How well does Nauticat sail? Sailing performance of Nauticat?
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 9 фев 2025
- How well does the Nauticat actually sail? Is the Nauticat sailing well with sails alone, or do you need motorsailing?
We have a Nauticat motorsailer, and we get these questions all the time. Is the Nauticat a good sailboat? How comfortable are the Nauticats, and and how are the Nauticat for live aboards?
I want to start below the water line. Take a look at what is under the water. Look at the keel. Now you need to understand that all Nauticats are not the same. They can look similar above the water, but they might be different below the water. I want to divide the keel in different categories:
Traditional long keel boats
Have a look at this boat. This is a traditional motorsailer. You can see that the keel starts below the main mast, and goes all the way back to the rudder. The rudder is protected by the keel, and this boat has a great directional stability. This is a bluewater cruiser. The problem is that it is not fast, and it will not tack easily.
Now, have a look at the second boat. Here you can see that the keel is shorter. It starts almost at the same place below the main mast, but it stops just in front of the mizzen mast. The rudder is at the same place, and is more exposed to dangers. This boat will have a better sailing performance. It will tack more easy, but it will also have less directional stability. By looking at the boat above water, you will not see this difference. They are both Nauticats. On the left we have the Nauticat 33. On the right we have the Nauticat 331.
Now, let’s get one more boat into the picture. This is the Nauticat 321. This is an even more modern sailboat. The keel is even shorter, and it has only one mast. This is made for sailing performance. Higher speed, easy to tack, less sails, going higher against the wind, but will also miss the directional stability and the benefits of the ketch rig.
So what is the best solution?
That depends on how you want to use the boat. The long keel on the left is best for traditional bluewater sailors, who don’t tack every day, and who wants comfort rather that quick boat handling. It is also better for the shallow anchorages. The modern boat on the right is for those who want performance, and the middle is a great compromise of these two solutions.
We have the Nauticat 38, and that is yet another solution.
Have a look at this. It looks like the middle compromise from earlier, but this boat is special. This is a semi long keel boat, with what we call a skeg in front of the rudder.
Let’s have a closer look.
Here we see the rudder. I’ll put a green circle around the rudder.
In front of the rudder you have the skeg. I’ll put a red circle around the skeg.
What is the purpose of this?
Well, This gives a fair protection of the rudder. The keel and skeg in combination gives a fair amount of directional stability. The keel and skeg does not connect, so you also have a fair sailing performance. It does not perform as well at the fin keel of the 321, but it is a very good compromise of all these different solutions.
Please note, that all these boats are Nauticats. When you see them on the water, you can not really tell how they look under the water.
So when you ask: Is the Nauticat a good sailer? Is the Nauticat performing well under sail alone, or do you need to motor in addition? Is the Nauticat a traditional long keel boat, or is it a modern yacht, but looking old? I can not give you the answer. This is because I don’t know what model you think of. I have now showed you four different variations. They are all good, but will perform different in different situations. What is best for you? I don’t know. I don’t know how you sail, or what you prefer.
The Nauticat 38 is a semi long keel motorsailor with a skeg. So, not a traditional long keel, but also not a modern fin keel.
To us this makes a lot of sense, we look at it as the best solution for our use. She is not a racer, but she still performs OK. Under engine she is like a displacement motorboat, and performs well up to a good 7 knots. Under motor and sail together, she is really happy, and this is what she is built for. Under sail alone, she still performs OK. Downwind and with the wind from the side she is good. Give her a fresh breeze, and she dances in the waves. She is heavy, so a gentle breeze is not enough for her.
Going against the wind is where she struggles. She can do it, but not as the modern fin keeled boats. At the other hand, she performs better that the long keel boats I showed you. So we are prepared to go a little less against the wind, and fill the sails a bit more from the side, or we start the engine and use both. This depends also on how good the skipper is to sail. Myself, I am quite lazy, and I tend to prioritize comfort and security over speed.
![I.N "HALLUCINATION" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/n5B5q1Hwt_U/mqdefault.jpg)
Honest and well planned video, bravo..
Thank you. Really appriciate your comment.
