AMERICA’S PREMIER MULTIHULL MAGAZINE
MULTIHULLS TODAY CRUISING CALIFORNIA TO PANAMA
SPECIAL REPORT: MULTIHULL SCENE IN THE SOUTH OF FRANCE
CHARTERING IN THE BVI AFTER THE HURRICANES
NEW BOATS LAGOON 46 LEOPARD 50P BALANCE 482 SUMMER 2019
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MULTIHULLS TODAY Volume 11 Issue 2
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FROM THE PUBLISHER
8
ON THE LEVEL
Beneteau’s Excess Challenge
16
GONE CRUISING
1,444 Days: California to Panama
22
ON CHARTER
Chartering in the BVI After the
26
SAILING SMART
The More the Merrier
30
MODERN MULTIHULLS
Multihulls on Display in the South of France
34
MULTIHULL REVIEW Lagoon 46, Leopard 50P, Balance 482
Hurricanes Cover shot: Fountaine-Pajot Astrea 42 at anchor Photograph-Fountaine-Pajot
www.MultihullsToday.com 5
Letter from the Publisher
Power Cats Rising
T
he catamaran market has been mostly tailoring their products for sailors. The charter fleets have always been predominantly populated with sailing cats and cruising folk who buy cruising cats have traditionally been sailors. Increasing, long range cruisers are choosing cats over monohulls and that crowd is almost all made up of sailors. But something new is also happening in the world of multihulls: power cats. All of the major builders of cruising cats are now offering a few models of power cats and apparently sales of new power cats is growing every year. This is not surprising. The advantages of using catamaran design and technology to build power boats is not exactly new but it has never been as popular as it is now. Sailing friends who have chartered power cats in the BVI, come home raving about the experience. You can pick up a cat in Tortola in the morning and be in Anegada for lunch. You can linger at the Indians diving on the reefs until late afternoon and still be at Foxies for dinner. The mobility and ease of operation are the keys. Several years ago I had an opportunity to test out a Chris White-designed Buzzard’s Bay 34. It’s a sweet looking catamaran that had 250 Suzuki outboards on each hull for a total of 500 horsepower. We were in Falmouth, MA, and headed out in Vineyard Sound for our trial. A smoky sou’wester was blowing up the sound against two knots of ebbing current creating fourfoot square waves. A 60-foot Hatteras had left before us and we found it pounding its way brutally into the chop as it crossed the sound. We, on the other hand, were skipping over the tops of the waves at 20 knots with hardly a drop of spray on the windshield. It was a magic carpet ride. Of course, cruising power cats are great because of all the living and lounging space they offer. But they also have much better fuel consumption than displacement monohulls, they don’t roll at anchor, they have shoal draft, they are very easy to maneuver in close docking situations and they are fast. If you are thinking about doing the Great Loop or running up and down the ICW to Florida and the Bahamas, a power cat would be a great way to go. Don’t be surprised if this summer you see many more cats without masts in your favorite harbors. Who knows, you might be the next skipper to own one?
MULTIHULLS TODAY
Editor and Publisher George Day Ph: 401-847-7612 Fax: 401-845-8580 george@bwsailing.com Contributing Editors Bill Biewenga Rebecca Childress Patrick Childress John Neal Amanda Swan-Neal Art Director Sandy Parks Ph: 401-847-7612 Fax: 401-845-8580 sandy@bwsailing.com Advertising Sales & Tom Casey Marketing Consultant tomcat911@comcast.net Ad Director Scott Akerman Ph: 207-939-5802 scott@bwsailing.com Subscriber Questions Circulation Customer Service Ph: 866-529-2921 (hours 8:30 am - 7 pm EST)
MT-Multihulls Today is published by Blue Water Sailing LLC as a free supplement to the February, May, August and November issues of Blue Water Sailing magazine. Copyrighted 2019. All rights reserved. Reprinting, photocopying and excerpting passages is forbidden except by permission of the publisher. Blue Water Sailing ISSN: 1091-1979
6 Multihulls Today • Volume 11, summer
Clar!s, image builder - Photos Nicolas Claris
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on thelevel
Take the Excess Challenge, Be Immoderate
8 Multihulls Today • Volume 11, summer
on thelevel
T
his year Groupe Beneteau is launching a new line of cruising catamarans aimed at a young audience that is seeking to push their limits in everything they do from sports to travel and especially to sailing. The Excess 12 and 15 are designed to be sailing and live-aboard
10 Multihulls Today • Volume 11, summer
platforms to enhance this lifestyle. The name comes from a famous Oscar Wilde quote, “Nothing succeeds like excess.� In the marketing for the new company, Beneteau has come up with a great promotion called the Excess
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Challenge. You play the online game—a virtual distance race—to win a $300,000, 38-foot catamaran. The Challenge runs from January 1, 2019 through August 31, 2019. The Challenge is a virtual yacht race against the clock. Once you sign up and pay your 9 Euros, you name your boat and set the start date and time. On the chart you will see the boat’s current position and the actual wind angle and speed. Your job is to keep your boat sailing the optimum VMG or velocity made good. But you also have to anticipate wind shifts and plan your route to maximize the effects of the shifts. You can use a dropdown menu to see the forecast weather hours ahead and can then plan
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on meeting that weather and wind changes at the best sailing angle. The Challenge starts in Barcelona, Spain and the route first takes you southeast to Menorca in the Balearic Islands. Once you round to the south of Menorca, you shape a course northwest to the Strait of Bonifacio between Sardinia and Corsica. Through the strait, you head north up the east side of Corsica and round the top before heading to the finish line off Cannes, France. The Challenge takes time to complete. The fastest times as of mid-June were two days, fifteen hours. So, if you are going to enter the Challenge you need to stay on top of the course, wind direction and speed often. If you are going to win, you’ll need to devote the better part of three days to steering your boat angles while trimming your sails to best advantage. To win, you need to complete the Challenge and earn a good time before July 31, 2019. If you
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have a fast time, you will then be entered into the Solo Challenge which you have to complete before August 31, 2019. The winner for the $300,000 Excess catamaran will be drawn at random from these Solo Challenge finalists. There are other prizes as well, including a week of chartering, cabins on group charters and more. For the group of sailors who run Groupe Beneteau and who are trying to promote their new, fun and fast line of Excess cats, this challenge is an inspirational marketing program. To join the Excess Challenge, log onto the Challenge website: https://excess-catamarans.com/en/ challenge#
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.....to EXCESS.....
