6 Charter Destinations to Explore on a Multihull
April 2, 2014
Six charter destinations that are great for exploring on two hulls
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.
My first multihull experience came one summer day as some friends and I were enjoying the sun on a pontoon boat in the middle of a lake near landlocked Orlando, Florida, where I used to hang out as a kid.
When pushed, even sailmakers will admit that, more than fancy new sails, a low-drag prop is the most effective way to improve a cruising boat’s performance.
If you want to know what’s happening in cruising catamaran design, just take a stroll down the docks of a charter company. Especially in those warm, shallow-water areas that appeal to big groups—and where catamarans abound—you’ll be sure to find a fleet that’s constantly evolving as it adapts to trends in customer preferences, whether it be boats that are bigger, faster, prettier, cooler or all of the above. Here are some of the current trends driving the market.
Although multihulls have been around for thousands of years, the beach cat is a relatively new invention—the brainchild of a generation of sailors, surfers and Navy vets all taking advantage of the new boatbuilding materials that became widely available in the wake of World War II.
For five years, Marlene and I have left Kansas City each May to board Different Drummer, our 39-foot Prout Escale catamaran, at the River Dunes, North Carolina, and set out for six months of sailing. It’s not always blueberries and chocolate ice cream, but I wouldn’t trade it for the world.
Contributing Editor Christopher Birch’s much anticipated “maintenance manual that should have come with your boat, but didn’t,” is available now.
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.
