Boat compatability - Cat versus Monohull.

[Ocean Junkie]

Mono versus Cat.

I bought a Benguela 17 ft with two Honda 60 four strokes, a month ago. Loved the boat, the way it handled, fuel consumption on the Hondas. One problem. No usable space in the nose. Very cramped and the gunnels are very low. Have managed to sell it for what I spent which is a luck. Am in the process of ordering the Benguela 19cc with two Suzuki 70 Four Strokes which is actually 19.5 ft. Most people have advised me to go for a cat. I am a mono hull fan due to river, estuary and sea fishing. The Benguela seems to be the best 19 ft mono hull I can find. What are everyone's thoughts? Don't want to regret my purchase. A Citation 700 or Angler 2600 offshore is the style needed and has amazing space, and is properly kitted out for fishing, but these boats are super expensive and too big to manage unless you have a mooring or a Land Cruiser. Too big ( 23 to 26 ft ) even if you pick it up for a steal, is not something that you can hook up and head to St Francis or Knysna lagoon for the weekend. Although fishing rivers and estuaries constitutes 20 % of my fishing, you don't want to be limited. This whole decision is about space to feel comfortable. I usually fish with my girlfriend only, but not being able to take a third person without tripping over each other, is frustrating. Found a Sensation / Predator 21 ft, on Gumtree , properly kitted for fishing with 2 E tech 90,s in Cape Town. Anyone looking for a 21ft monohull, check this boat out. R280,000.00. Full house, great condition but the size makes me nervous for rivers and also towing. I am sure all you boaters at some point in your lives, have been through this dilemma, sometimes more than once. Benguela 19 cc guys. Advise, Advise, Advise.Added an attatchment of what I want to order.

 

[Guest]

I have a Citation 700 Centre Console, and I could not be happier. Yes its big, but tows like a 18ft with double axels. We use it on dams estuary, and regularly go to Mozambique (Guinjata and Vilanculos)

If you need input from me on this boat if you have not yet decided, then PM me.

Rgds

 

[Limpopoking]

Ocean Junkie wrote:

Mono versus Cat.

...and that's when the fight started onf)))onf)))onf)))

 

[Rory]

both are very well made boats i would personally go for the citation

 

[Guest]

Mono's has mind of its own on the sand, tough to get them to run straight on sand, and when using push-pole it can be super dangerous, that's where CATS are super stable and straight when pushing into the shore-dump with pole. Once in the water Mono's are awesome. Just to get the operations on sand launching right if you have been used to Cats. We almost destroyed gearbox with push-pole as gap between motors are very small and the slightest sidewash will cause problems at the back with the pole. But learnt some lessons, and now we have it down to a T.

 

[Adrian Coerecius]

Ocean Junkie,

Please answer the following for yourself:
1. Do you have space to park a Cat as it is considerably higher than a Mono and will not fit in a standard garage.
2. Who is the normal crew; do you really need a 19ft for two people if a 17ft has enough space for the majority of the time
3. Where do you plan to fish, if it is rivers, estuaries and lagoons I think the Mono is quite capable
4. Size does matter; if going bigger would you still be able to tow with you current vehicle or must this also be upgraded
5. Are you a good weather fisherman like myself or do you go whenever you crave
6. I know the Benguella is a nice boat but do yourself a favour and take a look at the Yamaha Explorer and Seacat; both very high gunnels and both very good sea vessels.

 

[Cam Mundy]

If Space is your primary concern its hard to beat a cat they can run in very shallow water as well so they are good for estuary fishing.

 

[zappa]

Have a look at the Sea cat 565 cc. High Gunnels and loads of space.

 

[thika]

The Benguela is a boat for sheltered/inshore water.

If you want to venture further away then you need a more seaworthy boat,especially if your girlfriend is your only crew.

The first time you get caught out in a strong, short sea like the NW which you also have, you will sell that boat

But towing and launching a bigger boat is more hassle, so, like all things in life there are trade off's

I push the envelope, so safety for me is paramount and I live with the towing/launching/storage hassle

The advise on the Seacats is good but cats have very little storage space, high centres of gravity and don't like aerated water on the beam.

I would look for a 20 foot mono with high deadrise up front, moderate at the transom, high freeboard and good drainage. Two hard chines and a stepped hull. Unfortunately the latter two are mostly not in South African vocabularly.

 

[IWyk]

Mono vs Cat mmm similar to Daiwa vs Shimano.

In the end it boils down to personal preference.

I like Monos and also two strokes.

Monos are easier to move on sand, need less hp, can carry heavier loads, turn much quicker in the surf and are generally easier to launch(you can punch the surf straight on and turn quicker when things go wrong).

Cats are more stable once behind the back line.

Seems like you are looking at a very big boat for mainly two people sometimes three. I would look at a smaller boat with a proper deck layout.

Depends really on what you want.

I have a Ski Vee 500 CC and for my needs this boat is perfect- for you it will be to small, but still a awesome little boat.

As mentioned the smaller you go the more common sense you need to practice when deciding to launch or not launch.

Smaller boats are so much easier to handle on the beach and launch than bigger boats, but you need to know your own and your boats capabilities when deciding to launch with a smaller boat.

For river and protected water fishing a smaller boat may also suite that need better than a big boat, anchoring and pulling anchor etc. etc. on a big boat is more difficult when only two up especially when one is your wife.

