About: Rick

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Owner of a Catalac 8M and Catamaransite webmaster.

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10 Best Pocket Catamarans (Under 38 ft)

Smaller cruising catamarans are an excellent entry level gateway into cruising catamarans and of late have become very popular. This is an effort to select some of the most well respected of these smaller catamarans. This was a difficult task, as many of these boats, designed and built some time ago, are still found in all the popular cruising grounds, and a list like this is subjective after all. All I can do is apologize in advance for leaving a boat off this list. Prout Snowgoose 37 The Snowgoose  (all iterations) was the first truly popular mass produced catamaran with more than 500 built. Known as safe, strong and capable of being sailed off shore, which some say is because of the position of their main mast, they make a perfect coastal cruiser or circumnavigator for an adventurous couple. This is a lot of boat for the money. These boats […]

Dockside – AC Line Voltage by Country

International Power Standards(Courtesy of ASEA Power Systems,Inc.) Country Frequency Nominal Voltage American Samoa 60Hz 120/240 or 277/480 Antigua 60Hz 230/400 Argentina 50Hz 220/380 Aruba 60Hz 127/220 or 115/230 Australia 50Hz 240/415 or 250/435 Azores 50Hz 110/190 or 220/380 Bahamas 60Hz 120/240 or 120/208 Bahrain 50Hz 230/400   60Hz 110/220 Balearic Islands 50Hz 127/220 or 220/380 Barbados 50Hz 115/230 or 115/200 Belgium 50Hz 220/380 Belize 60Hz 110/220 or 250/440 Benin 50Hz 220/380 Bermuda 60Hz 120/240 or 120/208 Brazil 60Hz 115/230 or 127/220 or 220/380 Brunei 50Hz 240/415 Bulgaria 50Hz 220/380 Burma 50Hz 230/400 Canada 60Hz 120/240 or 120/208 or 277/480 Canary Islands 50Hz 127/220 or 220/380 Cape Verde 50Hz 220/380 Cayman Islands 60Hz 120/240 or 120/208 Chile 50Hz 220/380 China (PRC) 50Hz 220/380 Columbia 60Hz 110/220 or 120/208 or 150/260 Costa Rica 60Hz 120/240 or 120/208 Cyprus 50Hz 240/415 Denmark 50Hz 220/380 Dominica 50Hz 230/400 Dominican Republic 60Hz 120/240 or 120/208 […]

Bahamas Navigation Lights

(Light Houses) Light House Town Area / Island Duration Visible Range Bird Rock Lighthouse Crooked Island Northern entrance to Crooked Island Passage Two white flashes every 15 seconds. 18.5 miles Castle Island Lighthouse Acklin Island Southeastern entrance to Crooked Island Passage Two white flashes every 20 seconds. 20.0 miles Cay Lobos Light Cay Lobos Old Bahama Channel, south fringe of the Great Bahama Bank, 30 miles from Cuba. Two white flashes every 20 seconds. 21.0 miles Dixon Hill Lighthouse San Salvador South West Point, San Salvador Island Two white flashes every 10 seconds. 21.6 miles Egg Island Light Spanish Wells Off northern tip of Eleuthera, west of Royal Island White flash every 3 seconds, range 12 nautical miles 18.5 miles Elbow Cay Lighthouse Hope Town Elbow Cay, west side of Hope Town Harbour Five white flashes every 15 seconds. 19.1 miles Eleuthera Point Light Bannerman Town Southeastern tip of Eleuthera […]

Catalac Catamaran Performance & Maintenance

Do you own a Catalac Catamaran? If so, this page contains Builder notes and updates on all Catalac Catamaran models.  Each of these links is a FAQ which deals with specific boat issues or questions answered directly by the Lack Family or PBO editor. With a few exceptions, each contains important information on either boat performance or maintenance tips. Also, the Propeller drag test page, rigging tune and boat inspection pages offer information critical to Catalac boat owners. Catalac Catamaran FAQs and Builder Updates Description Page Considering a Catalac catamaran purchase? This page has a list of things to watch for unique to Catalacs. The page includes where to position lift straps for a haul out. Catalac boat inspection Propeller drag under sail accounts for a significant performance hit to boat speed for catamarans with diesels. Is free wheeling the props better? This page has the definitive boat tests from both sailors and MIT addressing […]

