What Is A Catamaran Sailboat? (And What It Looks Like)
Catamarans are increasingly popular for sailing and commercial use, but what sets them apart from monohulls and other multihulls?
A catamaran is a twin-hull boat with two equally-sized hulls placed side by side. They’re powered by engines, sails, or both—and they’re known for efficiency and speed. Catamarans are the most common kind of multihull boat.
In this article, we’ll go over the characteristics of catamarans and how to differentiate them from other types of boats. Additionally, we’ll cover the advantages and disadvantages of catamarans and compare them to trimarans and monohulls. We’ll also go over the most common types of catamarans and their uses.
We sourced the information in this article from marine design guides, boat identification resources, and the online boating community.
Table of contents
How to Spot a Catamaran
Spotting a catamaran is easy. Simply look at the hulls and count them. Catamarans have two hulls side by side and a relatively large gap between them where you can see light on the other end. Catamarans are distinct from trimarans, which have an additional hull between the two outer hulls.
How do Catamarans Work?
The principle behind the catamaran is simple. You can think of catamarans like cars and monohulls like motorcycles. Catamarans distribute their weight between hulls on either side, whereas monohulls utilize only one hull.
Evidently, cars are much more difficult to tip over and can hold much more weight. Additionally, cars are wider, as they have much more contact with the road. Catamarans work in a similar way, as they have a wide stance and contact with the surface on both sides.
Obviously, that isn’t the most precise comparison. But the basic principle is the same, and catamarans have a few notable benefits over monohulls.
Catamaran Vs Monohull
Catamarans are easy to distinguish from monohulls. A monohull is just a regular old boat with a single hull. The vast majority of boats and ships are monohulls. Catamarans have two hulls, which are usually sleek and narrow.
Here are some comparisons of catamarans and monohulls, along with the advantages twin-hull designs have over most single hull types.
Benefits of Catamarans
Catamarans have numerous benefits. The first is speed. Catamarans produce less drag than monohulls and thus can achieve excessive speeds both under sail and power. They don’t need to plane like monohulls to achieve these high speeds, and they use less fuel.
Catamarans are also much more stable than monohulls. They have a wide stance and shallow draft, and many waves and swells can travel between the hulls instead of below them. This effectively reduces an entire axis of movement and prevents catamarans from rolling excessively.
Drawbacks of Catamarans
Catamarans aren’t advantageous in every way, or else we wouldn’t bother building monohulls. The disadvantages of catamarans limit their use to niche commercial applications and high-end yachts. But what are the drawbacks of a twin-hull design?
Sailing catamarans don’t follow many of the traditional boat handling rules and characteristics that sailors pass down for generations. Some, such as hull speed limitations, are good to do away with—while others, such as responsiveness, are not.
Catamarans aren’t as quick to the helm or responsive as monohulls. There are some exceptions to this rule, but for the most part, you’ll get a lot more feedback from a single-hull vessel. Additionally, the large section of deck between the hulls of a catamaran is prone to pounding in rough seas, which is loud and uncomfortable.
Catamarans can sometimes be twice the width of an equivalent monohull sailboat, which can increase mooring fees and limit docking options.
The final major drawback of catamarans is a consequence of their stability. Traditional full-keel monohull sailboats have a very low center of gravity, which makes them roll in heavy seas but ensures a recovery.
Catamarans have a higher center of gravity, and they can’t right themselves after a knockdown. And though catamarans are less likely to roll, a severe list on a multihull is a much more serious concern than on a ballasted monohull.
Catamaran Vs Trimaran
Catamarans and trimarans are often lumped together, but they have very different design and performance specifications. Trimarans have three hulls, whereas catamarans have two.
Trimarans look a lot like catamarans from the side, but a quick glance at the bow or stern can set them apart. Trimarans are faster than catamarans, as they distribute their weight across three hulls instead of two. This helps them stay centered and reduces interference from pitching and rolling.
Catamarans are fast, but they lose out to trimarans when going head to head. However, catamarans are much less expensive to build and maintain and often have roomier cabins due to their larger hulls.
Types of Catamarans
There are numerous types of catamarans, and their uses vary widely. The catamaran is one of the oldest and most useful hull types, and some variants have been used for thousands of years. Here are the most common kinds of catamaran boats and their uses.
Sailing Catamaran
Sailing catamarans are probably what you think of when you hear the name. Sailing catamarans are sailboats with two identical hulls connected by a center deck. The largest sailing catamarans are spacious and stable vessels that are capable of serious offshore sailing.