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gonecruising
1,444 days: California to Panama by Tara Kelly
S
omeone once told me “Direction” is more important than speed. Many are going nowhere fast. Our journey from California to Panama took us 1,444 days. Many cruisers are faster, some much slower and were “doing us”. When we decided to go cruising we didn’t set a time limit. We said we would stop when we find our slice of paradise. We were headed into Fort Bragg, California, up the Noyo River, and entering into this shallow river under a bridge can make one nervous when this is your landfall after crossing from Hawaii in 33 days. Nonetheless, we 16 Multihulls Today • Volume 11, summer
had made it and enjoyed the new scenery while walking around with the biggest smiles on our faces. We spent 10 days at Dolphin Isle Marina for rest and provisions. Then, we were ready to push off the docks to continue down the amazing California coast and set sail towards Santa Barbara, or so we thought. It always happens in the dark, my husband says, and at 4:00 a.m. 18 miles outside of Monterey our port side rudder cassette broke. Luckily, we had a spare and the following day the rudder cassette was replaced and we were ready to depart again. But, by now, the
Catalina Islands
southerly winds had arrived and we were stuck in Monterey for the next 10 days. Off to sightseeing at the farmers market and we became regulars for a daily margarita at the local Mexican restaurant. Far worse places to get stuck, I guess. This is when I realized that making plans and timelines don’t work well when you’re cruising. With dolphins splashing, whales jumping, sea lions basking in the sunlight and the moon, stars, and sky made Morro Bay incredibly picturesque. Pinch me. We had called ahead and booked a mooring for two weeks at the yacht club, which was another great spot to look at the wildlife and watch the surfers in their thick wetsuits. The Channel Islands is the Archipelago of California. Consisting of eight islands, we made stops in San Miguel, Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz and later Catalina Island. These islands are remote and beautiful. The surrounding waters have a diverse ecosystem and a few plants found nowhere else in the world. When sailing around these islands you must be prepared for wind and rough seas which can change at any time, especially at Santa Rosa and San Miguel, where 30-knot winds are common. Our next stop was Santa Barbara Harbor.
Broken Rudder Cassette
My husband grew up in Carpinteria and he has worked out of this harbor for 25 years. You can only stay on a dock here for 14 days at the regular rate. Then, the 14-28 day rate doubles. If you leave after the 14 days you can enter back at the regular rate but you must be gone for five days. So, if you are staying longer, this will require some shuffling. Getting around town is easy by walking, bus, trolley or Uber. Santa Barbara is a great little city on the Central Coast where you’ll find great restaurants and shopping on State Street. After saying goodbye to our friends and family it was off to Catalina Island. We ended up getting harbor jobs for four months to replenish the cruising kitty. My husband drove the harbor’s shore boats and I worked in the office. We had a great time with friendly people on a lovely island. While working in Catalina, we met some nice folks who offered to let us stay on their mooring in Newport Beach. Our friend Sue introduced us to her friends and soon we found ourselves involved with the American Legion Yacht Club, making more and more friends. We found employment with the Fun Zone Boat Company offering harbor tours. You can anchor five nights for free each month and the happy hours are fun. If you haven’t been to Newport Beach, go. You might never want to leave. But we did and said goodbye U.S.A. and Viva Mexico. Our first stop was Baja Naval, a boatyard in www.MultihullsToday.com 17
gonecruising Newport Beach, California
Ensenada. This was the first time I had been to Mexico and it wasn’t what I had in mind. I was in culture shock and wasn’t sure I wanted to be in Mexico. The roads were dirty, and the sidewalks have pot holes where you could fall 10 feet to your death. What did I get myself into? I soon settled down after we checked into the country, which was easy because Custom and Immigration offices are all in the same building. You literally step from one booth to another, then back to the bank over and over again.
Barra de Navidad Mexico, marina
18 Multihulls Today • Volume 11, summer
As we continued to push our way south to warmer weather, we noticed the water changing into a deeper blue and more dolphins dancing off our bow. We were slowly taking off our winter layers. Being anchored in Cabo San Lucas in front of big colorful resorts was tranquil. We met up with our family and we enjoyed an all-inclusive day pass at a beautiful pink resort, which lasted all week. By the time the week ended, we couldn’t think about another pina colada. We had planned to stay a short time in San Jose Del Cabo because we were trying make it to Mazatlan for Carnival. One month later, we finally arrived after being pinned down twice at Playa Los Frailes by heavy northerly winds. Once we finally arrived at El Cid Marina for Valentine’s Day, it felt like a special treat. We rented a small car and drove around town to see the sights. We met new friends from Minnesota and they gave us our third crew member, “F” Wilson, a coconut that we agreed to grow on our boat and plant somewhere special along the way. F Wilson is now safely planted in Mexico and growing bigger each day. Isla Isabela and San Blas are where I began to fall in love with Mexico. Desolate sandy beaches with miles and miles of palm trees left me breathless. You won’t find huge shopping malls here and the cost is half of Baja, Mexico. We met Kathy & Hal on Airborne who are experts on the area. They sat us down and together we mapped the in’s & out’s of the simple cruising life in Mexico. The most important lesson they taught us is to
