills eats up my NAS drives very quickly.
Thanks. I keep all the raw footage on hard drives. Only a very small portion of the footage captured gets in the episode. Some of the raw footage is funny for us to relive because you often can hear conversations that people were having in the background. Which can sometimes be funny. But not really suited for public consumption. :-)
Here's a thought to consider when you buy a catamaran, how many marinas have a travel lift to put them on the hard?
There are quite a few in the Caribbean because Cats are the norm there. Now in the Med where I hear they are not as hospitable to Cats, I am sure it is a bit harder to find. But there are some big mega yachts there too so Im sure a lift can be found if you really needed to be hauled out.
Very informative and thanks for your honesty,
You are very welcome.
Windward sailing ability isn't just about speed. Get caught on a lee shore and it quickly becomes a safety issue. Lots of people get around on the condo cats, and they can run off fine in a storm. But owners are strangely quiet about sharing the terrifying 12 hours when they got caught against a shoal, with no where to go but up hill. I'd recommend getting ahold of Chris White's book, I don't know anyone who can afford one of his boats, but his experience makes his book priceless if you're looking at a multihull. Research, research, research...
The French build a lot of multihulls, but they don't build them for you! They build them to specs laid out by Moorings and Sunsail! But when the French do build a boat for blue water sailing, what do they build? With all of that experience, what are their priorities? Now since you likely can't afford a custom boat, what used boats have most of the features that were prioritized in your research?
Thanks but we are getting a Cat. No book is going to change that. Good thing about a Cat. You have 2 engines so you have redundancy in case 1 conks out. You cant say that about a Monohull. So you can always turn on the "Iron Genny" if you need to get away from a Lee shore and can aways motor if sailing into the wind is getting you no where fast. No one says you have to sail a sailboat 100% of the time and we wont in a big rush to get anywhere so if a big blow is coming we will just find a nice sheltered harbour to sit it out. Sailing in a gale is not in our plans.
Eh... Chris White is a multihull designer. Mostly cats, but one or two tri's.
Research, research, research...
Great episode. Have you seen "Catamaran Empi" ? They're sailing a Lagoon 40 and enjoy it.
Thanks. Yes I have.
Awesome and really great videos as always. Very interesting for me to hear the monohull vs catamaran comparisons.
So contrast what were your favorite boats when you went catamaran window shopping at the boat show to what you now know and what is the new order of your preferred cats currently?
Thanks. The top 2 Big Production companies are still #1 Lagoon. #2 Fountaine Pajot. If we had the money there are some better custom builders but those boats are more and probably out of our budget so at this moment we are thinking we will end up with a Lagoon. Lagoon 45' seems to be the perfect size to live on full time for us. A 42' could also work. Just depends if we can afford the 45 (Used - Preferable an owner's version. And no ex-charter boats for sure).
Owner's version for sure is the only hope for your best shot on a decent, previously owned boat.
BTW, yesterday I saw a YT video with a title like "...where boats go to die." In the boatyard I saw many boats just rotting away in the sun. Included were a few large catamarans, one of which looked decent. Shall I try to find that link? You never know what diamonds in the rough you may discover.
Thanks Bob. I am sure there are a lot of boats on the hard all over the Caribbean and south Florida where the owners just never use them and they are just rotting on the shore. It is sad but you can't force people with money to be smart with their money. We are 6 years away from untying the lines for good. When we are around 1 year away we will start really looking for a boat in earnest and will start the process of selling our house (or biggest asset). But when time comes we will try and find a well maintained Owner's version.
Let me know when you start and I will assist you and Janice internationally.
Thanks
Thanks Craig and Janice great review
Thanks. Always nice to hear people enjoyed it.
As fellow Canadians who have visited the USVI and BVIs and dream of a CAT life, we found your videos very informative and enjoyable! You seem to be leaning towards a Lagoon 440 but have you checked out the Fountaine Pajot? We first were looking at the Lagoon too but now we are reconsidering Fountaine Pajot and the Leopards are pretty sweet too. We also enjoyed The Baths and would go back there! St. John's is great as well! We did some Island hoping between the USVI & BVI's and quite enjoyed it but we hear you about doing some of your own cooking to keep down cost.
