Hi Petro & Frik ..... you guys are having such an adventure while we bushbabies are land-bound and office-bound. We live your adventure and find much comfort in your great experience. Thanks for starting this series on how to sail a catamaran - firsthand knowledge coming to us from far over the ocean. Fair winds and calm seas to the two of you - The Pretoria mob.
Our pleasure Riel! Glad to share our experience and knowledge, and very happy when people take something from it, the support is greatly appreciated. Cheers
In many ways, navigating a boat is like flying. Having to "crab" into the wind in order to maintain your desired direction of travel is the most obvious parallel. I didn't know that the pivot point would be so far forward of the screws however?! I had always thought it would pivot at the same point that the screws (propellers) were turning. That's something new for me. Cheers from Winnipeg.
@@bayanicustodio3998 - the draught is the important measurement, any vessel over 12 meters must display draught on the hull. Width is not an issue, if it doesn't fit you can't enter, as far as length, the lock master might try squeeze you in, if too long it's up to you to back that big girl out. This is where you draw a big crowd with lots of videos being shot as you rip the shit out of the sides of your boat, enjoy!
Peter, yeah, I also thought it would pivot around the engines, but then, the engines need to push a few tons supported by two keels's water resistance, thus the pivot point moves forward to where the weight and the resistance are... that is why every boat is different, even between the Leopard 45s because there weight differences, not much but technically it would be different, even with full diesel and water tanks will be different than empty diesel and water tanks ;-) again, not much, perhaps a meter or so.
Bayani, yeah, it is fun times going into a tight spot for a crane haul out if you have a cross wind :-D go it at speed to keep sort of a track with the keels, line the bows up, and go for it, then as you enter, applay heavy brakes!
We did a one week catamaran bareboat live aboard training with US sailing in Florida a few years back. The instructor told us to handle the boat like a chopping cart while docking (with wheel locked at center). Pull back with left hand, push forward with right hand, cart will pivot left, ditto vice versa. I always thought this was the easiest way to remember :)
I have only maneuvered a cat once, but I loved it. Docking is the most interesting part of sailing, I think. Maybe I need to rent a catamaran soon, just to get a chance to try it :)
Thank you Linda for popping in. Yes total different to mono's, but interesting. Wind and current makes almost all docking different from the previous . . . as long as you stick to the basics.
Thanks, Petro...and Frik! This is so helpful, especially for us new cruisers. Even ones on monohulls! Sending you good vibes and looking forward to seeing you upon our return!
Our pleasure, Shawn! Yeah, we learned to turn with a monohull with prop walk and propwash kick. We could turn a Oceanis 36 on a dime in no wind conditions :-D
Interesting and good explanation. One additional note: With strong side winds during the docking process, you can still use the steering wheel all together with the engines. For example: The wind pushes you sideways to starboard. In that case you also could use starboard engine forward throttle and turn the wheel to starboard too. If needed, you still can use the port engine for smaller corrections. That way, the boat will push sideways against the wind without turning itself around on her axis. All in all, it needs a lot of practice of course and every cat handles slightly different.
Yes, we offer ASA schooling and have trained most of the catamaran sailors in the PNW on the canada side of the border. I do the docking training myself and have many techniques to deal with windy conditions. And use rudder flush to move stern that small bit to the side. In dock, slow is pro. And a bow camera helps when you have no crew to watch the port side bow, an area not visible from the helm.
Larry, you are spot on! Slow is pro up to the point where you lose rudder control, meaning that the boat just starts to drift in whatever direction nature is taking her. As for rudder flush, I have tried it many times, and it works not every time :-( still not sure whether it is the wind or the weight or both or my stupidity, but she does not want to go sideways everytime.
Thanks Frik, great intro to a tricky subject to teach. It requires such an intuitive mix of the senses, speed, time and angles. Multitasking to the max with not much room for error lol I remember Horizon Yacht Charters in Nanny Cay BVI wouldn’t let new charterers anywhere near docking their boats until at least two visits or more…annoying for over ambitious skippers, but helped their owners to sleep better at night.
hi guys, have u had any issues with the mechanical throttles? have u had to provide any maintenance to the throttle box over the years? thanks for the great vids & info!!
