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Discovery 50 review: This British bluewater catamaran could win over monohull purists

• Toby Hodges
• September 24, 2020

British brand Discovery is one of the few monohull yards to build catamarans. Could the Bluewater 50 be one for monohull purists?

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Many of us who dream of long-term cruising want to do it in comfort, preferably in a quality build from a respected brand. With monohulls, we’d be spoilt for choice in the 50-60ft range with yachts from quality yards such as Oyster, Hallberg-Rassy, Contest and Amel to choose from.

But what if we want the extra space and versatility that a multihull offers? The multihull market has burgeoned in the last decade, but the traditional yards typically don’t build catamarans. In fact, surprisingly few specialise in high-end cruising multihulls.

John and Caroline Charnley, the founders of Discovery Yachts, realised this over a decade ago when they commissioned Bill Dixon to design a 50ft catamaran for short-handed bluewater voyaging . It was, in fact, the same concept on which they’d built their successful monohull business.

While the Charnleys were cruising the oceans in their new catamaran, Discovery changed hands and management teams a couple of times. Its models have recently been revitalised, and that includes the Bluewater 50. We went to Lymington to trial the latest boat, built for Werner Schnaebele, who recently became the 100% shareholder of the reformed Discovery Shipyard.

Schnaebele is also, you will note from the pictures, fanatical about dogs. His company, Binti Marine Holdings, owner of Discovery, is named after one of his two Ridgebacks. His wish to have dog motifs on sails and joinery gave the Marchwood yard the chance to showcase the skills for which its craftsmen are known.

Schnaebele and his friends were on board during our trials as they were in the process of a handover. He is relatively new to sailing and has specified his boat with multiple options, including two gensets, a dive compressor and a top spec thermal camera. His plan is to cruise in the Mediterranean and Baltic with friends.

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What’s the rush?

Choosing a multihull is often a head over heart decision. A racing sailor might be drawn to performance designs, perhaps picturing themselves tiller-steering at double digit speeds from a bucket seat. But on such yachts scrupulous weight management is a must, so there is a hefty price to be paid for composite construction and they often lack creature comforts.

See the pocket-sprung mattresses, electric heads, fridges, freezers and wine stowage in the capacious Bluewater 50, and you start to question how much you really need fast-paced fun.

Many sailors have little multihull experience and can be somewhat nervy when sailing a catamaran. But the Bluewater 50 is much more approachable to traditional monohull sailors. Its relatively low freeboard, for instance, the in-mast furling and familiar twin headsail rig, as well as the standard finish and joiner work, is familiar to anyone used to top end monohulls.

Note the practical curved edges to the joinerwork. The finish and some layout aspects can be customised

It’s even built in a traditional way, in hand-laid glassfibre, with solid laminate for the hulls, sandwich decks and bulkheads bonded to both. You quickly find yourself thinking this catamaran is not too different from the norm after all.

When it launched ten years ago, the Bluewater 50 looked rather dated. And although recent changes have significantly improved its layout and styling, it’s still more retro than in vogue.

Perhaps that’s no bad thing, however. Buyers will place a much higher value on the practicalities, such as the high bridgedeck clearance, the wide side decks, and visibility from the helm. It’s no surprise to learn that all buyers so far have been former monohull owners.

The main layout difference with the previous model is that Discovery has done away with the original forward master cabin. Previously, it spanned the full beam, but lacked headroom.

The new version has a more conventional three- or four-cabin layout with cabins at either end of the hulls. Natural light and ventilation has also been improved significantly.

Any similarities with a monohull stop abruptly when it comes to handling and hands-on feel. A 26ft wide 20-tonne vessel can seem daunting when you are leaving a dock or a marina berth, especially if there is a crosswind. However, a benefit of catamarans is their twin engines spaced well apart, which allow you to spin the boat in its own length. Thrusters are also an option on the Discovery.

Wide side decks have a secure feeling with high handrails

Once out into the fresh breeze funnelling down the western Solent, I noticed more similarities with a monohull. The in-mast furling system controlling the mainsail and the choice of genoa or self-tacking jib on furlers (powered if desired), would make setting sail a doddle if short-handed.

What struck me most during our test was the consistent, comfortable motion of the Bluewater 50. That will also appeal to traditional cruisers. Even when the boat was over-canvassed,it behaved well and, had we wanted to, reefing would have been a simple push-button affair.

Despite an ugly wind-against-tide chop we experienced no pitching or slamming; the Discovery would get up speed and ride through the waves. It felt similar to a displacement monohull, except that wine bottles were left standing upright on the galley countertop and the tea was brewed from a non-gimballed stove.

The redesigned Bluewater 50 has a lot more natural light and a generous main living area

A comfortable pace

The price for all that comfort is lack of speed. You might assume a catamaran would be swifter, but I doubt you’d be crossing oceans any faster on the Bluewater 50 than on a similar-sized monohull.

Powered-up, with the blue Code sail and full main set in 20-23 knots of true wind, we averaged 8.5 knots, albeit deep reaching, and being careful not to overload the sail. And when the wind increased a little more and that Code sail was furled away, we enjoyed some fetching and beating under full main and jib, averaging 7 to 7.5 knots.

These may not be the speeds the polars suggest, but the test boat was laden with optional extras – not, though, the Williams Jet tender that has been ordered and will be stowed on davits.

The aft coaming supports the mainsheet track and davits

Sails were chosen on the basis of performance, longevity and, crucially for this boat, the need to be painted! Peter Sanders, who runs the 45-year-old Sanders loft in Lymington, selected Dyneema cloth encapsulated with Mylar and laminated with a polyester taffeta.

“The result is a very rugged, low-stretch laminate that will easily fit inside the mast chamber,” he explains. Carbon was used in the top third of the vertical mainsail battens for a larger roach and, by offsetting the radar on the mast, the jib could be built with a larger roach too. This produces a nice slot between the sails when beating.

The test boat was fitted with optional hydraulic steering which, unfortunately, is the part most monohull sailors would struggle to accept. It felt positively alien. Even a heavy centre-cockpit monohull with a lengthy steering connection will give some helm sensation as the yacht powers up and heels. Not so here.

The open helm area can be covered by a fixed bimini

I was concerned by the disconnect I felt between the wheel and rudder response. If you can’t feel the rudder respond, you typically over-compensate, which can be unnerving. It may be that the Bluewater 50 will be sailed on autopilot much of the time and Discovery does offer alternative drives.

I did not like the mainsheet set-up either. The traveller is on the aft beam, which allows for a long boom, but makes the sail awkward to trim from beneath a hard bimini, despite hatches above for sighting the main.

The option of a reversible mainsheet winch, which can be remotely operated, makes some sense. However, I think a yacht designed for short-handed voyaging should have the mainsheet within reach of the helm.

Comfort and shelter

The sightlines on board are very well considered – from helm to galley, to cockpits and navstation, communication is easy. Those in the aft cockpit are separated from the sailing systems yet connected with the helmsman.

The cockpit offers complete protection beneath a hard roof, and the sides can be closed off with canopies – ideal in cold conditions. Six people can sit around the table and there is space for another three on the sofa to starboard – with plenty of stowage beneath the seating. There are sunbed seats each side of the aft cockpit. I had misgivings about the large drop down from these to the aft deck, and I would add another guardrail or two across the transoms.

If the aft cockpit is where you can seek shelter in comfort, the spacious foredeck area suits relaxing in the sun. It’s easy to imagine sundowners in this compact but deep cockpit – or in the optional hot tub, an indulgent Discovery hallmark.

Aft cockpit has soft canopies for full protection

There is plenty of stowage space below this cockpit, while the huge sail lockers in each forepeak will swallow any sails, fenders and most toys. That said, the Bluewater 50 has relatively fine bows, so it would be prudent not to overload the forward ends.

