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Catana or FP/Lagoon/Moorings?
#136489
07/24/2017 01:20 AM
07/24/2017 01:20 AM
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Joined: May 2010
Posts: 399 Pacific NW
snmhanson
OP
Traveler
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OP
Traveler
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 399
Pacific NW
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We just pulled the trigger on our next charter - 10 days from St. Lucia to Grenada. I'm not posting to ask about sailing in that area though. Rather, I am looking for insight into our boat options. We have sailed quite a few Lagoons in the past as well as a FP Saba and a Voyage 520 (which we loved). Never sailed a Moorings/Leopard but I assume they are pretty similar to those two boats in many ways.
Anyway, my kids asked if we can get something other than a Lagoon for this trip which means they also are probably hoping for something besides the FP or Leopard too. That leaves us with the wildcard - a 2015 Catana 42 Carbon Infusion. Anyone here ever sail one and have an opinion? How does it compare to the big three in terms of comfort and ease of sailing? We are a family of five and typically enjoy having some space to spread out and a few amenities (A/C, electric heads, etc...), but are willing to give up a little in exchange for a fast and fun boat. The Catana is quite a bit less expensive than the other options, but it lacks some of the features that we've become accustomed to such as the A/C and generator. I've heard they are fairly quick and can point upwind well with the dagger boards, but I also have heard that they are quite a bit more cramped than typical charter boats of the same size. Plus, we will be on a beam reach for the majority of the charter likely with winds in the 15-20+ range so not sure how much extra speed and pointing ability we are going to need. Our other choices would be a FP Helia owner's version, Lagoon 450 (again) or a Moorings 4000 owner's version - all of them only ~1-2 years old.
Part of me wants to try the Catana, but part of me worries that it will not go over well once we get on it (especially with the wife). Any advice? Should we stick to the tried and true or take a chance on the Catana?
Thanks!
Matt
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Re: Catana or FP/Lagoon/Moorings?
[Re: snmhanson]
#136490
07/24/2017 08:24 AM
07/24/2017 08:24 AM
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Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 304 Rockford, Michigan
aarpskier
Traveler
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Traveler
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 304
Rockford, Michigan
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snmhanson said:
Part of me wants to try the Catana, but part of me worries that it will not go over well once we get on it (especially with the wife). Any advice? Should we stick to the tried and true or take a chance on the Catana? I usually try to heed that part of me that says listen to the Admiral! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Groovin.gif" alt="" />
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Re: Catana or FP/Lagoon/Moorings?
[Re: StormJib]
#136494
07/24/2017 12:02 PM
07/24/2017 12:02 PM
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Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 5,720 Massachusetts
maytrix
Traveler
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Traveler
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 5,720
Massachusetts
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I've only sailed on the Leopard cats, but have been on a number of the others at shows..etc. Obviously there is a lot of personal preference and opinion, so I'll just offer mine.
I believe the Leopard cats are primarily built for charter with private use being secondary. I think with the majority of the rest, it is the opposite.
We love the Leopard cats - I like the raised helm, electric dinghy davits and most of all the forward cockpit. They also make very good use of all the space. The new 40' they have is roughly the same size as the old Sunsail 384 model but feels SO much larger.. I think this is all due to how they optimize the space.
The Moorings 4000 owners version is awesome. You get the luxury of the owners suite, plus the forward galley. And you also get A/C and a genset. While it doesn't have the forward cockpit their 44 and 48 has, it does have access to the bow which is almost just as good. We took one out May last year and loved it.
Matt
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Re: Catana or FP/Lagoon/Moorings?
[Re: JD_Midnight]
#136497
07/24/2017 01:26 PM
07/24/2017 01:26 PM
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Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 1,049
StormJib
Traveler
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Traveler
Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 1,049
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JD_Midnight said: You mentioned you liked Voyage... Any particular reason? Trying to compare to Lagoon of similar size. The Voyage boats sail better than most. The performance is gained by sacrificing space all over the place down below. Anything raised like the helm or cabin top with DESTROY any windward upwind performance. Weight and wetted surface hurts all performance. Anything sticking up will DESTROY upwind sailing on any boat. This is not meant to ever sail upwind: Voyage Profile Note the Boom Height I will also note Voyage is mostly long term repeat charters and rarely first time boat owners. Some Voyage owners own more than one boat in the fleet. There is a reason Voyage is mostly booked with little advertising expense.
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Re: Catana or FP/Lagoon/Moorings?
[Re: snmhanson]
#136499
07/24/2017 06:10 PM
07/24/2017 06:10 PM
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Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 5,720 Massachusetts
maytrix
Traveler
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Traveler
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 5,720
Massachusetts
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snmhanson said: On the other hand, the Moorings 400 is a few thousand less expensive and still only a couple years old. The still only a couple years old comment above caught my eye.. Having been on boats that were brand new (months old) to 6 years old, don't think that age plays any role. If anything, you are better off on a boat that has some time as I found the brand new boats often had more minor issues that needed to be addressed. So I wouldn't take age into consideration in planning - aside from the fact a newer boat will have more up to date systems then a 5-6 year old boat. But if everything you are looking at is within a couple years of being new then it shouldn't matter.
Matt
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Re: Catana or FP/Lagoon/Moorings?
[Re: snmhanson]
#136503
07/25/2017 06:35 PM
07/25/2017 06:35 PM
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Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 646 MD, USA
polaris
Traveler
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Traveler
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 646
MD, USA
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Regarding the Catana, keep in mind the helms are not only fully exposed to the elements at all times but their location makes visibility impossible on the opposite side of the boat.
Polaris
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