Joann and I recently drove down to Miami for the Boat Show.  We were on a mission - a mission to find a boat that we'd like to buy, put into charter service for five years, and then liveaboard and cruise around the world. 

We decided some time ago that a catamaran was what would suite us best.  There were many cats on display, interestingly at least half of them were designed and built in South Africa.  I had always thought that the French were the predominant producers of quality cruising cats, and to some extent they still are.  But the South African boats are definitely making inroads.

The following were some of the boats we looked at:

• La Digue 370 - Voyage Yachts
• Moorings 3800 - The Moorings
• Wildcat 35 -
• Island Spirit 37 - Fortuna Yachts

We both decided that the Island Spirit 37 from Fortuna Yachts was the closest match to our needs and desires.  It is not a perfect boat, but it has most of the essentials, and most of the things we did not find to our liking were cosmetic, not structural.  In fact when we brought them up to the reps from Fortuna and Trade Wind Yachts, the charter management company working with Fortuna, they agreed and said that many of these improvements were already planned.

Here is some initial information on the boat - this page will be updated regularly as we get closer to realizing this dream.

First a series of photographs of the boat - Click on any of these pictures to see a larger image:

	Here's a shot of the foredeck.  We especially like the coated trampoline, and not needing to climb around the shrouds.
	We really like to cockpit, especially the fact that you don't need to do acrobatics to get into it - you just walk up the transom steps.  The helm station needs work though...
	Nice profile shot.  Coachroof could be a little lower, but overall very pleasing.
	Helm station.  Seat is very high due to coachroof.
	One of the forward cabins - nice headroom!
	Here's the anchor windlass and ground tackle.  Overall a very nice setup, except that the windlass needs to be recessed into the deck with a hatch cover over it.  Sticking out like that it is bound to be tripped over, and on a charter boat, it's a lawsuit looking to happen.
	Foredeck, showing the forward beam, seagull striker and roller furler.  We really like the catwalk from the bridgedeck to the beam.
	We really like the small seats on the pulpit.  A lot of other cats have this feature, but most of them have an open pulpit where you could easily fall off and over the bow.  This is much safer.
	Our biggest peeve about this boat - the deck locker latches.  These *MUST* be changed!  Plated bronze simply does not cut it.  Oh well, no boat is perfect.