Catamaran vs Monohull... advantages, disadvantages?

[Leighpilot]

I’ve switched to a catamaran to keep my wife happy. And I kind of like it.

Remember 99% of the time you won’t actually be sailing. So the extra space and the better view of the scenery is a huge plus. The shallow draft opens up many more sheltered anchorages too.

The sailing is bit faster though not as much as you’d think. And the motion is less comfortable, faster.

Cost will be an issue too. For x dollars you’re going to buy an older cat than a monohull and have far fewer options ( and correspondingly less bargaining leverage).

Also take into account your intended ( realistic) cruising grounds. Will you really cross the Atlantic? Or will you actually just stay in the US and Caribbean area ?

[kindrunnermike]

Originally Posted by Leighpilot

I’ve switched to a catamaran to keep my wife happy. And I kind of like it.

Remember 99% of the time you won’t actually be sailing. So the extra space and the better view of the scenery is a huge plus. The shallow draft opens up many more sheltered anchorages too.

The sailing is bit faster though not as much as you’d think. And the motion is less comfortable, faster.

Cost will be an issue too. For x dollars you’re going to buy an older cat than a monohull and have far fewer options ( and correspondingly less bargaining leverage).

Also take into account your intended ( realistic) cruising grounds. Will you really cross the Atlantic? Or will you actually just stay in the US and Caribbean area ?

Well said! If your not sailing “99% of the time” it’s perfect!

[kindrunnermike]

Originally Posted by sck5

I sailed a brand new Lagoon 50 from the factory in Bordeaux to Tenerife. It was my first ocean passage on a cat. First thought is that cats are not built to deal with the Bay of Biscay. Second is that if I bought a cat to cross oceans it wouldnt be a Lagoon. It impressed all of us aboard (all experienced sailors) as a great party barge but not a great passage maker. This one had several clever details but also seemed rather shoddily put together compared to some monohulls I have sailed. Our conclusion was that a Lagoon 50 is just the ticket to cruise the BVI's and party hard at anchor every night. If that is your goal it is a good choice.

This is 100% truth. Stop reading now. This is exactly what you need to know. You are now informed. Buy the boat you want knowing that experienced sailors like this member are providing very valuable advise. You spin it however you want but a Cat no matter how large is not a boat for most conditions that are not in the ideal range.

I think they are very good for their intended purpose but don’t think you can cross oceans or even rough bays with comfort, especially upwind.

[Tupaia]

Originally Posted by kindrunnermike

At this very moment there are about 45 boats sitting still in St. George’s Bermuda who would like to go South asap. Most have been there 5 days and the weather window appears to dictate that they will not be moving until 11/15. I left the island on a plane a few hours ago and just landed.

I can tell you all that the catamarans (42’-80) some with paid skippers are not happy and wishing out loud for calm seas. The bigger monohull guys (swans, etc 48-70’) are all serious about trying to leave in the next 48 hours. It is going to be a 30+ knot headwind for a few days. The cat guys were complaining about the conditions on the way there that were 17-30 knots in large following seas.

If you think any cat is a “better” boat in anything but near ideal conditions you are not firmly grounded in reality. The floating living room you desire is best suited for (1) a short term, fair weather charter in the Caribbean, (2) a lake (I’m serious) and not much else. The bottom line is that you are balanced between two hulls meters apart. One is on one wave, while the other is not. Wake up men and women.

This has to be the most ridiculous uninformed twaddle I have read in a long time. We take a bunch of unrelated boats, sizes shapes, experience and based on hearsay come to a conclusion that cats are only good for ideal conditions and are floating living rooms.


Do you own a cat (suspect not!) have you sailed on one in heavy weather (suspect not!) have you sailed on one at all? (which one?)

[Lightwave99]

Hello, Au Chante.
We built our catamaran based on Richard Woods' Gypsy 28 and then extended it twice. We have written a nice article about the benefits of catamarans on our website: Time For a Catamaran Adventure – Isn't Time For Yours?. There is also a "blog" of our 2-year offshore adventure on our cat and short videos that you may find helpful and/or amusing. Hope this helps! We would never go back to a monohull! We find the motion of a monohull very wearing--even in an anchorage. When we are in an anchorage--unless it happens to be a day when the wind and waves are coming in and we bounce a bit more--we are basically still, while all monohulls are swaying back and forth, back and forth. Anyway! It is all covered in our website, which I hope you enjoy.