Seagoing design

The main deck living area now has almost all-round views. It will feel particularly large and bright to anyone familiar with the original Bluewater 50 layout, which had a forward owner’s cabin, forward galley and much smaller windows. There is scope for customisation in the layout here, and particularly with the joiner work and décor.

Catamarans rarely heel, but the motion can still be awkward. This Discovery is clearly designed by sailors to go to sea and I liked the large, practical U-shape galley, the secure, forward-facing navstation and the curved and fiddled furniture.

Dedicated forward-facing navstation is excellent

The galley has plenty of fiddled Corian worktop space and deep stowage areas. There are options to increase the already generous cold stowage by adding fridges or freezers in the hulls. Portholes in the forward-facing coachroof windows not only provide good ventilation but enable crew to pass food and drink to the forward cockpit.

The dedicated navstation provides the best seat in the house. The compact chart table area has unhindered forward views, a hatch above to sight the mainsail and is still within communication of the helm station. The test boat had throttle controls here too, so this would be a good station for watchkeeping.

An equivalent size and priced monohull, such as a Discovery 58, typically offers a large master suite and two guest cabins, whereas the Bluewater 50 not only gives more space to these guest cabins but also has the option of a fourth cabin (a third guest cabin).

The guest cabins have twin berths that can join into doubles

I’d be tempted to opt for the layout that gives one complete hull to owner’s accommodation, with a larger shower, heads, desk and stowage areas. However in the four-cabin test boat, the owner’s suite aft still seemed generous.

The forward cabins have plenty of volume, notably inboard, where there is enough space for an extra raised bunk or locker allocation. Large hatches in these cabins provide ventilation and the option for an easy exit onto the foredeck, and there is an impressive amount of natural light from the vertical portlights and large triangular coachroof windows.

Discovery’s new ownership

Werner Schnaebele made his fortune developing a software integration tool for large companies. He was one of the 401 crowdfunders who invested over £2.2m in the Discovery Yachts Group, before he went on to buy the business.

“From the beginning it was a passion decision not an economic one!” Schnaebele tells me with a smile, before continuing to explain that he’s now in it for the long run.

“The workers and craftsmen are really skilled – and you have to give these people the time to do their work right.”

He thinks the previous management made some mistakes, which included presenting yachts at shows which did not do the skill levels of the yard justice. Hence Schnaebele is delighted to see Discovery back to its high level of finish quality.

The German dog lover won’t get involved in the day to day running of the business – that’s now in the very experienced hands of its sole director, John Burnie. The company is now all under the Discovery Shipyard name, which is owned by Binti Marine Holdings.

Look at some of the latest designs on the market and you would be forgiven for thinking new multihulls are all about speed. Yet I can safely say, if I ever manage to achieve my dream of tradewinds voyaging around the globe, I will not be in any hurry! If you had a budget of £1.5m and were looking at a reliable, popular choice for long-distance short-handed cruising you might consider yachts such as the Discovery 58, Oyster 565 or Hallberg-Rassy 57. For the same money the Bluewater 50 will give you considerably more space. If the boom in 40ft to 60ft production multihulls we’ve seen in the ARC is anything to go by, don’t be surprised if you see more and more sailors making such decisions with their heads, opting for space, rather than their hearts, and being seduced by aesthetics and helming sensation. For those who wish a catamaran to be as similar as possible to the pedigree cruising monohulls they know and love, this Bluewater 50 provides a logical transition.

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True Kit Discovery - Inflatable Catamaran Landing Craft

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The original catamarans were developed in our Oceanic region hundreds of years ago so it seems appropriate that New Zealand-based True Kit have taken this concept a quantum leap further. Our commitment to producing outstanding inflatable boats has created the head-turning True Kit Discovery, which is clearly no ordinary inflatable boat. 

True Kit have refined the inflatable catamaran concept into a high-performance boat that packs down into a suitcase-sized bag. When you want to hit the water, it’s a speedy set-up to reveal a boat that certainly looks great, but it’s the fantastic on-water performance that you have to experience to really appreciate what this boat has to offer.

* Original New Zealand design by True Kit

* Uniquely styled boat, like nothing you have seen before!

* The landing craft bow design is perfect for spearfishing, diving, family fun, exploring and beach landings

* Exceptional performance on a small outboard

* Extremely shallow water draft

* Super stable and safe

* Easy and fast to set up and pack-down

* Folds up into a bag, very compact

* Sits flat - the ideal landing craft to stepping onto the beach

* Perfect platform for fishing and diving

* Ideal RESCUE CRAFT - flood rescue, water safety, water recovery

* Multi-use tender - serves all it's tender functions and then you can use it for fishing and diving

* A must-have accessory for your caravan or motorhome

* A family explorer

* Can be transported on a plane or helicopter

* Quality aluminium lock-in seat

* Stow-away Oars

* Railblaza RibPort - one each side

* External d-rings for towing

* Internal d-rings for securing gear and lifting

* 5 separate air chambers for your safety

* Reinforced fabric handles and tube-top rope handle

WHAT'S IN THE BOX?  - Boat, Floor, Aluminium Seat, 2-piece Aluminium Oar Set, Boat Bags, True Kit Bravo Hand Pump, Repair Kit

* Premium German-made Valmex® fabric

* Precision thermo-welded seams (not glued)

* Ultra rigid AirDeck with Valmex® diamond non-slip surface

Easily add all your favourite accessories to the Discovery like QuickLok Dinghy Wheels, Railblaza Rod holders, phone holder, GoPro Boom, drift chute and more

More about the Discovery

The Discovery’s legendary catamaran stability will immediately grab your attention; that tippy feeling you expected from a small dinghy is completely eliminated. The Discovery’s tunnel-hull design means superb efficiency too, for less drag, less fuel and more speed.  It has that joy-ride, hair-in-the-wind experience that leaves you wanting to get out in the boat all the time.

Every detail of the Discovery has been rigorously evaluated to deliver unrivaled performance, and if that means creating our own innovations we’ve done it. The revolutionary True-Alu transom is laser cut from marine grade aluminium to ensure a lightweight and corrosion-free result. These exclusive transoms have a unique design incorporating sheet-metal folding for strength and stiffness. The transoms are then mig and tig welded and given the full AkzoNobel powder coat treatment to create an amazing Super Yacht finish. Our transoms are going to look great for years, but it’s the performance enhancement you will immediately notice. The ultra-stiff and lightweight transom provides the rigid platform necessary to transfer maximum power from your outboard into the boat, with no loss of energy.

Our more adventurous customers will also appreciate the RapidDrain grate scupper system in the larger Discovery 330 and 400 boats.  This anti-swamp design means you can take on the rougher conditions that you previously thought a small inflatable boat couldn’t handle, safe in the knowledge that any water taken aboard will drain quickly.

So that’s the inflatable catamaran performance, but what about that distinctive landing craft bow? The benefits of this design are numerous: boarding from the dock, the beach or your mothership is as easy as literally stepping on board; no high side to climb over and no tipping about. Climbing into the boat from the water is also much easier than with a conventional boat. Our own customers consistently testify that ‘no other inflatable offers the ease of re-boarding after a swim or a dive’.

True Kit have put thousands of hours into testing and refining the design of our boats and we’ve paid just as much attention to how they are constructed. The Discovery landing craft represents the highest boat building standards. From specifying ultra UV-resistant Valmex® premium fabric to the incredibly durable thermo-welded single seam construction, these boats are built to outperform and outlast low-quality rivals.  

Whether your Discovery is going to be a lightweight tender for your mothership, a lightweight dinghy for fun, or a fishing and diving platform in its own right, you won’t have more fun on the water!