Hey Lydia. Thanks. Yes we have looked at all of the big production boats (Lagoon, FP, Leopard etc). We did a whole series on them when we went to the last Annapolis Boat Show. We have 4 episodes on that trip. Check them out for our footage and thoughts on these boats. Builders in order of our preference is #1 Lagoon, #2 FP, #3 (distant #3) Leopard.
Thanks for the reply! We will definitely check those videos out as we have been thinking #1 FP, #2 Lagoon and #3 Leopard. Also will have to see how La Vagabonde does with their new Outremer.
+Lydia Hummel . We saw the Outremer at the boat show. It's not what we were looking for. They seem to be all about speed. They have narrow hulls and daggerboards so the interior cabins do not have a lot of storage. Plus they make the trampolines in the front so unbelievably massive that you lose out on a lot of deck storage space.
Cruising Off Duty If you want to be a sailboat and not a motorboat. Consider a daggerboard cat. If you want a condo that doesn't sail well...has a hard time pointing...and motors more than sailing...grab a M/V. In the long run you will save money from sails rigging etc.
ah the good old "tourist" prices.........they are a bain everywhere......... In Australia,we don't tip(though it is starting to be a part of the scene now),not sure how we would go somewhere your supposed to lol.
Hello, thanks for sharing your experience. What time of the year did you go? I'm planning a similar trip but a consistent 25-30 knots wind doesn't sound comfortable.
Oh that was yrs ago now. I think it was Feb?
@@Bowmans-Woods do you have any experience with early Summer in the BVI? I'm thinking first week of July.
I'm curious how much your charter cost. Sailing Doodles is about to close on a deal where they will be charter hosts on a Lagoon 440. I don't know its going to happen for sure but I think they said it would be $4000 per week split between the number of guests who go along, food and beverages included (on the boat, shore dinners would be extra).
$4000 per person or per couple? Per couple I can totally see for food included. $4000 per person is way way too expensive. In that case the Doodles are making a killing off doing that venture if they are getting a cut of that money. Ours was a bareboat. Cheapest deal we could find. We got what we paid for I think. I believe we paid between $6000-$7000 for the boat split 6 ways. Food and booze was on top of that and DYC charges you a bunch of admin and cruising fees. It is not a cheap vacation when you factor in airfare and hotels before and after. That is why we may not be able to afford to do that again unless some nice person with a Cat wants to invite us aboard their Cat to make episodes with them included. It can't hurt to throw that out there. ha ha.
Sorry my info comes from their Sunday afternoon live chat and I joined late. It seemed like they were talking about charging a group rate of $4000 for up to six people. I could be wrong about that because it seems low compared to what you said you paid. I think the Lagoon is setup with four cabins but again I came late to the live broadcast and probably misheard or missed things along the way. They usually have their live feeds at 1 pm central time on Sunday. Being a "host" couple might be a way to get your catamaran when you two retire (get the boat to help pay for itself). The deal for them is not finalized yet but it sounds like its close to being done. Several modifications need to be done to the boat and it sounds like Bob - Sailing Doodles guy will be doing the updates (add AC add fresh water maker add ice maker etc). I would have thought a bigger Lagoon would be better for charters but it sounds like the person making the investment is getting a deal on the boat (again I came late to the show on Sunday). Hope your boat gets all fixed up. Glad no one got hurt. Sorry it happened - but that's how accidents are, unplanned).
Yes. That is too low for food included for an entire boat shared with UA-camrs that are surely going to make an episode or more with the occupants involved. At best it is $4000 per couple in a room. At worst it is $4000 per person. But that seems too steep. But who knows? Some people may pay that just to be in a bunch of episodes on UA-cam without having to do any of the work, the filming or the editing.
need to realize that there is no income tax in those islands, hence the high prices. same on Caymans... Not a cheap place to visit.
did you have a cabin cruiser about 25 years ago called off duty on the big rideau???