Catalac Catamaran Articles

Complete Library From time to time we receive an article from one of the hundreds of loyal Catalac catamaran owners. You’ll find these articles listed below in no particular order. Sailing 6000 Miles on a Catalac 10M Sven and Sabine, found their Catalac 10M, S/V Blue Felix, sail. number 35, at the German Baltic sea in summer 2012. Aftrer refit, they sail her to the Caribbean. Catalac 900 Atlantic Crossing Jeff and Diane were kind enough to share the story of their Atlantic crossing in 2013 aboard S/V Horizons, their Catalac 900 catamaran…. Catalac 9M Atlantic Crossing Atlantic Crossing in a 40 year old Catalac 9M…. without benefit of a refit. Catalac Catamaran Research During what turned out to be many months of reading and research, I was actually considering buying a monohull. Cruising Catamarans kept popping up in my research, and I’m ashamed to admit that I wasn’t even […]

Tom Lack and his Catalacs

Catalac Catamaran Factory Brochure Catalac Catamaran Build /Layup Photos Designers: Tom Lack & John Winterbottom Hull designs: Hard chine “V” section, load carrying hulls with flared bows to limit spray. They rely solely on sail area provide a safe and stable sailing platform.  Tom Lack felt the design was so stable and safe that years ago Lack authorized a £10,000 reward to anybody that could document a Catalac with one hull out of the water. To date, no one has claimed that reward. The reason the boats are so stable is that the relatively short rig combined with the Hard chine hull design allow the boat to unload the sail area by slipping the boat sideways in a sudden gust. It’s very hard to turn turtle with this design and this along with the high build quality, is the reason most of these boats are still sailing today.  In addition, it should […]

Catalac 8M / 9M Mast Lowering Instructions

The Catalac 8M and the Catalac 9M are unique in that they have a tabernacle designed to raise and lower the mast. Chainplates are mounted at the pivot point and the procedure is both simple and convenient. Read how I dropped my mast, replaced everything at the top and rewired it, all in an afternoon. (click here) . Note the mast support wires in the drawing below. These are necessary. The mast lowering pole is steel, 2″ in diameter thick wall tubing, 8 FEET long with a 6 inch stainless steel tip. It weighs around 25 lbs. Please see a gallery of useful mast lowering/raising photos from a Calatac 8M in Greece. The strange construction on the bow of this 8M/16 is a motorbike support bracket. A previous owner was sailing with his motorbike on the bow for Greek island exploration!

Catalac 8M iPad Chart plotter

by Emile du ToitCatalac 8M8-192I have been looking for a way not to buy a dedicated chart plotter and finally started investigating software options for the iPad. I tried and like two of them. 1) iNavx available for iPad and iPhone has some nice features for integrating data from your instruments if that is desired. It mainly uses NOAA RNC raster United States waters marine charts. Although these are free, I dont like them much as primary source since they are not auto quilting, meaning as you move off of one, you manually have to choose the next appropriate chart. Personally I don’t like that. iNavx has a nice feature where it shows you your VN=Vesseal name, SOG=Speed over ground, VAR, HPE, LAT, LON, and VPE in real time. 2)NAVIONICS makes a great iPad navigation app called Marine&Lakes USA HD version 2.5.1 that does not require internet access for the navigation part […]

