Video

@rickpyne Thanks for the comment. You are indeed correct. There are reasons, as you've mentioned. However, at 7:05, I do mention that, as a "disclaimer". I have grown up using the dinghy as I do without issue. I also have the background of motorbikes, which operates with the righthand throttle, so that is more natural to me. I've come to notice that a lot of South Africans and Australians drive the dinghy righthandedly. Nowadays, being a full-time liveaboard, I'm practicing to be ambidextrous while operating the dink, in case I ever need to be. Apart from that, is there other info that is incorrect? I did mention also that I'm not a certified instructor, just a chap showing how to operate the dinghy and outboard. Nonetheless, I appreciate your feedback. Kind regards ⛵️💎

We did! Thank you! 🌬️⛵😌🙏🏽

Thank you! 😌⛵

@@SVTrinityTube cheers, guys! All the best for you also!

@@gillfaram3030 The Ionian Islands region is ideal cruising grounds. Gem is indeed a great first boat 🤗😘

Yes! We are sad-happy too about all of this! But can't wait for new adventures on our new boat... Lots of love! 🌬️⛵💎🥰

😂🌀🌬️⛵

Glad you found some value in it! 😌

I can only imagine! Did you have to remove the tanks to clean them? A polishing system is a great idea 🫡

@sailingcatgem The tanks are glassed in, and stainless steel built in, so impossible.

A match made in heaven!

You are welcome! We love our Gem! 🌬️⛵💎

We've had a couple of days out with those sorts of winds (20kn). We're very happy with the performance and handling of the Gemini. We find ourselves having to slow her down and reef very early. We've done 7.5kn in 17kn of wind with 50% of main and 60% of genoa out. 20-25kn- we're still building our confidence, haha! Thanks for the kind comment ⛵️💎

@@sailingcatgem it’s important to reef early with catamarans.

@@sailingcatgem also, have confidence in her. Although 20-25 knots is not comfortable that boat is designed to handle much more. She can handle more than you 🤣.

Thank you so much! Sorry for the late response, we didn't see the commentsl before. And thank you for following along! 🌬️⛵💎

That's a great consideration. I'll look into it. In Greece, the area we are based is extremely numid during winter. I think we got caught out last season and only noticed towards the end of summer 😅

Very true. I believe there was an existing diesel bug issue since we bought Gem, but now we are wiser. No matter how much we read about these issues, there are so many things to consider, and every now and then we are taught by experience. It definitely helps to further learn our boat and the systems though!

I didn't mention it but I ran into the situation off the North West end of Cuba. Clogged fuel line and a big lesson learned.

The best I could haha. I guess we'll find out soon enough 😉

It's all fun and games mate! The steering job is about to begin also, spares have arrived, and here's to hoping it goes smoothly 😆 It's been a slow winter, but the ball seems to be rolling, albeit slowly, haha

Hope it all goes smoothly mate. As we said before, it's a good job sailing is a lot of fun 🤣🤣

Cheers bud! It was a tedious task, but little did I know what was lying ahead of me with the steering! The fun never ends with a boat!

True, but with the state that the filter was in, and after the mechanic's inspection, I was convinced it was time to clean the system entirely, and have that piece of mind. I'm sure it's the first time the tanks have been removed and cleaned. As far as diesel tanks go, they are fairly easy to remove. I'll keep a couple of filters on hand as spares.

Yip!! 🧐⛵️💎

Hi Gem ..v interesting ... Hadn't come across the bug while we sailed... Is it a build up of dirt in the raw diesel or issues in pipes. So good to know it exists if unlucky. Impressed with your patience & sure many will find the close up detail you shared will cut down anyone's time & pain should they be in a similar boat(haha). At least problem picked up while still tied up rather than when sailing local waters. Time for a beer or 2 🍻...Well done🤞👍

@gillfaram3030 it's a bacteria which breeds in water. If the tanks are not full, condensation forms, and the bug multiplies. With an additive and topped up tanks, it's much less likely to form. I'm assuming there was already bug in the tanks for some time and it was time to deep clean everything! X

@@sailingcatgemI concur that the bug feeds on condensation or water in fuel tanks. Thanks for videoing this as I can imagine it was frustrating to film and work at the same time.

