How to choose your catamaran?

This guide will help you choose your new sailing catamaran, focusing on three major aspects: performance, comfort and safety. For the performanceIf you're looking for a lightweight boat with quality sails for light, efficient sailing, you've come to the right place. The comfort on board depends on the space available, the layout of the cabins and galley, and the relaxation areas. The safety should not be an area of compromise, with robust materials, a solid construction process, and essential equipment. Think of theenergy self-sufficiency for your extended adventures. 

This "guide" is more about buying a new sailboat, with a few special features for electric models.

Tastes and colors are subjective, but it is possible to agree on a number of more objective criteria. By way of introduction, it's important to keep the following points in mind when it comes to finding the boat that's right for you:

The watchword is "meeting your needs".

• Type of Sailing: A good sailboat is one that corresponds to the type of sailing you are planning, whether for coastal outings, long-distance cruising or regattas.
• Budget : There's a balance to be struck between the features you want and the associated costs. An excellent sailboat is often the one that offers the best value for your budget.
• Versatility: The sailboat's ability to adapt to different sea and wind conditions, as well as its versatility for different uses (cruising, fishing, adventure, diving), is an asset.

Once you have these points in mind, you need to look at a number of points for each boat that would suit your desires, which can be decisive in your choice.

A good catamaran is designed to optimize its sailing performance, both upwind and downwind, thanks to a studied aerodynamic and hydrodynamic design.

This optimization obviously varies according to the range of boat you're interested in. For cruising boats, the emphasis is often on habitability to the detriment of performance. For blue water cruisers, the opposite is true. In any case, don't lose sight of the fact that a high-performance boat can still offer appreciable comfort, whereas a very livable boat can never really be a high-performance boat... To put it simply, who can do more can do less.

If you're looking for a fast boat, here are the key points to consider:

• Weight : This is the first criterion that will tell you whether the boat you're considering is performance-oriented or not. A low weight reduces the power required to accelerate or maintain speed, decreases resistance to forward motion and improves responsiveness at the controls.
   

• Load capacity : This is an aspect not to be overlooked; too low a load capacity is problematic. The load capacity takes into account not only the equipment and stock on board, but also the number of people. If you exceed the load capacity, you prevent the boat from operating at its optimum, and you won't be able to take advantage of its full capacity. On Andaman units, this point has been worked into the design to ensure a structure with increased load capacity.

This is the bow of the Andaman 50. Designed for performance, the hulls are vertical and particularly slender. 

The second criterion, of course, is sail area. The more sail area, the greater the boat's potential. Also pay attention to the type and quality of sails.

• Surface: Larger for more power, but must be balanced with stability. Horned sails, for example. Take the trouble to find out about stationary headsails, etc.
• Quality: Modern materials for improved performance and durability, with three-dimensional cuts for aerodynamic efficiency. For example, full batten, etc.
• Impact: A quality sail improves the boat's energy efficiency, stability and control.

To conclude these remarks on performance, it's worth pointing out that the choice of your catamaran range, whether "cruising" or "blue water", will depend on your intended use, and these categories are not mutually exclusive. You can sail around the world in a Lagoon, and you can cruise in an Andaman.

-read our articles on the subject.

We've already discussed performance, which is obviously to the advantage of the offshore range. Now it's time to talk about onboard comfort.

Here are some important points to consider:

• Headroom: A good catamaran needs to offer spaces where you can stand without bending, which is crucial for daily comfort on board. This includes the main salon, cabins, galley and even bathrooms.

• Comfortable cabins: Cabins should have good-sized beds. Personal space is also important, with well-designed storage facilities for personal belongings.

• Equipped galley (Square): A well-designed galley should include equipment adapted to life at sea, such as refrigerators that stay in place, stoves with spill-proof safety systems, deep sinks, and secure storage for crockery and provisions. The galley is an important part of the boat, so pay close attention to layout, worktop surfaces and equipment. American refrigerators are now often allowed on board, as is induction.

