Gemini catamaran owners manual

Geminis For Sale. Lagoons For Sale. Leopards For Sale. Prouts For Sale. Join Our Mailing List. Reference Library. Catamaran Interviews. Catamaran Buying Advice. Woods Design Advice. The space is filled with a Voyager two-burner stove with oven and broiler, and two-section stainless steel sink. A solar vent is located overhead. The four-cubic-foot refrigerator is a Dometic American. The queen-sized berth sits on an island with nothing below it but water.

Storage is forward in the hull, and in bins to starboard. The aft bulkhead of the compartment is enclosed by smoked glass that slides out of the way to provide a view corridor for the helmsman.

The head compartment on the Mc is big, bright, and well-ventilated. A good touch is a siphon arrangement that allows fresh water to be pumped through the toilet after every use, helping to eliminate odors. Throughout the catamaran, spaces are well-organized and proportioned, so crews will rest, eat, and sleep in comfort. Construction The Gemini plant is a model of efficiency, with no wasted space, as we learned during an afternoon tour. Boats typically require days to proceed past six stations to a forklift waiting to launch them into a creek behind the facility.

Hulls, decks, and interior liners that provide reinforcement of the structure and a base for furniture are solid fiberglass. Liners are glassed and tabbed into the hull prior to installation of the deck.

The lamination schedule calls for vinylester resins bonding a barrier coat of 1. It makes a phenomenal bond that is not brittle because it is chemically cured, a better alternative than air-cured products. Following his trans-Atlantic trip, Smith decided that the boat needed to undergo a weight loss program. When constructed, most boats are heavier than designed, and the Mc was no exception.

Smith estimates the boat was 1, pounds too heavy. Wiring looms are attached to the liner prior to the installation of the liner to the hull, and are virtually inaccessible. Wires exit the mast into the forward stateroom, and can be accessed in a panel between the deck and liner. Performance We sailed the Mc on the day after the Annapolis Boat Show ended, when multihull manufacturers congregate to offer rides to interested sailors.

A northeaster arrived that morning, bringing winds that built to knots and produced a foot chop. We were the only multi hull on the water. With the wind abeam when we slipped dock lines, once we were underway she motored well despite her windage.

Nearby, the three-person crew aboard a foot monohull struggled to keep their boat on her feet. Sailing closed-hauled, speed fluctuated between 6. The short chop produced a bumpy ride and water over the bow, but we stayed on course with very little leeway. When we cracked off, speed fluctuated between 7 and 12 knots in wind speeds ranging from 17 to 25 knots.

She was easy to steer, and responsive when we made sudden maneuvers to avoid crab pots. The canopy protects crew from the elements, but may provide a false sense of security, as we learned when we moved forward from its protection and stepped into a chilly breeze and seaspray.

Handrails are well located, and the nonskid was effective on the wet deck. The boat is propelled under power by a single Westerbeke diesel, using an outdrive leg than can be lifted clear of the water. The current standard engine is hp, up from the hp engine previously installed. Conclusions This third generation of Gemini cat is an improvement over her predecessors. She sails as well to windward as can be expected of a cruising catamaran better than many and shows good speed and stability off the wind.

Spaces belowdecks are comfortable and larger than those on similar-sized monohulls, though the lack of a second head will be an inconvenience for skippers overnighting with large crews. Contact — Performance Cruising, Inc. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Sign in. Forgot your password?

Get help. Privacy Policy. Create an account. Password recovery. Practical Sailor. Life Jackets for Active, Racing Sailors. Folding Oru Opens Horizons. Multihull Capsize Risk Check. This is likely below the average for s vintage production sailboats.

Many of the bulkheads of the Gemini are not tabbed into the structure but are free floating. This is by design similar to aircraft construction, and the structures have reportedly held up well. There have been some reports of water migrating into flotation chambers of some Gemini models and going undetected due to the lack of inspection ports. In addition, drains in the port side sail locker are sometimes below water when under sail resulting in the locker partially filling with water.

Window leaks are another persistent problem on older boats. The most attractive feature of a catamaran for the cruising sailor is livability. When it comes to livable accommodations, the Gemini is difficult if not impossible to beat.

The Gemini offers this plus a good size galley and cockpit large enough to accommodate all your guests without feeling crowded. If accommodations are the number one attraction of cruising catamarans, then speed and performance must be number two. Some will argue the relative importance of these two.