Decisions decisions

There’s a sailing couple whose journey many have followed, I’ve posted on them before and they had a Tartan 37 mono, drop keel, which they’ve now sold, being currently ‘between boats’.

They have a baby daughter on board now and quite rightly, the mono is not fancied as much now by mum.  She prefers the cat, I think rightly.  Though it’s a tub, the modern cat, poor sailing characteristics, its cruising characteristics are unrivalled, especially with company, which young people with friends and families tend to have.

As he points out, the maintenance on a mono is just prohibitive, engine etc., let alone the underwater fin issues, let alone the sheer weight, let alone that eternal heeling angle and tall mast.  He has his heart set on a trimaran, he loves speed and in one episode, crticised the cat for the lack of it.  I see trouble ahead on a few counts.

Yes, within coastal waters, the tri can cruise far more widely, faster, it’s true, the amas fold and she fits into a marina berth, she’s trailable but what he’s not aware of yet is that these boats need to be “sailed” 24/7, no set and forget, as with mono or cat.  They’re frisky and there’s no downtime.  

They need to also decide … round the world voyaging or just around America?  If around the world - tri or mono.  If as a movable home base … the modern cat is without peer.  For entertaining, for company, for baby … the cat.  

But babies grow up, need friends, more babies come along.  The good thing is both are still young. Ho hum, decision time for them.

Was just thinking … for lil ole me, were it still possible, which it’s now not, due to insurance, changed regulations, heart, sheer age …

All those posts of yore at N.O. still stand up for their time but now is now and were there that chance again, I’m thinking something like a 43 or 44 foot Wharram style cat is the way, not fast, very stable, low slung rig in three identical lugsails, bags of internal space.

Plus that of the porta-pods on deck, the downside being she’d not be trailable in the UK, nor be able to access the canals but could handle rivers and French canals.

In my physical condition, I’d just about be able to handle one of those still. Building her would be another matter.