Regatta in indian ocean, sailboat and catamaran. Helicopter view
Big ‘blue water’ Sailing
Blue water sailing refers to the open sea. Non-blue or pond sailing refers to inland waters and coastal areas.
The difference in specific design of a blue water or non-blue water vessel is for the ship captain’s visibility as well as based on the hazards of the area they are to be used. A bluewater (offshore) catamaran is designed for voyages in very rough seas. They are usually 40ft or longer, designed to be very stable, carry heavy loads and very safe. Ocean sailing has different dangers to coastal water with different challenges – sailing through storms, longer distances, more maneuvering space, night sailing – and more gear, better technology, skills and sturdier vessels are needed.
When sailing in confined waters it is important to have more reactive steerage, less maneuvering time, you do not need to store multiday provisions as you are more reliant on daytime sailing, do not need so much speed so have smaller sails and lower horsepower engines and perhaps the intention if for pleasure alone so one of the major considerations will be the layout of the vessel.
For most sailors the choice of size is between 40-50 feet which is manageable for 2 persons with lots of room to spread out and entertain or have friends on board and that is easy to dock both in terms of space and cost.
Three sailboats racing in the Indian Ocean
First questions to ask yourself
First up consider these 5 points before you decide on your multihull model, length and manufacturer.
Use
Will you be using your sailing vessel for coastal or blue water adventures? What is your primary objective and then: is this for family pleasure or entertaining or Charter?
For sailing
Must it be suited for single-handed sailing? What proficiency of sailing do I have/need? Degree of technology required? Equipment required?
Functional Use
How many berths do I need? How much privacy? Elegance, comfort and style – what is required? Space for ‘toys’? If for charter or private use with crew – extra berths.
Budget
Your total budget must include the initial cost of the vessel plus survey, transport, upgrading of equipment, insurance, etc – there is a lot to consider. Would a second hand vessel be a consideration? What is the smallest I can go?
Annual Costs
What will my ongoing budget be for Insurance, berthing, maintenance, repairs, haul out fees, etc? This excludes any travel costs
Location
Where do I want to berth my vessel? Or living aboard?
It is said that BOAT is an acronym for: Break Out Another Thousand!
Beautiful catamaran on a tropical beach.
Review of Our Favorite 15 Multihulls 2024
With cutting edge technology and the strive for sail performance this was no easy task – there are many deserving vessels who deserve to be in the Top Reviews such as Privilege 510, Outremer 51, Knysna 500SE and the St Francis 50. There are also other models by manufacturers we have selected that have proven themselves over the years that may be a better size for you.
Here’s our listing!
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Final Thoughts
Multihull vessels have a lot of the potential for creature comforts that motor yachts have without the constant thrumming of the engines. But they still require a modicum or rudimentary understanding of sailing.
There’s also a bit of maintenance required, but this is something–like having kids–that you figure out along the way.
Another popular boating segment is the power catamaran. Like their sailing counterparts, power catamaran boats have great living space, but without the need to understand sailing principles. Either way, both multihull markets look to be growing in popularity over the next many years.
The resale market for multihull ships also looks promising, so getting one, trying it out for a couple of seasons and selling it again is a possibility without losing too much on the purchase price.
Before you sign the cheque….
So you’ve located some a catamaran for sale that looks promising. It’s one of the models on the list here and you’re wondering if its in the best shape relative to the price. Here’s what you do:
Take time out to go and view it in person. Book yourself an experience aboard and head over to your closest marina and speak to owners (this may well help you create your shortlist too). Consider these points before purchasing:
- Pre-book buyer’s sea trials for your shortlist
- Select the perfect sailing vessel for you (and if it’s for your family make sure they agree too!)
- Used – get a certified hull survey, safety comes first
- Get annual insurance quotes
- Calculate dockage – purchase or rent a slip or dock
- Calculate monthly upkeep and maintenance
- Calculate extra costs like navigational devices & fittings
- Draft your own checklist
- Draft & sign off sale & purchase contracts
- Draft & sign off a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA)
- Ensure you are satisfied 100%
- Execute payment and take transfer of ownership
- Register and insure your vessel
Check all necessary Stock is aboard – Sail away!
Pre-Departure Checklist
Some ideas for you –
- Always pre-check the weather and wind conditions prior to any excursion on the water
- Always know the tide table in your head, so you know what the ocean is doing at all times, incoming or outgoing tide, and what is the tidal range if you are in an ocean estuary or channel.
