Catamaran Charter: The Complete Guide

Why catamarans took over

Fifteen years ago a charter fleet was mostly monohulls with a few catamarans tucked at the end of the price list. Today it is the other way round. Two hulls give you more space, a deck that stays level, and access to shallow anchorages that keel boats have to admire from a distance. For groups and families, the catamaran has quietly become the default.

It is not free. A catamaran costs meaningfully more than a monohull of the same length, and it sails differently. Here is the full picture before you book.

Space is the whole point

A 44ft catamaran has roughly the living area of a 58ft monohull. The two hulls each hold cabins with their own bathrooms, so nobody shares a heads, and the central saloon and cockpit sit on one broad level. Eight people can eat together in the cockpit without anyone perching on a companionway step. The trampoline between the bows is where most of the week actually happens — flat, in the sun, inches above the water.

For a group that plans to spend real time aboard rather than just sleeping on it, this space difference is the single biggest reason to choose a cat.

Stability and shallow draft

A catamaran sails almost flat. There is no heeling, which makes cooking, sleeping and moving around far easier and cuts seasickness sharply. This matters most for young children, older guests, and anyone who has ever gone green on a leaning monohull.

The other quiet advantage is draft. A typical charter catamaran draws around 1.2 metres against 2 metres or more for a comparable monohull. That lets you tuck into shallow bays, anchor closer to the beach, and reach places — the Bahamas banks, the shallow Cyclades coves — that keel boats simply cannot.

What you give up

• Sailing feel. A cat does not heel or point as high, and it transmits less of the sensation sailors love. It is more campervan than sports car.
• Marina cost and space. A catamaran is as wide as it is roomy. Berths cost more (often 1.5x a monohull) and are harder to find in a busy August port.
• Price. Expect to pay 40–70% more than a monohull of the same length.

What a week costs

For a four-cabin catamaran around 44–46ft, broad Mediterranean ranges:

• Shoulder season: £4,500–£7,500 per week bareboat.
• Peak (July–August): £8,000–£14,000 per week.

Split across eight people the per-head figure is often reasonable — and it is the space, not the sailing, you are paying for.

Who should choose one

Choose a catamaran if you are travelling as a group or family, if comfort at anchor matters more than performance under sail, or if your destination has the shallow, beach-fringed anchorages that reward a low draft — the BVI, the Bahamas, Croatia, the Balearics.

Choose a monohull instead if it is just a couple, if the sailing itself is the holiday, or if the budget is tight. For everyone in between, the catamaran is why the fleet changed.