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Customer reviews.

Easiest boat I have ever bought and staff were excellent and very helpful. Absolutely no problem purchasing from Australia and better than anything I could buy in Australia.

I was very impressed with the support True Kit gave me during the purchase/after care process. True Kit responded very quickly during the purchase process and once the product arrived I thought the response would be slow, but I was mistaken if anything they were quicker with the response.

Once I commited to the purchase True Kit were quick to quality control and send the discovery. I have bought online products in the next suburb that took loner than it took for me to receive my Discovery 4m.

The how to manual and support videos made setting up a breeze and cannot wait to get on the water and show it off. I have not seen this type of boat in the waters I fish but I reckon True Kit will get a lot more orders when I am seen on the water.

Thank you for a great experience

Yachting Monthly

• Digital edition

Discovery Shipyard site taken over by UK shipyard

• Katy Stickland
• March 1, 2022

Ocean Shipyard has secured exclusive rights to hand build the Southerly 42, Southerly 48 and Bluewater 50 Catamaran following the demise of Discovery Shipyard

The Southerly 48 will be built by Ocean Shipyard. Credit: Richard Langdon Credit: Richard Langdon

Discovery Shipyard Limited’s Southerly 42, Southerly 48 and Bluewater 50 Catamaran are to be built by a new UK shipyard

Ocean Shipyard Ltd has secured exclusive rights to hand build the vessels following the demise of Discovery.

Run by Discovery Shipyard’s former general manager, Steve Edwards, Ocean Shipyard will also offer joinery and refit facilities, and is now operating from Discovery Shipyard’s former Southampton yard.

Discovery went into voluntary liquidation in January, with 77 staff made redundant.

The COVID-19 pandemic, declining orders and supply chain issues were blamed for the closure.

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In a statement to Yachting Monthly , liquidators Interpath Advisory said it was progressing with the sale of assets.

‘Discovery Shipyard Limited owned minimal assets. A third party agent has been appointed to market those assets and offers have been received and accepted.

‘The assets include a forklift truck, a van, IT equipment and assorted hand tools and consumables,’ concluded the statement.

According to the UK’s Companies House records, Steve Edwards is now a director of Binti Marine Holdings Ltd, the original holding company of Discovery Shipyard. It follows the resignation of the previous director/owner Werner Schnabele.

Binti Holding GmbH is still listed as a ‘Persons with significant control’ of Binti Marine Holdings Ltd .

According to Company House records in Germany, Schnabele is the managing director of Binti Holding GmbH .

Steve Edwards and Binti Marine Holdings Ltd are listed as ‘Persons with significant control’ of Ocean Shipyard Ltd , according to Companies House records.

Wener Schnabele was one of 401 people who invested £2.2 million in Discovery after a fundraising campaign via Crowdcube.

He became the sole owner of the shipyard in December 2019.

In January 2021, it was announced that Schnaebele had invested a further £2 million in Discovery to be used exclusively on capital expenditures as well as project development including the newly designed Bluewater 50 Catamaran Mk 3, a redesigned Southerly 42 with lifting keel and improvements to the yard’s existing tooling.

Last year, Discovery announced a surge in its order books, including five new models sold off plan.

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Bluewater 50

The Discovery 50 Catamaran has a prestigious pedigree. Sleek in appearance, responsive to handle and fast to sail she delivers the same exceptional construction and ocean cruising capabilities.

This stunning yacht is a sumptuous home afloat, providing world-class cruising on the level.

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Xquisite 30 Sportcat Nominated for Sailing World Boat of the Year

• By Dave Reed
• September 8, 2023

Like most things in life, innovation is born of either necessity or discovery, and for Tamas Hamor, founder of Xquisite Yachts , the necessity after 11 years of bluewater sailing with his wife was profound: on most production boats it’s nearly impossible to access mechanicals and even more difficult to get after-sales service. One experience in particular following a Pacific Ocean dismasting was the final straw that sent him into the boat building business: “It took months to get a rigging drawing from the manufacturer,” Hamor says. “It got to the point where we said there must be a better way to do this.”

Hamor’s solution was to launch his own brand with a focus on building boats with “the highest build quality and design, where every component, every tank and every pump is accessible and serviceable.” The result over the past 10 years has been a fast-growing line of ever larger award-winning cruising sail and power catamarans and a base of operations in the Bahamas where owners are trained on all aspects of their million-dollar yacht before being cast out to the big blue sea. The company’s base has since grown to be an Xquisite Yachts Charter operation and a sailing school as well.

And to the point of innovation through necessity once again, Hamor and his expanding team—with builders in South Africa, Portugal and Poland—have now launched their new Xquisite 30 Sportcat as a means to upskill owners on the nuances of big-cat sailing by schooling them in a fast and nimble package. In Freeport, it’s envisioned, Xquiste owners and guests will be able to island hop on the Sportcat to familiarize themselves with the feel of a catamaran. And someday in the near future, Hamor says, there will be a fleet of them in Freeport, with inter-island one-design poker racing and a school for the local kids to get up to speed.

It’s been long since the heyday of the slick and fast Stiletto Catamarans that a production builder has offered a sporty mid-sized day sailing catamaran. The industry focus is trimarans with basic cruising accommodations, but the Xquisite 30 Sportcat does not claim to be a liveaboard cruiser whatsoever. Sure, you could take it overnight and sleep on deck or in one of the two small aft cabins, but that’s not the point. Hamor says this boat is all about day sailing and experiencing the sensations and movements of a big cat at a much smaller scale.

“I don’t believe we’re going to sell a lot of them, but Xquisite is not about mass manufacturing anyways,” he says.

The Sportcat 30 model nominated for Sailing World ’s upcoming Boat of the Year testing is a 2,000-pound shallow draft version with kick-up rudders and skegs. Homas says the boat can be built with retractable daggerboards for those who are keen to race it or sail it in deeper waters, but again, day sailing and catamaran skill development for Xquisite owners is the priority.

At $285,000 all-in the Sportcat 30 is an expensive day sailor, Homas admits, but he never wanted to build it on the cheap, reasoning the better it’s built the fewer service calls he’ll get. The sailplan is plenty powered up with a North Sails 3Di inventory (main, self-tacking jib, and gennaker) on a rotating carbon spar from French spar maker AG+ and all considerations were made to keep the carbon-reinforced vinylester infused platform as lightweight as possible. “It costs as much as it does because it’s built right and has everything on it—all the top equipment and sails,” Hamor says.

The boat’s modular trailer concept is designed to allow the boat to be assembled on land before slipping it down the ramp or into the hoist with a lifting bridle. The rig, Hamor, says, can be raised with two people easily. Disassembled, the entire operation is designed to be packed into a 40-foot container for shipping or off-season storage.

For propulsion, an outboard bracket on the aft beam will accommodate a gas or electric outboard, and Homas likes the new electric engines from Mercury—which at the moment would be his recommendation over a gas-powered option.

Would be owners apprehensive about assembling, launching and sailing the boat for the first time need not worry, Hamor says. “We can do the training right here in the Bahamas and ship the boat in the container to wherever you are in the world. Or we can fly in a team to assemble it and spend a few days getting the owner up to speed.”

Because that’s the level of service he wished he always had.

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Quick Look: Discovery 50

• By Carol Vernon
• Updated: November 17, 2009

Discovery Yachts has added a sleek catamaran to its lineup of luxury yachts that are designed to be a home away from home for friends and family. Unlike catamarans designed for the charter industry that are laden with beds, the 50 focuses on speed, comfort and safety for a lucky few. For speed, this Bill Dixon design has been kept light by High Modulus carefully engineering the structure and well proven features such as a galley foot pump and optional salt water outlet for saving water on long distance voyages. Other feature for cruising independence are back-up systems on more than just the critical gear, designated spaces for safety gear, more than ample storage and a well protected cockpit. Interior layout can be customized but there is one proposed layout with a full width owner’s cabin that maybe hard to beat.