Sailing catamarans have a number of notable advantages over monohulls. Monohulls, which are traditional sailboats with a single hull, are limited by a simple concept called hull speed. As the bow and stern wave of a monohull intersect, they cause drag which limits the top speed of the boat.
Catamarans are not bound by hull speed limitations, as they have two hulls. Catamarans can go twice or even three times as fast as similar monohulls and achieve excellent travel times.
Catamarans are also more stable than monohulls, as their wide stance and shallow draft reduce the effect of rough water. They don’t heel, as the force of the wind is counteracted by the double hulls. Additionally, modern sailing catamarans can ‘wave pierce’ by cutting through swells instead of riding over them.
Sailing catamarans come in many shapes and sizes. Small sailing catamarans, such as those used in races and regattas, are known for their speed and relative stability compared to light racing monohulls. Sometimes, they feature a smaller second hull for stability—these are called outriggers.
Sailing catamarans have spacious interiors thanks to the large cockpit between the hulls. This cockpit usually contains cooking and eating spaces, a place to sit, and a hallway between the hulls. The hulls usually contain living quarters and often mirror each other.
Power Catamarans
Power catamarans have an even greater variety than sailing catamarans. These vessels are used for everything from party platforms to ferries and patrol boats.
Power catamarans are a recent development, as engineers and marine architects now realize they have numerous hydrodynamic advantages over other hull types.
Catamarans are much more efficient than other hull types, as they have less drag relative to their size. Additionally, you can build a much larger catamaran with less material. This makes them popular for car and rail ferries, as builders can construct a very wide vessel with two small hulls rather than a narrower vessel with a large single hull.
Military and Commercial Catamarans
Even the military has found a use for the catamaran hull shape. The Spearhead class EPF is an expeditionary fast transport vessel designed for carrying capacity and speed. It has two sharp hulls and a huge cargo capacity.
The Spearhead class EPF is 337 feet long, which is about the same length as a WW2 escort destroyer. Yet despite having a similar length and displacement, these catamarans can travel more than twice as fast—43 knots, or nearly 50 miles per hour. Their great speed is a direct consequence of their catamaran hull type.
Power catamarans are also used as patrol and utility boats on a much smaller scale, with either outboard or inboard motors. The State of Texas uses catamarans to patrol shallow rivers and lakes. Texas Game Wardens utilize state-of-the-art aluminum catamaran patrol boats, which are fast enough to outrun most fishing boats.
There’s another form of power catamaran that you may not have considered. Pontoon boats are technically catamarans, and they’re enormously popular on lakes and rivers throughout the country. Pontoon boats aren’t known for speed, but they’re a great platform for a fun and comfortable outing.
Catamaran Houseboats
The final common type of power catamaran is the two-hulled houseboat. Houseboats don’t always use the catamaran hull type, but it’s common enough that most major manufacturers offer it as an option.
Catamaran houseboats have a few notable advantages over monohull designs. For one, they’re easier to build—especially when pontoons are chosen. Additionally, they’re better suited for navigating shallow water. These vessels can support more weight across their two hulls, offer increased stability, and they’re also efficient.
Why Aren’t Catamarans More Common?
With all the advantages listed in this article to consider, it may seem strange that the use of catamarans is still somewhat limited. At the end of the day, it comes down to economics—as monohull boats and ships are simply cheaper to build.
Additionally, catamarans have some distinct limitations. Monohulls have lots of storage space in their hulls and can carry thousands of tons of cargo safely in all weather conditions. Catamarans lack this space and low center of gravity, so they’re not ideal for transporting cargo past a certain point.
Additionally, monohulls work, and many people are reluctant to experiment with new designs when old designs work just fine. This rule applies to both large and small boats.
A large monohull sailboat can be constructed at low cost from stock plans and reliably sail almost anywhere. Very little complex structural engineering is involved, and looser tolerances reduce cost and maintenance requirements.
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Daniel Wade
I've personally had thousands of questions about sailing and sailboats over the years. As I learn and experience sailing, and the community, I share the answers that work and make sense to me, here on Life of Sailing.
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Discover the Top Power Catamarans for 2024
- By Yachting Staff
- Updated: September 10, 2024
Power catamarans have seen a surge in popularity, growing both in size and appeal. These cruise-focused yachts offer homelike comfort, fuel efficiency and user-friendly operation, making them a favorite among avid travelers. Their popularity extends to the bareboat charter market for the same reasons.
In this article, we explore the world’s top power catamarans, ranging from a 36-footer ideal for a cruising couple to a 78-footer perfect for entertaining friends and family. The propulsion options are diverse, including outboards, diesel inboards, hybrids, and even all-solar setups.