Exactly, Negus! And then there is the wind factor and the current factor... if the wind is blowing sideways, you will slide sideways...unless you are going fast, but you do not want to go fast, so....
I think the American Sailing Association has a specific course for Catamarans. I remember ages ago when you were deciding on options, ever wish now Azipods were an option 😉👍🙂
Bayani, I am happy to hear that! I saw Gone with the Wynns did there ASA course on their catamaran, but we could not find the same in South Africa nor could I find online at the time.
@@SailingSisu Sounds good, and I meant, train other CAT owners, or CAT wannabe owners, and charge them a few for your time and use of your CAT. In the UK, I can only do the RYA training, and none of them teach you CAT sailing:))
@@SailingSisu great explanation. Given that I’ve driven boats for a long time and heavy equipment, this makes perfect sense to me. I have to worry more about sailing lol but I’ve been learning!
Hey Frik- All RUclips docking videos are the same and done in calm conditions. Let's get some instruction getting on and off the dock when the wind is 20 plus knots onto the dock. I want to see your techniques for springing on and off. Then I'll buy you a beeeeer! Cheers.
Dear Sir, you would be disappointed. Because I use the same technique i already revealed it 😊 it is about the picture. One just to keep the picture conforming to what you imagine it to happen by using the engines accordingly 😉 and i will for sure not advise anyone to start in heavy winds or current hence, i start like all "other" with calm waters. No I am the one who wonders, if I do (and I have done many scary dockings) dock under your circumstances and it will look easy, how you going to buy me a beer?
@@SailingSisu As a fellow Leopard owner, Sisu follower, and Carib beer aficionado, I will gladly buy the beers when our paths cross. You guys are great! Cheers!
I think one thing that sometimes confuses people who watch a pro skipper is they use more power in short bursts than most amateurs would (except the ones who end up on Boating news of the Week). Part of the reason I think for the authoritative movements is because time is money for a professional. Cant afford to dilly dally around. So one thing I would say is yeah, copy the pros but don’t do it as hard as they do…. slower and softer is generally better for the non professional skipper. IMO.
cannot agree more, Tony! i still cannot go full throttle in a marina :-D those guys are just born with two throttles (not bottles) in their hands! Once, while we were still in Cape Town (actually exactly the spot we were in the video with Happy Together) two L45s came in hard and fast, sounded like a squadron of fighter jets, short on each other's wakes. The front one took a slot on our right and the aft one the slot on our left, they turned in almost in a synchronous motion, and reversed in... it was a sight to behold to see those two Leopards racing backwards and stop like two Falcon Heavy Boosters!
@@SailingSisu awesome! Yeah that would be great to see. Unless you were standing on your bow docked and watching them come straight at you. :) But I get that wasn’t the case, and they know what they are doing. I’m just a beginner but I’ve found that every approach and leave is different because of wind. And the 45 has high slab sides and frontage so I do wonder what Sisu is like in the wind. If you have time could you please comment? Maybe weight and keels mean it’s not so flighty? How do you think it compares to other prod cats in that regard? Or all much the same? Thanks for all these vids…. I love them. Sisu is my ideal boat.