Thank you for a great informative video. We have a Nauticat 33 from '76. It's our first boat and we bought it in August. We love it and are looking forward getting it back in the water! So it's nice to have videos like yours when killing time🙂
Thanks for your comment. It motivates me to hear thinks like this.
Great video, as someone who is in the process of buying a Nauticat 38 your videos have been invaluable to me. Mine gets the survey done this Tuesday so hopefully she’ll be mine soon.
Thanks a lot for your comment. It is very inspiring for me. Good luck with your new Nauticat 38. I hope you will be happy with it, and looking forward to get to hear about your experience later on..
How'd it go with the survey and what not? Nauticat 38 is in my top 5 list for us.
@@EJL2004 Everything went well. Only negative was a bit of osmosis blistering on the hull which isn’t structural. We are now the proud owners of a Nauticat 38. I’m on it now enjoying toasted muffins in bed.
👍
⛵😎
Thank you for the profound overview.
You are welcome, and thanks for appreciating our effort.
Takk for en flott video, virkelig inspirerende
Mange takk for det, og takk for at du følger. Fint å kunne inspirere.
Nice, quality boats from Finland 🇫🇮
Yes, indeed!
Very good presentation, I prefer other boats but from your point of view very realistic.
Thanks for your comment. Glad you liked it. We can not all of us prefer the same boats, that would be boring. But looking at other boats is great. Fair winds!
I lived aboard my N33 (1973), for 30 yearsI added a bowsprit which completely revolutionised her 'upwind' ability.
I note the comment about hard to tack, with which I can't agree.
Even in the lightest airs, I would back the mizzen, until the Genoa luff had gone through the wind, then there was a 'bit of a scramble' to change over the Genoa sheets - but round she'd come!
This model didn't have the raised aft deck - I accept that had some advantages, but for actual sailing, I preferred the 'flat deck'.
On long passages in fair weather, I'd fit the emergency tiller, & sit on the roof of the aft cabin!
Thanks for your thoughts. Of course you can tack. My comment as that the boats with the shorter keel tacks more easy, not that the long keel version dont tack at all. Anyway, smart idea with the backing of the mizzen. I have not thought of that before, and it sounds like a great idea (and it sort of confirms that some help is needed to go through a tack).
Regarding the aft deck, for sailing and safety I definitely think the low deck is better. In harbor the raised aft deck is super, and it also gives a lot of indoor space. But for sailing in heavy weather, I and scared when I work at the aft deck.
Buy the way, you must have been very happy with her since you lived in it for 30 years. Sounds great!
@@Sailing-Maja I delivered a N331 (I think it was) some years ago, from S.Wales to N.Ireland.
It got a 'bit lumpy' across the Irish Sea.
I realised my 'flat deck' was better in those circumstances.
Yes - I loved my old girl'.
Crossed Biscay 3 x times, always lumpy, always dry!
Pronounced paddle wheel effect became an asset when I worked it out!
Marinas, French canals, she was game for anything!
If I was going round again, I wouldn't want for a better boat - even if I did spend an inordinate time varnishing!
When yuo sailng come the water on the deek .seething
When I think of sailing performance, I pretty much just focus on sailing up wind and pointing. If your boat points well, chances are it'll sail well in all other conditions. Pointing is limited by windage, and boy most Nauticats have a lot of windage. Windage from high bulwarks, the pilot house, the high aft "castle" that the raised cockpit sets on, and the mizzen mast + mizzen rigging that most Nauticat's have. But everything is a compromise. You get some nice benefits form all of those things that cause the increased windage. So, you have to have to accept the fact that these are motor sailers and you pretty much always motor upwind.
As this video points out, there are many different Nauticats, so it's hard to "generalize". Along with those hull shapes this video discussed, there's pretty much a model for every foot from 33 to 44, and then two 52 foot models. For a relatively small sailboat company, they made A LOT of different models, but their core product was the heavy displacement, full keel, ketch motor sailer. Unfortunately, the market shifted towards much roomier and faster coastal "racer/cruiser" boats and the company closed it's doors in 2018. I love my Nauticat 44, but if all I wanted to do was coastal cruising, a racer cruiser would have been a better boat. The Nauticats were made in Finland and "bred" for the North Sea, not the Caribbean.
