 | Pacific Dragon II - Make/Model: Performance Cruising Gemini 105 Catamaran. Length 34 feet. Displacement: 9000 lbs. Location: SF Bay. Further details are available on http://www.geminicatamarans.com. After over 20 years of reading sailing magazines and owning and crewing on many boats I selected the Gemini 105 as the boat that provides the best combination of: | Manageability: The boat can be handle by a single person and easily maneuvered in close quarters for docking. The Gemini's stern drive that steers with the rudders provides the ultimate in control at low speeds. Boats with twin diesels do have a slight control advantage but at significant cost. Also since the twin diesels are located low in each hull they take valuable cabin space as well as detrimentally effect performance under sail since the propellers can not be raised out or the water. Also the potential for leaks is increased since the drive lines pass through the hull below the water line. This ability of the stern leg to lift out the water also allows for a much larger more efficient prop to be fitted since there is no concern of the drag created under sail. | | Shallow water capability: After having a boat in the SF bay area for ten years, I have come to realize that most areas offer limited depth. Most of the marinas suffer from a silting forcing deep draft boats to carefully plan any movement. The Gemini's 22" draft allows the boat to go where only board sailors can go. Even power boats can not manage is such shallow water. Given the 1200 miles of shallow delta, the Gemini is the perfect boat to explore in. | | Livability: The Gemini operates with only a 5-7 degrees of heel even in the most extreme conditions. Put that together with having more space than your average 45 ft mono-hull and you have a vary comfortable boat to stay on for extended time. One night rolling in a anchorage on a mono-hull will convince you of the value of having a catamaran. | | Value: Since the boat is produced in number rather than on a custom basis the boats sell for less than any other boat its size with excellent finish, quality of construction, and quality hardware that is well thought out. The boat really was one of the biggest draws at the 2002 Pacific Expo held in Oakland. |
|
| Second Sound - Make/Model: Four Winns 21 ft ski boat. Location: Half Moon Bay, KSA.Well built and performs satisfactorily for the purpose intended. Open bow limits weather for which it can be used. |
| Najah - Make/Model: Luger 26' Tradewinds Sloop Mono-hull. Location: Half Moon Bay, KSA. This kit boat offers have a unique swing keel mounted on a bolted on stub. Draft keel up is 26"; keel down 6'6". Reducing the keel drag by raising it is a significant advantage (although my crew who have to crank the keel up and down on each leg don't think so. The boats limited head room make and unfinished interior really make the boat a day sailor which I use exclusively for racing. The choices in boats here in Saudi Arabia are limited and this is definitely one of the better ones. The fiberglass work for the hull and deck is above average. The deck fittings when I purchased the boat were all questionable. I have replaced and upgraded the majority to increase the safty margin. |
| Pacific Dragon - Make/Model: Thames Marine Snap Dragon 20' Sloop. Location: SF Bay. My first keel boat, which was virtually unsinkable and extremely easy to manage, safely saw me through learning the ropes on SF Bay. Although a wet boat due to her short length, she could easily handle even the most horrendous conditions on the bay given she was designed for sailing in the English Channel. I did not hesitate to take her out when most would not dare. |
| Phantom - Make/Model: Home built 10' dory, originally a lateen rig, later converted to a sloop with a jib roller (all homemade). Location: Northern California Lakes. |
| Intrepid - Make/Model: Nylox 14' runabout. Location Northern California. Equipped with a 40 hp Johnson, she could reach 28 mph and pull a skier on doubles skis. This boat safely took me on hundreds of fishing and skiing trips on Lake Oroville. |
| Dinghies - Najah and Pacific Dragon II boat have 10 foot dinghies/tenders. Since Najah is kept on a mooring the dink is required to reach her. Pacific Dragon II has one of the new roto-molded lightweight dinghies from Walker Bay hanging on davits on her stern making going ashore after anchoring out a snap. |
| Laser II - I briefly owned a 16' Laser II when I first relocated to Saudi Arabia. The boat allowed me to quickly join the yacht club and was only used a dozen times before I purchased Najah and sold her. She would be a good learning boat; but the lack of a Laser II fleet in the local club limited her for racing. |
| Sea Eagle - 14 foot Inflatable dive boat. Location Northern California. Only used once for diving in Monterey Bay just before relocating to Saudi Arabia. Boat seams are failing due to her age, 16 years old (I purchased it second hand when it was ten years old for little money). I began stripping her hardware last trip back to California; she is headed for mothballs. |