100% true, Tony! Every docking is different, well in our case it is also the docks itself that changes from port to port :-) And yes, higher free board is also playing a huge role! The newer production cats have a little bit deeper keels or stubby keels or sacrificial keels, which for sure helps. The same with weight, the heavier, the less issues with wind. In my opinion, it is more to do with speed, than the rest. The faster you go, the less influences or less time to influence, too slow, the less you "carve" the water and the more time to get drifting... The L45 does have good sacrificial keels, which helps for sure, with props in front of the rudder, helps too to get water flow over the rudders. I will try to address these issues in later videos where the wind factor is coming into play ;-)
Actually, pretty easy...the wind or current will take you sideways. The current is stronger and more consistent so, you can crab in, but the wind is different. The faster you go, the less leeway or side slip, the slower you go, the more the leeway/drift/side slip. Of course, nothing what the skipper can do will make the cat goes sideways, it is the forces of nature. What i meant by sideways, is that a tank or a car rarely go side ways when the wind blows, in fact, if you drive a car at 2cm an hour into a parking spot, it will eventually get into the spot while, if you go slower than a certain speed, the skipper loses rudder control completely and will just drift wherever the wind or current takes the boat...sideways is only one direction that the force can take you :-) That said, there is a way to turn the rudders so that the thrust/propwash of one engine is pushing while the other prop is pulling, that will make the cat goes sideways, but it is only working for me in a very wind still environment ;-)
@@SailingSisu ruclips.net/video/HlXXCWq5k4s/видео.html thanks for your answer but look at the link. I have seen this also with an cat, but don’t know how it works
You look better and younger with short hair and that thing hanging down from your chin and as you said about learning to control your catamaran , It's like learning drive car you start a a slow speed until you get better at it .
Thank you Mat, and you are correct! slow is pro, but a car you can go a 2cm an hour into a parking lot and still get there, while when you try 2cm an hour with a boat, you will drift anywhere the nature wants you to drift and you have 1 out of 360 chances that it is into the slip ;-)
Actually, pretty easy...the wind or current will take you sideways. The current is stronger and more consistent so, you can crab in, but the wind is different. The faster you go, the less leeway or side slip, the slower you go, the more the leeway/drift/side slip. Of course, nothing what the skipper can do will make the cat goes sideways, it is the forces of nature. What i meant by sideways, is that a tank or a car rarely go side ways when the wind blows, in fact, if you drive a car at 2cm an hour into a parking spot, it will eventually get into the spot while, if you go slower than a certain speed, the skipper loses rudder control completely and will just drift wherever the wind or current takes the boat...sideways is only one direction that the force can take you :-) That said, there is a way to turn the rudders so that the thrust/propwash of one engine is pushing while the other prop is pulling, that will make the cat goes sideways, but it is only working for me in a very wind still environment ;-)
Hi Petro & Frik ..... you guys are having such an adventure while we bushbabies are land-bound and office-bound. We live your adventure and find much comfort in your great experience. Thanks for starting this series on how to sail a catamaran - firsthand knowledge coming to us from far over the ocean. Fair winds and calm seas to the two of you - The Pretoria mob.
Our pleasure Riel! Glad to share our experience and knowledge, and very happy when people take something from it, the support is greatly appreciated. Cheers
Looking forward to the next episode
It is going to get better, Ian! [hopefully :-)]
In many ways, navigating a boat is like flying. Having to "crab" into the wind in order to maintain your desired direction of travel is the most obvious parallel. I didn't know that the pivot point would be so far forward of the screws however?! I had always thought it would pivot at the same point that the screws (propellers) were turning. That's something new for me. Cheers from Winnipeg.
Always wondered how hard it would be to get it through Lockport, mind you a 45 is probably too wide.
@@bayanicustodio3998 LOL Yes, it probably is too wide.
@@bayanicustodio3998 - the draught is the important measurement, any vessel over 12 meters must display draught on the hull. Width is not an issue, if it doesn't fit you can't enter, as far as length, the lock master might try squeeze you in, if too long it's up to you to back that big girl out. This is where you draw a big crowd with lots of videos being shot as you rip the shit out of the sides of your boat, enjoy!
Peter, yeah, I also thought it would pivot around the engines, but then, the engines need to push a few tons supported by two keels's water resistance, thus the pivot point moves forward to where the weight and the resistance are... that is why every boat is different, even between the Leopard 45s because there weight differences, not much but technically it would be different, even with full diesel and water tanks will be different than empty diesel and water tanks ;-) again, not much, perhaps a meter or so.
Bayani, yeah, it is fun times going into a tight spot for a crane haul out if you have a cross wind :-D go it at speed to keep sort of a track with the keels, line the bows up, and go for it, then as you enter, applay heavy brakes!
Great graphics and explanations, thank you Frik & Petro!
Our pleasure, Jane! Glad you liked it and thank you for the kind compliments!