Thanks for the summary, which I completely agree with.
@@Sailing-Maja Thanks. I figured you knew all of this already, but you didn't mention it in your video, so I thought I'd add it for whoever reads comments.
When I was looking for my first 30+ foot sailboat, I had a hard time understanding the tradeoffs between all of the boats. Originally I wanted a racer/cruiser as I wanted to be able to sail fast and point into the wind. Then I started considering the fact that my wife and I would be in our early 60's when we started cruising, and I started thinking that more comfortable boats would be a better choice for us.
There happened to be an NC44 within a half day's drive, so we went to see it. Man, I immediately fell in love with the pilot house and could no longer stand the thought of climbing down into a "cave". Almost a year later I finally bought it. I would love a boat with a 15 foot beam that didn't roll as much, but everything's a tradeoff. I think that one sail with a flat bottom boat pounding hard into the waves so the whole boat is shaking and shuddering would scare my wife too much to get back on the thing. I haven't had the 44 out in those conditions yet, but it must to better than a flat bottom racer/cruiser.
@@jasonmcintosh2632 There are so many compromises when choosing a boat, as you describe. I know there are even moire option than in my video, but making a video is also a compromise. Tell everything possible, and possibly too technical, or give just enough information. In this video the purpose was wo tell people that two different Nauticats are not the same. And your comments are great for those who want to look even more into it. Thanks!
I have around 9 yrs sailing experience on a Nauticat 38 that belongs to a good friend of mine. Over the years I have done a lot of cruising both within local coastal environments and offshore. I have experienced all sorts of weather and sea conditions during cruising on the boat. In overall terms, I know that the boat is very safe and will protect you even under extreme conditions (>65 kts). The boat is well appointed and given the right conditions sails very well. However, I do have a number of criticisms of the boat and these relate in part to some of the compromises in its design. First up, in my view it’s too tall for its beam, such that with a full complement of sails up (heady, staysail, main and mizzen), its angle of heel in anything above 15-20kts can be very uncomfortable. Also, raising and lowering the mizzen is a pain and from observation does very little in respect of the balance. When steering from the poop deck (stern), you are very exposed to the elements. Also, the size of the steering wheel is too small meaning you have to stoop to steer the boat. Given the hydraulic steering system, which can be prone to failure, I find it very vague in regards to directional stability, unlike the mechanical steering system on my traditional IOR 30 ft yacht. The narrow sides down along the pilot house and complications of sheets, blocks etc are uncomfortable and in some some ways potential trip hazards. Bear in mind my friend has added many systems to his boat for cruising, including bow thruster, water maker, electronic antifoul and many other electrical upgrades, and at times these have all played up, meaning that it takes a lot of care to maintain the systems. In the end while I recognise it is a quality built boat and is very capable, personally, I don’t enjoy its sailing motion and it’s not a boat I would wish to own.
100% agreement.
Thanks a lot for your comment. It is really valuable. I do agree with a lot of what you are saying. The Nauticat 38 is great, but far from perfect. The things I dont like with it is the doors on the side. They are perfect in harbor and nice weather, but tricky in heavy weather. Climbing out and walking on the side in rough sea is scary. Also, as you say, working at the poop deck is too far up from the water. There are lots of movement up there, and the guard rail is too low (I have a plan to rise that rail). So, I agree with a lot of what you are saying. Would I buy it again? That depends on how it is supposed to be used. To cross an ocean in heavy weather, probably not. For costal cruising in predictable condition, I would most probably buy it again. Are there better boats out there, Yes of course. Is it a good buy for the price, as long as you understand what you buy, Yes I think so.
While the (traditional) motorsailer may have acquired the image as the unloved step child of yacht design and one that is guaranteed to earn you the politely pitying smiles of the dockside experts, I still think they are unsurpassed as a longdistance, comfortable, liveaboard cruiser, particularly for the (much) more demanding, northern climate zones.
