PDQ 32 vs Gemini
Posted by Tim on March 23, 2004 at 07:33:00:
I'm seriously considering buying a used (since there's no longer a choice!) PDQ 32 and would love to crew on one sometime to
get a feel for it. (I live on Long Island.) I'm vacillating between a PDQ 32 and a Gemini. Any opinions comparing them, esp.
their sailing performance, would also be appreciated.
Posted by ALEX KEHAYES on April 02, 2004 at 08:17:00:
In Reply to: Re: PDQ 32 vs Gemini posted by Martin on March 23, 2004 at 13:50:00:
I visited the factory and just about decided to order a Gemini...then we and another couple chartered one in Canada's
Desolation Sound. I strongly urge you to charter the boats you are considering. The investment you are about to make is not
insignificant. Try before you buy. After the charter, I was not impressed with the construction and my wife wanted a boat
with two heads. Not wanting a 44' boat, we found a used PDQ 36. Again, we found a charter boat in the Chesapeak "Anagyri." We
now own Half Moon, #73. I have another amusing anecdote from the Gemini owner's rendezvous but don't wish to be that
disparaging in this open e-mail. Good luck
Posted by Dan Hofmann on March 24, 2004 at 03:33:00:
In Reply to: PDQ 32 vs Gemini posted by Tim on March 23, 2004 at 07:33:00:
No one has mentioned "hull Slapping". We cruised our 32 to the Bahamas and south Florida several times and often traveled in
company with Gemini's The owners always asked us about Hull Slapping. A PDQ has 28 inches of bridge deck clearance and it
takes quite a wave to hit that before the hull rises on the crest of the wave. But mostly they were talking about hull
slapping AT ANCHOR. When they are loaded down for living aboard or long cruising the bridge deck clearance almost disappears.
I heard of a guy who put in a false bridge deck with foam filler to quiet it down.
As far as speed. Other than very light air, I have never had one pull away from me. Motoring, you always have the advantage.
Another thing no one ever thinks about when they talk about shallow draft is that the propeller is deeper than the hull.
Therefore if you go aground, your damage is very costly.
Maintainence on that out drive, made in England, is constant.
Posted by Roger Wood on March 23, 2004 at 18:42:00:
In Reply to: PDQ 32 vs Gemini posted by Tim on March 23, 2004 at 07:33:00:
I owned a Gemini for 8 years - I have owned my PDQ32 for 5 - Hands down, the PDQ is a better quality boat built for MUCH
rougher conditions. I love my 32, have added a bow sprint for light air (a disadvantage in a PDQ) and am very happy with it.
That being said - the Gemini is fine for what it is made for - (not for offshore conditions in my opinion) but I would not
hesitate to sail one near shore.(We lived on ours for a year/East Coast). Shallow draft is an advantage - but the quality of
construction is the end all - there is NO Comparision here. The PDQ is the better boat. Roger Wood
Posted by Sandy Daugherty on March 23, 2004 at 14:40:00:
In Reply to: PDQ 32 vs Gemini posted by Tim on March 23, 2004 at 07:33:00:
More personal opinions;
Geminis are built to deliver the most boat for the money. Ther can be no lower priced cat in that size range. To satisfy my
need for ostentatious display, I had to shop in the quality market, and I bought a PDQ
After sailing my 32 for a season, I got a ride with Tony Smith on a Gemini he was demo-ing for a client. I kept my mouth shut
(completely out of character) but the Gemini felt tender to me. There was much more healing in gusts than I would ever have
expected. I didn't feel as secure as on my Altair. Healing is fine on a monohull; its got that pendulum thingie. Unlike a
Hobie 14, a Gemini has no hiking straps.
Vicious rumor: I've been told by several other brokers that a surveyor doing a tap test for voids tapped his little plastic
mallet all the way through the hull in an area near the forward quarter port bow. It was just gel coat, with no glass in a
smallish area.
Performance: The Gemini is quick and weatherly. A well sailed one ran away from me, pointing a litle higher than I could. I
found out later that several are raced regularly on the Chesapeake, and that the old master of Gemini racing is just plain
awesome. I am not. I have more than enough excuses for that experience, but the fact remains, he got away. Now that I have a
36 with a genoa and a screacher, I would like to 'encounter' him again....
Posted by Martin on March 23, 2004 at 13:50:00:
In Reply to: PDQ 32 vs Gemini posted by Tim on March 23, 2004 at 07:33:00:
Hmmm......I'll try not to be unfair to the Gemini, here's a few basics.
Cost: Gemini wins hands down.
Forward and side vision: Much, much better on the 32.
Draft: Gemini has the advantage with lifting keels and rudders.
Engines: I consider our twin outboards an advantage over the Gemini's single inboard.
Foredeck: I prefer our tramp to a solid deck.
Cabins: I find our rear cabins more comfortable, both at anchor and underway, than a forward cabin.
Construction and finish: The Gemini is good, but I consider the 32 better.
I could go on and on, and of course the last four items are subjective, but we considered both boats and concluded the the 32
offered the best value for the money.
However, there's a lot more to compare on both boats. You need to look at some examples of each boat yourself (Geminis wil be
easier to find) to draw your own conclusions. You should probably find a Gemini forum to post the same question as well!