Simple Accessory Voltage Regulator

(for battery operated devices) There are times when batteries in electronics are a pain in the butt, as they go dead at the most inconvenient times. Since a boat has a 12V battery bank and since our electronic gizmos run on a somewhat lower voltage, I thought a voltage regulator circuit was in order to have my boat battery bank run my electronics. There are a 100 voltage regulator circuits but I found that the least expensive solution was using a common 7805 fixed voltage regulator found at Radio Shack, it is possible to design a custom voltage output regulator for $2.00 which is current limited to slightly more than 1 amp. Most of the time, that’s all we require. This regulator is desirable if you have a bunch of battery operated devices which accept an external power source. You can eliminate all your batteries as you can design any […]

Memories of my Catalac 27

by Hak Kauffman (note: Hak Kauffman bought his Catalac 27 in 1977 and sailed it for 20 years. In those early catamaran days, he was one of the brave pioneers who took a chance on these new styled boats. Hak sold the boat when his age caught up to him, but has vivid recollections of his, which he was kind enough to share with us – Rick) Catalac 27 In my search for a new bigger boat, I decided to include multihulls. After a trip to Symons Sailing in Amityville, Long Island, NY, I thought the 8 meter Catalac would be the answer. About a month later, Bill told me he now had a new one at his place. So, my wife and three sons drove up to inspect and decide. We all liked what we saw, but I requested a short “get acquainted” sail, after we had lunch. We found […]

Catalac 900 Information

Catalac 900 Ocean passage After Tom Lack’s Catalac production ended in the mid 1980’s, the company was reformed in the early ’90’s under the new name, Blue Water Catalacs.  The old Catalac 9M moulds were sourced and it was possible to put the boat back into production under the new ‘Catalac 900 banner. The Catalac 900 was a major rework of the twenty year old Catalac 9M design, with a sleeker and more modern look, achieved mainly by the removal of the old individual aluminum framed windows and replacing them with sealed full length tinted Perspex ones. The boat featured other refinements like an enclosed helm,  hot and cold running water as standard and the fitting of twin diesels (either Volvo or Yanmar units) with saildrive transmissions as standard equipment. Replacing the old shaft drive setup meant the engines were now mounted further towards the rear, allowing for a huge […]

Catalac 900 Review

by Terry Kennedy The Catalac 900 is the pilothouse version of the Catalac 9M. The pilothouse not only allows for the helm to be inside, but offers standing head room around the salon. The Catalac 900 is a warm, dry and comfortable vessel when inclement weather arrives. This is a dramatic difference from the 8M and 9M’s with their helms exposed to the weather in the cockpits, and their low ceilings in the salon area that only allows for sitting. Naval Architect John Winterbotham designed the hull for the Catalac 8M/9M/900 based on the Sunderland, a British WWII era sea plane. By design, the vessels will slip sideways when the wind is strong rather than lift the windward hull. Because of this wide flared load bearing design, and significant storage space, the Catalacs are easily overloaded. They can hold a lot of weight without squatting down in the water and showing […]

Catalac 12M Hurricane Damage

I was going through my photo archive and came across these boat damage photos caused by hurricane Wilma in 2005. This boat in this photo is a Catalac 12M and was owned by Stephen and Janet Metcalf.  As to what happened … the Down Easter monohull pictured below lost it’s mooring during Hurricane Wilma due to poor anchoring techniques. As she lost her mooring at the height of the storm, hurricane winds drove her into a very heavy Ferro cement boat. The rigging of the two boats became tangled and eventually the Ferro cement boat lost her mooring as well. The DownEaster and the Ferro Cement boats were then driven into the Catalac pictured in the upper photo. The collision damaged her port side and knocked her from her double helical screw mooring. Unfortunately, the wind speed was greater than 80 mph and the Catalac 12M was driven onto the rocky […]

