Power Catamarans

Power Catamarans

In the timeline of all things nautical, the power catamaran is a recent addition but, to hear its proponents, you’d think it was the best thing since, well, clap lights. Power cats seem to offer the impossible: more space for a given length, more speed with less expensive engines, and less fuel consumption.

If those features are true, then why hasn’t the world embraced the power catamaran? Instead, it remains basically a cottage industry.

There are a lot of reasons that power cats remain a sidebar to “real boats,” not the least of which is that a lot of manufacturers have a lifetime supply of very expensive molds for single-hulled powerboats, hence a natural reticence to disturb the status quo. For the most part, the builders of power catamarans remain as a small band of zealous missionaries intent on sharing their wisdom with the monohull heathens.

Catamarans, of course, aren’t a new phenomenon, with records of them as early as 5th Century India. And, at a time when most of the “civilized” world was still gazing at the sea with fear, the Polynesians were making incredible voyages over thousands of miles of open ocean aboard catamarans.

Nathanael Herreshoff designed a racing catamaran in 1876, which (no surprise) was promptly banned by the New York Yacht Club because it was too fast. After World War II, the Hawaiian beach catamaran, Manu Kai, took decades of tourists through the surf off Waikiki to kick-start the sailing catamaran craze that eventually attracted surfer Hobie Alter, whose ubiquitous Hobie Cats now number more than 100,000.

Larger cruising catamarans have been slow to develop, in part because many of the early designs might best be described as clunky, since they were often based on the characteristics of a 4-by-8-foot sheet of plywood.

As designs improved with the development of fiberglass construction methods, the Caribbean charter industry shifted from one based strictly on monohulls to the point where catamarans, both sail and power, fill many fleets. These, in turn, have introduced more yachtsmen to the pleasures of the catamaran.

A prime selling point for power cats is that they offer a surprising amount of space for their length. Of course, it doesn’t take a naval architect to figure out that a 42-foot catamaran with a beam of 22 feet is going to have more available space than a 42-foot monohulled powerboat with a beam of 13 feet. Duh.

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The catamaran also solves some of the layout problems of a single- hulled yacht by allowing the cabins to be well spaced in the two hulls, thus providing a level of privacy unavailable when cabins are separated only by a thin bulkhead. There is, however, a downside. Because the hulls are fairly narrow, the space available for cabins in the hull is constrained, so designers have resorted to some unusual layouts, such as creating raised berths that are tucked into the bridge deck to free up floor space.

Those lean hulls also create less drag than a single hull, giving power cats both better speed and better fuel economy, all other things being equal. Power cats are effective with smaller and lighter engines, which also helps reduce the operating costs.

When it comes to “feel,” well, a power catamaran is another breed of cat. (I had to get that line in somewhere!) Catamarans just feel different than single-hulled yachts, both at sea and at anchor. The greater beam and two-legged stance can give the anchored catamaran a steadiness that rivals solid ground. At sea, a power cat has a quick loping motion that many find to be more agreeable than that of a slow-to-react monohull.

To be fair, that wide beam does come with some penalties. You may find that marinas aren’t able to fit you into a slip, or you may be hit with a surcharge for a larger slip or an end tie. And when it comes time to haul for bottom paint or service, some shipyards aren’t able to handle that wide beam.

One thing that skippers new to power cats quickly discover is that because the twin hulls have a smaller “footprint,” they are much more sensitive to weight. Pile on as much gear as you would on a monohull, and the boot top of a power cat will disappear.

Nevertheless, a growing number of cruisers are considering making the switch to power catamarans that give them speed, space, and reduced costs.

In the evolving power cat market, there are motoryachts, sportfishers, express cruisers, trawlers, and even megayachts in catamaran form. And, because catamaran design remains relatively young, there is a lot of experimentation not found in the mature monohull field. You’ll find power cats with hydrofoils, power cats that rely on solar energy for propulsion, and power cats that have faux bows so they look like monohulls above the water.

Since some power cats are intended for open ocean crossings while others are strictly coastal cruisers, you should consider your choices carefully. This is still a relatively new market segment, so complete your due diligence before signing on the dotted line. Evaluate what you need and want in a yacht, examine the builder’s credentials, talk to power cat owners, and take your time. You may find a power catamaran that offers everything you’re looking for in your next yacht