• Comfort equipment: Don't lose sight of your needs, whether for air conditioning or heating, depending on your latitude and the season. Sound equipment is also important.... 

• Relaxation areas: It's important to have areas where the crew can relax, whether indoors or out. This can include sofas, comfortable armchairs, tables for dining or sailing, and outdoor areas such as trampolines between the hulls for basking in the sun. Don't forget to ask yourself about rest when sailing at night. The best thing is to have convertible outdoor facilities.

• Freshwater capacity: Don't neglect to ensure adequate freshwater capacity, to be put in perspective with the equipment on board. Often, a watermaker-equipped boat will have smaller tanks.

This is part of the outside saloon, with a table that converts into a berth for night-time cruising. 

This applies to all boat categories. What equipment do you have available?

• On-board systems: Sophisticated navigation systems, efficient autopilots and communication systems for safety are key equipment. Don't forget to ask about the type of anchors, chain diameter and length, windlass power and so on. All these parameters can make all the difference at anchor. The deck layout must also be optimized: is the helm position and visibility optimal? Both when sailing and maneuvering in port, with a single helm station, all ropes must be routed to it, for example.
   
• Grand Voyage equipment: watermaker, washing machine, rainwater collector. All this equipment is important to ensure your boat's complete autonomy. Note that this is generally optional and will depend on the size of your wallet. Make sure, however, that the manufacturer is able to do this.
   
• Maintenance: A good sailboat is designed for easy maintenance. Access to engines, batteries and plumbing systems must be well thought out to reduce maintenance costs and effort. This part is trickier, and you won't really know if the boat is optimized until you use it regularly. Take a look, however, to see if the floors lift and if access hatches are available.

This is the real deal. No compromises here. Your survival depends on it, as does the long-term viability of your investment.

• Robustness : The use of strong, resistant materials, such as reinforced composites, ensures that the catamaran can withstand impacts and rough sea conditions. Fiberglass, Kevlar, carbon, aluminum, wood? Why not?
• Construction: Construction methods must ensure a solid hull and deck, with reinforced joints and stress points. If you're going with composite, infusion sandwich construction is the best available today.
• Design: Certain safety valves are adopted by manufacturers; keels and daggerboards, for example, are often sacrificial.
• The quality of finishes, such as watertight joints and UV-resistant paints, also plays a role. See for yourself if you have a model in front of you.
• Watertight compartments: Many catamarans are designed with watertight partitions between compartments, limiting the risk of sinking in the event of a hull breach.

-read our articles on the subject-.

• Sail trimming : Good design allows quick and safe sail adjustments, essential for managing the boat in unexpected situations, or for reducing sail in strong winds. As we said, pay close attention to the deck layout: is access to the boom easy? Is the rigging return optimized?
• Safe design: Lifelines, handrails and good visibility from the cockpit are essential. Decks must be non-slip, and access to sails and shrouds must be secure.
• Sailing area : Pay close attention to the layout of the boat's exterior to gauge the safety of the areas dedicated to sailing, especially at night. Is the cockpit easily accessible? Is there a secure rest area for crew members? Is communication good?

We could have put this part in the comfort zone too. 

• The distance the boat can cover autonomously without refuelling in port. So I see where you're coming from: technically, with a sailboat, it's infinite... True, but we're talking here about imagining sailing without wind. For classic thermal configurations, you simply need to find out the boat's fuel storage capacity, and make your calculations based on the consumption curve of your engines. 
   
• For electric or hybrid boats, it's a little trickier; the amount of fuel carried remains a good indicator, whether for the on-board generator or the fuel cell.
  
  Butthat's not all. Add the surface area of solar panels, hydrogeneration capacity, and the possible presence/addition of wind turbines. With this overview, you can get an idea of the boat's energy capacity for travel. 

-read our articles on the subject-.

• Aesthetics: Although design is subjective, a good sailboat is often a pleasure to the eye, with harmonious lines and an interior that reflects the sailor's lifestyle.