We did a one week catamaran bareboat live aboard training with US sailing in Florida a few years back. The instructor told us to handle the boat like a chopping cart while docking (with wheel locked at center). Pull back with left hand, push forward with right hand, cart will pivot left, ditto vice versa. I always thought this was the easiest way to remember :)
That is for sure a good analogy, Nadja! A shopping cart/trolley 😊
This is such a kind and helpful and very well done vlog. Great job 👌
Glad it was helpful guys, great seeing you here again.
Very informative. Thanks you guys
Thank you, Chris! We are trying :-)
I have only maneuvered a cat once, but I loved it. Docking is the most interesting part of sailing, I think. Maybe I need to rent a catamaran soon, just to get a chance to try it :)
Thank you Linda for popping in. Yes total different to mono's, but interesting. Wind and current makes almost all docking different from the previous . . . as long as you stick to the basics.
Thanks, Petro...and Frik! This is so helpful, especially for us new cruisers. Even ones on monohulls! Sending you good vibes and looking forward to seeing you upon our return!
Our pleasure, Shawn! Yeah, we learned to turn with a monohull with prop walk and propwash kick. We could turn a Oceanis 36 on a dime in no wind conditions :-D
Interesting and good explanation. One additional note: With strong side winds during the docking process, you can still use the steering wheel all together with the engines. For example: The wind pushes you sideways to starboard. In that case you also could use starboard engine forward throttle and turn the wheel to starboard too. If needed, you still can use the port engine for smaller corrections. That way, the boat will push sideways against the wind without turning itself around on her axis. All in all, it needs a lot of practice of course and every cat handles slightly different.
Thank you! Very good advice indeed!
Fantastic video, can't wait for the next instalment. Thanks guys
Glad you enjoyed it! It will get a bit more fun and out of the "do what i say you should do" and more in the "do as I show you to do" :-D
Awesome vid mate, keep em’ coming!
Thanks, will do Laurie. Great seeing you here!! Welcome to the team
Great episode Petro and Frik!I like your videos and your way of showing cruising world.👋
Glad you enjoy it! Thank you for the kind compliment!
@@SailingSisu I really like you two.You are such a nice sailing couple!
🤗
Great info as always!
Thanks again Michael, really appreciate your support.
Yes, we offer ASA schooling and have trained most of the catamaran sailors in the PNW on the canada side of the border. I do the docking training myself and have many techniques to deal with windy conditions. And use rudder flush to move stern that small bit to the side. In dock, slow is pro. And a bow camera helps when you have no crew to watch the port side bow, an area not visible from the helm.
Larry, you are spot on! Slow is pro up to the point where you lose rudder control, meaning that the boat just starts to drift in whatever direction nature is taking her. As for rudder flush, I have tried it many times, and it works not every time :-( still not sure whether it is the wind or the weight or both or my stupidity, but she does not want to go sideways everytime.
Hi Frik and Petro, thank you so much for this video and explanation. I have not seen another and so useful. Very well done. Kind regards Gavin
Glad it was helpful, Gavin! The best parts is still to come in this series!
Thank you for that! 💕
Thank you, Karen! The interesting parts will come in the following episodes!
Thanks guys
Our pleasure, Trev!
Thanks Frik, great intro to a tricky subject to teach. It requires such an intuitive mix of the senses, speed, time and angles. Multitasking to the max with not much room for error lol
I remember Horizon Yacht Charters in Nanny Cay BVI wouldn’t let new charterers anywhere near docking their boats until at least two visits or more…annoying for over ambitious skippers, but helped their owners to sleep better at night.
Thank you, Trevor for the kind compliments! Yeah, I was terrified the first few 100 dockings :-D
hi guys, have u had any issues with the mechanical throttles? have u had to provide any maintenance to the throttle box over the years? thanks for the great vids & info!!
Nope, not yet any trouble. I have not yet opened the throttle box, and perhaps that's a good point you mentioned!
Good idea to help newbie cat sailors
Thank you! I was so confused and scared in the beginning! But hopefully after 22knm I can provide some useful tips :-)
Lekker professor, time for a rum. Thank you enjoyed this.