Top Luxury Power Catamarans
The following power catamarans are all vessels we’ve reviewed. They are listed in no particular order.
- Fountaine Pajot MY44 : A family-oriented cat suitable for long-range cruising and aimed at owner-operators.
- Silent Yachts 60 : This is a catamaran that can cruise comfortably for long distances using emissions-free solar-electric propulsion.
- Horizon PC74 : With interior and deck space like a much larger vessel, the PC74 is perfect for cruising the Bahamas and Caribbean.
- Aquila 36 : This beefy 36-footer is an outboard-powered, express-cruiser-style catamaran.
- Lagoon Seventy 8 Powercat : A spacious design, this vessel fits the volume of a 130-foot-long monohull into just 78 feet of length overall.
- Horizon PC68 : This cat has a stable ride, long range, volume to spare and intriguing layout options.
- Two Oceans 555 : An elegantly simple yet luxurious 55-foot custom with the space and amenities of a much larger vessel.
- Lagoon 630 : From its open salon to its spacious decks, the Lagoon is a comfortable and luxurious platform.
- Fountaine Pajot MY5 : A midsize cruiser with serious big-boat space for family and friends.
- Prestige Yachts M8 : The voluminous 65-footer lets owners customize onboard spaces.
- Aquila 47 Molokai : Calling all anglers: This cat has 60-plus-knot speed and is set up for serious bluewater adventure.
Fountaine Pajot MY44
The Fountaine Pajot MY44 , a creation of Italian architect Pierangelo Andreani and French designer Daniel Andrieu, has a main deck that’s open from the aft-deck seating all the way forward to the starboard helm station. The sense of spaciousness is significant, for several reasons. First, four glass panels aft can all slide to port, creating an indoor-outdoor space with the aft deck and salon. In the salon, 32-inch-high windows extend for 12 feet down the sides of the yacht, with three sections per side, bringing in natural light along with the three forward panes that comprise the windshield. Finally, 6-foot-6-inch headroom provides vertical clearance, with a 21-foot-7-inch beam that adds interior roominess while keeping the yacht stable.
Quick Specifications
| 44’ | |
| 21’5” | |
| 530 gal. | |
| 184 gal. | |
| 6’6” | |
| 32,850 lb. |
Silent Yachts 60
Solar panels, ocean-crossing range and self-sufficiency define the electric Silent-Yachts 60 power catamaran. If there was any question that the “Tesla moment” has arrived in yachting, the Silent 60 clearly provides a positive response. Consider, for a moment, crossing oceans in silence at 5 to 6 knots without consuming a drop of fuel and never needing to plan your course between fuel stops. Imagine sitting at anchor and running the air conditioning all night, not to mention all the galley appliances plus the washer-dryer, without the hum or fumes from a genset.
| 62’ | |
| 29’6” | |
| 4’5” | |
| 68,000 lb. |
Horizon PC74
As founder and director of The Powercat Company, a Horizon Power Catamarans distributor, Stuart Hegerstrom had long believed that catamaran builders needed to design their yachts to more stylish standards.
“The boats were very boxy,” he says, based on his years of experience with cats in the charter market. He and his partner, Richard Ford, asked Horizon to produce models that had high-end finishes and looked good inside and out.
The Horizon team brought in mega-yacht designer JC Espinosa to work with its own craftsmen. The result aboard the Horizon PC74 is a catamaran with exterior styling, layout and functionality that should appeal to private and charter owners alike.
| 73’9” | |
| 28’3” | |
| 2,000 gal. | |
| 400 gal. | |
| 6’ | |
| 163,140 lb. |
The Aquila 36 is a departure from her sisterships in that she is an outboard-powered, express-cruiser-style catamaran, but she also adheres to MarineMax’s philosophies.
With a single main living level from bow to stern and a beam of 14 feet 7 inches, the Aquila 36 is like a bowrider on steroids. She has seating that can handle 20 adults for outings and barbecues, and there are two staterooms below, one in each hull, for family weekending. The staterooms have nearly queen-size berths, en suite heads, stowage and 6-foot-6-inch headroom.
| 36’ | |
| 14’7” | |
| 356 gal. | |
| 200 gal. | |
| 2’ (engines trimmed up) | |
| 21,572 lb. |
Lagoon Seventy 8 Powercat
Lagoon is a division of Groupe Beneteau, the world’s largest builder of sailing yachts, and the Lagoon Seventy 8 Powercat is a developmental sistership of its Seventy 7 super sailing cat. The Seventy series yachts are built at Construction Navale Bordeaux in France, which had to add a new yard to construct these catamarans because they require separate stern molds for the power and sail versions.
