- Mainsail
- Selftacking jib
- Gennaker
- Spinnaker
This Australian couple, initially with little sailing experience, have been documenting their journey around the world under sail since 2014. If you don’t already know them, it’s time to discover these celebrities that we love to follow…
What is the difference between the outremer 45 and the 4x, what are the latest innovations on the outremer 45, what is the payload of the 45', can you sail around the world in complete safety on a 45'.
Beyond building your boat, Outremer brings your dreams to life by being by your side at every stage of your project. To always better support you, we have created Outremer Services. This structure, integrated within Grand Large Services is able to meet all your needs, from the start of your project to the resale of your catamaran.
Seminars on the theme of blue-water cruising, training on land and at sea, charter, concierge services, refit, a network of approved partners around the world, OCM ™ e-maintenance and lastly brokerage. We offer complete and personalized support according to best fit your needs.
Impatient, not sure you can invest in a new catamaran or simply curious? See our latest second-hand boats on offer. Please note that the demand is high, don’t wait to contact us.
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From the legendary Outremer 45 to the acclaimed Outremer 55, not to forget the 51 and the 4X, you will find a wide range of Outremer catamarans to charter, depending on your model of interest.
Home » Blog » Bluewater sailboats » The best bluewater sailboats (we analyzed 2,000 boats to find out)
By Author Fiona McGlynn
Posted on Last updated: May 16, 2023
We analyzed two-thousand bluewater sailboats to bring you a list of proven offshore designs
What are the best bluewater sailboats?
This was a question we asked a lot of experienced cruisers when we decided to sail across the Pacific. We needed a boat after all, and we wanted to buy the best bluewater sailboat we could afford.
We heard a lot of strong opinions.
Some sailors thought it was reckless to go offshore in any boat that didn’t have a full keel.
Others prioritized performance, and wouldn’t dream of going anywhere in a slow boat like the Westsail 32 (a.k.a. a “Wet Snail 32”).
Opinions like these left us feeling confused like we had to choose between safety and performance.
If we learned anything from these conversations, it’s that what makes a bluewater boat is a hotly debated topic!
However, there’s a way to cut through all the opinions and get to the bottom of it. The solution is….
We analyzed just under 2,000 boats embarking on ocean crossings (over a 12 year time period) and came up with a list of the ten best bluewater sailboats.
The data for our best bluewater sailboats list comes from 12 years of entries in the Pacific Puddle Jump (PPJ), an annual cross-Pacific rally. We took part in 2017 and had a ball!
You can read about the methodology we used to analyze this data at the bottom of the post.
We know, that word is overused on the internet!
Simply, based on our data set, these were the most common makes and models entered in the PPJ cross-Pacific rally. There were at least 10 PPJ rally entries for every make of boat on our top 10 list.
No! A bluewater boat isn’t necessarily a seaworthy boat. Almost every cruiser we know made substantial repairs and additions to get their offshore boat ready, adding watermakers , life rafts, solar panels, and more.
Also, you should always have a boat inspected by a professional and accredited marine surveyor before buying it or taking it offshore.
There are hundreds of excellent bluewater yachts that are not on this list. For instance, we sailed across the Pacific in a Dufour 35, which didn’t even come close to making our top 10 list.
Choosing the right boat is very much an individual journey.
We recognize that a top 10 list won’t get you very far if you’re shopping for a bluewater boat (especially if you’re looking in the used market).
So, to help you find your perfect boat, we’re going to create a big list of bluewater boats that you can use to refine your search on Yachtworld, Craigslist, or any other places to buy a used boat .
Sign up for our newsletter to get our big list of bluewater boats list as soon as it comes out.
We’re also working on a series of posts by size class. For example, if you’re looking for a smaller boat, you can narrow it down to the best bluewater sailboats under 40 feet .
There were no big surprises on an individual boat level. All of these makes are considered good cruisers, some of them are even best-selling designs! However, there were a few things that caught our eye.
