Catamaran or Monohull? An Honest Comparison

Ask a charter broker whether you want a catamaran or a monohull and you will usually get a catamaran, because catamarans keep more guests happy more of the time. That is true, and it is still worth understanding what you give up. ## Where the catamaran wins Stability. A cat does not heel. At anchor it barely rolls. For anyone prone to seasickness, or travelling with children or non-sailors, this is not a marginal improvement — it is the difference between a good week and a difficult one. Space. An 18-metre catamaran has more interior and deck area than a 24-metre monohull. Cabins sit in the hulls, well separated, so two couples are not sharing a bulkhead. The saloon is on one level with the cockpit. Draft. A cat of this size draws about 1.2 metres against 2.5 or more for an equivalent monohull. In the Bahamas, the BVI and the Croatian shallows that is a genuinely different set of available anchorages. ## Where the monohull wins Sailing. Upwind, a decent monohull is faster, points higher and feels alive in a way a cruising cat does not. If the sailing is the point of the trip rather than the transport between beaches, this matters. Motion in a seaway. A cat's motion is quick and jerky in a beam sea. A monohull's is slower and more predictable. Long open passages are more comfortable on a monohull — the reverse of the situation at anchor. Cost. Two hulls, two engines, two rudders. A catamaran charters for more than a monohull of the same length, and marinas frequently charge by area rather than length, which can mean paying close to double for the berth. ## Marina reality This surprises people. In peak Mediterranean season a large catamaran can be turned away from a busy marina simply because there is no berth wide enough. Croatia and the Balearics are the usual culprits. It rarely ruins a trip — you anchor out, which is often nicer anyway — but plan for it rather than discover it. ## The practical answer For a Caribbean week with families, non-sailors or anyone worried about seasickness: catamaran, without much hesitation. For a Mediterranean trip built around sailing, or a couple who want the boat to feel like a boat: monohull. For a charter where the yacht is essentially a floating hotel with a crew and the sailing is incidental — the Riviera pattern — a motor yacht is often the honest answer to both questions.