Why Catamarans

A Time-Tested Design That Works!

The catamaran is one of the oldest boat designs in the world.  For thousands of years, people traveled great distances across the unpredictable Pacific in twin hulled vessels because they were extremely efficient to propel.  Twin-hull designs have been used ever since for the very same reasons.  Boaters in Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa have used the twin-hull design for the past three decades to navigate and fish some of the wildest seas in the world.  Commercial ferries use the catamaran design for its greater load capacity, stability and comfort for passengers.

Better Stability, Handling, Rough Water Performance and a Smooth, Dry Ride From a Scientifically Engineered Design

More Comfortable Ride:  The Cat offers a softer ride in rough water than a V-Shape monohull.  Launching from a wave there is a parachute effect – air is trapped between the hulls, softening the blow and minimizing spray.  Cats also turn flatter without the lean of a monohull. 

Stability:Cats have greater stability; you don’t pivot on the centerline like a monohull.  The wider footprint  provides for more deck area, deep fish boxes and maximum storage.  It negates the effect of rolling seas, minimizes side-to-side listing, and allows for greater load capacity. A shallow draft allows access where other boats can’t go.

Fuel Efficiency: Twin-hulls have less water resistance than a single, wide bow, producing greater fuel efficiency.  High performance using less horsepower and fuel means larger boat comfort with more cost-effective operation.

How A Cat Hull Works

The illustration below illustrates how a catamaran hull works.  Air enters the tunnel between the hulls (green).  Water also enters the tunnel (blue).  The mixture is aerated softening the ride like a shock-absorbing system (yellow),  and the compressed aerated mixture accelerates through the tunnel.  The suction creates a vaccuum  (red) that also pulls the spray of water toward the back of the boat, maintaining a drier ride, too.  Of course this happens differently depending upon the design and dimensions of the cat hull. The design of the hull also affects the type of ride, stability, speed and fuel efficiency.