stop, enjoy it and don’t rush. We did just that. I joined a local Zumba class and we started to fit into the community. Pretty soon locals would wave at us as we walked down the streets. This area does have lots of mosquitos and no-see-ums so bugging up with spray at dusk and dawn is a must; however, we didn’t mind since the bugs keep the crowds away. The crocodile tour is great and surfing at Matanchen Bay is a blast. We cried when we left many, many months later. La Cruz is a fun little town if you are into live music, bar hopping, and shops. For me it’s all about the pool and this marina doesn’t have a good pool and anchoring among fifty other boats is too much. It didn’t feel like Mexico to us, yet we did enjoy our short time there. Paradise Village in Nuevo Vallarta near Puerto Vallarta is a wonderful clean marina and has three pools. We wondered why you would ever want to leave this place? It is crowded with tourists but in my opinion a far better value than La Cruz. Also, it’s closer to Sam’s Club in PV for provisioning. We continued to make lasting friendships in Barra De Navidad. This beautiful marina has a French baker, pools, and water taxi pangas that take you to town. The French baker comes by your boat every morning ringing his bell and offering freshly made cheese or chocolate croissants. He must have made $50.00 a
week from me alone. The town is a small fishing village and the locals are friendly with many great restaurants. Melaque is a short bus ride and if you are there for Saint Patrick’s Day (San Patricio) you don’t want to miss this huge celebration. It is the best fireworks and dragon show you will see in Mexico. Zihuatanejo was another great stop and is popular with cruisers who want to be there for the Sail and Guitar fest. This town has the best rotisserie chicken and chili rellenos that make your mouth water. Hilda is on channel 65 VHF; she’s located in town and will help arrange delivery of water, gas, cola and beer to your boat. The anchorage area is not the cleanest and swimming is not advisable, so they say. I jumped off the back a few times and didn’t seem to have any problems. It’s a great place for dinghy landings and the locals will watch your dinghy for a dollar or cold cola. Acapulco shouldn’t be missed for the cliff divers. The nine bays of Huatulco are charming, the clearest blue water that we have ever seen in Mexico. It was with a heavy heart when we checked out of Mexico in Chiapas. Mexico had been good to us and we will return one day. Sooner rather than later, we hope. Now it was time to cross the notoriously windy 260-mile-wide Gulf of Tehuantepec. It took us three days to get to Bahia Del Sol, El Salvador as we sailed and anchored along the way. El Salvador doesn’t see
San Blas Islands
www.MultihullsToday.com 19
gonecruising Mike with Nicaraguan navy boat in background
all put together. It is the cleanest country we have visited in Central America, with recycle bins everywhere and the friendliest people we have come across. We explored miles of beautiful beaches and hiked up the sides of volcanoes. Our favorite tourist experience was seeing the macaws and parrots. When you watch them, you feel like you’re one with the jungle. We stayed at a newer IGY marina at Golfito. If you don’t mind that it is under construction, you will find it less expensive than a fully functioning marina. Amazing people work here, and it’s safe and clean. Mario will escort you in the golf cart to the pool and assist with all your needs. The port captain is right next door and checking into the country was affordable, easy and painless if you have all your original, non-expired documents. We know several people who had problems because of this fluke. Every time I think of Panama, I can’t stop singing Van Halen’s version. Our other cruiser friends sing the Panama red song. Either way, it sure seems to get you in the mood to celebrate this great country. Similar to Costa Rica the northern Panamanian
Tara and Mike, Las Perlas Islands many tourists and I felt a bit out of place. We settled in for six weeks and made friends with local cruisers and expats Lynn & Lou. The hotel manager, Juice, and all the staff are amazing people. The surfing is great in La Libertad and renting a car was easy. Once you drive around El Salvador you will begin to see the country’s beauty. They have a trash issue currently and are continuing to rectify the situation to beautify the country through education and resources. We fell in love with Nicaragua. The coastline is magnificent and a surfer’s paradise. For cruisers, the winds can be outright scary with the Papagayos blowing our hats off and stirring up the sea. It is crucial to watch the wind reports, then add 10 knots to what they predict. We found it expensive to check in and out, as each anchorage you are paying fees. One officer wanted my husband to give him $20.00. He told him to talk to my wife, which he never did. He must have known I’d say NO! Next we sailed to Costa Rica where we experienced the local Pura Vida right away. The northern islands are astonishingly beautiful with thick green jungle and howler monkeys screeching in the background. We made stops in Bahia Elena, Playa Del Coco, Samara cove, Drake Bay, Golfito, and Pavones. Costa Rica is a country that seems to have it 20 Multihulls Today • Volume 11, summer
islands are remote. Make sure you are provisioned with water, food, and beers because there’s no stopping off at a market. Bahia Honda was so primitive, we asked where we could get water and they pointed to a nearby creek. We made stops in the Secas, Beano, Puerto Mensabe, Vista Mar Marina and are currently in the Las Perlas islands. Vista Mar is the only affordable marina in Panama. They now have a trailer for hauling your boat. Coronado is a great place to provision and who knows you might even be a line handler and go through the Panama Canal. Just taking the bus over the bridge of the Americas gave me chills. Albrook mall is huge and getting around with the Metro, taxis or Uber is easy and affordable. We can’t seem to put a finger on why Panama is different than the other Central American countries, but it is somehow different, in a magical way. Panama City is full of life and you can find anything you want or need. A lot of locals speak English. Casco Viejo is a fun town with hip roof-top bars, a brewery and my favorite, the rum bar. Located a little over 30 miles out in the Gulf of Panama is the archipelago of Las Perlas. There are
200 islands and only 12 that are populated; all of the Islas Las Perlas are marvelous and jaw-droppingly gorgeous. There are huge twenty-foot tidal ranges, rocks and reefs so you need to be prepared for extra precautions. Most cruisers only spend a week or less here. Which is a missed opportunity in my opinion. We have made so many friends here in the Las Perlas that we are now looking at becoming Panamanian residents. We may never leave. Well, at least we’ll plant some roots for a while. Tara Kelly and her husband live aboard and cruise the Gemini catamaran Xenia. You can follow their adventures at Xeniadreaming.com
Nicaragua Mike and Tara meet up with other cruisers in El Salvador
www.MultihullsToday.com 21
oncharter
