Catana 46

46

Design and Safety

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All our experience at your service

Because your Catana is designed by enthusiasts,

Because your Catana is built by yachtsmen,

Because your Catana is made for lovers of the sea and traveling, she is a fabulous boat: seaworthy, highly performing, safe, comfortable, stable, and homogeneous.

Fifteen years of research and sailing experience have provided Catana the image of unrivalled seaworthiness and a legendary reputation for building a solid, comfortable high performance catamaran. Millions of miles covered by hundreds of our customers, together with the dynamic team at Catana, ensures we capitalize on every available piece of knowledge to offer you the very best catamaran for long-distance cruising.

Our research and development department’s capability for creating and testing new ideas and technology demonstrates we are constantly improving our boats.

Our customers say that we are several years ahead of our competitors…

The highest level of safety

Safety is a crucial factor where Catana does not cut any corners. You need a thoroughly seaworthy boat that can sail close hauled in the most challenging seas. Long-distance yachtsmen rarely beat for pleasure but if you have to, a Catana will make beating into the wind enjoyable. You’ll be able to sail higher, keeping a more direct route, and reach your destination or refuge more quickly. That is also true in the ability to “run” before the worst weather.

On Catana, our aim is not the search of high sailing speed to the prejudice of comforts and safety, contrary to a racing boat. We give priority to the capability of the boat to keep high average speeds, whatever the trim or the weather conditions. It is the pleasure of sailing on a true high seas yacht, faster, more comfortably, and in greater safety.

In light winds, the helmsman can expect to sail at least 30 per cent faster than any other cruising yacht. In heavy weather, where it might be useful to return to harbor or leave an undesirable area quickly, the difference in speed can be double. When other yachts have to reef in, a Catana will keep full sail thanks to the inclination of her hulls. The torpedo shape of the hulls and the centering of weights deaden the pitching movement, thus increasing the speed, comfort and safety.

Unique design choices

On a catamaran, comfortable sailing means no heeling or rolling. It is about pitching control and smooth passage in heavy seas, result of an in-depth study of hull shapes, the distribution of the volumes, the weight of centering.

It is also about having a boat that is easy to sail with a family crew or short-handed, balanced so that it can hold its course well and offers a smooth and precise helm in any weather. It’s about a a boat able to sail in shallow waters and anchor close to the beach.

Tacking and reefing is easy and done from the cockpit. Comfort is also about an extremely solid boat reassuring and efficient in all conditions – and which forgives mistakes.

The stability

An excellent beam/length ration and hull inclination give a Catana outstanding static and dynamic stability. A cruising catamaran offers you an important stability. (Righting moment several times greater than that of a monohull of comparative length). Thus, no more heeling. This feature is even enhanced on a Catana. To increase the overall stability of the boat without overly increasing its total width (meaning added weight and efforts on the structure), the hulls are tilted outwards (Fig.2).

The hulls

The elongated, torpedo-shaped hulls lessen the “rocking chair” effect in heavy seas.

(Fig.3) Section (A-A) of the Catana hull creates less drag than a normal wide-hulled catamaran. Boat speed is therefore higher for the same sail area or equivalent engine power.

The aerodynamic shape of the coach-roof (F) reduces windage, as well as being more aesthetically pleasing.

When lifting the daggerboards, there is no drag when reaching or running, the boat cuts effortlessly through the water and cruising speed is much higher during long passages downwind.

(Fig.4) The volumes (C) at both ends of a Catana floater are important, thus more resistant to pitching in the swell.

The daggerboards

Another important safety factor is the shape of the hulls and the possibility of lifting up the dagger boards in heavy weather, which allow the boat to side-slip rather than raising a hull. Thus she can cope with the largest waves and heaviest squalls. Without immersed anti-drift plan, the Catana can glide smoothly on a steady plane, without the “trip” risk of a fixed keel (Fig.5). In the case of accidental luffing up or course changing, due to helm error or autopilot malfunction, the behavior of the boat in lateral waves may be determinant.

(Fig.6) The deep, straight daggerboards of a Catana will keep a course far more effectively than a boat with fixed, shallow keels (Fig.6.1)

When sailing downwind, fixed keels are like having permanent brakes on your boat, due to their friction and drag. (Fig.6.2) Fixed keels brake the boat in the water; the apparent wind strengthens aloft, driving the bows into the water. Lifting the daggerboards provides no breaking action (Fig.7), a Catana will increase her speed without submerging her bows. The apparent wind then moderates aloft, resulting in greater speed, safety and comfort.

As in the wings of certain airplanes, the daggerboards of a Catana are geometrically changeable. When the wind strengthens, the helmsman slowly lifts the daggerboards as their pressure on the water increases with the square speed of the boat.

This increases speed by reducing wetted surface and drag underwater, and allows a higher course, thanks to efficient laminar flow.

The saber-shaped dagger boards are laminated with unidirectional reinforcements. The daggerboard casings are totally waterproof and joined to the hulls in such a way that they have been deemed indestructible.

They are carefully fixed to the hulls (Fig.8) by ribs (A) and braces (B) whereby the strain is taken along the whole length of the planking and at the bottom of the hull. Finally, a gusset brace aft (C), reinforced by lamination on the bottom of the hull, guarantees that any violent impact will damage the daggerboard itself but leave its casing and the bottom of the hull intact.

Centering the Weights

The elongated waterline, as the centering of the weights, stabilize the boat and reduce pitching. (Fig.9)

The length of the platform (B) has to be exact: the shorter it is, the better is the center of gravity and pitching into the sea is reduced. The layout of stowage lockers has been designed to optimize the center of gravity. The lockers forward of the watertight bulkheads are for lighter stowage such as fenders, cockpit cushions, and the spinnaker. Heaver equipment and fittings, such as the anchor, batteries and diesel tanks, are centered at the foot of the mast. The tanks are under the deck sole, at the center of gravity. Other heavy fittings are in cockpit lockers.

Bulbed and tulip-shaped bows to prevent pitching

The bulb section under the waterline is tuliped towards the deck of a Catana (Fig.10), which greatly improves performance in heavy weather. The bulb (H) increases the volume of the hulls. The tulip shape (I) produces a resistance to pitching directly linked to the rapid increase in volume on top of the hull. The very narrow section at the waterline (J), means excellent performance in calm seas.

The unsinkability

Even when totally filled with water, the boat will not sink. Unsinkability, this is the ultimate safety! To sail a boat which will not sink, even if it has several large leaks, is very comforting to know. Your Catana is highly resistant to collision, which means she is solid second to none, and she is truly unsinkable! For you own peace of mind, it’s important to know why a Catana is unsinkable. The density of products used, the volume of foam in its sandwich construction and the absence of ballast provide buoyancy. The totally waterproof bulkheads add to the insubmersibility of the boat. In the case of a collision strong enough to crack hulls, no water can enter the living quarters. The “crash boxes”, with waterproof casing forward and aft, will keep any holes or leaks away from the living quarters in the event of a collision ( Fig.11:“crash-box”).