How to Become a Sailing Influencer with Erin of Roam Generation PR

Alicia interviews Erin of Roam Generation PR about becoming a sailing influencer. Listen to hear the key skills required and how long and hard the journey is to become the next SV Delos. Erin sailed with her family and that is how she started her PR business, so she has first hand knowledge of the path to start a business while sailing. Her client list is amazing including Delos, Ruby Rose, and many other super famous stars. We really enjoyed making and listening to this interview and hope you will too. Find out more or get in contact with Erin on her website (www.RoamGeneration.com ). Transcript Hello, and welcome back to CatamaranSite. Today, we’re joined by Erin Carey, founder and director of Roam Generation PR, a PR agency dedicated to travel, leisure, and luxury brands. Our objective today is to take a dive into the sailing influencer world, one that […]

Financing a Catamaran Q&A with First Approval Source

In this Q&A with First Approval Source, they cover the basics of marine financing as well as some specific details related to financing a catamaran in the current lending environment. Apply for financing via this link. What is First Approval Source? First Approval Source is a recreational loan company that specializes in finding the most competitive rates and terms for our customers. If you’ve never financed a boat before, don’t worry we’ll handle all the necessary paperwork and walk you through the entire process. People like working with us because we have a wide network of lenders, so we can always find a loan package that really fits their needs. How did First Approval Source get started? First Approval Source was founded with the customer in mind. Buying a boat is fun right? And we think that the finance process should also be fun. One of the biggest struggles that […]

Factors that Affect Catamaran Insurance Rates with William Coates

Diane interviews Bill Coates on the factors that affect catamaran insurance rates such as age, value, experience, cruising range. They also cover ways to prepare your resume for the best rates and how the process works. Please listen and learn about the knitty gritty on getting insurance for your catamaran. You can contact Bill of​​​​ Offshore Risk Management at via phone at 305-743-7711 x2202 or email to ( wjc@offshorerisk.com ). Apply for insurance online here. I’m with Bill Coates today from Offshore Risk Management. Thanks for spending time with us at CatamaranSite. Can you tell me a little bit about who you are and what Offshore Risk Management is? Yes, my name is Bill Coates. I am a marine and aviation insurance broker. I’ve been in the business since 1972. So it’s been a long time, and I’ve seen a lot of very interesting things. Our business was established at […]

Misconceptions about Learning to Sail a Catamaran with Tim Geisler of Nautilus Sailing

We interviewed Tim Geisler of www.NautilusSailing.com about his week catamaran sailing school. We cover how much experience you need to take his course, common misconceptions, and the big takeaways you gain from the week. Please enjoy and contact Tim via the info@nautilussailing.com email. He also has an excellent educational YouTube channel and is launching an online catamaran-sailing master class in the coming weeks. Good morning Tim, it’s nice to be here to talk to you for catamaransite. I’m wondering if you could tell everybody a little bit about who you are, and what you do at Nautilus Sailing. Morning Diane, It’s an honor to be here this morning. So, Nautilus Sailing. I learned to sail in Southern California many, many years ago. It took about two years to learn how to sail, going every Sunday for a couple hours. At the time, I was a teacher in inner city Los […]

Catamaran Structure – Bridge Decks and Cross Beams

Editor’s Note: Many thanks to Ted Clements of Antares Catamarans and Shane Grover of Seawind Catamarans for patiently answering our questions. There are a lot of reasons why catamarans are more expensive than monohulls. It’s not just the two hulls. There are many more complicated calculations and structures needed to build the complex shapes. Building a bridge deck and the structures around a pair of hulls is a lot more difficult to design and build than a single hull, and we’ll explore a little about why. Part 1: Forces on the Hulls Load and force calculations on a boat hull isn’t a simple calculation, and even monohulls take a lot of designing to build a shape which performs well and has the strength to hold together at sea. Land vehicles have fairly predictable forces and motion on them, but boats can take forces and stresses in any direction. Waves slam […]