Chartering in the BVI after the Hurricanes The one – two punch of Hurricanes Irma and Maria hit the BVI hard in 2018. As of March 2019, 75 percent of slips and 37 percent of the hotel rooms are back in action by Scott Akerman
T
wo years later I’ve come to the BVI on a Sunsail 444, a four-cabin/four-head sailing catamaran, for a week to see firsthand how the recovery is going. For our crew of four adults and four kids, a catamaran was the best option for space and stability as some of 22 Multihulls Today • Volume 11, summer
the crew don’t like boats when they heel. In a nutshell, the BVI is back and running amazingly well, but as you look around you can see the damage to trees, homes and a lot of boats. Road Town’s customs building is open and has a fresh coat of paint. There are still boats sunk here and there and you can see docks and buildings either broken or under repair. Make sure to check to see what restaurants are actually open as some owners gave up after the hurricanes and have walked away; yet, they might still have a website or be listed on Trip Advisor as open. We spent the first night at the Nanny Cay hotel, which had the second floor badly damaged and they are actively rebuilding. Peg Legs restaurant was destroyed, so now they have built a kitchen and have picnic tables and tents for dining near the beach or pool. In the marina they are still putting in new docks as we speak, and you can see some masts sticking out of the water. I guess they’ll be pulled off the bottom eventually. The boat yard, too, was quite active with repairs. On day two, we headed off to the Sunsail base to check out the boat and provision. The base did sustain some damage. While we were there, they were taking out an old dock with a barge and crane as the new dock had already been built. The kids enjoyed the pool as the adults had some
Left, anchored in Marina Cay, charter kids enjoying Anegada; right, the charter group, Trellis Bay boats from the hurricane umbrella drinks before heading off. One stop at the French Deli and Gourmet Shop is a must. It’s a legitimate French bakery with everything under the sun you could want, plus amazing coffee. We headed off before noon and sailed east, upwind, toward Virgin Gorda in order to get a beam reach over to Anegada. Anegada didn’t bear the brunt of the storm and was spared the really high winds. We didn’t see too much damage at all really. Cow Wreck Bay, Big Bamboo, Anegada Beach Club, The Wonky Dog, all your favorites are open and running.
www.MultihullsToday.com 23
oncharter
Coco Maya, Virgin Gorda We grabbed a van from SNK Amazing Rentals and as we explored the island really saw nothing out of place. The island is just far enough north to have missed the big winds that devastated Virgin Gorda. With a population of only 300, Anegada’s a throwback to days gone by with only the occasional vehicle on the road
The infamouse Willy T, BVI
24 Multihulls Today • Volume 11, summer
and vast stretches of beaches to have all to yourself. The North Sound on Virgin Gorda was hit hard by the hurricanes. The Bitter End Yacht Club and Saba Rock were leveled and are a year or so away from being open again. Little Dix Bay also was hit and it’ll be a similar time before it’s open.
We went into Virgin Gorda Yacht Harbor for a night and you can see they are still rebuilding; the shopping plaza is still missing part of its roof and in the boat yard you can see many, many boats either derelict or in various stages of being resurrected. The storm was powerful enough to move the rocks at the Baths and, considering their size, that’s a mindboggling force of wind. We had fun reacquainting ourselves with how to navigate amongst the boulders and then we took a taxi to the Top of the Baths Bar and Restaurant and enjoyed the view and the pool after our adventure. Coco Maya is still our top choice for a restaurant on the island; the setting, staff and food are all top notch. Marina Key has its fuel dock open and all the moorings are in place and they are serving food and drinks under a tent since the actual restaurant is still missing some walls and roofs. For snorkelers, there is a spot to explore that’s right off Great Camanoe island in between Marina Cay and Scrub Island. Considering how much boat traffic there is passing through the area, it’s impressive how clear the water is and how much sea life there is to see. Peter Island is still closed but we did see some boats anchored in their bay. The Willy T floating bar and restaurant is currently at Little Harbor at Peter Island but there is a rumor they will have to move it, which is too bad as it’s in a great spot.
Scott onboard On Norman Island, the Pirates Bight Bar and Restaurant are open for business. It’s a bit pricey for the quality of the food, but that cove is great for sleeping with a nice breeze and no swell. If you’re wondering how you can help the BVI the answer is simple, go there and spend money and enjoy yourself. Scott Akerman is Multihulls Today’s Advertising Director. You can email him at scott@bwsailing.com.
Nanny Cay, BVI www.MultihullsToday.com 25
sailingsmart
The More, the Merrier Maneuvering a multihull with twin engines may seem complicated, but, in reality, it gives you far more advantages than trying to move with only one engine
A
by Bill Biewenga
s we prepared to head to the dock, trepidation was easily discernible in the voices of people who had frequently docked monohulls with one engine. They would be quite happy to relinquish the helm to anyone else willing to drive the new catamaran to the dock. With less experience docking but 26 Multihulls Today • Volume 11, summer
more experience driving a Bobcat, front-end skidloader on residential construction sites, I figured that driving a twin-engine catamaran can’t be that difficult. It wasn’t. But it was certainly far more nuanced with quite a few unrecognized benefits. As with any vessel maneuvering, ideally, the engine controls are close at hand to the helm and easily operated. Gears shouldn’t be shifted between full forward and full reverse too rapidly. To experiment initially in open water, you may want to initially lock down the steering wheel so that you get used to solely using the engines to maneuver rather than relying on the rudders to control your direction. Later, you may try with the wheel, but be aware that rudders become progressively less useful at low boat speeds. Rudders work when water washes over their surface. The faster the water, the more responsive the helm. When moving at low speeds in calm water, the rudders will provide less directional control than widely spaced twin engines. Few readers may have a great deal of experience driving skid-loaders or other construction equipment. More may have experience driving power boats with twin engines. Background with either will help understand how, with power being driven more on one side than on the other, the vehicle will be encouraged to move in an arc rather than directly straight forward. When docking a monohull sailboat, most
