Smaller Tri's or Cats that are capable of Circumnavigation <40'?

[Robert Taylor]

What are some of the smaller Trimarans or Catamarans that have made
or are capable of circumnavigation safely? By smaller I'm thinking less
than 40'. I know that people have made extraordinary voyages in very
small boats, but what would you feel safe going around South America in,
(besides an Aircraft Carrier!)

Thanks
Robert

[Jesse Deupree]

I think the key to your question is Cape Horn. For anything but, there are a
variety of multihulls that would be fine, but many multihull enthusiasts
including me would be reluctant to venture to Cape Horn in a small shorthanded multihull.

I am assuming that your length limit is based on cost and shorthanded handling
issues. Cost wise, multihulls are more expensive for a given length or weight,
so if your budget is low, you will get a safer boat for Cape Horn in a mono.
Handling wise, a multihull wants to be sailed in most any weather and will
probably require being helmed, so you will need more than one competent driver
to be safe.

Small monohulls can be made safe for Cape Horn at the expense of speed,
although many would argue that this type of boat is suitable for little else.
Most multihulls in this size range are designed with that every thing else in
mind, so they are not optimised for your extreme.

For the record, I'd think about a Chris White Atlantic 42 (a catamaran) or ask
Ian Farrier to design a F40-45, or Nigel Iren's Great America (53' I believe)
which raced around the Horn with two aboard and could have cruised as well.

Sometimes monohullers will admit that there is a size issue for safety and
comfort, I think with multihulls the same is probably even more true. In
extreme wave conditions, size matters.

Jesse Deupree
F27 ION
Portland Maine

[Paul Kamen]

Look for a book called _Children of Cape Horn_ about a family with two
young children that sailed around the world, including Cape Horn, on a
30' cruising cat.

Personally I think they were nuts, but it's good reading. I'll bet Amazon
could dig up a copy for you.
--
fish...@netcom.com
http://www.well.com/~pk/fishmeal.html

-"Call me Fishmeal"-

[komb...@my-dejanews.com]

The smallest circumnavigating cat that I know was 20 feet LOA. It was a
Wharram design, not that that matters much in this size. But did you say
"safety"? At 20 feet I think the term "successful stunt" may apply, except
that the young man (Rory) started it for Love.

Rory's girl friend was in New Zealand and he was in the U.K., he didn't have
much money so a plan came together. Later, the couple parted in New Zealand
and, the next I read, Rory had sailed home.

I know some folks on a Privilege 39 that have made it from France to New
Zealand then back and forth to the islands a time or two. I think they may be
a bit stuck there.

Why do you want to circumnavigate? A pretty nice and safer time can be had in
the Atlantic and Pacific near North America.

Cordially,
Doug

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[Kmmu2]

I have a friend with a Heavenly Twins 26' cat (an old british design). It's
got a plaque in the main salon from Guiness acknowledging it as "The smallest
sailing catamaran to do a circumnavigation" <sic>.

I'm not sure _I'd_ like to do it in anything smaller than about 35'-40'

Later, Evan Gatehouse

[Graeme Butler]

A character called Bernard Rhodes sailed a small tri, 22 feet from Great
Britain to New Zealand in the early '70's. It was called Kliss. He
designed it himself. He was not very tall and quite slightly built, sort of
bantam weight guy. He managed with no drama. He demonstrated that he could
right the vessel in the event a capsize. He did this in Tahiti.

Kmmu2 wrote in message <19990115125003...@ng-ce1.aol.com>...

[my...@my-dejanews.com]

In article <369CC9B8...@maine.rr.com>,

Jesse Deupree <jdeu...@maine.rr.com> wrote:
> Robert Taylor wrote:
> >

In reply to your note on small Multihulls have you been watching the progress
of the voyage of the Australian Multihull designer, Robin Chamberlin and
Inside Multihull magazine editor voyage to the Antratic from Tassmania,
Australia aboard their 38' open bridge deck Cat. I agree with your comments
and from the comments of their radio skeds I'm glad that I am not down there
braving thoase wild conditions. You can keep up to date with their voyage on
www.insidemultihulls.com.au Regards Philip Day, MULTIHULL YACHT SALES
AUSTRALIA

[Tom Ask]

Two French men crossed the Atlantic a few years ago in what I recall was a Hobie 18. It
was modified so they could sleep in the hulls. This is presumptuous of the sea but it
shows you what luck and determination will allow you to do. Multi hulls have good
survivability because they have separate hulls. However, they are not self righting.

There is no answer to the question of the smallest vessel that can safely do anything.
Short tree trunks have circumnavigated and the safety issue is more a matter of design
and construction than size.

[Arto Hakkarainen]

Rory McDougall circumnavigated in a Tiki 21 called Cookie. Story can be
read on Multihulls Magazine numbers 1-2/1998.

> "Graeme Butler" <tauranga...@clear.net.nz> wrote in article
<QFZn2.81$wB5....@news.clear.net.nz>...

> A character called Bernard Rhodes sailed a small tri, 22 feet

> Kmmu2 wrote in message <19990115125003...@ng-ce1.aol.com>...