Catamaran Daggerboards and Keels – Woods Interview # 9

I am with Richard Woods, and we are talking about catamarans. He’s a legendary catamaran designer and experienced catamaran sailor of many different designs. This is one of several interviews we’re having on different topics. Today, we’re talking about daggerboards versus keels. Richard will tell us a little bit about how daggerboards work, how keels work, and what some of the benefits of each are. For more from Richard Woods, please go to his website. Richard, can you start off with what dagger boards and keels do for a boat? There’s the three basic ways of preventing leeway, which is what you’re going to be doing with a multihull. On a monohull you’ve got the keel. Essentially, it’s for stability to balance the heeling, to stop the boat heeling too much. You don’t have that as a problem on a multihull. You are just trying to stop leeway. You can […]

Catamaran Helm Position – Woods Interview # 8

We talk again with Richard Woods, catamaran designer and very expert sailor. We’ve been having a series of discussions about aspects of catamarans that you might not be familiar with. Right now, we’re talking about helm position and some of the unique attributes of where the helm positions can be on a catamaran, and also some of his thoughts about where the helm position ends up. For more information from Richard Woods including purchasing build plans for one of his many affordable designs, please see his website. Why are we talking about helm position? Why is helm position important? People start by saying, “Do you want two helms? Is it hydraulic steering or wire steering or cable push/pull or whatever?” But I think most boats and most designers seem to put their steering and the helm as a very much last resort afterthought. “Oh! Well, we’ll do the saloon, we’ll […]

Catamaran Upwind Performance – Woods Interview # 7

We spoke with Richard Woods, a catamaran designer and sailor based in the UK and famous worldwide. Today, we are talking about pointing and whether or not catamarans can point because there’s a myth about catamarans and their inability to point. Having sailed around the world on one of Richard’s designs, I can let you know that we pointed, probably better than a lot of the monohulls we were with. We’ve been having a series of conversations about elements of catamarans that you might not think about. We’ve had quite a few great conversations, so feel free to look through our Woods Design Advice page. You can read more about Richard Woods on his website SailingCatamaran.com and purchase build plans for many different designs. Can you explain why some catamarans point and some don’t? You’re not really interested in pointing ability, per se. What you’re actually trying to do is […]

Catamarans vs Monohulls – Woods Interview # 6

Welcome back to a new episode with catamaran designer and sailor, Richard Woods. We’ve had a few conversations already, about a variety of topics. Today we’re going to be talking about monohulls versus catamarans, and some of the attributes that make catamarans especially nice for cruising and living on. Please watch the video below and see the transcript and photos. I assume that you design catamarans because you think they’ve got some definite benefits. Do you want to start off on what you’re thinking is as far as why they make good places to sail and live? I think it’s fairly self-evident that the catamaran has a lot more interior room and a lot more deck space. That seems to be the main appeal to people these days. I’ve actually spent 20 years cruising on catamarans and only recently moved ashore to a house. It’s a very nice, comfortable two-bedroom […]

Catana 42 vs Lagoon 440 Evaluation with Multihull Dynamics

We talked to Pat and Cal of Multihull Dynamics which is an excellent site to compare sailing characteristics of cruising catamarans. We walk through what their website can do by doing a comparison of the Catana 42 and Lagoon 440. They discuss why they started the site, various features of the site, touch on overall lessons they have learned from over a decade of analysis, and more. They are launching a new site within the next couple months, so please stay tuned and look for their enhanced site which will have more functionality, better look and feel, and an even larger database of cruising catamarans to compare to each other. You can go to their website and get in touch with Pat and Cal with questions, suggestions, and custom analysis. Welcome Pat and Cal! Can you give me a little bit more information on Multihull Dynamics? Hi. I’m Pat Ross. […]