experienced helmsmen (and helmswomen) will understand that, at low speeds, revving the engine with the prop in gear will result in the stern “kicking” one way or another. That can help to get the monohull into a tight spot or closer to the dock in some cases. With twin engine catamarans that have counter-rotating props, the stern will not kick one way or another. Momentum generated by one prop to kick the stern one way will be offset by the momentum generated by the other prop. Whether on a monohull or a multihull, thrust will usually be reduced when moving in reverse, especially if the boats are equipped with folding props. As a result, after a long passage and prior to heading to a crowded harbor or a dock, I’ll often take a couple of turns in open water, using both forward and reverse to make sure I understand the trade-offs between forward and reverse thrust as well as to ensure that the props will open fully in either direction when called upon. Of course, there are major differences in the way monohulls and multihulls maneuver, but there are also factors that make different types of multihulls differ in the way they maneuver, as well. Not only folding props, but also two- or three-bladed props and prop location change the maneuvering characteristics. Props that are located further forward generally are a bit less maneuverable than multihulls with props located further aft. The arc of direction in a multihull using one engine on one side of the boat is a more gradual arc in a boat that has its prop located further forward. As a result, props located further aft will be able to turn in a tighter radius. Most multihull sailors are aware that with one engine in forward and the other engine in reverse, the multihull will be able to turn in its own length, more or less. Prop location and the width of separation between engines will make the difference. The wider the separation, the greater the impact on turning radius and the more likely that the boat will turn within its own length (within reason). To be completely honest, for years I hated docking any boat. Maneuvering in tight anchorages was only marginally less daunting. I often proclaimed that, “I’d rather take a boat from South Africa to New England than tie it up across the harbor!” Keep in mind that doing ‘round the world races at the time only required stopping four times in nine months, so the opportunity to actually dock a boat were somewhat limited. All it takes is practice if you want to become proficient at docking and maneuvering any vessel. From my own perspective, practice starts in open water with few other vessels around. You want to get the feel and reaction time of the boat you’re on with few distractions and limitations. You want to think about what you’re doing and how the boat you’re “dancing with” is behaving. www.MultihullsToday.com 27
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I remember the first time the fuel dock attendant asked me to toss him the aft-running spring line first, quickly followed by the stern line. As most people, I had initially thought that tossing the bow line first would help to get us tied up soonest. The wisdom of using the aftrunning spring line first soon lit a lightbulb in my head. Once that spring line and stern line were secured, the boat could be motored forward, closing the gap to the dock and limiting the ability of the bow to dive towards the dock prematurely. As we gradually and in complete control got closer to the dock, the stern line could be taken up. It was like parallel parking a boat had finally been revealed to me! Eventually the bow line and forward spring line were made fast and the task was complete. By using the aft-running spring line first, we also weren’t going to run into that ever-present obstacle in front of us, even if the engine seized up, the cable from throttle to engine dropped off or the reverse didn’t work. Job done. 28 Multihulls Today • Volume 11, summer
No drama. That had been on a monohull, but the same or similar principles apply to multihulls, as well. However, with multihulls and two engines, you have added advantages. Once the aft-running spring line and stern lines are attached, you can use the outboard engine in
forward to increase your ability to nudge the bow a little closer to the dock, or use the inboard engine in forward to move the stern in and take up the stern line a little more. Using engines in slow forward or reverse can help you get into tight places others would fear to go or accomplish the seemingly impossible. In one case, we were even limited with our engine options, however. Taking a Gunboat 48 from the South of France to North Carolina, we needed to clear Customs in Beaufort, NC. While enroute one of our engines was put out of commission. Getting to the dock at night in an unfamiliar place with only one engine gave me plenty to think about. Using only one engine on a catamaran, the boat will undoubtedly want to swerve away from the side the engine is on. If the engine and power is on the outboard hull during docking, the inboard bow will want to crash into the dock. If the working engine and prop are on the inboard hull, the bow on that inboard hull will consistently be pushed away from the dock. For a while it seemed like a dilemma. Then I thought about the rudder and the fact that
there would be a tidal current running in the creek where we were going to tie up when we arrived. I called the dockmaster and got the time and tidal characteristics as well as the orientation of the dock. He could put us on the outside “T� dock, allowing us to dock, head into current with the outboard hull the side with the working engine. By using the helm in a low speed situation in which the current provided the water rushing over the rudders, we were able to use the helm to push the bow to port and the engine to push the bow to starboard, ending with us going straight alongside the dock. Whether chartering or owning a multihull with twin engines, consider yourself lucky to have more than one. Practice the various options that you have at hand. Go slow, and have some fun. You have far more options than the guy with only one engine. The more, the merrier. Bil Biewenga is a veteran offshore sailor with more than 400,000 sea miles. When not at sea he makes his home on Cape Cod, MA.