We were thrilled to see the smallest boat in our roundup at the very top of the list! Westsail 32 owners can take pride in their small but mighty yachts (and ignore all those snail-sayers).
While undoubtedly there’s been a trend towards bigger bluewater cruisers in recent years, small cruising sailboats seem to be holding their own. 60% of the monohulls on this list were under 40 feet (if you count the Valiant 40 which sneaks just under at 39.92 feet).
So, we knew catamarans were a thing, but we didn’t fully appreciate HOW popular they’d become!
50% of our top 10 bluewater boat list consists of catamarans—a good fact to toss out the next time you’re trying to garner a happy hour invite on the party boat next door (which will undoubtedly be a catamaran).
We’ve got good news for all you good old boat lovers! 60% of the boats on our list were first built before 2000.
While these older models are less performance-oriented than modern designs, cruisers value these boats for their ability to stand up to rough seas and heavy weather. It just goes to show that solid bones and classic looks never go out of style.
Alright, without further ado, let’s dive into our list of the 10 best bluewater boats!
The Westsail 32 is one of the most iconic bluewater cruisers and 19 have set out to cross the Pacific in the PPJ rally since 2009.
In 1973, this small cruising sailboat garnered a 4-page spread in Time magazine. The article inspired many Americans to set sail and the Westsail 32, with its double-ender design, set the standard for what a real bluewater cruiser should look like.
There were approximately 830 built between 1971 and 1980.
This small boat has taken sailors on ocean crossings and circumnavigations. Though considered “slow” by some, the heavily-built Westsail 32 has developed a loyal following for her other excellent offshore cruising characteristics.
If you’re interested in small bluewater sailboats, check out our post on the best small sailboats for sailing around the world .
LOA | 32.00 ft / 9.75 m |
First built | 1971 |
Builder | Westsail (USA) |
Designer | W. Crealock / W. Atkin |
Hull type | Long keel, trans. hung rudder |
Rig type | Cutter |
Displacement | 19,500 lb / 8,845 kg |
The Lagoon 380 is a reliable, solidly built catamaran and considered roomy for its size. We counted 18 of them in our data set. With over 800 boats built , it may be one of the best-selling catamarans in the world. Like the other boats on this list, the Lagoon 380 has proven itself on long passages and ocean crossings, winning it many loyal fans.
LOA | 37.89 ft / 11.55 m |
First built | 2000 |
Builder | Jeanneau (FRA) |
Designer | V. Peteghem / L. Prévost |
type | Cat. twin keel |
Rig type | Fractional sloop |
Displacement | 16,005 lb / 7,260 kg |
More specifications |
18 Lagoon 440s have set out to cross the Pacific in the PPJ rally since 2009.
Why leave the comforts of home, when you can take them with you? The Lagoon 440 is a luxurious long-range cruiser, offering beautiful wood joinery, spacious accommodations, and a deluxe galley. Oh, and you have the option of an electric boat motor !
SAIL and Sailing Magazine have both done in-depth reviews of the Lagoon 440 if you want to learn more.
LOA | 44.65 ft / 13.61 m |
First built | 2004 |
Builder | Lagoon (FRA) |
Designer | V. Peteghem / L. Prévost |
Hull type | Cat. twin keel |
Rig type | Fractional sloop |
Displacement | 26,786 lb / 12,150 kg |
If you follow the adventures of SV Delos on YouTube, you probably know that the star of the show (SV Delos— in case the title didn’t give it away ) is an Amel Super Maramu. These classic bluewater sailboats can be found all over the world, proof they can go the distance.
We counted 16 Amel Super Maramus and Super Maramu 2000s in our list of PPJ entries.
Ready to join the cult of Amel? Read more about the iconic brand in Yachting World.
LOA | 52.49 ft / 16.00 m |
First built | 1989 |
Builder | Amel (FRA) |
Designer | H. Amel / J. Carteau |
Hull type | Wing keel |
Rig type | Masthead ketch |
Displacement | 35,274 lb / 16,000 kg |
When I interviewed legendary yacht designer, Bob Perry, for Good Old Boat in 2019, he told me that the Valiant 40 was one of the boats that most defined him and marked the real start of his career.