How old of a catamaran should I buy? – Woods Interview # 5

We talked with Richard Woods, well known catamaran designer and seasoned catamaran sailor, about catamaran ages. Is there an age where the fiberglass wears out or the structure of a catamaran breaks down? Also we talk about what to keep in mind when you’re looking at buying an older boat. For more information or to purchase build plans from Richard Woods, please go to his website at www.SailingCatamarans.com. Please see Episode 1 for an introduction of Richard, Episode 2 to learn about galley locations, Episode 3 for a primer on why cruising catamaran bows are an important purchase design decision, and Episode 4 about bridgedeck clearance. What kind of ages do cats come in? I always think of them as sort of a newer type of boat. How old are the production catamarans? How far do they go back? Oh much. We actually own a catamaran that was built in […]

What “good” bridgedeck clearance is and why is it important? – Richard Woods Interview # 4

Editor’s Note: These videos are meant to be introductions to basic catamaran design considerations. For more in depth discussions please contact Richard Woods via his website or comment below on this article. We welcome questions and suggestions. In this interview, we talk to Richard Woods about one of the most important characteristics of cruising catamaran design – bridgedeck clearance. It is a feature that is often too low especially on small catamarans. Richard explains that while bridgedeck clearance seems like a simple yet elusive measurements, it is in fact a very complicated design characteristic that catamaran architects have to thoroughly think out. Can I get an inflatable dinghy underneath? A question Richard Woods suggests asking to determine if a catamaran has enough bridge deck clearance. For more information or to purchase build plans from Richard Woods, please go to his website at www.SailingCatamarans.com. Please see Episode 1 for an introduction […]

Why Catamaran Bow Shape is Important: Woods Interview # 3

Richard Woods, catamaran designer and sailor, talks to us about bow shapes on cruising catamarans, and why bow shape should be an important consideration to buyers of catamarans. You might not have thought about bow shape yet while looking for a catamaran. Richard clues us into how designers think about bow shape while they are designing a catamaran. Specifically he addresses the drawbacks of reverse bows in regards to seamanship while docking or hitting flotsam offshore. Please visit his website SailingCatamarans.com for more information from Richard and build plans for his designs. This is Episode 3 in a series of interviews with Richard Woods covering topics to educate those looking to purchase a catamaran. Please see Episode 1 which is an introduction video and then Episode 2 covers galley location considerations. Stay tuned for additional videos in the coming weeks. Can you define what a vertical bow is? Vertical bow […]

When is Galley Up or Galley Down Better? Woods Interview # 2

We talked with Richard Woods, catamaran designer and sailor, about galley up versus galley down. The main advice is to consider how you will actually live in the catamaran and what size salon you need. If you are considering staying small in terms of catamaran length, then galley up configurations can lead to numerous compromises you should be aware of. Can you sit up, put your feet up, and read a book or watch TV? Richard Woods on galley up leading to space restrictions in salon. Please see his website for more information about him and to purchase plans to build Woods catamarans. This is the second in a series of interviews with Richard Woods. If you missed it, the first one was an introduction of Richard with his general thoughts about the current state of catamaran design. Please stay tuned for additional episodes with Richard as well as other […]

Catamaran Financing Explained by Jennifer Meyers

In this episode we talk to Jennifer Meyers of Yacht Closer Financial. We talk about the basics of financing catamarans with particular emphasis on current market conditions and the nuances of financing a catamaran located in the Caribbean. Her contact information phone at 954.816.1818 or email to finance@yachtcloser.com. The website is www.ycfinancial.com where you can fill out an application for marine financing. What is a marine finance agent? What do you do? We are primarily a service company that assists buyers with financing for boat purchases. Financing for boats is really based on the strength of the borrower but there’s so many programs to fit so many different types of borrowers and we have all of them as a service company. We have several different lenders that we work with and once we get someone interested in a purchase we will fit that borrower to the right program. We handle […]

Is a catamaran better for seasickness?

