6 Charter Destinations to Explore on a Multihull
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.

A recent post titled Why I Cringe Over Female-Only Sailing Events caused a stir online. After sailing in last week’s Boston Harbor Ladies Challenge, Editor-in-Chief Lydia Mullan weighs in.

250 boats squared off last week on Lake Michigan’s famous 333-mile course and found the full spectrum of race conditions awaiting them.

After the 4th of July festivities in New York City, the international tallship fleet continued its tour of the eastern seaboard, heading up to Boston.

In the days of e-readers, one wonders how long the pulpy pleasure of the boatyard book swap will last.

Concern over the implementation of Forecast-Time Correction Factor (F-TCF) scoring rocked this year’s Newport Bermuda Race after it was discovered that rating discrepancies impacted the

You climb from your berth and start the stove for coffee, warming the cabin. You check your position, looking out the ports as the sun

You may have noticed that you’ve heard from us less frequently this week. SAIL’s editor Lydia Mullan discusses changes to the newsletter.

Twenty countries sent tallships to participate in a parade of sail celebrating America’s 250th birthday. Here’s a look at the sights as New York City welcomed these iconic vessels.

From evaluating condition to pricepoint, Alan Glos shares everything you need to know to buy a used dinghy.

Contributing Editor Christopher Birch’s much anticipated “maintenance manual that should have come with your boat, but didn’t,” is available now.