Of the two boats you have mentioned the Citation wins hands down-rated as the best larger mono ever, by some. See below.

http://www.africanangler.com/sb_boat_tests_view.asp?id=207

Hope this helps but in the end you will buy what you like, good luck.

 

[Scomberomorus]

thika wrote:

The advise on the Seacats is good but cats have very little storage space, high centres of gravity and don't like aerated water on the beam.
.

This is interesting.

Where do the mono's have the extra storage space?

How does aerated water on the beam affect the cat?

 

[kennylau]

IWyk i agree with you. I also had the Ski Vee 500 sport for more than 7 years. I fished with it from Richardsbay up to Eastern Cape. It is very nippy, handles high seas well and launches from the beach like a dream.

As i got a bit older and (bigger)...let me not play with words here...FATTER, the roll got a bit to much for me and I got a 21ft Butt Cat.

The Ski Vee 500 is an excellent boat!!

 

[thika]

Scomberomorus wrote:

thika wrote:

The advise on the Seacats is good but cats have very little storage space, high centres of gravity and don't like aerated water on the beam.
.

This is interesting.

Where do the mono's have the extra storage space?

How does aerated water on the beam affect the cat?

When you look from the front of the boat, all that fresh air between the two pontoons....with a mono, all that, plus going down is still part of the boat. In my boat I have a nearly 300L fuel tank, a fishbox twice bigger even, a double bed or seating for eight people, two big storage boxes under that, racks and cupboards, a toilet and a huge anchor hatch. All under the deck. Then on top off all that, I still have the same deckspace of an equivalent size catamaran.

If a cat gets lifted unexpectedly from the side, because of it's smallish displacement and inability to align back the centre of buoyancy with the boat's centre of gravity, the oposing sponson wants to submerge. Makes for very bad heel and even crew falling out. It is more pronounced in the surfzone and with smaller cats. Experienced cat skippers know this and will beware getting caught out.

 

[Scomberomorus]

thika wrote:

When you look from the front of the boat, all that fresh air between the two pontoons....with a mono, all that, plus going down is still part of the boat. In my boat I have a nearly 300L fuel tank, a fishbox twice bigger even, a double bed or seating for eight people, two big storage boxes under that, racks and cupboards, a toilet and a huge anchor hatch. All under the deck. Then on top off all that, I still have the same deckspace of an equivalent size catamaran.

If a cat gets lifted unexpectedly from the side, because of it's smallish displacement and inability to align back the centre of buoyancy with the boat's centre of gravity, the oposing sponson wants to submerge. Makes for very bad heel and even crew falling out. It is more pronounced in the surfzone and with smaller cats. Experienced cat skippers know this and will beware getting caught out.

Similarly when you look at a mono - all the space outside of the V is water. In a cat this is where you find the pontoons, which generally have big below deck hatches for fuel & fish. The front 1/3 of a mono tapers to a point resulting in more lost space compared to a cat's square front.

As for taking a breaking wave from the side, a mono will roll long before a cat. I have seen cats being hit side on by a wave, and then being pushed sideways half way back to beach until the wave loses power without the boat capsizing on a few occasions. Not all cats handle the same and some are definitely more susceptible to a side on wave. It's never a good idea to take a wave side on in any craft, but it does happen due to skipper error, motor or steering failure and sand banks. Personally I rather be in a cat in any of those circumstances.

 

[dugongboy]

thika wrote:

Scomberomorus wrote:

thika wrote:

The advise on the Seacats is good but cats have very little storage space, high centres of gravity and don't like aerated water on the beam.
.

This is interesting.

Where do the mono's have the extra storage space?

How does aerated water on the beam affect the cat?

When you look from the front of the boat, all that fresh air between the two pontoons....with a mono, all that, plus going down is still part of the boat. In my boat I have a nearly 300L fuel tank, a fishbox twice bigger even, a double bed or seating for eight people, two big storage boxes under that, racks and cupboards, a toilet and a huge anchor hatch. All under the deck. Then on top off all that, I still have the same deckspace of an equivalent size catamaran.

If a cat gets lifted unexpectedly from the side, because of it's smallish displacement and inability to align back the centre of buoyancy with the boat's centre of gravity, the oposing sponson wants to submerge. Makes for very bad heel and even crew falling out. It is more pronounced in the surfzone and with smaller cats. Experienced cat skippers know this and will beware getting caught out.

People underestimate the danger of a smallish cat with too much weight in the surf. Go up north and see guys with 5m cats with 5 big guys launching - very dangerous, in fact a boat rolled at Hells Gate because of this.

 

[thika]

Scombe,

I see you have a nice cat, and I am long beyond arguing about anything to do with boats. In any case not with people who operate on emotion. Who think things but don't necessarily know things.

So enjoy your boat and be safe.

@Ocean Junkie,
Sorry for the diversion, I thought the cat thing I mentioned could be a consideration in your choice of boat.

Allow me these few pics:

You will see, all different boats, all normal(ish) sea conditions, the different skippers not doing anything stupid, neither are they "caught out". Nevertheless all of them were surprised by that small sideways smack. The behaviour of the boat in each pic was unexpected.

It is a boat thing, not a skipper thing. I know one of these guys. Maybe he will post here and explain first hand.

Let us know how it goes

(have a look at second hand Swift mono's also)

 

[thika]

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[thika]

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[thika]

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[thika]

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