- Check you have fuel, water, food and all the basics before loading passengers aboard, and follow these easy steps to ensure safety is first at all times.
- Plan your upcoming voyage, does it feature high swells, rocky shores, and cold water
- Check Safety equipment, making sure you have enough life jackets for all sea-farers
- Check sails, sheets and lines. All sailing gear
- Check your engines – Open fuel lines, check oil and spark plugs
- Check fuel tank levels and have extra fuel aboard for an emergency
- Start the motor, make sure water is coming out to cool the motor
- Test both forward and reverse gears on the engine before guests board
- Check that you have a working and full battery communications radio, with all correct channels programmed, and that all the vessel lights and electrics are in working order
- Check for first aid kits, manual hand pump, paddles, lifejackets, additional lines, fresh drinking water and food for passengers plus some spare in case your voyage is longer than expected, necessary repair tools & kit and flags
- Strap any equipment and gear down safely before you start to motor
- If you have passengers boarding, ensure you give a proper safety briefing and point out where all the safety gear is on the vessel. Children should be included in the briefing and be secured properly before departure
Catamarans versus Trimarans
Trimarans have limited space in slimmer hull designs generally. This makes Catamarans with their comfortable open leisure space both above and below deck far preferred for leisure sailing.
On the plus side for Trimarans are their speed and seaworthiness.
How Safe are Multihull Boats at Sea?
Probably a close second in terms of questions asked. On a twin hull design the buoyancy is on the outer edges of the boat and their is greater stability and less rolling when drifting or trolling compared to a monohull.
Catamarans are safe in rough seas because of their wide stance which makes them stable with increased motion comfort and excess buoyancy due to lack of ballast. They are easy to maneuver and with high speeds that may help them outrun storms with skilled crew who know the vessel. A trimaran is the safest of multihulls with the 3 hulls, centering of its weight and anti-drift plan. The righting torque between a catamaran and trimaran is significantly different.
An important consideration is this – if your catamaran is anything longer than 45ft, unless specifically modified for single handed sailing, then it probably cannot be sailed alone. At some stage in your journey you may well have to sail alone – can it be done?
As Blue Water Sailing Vessels
Catamarans are more stable and fast and depending on conditions some can distance more than 200 miles in a day.
Cats usually sail faster than monohulls (standard) due to the weight of them and displacement, especially on a run or broad reach when the sails are perpendicular to the wind. There are many variables to consider.
Solo Sailing a Multihull
Most small and medium-sized cruising catamarans can be sailed single-handedly. The skill of the sailor with high tech equipment such as electric winches and powered sail control, layout (such as all lines to the co*ckpit, roller furling mainsail, autopilot, etc) and safety precautions make it an adventure not to be missed.
If your catamaran is longer than 45ft, unless specifically modified for single-handed sailing, you will not be able to safely sail it alone. Consider:
- What the minimum length of the vessel would suit your needs to handle on your own
- Layout planning is essential
- Space you need
- The bigger the boat means larger sails which will be harder to raise and repair
- The bigger the boat means more power and speed – be comfortable with your vessel
- Update your sailing skills
Finding the Right Size
It is a very personal choice but at the very least the advice would be to buy the smallest catamaran you think would meet your needs – this is because you have many other costs to consider and the bigger the vessel the more the costs of upkeep, dockage, space for crew.
A perfect size for blue water sailing (including around the world) is around 40 ft, small enough to be sailed by one person but big enough to provide safety and speed. The smallest size to consider to cross the ocean safely and in some comfort by consensus is around 30ft. Any smaller and you will possibly have the following problems as dealing with large seas the size of your vessel does count :
- A smaller vessel is always pitching and yawing and this impacts the crew negatively over a long period of time or in crisis situations
- Low bridge deck clearance due to the small size of the vessel
- when sailing upwind the waves are projected with speed and force into the decks understand (between the pontoons) creating bridge deck slamming. This vibration and noise impacts the crew and is very tiring – sailing downwind to prevent this may not be where you want to go
- Not having enough space for all the supplies and equipment needed for a long passage
- Alongside the problem of weight to be carried is the problem of distribution of this weight over the length of the vessel safely
Multihulls best for ponds, slow rivers and calm bodies of inland water benefit from having flat hulls to provide shallow draft with great deck space manufactured from aluminium or fibreglass. Make sure you take extra food and water and all safety supplies just in case of an emergency!