Catalac 12M Information

Sold as Catalac 12M or Catalac 41 The 12M Catalac 41 is considered a limited production cruising catamaran designed for live aboard cruisers and perfect for passage making. The S/V Angel Louise, pictured above, completed an Atlantic crossing in July 2011 and back across again in 2014. Ed and Sue Kelly began the crossing from Brunswick Georgia and traveled to England via Bermuda and the Azores. These boats offer a seven berth layout in spacious style with furnishing and trimmings to match. Designed for living in style Full standing 6′ 5″ headroom in both hulls and wheelhouse, and of course plenty of room when you sit down to your meal in the main saloon  making entertaining on the Catalac an absolute pleasure. The galley is located in the port hull and offers hot and cold pressurized water, a refrigerator, a four burner hob, oven and stainless steel sink with integral […]

Catalac 12M Sales Brochure

Step aboard a 12m Catalac 41 and you know immediately that this is a most luxurious seven berth cruising catamaran. Everything is designed for safety, ease and comfort, whether you are sailing at 10 knots on a passage or have made your landfall and dropped your hook at that idyllic anchorage. Perhaps as that onshore breeze changes to an offshore one as evening approaches bringing with it the heat from the land, your Catalac becomes the focal point for a drink and a chat with friends or if you are cruising in company — an impromptu party or barbecue.

Catalac 11M Review

She started life as a ten-metre catamaran but when Hythe Marine Services bought the moulds and building rights, they decided that a pair of retrousse, sugar scoop transoms would improve both her looks and sailing ability. They also looked closely at her interior with an eye to updating the accommodation. So on a rather blustery day with a good F5 gusting to F6, I made my way to Hythe to investigate their new generation Catalac.

Catalac 10M Builder Brochure

To celebrate our Silver Anniversary in British Boat Building, we have designed and launched our fourth sistership, the 10 metre Catalac 34 Cruising catamaran. The other members of this family are 12, 9, and 8 metres (40, 20 and 27 feet) over 500 of which are in commission, giving pleasure and leisure for their Owner’s enjoyment. Our new 10 metre will emulate this Company’s reputation for well-built and intelligently designed Cruising Catamarans, giving excellent comfort and safety to all who sail in our Catalacs. Our first and foremost aim is to ensure relaxation, reliability and reassurance to the families who are taken out to sea, offshore and across the oceans, for the Catalacs have enjoyed many years of trouble free, safe, superlative cruising.

Catalace 10M Atlantic Monthly Boat Review

Of all the reasons for buying a catamaran, the one which applies overwhelmingly to the Catalac range and the 43ft, 10m, in particular, is comfort. Unlike almost every other production catamaran where weight consciousness and the need not to compromise the performance potential of two hulls have overriding priority, the Catalac has been designed with fully fitted, substantial furniture and hulls which are not shy of carrying the usual paraphernalia of cruising.

Catalac 10M Review

by Lloyd (Page) Simonson Our Catalac 10M is Serendipity, a 1985 10 meter Catalac (sail #2). We bought her in the Spring of 2004. and now have 3 major trips on her totaling nearly 4000 nautical miles, as well as numerable short trips. This review is based on our experience with her From the fall of 04 through the spring of 07 we were recovering from hurricane Ivan (Aug 04) in Pensacola, or in Oriental , NC or Green Cove Springs (near Jacksonville) working on solving the problems of a neglected 30 year old vessel and upgrading it with new or modern equipment.  We spent a bit more money and a lot more time than we had hoped and ended up with far better boat than we dreamed of.. In 2005 we moved her 500 NM from Oriental to Green Cove Springs and in March 2007 we moved her another […]

Mark Blaydes’ Catalac 9M

She looks like a steady, comfortable cruising catamaran — but there’s more to the 9m Catalac than meets the eye, as David Harding reports. When the Catalac was introduced in 1971, she took a few people by surprise. Here was a rather boxy-looking catamaran derived from Bill O’Brien’s chunky, chined, glassfibre-sheathed plywood Bobcats. She looked like a practical family cruiser for those who wanted space rather than pace, yet she sailed far better than the world expected.

