Multihulls are Everywhere

No doubt about it, the popularity of multihulls among cruisers has increased steadily over the last decade or so. We knew this but the view across Newport (RI) harbor this summer and in the harbors on Block Island, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket just proves it. There are now as many multihulls swinging on their moorings and anchors as there are monohulls. Because multihulls are more expensive than monohulls of an equal length, we did not expect this 50-50 ratio to ever arrive. We thought cruising cats and tris would remain a niche in the sailing market. But, no, multihulls are everywhere. I can understand why, since the amount of space in a cruising cat makes living aboard much more like living in a waterfront apartment than camping in the single hull of a traditional cruising boat. Plus, cats sail on the level and are easy to maneuver under power with twin engines in tight docking and mooring conditions. And, most cruising cats are faster under sail and power than equivalent monohulls. So, there’s a lot to like. We are monohullers from way back, but I see the appeal of two or three hulls. When I queried my good wife, Rosie, on whether on not she’d be interested in switching from one to two hulls, she wrinkled her nose and replied, “No, I love the look of our sloop and I love the feel of her heeling as the sails catch the wind and I love the feel of the helm as we sail her closer to the wind than most multihulls can. And I’m happy with the simplicity of a traditional boat.”  End of discussion. What do you think about multihulls versus monohulls for cruising? You can email your thoughts to me at george@bwsailing.com.