Not all motorsailers are created equal, nor are all contemporary sailing yachts. Any yacht can become uncomfortable when you exceed the point at which you should have commenced reefing. This includes ones that were designed to IOR rules, which had a tendency to punish stability and speed potential. Hence the Guppy bellies, tightly pinched sterns that like to suck up their stern wave and promote spectacular rolling when going downhill in any kind of blow that might take them past their potential hull speed. Plenty of sailing craft have to start reefing when the apparent wind exceeds 10 kts, which puts one that can stand up to some 20kts into a somewhat better perspective. I have sailed longdistance and offshore in a classic yacht that happily rolled through some 100 degr. downwind and would readily sail at some 50 degr when going to weather and where the crew would fight over the leeward bunk and being able to successfully use the head should have gotten you an immediate job offer from Cirque du Soleil.
Any yacht is a compromise, as is a motorsailer, but I do not think that the demerits are as severe as we are commonly led to believe. Any boat can be made unnecessarily complicated and any boat can be overloaded, though and within reason, the normally generous displacement of a motorsailer is likely better suited to absorbing this without impacting the performance.
The contemporary version of a traditional motorsailer, in avoidance of any negative association, is now the "expetdition type yacht". They too have some form of permanent steering shelter, are much heavier than most of their contemporary sisters, carry powerful engines and large tanks and, generally speaking, are quite large. As to their cost: they would make the most expensive traditional motorsailer look like a bargain basement deal by comparison.
For what is possible with even a small traditional motorsailer, feel free to watch my RUclips video: Rehabilitating the Traditional Motorsailer.
@@LaminarFlow896 Thanks for your comment. I watched your mentioned video. That was really great!
What determines a boat's performance potential has less to do with the keel configuration than with her sail area/displacement ratio and her length/displacement ratio. The NC 38 has a SA/D of 13.67, which is within the recommended range for a motorsailer (Brewer, 13 - 14). This, together with her D/L ratio of 387, which by contemporary standards is extremely heavy, indicates why her performance will be inferior to that of a pure sailing boat. We own a 32' Colvic Watson motorsailer which we have cruised extensively in Northern waters. We have increased her SA/D to 17.8, which puts her firmly in the mid cruiser/racer category. It has significantly improved her windward ability, long keel and all, and in light conditions and on reaching courses we regularly outsail much lighter and supposedly more performance orientated yachts . Downwind, even in a strong quartering sea, her long keel lets her track like a train, requiring little input from her helmsman or autopilot. Once we had the opportunity to spar against a Nauticat 35 sloop and on a variety of courses, including ones to windward. It wasn't even close. After 25 miles we could barely make them out with the binoculars. Sailing in the Orkneys, we were able to hold our own against a NC 44. Other than for maneuverability, sail area/displacement ratio (SA/D) is where it is at!
Thanks a lot for your valuable input. This is one of the things I really like having a RUclips channel about sailing. I learn so much about boats myself. I really appreciate your comments. As a mechanical engineer myself, I love numbers and calculations like the ratios you describe. Are there any books I can read to understand more about this, I find it really interesting. Please feel free to advise.
It looks like I need to make a follow up video taking into account all the great feed back and comments I have got from this video.
@@Sailing-Maja For further information on general boat data and technical design ratios I can recommend Eric Sponberg's lecture on Sponberg Yacht Design Inc.
Furthermore Dave Gerr, "The Nature of Boats", which is a bit of a "Boats for Dummies", but is an easily accessible read that gives some insight as to how things are related. Lastly and since you have a technical background: Larsson & Eliasson, "The Principals of Yacht Design".
The last one requires some self-directed input to make the necessary connections and conclusions, but I think that you should be quite capable of managing that.
Best, A.
Wheelhouse doors ( yes) . Flush stern decks (yes) love it .
Understand what you mean, and I do agree.
Then you have the NA 36 with long keel and narrower hull, sails well for being long keeled. A type of grand tour... GT... where the keel has a concave shape that gives a more stable ride through waves. It is the one I sailed by the NA boats and experience it fast on longer distances. not second trimming of sails as in a dinghy but 15 minutes of trimming :)
Yes, they built an impressive collection of different boats. It's not like a Nauticat is a Nauticat. They are all different.