At the time, heavy displacement cruisers were considered sluggish and slow, especially in light winds.
Perry’s innovation with the Valiant 40 was to combine a classic double ender above the waterline, with an IOR racing hull shape below the waterline. The result was the first “performance cruiser”, a blockbuster hit, with over 200 boats built in the 1970s.
It’s no surprise we counted 16 Valiant 40s in our data set.
Cruising World magazine dubbed it “a fast, comfortable, and safe cruising yacht,” and there’s no doubt it’s covered some serious nautical miles.
It’s worth noting that there were blistering problems with hull numbers 120-249 (boats built between 1976 and 1981). Later models did not have this problem. Despite the blistering issues, the Valiant 40 remains one of the most highly thought of bluewater designs.
LOA | 39.92 ft / 12.17 m |
First built | 1973 |
Builder | Uniflite/Valiant (USA) |
Designer | R. Perry |
Hull type | Fin keel, rudder on skeg |
Rig type | Cutter |
Displacement | 23,520 lb / 10,668 kg |
The Tayana 37 is another hugely popular Perry design. The first boat rolled off the production line in 1976 and since then, nearly 600 boats have been built. Beautiful classic lines and a proven track record have won the Tayana 37 a devoted following of offshore enthusiasts.
12 Tayana 37s have set out to cross the Pacific in the PPJ rally since 2009. Read more about the Tayana 37 in this Practical Sailor review .
LOA | 36.67 ft / 11.18 m |
First built | 1976 |
Builder | Ta Yang (TWN) |
Designer | R. Perry |
Hull type | Long keel |
Rig type | Cutter |
Displacement | 22,500 lb / 10,206 kg |
If this list is starting to sound like a paid advertisement, I swear we’re not on Lagoon’s payroll! This is the third Lagoon on our list, but the data doesn’t lie. Lagoon is making some of the best cruising sailboats.
The 450 has been a hot seller for Lagoon, with over 800 built since its launch in 2014. While not a performance cat, the Lagoon 450 travels at a reasonable speed and is brimming with luxury amenities.
At least 12 owners in the PPJ rally chose the Lagoon 450 to take them across the Pacific. It’s no wonder SAIL had so many good things to say about it.
LOA | 45.80 ft / 13.96 m |
First built | 2014 |
Builder | Lagoon (FRA) |
Designer | V. Peteghem / L. Prévost |
Hull type | Cat. twin keel |
Rig type | Fractional sloop |
Displacement | 33,075 lb / 15,003 kg |
There were 11 Fountaine Pajot Bahia 46s in our data set.
Fountaine Pajot released the Bahia 46 in 1997, a sleek design for traveling long distances. Its generously-sized water and fuel tanks along with ample storage for cruising gear are a real plus for the self-sufficient sailor.
According to Cruising World , “Cruising-cat aficionados should put the Bahia 46 on their “must-see” list.”
LOA | 46.10 ft / 14.05 m |
First built | 1997 |
Builder | Fountaine Pajot (FRA) |
Designer | Joubert-Nivelt |
Hull type | Cat. twin keel |
Rig type | Fractional sloop |
Displacement | 21,385 lb / 9,700 kg |
See |
10 Catalina 42s (MKI and MKII) have set out to cross the Pacific in the PPJ rally since 2009.
The Catalina 42 was designed under the guidance of the legendary yacht designer and Catalina’s chief engineer, Gerry Douglas.
One of Catalina’s philosophies is to offer “as much boat for the money as possible,” and the Catalina 42 is no exception. According to Practical Sailor , Catalina aims to price its boats 15% to 20% below major production boats like Hunter and Beneteau.
Practical Sailor has a great in-depth review of the Catalina 42 .
