Performance Study of Daggerboards Versus Keels

Performance Study of Daggerboards Versus Keels

By: Phillip Berman, published with editor's permission from Boating NZ and Blue Water Sailing In my forty-five year career in the catamaran industry there’s been a relentless debate on the virtues and vices of daggerboards versus fixed keels. This debate has, however, mostly been waged without “hard numbers” from which to...

SAILDRIVES OR STRAIGHT SHAFTS? WHICH IS BEST FOR ME?

Many buyers who contact us these days develop some very strong personal preferences about a range of things: dagger boards versus keels, Yanmar versus Volvo, Flybridge versus Bulkhead Helms, etc. etc. Many buyers send us long "Must Have" lists. One of the "Must Have's" we are getting from some buyers...

DAGGERBOARDS VS KEELS

WHICH IS BEST FOR ME? Many people are confused about the pros and cons of daggerboards versus keels. As with everything, there are advantages and disadvantages. Here are my thoughts on the pros and cons of dagger-boards: PROS A daggerboarded cat will sail consistently higher into the wind than a cat...

CATAMARAN VS MONOHULL

WHICH IS BEST FOR YOU? I’ve long been fond of quoting the 16th century Scottish philosopher David Hume who wrote that “all advantages are attended with disadvantages.” For Hume the good life had nothing to do with the quest for perfection, but the effort to discover the wise compromise that...

NEW NETTING MAKES TRAMPOLINES TOUGHER

I had the occasion last summer to construct a deployable aft trampoline for my catamaran Boondock. Hang on a second, did I just say aft trampoline? Well, Boondock is a special case. I describe her as a Northwest interpretation of a Polynesian voyaging multihull. She is a 54' open bridgedeck...

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My wife and I want to take a moment to recognize Cynthia Wummer for her amazing work during the purchase of our first boat, a 2018 Lagoon 40 (SV Southern Wild). We were so incredibly pleased with Cynthia and the way she handled this difficult and complex process with ease! She gave us the “white glove” treatment every step of the way. She was extremely proactive in setting up multiple virtual meetings, she expertly and personally handled our survey abroad, and she even guided the sellers throughout. She was a bulldog when we needed her to be during the negotiations (we honestly felt sorry for the sellers!) but she was also eloquent and used a gentle touch when we hit her with many questions. We can’t say enough about this outstanding experience with Cynthia. She reflects outstanding credit upon The Multihull Company and you guys are lucky to have her on your team! Thank you all so much for making our first boat purchase not only a success, but a treasured memory.

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I bought a yacht that I had never seen. I did this because I trusted my broker Andrew Holland. It was not an easy job for Andrew, as I am an experienced boat builder and owner of previous yachts, but work in West Africa. Imagine how hard it was to communicate what I was looking for. Andrew came up with exactly what I wanted. He dealt with time delays, all my questions at odd hours, and was there for the survey. He reported honestly and professionally. After buying the yacht, I arrived at the boat on a Sunday night, after dark, after travelling from West Africa to the Caribbean, and found it was better than expected. He never pulled punches and made me aware of shortfalls. I expected to spend my one month leave working on the boat, but actually spent less than one week, and was able to spend 3 weeks sailing – wonderful bonus.

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I have been sailing since I was a child and attended Massachusetts Maritime Academy. But when my wife and I began the process of purchasing an ocean cruising/racing catamaran, I realized that this is a world unto itself. Obviously, we needed to find someone knowledgeable to help us make an informed decision. More importantly, we needed someone honest and willing to put our interests before his or her own. I was lucky to work with Phil Berman at The Multihull Company. He repeatedly shunned the fast buck, choosing instead to work the long road to connect us with the “perfect boat”. I would be glad to recommend Phil and his company to anyone planning to purchase or sell a performance sailing machine.

— Eric Boutiette

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