| 78’1” | |
| 36’1” | |
| 2,246 gal. | |
| 422 gal. | |
| 4’2” | |
| 131,153 lb. |
Horizon PC68
Multihull yachts ride differently than monohulls, often counteracting the sea’s motion for a smoother, more stable ride. On the Horizon PC68 , sharp hull entries make head seas seem gentle, and a Humphree stabilization system with blades reduces roll. Horizon uses SCRIMP construction for resin saturation that maximizes strength with an 111,112-pound displacement. And with a 5-foot-4-inch draft, the PC68 invites island cruising.
| 60’9” | |
| 24’6” | |
| 1,000 gal. | |
| 250 gal. | |
| 4’9” | |
| 83,467 lb. |
Two Oceans 555
With 27-knot speed, house-like volume, an on-deck master and top-tier tech, the Two Oceans 555 is a formidable power catamaran. Dave Jirikovic of HMY Yachts was on a quest. The sales broker was looking for the meanest, nastiest patch of Gulf Stream he could find to show a potential client what the Two Oceans 555 power cat could handle. And just as he had intended to show us, the broad-shouldered power cat didn’t even notice. He even dropped the single-lever throttles back to idle and left the 25-foot-wide Two Oceans 555 beam-on to another set of square-edged seas. The 55-footer brushed that off too. Jirikovic tried quartering into the seas—never a happy angle for catamarans—and the yacht drowsed through them.
| 55’6” | |
| 25’ | |
| 750 gal. | |
| 200 gal. | |
| 49,600 lb. |
Fitted with the optional twin 300-horsepower Volvo Penta D4 diesels, the Lagoon 630 MY burns only 1.64 gph total at 6 knots, giving a theoretical range of 2,952 nautical miles with standard tankage of 793 gallons. Hull No. 1 had an optional 502-gallon tank, giving it transatlantic range.
Luxury, stability and economy are all hallmarks of Lagoon’s return to luxury motor yachts. If you can take a ride, it will be worth your time.
| 64’ | |
| 32’10” | |
| 793 gal. | |
| 254 gal. | |
| 3’11” | |
| 70,097 lb. |
Fountaine Pajot MY5
The flybridge deck on the Fountaine Pajot MY5 is a standout feature, offering virtually unobstructed 360-degree ocean views and an elevated beach club vibe. Aft of the off-center starboard helm is a spacious area perfect for entertaining, complete with a wet bar, refrigeration center, and ample seating. It’s the most popular space aboard according to the builder. And if the weather turns for the worse, a second helm station in the saloon allows the skipper to pilot the MY5 in climate-controlled comfort.
| 42’4” | |
| 19’9” | |
| 372 gal. | |
| 112 gal. | |
| 3’7” | |
| 46,000 lb. |
Prestige Yachts M8
How fitting it was that Prestige Yachts introduced its new M-Line flagship, the M8 , at Portopiccolo, a picturesque yachting village outside Trieste, Italy. Formerly a quarry, the cliff-side area had been chiseled into a clean site rife with eye-catching vistas, much like the French builder’s 65-foot power catamaran and its nearly 3,000 square feet of usable real estate.
| 65’ | |
| 29’ | |
| 978 gal. | |
| 224 gal. | |
| 5’5” | |
| 98,379 lb. |
Aquila 47 Molokai
With every boat, there’s an origin story. In the case of the Aquila 47 Molokai power catamaran, it starts with MarineMax, which saw people renting boats for bareboat charters. MarineMax Vacations was born. After experimenting with several production yachts, the company decided to build its own: the Aquila line, designed for charter as well as for sale to owner-operators.
| 49’4” | |
| 14’7” | |
| 1,048 gal. | |
| 2’2” (engines trimmed up) | |
| 22,818 lb. |
- More: Aquila Boats , Fountaine Pajot , Horizon Power Catamarans , Lagoon , Lagoon Catamarans , Power Catamarans , Prestige Yachts , Silent-Yachts , Two Oceans , Yachts
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A catamaran is a twin-hull boat with two equally-sized hulls placed side by side. They're powered by engines, sails, or both—and they're known for efficiency and speed. Catamarans are the most common kind of multihull boat. In this article, we'll go over the characteristics of catamarans and how to differentiate them from other types of ...
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The following power catamarans are all vessels we've reviewed. They are listed in no particular order. Fountaine Pajot MY44: A family-oriented cat suitable for long-range cruising and aimed at owner-operators. Silent Yachts 60: This is a catamaran that can cruise comfortably for long distances using emissions-free solar-electric propulsion.
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