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Characteristics - comfort


22 May 2019 | Last update: 23 Dec 2020

The idea of comfort at sea relates to the motion of the boat, how it responds to waves. A heavy boat like Gemini, with a narrow, V-shaped cross-section hull, doesn’t so much go over the waves as through them. Contrast that with modern, light, flat-bottomed boats that slap and bang through the gentlest of seas.

Ease of handling refers first to the sails, and then to the general behaviour of the boat. Gemini is a sloop, with a very simple rig, just a mainsail and a headsail. It’s a very efficient arrangement, and was quite modern in its day. Today it’s absolutely typical of most sailboats of similar size. She can easily be sailed single-handed, in some ways even more easily than modern boats of the same size.

In terms of behaviour, with her long keel, she wants to keep going in a straight line. She is very directionally stable and well balanced. This means it’s easy to set her up to steer herself while I can move around the deck, managing the sails or other tasks. Modern boats, you guessed it, fail at this task as well. Modern boats are designed to be easy to manage inside the marina. Gemini, to be honest, is a bit of a pig inside the marina because she’s not keen to turn, and she’s difficult to control in reverse.

But Gemini wasn’t built for the marina. She was built for the open seas!

Read on to find out how the design brief was fulfilled:

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Catamara <3

We booked the catamaran for 12 persons, after a tour in both harbour of Barcelona, we sailed further away and then stopped to take a bath :D.
Rouffy83350 | Barcelona, Spain

Fun boat ride-a little choppy

Dave and his son Diego were great sailors and excellent guides and hosts on their lovely boat. Had great weather for as early in the season as it was. Seas were a bit choppy though, and would have been better had we followed Dave’s sound advice of taking Dramamine beforehand for a few of our group. Highly recommend the experience and the captain!
Megan T |

Great Sail with Dave

We sailed with Dave in June of 2015 and had a great afternoon with him, so when we found ourselves back in Barcelona (July 2017), sailing with Dave again was a must do. We had another great afternoon with Dave. Sailing in the Mediterranean is a great way to see the city. We went for a swim, five miles out; the water was amazing. Highly recommend a sailing trip with Dave.
Larry G |

Great dip in the Mediterranean

I booked this classic sailing trip with Dave for our honeymoon back in the summer 2015. I promised Dave to give him a 5-stars, comments and recommendations so here it is.
vspeang | Greater London, United Kingdom

Champagne & the Sea

What a wonderful and relaxing three hours out on the sea with friends! This is an amazing company to use as you can do what you want, it isn't like the big stuff companies that lay everything out for you. We brought our own champagne and food for a picnic on the boat, it was lovely! If you have a group of 4 or more would highly recommend booking out the entire boat, it is just lovely!
Lacey J | South Boston, Massachusetts, United States

You want to go sailing? Classic Sail Barcelona is the perfect provider!!

I wanted to surprise my fiancée for her birthday - the booking of Gemini with Skipper Dave was the perfect gift and an incredible experience. We took the Sunset Tour which was a picture perfect trip with blue sea, a romantic sunset and a refreshing swimming stop. Gemini is a beautiful and very well maintained sailing boat, with a nice history (built in 1947). Skipper Dave couldn't have been a nicer host with a friendly smile and loads of cool insights into sailing.
Colonius | Zurich, Switzerland

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