LOA | 41.86 ft / 12.76 m |
First built | 1989 |
Builder | Catalina (USA) |
Designer | Catalina |
Hull type | Fin keel, spade rudder |
Rig type | Masthead sloop |
Displacement | 20,500 lb / 9,299 kg |
Since 2009, 10 Leopard 46s have embarked on Pacific crossings in the PPJ rally.
Leopards have won legions of fans for their high build quality, robust engineering, and excellent performance.
The Leopard 46 also boasts something of a racing pedigree. It was built in South Africa by Robertson and Caine and designed by Gino Morelli and Pete Melvin, who came up with the record-breaking catamaran Playstation / Cheyenne 125 .
Read more about the Leopard 46 in this Cruising World review .
LOA | 46.32 ft / 14.12 m |
First built | 2006 |
Builder | Robertson & Caine (RSA) |
Designer | Morelli & Melvin |
Hull type | Cat. twin keel |
Rig type | Fractional sloop |
Displacement | 24,206 lb / 10,980 kg |
What the data is and isn’t.
The PPJ data was a real boon because it reflects a wide range of cruising boats: small, big, old, new, expensive, and affordable. We think this may be because the PPJ is a very financially accessible rally—the standard entry cost is $125 or $100 if you’re under 35 (age or boat length!).
We did look at data from other (pricier) rallies but found that the results skewed towards more expensive boats.
Needless to say, the data we used is just a sample of the bluewater boats that crossed the Pacific over the last 10+ years. Many cruisers cross oceans without participating in a rally!
The data we used is a list of the PPJ entries, not necessarily the boats that completed the rally. In instances where we saw the same boat entered multiple years in a row, we assumed they’d postponed their crossing and deleted all but the latest entry to avoid double counting.
The world of boat building and naming can get pretty complicated. Sometimes a manufacturer changes a boat’s name a year or two into production, other times the name remains the same but the boat undergoes a dramatic update.
For the most part, we’ve used SailboatData.com’s classification system (if they list the boats separately, then we have also), except where there are two separately listed models that have the same LOA, beam, and displacement.
Fiona McGlynn is an award-winning boating writer who created Waterborne as a place to learn about living aboard and traveling the world by sailboat. She has written for boating magazines including BoatUS, SAIL, Cruising World, and Good Old Boat. She’s also a contributing editor at Good Old Boat and BoatUS Magazine. In 2017, Fiona and her husband completed a 3-year, 13,000-mile voyage from Vancouver to Mexico to Australia on their 35-foot sailboat.
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In the August 2024 issue of Yachting World magazine: News Few finish a tempestuous Round The Island Race European rules are eased for cruising to France and Greece Olympic sailing…
How do you choose the right yacht for you? We highlight the very best bluewater sailboat designs for every type of cruising
Which yacht is the best for bluewater boating? This question generates even more debate among sailors than questions about what’s the coolest yacht , or the best for racing. Whereas racing designs are measured against each other, cruising sailors get very limited opportunities to experience different yachts in real oceangoing conditions, so what is the best bluewater sailboat?
Here, we bring you our top choices from decades of designs and launches. Over the years, the Yachting World team has sailed these boats, tested them or judged them for European Yacht of the Year awards, and we have sifted through the many to curate a selection that we believe should be on your wishlist.
Making the right choice may come down to how you foresee your yacht being used after it has crossed an ocean or completed a passage: will you be living at anchor or cruising along the coast? If so, your guiding requirements will be space, cabin size, ease of launching a tender and anchoring closer to shore, and whether it can comfortably accommodate non-expert-sailor guests.
Article continues below…
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All of these considerations have generated the inexorable rise of the bluewater catamaran – monohulls can’t easily compete on these points. We have a full separate feature on the best bluewater multihulls of all time and here we mostly focus on monohulls. The only exceptions to that rule are two multihulls which made it into our best bluewater sailboats of 2022 list.
As so much of making the right choice is selecting the right boat for the venture in mind, we have separated out our edit into categories: best for comfort; for families; for performance; and for expedition or high latitudes sailing .