The question everyone wants to know – how much does it cost to live onboard?
There are many variables depending on your lifestyle, where you intend to cruise or berth and how much you want to travel aboard. A good estimate would be between US$2000-US$5000 per month for a family of 4, a little less for a couple/single person plus the maintenance cost of your boat which is on average 5-10% of the cost of the boat. The maintenance of your boat varies depending of equipment, age, condition and size.
What do I need to consider differently to live on-board rather than racing ?
Racing vessels are designed for speed and exhilaration and safe fun.
Living on-board requires space and comfort – space for storage, large-sized comfortable berths, living space, entertaining space, home-space! You need to know your long term goals and what your personal needs are – do you need a dedicated work area or desk space/permanent interconnectivity for work?
Generally cruising catamarans have wider hulls which give you more space as well as creating more drag which slows your boat down and is more costly on fuel.
Many used charter boats are seen as great purchases for living on-board, however make sure that they are suited for blue water sailing and not only for coastal water.
Here’s a list of the Top 15 best Multihulls reviewed in this article:
- Leopard Catamarans – 41 ft 7 in – Leopard 42
- Balance Yachts – 48 ft 26 in – Balance 482
- Kinetic Catamarans – 54 ft 2 in – Kinetic KC54
- Xquisite Yachts – 53 ft – Xquisite X5
- McConaughey – 60 ft 1 in – MC60
- Sunreef Yachts – 80 ft – Sunreef 80
- Leopard Catamarans – 50 ft 6 in – Leopard 50
- Voyage Yachts – 57 ft 42 in – Voyage 590
- Seawind – 52 ft 8 in – Seawind 1600
- HH Catamarans – 52 ft – HH50
- Fountaine Pajot – 39 ft 14 in – Isla 40
- Lagoon-Beneteau Group – 38 ft 5 in – Lagoon 40
- Excess Catamarans – 37 ft 2 in – Excess 11
- Maverick Yachts of SA – 44 ft – Maverick 440
- Chantier CATANA – 37 ft 5 in – Catspace
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Catamarans
What does a catamaran cost?
This varies greatly, often defined used or new by the design, size, year and finish. Quality vessels are built to last and retain market-related value if undamaged.
On average a 45-foot catamaran can range from US$250,000-US$1,000,000.
The fully loaded Isla 40 costs around US$527,000. The Balance 42 sail away price fully cruise equipped is US$1,450,000 while the Kinetic 54’s price tag approaches US$3,000,000. The modern styled Sunreef 80 costs around $6.2 million.
We think that the Seawind 1600 is, for its size and quality, a superb priced performance product at US$900,000.
How shallow can a catamaran go?
One of the major benefits for a cruising vessel is to be able to enter shallower seas – catamarans have a shallower draft than monohulls and therefore a great appeal to folk for whom this is a major consideration. Most lagoons are only 6-8 feet deep in the South Pacific. The Caribbean and other areas where you have reefs to navigate and shallow sandbanks to cross to enter overnight anchor stops draft is a very important consideration. Always remember to read your tide tables and swell.
Are catamarans more fuel-efficient than monohulls?
A catamaran is lighter on the water and therefore takes less energy to move, however they have 2 engines which drives up fuel costs. They are more fuel-efficient on flat water (compared to equal horsepower and number of engines) but in heavy weather the monohull’s hull design causes less resistance and therefore higher efficiency.
Do catamarans have less drag?
With lighter weight and high buoyancy generally they have low water drag by comparison to the displacement of a monohull of the same length.
What is the function of the trampoline on a catamaran?
The trampoline serves many purposes – primarily to allow water to quickly pass through, allowing the bow to rise and so preventing the vessel from flipping and they are ideal for pleasure purposes.
Is a bigger catamaran better for sailing around the world?
To sail around the world the vessel needs to be equipped for offshore cruising and have a heavy load capacity.
The bigger Modern blue water cats are built with this in mind – supplies, crew, technology and gear.
A bigger boat has many advantages such as speed (not only to travel longer distance in shorter time but also to outrun potential bad weather) and comfort space, space for crew and friends, storage space for supplies and fun equipment, etc.
It is important to balance price against comforts, maintenance and repair costs as well as any potential income from your vessel (chartering, Air BNB, hosting courses on-board, etc) – generally here the bigger your vessel the higher the potential for greater income.
The larger your vessel the higher your expenses are in all ways – from Insurance to berthing, maintenance, haul out fees and equipment.
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