Enjoy! Thank you for watching and I am glad that I managed to provide at least someone with some useful information-D:
So true Frik no sailing school use catamarans
I was so confused and scared in the beginning! But hopefully I would be able to provide some useful info!
A very informative video thank you
Glad it was helpful, Russ!
Dankie Frik, lekker bra👏👍⚓️
Thank you for popping in again! You are a star!
@@SailingSisu I was busy with life, this week will start from where ı left. 😎 and dankie⚓️
That do happen from time to time :-)
Great to see the new haircut at the end. Those tufts were laughable. Capt JB
lol, John, the tufts are work in progress and at my old age...is getting there a slow process!
It's like driving a skid steer bobcat or a tank like you said but the cat has inertia that has to be controlled by the engines.
Exactly, Negus! And then there is the wind factor and the current factor... if the wind is blowing sideways, you will slide sideways...unless you are going fast, but you do not want to go fast, so....
I think the American Sailing Association has a specific course for Catamarans. I remember ages ago when you were deciding on options, ever wish now Azipods were an option 😉👍🙂
Bayani, I am happy to hear that! I saw Gone with the Wynns did there ASA course on their catamaran, but we could not find the same in South Africa nor could I find online at the time.
You guys should do Cat Training, especially if you are sailing around the Med.
Sure, but tell us after the series what we still need to train on 😉😉
@@SailingSisu Sounds good, and I meant, train other CAT owners, or CAT wannabe owners, and charge them a few for your time and use of your CAT. In the UK, I can only do the RYA training, and none of them teach you CAT sailing:))
exactly!
hallo !! . wat n goeie illustrasie !! . goed gedoen kaptein !!!!! . wens ek het julle persoonlik geken van jonger dae af .
Dankie, Nico! Ons was maar rakkers van n ander ma :-D dis beter dat julle ons nou in ons "mature" dae leer ken :-D
I need to watch this again lol!
Watch all you want, Michy! But the fun parts will come ;-)
@@SailingSisu no worries! This is important stuff!
@@SailingSisu great explanation. Given that I’ve driven boats for a long time and heavy equipment, this makes perfect sense to me. I have to worry more about sailing lol but I’ve been learning!
Hey Frik- All RUclips docking videos are the same and done in calm conditions. Let's get some instruction getting on and off the dock when the wind is 20 plus knots onto the dock. I want to see your techniques for springing on and off. Then I'll buy you a beeeeer! Cheers.
Dear Sir, you would be disappointed. Because I use the same technique i already revealed it 😊 it is about the picture. One just to keep the picture conforming to what you imagine it to happen by using the engines accordingly 😉 and i will for sure not advise anyone to start in heavy winds or current hence, i start like all "other" with calm waters. No I am the one who wonders, if I do (and I have done many scary dockings) dock under your circumstances and it will look easy, how you going to buy me a beer?
@@SailingSisu As a fellow Leopard owner, Sisu follower, and Carib beer aficionado, I will gladly buy the beers when our paths cross. You guys are great! Cheers!
Glad to hear that! looking forward to seeing you, beer or no beer :-)
Interested to know how many sailing saffirs you encounter out there.
Not that many, but we found a bunch in Grenada!
Lekker man lekker
Dankie Gerhard! Weer n eerste een vir jou! Ek bedoel n comment :-)
I think one thing that sometimes confuses people who watch a pro skipper is they use more power in short bursts than most amateurs would (except the ones who end up on Boating news of the Week). Part of the reason I think for the authoritative movements is because time is money for a professional. Cant afford to dilly dally around. So one thing I would say is yeah, copy the pros but don’t do it as hard as they do…. slower and softer is generally better for the non professional skipper. IMO.
cannot agree more, Tony! i still cannot go full throttle in a marina :-D those guys are just born with two throttles (not bottles) in their hands! Once, while we were still in Cape Town (actually exactly the spot we were in the video with Happy Together) two L45s came in hard and fast, sounded like a squadron of fighter jets, short on each other's wakes. The front one took a slot on our right and the aft one the slot on our left, they turned in almost in a synchronous motion, and reversed in... it was a sight to behold to see those two Leopards racing backwards and stop like two Falcon Heavy Boosters!
