My first experience with a Cat

    

Following an ad on the internet, I joined the SV Guiding Light which was making a passage from Pensacola, Florida, to Fort Myers (via Destin, Port St Joe, Apalachicola, & Bradenton). The vessel was a Lagoon 41 and this was my first experience at sailing on a Catamarang.

We had a crew of three, and while I was lucky not to have to cook, I sorted out out a number of mechanical problems for the Captain, and stood the bulk of the night-time watches as we sailed offshore in the Gulf of Mexico.

The major performance difference between a Cat & Monohull is the increased leeway under sail, however this downside was compensated by the manoueverabiliy and shallow draught.

We covered around 375 Nm in the 3 weeks, taking time to enjoy the ports visited.  I hope to rejoin the vessel later this year.