Carllie & Garett

[Happ]

Originally Posted by AuChante

This forum is the opposite of the truck forums I'm on. This is, of course, an opinion question and this is the correctest answer, but I'm looking for fanboy type opinions.

If money and infrastructure weren't an issue, I'd go cat hands down... after a trial of course but I'd have to find one first. Just wondering why this isn't a common thought. When I see a $100k+ monohull, I always wonder why they didn't get a cat. I find it tough to think that so many people prefer the behavior of a monohull over a single. having to judge sailing conditions by charts rather than feel is probably a bigger factor than I'm attributing though.

Cats have been growing in popularity in the Charter Market. Since they are mostly larger cats coming out of charter they are few and far between for $100k.

[double u]

...another one of those "justifying-my-choice-is-best-threads"...

[kindrunnermike]

Your generalizations about my post/experience are not helpful to anyone. I am, in fact a100 ton Captain and I have been on just about everything in most harbors from a 75’ wooden schooner three weeks ago in CT to a 62’ monohull out of Newport this week.

I have certainly sailed cats. I live full time in the center of the Western Catamaran universe in the Virgin Islands.

I will sum it up for you. 95% of cats are good for their intended purposes/owner type. It seems too many people are focused on the supremely obvious differences from monohulls in cost, mooring expense and accommodations and not thinking through how these boats when upon a seaway will make them (spouse) feel when it’s not Sunny, 86 degree day in the BVI. I’m done.

[MJH]

Originally Posted by AuChante

I've always been curious about the extreme lack of cats out there. It's probably due to the obvious downsides of cats... higher price tag, marina and haul-out price and availability. I'd like to hear from folks who switched to cats (I imagine no one started with a cat) and liked it, and especially from folks who switched back to monohull.

Are the above issues the main deciding factors? It seems that cats are far superior other than those. It seems that they have an incredible amount of room. Even the old Gemini cats are mansions compared to my Hunter 31, and they still fit in a regular slip. It also seems like a plus to walk about the boat rather than climb... heeling and all.

Moving up from a Hunter 31 to any boat, mono or cat, over 40' will be big change. Take a glance at some objective numbers rather than subjective opinions.

Do yourself a favor, select a couple boats (any boats) one being a cat, and then research an actual [U]available[U] mooring slip for each of them, cost of insurance, and operating costs. It will be a learning experience toward making your choice.

Years ago, one of my neighbors had a cruising cat. He flipped it one afternoon crossing the bay with his brother and mother aboard. His brother swam out, but his mother couldn't. Local rescue and fire department came on scene, but it took them well into the darkness of night to cut a hole in the hull to pull her out and helicopter her to the hospital where she had a heart attack due to the trauma.

Good luck.

[Lightwave99]

Check out our website: Time For a Catamaran Adventure – Isn't Time For Yours? where we provide a list of benefits of cats. We built our own and extended it over time. You can read all about it on our website. We would never go back to a monohull. The motion on a monohull is very very wearing--even in an anchorage!
However! Let's not create a divisiveness among those who love being out on the water. It is a beautiful place to be--free from all the land craziness and expenses and restrictions. As soon as we step onto our boat, even before we leave the dock or if we don't leave the marina--we relax and feel more at peace.

Whatever your preferred mode--just get out there on the water!
Carllie & Garett
Light Wave
Time For a Catamaran Adventure – Isn't Time For Yours?

[Tupaia]

Originally Posted by kindrunnermike

Your generalizations about my post/experience are not helpful to anyone. I am, in fact a100 ton Captain and I have been on just about everything in most harbors from a 75’ wooden schooner three weeks ago in CT to a 62’ monohull out of Newport this week.

I have certainly sailed cats. I live full time in the center of the Western cat world in the Virgin Islands.

I will sum it up for you. 95% of cats are good for their intended purposes/owner type. It seems too many people are focused on the supremely obvious differences from monohulls in cost, mooring expense and accommodations and not thinking through how these boats when upon a seaway will make them (spouse) fell when it’s not Sunny, 86 degree day in the BVI.

So give us some "first" hand experiences on cats that has biased you so much. Passages, makes, sizes.


No one is disagreeing that the majority of cats are aimed specifically for the conditions in places like the BVI's and this has resulted is some really really bad designs.