Unfortunately not based on my personal experience and watching others. That catamarans especially help with seasickness is a myth. In fact some catamarans seem to make seasickness worse because of their awkward, more unpredictable motion. I have sailed regularly the last decade thousands on miles in a variety of sea conditions on a variety of types of boats with a variety of crew. I also am prone to seasickness. While there is a difference in the motion of catamarans versus single hulled boats, the result for those who get seasick is usually the same. If you get seasick on one type of boat, you will likely get seasick on the other types. The more determining factors are the ocean conditions and whether you are taking anti-nausea medicine. I remember one of my early offshore deliveries from Fort Lauderdale to Annapolis on a Lagoon 440 and how I hoped I would […]

Catamarans are Better Than Monohulls

Frozen snot Description of fiberglass boats by Lewis Francis Herreshoff It is not a debate anymore. People used to consider the advantages and disadvantages of cruising catamarans versus monohulls. Now it is simply a price consideration. “I don’t have enough money for a catamaran, so I am buying a monohull,” they lament. Catamarans have gone from 20% of the market in my home location of Fort Lauderdale to 50%. In the next decade they will go to 80% share of sailboats. They own the charter market. They own the coastal racing world. And someday soon they will own the bluewater racing and cruising worlds (ask Jimmy Cornell). And as their production surges and prices continue to drop, less and less people will be unable to afford them. It is not a debate anymore. It is a present reality; it is a future certainty. Traditional sailors including me (I own a classic […]

Should I Buy an Ex-Charter Catamaran?

I questioned 20 catamaran owners; if you were buying a used catamaran, would you consider a yacht from a charter company or only search privately owned vessels? 8 of the people said they wouldn’t consider ANY boat coming from the land of charters. Ten of the people said they would entertain the idea of buying a pre-owned charter boat and two already have purchased pre-owned charter cats and BOTH had good things to say about their experiences. Read on later in this article about specific experiences from one of the buyers. Searching for your next catamaran can get over-whelming pretty quick. There a plenty of cat’s out there to choose from; between all the different designs, years and location of the boats, one can become bewildered with hopefully choosing the “right” catamaran. This doesn’t even include whether or not the boat was used privately, or for charter. Knowing if your […]

OceanVolt ServoProps – Perfect for catamarans but are they ready?

Not yet. But advancements are coming in the next decade, and the long awaited emissions free cruising dream is nearly reachable. It has been a long time coming. Countless sailors have pursued the impossible over the last decade as lithium batteries have been advanced and costs lowered. How many sailors have attempted to power the air conditioning from lithium and ended up with failure or anemic units which act more like dehumidifiers? With power hogs like air conditioners and electric motors, how many wind and solar keep up? The new ServoProp saildrives from OceanVolt especially when doubled on a cruising catamaran give us hope. What They Are OceanVolt’s new ServoProp sail drives do the impossible, free wheel while you are sailing, harness the power your motion through the sea, and push that hydro generated energy back into you lithium power bank. Amazing and great idea executed finally in one integrated […]

Catamaran Construction – Hulls, Laminates, and Composites

It’s a given that catamarans are more sensitive to weight and loading than monohulls. Catamaran builders strive to build the lightest boats they can without sacrificing strength and stiffness, and have adapted new building techniques and materials to meet this target. Cutting weight allows more passengers and gear without sacrificing performance. And the marketing materials reflect it–they load every review and website with polysyllabic technical jargon describing the design and production choices each builder made to deliver the best boat they can. But when you’re reading a brochure and you come across phrases like “hand laid bidirectional GRP” or “vacuumed bagged e-glass with vinylester resin over a Divinycell core” do you know what that really means? All modern production catamarans are made with “FRP” construction (for Fiber Reinforced Polymer). Composites aren’t new–it’s just using materials together to strengthen the whole assembly. Straw was added to bricks centuries ago, and steel […]

How much does it cost to dock a catamaran?

A big consideration when purchasing a catamaran is how much it will cost to moor or dock it. The cost to dock a catamaran will usually be higher than a monohull since their greater beam means they take up a lot more room than a monohull. The cost of moorage can vary greatly between different areas of the world however. Rates can also vary depending on the season (winter vs summer) if peak season is much more popular than the off-season.  Besides just the cost, the availability of moorage in your desired area is something to consider as well. Since most marinas are designed primarily with monohulls in mind, they may not have much room available for catamarans. In some places, marina moorage is in such high demand that there are waiting lists to get in. If you’re looking for transient (nightly) moorage while out cruising, it will likely be […]

Should I Buy a Catamaran with Saildrives?