www.MultihullsToday.com 29
modernmultihulls
Multihulls on Display in the South of France
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fter an overnight flight from Boston to Paris and a three hour train ride on the TGV to Montpellier, I arrived at my hotel in La Grande Motte at about midnight and fell into bed and to sleep immediately. I expected to sleep in the next morning as the boat show I was attending didn’t start until noon. But that wasn’t to be the case. At dawn I was rudely awakened by the rattle of leaves and branches outside my window and the sounds of lawn furniture by the swimming pool being blown sideways with a crash and a bang. The wind 30 Multihulls Today • Volume 11, summer
The annual Salon du Multicoques at La Gande Motte hosts multihull builders from around the world and thousands of multihull enthusiasts by George Day was up and it was really up. I would say 30 knots was about the average speed with gusts quite a lot higher. We were in the south of France, it was April, and a full tilt Mistral was blowing dogs off their chains, hats off their patrons, and boats off their moorings. When I got to the marina at mid-day, the branding banners hoisted in the show boats’ rigs were flying out straight and straining the light lines on which they were hoisted. The boat show team was securing the floating docks and helping the boat crews double their mooring lines. Leopard Luckily the wind was at45 an angle that it was not sending
waves through the marina cut; instead it was blowing out to sea and on the beach next to the marina, mad kite surfers were having a ball as they leaped from wave to wave. But despite the wind and cold, everyone was resolved to make the best of it so we all carried on, while shouting at each other to be heard over the Mistral’s roar. All of the big players in the cruising catamaran field were at the show with large displays and the overall news in April 2019 was that all of the builders were very busy, often with 18 month to two year delivery times. Lagoon was showing its brand new Lagoon 46, a sistership to the new 50 and 40 that were introduced last year. The 46 incorporates a lot of the innovations that went into the 40 and 50, including the new high aspect mainsail, large self-tacking headsail rig. A new wrinkle in the Lagoon business is that the company, for the first time in 15 years, is now building boats for the Sunsail and Moorings charter fleets in the Caribbean that were decimated in the hurricanes of 2017. Apparently, Leopard, which has been the exclusive builder for these charter fleets doesn’t have the short-term capacity to build all the boats needed. Lagoon was also showing the models of the new Excess 12 and 15 that will be introduced to the public at the show in Cannes, France, in September. Excess is
a brand developed by Groupe Beneteau, which also owns Lagoon, to serve the growing cruising cat market. The company is pitching the cats as lifestyle platforms for young, active water sports enthusiasts and adventurers. The big prelaunch promotion is the Excess Challenge; go to their website, enter the virtual sailing and navigation challenge and you might win a brand new Excess 12 worth over $300,000. Leopard was at the show with the new 40, 45 and 50 sailing cats plus the new 43 and 51 power cats. The Leopard brand is well known in the charter fleets, as mentioned above, but the company now is selling about half of their production to private owners who want to live aboard and cruise extensively. Leopard has always built great boats for the heavy use in charter, but the new designs and the attention to finer details really shows in the new boats. The new 50 is a very interesting design and comes in two models, the 50L with a raised lounge on top of the cockpit’s hard top and the 50P without the lounge and a larger performance rig. Fountaine Pajot had their Lucia 40, Saba 50 and the all new Astrea 42 on display. The 42 has been attracting a lot of attention from the press and from cruising sailors. The length is right in the sweet spot for many cruising couples, plus it is the most popular size in the charter fleets. FP has grown a lot in the last decade
www.MultihullsQuarterly.com 31
modernmultihulls
as it has ridden the wave of the expanding catamaran market. Along the way, the boats have evolved into true luxury cruising boats while still maintaining their place alongside Leopard and Lagoon in the production end of the market. Dream Yacht Charter is now the largest bareboat and crewed yacht charter company in the world and had on display the 4.1, 4.3, 4.5 and the 5.4. Their line of Bali catamarans, designed specifically for their charter fleets, are built by Catana in France. The first thing you notice when you climb aboard a new Bali is the expansive lounging areas and the size of the tables in the cockpit and saloon. These are comfortable and capacious cats that are perfect for large crews and parties. The Bali 5.4 has six double cabins and two single cabins, so conceivably you could set out for a week of charter with as many as 14 folks aboard. The NEEL trimaran company, based in La Rochelle, was founded 10 years ago when they introduced the most innovative trimaran to come along ever. Basically, Eric Bruneel invented a tri with the accommodations of a large cruising cat yet the performance under sail of a true trimaran. On the first day of the show, Eric and Barbara Bruneel invited guests aboard the immense NEEL 65 Evolution for the introduction of the new NEEL 47. The 65 is an amazing 65 footer with a 40-foot beam. The saloon is the size of a large living room and next to it is a galley that would put many luxury home kitchens to shame. But we were there to christen the new NEEL 47 which is a boat that Eric said he built to his own personal specification instead of from cold blooded market research. The result is an innovative cruising trimaran that will be 32 Multihulls Today • Volume 11, summer
perfect for a cruising family, particularly if they have multiple children. The owners of hull number one were on hand to spray champagne and thoroughly enjoyed the moment. Outremer had their 45, 51 and 5x at the show and a separate booth and display for the new Gunboat 68. Outremer is a leader among performance cruising cats and noted for their fine but simple finish and their excellent sailing characteristics. The 45 has recently become extremely famous since one is now being sailed by Riley and Elena of La Vagabond fame from their popular YouTube channel. The channel has a whopping 750,000 subscribers, which makes it the largest sailing channel on YouTube. When asked if the huge exposure was making a difference to the Outremer business, marketing manager Veronique Boyens said, “It is hard to measure. But, we did sell a 45 to a 28 yearold woman who saw La Vagabond on YouTube and, without ever seeing a real boat or talking to a dealer, ordered one via WhatsApp and then wired the funds.” Outremer bought Gunboat out of bankruptcy several years ago and has relaunched the famous brand with a new VPLPO-designed 68 performance cat. The factory for both brands is across the street from the marina in La Grande Motte so Benoit Lebizay, a partner in the company, gave me a tour. The build method is nothing short of amazing, not like conventional boat building at all. Two new Gunboat 68s were in the factory in various stages of completion. Without going into the build details here, suffice it to say that the new 68s are built more like Gulf Stream private jets than normal semi-custom yachts. The results are spectacular. Dragonfly Trimarans of Denmark had their new
Dragonfly 32 Evolution at the show. The boat is the original 32 but has new amas and a larger rig. The 32 is a sweet sailing tri and has good enough accommodations for weeks of summer vacation cruising and weekending. It also is a blast to race if you can find a fleet of multihulls to compete with. The folding amas nest against the sides of the main hull so you can fit a Dragonfly 32 with a 16-foot beam into a normal marina slip. Among those with displays but not boats were Phil Berman, president of the Multihulls Company. He was promoting his Balance line of cruising cats that are being built in South Africa and talking to customers about his new Balance 482 that will be launched next year. Chris Doscher, president of HH Catamarans, which are built in China, was there with several models of the boats they build. Known for their all-carbon performance cats, designed by Melvin and Morelli, Chris was also introducing show goers to their new line of composite cruising cats that enable HH to reduce the cost of their boats.
Along the docks there were many one-off or limited run designs. One of the most interesting comes from Tunisia. The Aventura 34 is one of the least expensive cruising cats on the market and packs a huge amount of performance and accommodation into a relatively small package. For coastal cruising or limited passagemaking, the new 34 is a very good option. It’s big sister is a cat you could sail around the world. The Salon du Multicoque in La Grande Motte, France, is an annual festival of multihulls, both power and sail, that attracts true enthusiasts and all of the major players in the field. If you can make it to France in April, you should go, whether the Mistral is blowing your hat off or not.