But making statements like this;


"If you think any cat is a “better” boat in anything but near ideal conditions you are not firmly grounded in reality. The floating living room you desire is best suited for (1) a short term, fair weather charter in the Caribbean, (2) a lake (I’m serious) and not much else. The bottom line is that you are balanced between two hulls meters apart. One is on one wave, while the other is not. Wake up men and women"


just highlights your ignorance and narrow experience.


Anyone crossing an ocean needs to evaluate the conditions and whether their particular boat is up to the task be they mono or multi.


So stop banding about your qualifications that appear to limited to a very small area of the globe and give us some real "first" hand experiences on cats that has biased you so much. Passages, makes, sizes.

[deardav1]

You're asking a highly debated question, nearly as common as the argument between 9 mm and 45 ACP!

Why don't you charter a couple boats, and see what works for you? It's very expensive, but less so than purchasing a boat you don't like?

My personal experience: is that monohulls are great , and so our catamarans!

I'm on my second trimaran, so I have the best of both worlds. It still sails fairly flat, like a catamaran. That keeps my wife happy!

It really moves, and can go upwind better than many monohulls for the same size boat. It can carry a lot taller mast, and much more sail.

Before anyone jumps me about all the dangers of multihulls-just remember: The time to tie a reef in, is the very first time you think about it?

[AuChante]

Originally Posted by Lightwave99

Check out our website: Time For a Catamaran Adventure – Isn't Time For Yours? where we provide a list of benefits of cats. We built our own and extended it over time. You can read all about it on our website. We would never go back to a monohull. The motion on a monohull is very very wearing--even in an anchorage!
However! Let's not create a divisiveness among those who love being out on the water. It is a beautiful place to be--free from all the land craziness and expenses and restrictions. As soon as we step onto our boat, even before we leave the dock or if we don't leave the marina--we relax and feel more at peace.

Whatever your preferred mode--just get out there on the water!
Carllie & Garett
Light Wave
Time For a Catamaran Adventure – Isn't Time For Yours?

I'll deffinitely read up on what you've done. I'm not currently in the market... I actually just bought my Hunter. It'll most likely be a decade or more till I'm ready to upgrade.


There are a ton of questions I have that I'm answering on my own just by sailing. The cat question is just unanswerable without, as many have mentioned, experience. I'm kinda surprised there's not a more definitive answer solely for the performance aspect of it. It seems like it would be clearer cut like Nascar vs F1.


And Chartering really isn't an option. I was looking to stay under $15k and stumbled upon a $6k foreclosure that I jumped on. I really don't have time to drive 12 hrs to a charter, take how ever long a charter typically is, then drive home. That'd take a solid chunk of my boat budget.

[smj]

Originally Posted by kindrunnermike

At this very moment there are about 45 boats sitting still in St. George’s Bermuda who would like to go South asap. Most have been there 5 days and the weather window appears to dictate that they will not be moving until 11/15. I left the island on a plane a few hours ago and just landed.

I can tell you all that the catamarans (42’-80) some with paid skippers are not happy and wishing out loud for calm seas. The bigger monohull guys (swans, etc 48-70’) are all serious about trying to leave in the next 48 hours. It is going to be a 30+ knot headwind for a few days. The cat guys were complaining about the conditions on the way there that were 17-30 knots in large following seas.

If you think any cat is a “better” boat in anything but near ideal conditions you are not firmly grounded in reality. The floating living room you desire is best suited for (1) a short term, fair weather charter in the Caribbean, (2) a lake (I’m serious) and not much else. The bottom line is that you are balanced between two hulls meters apart. One is on one wave, while the other is not. Wake up men and women.

I sailed a monohull one time and didn’t enjoy it. Now I can tell you that all monohulls are crap, unsafe in any body of water and actually should be banned..........

[gultekin]

I sailed competitively in various one design monohulls and Prindle 16 beach cat for a longtime. My choice for cruising was always a monohull. My longtime monohull sailor friend's response when I asked him "why did you switch?" was "Monohull is a marriage of love. Catamaran is a marriage of love". After sailing with him in the Aegean for several seasons in all kinds of weather conditions in his Venezia. I am convinced and decided to switch. After sailing and testing many different catamarans I settled on a FP Belize, a blue water cat that fit my sailing style. I've been quite happy cruising for the last six years.