Catamaran vs monohull for chartering — the great debate

Chartering
1

I recently chartered a catamaran for a week with friends (after sailing monohulls exclusively for 20 years) and I have… opinions.

What I liked about the catamaran:

  • Space. So much space. The saloon and cockpit are huge
  • Stability at anchor — no rolling, drinks stay upright, everyone’s happy
  • Shallow draft lets you get closer to beaches
  • Two bathrooms/heads — luxury for a group

What I didn’t like:

  • It doesn’t SAIL. It moves through the water under sail, but the feel, the feedback, the heeling — it’s all gone. It felt like driving a floating apartment
  • Tacking is slow and cumbersome
  • In the marina it’s like parking a bus
  • The windward performance is genuinely poor compared to a decent monohull

My verdict: For a holiday with non-sailing friends or family, a catamaran is probably the better choice. For actual sailing pleasure, give me a monohull every time.

I know this is controversial. Fight me.

2

As someone who charters both types regularly, I’d say you’re mostly right but being a bit harsh on the cats. A well-sailed modern catamaran (Lagoon 42, Fountaine Pajot 44) can be genuinely fun. The key is not trying to sail it like a monohull — they have their own technique.

But yes, for pure sailing sensation, monohull wins. The lean, the feedback through the helm, the satisfaction of trimming perfectly — cats don’t give you that.

For charter: cat with a group, monohull with sailors. Simple.

3

I’m firmly in the monohull camp and I won’t apologise for it. A catamaran is a platform, not a sailboat. There, I said it.

But I’ve mellowed with age. If my knees were worse and I wanted to live aboard comfortably, a cat would make more sense than my Hallberg-Rassy. The living space is incomparably better. It’s just not sailing in the way I understand it.

4

I’ve never sailed a catamaran and honestly I’m not sure I want to. My Bavaria heels over, the water rushes past the hull, the tiller gives me feedback — that’s sailing to me. But I completely understand the appeal of a stable platform for families and groups.

My compromise suggestion: get a monohull for sailing and invite people who appreciate it. Don’t try to convert non-sailors on a heeling boat — that just creates more people who hate sailing!

5

We’ve been going back and forth on this for months! We started by looking at catamarans because of the space, but everyone we talk to (including now this thread) says monohull for actual sailing. I think we’re leaning monohull now, especially since we want to learn and improve rather than just cruise in comfort.

But we might charter a cat for a holiday with friends who don’t sail. Best of both worlds?

6

I’ve only ever sailed monohulls and I love the feeling of heeling — it’s the most alive I ever feel. But I can see why a catamaran would be great for a relaxed holiday. Maybe I just need to try one before I judge!

Although the idea of ‘parking a bus’ in a marina is terrifying enough in a monohull, let alone something twice the width!