One of the design objectives is that the Spirit 50 should be sailed by two people, so electric winches provide muscle at the helm station, to which all sail control lines lead. The forward-facing nav desk in the saloon also contributes toward that goal.

Below, the layout is open to customization, and as presented lends itself to three or four staterooms within the hulls and forward bridgedeck, while the galley and lounge occupy the saloon.

Cockpit and saloon are on one level, and changes between levels on deck have been kept to a minimum.

www.discoveryyachts.co.uk

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Certified pre-owned yachts.

Certified Pre-Owned 2020 X5 “SHELL SHOCKED X” is now on sale!

The very first X5 PLUS: ROUGE ONE is available for re-sale!

$50.000 Price Drop & Extended Warranty! Certified Pre-Owned 2020 X5 ‘FEE’S’ Now On Sale

• Model: X5 Plus - ROUGE ONE
• Year Built: 2023
• Location: Freeport, Bahamas
• Price: US$ 1,800,000

• Model: X5 Sail - SHELL SHOCKED X
• Year Built: 2020
• Price: US$ 1,350,000

Designed for fast and fun sailing, island and beach hopping and occasional overnighting.

Xquisite 30 Sportcat

The Xquisite 30 Sportcat innovative and trailer transportable, designed to deliver the ultimate sailing experience. Easily handled by even non-seasoned sailors, and it can accommodate up to 8 persons onboard.

Very light weight construction, carbon beams, rotating carbon mast and high performance sails are part of the standard package and assures the sporty sailing experience.

The mini keels offer a convenient solution to navigate shallow waters while the optional dagger boards boost the performance even further.

The Xquisite 30 Sportcat: A Trailer-Transportable Catamaran for Ultimate Sailing Fun

30 Sportcat Gallery

Xquisite 30 Sportcat Specifications & Extras

• E-Glass and Vinyl Ester Composite with Carbon Reinforcement Made by Infusion Method
• Flexiteek Sinthetic Decking
• Carbon Fibre Cross Beams
• Rotating Carbon Mast by Ag+
• Antifouling on Waterline Level on Hulls
• Carbon Bow Pipes
• Carbon Pipe Rudder Connectors and Fins
• Harken Sailing Hardware
• Carbon Stanchions
• Chemical Toilet
• Led Battery Light in Cabins
• 2x Mattresses in Cabins
• Black Mooring Cleats
• Large Trampolines
• Deck Windows 2x
• Outboard Engine Bracket
• Navigation Lights
• Square Top Mainsail 3Di ENDURANCE 760 14,700 Dp by NORTH SAILS
• Jib Medium 3Di ENDURANCE 760 14,700 Dpi by NORTH SAILS
• G Zero Gennaker NPL Code Xi Xi06 CDT by NORTH SAILS

• Exterior Hull Paint
• Carbon Fibre Epoxy Dagger Boards
• Ipad With Waterproof Case and Navigation App
• Carbon Gangway
• Electric Outboard Motor
• Trailer for Easy Transportation
• Safety Pack With Pneumatic Vests, Falres, etc.
• Solar Panels and Battery Pack
• Parasailor Downwind Sail With Hardware
• Shipping and Commissioning

Discovery 50 Catamaran

• 2011 - 2014

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50′ discovery – kiwi spirit.

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Price again reduced  to 745,000 US$ – and just updated. Watch it bargain hunters – This boat represents a real opportunity !

July 2019 Owner Comments:

“Have just had KS on the hard. New rudders, steering overhaul, replaced all anodes, hull and topsides polished. Watermaker serviced, engines serviced and various other bits and bobs. Looks a million dollars! Fresh underwater survey undertaken for insurers.Discovery have now built six 50’s. Latest just launched at cost of GBP 1.2+ million ex/VAT. Surely at current asking and with low value of Sterling KS represents exceptionally good value!”

KIWI SPIRIT is the only used Discovery 50 cat for sale worldwide. Somebody who wants one either must buy factory new at GBP 1.1m on a like for like spec basis or make a realistic offer for Kiwi Spirit. Owner has reduced the price to GBP635k and is open to offers. She represents a significant discount upon new and is available now. Fully sorted. A new build will take a year plus a season of debugging and usual warranty issues!

The boat has just been hauled and has had an under water inspection by a professional marine surveyor. She has had her copper coat antifouling refreshed. Engines have been serviced and on a preventative maintenance basis the sail drive diaphragms have been replaced. At the same time we have replaced propeller seals and bearings. She has a new sprayhood and Bimini.

In short she is a turn-key proposition, ready to go, in first class order throughout with full cruising inventory and could be in the Caribbean for the winter season.

KIWI SPIRIT is set up for short-handed world cruising with effortless handling, in style and with considerable comfort.  She is fully equipped and truly ready for “take off”.   This exceptional and rare Discovery 50 is essentially a turn-key proposition. Sail handling is a facilitated with twin furling head sails, self-tacking jib and in mast-furling along with electric winches. All the re-fitting and upgrades have been done and most importantly she is “fully sorted”. The high specifications speaks for itself.

Additional Specifications

KIWI SPIRIT was formally named DISCOVERY MAGIC and originally built for the Chairman of Discovery Yachts Ltd. This vessel received much acclaim in the yachting press.

Acclaimed and voted:

Cruising World – Best Import boat 2011

Cruising World – Best catamaran 2011

SAIL best boats – Best Multihull 2011

SAIL best boats – Best accommodation 2011

This beautiful 50ft catamaran is like new. Kiwi Spirt was acquired by the current owner in 2013 with the intention of sailing her back to New Zealand. The current owner is a very experienced multihull owner and has spent a lot of time and money getting her up to his exacting standards and ready to cruise the world. Where it has been possible to improve upon the original specification then the current owner has done so – with no expense spared!

The only reason for sale is a change in circumstances due a terminal illness. Consequently, since purchase, she has had exceptionally little used but has been fastidiously maintained. She is available at a substantial discount upon replacement cost.  She is sparkling and is equipped with everything you need to go long (or short) distance live aboard cruising  New sails, new batteries, new paint job and new bits everywhere with most of it having little or no use since re-commissioning.

KIWI SPIRIT is set up for short-handed world cruising with effortless handling, in with style and with considerable comfort.  She is fully equipped and truly ready for “the off”.   She is essentially a turn-key proposition. All the re-fitting and expense have been done and most importantly she is “fully sorted”. The high specifications speaks for itself.

Owners Comments: 

Having completed a 5-year circumnavigation in a 65ft monohull I reached the conclusion that the ideal vessel for live-board long distance cruising has to be a catamaran. One spends a lot of time at anchor so stability, good visibility and an inside-outside flow are all desirable characteristics. A good dingy is essential – preferably a RIB. A cat provides an excellent platform for a good RIB kept on davits. This makes for quick easy dingy drop and retrieval. The transom steps on a catamaran provide ease of boarding. All essential attributes for comfortable live aboard cruising.

Before purchasing Discovery Magic and transforming her into Kiwi Spirit, I looked at and tried all the well-known production Catamarans in the size range 45ft to 55ft (and some lesser known designs). All were found lacking in one respect or another – until we came across the Discovery 50. By Catamaran standards Kiwi Spirit has to be one of the best looking cats afloat. She is much admired wherever we go. By any standard, the design, fit-out and build quality put her in a different league to all others that we looked at.  With all the upgrades and improvements that I have since carried out she would be hard to beat and needs to be viewed to be fully appreciated.

