Catamaran Sailing

Laura and I got back yesterday from a week's worth of sailing with friends on a chartered catamaran. Initially, I was "commandeered" into being skipper of this vessel, but Coopers (the charter company), didn't like the fact that I had no experience on a cat whatsoever. Good call on their part, it turns out. They're different.

We had a skipper/instructor (Marla) for the first three days of the charter, and she got to show me the differences in cat sailing as well as tuned up all the bad habits I've accumulated. She also got to certify Dave (the reason for this whole adventure was Dave's 50th birthday - a party that has gone on for an entire month) for his PCOC and CYA Basic Cruising Standard, as well as administer the practical half of his Intermediate Cruising Standard as well. Dave is a natural at the helm, and truly loves the sailing - it was a real treat to see him so enthusiastic and energetic! Marla even commented on how quickly Dave assimilated all the new information (although I doubt much of it was new to Dave - just that now it was important to remember it all). Our itinerary included stops at Silva Bay, Clam Bay, Montague Harbor, Pirate's Cove and Snug Harbor. Two days on a dock, one on a mooring buoy, and two anchoring (three days without a shower is some kind of a record for me).

Joining us were Duane and Bev, neighbors of Dave and Sherri, as well as Kelly - Dave's sister. The weather was awful until the afternoon of the last day, but the sailing for the most part was pretty good. Fair winds (10-15 knots) for most of the trip, and it seemed to stop raining after we finished sailing for the day. Duane, Bev and Marla departed the boat at Montague Harbor on Galiano Island via seaplane - and Kelly joined us for the last three days. She and Dave are so alike it's scary. Hyperactive, too, so that makes cleaning up a spectator sport for me.

I can now say I've spent some time on both a multihull and a monohull sailboat, and I'd have to say that my preference is the monohull. There's a real sense of motion on the monohull, where doing eight knots (as we did quite often in the cat) would be exhilarating - or terrifying. Much to my surprise, the cat was really quite uncomfortable when the chop picks up - Marla explained that they do their best when there's lots of wind and very flat water. Neither of which BC has a surplus of.

I'm also not used to the idea that when you put a tumbler on a table, it's still there eight seconds later. I relish the idea that the utensil drawer is supposed to fly across the cabin, and that anything not tied down will be quickly washed away. Call me a romantic.

The girls loved the light, the level, and the room of a catamaran. It was an RV that floats. I think that's the market they're after. Having now done it once, would I do it again? Maybe. If you guarantee the weather....