Sailboat Shopping - Searching for a Cruising Catamaran

You guys are the best traveling youTubers ever keep it up

yeah... 35' catamaran is minimum? 40' cat minimum? There are a LOT of couples that bluewater cruise on a 35' monohull built by Cal/Pearson/Ericson (or similar) that are from the early 1980's. Some looking, and with $50k and you can cruise the globe. None of these $200k magazine charter boat stuff. Nobody really buys catamarans unless you're island hopping down in the carribean (more weekly-warrior charter types). Monohulls are really the way to go for global cruising... sure, you lose the comforts of space, but you can comforts in how the boat sails and how much more seaworthy a monohull is...if you really want to get out there. Source: I'm about this couples' age, and been sailing for that long. And I'm not even that good a sailor! But these are not just novices, but true newbies!

You are 2 brave souls to have driven that little car on the East Coast (of FL).
Glad to see that you survived. :-)

This is fascinating, since I've just done the reverse--after a lifetime of sailing and sail cruising we just bought our first RV (travel trailer).

Regrettably the world is full of people who wanted to sail to a far distant shore but had little real experience of what that entailed, who tried it and had a dreadful experience. I know a couple just like that actually. The ocean is far less forgiving than I-10. I love what you're doing but boy howdy you jumped in pretty deep on your first try (42' cat, gen set, 2 diesel engines, air conditioning, 3 heads (??!!), electronics up the wazoo, etc).

As many of the comments have noted, there is a long-standing debate in the sailing community about the seaworthiness of multi-hulls for passagemaking. The thing that makes them popular (high initial stability--that is, they don't heel) makes them dangerous in big weather (high initial stability = low terminal stability). Even many modern monohulls that have flat(ish) bottoms, fin keels, and beamy sterns lack sufficient self-righting moment to recover from a catastrophic knock-down, leaving them just as upside down as a multi-hull.

While there's no reason to be terrified of the sea, it's important to be respectful, especially to what it can bring and do. Remember that there are places you can sail that are farther away from help than the astronauts on the ISS. No one is more alone than sailors in the middle of the ocean--whatever happens you have to deal with it. There's no 9-1-1, no AAA, and no air-sea rescue once you're away from the coast.

Again, I applaud your courage and determination. I've sailed for over half a century and there are still many things I don't know. What I would recommend for novices such as yourselves is to take passage as crew on someone else's yacht to see how you like being in blue water. It's also a great way to get some passage-making and watch-standing experience before you go on your own.

Have you guys ever been to Naples

Good stuff guys. Are you planning to sail the Great Lakes? I'm sure you are aware of some of the terrific lake towns and cities surrounding all of the great lakes. I live on Lake Michigan in the southwest corner of Michigan, and it is a great place to visit. Let me know if you are in the neighborhood. Safe travels.

Why did you guys nix the Gemini? just curious that was one I was looking at.

What's there's price range?

What's funny to me is how much time you must spend "setting up the shot." You leave your camera at the bottom of the stairs, walk up, then walk back down to get it, then back up again? Why?

When it comes to multihull shopping the question is, can I afford a Catana 42 or can't I. By the time you decide on which toilet to use on some buckets the Catana has sailed out of sight.

Oh I got it. Just get a barge and put your motorhome on it. Shopping done!

One thing that has puzzled me with people looking for a boat...they always spend so much time talking about a large bathroom/head.  My question is, how much time does one actually spend in one?  Why have two or three when one good one is still seldom used?

I have started a channel doing a refit on a 32 ft classic. you have inspired me with your videos. I will be doing in depth tutorial videos on everything from DC ,AC, diesel maintenance and trouble shooting, then installations of all sorts and heavy weather sailing. I am a boat builder come diesel Mechanic sailing for 35 years. if anything I can do to help just ask in comments on my channel. good luck.

Do they generators that run the air when not plugged in? Perhaps y'all could buy the bigger one and take people out on cruises for a few days to help pay for it...

May I ask why you want to put a composting toilet on a boat?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHfrRJSbXRA

wow me and my wife are moving to Fort Myers from Michigan and we are going to follow your foot steps in buying our first Catamaran! We are excited! BTW your wife is so funny and she is like the way my wife is!

I love the videos, I love the way you edited this, and I hope you can keep this series up!

Now wait, when did I miss the part where y'all are leaving motor home for a boat? I'll have to check...

A composting toilet in a RV makes sense, but there's no need for one on a boat.