Ease of handling by a retired husband and wife combination was an important consideration. Sail handling is a doddle with twin furling headsails, self-tacking jib and in mast-furling along with electric winches. Good off-wind performance is achieved by an A3, asymmetrical reaching spinnaker, a Parasail downwind spinnaker and a self-furling storable Code Zero.  Upwind performance is the Achilles heel of most Catamarans but thanks to a narrow sheeting angle and a large overlapping Genoa Kiwi Spirit will go to windward, like a monohull, at a sailing angle of just 35 degree apparent!  This sets her apart from the majority of cruising catamarans.

Reliable engines and a good range under power are also important attributes for a long distance cruising yacht. With her twin 75Hp Yanmar engines there is worldwide service back-up. With her optional long range fuel tanks Kiwi Spirit has a range of around 1,750nm under power.

Put simply, this Discovery 50 Cat redefines luxury live-aboard short-handed long distance cruising!

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Xquisite 30 SportCat - Just for fun!

Article published on 25/01/2023

By Dick Sawyer

published in n°187 jan. / feb.

Xquisite Yachts is used to building comfortable cruising catamarans, so this sporty model comes as something of a surprise.

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With its completely uncluttered cockpit, the boat is reminiscent of the Kat 28, Corneel 26, Edel Cat 33 or the very early Aventuras. The program is therefore sporty day sailing, with option to stay overnight on board - only the hulls are fitted out. The Xquisite 30 SportCat can be dismantled and transported by trailer. Its sail area-to-weight ratio is 50.59 m²/t, a value that is unambiguously dragster-like on two hulls... the rotating mast and carbon beams leave no doubt about the sportiness of this catamaran. As an option, daggerboards can be fitted instead of the standard skeg keels. On windless days or for maneuvering in port, this devilishly attractive catamaran resorts to using its 10 HP outboard. An electric motor can also be requested.

Builder: Xquisite Yachts Hull length: 30.34’ (9.25 m) Waterline length: 29.36’ (8.95 m) Beam: 15.89’ (5.15 m) Draft: 2.46’ (0.75 m) Air draft: 43.3’ (13.2 m) Displacement: 1,872 lbs 850 kg Mainsail: 312 sq ft (29 m²) Self-tacking solent: 150 sq ft (14 m²) Gennaker: 398 sq ft (37 m²) Price: $ 285,000 ex-tax

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Jean-noel Lebrun

Very nice & light cat, but very expensive. With 4 people onboard the sail area / ton ratio will drop around 30, very similar to a carbon mast equipped Ventio which will cost half the price, sleeps up to six guests, and may be equipped with galley & bath.

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Sailing and discovery 1h30

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Climb aboard the Lucile 2 catamaran and enjoy a trip out to sea discovering the Gulf of Aigues-Mortes, the open sea, coastline and Camargue shorelines. Take to the open seas in Aigues-Mortes Bay From Palavas-les-Flots to Grau-du-Roi by way of the wild beaches of Espiguette, discover or rediscover the pleasure and thrills of sailing on the Lucile 2 catamaran. Whether in the high or low season, every day at 3pm, we will take you to the seas.   On the agenda: crossing from Aigues-Mortes Bay, swimming in the open sea and a sunbathing session. The Lucile 2 catamaran also offers you an introduction to sailing the boat and the option to participate in operating the boat during your sea excursion. The catamaran Climb on board the latest generation catamaran and set sail in discovery of the Mediterranean coast. Equipped with large benches, a bar, huge nets and amenities, the Lucile 2 catamaran has every convenience for a successful sea excursion.   For your comfort and for the peace of mind of parents, the crew can also loan you wind-breakers and life-jackets for children.

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Tiki 30 Catamaran: A Practical Sailor Boat Test

This wharram-designed coastal-cruising cat is a tempting diy boatbuilding project for those looking to get back to the basics..

Photos by Ralph Naranjo

Part of the catamaran designer James Wharrams success story lies in the lifestyle he has been marketing along with his boats. For decades, like fellow cat-cult heroes Arthur Piver and Jim Brown, he has launched people as well as boats on voyages of discovery. He pitches the case for Spartan simplicity and self-reliance and backs it up with a forthright and savvy boatbuilding syllabus. His is the anathema of the ferro-cement craze, more of a “do with less” rather than “load her up” mindset. He sells his ideas as effectively as any self-help telemarketer, and his elixir to cure a mundane life ashore makes much more sense.

Those who drop in on Wharrams website www.wharram.com are encouraged to buy a pithy, 72-page book thats an unabashed advertisement for Wharrams boats, the practicality of his approach, and the need to shrug off shoreside claptrap and clutter when going to sea. This diehard pitch in support of adventure is infectious, and Wharram spells out how a handy, but not professionally trained, do-it-yourselfer can succeed with his designs.

The semi-hooked can order “study plans” of one or more of the Wharram lines, and the subject of this review-the Tiki 30-is part of the Coastal Trek series. These study plans afford greater specific detail about Wharram designs and spell out the materials needed. They also lead you through a materials tally that includes details about epoxy resin, plywood types, sails, hardware, lines, an outboard auxiliary, and other bits and pieces.

Once you have figured out where you can come up with an average of 900 hours of free time-Wharrams DIY labor estimate-you may be close to plunking down $1,000 for detailed building plans. Those who take the leap and create their boat from scratch say it was worth the investment. Those who also complete the voyage they dreamed about have even more good things to say about the “Wharram Way.”

“Living on the sea” is one of Wharrams favorite phrases, and in many ways, hes as much a cruising enabler as he is a boat designer. Like Brown, and his lure of “Seasteading,” Wharram dangles a mostly realistic getaway plan in front of potential clients. The price point is attractive, at least as long as one views the labor commitment as part of the recreational experience. But when all the glue and paint has finally cured, the bottom line is that the Tiki 30, and most of the other Wharram cats, are best suited to cruisers willing to slip away without huge battery banks, large-volume water tanks, and with less mechanical propulsion reliance. Theres little sense in fitting granite countertops and aiming for a monohull-like interior in the limited space available aboard these catamarans.

One Particular Tiki

Occasionally, we take a close look at a non-mainstream vessel, believing that the old adage “one size fits all” has less merit among sailors. And near the top of our “cult following” list of sailboats are the Wharram-designed fleet of catamarans that are built by dedicated do-it-yourselfers as well as professionals. When we heard that voyager/boatbuilder Dave Martin had just finished a Wharram Tiki 30, we knew that the timing was right for a look at a unique vessel, its crew, and the designer.

A Rare breed

Dave and Jaja Martin and their three children are among the rarest breed of family cruisers, a couple who have sailed and savored the razor-thin edge between high risk and even higher reward. Twenty-plus years ago, when Dave sailed off in his completely restructured and highly modified Cal 25 Direction , he found that single-handing held little appeal. So, after an Atlantic crossing and a Caribbean wedding, he and Jaja followed the tradewind route around the world. The singlehander was now part of a family of five that had outgrown their pocket cruiser. So with a Cal 25 circumnavigation astern, thoughts of a next boat began to take shape.

The curtain lifted on the second act with the Martins rebuilding a 20-year-old, 33-foot steel sloop, literally tearing out the interior and starting from scratch. After an 18-month refit, there came an Arctic adventure that would carry Driver and its crew to Iceland, Norway, Greenland, Newfoundland, and the experience of living aboard during winters in which the rolling sea became as solid as granite. The Martins exemplify voyaging tenacity, but they earn even higher marks for their self-reliance. Theres no sponsorships for their adventures, or independent wealth to fuel a whim. They have taken very modest vessels and turned them into passage-making vehicles able to handle the task at hand. They worked their way around the world and met the locals as participants in their culture rather than as spectators.

