Why choose a catamaran?

With Powercats increasing in popularity there’s no question that catamarans offer many advantages over monohulled boats. Once you truly understand why you should choose a catamaran over a monohull you won’t look back. Read about the advantages of a cat below or read our short blog post on why buy a cat.

Stability

A Powercat’s twin hulls focus the buoyancy around the outside of the boat, rather than in the middle, creating much greater stability. Wide beam monohulls do exist and they can provide a smooth ride. They do, however, produce a much greater wetted surface, which produces more drag and consequently affects fuel economy. The flatter deadrise of a beamy monohulled boat also compromises its rough water attributes and dryness from bow spray.

A Smooth and Stable Ride

Underway, a well-designed Powercat, whether of a planing, semi-displacement or displacement hull type, will produce a much smoother and stable ride than the average monohull.

Twin Engine Reliability

Should you lose power in one engine you can get home safely on the other and with many setups still get the boat on the plane. The independent steering means you still track straight and turn with ease getting you home safely. Match this with independent fuel tanks and starter batteries for even greater peace of mind.

Air cushion effect

A Powercat at speed gains lift and cushioning from spray and air being pressured through between the hulls. As well, there is the advantage of two narrow hulls slicing smoothly through the waves.

Usable Space

More beam means more useable space inside a Powercat, and around the decks. Without the ‘pointed’ shape of the bow of a monohull, a Powercat gains considerable deck space forward.

The separation of the hulls in larger catamarans creates two separate spaces that can be though of as two accommodation wings.

Safety

Powercats are less likely to roll in rough seas due to the twin hulls creating more stability in the rough

Economy

Published trials have shown that between a planing Powercat and a planing monohull there is very little difference. The cat takes a little more power to get up on the plane but then tends to run more efficiently once on the plane.

Great use of underfloor areas

Two hulls also offer greater use of underfloor areas – all space can be used for berths, tankage, refrigeration and accessible stowage

Displacement Hulls

The Powercat with displacement hulls is a different beast altogether. Depending on the hull sizes it is not unusual for ultra efficient speeds well in excess of 20 knots to be achieved in the economical displacement mode. Hence the proliferation of large catamaran ferries in service all over the world.

Load Carrying

Powercats are able to carry much greater loads without significant loss of stability or performance. Overload a monohull and you may unleash an unstable monster.

Maneuverability

Few other characteristics of a monohull turn people off boating more than the struggle to berth a single-engine monohull launch on a windy day. A Powercat will out-perform even a twin engine monohull simply because the props are so far apart. A Powercat will spin 360 degrees within her own length.

Dryness

Under way you cannot beat a Powercat for dryness. The narrow hulls slice through the water throwing minimal amounts of water up for the wind to toss back at you.

Haulouts, Marinas & Beaching

Shipyards tend to like hauling out a catamaran because they can be sat on blocks and require no lateral support. Smaller Powercats with outboards can be easily beached.

Costs

In building two hulls to create a Powercat, the building costs will be more than the monohull of similar length. However, the overall space is greater in a Powercat.

It is said that a 10 metre Powercat equates in size more to a 12 metre monohull, a 12 metre to a 15 metre and so on. Hence, if your purchase is based on available deck and internal space, the Powercat will actually be cheaper when lengths are compared.

Sea Trial

The ultimate test as to the merits of a Powercat is a sea trial, get in touch today to see about getting a sea trial