Why a Seawind

Design Philosophy
History
Mission Statement

At Seawind, we are regularly asked “Convince me why I should buy a catamaran instead of a monohull”. Like everything, there are pluses and there are minuses and we try to give the person a balanced answer.

Of course, the benefits and compromises of owning a catamaran are more or less compelling for different people depending on their circumstances and their sailing ambitions. However, a growing number of sailors are coming down heavily one side and becoming firm catamaran converts.

Many converted ex-monohull sailors are now passionate advocates of two hulls over one. For specialists in multihulls, the advantages are simply too great to ignore.

We have witnessed amazing changes to how families sail together on a catamaran. For many families, the catamaran yacht has meant the kids can bring their friends without overcrowding the boat. Guests do not have to be yachties to enjoy the day and entertaining can be done with style and without stress.

The most compelling argument of all must be this: monohull sailors are converting to catamaran yachts by the truckload. It is rare to hear of any of these ever going back. Once you become a catamaran owner, you are hooked for life.

GREAT SAILING PERFORMANCE

While some of the mass produced catamaran yachts developed for the charter industry have been developed for space over speed, in most weather conditions, today’s modern production built performance cruisers will sail at speeds 20 to 50% faster than a similar length monohull. This certainly is the case for Seawinds, with every Seawind model, a calculated balance of space vs performance is evaluated in order to deliver the best of both worlds.

LEVEL, NO HEEL SAILING

Leaning over at 25 degrees can be exciting and fun – for a while. In a very short time the novelty wears off and the attraction of level sailing is pretty obvious. The cruising catamaran yachts rarely heels more than 5 degrees and most often less. This makes offshore passages less tiring, helps drink and food stay on the table, sleeping doesn’t involve a balancing act and reefing in heavy weather is not done on a rolling slippery deck. The advantages are endless.

LIVING SPACE

The modern cruising catamaran is much roomier than its equivalent length monohull. In fact to get the same facilities as on the 38ft Seawind 1160 it is estimated you would have to go to a 50ft yacht. The Seawind 1260 on the other hand has features found on few monohulls under 60ft. When comparing a catamaran to a monohull therefore it is important to consider a range of factors, not simply just the overall length.

SHALLOW DRAFT

A cruising catamaran will draw less than 3 foot, allowing access to areas that would terrify a monohull. Often getting in close means better protection and a safer, more comfortable anchorage. With shoal draft keels, such as on the Seawind 1160 and Seawind 1260, the catamaran can be beached without damage. This a real bonus for under hull maintenance and antifouling. On daggerboard models, Seawind also install lifting rudders allowing boats as large as 52 foot to be beached or anchored in just 2 feet of water.

MANOEUVRABILITY

With twin propellers set 10 to 15 feet apart the modern catamaran is a pure joy to maneuver and is superior to most powerboats, let alone any monohull sailboat. To learn more about the maneuvering possibilities of a catamaran read our catamaran docking guide HERE>>

UNSINKABLE SAFETY

The modern yachting catamaran, built of light weight FRP/foam construction is virtually unsinkable offering a level of offshore safety not available to monohulls with a ballasted keel. In the rare event of holing the hull the monohull sailor has only the Liferaft for survival. In a catamaran the same damage may not even seriously affect the sailing performance as the boat is sufficiently buoyant under even these conditions. In extreme damage the catamaran will still float offering a high level of safety to its crew.