Having first met Dave in the Bahamas in 1984 and coaxed him to come work in a boatyard that Practical Sailor Technical Editor Ralph Naranjo was running on Long Island Sound, Naranjo had the good fortune of seeing how seafaring goals and a shipwrights set of skills can set the stage for special cruising opportunities.

except where noted

Act 3 in the Martin saga is like a symphony with a major change in cadence. This time, priorities such as heavy weather survivability, high-volume stowage capacity, and ice resistance were off the drawing board. In their place came priorities such as simplicity and sailing efficiency, along with the imperative that this will be a “from scratch” Dave-built boat. No mean feat in itself, this boat-building endeavor was all the more impressive because the top of the “honey-do list” was a cottage to live in, a shop to work from, and the building of Dave and Jajas dream house. For most of us, this would relegate the boat project to pipedream status, a project that would likely never be started. But for the Martins, in just over a half-dozen years, the trifecta was complete.

The tide has turned, and their family life proceeds with a shoreside cadence. Adolescents are becoming young adults, and the Maine woods rather than a blue horizon dominate the picture. But true to form, as soon as the house was finished, the table saw gathered no rust. Nor did the other tools in the woodshop, as Dave began cutting carefully scribed curves on Okume plywood. One-at-a-time the amas for a 30-foot Tiki filled the extended garage boat shop. The choice of a double- hulled canoe catamaran doesn’t surprise anyone who knows Dave and Jaja. As sailing adventurers, they have yet to sing the same song twice.

Gravitating toward a new mode of cruising, they embraced the theme of light displacement, efficiency under sail, and simplicity. Spartan minimalism is the common thread in this and the other boats of the Martins two exemplary voyages. The elegance in each of these vessels has little to do with opulence, and everything to do with how the boats have fit the job at hand. Simplicity, functionality, and cost effectiveness abound, defining the approach Dave brings to boatbuilding. He still alludes to a down-the-road, larger monohull project for more oceanic adventure, but for now, its all about quick getaways, coastal cruises, light-air sailing, and shoal-draft exploration.

Design Details

The Wharram Tiki design was a natural choice for Dave because the designer has always approached his work from a builder/sailor perspective, rather than as an independent exercise in naval architecture. Simplicity and practicality rule, and in many ways these boats are the extreme opposite of whats displayed at boat shows across the country. Instead of a living room afloat, the Tiki 30 offers wood-grained camp-style accommodations that are enough for a weekend outing, or two-week summer cruises for hardy souls, but will hold little appeal to those looking for a vacation home afloat.

The real genius in this boat comes more from whats not present than whats found on board. No lead, no liners, and no inboard engine adds up to, or more specifically diminishes down to, a displacement that is so light that a low-tech, no-boom small sail plan can provide enough drive to make way, even when the sea surface is mirror smooth. In light zephyrs, this agile cat will tack and make progress to windward. Behaving like a waterbug skittering across the water, the boat reminds the person handling the butter-smooth tiller bar how important efficiency under sail can be.

Like all multihulls, the issue of initial stability is handled by placing the source of buoyancy well away from the centerline of the vessel without creating the skin drag found in a monohull with massive beam. The combination of a high length-to-beam ratio associated with each ama, and ultralight displacement, the Tiki 30 is a thoroughbred when it comes to efficiency and agility.

Thanks to this ultralight displacement status, the Tiki doesn’t need a cloud of sail to deliver light-air efficiency, and Wharram further reduces the need for a tall spar by leveraging aspect ratio through the use of a simple gaff-rigged mainsail. On one hand, the complication of hoisting both a peak and throat halyard adds some extra complexity, but the result is a higher center of effort (CE) with a lower masthead height, and when it comes to building a simple timber spar, it all makes sense. Yes, a carbon spar and PBO rigging would do a better job, but the cost would be more than a DIY builder spends on all of the materials used to build the rest of the boat.

Every multihull designer is concerned about racking or twisting loads induced in a structure as the heeling force and righting moment interplay on rolling sea. Some use massive bridgedeck structures to transfer rig loads from ama to ama. The Tiki 30 incorporates three well-engineered triangular beam structures and a modern rendition of the Polynesian art of lashing canoe hulls together. Care must be taken during construction to make sure that each beam has a flush fit with a well-reinforced portion of the ama deck, and that the polyester double-braid line used for the lashing is tensioned to designer specifications. These rigidly held athwartship supports may creak in a rolling seaway, but the connection between hulls is rugged and long lasting.

Performance

Under sail, the Tiki is an agile and responsive performer. It balances well, and its V-shaped sections and long shallow keel plus outboard rudders provide good directional stability and responsive steering. The underbody configuration allows the cat to be safely beached, and the complexity of dagger boards is eliminated. The lack of daggerboards has its drawback: Theres less windward capability, but the V-shaped hulls and long run of shallow keel does pretty well to windward without them.

Perhaps the most rigid design characteristic that can’t be circumvented is the importance of keeping its payload in check. This is a boat designed to stay on its lines not bog down and suffer the consequences of excess drag. Its long, lean amas knife through the sea, but their ability to put up with excess weight is minimal. More weight necessitates additional buoyancy, and as the V-shaped sections are submerged, significant increases in skin drag occur along with a loss of vital freeboard. This runs contrary to the design attributes of the vessel and results in performance setbacks and poor sea-keeping ability.

These fast, nimble, cost-effective cats garner a following among do-it-yourself builders because they are efficient to build. Wharrams streamlined approach to construction is a comprehensive blend of materials and hull-shape development that results in a strong, light structure. The expedited build process is free of finicky labor-intensive work and costly esoteric materials. In essence, Wharrams approach uses a minimal strong back, a stitch-and-glue joining process, and lines that allow large scarf-joined panels of high-quality marine plywood to be bent into the shape of a double-canoe catamaran. Bulkheads act as the athwartship formers, and as Wharram puts it, the builder uses a thickened epoxy filleting compound to “weld” the wood together.

The Tiki 30 is well-tailored for Spartan coastal cruising but a bit gossamer for ocean passagemaking, despite the fact that many have done so. Its ability to tuck into tight places, to perform admirably under power with only a 9.9-horsepower long-shaft, four-stroke kicker and its ability under sail give it high marks in our book. For many, camper/cruiser comfort is enough, and with the easy unfurling of a full cockpit awning, the boat becomes spacious enough at anchor to fulfill the dreams of a vacation cruise.

The Tiki is indeed a versatile platform, a pleasure to sail, and a project worth tackling if youre not too worried about dollars and cents. Wharram boats backyard-built pedigrees and their fringe appeal make them a tough sell on the used boat market, so if you plan to build one, you had better plan to sail it.

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Hi and hope all is well!

In the attached pictures you can see what has been done and where I am at this point (60% complete)… I live in Connecticut and in a perfect world, I would like someone to take it over- either with me or partnered or to just buy me out outright… The boat is amazingly special and needs to be finished and/or needs the right home… Any suggestions? 860-573-1154 -Johnny

It’s Wharram Tiki 30 BTW – Johnny

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2010 - KIWI SPIRITI is the only Discovery 50 for sale worldwide. Stunning interior, fully equipped for world cruising, health issue force sale. Hardly used boat is ready to circumnavigate. Just surveyed, excellent condition. 675,000 UK Pounds

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8 Best Catamarans That Are 30 Feet or Less

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Large-sized catamarans are appealing due to their ample spacing and comfort. Therefore, a cruising family or couple looking to buy a boat is more likely to go for one of these. But are there small cruising catamarans that provide the performance, comfort, and amenities found in larger boats?  