Catamaran buyers out there in the world have explicit demands and preferences when it comes to the layout of their catamaran. Things like dagger boards versus keels, Yanmar versus Volvo, flybridge versus bulkhead helms and the list goes on. A hot topic these days is that of the buyer of a straight shaft engine, or the other guy who would like a saildrive unit instead, on his catamaran. Traditionally, there are more straight shaft drive monohulls and more catamaran’s built with saildrives today. This rule tends to go out the window on vessel’s over 50 feet. Just to gain some perspective, I drove down to the marina by my house, where there are about two hundred vessels tied up in season and about half that being full time slip holders. The marina is known to be the home for many of the Mid-Bays catamarans. It was a beautiful Saturday morning […]

What are the best practices for escrowing funds when selling for sale by owner?

Please note that since publishing this article CatamaranSite has started offering a high quality contract to closing service at the lowest price in the industy. Please see more at this link and read more below about all options. One of the most uncomfortable aspects for a buyer and seller in a for sale by owner catamaran transaction is the escrowing of funds. We see that purchase and sale paperwork is formalized and examples are available online. Closing paperwork is easily handled by a marine documentation agent for a reasonable fee. But escrow services has more complicated options, costs, and risks involved. In a for sale by owner situation, escrowing can take many forms. A buyer may not provide a deposit which then exposes the seller to costs incurred in the case the buyer disappears without paying the haul out, survey, or any other costs as agreed upon. A second dangerous […]

How much is a 45 foot catamaran? 5 Great Options.

Quick answer is $300,000 to $600,000. But you could also pay as much as $1 million for a fully loaded catamaran like La Vagabonde’s brand new Outremer 45 or as little as $150,000 for a late 1990’s Prout 45 or Leopard 45. These prices are all considering you are asking about a catamaran in reasonable condition and with appropriate cruising equipment. Project catamarans could end up costing much less initially although very likely much more eventually as typically you pay a premium in sailing for the “refit experience.” The upside is a long escape working in a boatyard that allows you to escape from your wife and children if that is your goal. We do not recommend the approach and this website while offering a wide selection of catamarans prefers to advertise that are in good condition at great prices to our visitors. Another budget aspect to consider is maintenance […]

What are the parts of a catamaran called?

This article is a dictionary of sorts of common terms used whether slang or professional among catamaran sailors. balsa cored (adj.) – description of a type of building technique common on catamaran used for weight saving purposes. End grain balsa is sandwiched between two layers of fiberglass to stiffen, lighten, and insulate the hull and deck of many catamarans. Usually balsa coring is discussed in terms of concerns about water logged or “wet” coring material which is a significant expensive as well as a common issue especially as catamarans get older. beach platform (n.) – a type of platform at the back of catamaran in particular the Voyage 440. The platform runs the whole back width between the swim platforms and function as a place behind the cockpit combing to layout, fish, and dangle your feet. beachable (adj.) – describing a class of catamaran which can safely be run aground […]

Catamaran Drives Types – Outboards, Inboards and Drive Shaft Configurations

Catamarans these days have many options for their engine based propulsion, even more than monohulls due to the more diverse configurations of a catamaran. The traditional twin diesel engines is a popular arrangement, and dual or single outboard configurations are also becoming popular. When choosing an inboard engine, you then often have a decision to make in drive shaft configuration: traditional straight shaft, or a saildrive.  The drive type has long lasting consequences for how you use and maintain a boat, so it’s an important factor. It affects how much power you have for motoring into strong winds or against current, fuel economy, reliability, maintenance needs, and purchase plus maintenance costs. And let’s not forget noise level and liveability – the choice between diesel inboards vs gas outboards can have a big impact on cabin storage areas and engine noise level. Single Gas Outboard Outboards have always been common in […]

What Size Catamaran Should I Buy?

