Catamaran Familiarisation Courses
These courses are available alongside RYA five day courses or over one or two days.

Power manoeuvres
Twin engine control, advice on different drives (eg, hydraulic or sonic legs and Outboards). Props ahead or astern of the rudders. There are differences in method between Catamarans and Mono’s. We also have different windage problems. 

Sail manoeuvres
Tacking methods,  Gybing methods ( 3).  When to reef, Multihull stability. Handling in strong winds.   Asymmetric spinnaker technique. How to get the best out of different Catamaran Sail plans and rigs. eg Twin Headsails

Anchoring and mooring techniques 
Considerably different with two hulls. Eg, Beaching with fore and aft anchors. Bridles and anchor angels

Strong wind technique
How to handle Catamarans in bad conditions, eg, Reefing and headsail changing of course, but  Hove to, Streamlining warps/Parachutes, lying a hull, etc.

Lots of advice on types of cruising catamarans and their pros and cons. We don't sell boats and will tell you the good and the bad of the multihull. 

Here's a feel for what we do, or in some cases what we show you what not to do!

Getting the kite up.

A few rules.
 let me clarify first that this is about Learning to use these sails on a cruising multihull with a crew of three or four. Everything must be easy! There are many ways of skinning this particular cat, but if you want an easy life read on.

1, Dont try it unless you are confident you can cope in the wind you have. So the first time ? Plenty of sea room and force 2

2, All in lifejacket harnesses. Hard to stop if some one falls in. Possible though and ill show you how on a course 

3, Full Main sail up. ( Yes you will see articles in the mags showing spinnakers up without mains. That's because its hard to take photos of the Spinnaker with the main up! ) Trouble is, if the wind increases? you have nothing to shelter the kite with for getting it back on the deck!

4, Props in reverse ( yes it will slow you down, but we are only practicing here) What we don't need is a sheet around the prop

5, Hoist and lower on a 150 degree wind angle. That's the point where the Genoa collapses. You don't want 100 square meters of sail filling when its only at half hoist!

Now some cruising cats have bow sprits and if you've got one, great. However they are not easy to live with as they get in the way when anchoring and mooring in marinas. So I will deal with flying an Asymmetric without one.

Rig a tack line and a sheet. ( yes we should rig two sets but were not going for this first attempt) 

The tack line runs from a  winch aft to the windward stem and out
 through a block. Take the snap shackle end forward of and around the forestay to the lee bow area. We are hoisting to leeward of the mainsl. 
The sheet is rigged on the lee side from a winch aft and out through a block on the side deck . (Where depends on whether you are reaching or running deeper. For running? lead out at the shrouds. reaching? further aft) 
Tie the spinnaker bag onto the boat! On or near the leeward trampoline.
Connect up tack line to tack. halyard to head ( checking first that it isnt twisted around the forestay and outside the jib sheets.) The sheet goes on the clew. ARG which corners are which? Its easy. Head is smallest angle, clew is biggest and tack is the one in the middle. ( again we are talking here of a cruising chute or Asymmetric )

We need three people for the next bit. Wearing gloves and sunglasses. Yes you'll get snow blind looking at the sky when trimming the kite.

One to hoist, one to sheet and one to set the tack line height. Who's steering I hear you say? The auto pilot! he will steer a perfect course while you're hoisting.

Get onto a 150 degree run as I mentioned above ( Boom preventer rigged is a good prep before hand)
Hoist kite to full hoist fast ( its going up forward and to leeward of genoa and mainsl) and get it on a winch when you get to full hoist. Don't mess about with the winch until you have it up top as this will take twice as long and twice the effort. 
When the sail is fully up and cleated off. Take in on tack line to haul tack to windward. It should be about 6 feet above the deck on a forty footer. Now sheet in till she sets. Roll up the Genoa. Turn to the course you want and Watch the log!  You'll have 30% more boat speed.

Rigged like this we cant gybe and we dont know how to get it down!!!!!!!!!!!!! So come sailing and find out. kites are easy. We use them for passage making every week.