The best catamarans under 30 feet (9.14 m) include the TomCat 6.2, Cadillac 27and 30, Gemini 30, Endeavour 30, and Maine Cat. These time-tested cruising cats are easy to handle, premium built, and are great for daytime sailing, overnight trips, and some even suitable for long-range sea passages. 

In this article, you’ll find a list of the best cruising catamarans below 30 feet (9.14 m). Keep reading to discover which catamarans make this list, what they have to offer, their pros and cons, and how much they cost.

If you are unsure whether or not 30ft is too small for your needs, then I suggest you check out another article I wrote named Best Size Catamaran , it will discuss why length matters and how it affects safety.

Unlike most catamarans designed for racing purposes, the TomCat 6.2 is a medium-sized cat that’s well-suited to daytime cruising. It boasts high-quality construction, vacuum-bagged hulls, and a plywood-reinforced deck.

This 20 footer (6.09 m) comes with an 11-foot (3.35 m) beam and not only offers you safety and comfort but performance and versatility as well. 

This boat has a centrally placed outboard engine and two rudders that allow it to turn quickly and maneuver confidently into and out of marina slips. The 9.9 hp outboard propels it to speeds of around 8 knots (9.21 mph or 14.8 kph), though the boat has the potential to move faster if desired.

This simpler type of cat (just one engine as an example) also allows for cheaper and easier maintenance. Maintenance costs are something most people underestimate when getting a cat, if you want to get some real numbers from actual sailors then I suggest you read this article (How much does it cost to maintain a cat).

The boat sails with minimal heeling, comfortably accommodate 6-8 people, and you can sail it single-handed or take a crew. 

High and narrow hulls bearing arched bottoms allow for a low wetted surface. The hull design provides low resistance and a great deal of reserved buoyancy and also enables you to drive through closely spaced waves.

On most 20-footers (6.1 m), driving through waves generates a smooth but wet ride, but with the TomCat’s enclosed deck (link to parts names explained here ), you are safe and protected behind a windshield and the high bulwark.

The TomCat makes an excellent cruiser because it performs impressively well both under sail and power. It combines the performance of a modern sailing cat with the comfort, style, and convenience of a powerboat. It’s also trailerable since you can detach the hulls from the deck , winch up the deck on a trailer, and slide the hulls underneath.

But the best part is that it’s easy on the pocket, with the price ranging between $36,750 and $44,580 .

Catalac 30 (9M)

The Catalac brand consists of strongly built vessels that sport thick hulls, glass windows, narrow beams, and vertical transoms . Catalac 30 was the first vessel in this popular British cruising line designed by Tom Lack in the late 60s. The boat’s appeal was attributed to its safety, ample spacing, well-built interior, and load-carrying abilities.

These characteristics are extremely important on a safe catamaran, overloading your cat makes it sit lower in the water, increases drag, reduces handling and speed, there is stuff you should know about this (so that you can make an educated buy). I have created an article where I try to explain the basics of a safe cat ( link here )

Sporting 5 berths, a massive galley, plus a cockpit with a sheltered steering position, the 30-foot (9.1 m) Catalac makes an excellent floating home for a cruising family. It sails exceptionally well, doesn’t heel ( heeling explained here ), and delivers a reasonable motor-sailer level of performance.

Furthermore, the hulls provide adequate headroom, allowing those on board to move around comfortably, and there’s enough space on the deck for sunbathing. 

The Catalac’s structure features solid fiberglass, chined hulls, and a staggered sheerline that allows easy aft access. With a modest rig that’s easy to handle, the Catalac can deliver top speeds of up to 12-14 knots (13.81-16.11 mph / 22.22-25.9 kph) under sail.

Given that the boat’s design focuses more on comfort than speed, this is a spectacular performance.  

Catalac 9M requires a skilled hand when turning into the wind as it is prone to blowing sideways. This is because the boat lacks ballast (which helps in keeping momentum during a tack) but also centerboards ( explained here ).

Skills are always the most essential things to bring aboard and you can acquire them in many ways, my two favorite ways are through NauticEd courses (two free courses here ) or by reading books (my top 15 books here )

Back to the boat! This model came in two versions; the standard layout contained a 30-40hp outboard, while the second option had duo engines. The latter is easier to maneuver into a marina. 

These cats retain their value pretty well. However, they might not be easy to come by since most owners find it challenging to get their hands on a larger boat with similar qualities and performance.

A Catalac 30 (9M) goes for between $33,000 and $55,000.

Catalac 27 (8M)

The Catalac 27 8M is a pocket cruiser that boasts a strong reputation for high quality, durability, and strength. Besides, the boat’s design makes it somewhat suitable for bluewater sailing ( understand why the small size is an offshore problem).

Built like a battleship, the boat contains solid fiberglass hulls. Additionally, it comes with double engines, a large cockpit fitted with cushions all around, and features standing headroom in each hull.

Like the Catalac 9M, this boat comes with two different layouts; a twin inboard diesel engine or an outboard engine. The twin-engine models can motor up to 1000 km (621 miles, read more on cat fuel consumption here ) without needing to refuel, while the 70 amps of charge plus water tanks (70 gallons / 265 liters) make these vessels remarkable coastal cruisers. 

Catalacs equipped with outboard engines sail faster since you can raise the engine during sailing and are also lighter. This helps to minimize drag . Catalac 8M sports a short but thick mast that helps make the boat stable. 

Though small in size, this catamaran packs a lot of features in its small frame. It has a full-sized berth, a large galley that’s almost 8 feet (2.4 m) long, a quarter berth, head, and navigation station.

What’s more, the cockpit is as large as that of a 38 to 40-foot (11.5 to 12.1 m) cat.

Catalac 27 costs about $31,836.

The Endeavour 30 

The Endeavour 30 catamaran is a boat characterized by stability, ample deck space, and a spacious interior. It boasts fast cruising speeds under both sail and power.

The boat has mini keels and rudders plus symmetrical hulls separated by a hydra-cell. The latter is a center section with a characteristic V-shape. 

The boat’s vacuum-bagged construction helps enhance strength and stiffness while reducing weight. Furthermore, the interior has a fiberglass mold, providing extra strength and rigidity. With sufficient breeze, this vessel can deliver reasonable off-the-wind and doable upwind speeds.

As such, you can expect to attain speeds of about ~10 knots (11.51 mph or 18.5 kph) on power reaches. Below is a video showing a panoramic tour of the Endeavour 30:

This vessel has the internal capacity of a 40-foot (12.1 m) monohull. And you can tell this from the unique layout merging the cabin and cockpit with wide doors to the numerous features packed into this 30-foot (9.14 m) vessel.

It has a spacious salon, an enormous galley, two queen berth staterooms with plenty of storage space, a head with separate showers, and a sizable U-shaped dinette. 

You can get this boat for under $50,000 .

The Geminis by Tony Smith were the United States’s first production cruising cats. Today, these vessels remain the most appealing American-built cruising catamarans. Built between 1981 and 1990, the Gemini 30 does not have a contemporary design, but it works remarkably well for cruisers desiring generous living space in a small affordable sailboat.

At only 14 feet (4.2 m) across, Gemini cats are somewhat narrow. But this mean s they can easily fit into most of the regular marina berths.

Besides, the boats still contain enough interior space for a queen-size double berth and two smaller doubles housed in separate guest rooms.

There’s also a modest but serviceable saloon with duo settees and a collapsible table that can transform into an additional double berth.

For the Gemini 30, this translates to a cruising cat with standing headroom that can comfortably accommodate 3 couples in private cabins or a family with small children. A good-sized galley, a spacious head with a shower, nav desk, and a large comfy cockpit make up the Gemini 30’s cruising palace.