The decision of what size catamaran to buy is an important one, and also a surprisingly difficult one. The best size catamaran will depend a lot on your needs for the boat – how you plan to use it, how many people you’ll typically have onboard, and what your expectations are for boating liveaboard life.  A larger boat will be more spacious and comfortable for living onboard, capable of comfortably housing more people, but has higher costs for purchase and maintenance – and a larger catamaran can also require more skill (or crew) to safely sail. Choosing what size catamaran to look for is the first key step in your purchasing process because it will narrow down the field of options, and can have a big impact on how happy you end up with your decision. Costs The biggest factor that typically comes into play is cost – the larger […]

10 Best Pocket Catamarans (Under 38 ft)

Smaller cruising catamarans are an excellent entry level gateway into cruising catamarans and of late have become very popular. This is an effort to select some of the most well respected of these smaller catamarans. This was a difficult task, as many of these boats, designed and built some time ago, are still found in all the popular cruising grounds, and a list like this is subjective after all. All I can do is apologize in advance for leaving a boat off this list. Prout Snowgoose 37 The Snowgoose  (all iterations) was the first truly popular mass produced catamaran with more than 500 built. Known as safe, strong and capable of being sailed off shore, which some say is because of the position of their main mast, they make a perfect coastal cruiser or circumnavigator for an adventurous couple. This is a lot of boat for the money. These boats […]

Dockside – AC Line Voltage by Country

International Power Standards(Courtesy of ASEA Power Systems,Inc.) Country Frequency Nominal Voltage American Samoa 60Hz 120/240 or 277/480 Antigua 60Hz 230/400 Argentina 50Hz 220/380 Aruba 60Hz 127/220 or 115/230 Australia 50Hz 240/415 or 250/435 Azores 50Hz 110/190 or 220/380 Bahamas 60Hz 120/240 or 120/208 Bahrain 50Hz 230/400   60Hz 110/220 Balearic Islands 50Hz 127/220 or 220/380 Barbados 50Hz 115/230 or 115/200 Belgium 50Hz 220/380 Belize 60Hz 110/220 or 250/440 Benin 50Hz 220/380 Bermuda 60Hz 120/240 or 120/208 Brazil 60Hz 115/230 or 127/220 or 220/380 Brunei 50Hz 240/415 Bulgaria 50Hz 220/380 Burma 50Hz 230/400 Canada 60Hz 120/240 or 120/208 or 277/480 Canary Islands 50Hz 127/220 or 220/380 Cape Verde 50Hz 220/380 Cayman Islands 60Hz 120/240 or 120/208 Chile 50Hz 220/380 China (PRC) 50Hz 220/380 Columbia 60Hz 110/220 or 120/208 or 150/260 Costa Rica 60Hz 120/240 or 120/208 Cyprus 50Hz 240/415 Denmark 50Hz 220/380 Dominica 50Hz 230/400 Dominican Republic 60Hz 120/240 or 120/208 […]

Bahamas Navigation Lights

(Light Houses) Light House Town Area / Island Duration Visible Range Bird Rock Lighthouse Crooked Island Northern entrance to Crooked Island Passage Two white flashes every 15 seconds. 18.5 miles Castle Island Lighthouse Acklin Island Southeastern entrance to Crooked Island Passage Two white flashes every 20 seconds. 20.0 miles Cay Lobos Light Cay Lobos Old Bahama Channel, south fringe of the Great Bahama Bank, 30 miles from Cuba. Two white flashes every 20 seconds. 21.0 miles Dixon Hill Lighthouse San Salvador South West Point, San Salvador Island Two white flashes every 10 seconds. 21.6 miles Egg Island Light Spanish Wells Off northern tip of Eleuthera, west of Royal Island White flash every 3 seconds, range 12 nautical miles 18.5 miles Elbow Cay Lighthouse Hope Town Elbow Cay, west side of Hope Town Harbour Five white flashes every 15 seconds. 19.1 miles Eleuthera Point Light Bannerman Town Southeastern tip of Eleuthera […]