# Bareboat BVI - Cat or Mono?



## MauritiusDiver (Jul 30, 2008)

Next february, a few mates and I will be heading to the BVI for a week. We are currently trying to plan the whole thing and I have hit a block in terms of what kind of boat to look at. 

The guy who will be skippering the boat has a family owned 36' monohull and has a few years experience with the boat. I am almost certain that he will be approved to skipper a boat. The question now is what type and how big. Right now the plan is for 8 of us to go on the trip. We are currently looking at a 45' Hunter but given the number of people, a cat seems like it might be a good choice space wise. I have 2 concerns however. 

Firstly will 8 people on a 36' or 38' cat be overloading it a bit? and secondly, is sailing a cat very different from a mono? The skipper has no experience with cats at all. 2 of us that will be 'crew' on the boat have some experience with little hobbie cats. Is a cat so different that we will not be able to manage? We are not interested in getting a skipper as that will add cost to the trip and seeing as we are all students, this is a big issue. 

Can anyone say what they think would be the best option given our situation. Thanks in advance for any help.


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## camaraderie (May 22, 2002)

Go for a cat...it is the best choice for that size group in the BVI's. I would get something in the 40' plus range. Winds and seas in the BVI's are generally steady and moderate and you guys should have no problem in handling the cat and you'll be taking a mooring most nights so there are no concerns with docking and tight quarters handling. 
The BVI's are kind of ideal Cat territory. The 45' Hunter will be quite tight for 8 people!


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

I think you'd be better off in a 40' cat rather than the 45' monohull. The difference in space will make a huge difference during the course of your week. Eight people on a 45' monohull is pretty cramped, and you'll be in each others faces a bit too much for it to be really enjoyable. Also, even if the boat is a three cabin setup, one pair of people will be forced to use the main salon as their "berth", and as such will have less privacy than they would on a catamaran with four cabins. 

Eight people for a week's cruising on a catamaran shouldn't be an issue. There are some differences between sailing a monohull and a catamaran, with the primary being how they handle in heavier seas and winds. A multihull should be reefed for the gust peak wind speeds, since it doesn't have the ability to bleed off excess wind energy by heeling—where monohull will generally be reefed for the average wind speeds. A catamaran will often have to wear ship or gybe around instead of tacking, since many have too much windage to successfully tack, without a fair bit of experience doing so, in heavier winds and seas.


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## MauritiusDiver (Jul 30, 2008)

Thanks for the quick replies. 

There is a 40' Cat available to us, however given the increased price we would have to have a 9th person aboard. Think thats an issue? And for the tacking or going into the wind, we could always just kick on the engines as opposed to sailing right? no big deal?

If thats the case, then I guess the hardest task ahead of me is convincing my buddy that we are better off in a cat and that he will be able to manage fine. 

Thanks again for the help, and if anyone else has more to add, Im listening.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

A ninth person is going to have some issues, since most catamarans only have FOUR staterooms...and each can usually hold a couple easily, but the ninth person would have to be stuck out in the salon... with far less privacy, similar to what would happen on a monohull.


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## MauritiusDiver (Jul 30, 2008)

To be honest, privacy is the least of our worries. We are all mates from college and recently shared a condo meant for 6 people between 15 of us. My issues are mainly about ease of sailing.

Also in the 4 cabin layout, is it common for there to be a pull out bed in the living room or is that more a rarity? Really we are trying to make the vacation easy on our wallets, but I wouldnt want to be too cramped.

Right now the two best options for cats are 

1. 2002 Athena 38' - only 8 people.

2. 2006 Lavezzi 40' - on this one we would need 9 people to ease the per person cost. The description states that there are two very small berths right at the front of each hull. The charter company states that it is suitable for teenagers but I think we might be able to squeez. 

Any opinions?


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## gtod25 (Aug 5, 2000)

*Go for the cat......*

Assuming that you will be drinking heavily space will be the least of your problems. Try and get the skipper and one other crewmember onboard a similar vessel in your home area before the trip starts (you have plenty of time). Pay someone with a cat to take you out for a few hours and show you how they handle. In that way you won't scare the hell out of the charter company. Companies will ask if the skipper has twin hull experience and it wouldn't do if he only started one engine and whacked the dock in a big loop.


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## MauritiusDiver (Jul 30, 2008)

haha. Yes, there will be a lot of drinking, but everyone going is also fond of either sailing or diving/snorkeling, so space is a consideration to a certain point (as in we might have some dive gear aboard, and people will want to lay out and stuff). I think the cat is probably the best way to go and 40' with 9 people (one in a "crew" berth) is probably the way to go. 

As for getting some practice.... Any one here from the virginia/chesapeake area, and would like to take me and a buddy out on a cat to show us the ropes?

P.S. thanks everyone for all the great info/opinions


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

I'd say go with the 38' cat, since you don't have to get a ninth person for it.


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## cranki (Jun 11, 2006)

We chartered a 50' mono hull Thanksgiving week 2006. We had a total of 7 on board, 2 couples, and 3 teenage boys. It was a 4 cabin layout each with a double berth and each with it's own head. I'm sure I had more fun sailing the mono, but, the cats definitely have more space to spread out. The Mooring 50 we had ( a 49'Bennetau) had so much hardware, etc. on board that there was almost no space to lay out on deck and the cockpit felt a bit crowded as well.