No. My first sailboat is the 35' Beneteau I have now. Must be someone else who values being "Off Duty". :-)
I love the #1 POLICEMAN cup you starred right into the cam every time you had a sip lol. You know that if your spending 50$ a plate and mad money on drinks, they could clean the glass and burs of the beach. And speaking of dinner I'm with you you guys. Cheap food and a lot of it. Slip the bartender 10$ and drinks flow :) PS.I love the almost 30 min time.
Thanks. We tried to cover all our thoughts as quickly as possible and it still ended up that long. But I think we kept the info flowing so there wasn't much I had to cut out. Im glad you liked it's length. I also dont mind watching a longer video if it keeps me entertained or engaged.
Nice episode and review Craig, that was my dream vacation!. Let us know if you and Janice want to do the Cat Rental in winter again (very northern Indiana here). Maria and I may be up for it. I know you guys said you'd only do it with people you are very familiar with but I see you guys are very flexible and easy going and so are we. Be willing to confirm that I'm a brother in blue just in case it's a question. I told you before that I am trying to get Maria a love for sailing and that would be perfect (she's afraid of deep water). I have my own UA-cam channel (just a silly hobby) and you can get a hold of me there. It's under my full name. Love the video and still catching up.
+Chuck Rothy thanks Chuck. Not sure we can afford to do much more chartering since we are saving for the one big cat to live on in a few years. But if we find we all of a sudden can afford it we will be open to people cut from a similar cloth. 👍😃
Understandable, I am going to eventually get her on a charter someday and see how she likes it. At least she's willing to do that much. lol
+Chuck Rothy. We had an absolute blast. Wish we could afford to do it every winter. BECAUSE WE WOULD! 🍺🎉⛵️
There is no need to sail directly into the wind. Tacking solves that...
Thanks for the video! Wish you could do more! Did you mention charter cost or did I miss it?
That was filmed a while ago. Im not sure if we mentioned what we paid but it was around $6.5K for the week, split 6 ways. Not a cheap vacation as that does not include flights and hotels before and after. Also we got one of the cheapest Cats they had. Obviously we got what we paid for. ha ha
Cruising Off Duty Love to sail a Cat! Used to crew on Mono Hulls! You also supply food, fuel and Anchorage Fee? Thanks Born in Vancouver Bc! The Pacific Northwest the best cruising I've done!
You are right. We also paid for Food, Booze, fuel and fees. So it was not a cheap vacation. But worth doing once to say we have sailed a cat. At the time I did not know I was going to get a chance to sail a Cat across the Atlantic Ocean. :-)
Cruising Off Duty They are interesting trip! I saw your post and will watch! Thanks!
How's the debt pay down plan going. We are 4.5 years out.
Have a look at Lagoon Great Circle's channel,they have a Lagoon 52 catamaran.
Thanks I will check it out but Lagoons are already very roomy for their size so a 52' is probably way too big for us. But still nice to dream
I checked it out. I love the boat and the filming seems decent. But they seem to be speaking German? At least it sounds German to me but I could be wrong. Wish it was English.
Their Dutch, and mostly speak Dutch in their videos, but their English is just fine. If you have any questions on their videos, they reply in a day or two, (with cruising and filming in between that). If you have any questions on sailing a larger Cat than what you had, and they previously had a smaller cat too, the size your looking for, they will answer questions.
Thanks
I thought you two did a GREAT job with an honest assessment of what you thought! I would recommend looking at "Sailing Happy Together" channel to get another view and actual real life Leopard 48 sailing. That made no sense. Anyway, I Again really enjoyed your review. JC
Thanks. I will check them out. Anyone who is out sailing on a Cat is probably a channel we will watch. :-)
Wow that much wasn’t working ? That has to be a 4-600k boat minimum right ? And one year old it’s falling apart ? No thanks.
Ya. It was shocking that such a new boat was already broken in so many areas. If we ever thought of buying a used Charter Cat down the road, this made us swear we would never do that and only buy a used privately owned Cat.
