Why catamaran boats

There are specific trade offs in the benefits of varying hull designs. When choosing a boat, it is important to know the pros and cons of each style. At one end of the spectrum is a deep V hull design and at the other end of the spectrum is the flat bottom or skiff hull design. Flatter bottom hull designs such as skiffs and flats fishing boats are designed to have shallow drafts and operate in shallow water.

These two hulls are connected by a bridge deck. Many people will be familiar with Hobie cats, small catamarans that are popular for sailing on lakes and in calmer waters.

Cruising catamarans are based on this same principle but have large hulls that can fit many cabins inside, and house large structures on the bridge deck like a galley, salon and living area. Great question! Catamarans are much more stable than monohulls, and so people are less likely to fall overboard, which does make them safer in this aspect.

On a monohull sailboat , if you have major engine problems you only have the option of sailing. On a catamaran you always have a second motor ready to help out in an emergency! What makes monohulls harder to sail is heeling and more confined spaces. In stronger winds monohulls heel, making most tasks a little more difficult to manage. Whether you are going forward to reef, trying to winch in a sail, or move about the boat, sailing on a heeling boat is more challenging.

Catamarans however, because of their extra stability and room, allow for much easier movement around the boat as they do not heel. Early on many catamarans and trimarans were home built from kits, and many of these boats gave catamarans a bad rap for offshore sailing. For decades now the major catamaran manufactures have been improving these amazing vessels, and now catamarans are safe, stable and fast on offshore passages. Not all catamarans are created equal. Many of the production catamarans like Lagoon, Fountaine Pajot and Leopard are designed for cruising.

Best of Yachts. Boats of Distinction. Featured Yachts. Top Yachting News. Beyond the Reef. South Pacific. Yacht Life. Interior Decor. Luxury Lifestyle. Marine Life. Wellness on Board. Yacht Racing. Owners Lounge. Engine Room. Owner Experiences. Yacht Design. Yacht Management. Shipyard Showcase. Larger sailing cats have taken over the world of distance cruising and bareboat chartering.

Nearly all tropically-based bareboat charter companies offer more sailing catamarans today than monohulls and those numbers are also growing in destinations such as the Mediterranean. Typically, charter cats have two engines, one in each hull, to maneuver as well as a mast that supports a mainsail and at least one headsail. Power catamarans, often referred to as "multi-hull powerboats" or "power cats," have larger engines than their sailing cousins and no masts or sails.

Their bigger motors give them higher top speeds but these cats also need reinforced hulls to handle the weight and power of these engines. Other than pontoon boats which arguably are also power cats , motorized cats are the fastest growing segment of the boating market. Power cats come in various shapes and sizes. Numerous smaller power cat brands are marketed for fishing while larger ones are popping up in bareboat charter and as cruising platforms.

Many commercial passenger ferries have also turned to the catamaran design for their spaciousness and speed.