Next time I will go for a cat. Chartering in the BVI's is more about relaxing and partying than about sailing performance. Cats are not hard to handle but different.


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## MauritiusDiver (Jul 30, 2008)

*Wow!*

So before I started thinking about the space issue and looking into cats, we (me and the guy who will be skippering) applied to CYOA Charters requesting either a 45 Hunter or a 39 Beneteau (we realized afterwards that the Beneteau is a little too small for the amount of people going). My friend has a 36' boat of his own and has a number of years experience on it, and from all that I have heard on the message boards, chartering in the BVI was easy as the companies were not too strict on which boats they let you charter as long as you have some experience. 
Apparently this is not the case, as my friend was only approved for the 39' Beneteau. This seemed odd to me. Is it strange or the norm? are there other companies that will be less strict on this point? 
Any suggestions?


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## camaraderie (May 22, 2002)

I suggest your friend write back and say that unless he can be approved for the 45, he must book with an alternate outfit. Failing that there are a number of good outfits there...Sunsail, Moorings, Footloose, TMM and the Catamaran Company to name a few.


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## Trilogy77 (Jul 1, 2008)

Definitely check out the other charter company's. I don't see why your buddy couldn't get approved for a bigger boat. I've used BVI Yacht charters and TMM. The last 4 times down I have used BVIYC, they seem to be a bit more relaxed. That of course could be good and bad. The first time I skippered in the BVI I didn't own a boat but had the use of a 30' monohull. I had a lot of experience growing up sailing with my Grandfather on a 36' monohull. I did get my ASA Basic Keel Boat Lic. and they let me Skipper a Beneteau 46. Like you I had two other crew with experience. We had 4 couples and space was never really an issue. 

When we go down there now we ask do we want to party sail or sail party. Party sail and we get a Cat. Sail Party and we get the Monohull. So I would say that if money and space are an issue get a bigger Monohull..... if they let you. Good Luck!!


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## MauritiusDiver (Jul 30, 2008)

Thanks for the heads up. I checked out BVI Yatch Charters and they seem like a pretty good company. Read through their website and they seem legit. Prices are pretty good aswell. I've noticed that the cats tend to be more expensive, but this is going to be our senior trip and so I think its going to be a party sail. BVI Yacht Charters has a nice Lagoon 38' that I am looking at. I have already emailed in for some info. thanks again for the heads up.


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## captainjay (Oct 11, 2007)

OK,
I will try to be kind. For those that don't know already I work for CYOA. I do not review sailing resumes, that is John's deal. I do briefings and maintenance on the boats. I will say this after reading you initial post and the follow up. You have one 20 something year old skipper with a few years experience on the family 36 foot boat and two guys that can sail a Hobie. You didn't say were the experience on the family boat is but I will assume that there is some coastal cruising experience or you likely wouldn't have been approved on the 39. You will find that John is very conservative in approving sailors. Yes the BVI's are a great cruising ground but it isn't Disney World. It is the big blue sea and when things go wrong they can go real wrong. I personally know of three charter boats that have sunk this season and several others that have been through groundings. None of which came from our fleet. It is the charter companies responsibility to make sure they aren't turning people loose in more boat than they can handle. If you weren't already jammed for space my recommendation would be to have the company whether it be ours or someone Else's put a captain on board with you for a day or two to make sure you are up to speed on the boat. This may enable you to charter the larger boat that you want. The other option might be to round up a couple more mates charter two smaller boats and put a captain on one as a guide. You would all gain valuable experience and have a bit of safety net to help keep you out of trouble.
Good luck with your plans and congratulations on your up coming graduation. If you have any specific questions don't hesitate to ask. I was on three of the four boats that you mentioned today.
Jay


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## camaraderie (May 22, 2002)

Jay...he said...*My friend has a 36' boat of his own and has a number of years experience on it*...
How do you get that he just has experience on the family boat from that?

I certainly agree that if he has no boat ownership credentials and has only crewed on the family boat, then he is not a good risk but that is not what I read here.
Nice blog BTW!!


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## captainjay (Oct 11, 2007)

"The guy who will be skippering the boat has a family owned 36' monohull and has a few years experience with the boat. I am almost certain that he will be approved to skipper a boat. The question now is what type and how big."

This was the quote from his initial post. He didn't indicate that anything had changed. So I assume this is still the skipper. As I said I haven't seen the resume so all the info I have is what he has posted. 
Thanks for th comment on the blog it has actually taken on a life of its own.
Jay


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## MauritiusDiver (Jul 30, 2008)

Glad to see we are getting a number of perspectives on the matter. As for whether it is a family boat or his own, technically its a family boat, but since his father passed he is really the only one in the family that can take it out, so its pretty much his boat. Captainjay, I understand what you are implying about lack of age and experience, but I do not see either of those as being an issue in this case. I am looking to plan a vacation that is going to cost a fair bit and dont want to be confined to a small boat due to conservative decisions. In the end, the decision was made and I guess I can see why that decision was made, but the simple fact of the matter is that CYOA is losing business as I am now looking to make other arrangements on Tortola. Thanks for your input though.


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