Catalac Catamaran Research

Owning a Catalac 8M During what turned out to be many months of reading and research, I was actually considering buying a monohull. Cruising Catamarans kept popping up in my research, and I’m ashamed to admit that I wasn’t even aware of these boats at the time. The only catamaran experience I’d had was on a Hobie Cat. However, in reading the check of desired features, cruising catamarans were matching up better than a monohull and were definitely of interest. Cruising Catamarans were said to be much better at anchor than a mono, and they don’t heel while sailing. This last bit of information was of particular interest as most guys are well aware that women prefer a stable boat environment and detest heeling. It’s also no small matter that catamarans have more interior room than a monohull 50% larger, larger galleys than a monohull, full size to king sized beds […]

Catalac Catamarans Silver Anniversary Brochure

The Lack family has been building Cruising Catamarans for the past twenty-five years. Following the successful development with Bill O’Brian of the Bobcat in the sixties, Tom Lack Catamarans Ltd was formed in 1970. The company is located in a delightful boatyard alongside the quay of the Dorset coastal town of Christchurch. Despite its growth in recent years, the company remains a family run business headed by its founders Tom and Mary Lack and their sons Bruce and William.

Catalac 9M Catamaran Brochure

This brochure includes the specifications of the Catalac 9M, the original equipment, some photos, and a layout diagram. The Catalac 30 / 9 m cruising Catamaran, classic of its day, spearheaded the famous Catalac design that has become so well-known for safety, comfort, and performance. Now 15 years later, it still holds its place in the Catalac family of catamarans.

Catalac 9M Information

Sold as Catalac 9M or Catalac 30 The Catalac 9M was Tom Lack’s first venture into catamaran design. He commissioned John Winterbotham of MG Duff LTD to design the Catalac 9M in 1968, forming part of a range of cruising catamarans which eventually ranged from 8m to 12m. All were built at Lack’s yard in Christchurch.  This design was envisioned as the successor to Bill O’Briens venerable Bobcat Catamaran. They would be safe cruisers, aimed squarely at the family marketplace. Thought of as motor sailors because of the boxy design, these boats actually sail very well, don’t heel while sailing and with the 6′ 3 inches of headroom in the hulls, no one feels boxed in or forced to go ‘camping’. The Catalac 9M was constructed with solid fiberglass, chined hulls with lots of rocker and deep “V” sections forward which flattened out at the stern. The combination of “V” […]

Catalac 8M Information

Pocket Cruiser with impeccable safety record The Catalac 8M is a pocket cruising catamaran which has a solid reputation for quality, strength and durability. Many of the boats found in North America today, were sailed there from Great Britain. The Catalac 8M, although classified as a pocket cruiser was designed with blue water sailing in mind. Twin diesel models can easily motor almost 1000 kilometers without refueling. The 70 amps of charging and 70 gallons of stock water tanks in the Catalac 8M and 9M make even these smaller boats terrific coastal cruisers. Constructed with solid fiberglass hulls, these are quality boats which were built like battleships. Chuck Kanter calls them one of the catamaran brands that live on through the decades. The Catalac 8M is masthead rigged with a relatively short, but thick mast. As with all boats in the Catalac production lineup, this contributes to a stable boat […]

Bravo II: A British Built Bay Cruiser

Hak Kauffman, and bis wife Adele, bad been sailing for eight years when, in 1977, the middle-aged couple found their perfect combination of speed versus accomodation in their 27-foot Calalac cruising catamaran. They were anchored in Spa Creek this week during their annual summer cruise, and the Cherry Hill, New Jersey sailors took time to chat about their spacious little multihull, and their sailing. S/V Bravo II stays on the Middle River. east of Baltimore. The Kauffmans bought the English boat in Amityville, L.I. and he sailed it south on the maiden voyage. They have cruised to all parts of Chesepeake Bay, just all over, including the York River, up and down the Potomac with stops at St. Mary’s City, and down to the Rapahannock. Before the Catalac, they had a good sized Bristol — and still maintain their affiliation with the Chesapeake/ Bristol Club, which will he celebrate its […]