Living on the Water in a Multihull
When these sailors decided to take on the world, multihulls were their boats of choice. We talked to them about moving aboard, living on board and experiencing fascinating things along the way
When these sailors decided to take on the world, multihulls were their boats of choice. We talked to them about moving aboard, living on board and experiencing fascinating things along the way
Tucked away down a narrow alley in the picturesque town of Ashburton, on the edge of Dartmoor National Park in England, is a tiny building called the Tenter loft, a relic from the ancient wool industry when cloth was stretched on tenterhooks. It’s now the quirky office of British multihull designer Nigel Irens, the man behind some of the fastest sailing boats on the planet.
Before we started sailing, we ran a full-time martial arts gym, so having ample space to exercise was a priority when boat shopping. In fact, that was one of the reasons why we selected Zero To Cruising, our PDQ 32 catamaran, instead of a monohull.
Just Say No to “Nautical” And other interior design tricks to transform your multihull into a more livable space.
One of the most eagerly anticipated boats of 2014, the new Gunboat G4 looks nothing short of spectacular. If you thought the Nigel Irens-designed 55- and 60-foot Gunboats introduced in 2013 were radical, this one is right at the bleeding edge.
Six charter destinations that are great for exploring on two hulls
Modern cruising catamarans make it easy to head off into the wild blue…
Picolé comes from Europe to Cape Town in a container, and my sailing partner, Beto Pandiani, and I arrive by plane. Back in 2008, Beto and I sailed an open sport catamaran from Spain to Australia in search of adventure and in the hopes of promoting clean energy.
From a family of five cruising the South Pacific, to a pair of exercise fanatics filming work-out videos on their Caribbean-based cat, to a solo sailor exploring the Exumas on his trimaran, these liveaboard cruisers decided that two (or three) hulls were better than one when it came to creating a life at sea.
Here’s a game I invented at the 2013 Corsair Nationals. Ask the owner of any of Corsair’s folding trailerable trimarans for an opinion of the boat—and take a step back. You’ll need some extra space to absorb the superlatives. These people don’t just like their boats: they bear the passions of the misunderstood.

To celebrate the 250th signing of the Declaration of Independence, the international tall ship fleet is headed stateside.

A marine transformer with fun at its core.

The Cal 40 Nicole wins the St. David’s Lighthouse overall title, while Black Jack 100 takes line honors just shy of a course record. On the course: stunning scenery and a range of conditions. Off it: a scoring drama.

Good skippers manage the boat; great skippers manage the tension.

A spritely little cat that holds its own in a blow.

Analog alarms offer important feedback about how the boat is doing.

A friendly club boat with serious potential.

The lure of early-season boating is a beast with two heads.

A new four part docuseries details the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild campaign to defend the Route du Rhum title, available now on Youtube.

Eight Bells: Charlie Dalin