The new flagship Allures 51.9, for example, is a no-nonsense adventure cruising design built and finished to a high standard. It retains Allures’ niche of using aluminium hulls with glassfibre decks and superstructures, which, the yard maintains, gives the optimum combination of least maintenance and less weight higher up. Priorities for this design were a full beam aft cabin and a spacious, long cockpit. Both are excellent, with the latter, at 6m long, offering formidable social, sailing and aft deck zones.
It likes some breeze to come to life on the wheel, but I appreciate that it’s designed to take up to five tonnes payload. And I like the ease with which you can change gears using the furling headsails and the positioning of the powerful Andersen winches inboard. The arch is standard and comes with a textile sprayhood or hard bimini.
Below decks you’ll find abundant headroom and natural light, a deep U-shape galley and cavernous stowage. For those who like the layout of the Amel 50 but would prefer aluminium or shoal draught, look no further.
Allures 51.9 price: €766,000
The Ovni 370 is another cunning new aluminum centreboard offering, a true deck saloon cruiser for two. The designers say the biggest challenge was to create a Category A ocean going yacht at this size with a lifting keel, hence the hull had to be very stable.
Enjoyable to helm, it has a practical, deep cockpit behind a large sprayhood, which can link to the bimini on the arch. Many of its most appealing features lie in the bright, light, contemporary, clever, voluminous interior, which has good stowage and tankage allocation. There’s also a practical navstation, a large workroom and a vast separate shower. I particularly like the convertible saloom, which can double as a large secure daybed or pilot berth.
Potentially the least expensive Category A lift keel boat available, the Ovni will get you dreaming of remote places again.
Ovni 370 price: €282,080
There’s no shortage of spirit in the Windelo 50. We gave this a sustainability award after it’s founders spent two years researching environmentally-friendly composite materials, developing an eco-composite of basalt fibre and recycled PET foam so it could build boats that halve the environmental impact of standard glassfibre yachts.
The Windelo 50 is an intriguing package – from the styling, modular interior and novel layout to the solar field on the roof and the standard electric propulsion, it is completely fresh.
Windelo 50 price: €795,000
I would argue that this is the most successful new production yacht on the market. Well over 50 have already sold (an equipped model typically costs €1.6m) – and I can understand why. After all, were money no object, I had this design earmarked as the new yacht I would most likely choose for a world trip.
Indeed 55 number one Sanya, was fully equipped for a family’s world cruise, and left during our stay for the Grand Large Odyssey tour. Whereas we sailed Magic Kili, which was tricked up with performance options, including foam-cored deckheads and supports, carbon crossbeam and bulkheads, and synthetic rigging.
At rest, these are enticing space ships. Taking one out to sea is another matter though. These are speed machines with the size, scale and loads to be rightly weary of. Last month Nikki Henderson wrote a feature for us about how to manage a new breed of performance cruising cats just like this and how she coaches new owners. I could not think of wiser money spent for those who do not have ample multihull sailing experience.
Under sail, the most fun was obviously reserved for the reaching leg under asymmetric, where we clocked between 11-16 knots in 15-16 knots wind. But it was the stability and of those sustained low teen speeds which really hit home – passagemaking where you really cover miles.
Key features include the swing helms, which give you views from outboard, over the coachroof or from a protected position in the cockpit through the coachroof windows, and the vast island in the galley, which is key to an open plan main living area. It helps provide cavernous stowage and acts as the heart of the entertaining space as it would in a modern home. As Danish judge Morten Brandt-Rasmussen comments: “Apart from being the TGV of ocean passages the boat offers the most spacious, open and best integration of the cockpit and salon areas in the market.”
Outremer has done a top job in packing in the creature comforts, stowage space and payload capacity, while keeping it light enough to eat miles. Although a lot to absorb and handle, the 55 offers a formidable blend of speed and luxury cruising.
