Gemini Legacy 35 Catamaran

B and I were excited to see the new Legacy in person at the Chicago Strictly Sail Show. We have drooled over the pictures and videos of the previous Geminis, especially the 105 MC. As a platform for coastal/Bahamas/Caribbean cruising they looked to be ideal.

Checking out the hull

As soon as we entered the show floor we headed right for the Gemini. The line was still pretty reasonable, so we only had to wait a few minutes for our chance to climb aboard. The first thing Mike noticed was that the hard dodger was not made for guys over 6 foot. At 6' 3" Mike wasn't even close to standing up at the helm. We entered the cabin expecting to hear ourselves say, "Wow!". Instead we both felt a bit disappointed in the smaller than expected salon area. The pictures really made this area look much more impressive. The hulls were about what we expected except a bit skinnier. We were also surprised at the really small amount of storage room behind the galley doors. Brenda wasn't impressed with the flimsy feeling plastic trim along the walls. The berths are about what we expected with the main berth looking pretty inviting. The tiny head just wasn't built for petite guys like Mike. Just turning around would be a challenge in there.

 

We exited the cabin and went up on deck. The walkways felt awkward and there was a lack of handholds. The bridge deck looked like a great place to relax, stretch out and soak up the sun.

Overall, the Gemini series is perfectly suited to gunk holing and coastal cruising. Yes, it has circumnavigated, but there are better platforms for that kind of blue water sailing. It looks nice, is reasonably priced as cats go, simply rigged and perfect for lots of people. Now we can stop drooling over the used Gemini ads. For our money, a boat has to have headroom, some character and room to turn around inside. The Gemini just doesn't add up to a package that satisfies our particular tastes. Guess we are still looking.

 

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