@@SailingSisu awesome! Yeah that would be great to see. Unless you were standing on your bow docked and watching them come straight at you. :) But I get that wasn’t the case, and they know what they are doing.
I’m just a beginner but I’ve found that every approach and leave is different because of wind. And the 45 has high slab sides and frontage so I do wonder what Sisu is like in the wind.
If you have time could you please comment? Maybe weight and keels mean it’s not so flighty? How do you think it compares to other prod cats in that regard? Or all much the same? Thanks for all these vids…. I love them. Sisu is my ideal boat.
100% true, Tony! Every docking is different, well in our case it is also the docks itself that changes from port to port :-) And yes, higher free board is also playing a huge role! The newer production cats have a little bit deeper keels or stubby keels or sacrificial keels, which for sure helps. The same with weight, the heavier, the less issues with wind. In my opinion, it is more to do with speed, than the rest. The faster you go, the less influences or less time to influence, too slow, the less you "carve" the water and the more time to get drifting... The L45 does have good sacrificial keels, which helps for sure, with props in front of the rudder, helps too to get water flow over the rudders. I will try to address these issues in later videos where the wind factor is coming into play ;-)
@@SailingSisu thanks Frik for the answer and the possibility of more in a vid. You and Petro rock mate. Really love your vids, boat and and voyages.
How can you go sideways and use the throttle only
Actually, pretty easy...the wind or current will take you sideways. The current is stronger and more consistent so, you can crab in, but the wind is different. The faster you go, the less leeway or side slip, the slower you go, the more the leeway/drift/side slip. Of course, nothing what the skipper can do will make the cat goes sideways, it is the forces of nature. What i meant by sideways, is that a tank or a car rarely go side ways when the wind blows, in fact, if you drive a car at 2cm an hour into a parking spot, it will eventually get into the spot while, if you go slower than a certain speed, the skipper loses rudder control completely and will just drift wherever the wind or current takes the boat...sideways is only one direction that the force can take you :-) That said, there is a way to turn the rudders so that the thrust/propwash of one engine is pushing while the other prop is pulling, that will make the cat goes sideways, but it is only working for me in a very wind still environment ;-)
@@SailingSisu ruclips.net/video/HlXXCWq5k4s/видео.html thanks for your answer but look at the link. I have seen this also with an cat, but don’t know how it works
Thanks for watching again Malcolm. Be safe
🇵🇱🙋⛵👍💙
Thank you, Jan!
You look better and younger with short hair and that thing hanging down from your chin and as you said about learning to control your catamaran , It's like learning drive car you start a a slow speed until you get better at it .
Thank you Mat, and you are correct! slow is pro, but a car you can go a 2cm an hour into a parking lot and still get there, while when you try 2cm an hour with a boat, you will drift anywhere the nature wants you to drift and you have 1 out of 360 chances that it is into the slip ;-)
How can you go sideways with a cat
Actually, pretty easy...the wind or current will take you sideways. The current is stronger and more consistent so, you can crab in, but the wind is different. The faster you go, the less leeway or side slip, the slower you go, the more the leeway/drift/side slip. Of course, nothing what the skipper can do will make the cat goes sideways, it is the forces of nature. What i meant by sideways, is that a tank or a car rarely go side ways when the wind blows, in fact, if you drive a car at 2cm an hour into a parking spot, it will eventually get into the spot while, if you go slower than a certain speed, the skipper loses rudder control completely and will just drift wherever the wind or current takes the boat...sideways is only one direction that the force can take you :-) That said, there is a way to turn the rudders so that the thrust/propwash of one engine is pushing while the other prop is pulling, that will make the cat goes sideways, but it is only working for me in a very wind still environment ;-)
How to sail a cat........Well you don`t cause you bought a prober monohaul and went safe sailing. Sorry. I just had to.
lol, sure! if you want that debate, then go over to our video about mono or cat and i'll see you there!