How many people fit on a Catamaran?
Stargazer of Southampton
Susie and Adam (both think they are skipper)
Thu 18 Nov 2010 18:29
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Spent the last couple of days fitting new solar
panels etc on the boat, progress has been slowed though by all the other boats
as there are too many people to talk to.
There are lots of cruising boats here now with
a variety of people - we met a really nice couple who set off from the UK about
the same time as us and are off to Barbados, a couple of boats with
multiple small children (can't work out which children belong to which
boat - they are all small and blonde), another British couple who have spent the
past 7 years in Turkey. I was talking to a Canadian and a New
Zealander from two different boats - we were discussing whether we go across the
atlantic - they are both going.
When we left the UK, our plan was that if we could
get across Biscay we would keep going as that was our main fear (even though
each crossing we do is always completely new to us) - the Canadian guy called
Jerry said that when they set off on their boat from Vancouver their test was
smaller than ours as they didn't know how to sail really - they would try and go
around the top of Vancouver island, if it all went wrong then they could keep
going around the island, round the other end of it and go back home
again. . . I asked him how long ago that was and he said 1993 - so they
passed their first challege
There were two Birthdays of people on the pontoons
last night so everyone was invited over to one of the boats for food and drinks
with everyone bringing along something. . . it was a good night and 33
people were successfully squeezed onto the cockpit of a 42 foot cat - it
didn't sink down too much. Luckily I had happened to make chocolate
brownies that day so had something to take along. . . I was concerned I
would have to take them home again at the end but they vanished once the kids
got hold of them. We did end up hearing lots of stories from
people of cockroaches, weavils and rats on board - in fact - we think we had
some flour from the shop with weavils in it which was hastily binned and an hour
spent cleaning every cupboard in the kitchen, I thought weavils were a thing of
the past - same as scurvey, sea shanties and old galleons! - at least
we haven't had the bad luck that one boat had - they had maggots in flour they
bought in Lanzarote - Weavils is one thing, maggots another league
entirely.
It's been a nice couple of days chatting to new
folk, we're still considering whether we cross the atlantic - been doing some
planning today - it's a long way 2800 miles, but if we can manage 6 knots all
the way its less than 3 weeks, but if we go one knot slower at 5 knots it would
take us up to about 24 days. . . only have about another two weeks to
firmly decided if we want to cross at the best time of year and arrive hopefully
by New Year . Going sailing tomorrow - we feel like we have grown roots as
we have been in this marina for 2 weeks, the weather is good so plan to go down
the coast and anchor as there are some beautiful beaches south of here where we
can consider our future!
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