I really like your comparing videos. We would like to buy a cat too and live aboard, but its so heavy to find something money is worth it. Because we only buy once haha. In this video I noticed you drank yout tea from special cup :) Are you a police officer? And which cat have you bought? Cheers
We have not bought yet. Looking now for our future home. Yes I’m a police officer in Ottawa.
Cruising Off Duty thx for the response. OK well. I am looking forward to your new boat. Buy one. Hopefully soon 😁
I wish we were ready to go now. I can't wait to go. Unfortunately it looks like I will need to work for another few years before we can afford to retire and never work again. :-)
I have refused to pay the 15%. If someone wants a tip, they should serve with a smile. Bad service get nothing.
Yes. Bad service should get none. But it’s often expected.
I know. So strange. However, I don’t pay if the service is bad.
What a great debrief, i'm very interested in your view of cat sailing, as a motor boater it is a strange science, not that I am against sailing, in fact for distance cruising on a reality budget it is the way to go. Although I have no clue what is what on sailing boats, I had a quick look at Lagoon 44's on a French broking site, it showed the same boats in the Caribbean much cheaper than France, then are they beat up ex charter boats ?
I guess you are most likely to buy on your side of the pond, but if you buy this side, or even just visit our home port (La Rochelle) I will insist we get together, eat, drink, chew the fat & put the world to rights, so here is our open welcome. this is our puddle on the pond www.portlarochelle.com/
Yes I assume the Caribbean and East coast of US boats would be cheaper than in the Med. Plus you don't have to pay the Crazy EU VAT taxes. I am sure we will buy over here. If you buy your boat in Florida or NC where we bought ours there was no state taxes as long as you move the boat out of state within a certain timeframe. Tax savings could be huge. I would only buy a Cat that was privately owned. Don't trust a Ex Charter Cat. It may be cheaper but it is cheaper for a reason. They beat the crap out of it. They will put lipstick on that pig and make it look nice for sale time but underneath that lipstick it is probably really ugly.
Janice is super HOT. MORE JANICE. MORE JANICE!
LOL. OK, more Janice!
/
i disagree with your thoughts re the open 40. having owned a seawind cat for 10years i bought the nautitech. it does what its designed to. open entertainer in our climate is perfect. the rig is bullet proof and sails exceptionally well in a big sea and heavy winds. sure you can buy bigger better boats that cost more. a lagoon - no thank you....to me they are like a bus.....we all have different ideas which is healthy.....by the way...i love the helm position on the nautitech open 40...great vision and out of the way and my feet are on the ground. the god pods on the lagoon again no thank you....anti social and in a sea i feel exposed. good luck i n the search.
To each his own. I agree though that I don't like the Cats with the steering from up on the roof. We like the half way up seat. Still able to socialize with those in the cockpit and still good vision of both bows. The Open 40, you couldn't see anything from the bows and you are out exposed to the sun and the wind without any protection. Just seemed like a really poor steering position. We all hated the layout except we liked the big outdoor salon. But it did sail pretty well considering the bottom was covered in fur from lack of hull cleaning.
Cruising Off Duty I've just come off the very Lagoon 400S2 that was right next to you in the videos leaving DYC base. We took that boat 800 miles over a 2 month charter through the Leeward Islands starting and ultimately returning to DYC Tortola. I'm a huge believer that the mid helm position is superb for long passages. Its connected to the salon but not in the way and provides reasonable visibility across the entire boat. I saw the Cat that you were on - before I'd seen your videos - and told my wife there's no way in hell I'd want that boat for a charter. I can't imagine your exposure even if that's something that could be altered if you lived aboard. Fundamentally, I also didn't like the "look" of that boat. All boats, however, as you certainly know have their issues. On another note, I have some interesting thoughts on DYC - your comments in a video about caring for owners vs guests was probably accurate but there's no way I'd have DYC manage a boat for me...the stories I could tell would blow your mind. I spent 2 days at the base prepping for my charter (planned time) and and a full day at the end of the charter at the base - I saw the inner workings of DYC and it's not pretty.