PDQ Yachts 36 Capella Owner's Manual page 35

Cruising Under Sail 6-3
(Continued)
Heavy Weather and Offshore Safety
(con'd)
later, afloat and intact. The infamous 1979 Fastest Race was a good example of this
phenomenon. Learn to trust your boat, and if the unthinkable happens, stay with it.
Multihull Safety
The big racing multihulls are so impressive that when they run into trouble, it is widely
reported. However, this bears no relation to the safety of production cruising vessels,
any more than the accidents of Nascar or Formula 1 car racing reflect the safety of the
cars we drive daily. In fact, the insurance industry, which uses actual numbers, treats
production monohulls and multihulls equally. Production multihulls have an excellent
safety record, and the owner can enhance this by practicing good seamanship.
Cruising Under Power 6-4
Be sure to follow the operating and maintenance instructions laid down in the engine
handbook.
Once you have read the manufacturer's engine manual, you are ready to go.
Maneuvering Under Power
Away from the dock, put one engine in reverse gear and one ahead, both at low speed,
the boat will rotate around a point just forward of the helm.
Cruising under power, you will find that a single engine (it doesn't matter which one) is
adequate and extremely economical for relaxed cruising. The single engine will carry
you along at about 6 knots depending on your cruising inventory and the state of the
boat's bottom. Together, two engines will push a lightly laden PDQ Capella at 7 to 8
knots in calm conditions. Forty knots of wind on the bow will slow progress to 3to 4
knots over the ground. Fuel consumption should average 0.57 gallons per engine hour.
PDQ 36 Capella - Owner's Manual