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hile attending the huge multihull show in the South of France last April—the Salon du Multicoques—I had the opportunity to spend a morning aboard the all new Lagoon 46 that was being introduced at the show. Showing me around the big cat was Lagoon’s U.S. managing director Francois Tregouet who was intimately involved in the development of the 46 and the new line of Lagoons introduced last year with the 40 and 50. Lagoon turned to the renown design firm VPLP for 34 Multihulls Today • Volume 11, summer
the overall design. The hulls have quite full shapes to accommodate the large cabins inside, which will give the 46 a soft ride in a seaway. With long waterlines and a flat hull shape aft, the cat will have a high average sailing speed in a wide range of conditions. Patrick le Quement is a designer and stylist who has worked with the French auto industry and recently has been working closely with Lagoon to help them, and VPLP, create hulls, cabins and cockpits that are both distinctively “Lagoons” and very attractive. Note
Photographs by Nicolas Claris
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Lagoon Launches New 46
at the flying bridge almost makes the raised bridge disappear. Like the 40 and 50 that were introduced last year, the 46 has a new style of rig with the mast positioned well aft of where most designers would place it. VPLP was looking for a way to make the boats sail faster, be more weatherly and to be easier to sail than other cats in the category. The solution was to use technology developed for high speed, offshore racing multihulls. With the mast moved aft, the mainsail could be made smaller while the self-tacking jib could be enlarged. The large fully battened mainsails that have long been favored by cat designers and builders are often hard to raise, hard to reef and hard to furl, even with built-in lazy jacks. It is no surprise that in the BVI you will often see larger charter cats, say 45 feet and up, motor sailing with just the genoa rolled out and no main. The high aspect, square top mainsail on the new 46 is smaller than the sails on earlier Lagoons but because of its wing-like shape it is just about as powerful. But, it is much lighter and easier to handle the traditional mainsails so it will be used more often and will make sailing the 46, instead of motoring, a lot easier and more fun. Also, with the larger self-tacking jib, you will have plenty of sail area to drive the boat and you’ll have it in a sail plan that tacks without breaking a sweat and trims simply and easily from the flying bridge. Downwind sails will enhance the 46’s performance and these can be flown from the small bowsprit. A Code 0 and an asymmetrical spinnaker would really be fun and will make the boat scream off the wind. LIVING ABOARD There’s no question that a 46-foot cruising cat is a lot of boat for a couple yet this is exactly who the boat
the cut outs in the sides of the hulls that frame the black rectangular windows. The details break up the slab sides of the hulls and give the boat a look of something already in motion. Also, look at how the lines of the flying bridge atop the cockpit hard top flows into the cabin top with a slight downward angle that contrasts nicely with the straight sheer line and, again, gives the look of the boat a sense of forward motion. Corsair Plus, the way 970 the two tops meet www.MultihullsToday.com 35
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36 Multihulls Today • Volume 11, summer
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Knysna 500SE
was designed for and it will serve them very well. The boat has the interior volume of a small three-bedroom house (with water views) and all the systems you need to be completely self-sufficient. In the three-cabin, three head owner’s version the master suite is in the starboard hull. The double berth aft has a partial walk around on both sides so you can get in and out of bed easily. There is a ton of storage and a good vanity or desk. The huge head area is forward with an enclosed toilet and a giant shower all the way forward. The guest cabins are in the port hull and these also 38 Multihulls Today • Volume 11, summer
have partial walk around double bunks. Each cabin has its own en-suite head with a separate shower, which will make guests very comfortable. The saloon has a large galley aft and to port with ample counter space and options for three-or-four burner stoves, ovens, microwaves and so on. The galley is linked to the cockpit through a large sliding window so if you are dining outside, passing plates back and forth will be easy. The inside dinette has an L-shaped settee and a separate bench seat. You will be able to feed six comfortably and eight in a pinch around the table. With the new line of Lagoons, the company has returned to a less futuristic décor and offers classic teak and mahogany veneers and soles. This darker look offset by the light-colored fabrics and headliner seems traditional and elegant. The new Lagoon 46 is a perfect couple’s cruising boat that is easy and fast to sail, has a good motion at sea and offers accommodations that are spacious, comfortable and classic. For more information see the Lagoon website at www. cata-lagoon.com.
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The Leopard 50P Is All About Performance
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The new 50-foot from the South African Builder combines big cat comfort with great sailing performance
he 50P is a first cousin to the 50L, which Leopard brought out right after the P. The L stands for lounge since the 50L has a sitting area right on top of the hard Bimini top over the cockpit. The 50P does not have the raised lounge, but it still has three other sitting and lounging areas. By removing the lounge, the 50P loses about 1,500 pounds of weight, which goes straight into sailing performance. The 50P has a bit more sail area than the L, too, so you can count on better sailing speeds on all points of sail. In essence, the 50P is set up for ocean sailing and family cruising. The flat top of the Bimini is a perfect place for a large array of solar panels that will make the boat self-sufficient. The boat carries 243 gallons of fuel for a conservative cruising range of 1,000 miles at seven knots. You can load 185 gallons of water that will last a crew of four at least three weeks of conservative use at sea. Plus, there is plenty of room for a water maker and the 50P will most likely be equipped with a genset to run the ship while at anchor. SAILING TRIALS The April day that I set off from the Harbour Towne Marina south of Ft. Lauderdale was a picture perfect 40 Multihulls Today • Volume 11, summer
Florida morning, with puffy white clouds, the sun bright and warm and the trade winds blowing a very pleasant 12 knots from the east. Aboard the Leopard 50P was Leopard’s marketing and media director Katie Baker and professional skipper Mr. Calvin. The 50P handled easily in the tight quarters of the marina with Calvin expertly using the twin engines to get the boat to pivot in its own length. I often think motoring a big can is like driving a tennis court around, they are so long and so wide. You would have a hard time doing this with a single engine, even with a bow thruster added. But with twin engines and with props 20 feet apart, you can really make the big beamy cat dance. We motored down the Stranahan River to the big turning basin in Port Everglades, known as Lake Mabel,