Catamaran layout is highly personal and if you want to learn more about different characteristics then I suggest you read my article Designing the perfect catamaran layout ( Link )

While not that fast, the Gemini 30 will easily outsail the Endeavor 30 discussed above. Its daggerboards (which are explained in detail here ) can point well, and if you keep it light, it can do 7-8 knots (12.9-14.8 km/hr) under sail.

Besides, raising the daggerboards reduces the wetted surface area, and increases the speed downwind.

The Gemini 30 tends to pound and hobbyhorse a little when sailing in choppy waters – particularly when overloaded (more on load carrying capabilities in this article ), but the deep pivoting daggerboards provide stability and lift underwater.

Furthermore, the Gemini’s retractable rudders enable it to venture into shallow waters.

This is a very popular cruising cat that’ll give you a lot of bang for your bucks.

You can find a Gemini for less than $65,000.

Maine Cat 30 

The Maine Cat 30 combines premium quality construction materials with the most advanced building techniques to create a lightweight vessel capable of handling most offshore conditions. What’s more, this boat can remain trouble-free for years on end with little effort.

If you are in the market for a simple liveaboard cruiser that you can use for a short weekend getaway or a cruising voyage, this is it.

The boat has a sizable primary stateroom berth with ample overhead space and a dresser fitted with a hanging storage cabinet. The enormous head includes a toilet, sink, 20-gallon (75.71 L) holding tank, vanity, and a pressurized shower.

Covering the open bridgedeck is a permanent hardtop. This spacious bridgedeck can hold quite a crowd and comes with a convertible dinette that turns into an extra berth. If need be, you can even enclose the entire space using acrylic windows or screens. Gabo

The 360-degree visibility from the cockpit allows the captain plus the crew a panoramic view, and all sail controls go back to the cockpit, which is very useful if wanting to sail single-handedly.

I believe that most boats should be set up in this way since sooner or later you might be in a situation where there is only one person to handle the controls, such as in an emergency. But more on that in another article ( Link ).

The Maine Cat 30 is a classic boat that delivers on high-performance multihull sailing. Designed to offer much better performance than catamarans bearing tall and heavy bridge decks, this cat weighs less and suffers less windage thanks to the acrylic windows.

The boat’s interior layout allows for easy cleaning as surfaces sport a smooth gel coat and satin-finished cherry trim. The solid but lightweight furniture bears the same Core-Cell foam core employed on the hull, deck, and hardtop. Plus, there’s ample storage for all your sailing equipment, cleaning supplies, and provisions.

A Maine Cat 30 can cost up to $110,000.

Heavenly Twins 27

The overall design of this well-equipped catamaran makes it a superb pocket cruiser.

Heavenly Twins 27 manages to fit not one but two coachroofs on hulls that are only 27 feet (8.20 m) long. Canoe sterns and a central cockpit separating the duo coachroofs form the boat’s other prominent features. 

Famous for their excellent build quality, medium-depth draft, and narrow beams, Heavenly Twins 27 appeals to a wide range of boating enthusiasts.

These include solo sailors, weekend sailors, cruising families, circumnavigators, beginner sailors, and experienced liveaboards such as this famous Youtube channel “Kittiwake”.

The vessels house double cabins in the hulls while the forward starboard contains the heads and, to port, the galley. You can easily access the bar from the well-protected cockpit while the Comfordesk accommodation converts into a double dock. 

A stoop through allows access from below-deck to the aft compartment without going through the cockpit. There’s ample storage space throughout the boat, plus you can section off the large stateroom into smaller double compartments if desired.

The price range for this boat is $ 20,098 to $24,193. (I believe that kittiwake is for sale too)

The last cruising catamaran on my list is the Aquilon 26 . This French-built cruising vessel is light in weight and trailerable, which means you can disassemble it in a few hours or transport it as-is.

Designing a boat that is possible to disassemble usually means that it is structurally less strong, which by no means is a problem during coastal sailing but the Aquilon 26 is mostly attractive to sailors who prefer inland lake sailing. It’s also suitable for beginner sailors.

Although there are no real “beginner cats” there are specs to consider if you are a beginner with catamarans, most of them I have listed in another article ( here ). Gabo

This 26-footer (7.92 m) has the potential for good speed though its layout is anything but conventional- which forms part of its appeal.

The cockpit works as the saloon, and a full bimini protects the crew from lousy weather. The starboard hull contains a dinette and galley, and the port has a double berth stateroom. The windows are quite unusual, but they provide lots of light, remarkably enhancing interior visibility.

Aquilon 26 can deliver an average cruising speed of 10knots (11.51 mph or 18.5 kph).

On a beam reach, you can expect around 25 knots (28.77 mph or 46.3 kph) with an adequate breeze ( I have never sailed at 25knots but researching this boat supposedly it is possible).

You can get this boat for under $50,000.

What Makes Small Cruising Cats Attractive?

Small cruising cats are ideal for sailing along the coast. But that’s not all. Under capable hands, properly fitted smaller cats can also deliver spectacular offshore passages similar to their larger counterpart (Heres a list of full-sized bluewater cats).

They can operate over long cruise ranges, cross oceans , and circumnavigate the globe . Smaller cats are also suitable for day sailing, overnight trips, and coastal or inland voyages. 

For most sailors, comfort on board is crucial, so they’ll look for a vessel that guarantees a comfortable cruising experience. The good thing is that smaller vessels provide almost the same qualities and amenities that bigger vessels offer. Plus, you can do quite a bit with the available space, especially if it’s well laid out.  

You’ll find that most 30-footer (9.14 m) or more miniature cruising cats comprise a galley, head, bunks, navigation and entertainment electronics, and refrigeration.

Sailors usually talk about these benefits of smaller cats:

• They’re less expensive. Large boats are costly to buy. They also cost more to hire, maintain, and dock. You can buy a small-sized boat at a much lower price, and parts tend to cost less too. Besides, you get to use smaller sails, winches, and lighter lines than those applicable on a larger boat. And since marine services such as moorings and haul-outs get billed via boat length, a smaller cat makes sailing more affordable.
• They boast superior builds. Most cruising boats under 30 feet (9.14 m) feature designs that are 30+ years old. In those days, weather forecasts were hard to come by and not as accurate, so boat builders used hulls with thicker fiberglass than the type found in today’s builds. Furthermore, everything in the boat, including rigs, rudders, hulls, keels and decks, was designed to withstand strong winds and high waves. 
• They have simpler systems. This means less time spent fixing and maintaining your boat. For instance, most small cruising cats often lack water-makers, hot water systems, or electric anchor windlasses. 
• They’re easier to handle. Smaller cats are simpler to sail than larger cats. It’s also easier to sail one single-handed or with a small crew.

What is the largest cat on person can sail?

The Disadvantages of Smaller Cruising Cats

Below are some of the most discussed downsides of small cats:

• They have limited living space, storage, and amenities.
• Though they don’t heel much, they are less comfortable than larger boats since they get tossed around much more easily in big ocean swells.
• It’s not easy to accommodate crew for extended periods; hence there are fewer hands to share work.
• They are slower and take longer to get to their destination.

Though fewer are on the cruising trails than their larger counterparts, small catamarans make ideal cruisers because they are simple, seaworthy, and pocket-friendly.

When choosing the best cat for your needs, focus on quality rather than size. A well-planned 30-footer (9.14 m) is reliable and provides ample space for your accommodation, dining, and relaxation, plus a storage room for provisions and any spare parts you might need. 

And if you want even more info than I have presented to you in this article I would recommend a book from Serj, he makes it easy to understand why size matters and how to find a cat suited for your needs (amazon link )

Owner of CatamaranFreedom.com. A minimalist that has lived in a caravan in Sweden, 35ft Monohull in the Bahamas, and right now in his self-built Van. He just started the next adventure, to circumnavigate the world on a Catamaran!

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