Hi! Thank you so much for letting us know. Fixed it!

Howsit Geof. Cheers for the comment. All in all the total cost of Gem is about 125k€. They are solid boats for sure, great performance if kept light and not heavily loaded. They are pretty scarce in Europe. Great boat for the Med! If headed to Canary islands for example, I'd want something with a bit more length overall, but they can still manage the trip of course. The bridgedeck clearance is a bit low, as with many other catamarans (even larger ones) but that's my only real drawback for the Gemini, aside from the actual space, being a narrow 34ft cat. I'd say for a couple, or a family of 3 or 4 (2 young kids) the boat is still suitable, but keep it light! She is fast, nimble, shallow draft, yet good performance still with swinging centerboards and liftable outboard leg. We have managed 7 knots in 15knots of wind with reefs in both sails. I believe we could comfortably sail at 10 knots if we wished to. If you want to know anything more you can send an email to sailingcatgem@gmail.com

Hey hey! Happy New Year 🎊🤙🏽 Thanks for always swinging by and leaving a comment! Keen to catch up soon once you're around 🍻👍🏼

That is Danah's superpower! She guides meditations as part of her job, so she has that background 🤣 Thank you for the kind comment!

Yip, we're slowly finding a balance. There's so much history in this region 😊💕

Thanks so much mate!

We've only had some "adverse" conditions on one occasion where we had 5-6ft swell, and some small breaking waves. The wind wasn't in our favour, so we had to motor through it, but Gem handled it well. A bit of noise from the bridgedeck, but rock solid overall. I'm excited to have some similar conditions, but be able to put the sails up and test her thoroughly! I believe these little boats can handle a lot!

Sounds like you've got yourself a great boat that'll serve you well. Have a good time aboard 😄 I think it's called Bocas del Toro, but I'm way over here in the Mediterranean. If we're talking about the same place, I've heard amazing things about it! All the best!

I believe she's more than capable, and there have been many Geminis which have completed successful crossings. The trick would be to keep her light, well equipped for the passage, and choosing a suitable weather window, preferably sailing downwind! If that criteria is met, I don't see them having many issues at all.

@@sailingcatgem thank you for that. So you think structurally they’re reasonable sound. I’m after an economical catamaran that doesn’t break the bank, but can still sail the big oceans.

@overlandingomar You're welcome. I'd suggest, during your search, to include Prouts, Privilege and Dean catamarans. They are Bluewater ready, tried and tested. I think they all have a similar bridgedeck clearance, so you can expect some slamming and noise inside during passages, but they are strong and structurally sound, as is the Gemini. If you settle on a Gemini, be sure to check the state of the bulkheads and the chainplates, the tabbing in the aft cabins where it is glassed to the wooden half bulkheads. Ensure that the buoyancy compartments are water tight, and check the integrity of the centerboard bolts. If all those come back to be found in a good state, them you may have a well cared for Gemini. If you are in the States, you'll have a good amount of choice of Geminis, and should be able to negotiate a good price. In Europe, they are scarce, and hold a higher price in general. In my own experience this far, I haven't pushed my Gem in any heavy weather. I've been bow/beam on in 2/2.5 meter choppy swell and she was fine, just a bit noisy. They sail well, are well thought out, and easy to manage under said and motor. A beginner friendly boat for sure. I don't have plans to cross oceans with her as yet, but we'll do crossings from country to country across the Mediterranean. If I decided to cross the Atlantic, because I'm still inexperienced, I'd feel better having a buddy boat, or experienced crew aboard. All in all, I think she'll handle ocean crossings, is strong enough to do so, and should be comfortable if you have suitable weather during the passage! Planning is everything, and boats are usually much stronger than we think they are! Hope that helps you!

