Some COVID look back, a place most Americans don’t know is part of the US of A, and in the “maybe we’re just in the wrong neighborhood” department…
These days I hear a lot about catamarans that cost over a million bucks but where affordable cruising cats are concerned, all I hear is crickets.
So, I thought if I were going to do a goal-oriented circumnavigation, what sort of cat would I pick?
Offhand, the first two that came to mind were the Wharram Tiki 21 and the Heavenly Twins.
The Tiki 21 is an interesting boat. It’s a stitch and glue design with a lot of innovations that got a lot of folks all kinds of excited. So much so, that I built an enlarged version (Tiki 31). Cruising World even gave it a win on a design contest for best trailerable gunkholer.
Yeah, trailerable gunkholer. Which, of course, a guy named Rory McDougall promptly built and sailed it around the world.
Sure it’s small, inexpensive, and somewhat cramped but it will get you around the world if you’re up to it.
The other design on my cheap seats circumnavigation-capable cats is the Heavenly Twins designed by Pat Patterson…
I know of at least two circumnavigations in Heavenly Twins which has about the best accommodation you’ll come across in an 26-foot envelope. A few years ago, you could find an HT for not much but you might find an affordable one around if you look.
Those are just what I’d choose for a frugal-centered circumnavigation on a cat. Still, to be honest, I’d more than likely go with a small 26-foot or under monohull as they’re still more bang for the buck.
Heavenly twins not a fan but the way the cooking fat lines were expanded makes it an interesting boat I think
Met a Swiss flagged HT 26 in Penzance. And although at the time i thought he was joking, he had actually circumnavigated in it. I think his name was Patrice. Compared to my skinny monohull, I could not believe the space! Bridgedeck slamming when heavily loaded was his only complaint.