It's a buyer's market right now, Bill, no matter what kind of boat you're looking for. Cats are great boats for Rocky Point waters. They sail smoothly through a light close chop like a knife slicing butter. I'd be happy to have you and Edna out sometime to experience the ride.
CC's are also good; it's really a matter of preference. At a certain point (about 3 ft. seas) both types of boats can give you a good pounding. The only real issue I have with my cat is maintenance, but to some extent, the same is true with monohulls -- things are not easy to get to when they need to be replaced. I'm talking bilge pumps, bait tank pumps, plumbing, etc.; stuff that will eventually wear out and need to be fixed. You almost need to be a contortionist to reach and get to some of these part to unscrew, replace them, and wire them back up.
You say you want a CC cat, but from experience? Consider dear Edna. There's a good chance that if you had a small cabin (walk around style like my boat), it would become Edna's 2nd home on the water. Connie uses the cabin to get out of the sun, get out of the cold, or just take a nap while I'm heading from reef-to-reef or back in from a run out the 51. Having a working toilet on board makes a huge difference for the opposite sex, as well.
There's also the issue of storage. CC's are extremely limited in that regard. I know, I had one before my cat. I had to put everything ON the boat before I could go out, then I had take everything OFF the boat when I got back. Otherwise, it grows legs and walks away, even in "secure" environments like the San Carlos Marina. Somebody walked away with my whole ditch back of life jackets, flares, etc. while the boat was docked overnight. With a cabin, you can keep the majority of what you need safely stored on the boat, ready to go when you are. Typically, I only have to add drinks, some food, ice and gas before I head out. I love the fact I don't have to take all my tackle on and off the boat every time I use it.
So, just some things to consider as you figure out what you really want. You're not the youngster you used to be (as if I have room to talk). Although I like the manly ruggedness of a pure fishing boat (CC), I'm finding that as I get older, I appreciate a few more creature comforts with a boat like mine. The wife definitely appreciates them and, in turn, that too makes my fishing trips a lot more enjoyable!!!! It's hard to find a boat that provides a good level of creature comfort, while at the same time providing great fishability (I have a huge cockpit area for fishing) and isn't a total Pemex pig at the pumps! My ideal cruise is right about 32 mph while burning only 16-18 gph. That's huge, especially for a set of big twins - nearly 2 miles a gallon.
Let me know if I can help in your decision any other way, Bill.
Dan - I took Wendell from the forums here out with me on Friday. I was this > -- < close to having him buy my boat!! I need to sell it so I can get a bigger one. Hahaha!