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and hoisted the mainsail while the water was still flat. The square-top, fully-battened mainsail’s halyard runs aft to the raised helm on the cockpit’s starboard side, so one person can handle hoisting and dowsing the sail With the throttle well forward we punched our way out through the steep chop in the cut created by the outflowing current against the easterly breeze. The 50P handled this well and was able to maintain 7 knots at 2200 rpms. Once clear of the channel, we turned south. Calvin rolled out the genoa and I trimmed for close reaching. The big cat, which has a displacement of 44,000 pounds, took a minute or two to get her speed up but soon enough we were sailing at close to eight knots at 60 degrees to the true wind. Slowly we hardened up and trimmed the main and genoa until we were close hauled with the wind at 50 degrees to the wind. That’s about as close as you will get on a big, displacement cat but we still held a reasonable 6.5 knots of boat speed. After a couple of miles upwind, I put the big cat through a tack on my own while Katie and Calvin watched. Both genoa sheets are right at the helm and both have dedicated electric winches. I threw the helm over and prepped the new sheet. As soon as the bows passed through the eye of the wind, I released the old sheet, hauled in the new one and found the 42 Multihulls Today • Volume 11, summer
foot switch to grind the sheet in. It took 10 seconds and we soon were sailing at 6.5 knots again close hauled. We didn’t have a downwind sail with us, but when we cracked off to about 140 degrees from the wind the main and genoa did a fine job of getting the speed up to eight knots. The 50P felt lively despite her displacement and can turn in a very reasonable speed. LIVING ABOARD The 50P can be configured in several ways, from a standard four cabin-four head layout to a five cabin five head plan. For owners who are cruising as a couple or with one or two children, the “owner’s” version might be the best layout with a huge master suite in the port hull and two large cabin with en suite heads to starboard. The saloon and cockpit are set up for easy but gracious living afloat. The galley is huge, the main dinette in the saloon is big enough for eight people and the outdoor dining table will be big enough for up to 10. Leopard has given the 50P an elegant, simple décor that makes use of huge windows, light veneers, light fabrics and stainless steel fitments to give you a feeling of light, space and elegance. This is a boat you could sail to the ends of the earth, quickly, safely and in comfort. And, I learned that day, the boat we were sailing was bought by a circumnavigator couple who were going to go around again on their 50P.
Lagoon 42 - February 2016 - Photo Credit: Nicolas Claris
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Balance On the Sea
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Balance Catamarans to introduce the new Balance 482 couple’s cruising cat
hen Phil Berman, president of The Multihull Company, chose the name Balance for his new line of performance, semi-custom cruising cats, he must have had several ideas in his head at the same time since he is a very bright guy with a long history in the multihull market. Balance is what cruising cats should be about since they offer terrific stability and a level platform for living and sailing; balance is also finding the sweet spot between light weight performance cats and heavy duty production cats, a sweet spot that combines excellent sailing qualities with a good motion at sea and elegant living accommodations; and, balance is something a lot of people seek in life at the juncture of work and play and there’s no better place to do that than on a fine cruising catamaran. In June of this year, Berman announced the creation of a new Balance 482 that joins the original 451 and the very popular 526. The design is by Berman and noted yacht designer Antoine Du Toit and is essentially a scaled down version of the 526. The boat, as shown in illustrations, has a powerful square top sail plan, wave piercing bows, foam cored hulls, deck and furniture 44 Multihulls Today • Volume 11, summer
and excellent sailing characteristics. The 482 offers either daggerboards or high-performance fixed keels. The Versa-Helm steering system turned a lot of heads when it was introduced on the 526. We all looked at it and said, “Why didn’t I think of that?” The helm in its upright position puts the wheel right in front of the helmsperson when he or she is sitting in the raised chair with good visibility forward and of the sails. But, if you are motoring or the weather is not pleasant enough to be sitting up in the normal exposed position, the Versa-Helm can be tilted sideways so the wheel is at chest level when you are standing on the cockpit sole; you’re protected by the hard top and the cabin but can still see forward through the large saloon windows. Very cool. The 482 has an interesting sloop rig with diamond stays, two back stays and two swept-back side stays. The rig is tall but light and powerful and designed to make the most of a square top mainsail and full genoa. The short bowsprit is set up to fly a Code 0 or asymmetrical spinnaker. The standard layout of the 482 shows three cabins with the starboard hull hosting the master suite and the port hull containing two double cabins and a single large head. This will be ideal for a couple who has family and friends cruise with them or for carrying extra crew on offshore passages. The saloon has a great galley, a commodious
dinette and a usefully large chart table where you can mount radios, satphone, repeater instruments and your computer. More and more cruisers run their affairs or even their businesses while away on their boats, so advanced communications and a good place to work is a common requirement for the buyers of boats
like the 482. The new 482 is being built in Cape Town, South Africa by second generation boat builder Mark Delaney under the umbrella of a new company called Balance Catamarans Cape Town. Delaney is the principle of Two Ocean Marine which has been building custom yachts, both power and sail, since Delaney’s father founded the company more than 30 years ago. Recently they have specialized in large, complicated custom catamarans so the Balance project fits right in their wheelhouse. South Africa has become one of the multihull centers of the world. Not only is it home to Robertson and Caine who build Leopard cats, it is also where a dozen or more smaller builders turn out high quality custom and semi-custom multihulls for discerning cruisers. Berman builds the 526 in Saint Francis Bay with Nexus Marine. So, South Africa has more talent and the experience creating fine, well-built cruising cats than just about anywhere else in the world. No doubt the new Balance 482 will be a shining example of their craft. www.MultihullsToday.com 45
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Introducing The Balance 526
HANDCRAFTED QUALITY
Designed and Engineered by Anton du Toit Ground-breaking pivoting Balance VersaHelmâ„¢. Sail her down below in Superb headroom, expansive sight lines, and Phillip Berman. Foam-core, epoxy, infinte ways to combine color, fabrics and carbon-reinforced for ultra-high performance. foul weather or pivot the wheel up top when weather is fair and inviting.
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WHERE PERFORMANCE AND COMFORT MEET
balancecatamarans.com
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