I'm curious about the comparison between NC441 and NC38.
The high-end version of the Nauticat, the NC441, still has a full keel, but I've heard that it has improved sailing performance.
Nevertheless, the shape of the keel make it less sailing performance than the NC38?
@@sailinghyeonjoong Great question! I have seen the 441, and it is a great boat, and as you say it’s a high end boat. The performance is good, but I wonder if this is a because of the total lenght, or because of the under water shape. A 44 foot boat will sail faster than a 38 because of the lenght, but with performance I dont mean only speed. By performance I mean how sharp it can go againt the wind, and how easy it will tack. With the long waterline and the long keel in combination, I would guess it is fast, but still not the best against the wind and when tacking.
Does anyone have first hand experience with the 441, and can you help us clarify? I am curious myself.
I have a Swift Trawler 34, I don’t even need sails 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
@@PhilbyFavourites 👍⛵️😉 I know what you mean. I know that type of sailors. Myself I do sail a lot, but that dont mean I need to stop the engine!
I've been looking at Nauticat for a year or so and do NOT want a S&S design.
I want the flared bow of the original Nauticat.
I understand what you mean. Thr S&S versions might be «better and safer», but the original motorsailers look so much better. That look is a personal preference, though.
Kan dom syda så mycket att det kommer vatten upp på däck, blir rädd att kommer vatten in i båten dom där dörrar knappast vatten täta
@@Kippis.. Det er absolutt en risiko for det i veldig hardt vær. Slike forhold har ikke vi opplevd. Om båten blir slått ned, så er det selvfølgelig en fare. På den annen side, om båten blir slått ned og dørene er lukket, så vil hytta / styrhuset / pilothouse gi så mye oppdrift at båten retter seg raskt. Da rekker det ikke å komme mye vann inn. Det er i alle fall min teori, og heldigvis har jeg ikke testet det i praksis.
Dette er nok grunnen til at båten er i CE kategori B og ikke i A.
😀😀
@@gima_11 ⛵️🏝️
The differences in underbody in this video make NO DIFFERENCE to directional stability. The directional stability is dictated by hull shape and the separation between the CLR and rudder centroid. Skeg contributes NOTHING to directional stability.
Thanks for your interesting thoughts. This is how I have understood the world and the physics, but I might be wrong. I checked with ChatGPT today, and asked it what it thought about the subject. It agreed with me, but it might be biased. I know that don't prove anything. I also made a Google search for "what is the benefit of a skeg on a sailboat", and Google tell me "Steering control and stability" and "he skeg is crucial for steering control and stability, preventing the boat from sliding sideways and helping maintain a straight path." So I maintain my opinion on this. Tanks anyway for your comment on this and your view on the topic.Thats how we all can learn. Cheers, and fair winds!
@Sailing-Maja just not true. You need to ask a good naval architect with experience in yacht design. I have been sailing lots of different vessels for the last 40 years of delivering yachts. I have owned a few too. My current boat is a Sundeer 60. It has a fin keel and spade rudder. Because if it's relatively narrow beam and balanced hull shape it will steer itself for hours holding course with no autopilot. Sometimes it's unclear to me if the autopilot is even on and I have to check as the rudder will not move for long periods. Because the hull shape is so balanced the immersed shape changes little with heel and so waves have a small effect. The keel is small with only 1.83m draught, though the spade rudder is large. The only other boat I have experienced this directional stability on was a NZ built Herreschoff called the "fiery cross" which is 45' long and only 7' wide. It has a similar configuration of fin keel and space rudder. None of the tens of long keel or skeg rudder boats have come close.
@@Sailing-Maja I would also not that the word "skeg" also refers to the fin at the back of a surfboard, windsurfer, SUP board etc which IS there to provide directional stability.
The main function of a skeg on a sailing yacht is to protect the rudder from impact damage from objects in the water and to offer support at the bearing at the lower end skeg/rudder. In fact most skegs are quite weak as they are notoriously difficult to laminate and or fix it the hull. The skegged rudders on metal boats are quite different and very strong. Many FRP skegs are only ornamental.
Noted. In my part of the world that is a common term for the hull shape in front of the rudder.