How many people fit on a Catamaran?

Stargazer of Southampton
Susie and Adam (both think they are skipper)
Thu 18 Nov 2010 18:29
Spent the last couple of days fitting new solar panels etc on the boat, progress has been slowed though by all the other boats as there are too many people to talk to. 
 
There are lots of cruising boats here now with a variety of people - we met a really nice couple who set off from the UK about the same time as us and are off to Barbados, a couple of boats with multiple small children (can't work out which children belong to which boat - they are all small and blonde), another British couple who have spent the past 7 years in Turkey.  I was talking to a Canadian and a New Zealander from two different boats - we were discussing whether we go across the atlantic - they are both going. 
 
When we left the UK, our plan was that if we could get across Biscay we would keep going as that was our main fear (even though each crossing we do is always completely new to us) - the Canadian guy called Jerry said that when they set off on their boat from Vancouver their test was smaller than ours as they didn't know how to sail really - they would try and go around the top of Vancouver island, if it all went wrong then they could keep going around the island, round the other end of it and go back home again. . .  I asked him how long ago that was and he said 1993 - so they passed their first challege
 
There were two Birthdays of people on the pontoons last night so everyone was invited over to one of the boats for food and drinks with everyone bringing along something. . .  it was a good night and 33 people were successfully squeezed onto the cockpit of a 42 foot cat -  it didn't sink down too much.  Luckily I had happened to make chocolate brownies that day so had something to take along. . . I was concerned I would have to take them home again at the end but they vanished once the kids got hold of them.    We did end up hearing lots of stories from people of cockroaches, weavils and rats on board - in fact - we think we had some flour from the shop with weavils in it which was hastily binned and an hour spent cleaning every cupboard in the kitchen, I thought weavils were a thing of the past - same as scurvey, sea shanties and old galleons! - at least we haven't had the bad luck that one boat had - they had maggots in flour they bought in Lanzarote - Weavils is one thing, maggots another league entirely. 
 
It's been a nice couple of days chatting to new folk, we're still considering whether we cross the atlantic - been doing some planning today - it's a long way 2800 miles, but if we can manage 6 knots all the way its less than 3 weeks, but if we go one knot slower at 5 knots it would take us up to about 24 days. . .  only have about another two weeks to firmly decided if we want to cross at the best time of year and arrive hopefully by New Year .  Going sailing tomorrow - we feel like we have grown roots as we have been in this marina for 2 weeks, the weather is good so plan to go down the coast and anchor as there are some beautiful beaches south of here where we can consider our future!