[PCW] Convert sail cat to power part 2 - was hulls

[Candy Chapman and Gary Bell]

gram rupert wrote:

> Are you looking at all the mid forty foot sailing catamarans just now  
> coming out of charter service?
>
> Something like that, yes, as it seems to be a sensible way forward. I  
> have heard that there are also quite a few on offer at the moment.
> Thanks,
> Cheers,
> Rupert.

I suppose that the great surge in availability and acceptance of these 
fine boats in charter service must have been from three to five years 
ago, as there seems to be a real surge of them on the used boat market 
just now.   In pricing them don't forget to factor in the cost of 
compensating for the hard use they have had, and be very selective about 
only buying boats from the few charter companies with high maintenance 
and repair standards. 

I likewise feel that these ex-charter type sail cats are better suited 
to long distance cruising than pottering about in one's home waters of a 
weekend, because they lack the power catamaran's turn of speed under 
power.  The power catamaran probably also has an edge in interior space 
and creature comforts.  If you look carefully you can find the 
occasional PDQ 34 on the used market, and whereas the initial price is 
higher than the ex-charter sail cat, that gap will close considerably if 
major systems need to be restored or upgraded. 

It is caveat emptor for both, with the charter boat bearing the largest 
risks. 

Again, cheers
Gary