@@sailingcatgem thank you so much for your comprehensive tips in finding a cat. I’m in Western Australia. So I’m thinking they’re probably quite scarce here too. I’ll just keep looking and keep an eye out for the other manufacturers you mentioned too.

@overlandingomar if you join the "Gemini Catamaran" group on FB, there's a chap by the name of Brian Stiles on there, he's selling his Gemini 105mc in Australia. He's done a lot of work on it, and swears it's stronger than it was out of the factory. Maybe something you can look into! Good luck with your search! Maybe a couple of seasons in the Mediterranean is a good start for you, the boat prices are a bit better here, in Greece! Cheers 👍🏼⛵️💎

Hey there, bud! The weather is just about turning now, and as you know, we've had some hectic wind, hail, and rain, but still some beautiful days in between! You're welcome, mate, anytime 👍🏼

Part 2 will have a bit more of the history of the island, some sightseeing, and a bit of a walk through the streets. We could have put it all into one video, but it would have been too long! We like to keep our videos to around 15 minutes. 30-minute videos is a nightmare to edit, and upload times are extensive! You should get your fix in part 2, though 😉😘⛵️💎

@clivealexander3862 our shorelines are about 45m each. That's a cool idea, we'll need to do our best anchorages "so far" 😊 we'll likely be around the Ionian next season to explore the areas we didn't get to yet! Cheers 🤙🏽⛵️💎

Thanks a lot for your great, and reassuring comment! we´ll continue to improve and add more crucial info! Cheers for the suggestions too, we always bear them in mind!

Thanks bud! We've got some pretty heavy weather coming through over the weekend but we're all good. So is "Been There" 😉

Cheers bud. Appreciate you keeping an eye on her.

Hey! I (Hinton) am from South Africa, and Danah is from Spain 😊

We loved our time there ⛵️💎

The weather is very stable during the summer period, and the forecasts are more reliable than the winter. We weren't too rushed really, but we were keen to move on to a quieter anchorage. Yip, we'll try and include a more "all rounded" take on things in the future videos. Gem is taking good care of us, and we're having a great time aboard! Xx

Absolutely beautiful place to spend some time 😊 We'll be sure to visit again!

Thanks for the suggestion 😊 We'll definitely work on it in the upcoming videos! Hopefully we can sort out the wind noise also, which is not great, but a part of sailing, haha. Hope that you stick around for the future videos, and feel free to let us know anything else, good or bad! Cheers!

Thanks very much mate! Yes, we get the sails out every now and then 😉 The wind has been a bit strange this season, it seems! We're looking forward to catching up when you're next around!

Should be February mate. Unless I win the lottery before then 😂

@@martreeve haha fair enough! Well, you won't be missing out on much during the Greek winter 🌬💨🌊 But don't let that stop you from buying that lotto ticket 🤞🏼

@@sailingcatgem Congratulations on the rugby mate 😉

@martreeve had us sweating until the end! A great game for sure! 🇿🇦🏆

Si si hermana, nada mal por aqui jaja! Un besazo a la familia 😘❤️🇮🇨

We will put a little of the walk to the village in the next video 😊 it was a bit of an oversight, and we didn't get much footage of it, honestly! The song is a very famous Spanish artist, which we enjoy a lot. We tend to stick yo the same music in our videos, so thought a change would be good xxx 😘❤️

Hey bassnfool2! Thanks a lot. We hope to do some more sailing vs motoring in the future, but sometimes the wind dictates, haha 😄 ⛵️💎

Thanks very much for your comment and the suggestions! We'll definitely begin to include such information and details! I'm currently learning how to plot our trips on a map and show where we are and where we're heading. Really appreciate the feedback, and we'll take it into account for sure 🙏🏼⛵️💎

Yip, exactly! We were alone on anchor during August 😉 Great sunrises and sunsets, too. We'll be visiting Koronisia during the winter of maybe sooner. I understand that is where the flamingos are? The Gulf is a great place to move around and avoid the crowds! 🫡