Outremer 55 price: €1.35m
This is the successor to the legendary Super Maramu, a ketch design that for several decades defined easy downwind handling and fostered a cult following for the French yard. Nearly a decade old, the Amel 55 is the bridge between those world-girdling stalwarts and Amel’s more recent and totally re-imagined sloop designs, the Amel 50 and 60.
The 55 boasts all the serious features Amel aficionados loved and valued: a skeg-hung rudder, solidly built hull, watertight bulkheads, solid guardrails and rampart bulwarks. And, most noticeable, the solid doghouse in which the helmsman sits in perfect shelter at the wheel.
This is a design to live on comfortably for long periods and the list of standard features just goes on and on: passarelle; proper sea berths with lee cloths; electric furling main and genoa; and a multitude of practical items that go right down to a dishwasher and crockery.
There’s no getting around the fact these designs do look rather dated now, and through the development of easier sail handling systems the ketch rig has fallen out of fashion, but the Amel is nothing short of a phenomenon, and if you’ve never even peeked on board one, you really have missed a treat.
Photo: Sander van der Borch
A centre cockpit cruiser with true longevity, the Contest 50CS was launched by Conyplex back in 2003 and is still being built by the family-owned Dutch company, now in updated and restyled form.
With a fully balanced rudder, large wheel and modern underwater sections, the Contest 50CS is a surprisingly good performer for a boat that has a dry weight of 17.5 tonnes. Many were fitted with in-mast furling, which clearly curtails that performance, but even without, this boat is set up for a small crew.
Electric winches and mainsheet traveller are all easy to reach from the helm. On our test of the Contest 50CS, we saw for ourselves how two people can gybe downwind under spinnaker without undue drama. Upwind, a 105% genoa is so easy to tack it flatters even the weediest crewmember.
Down below, the finish level of the joinery work is up there among the best and the interior is full of clever touches, again updated and modernised since the early models. Never the cheapest bluewater sailing yacht around, the Contest 50CS has remained in demand as a brokerage buy. She is a reassuringly sure-footed, easily handled, very well built yacht that for all those reasons has stood the test of time.
This is a yacht that would be well capable of helping you extend your cruising grounds, almost without realising it.
Read more about the Contest 50CS and the new Contest 49CS
Photo: Rick Tomlinson
For many, the Swedish Hallberg-Rassy yard makes the quintessential bluewater cruiser for couples. With their distinctive blue cove line, these designs are famous for their seakindly behaviour, solid-as-a-rock build and beautifully finished, traditional interiors.
To some eyes, Hallberg-Rassys aren’t quite cool enough, but it’s been company owner Magnus Rassy’s confidence in the formula and belief in incremental ‘step-by-step’ evolution that has been such an exceptional guarantor of reliable quality, reputation and resale value.
The centre cockpit Hallberg-Rassy 48 epitomises the concept of comfort at sea and, like all the Frers-designed Hallberg-Rassys since the 1990s, is surprisingly fleet upwind as well as steady downwind. The 48 is perfectly able to be handled by a couple (as we found a few years back in the Pacific), and could with no great effort crack out 200-mile days.
The Hallberg-Rassy 48 was launched nearly a decade ago, but the Mk II from 2014 is our pick, updated with a more modern profile, larger windows and hull portlights that flood the saloon and aft cabin with light. With a large chart table, secure linear galley, heaps of stowage and space for bluewater extras such as machinery and gear, this yacht pretty much ticks all the boxes.
First launched in 2000, the Discovery 55 has stood the test of time. Designed by Ron Holland, it hit a sweet spot in size that appealed to couples and families with world girdling plans.
Elegantly styled and well balanced, the 55 is also a practical design, with a deep and secure cockpit, comfortable seating, a self-tacking jib, dedicated stowage for the liferaft , a decent sugar scoop transom that’s useful for swimming or dinghy access, and very comfortable accommodation below. In short, it is a design that has been well thought out by those who’ve been there, got the bruises, stubbed their toes and vowed to change things in the future if they ever got the chance.
Throughout the accommodation there are plenty of examples of good detailing, from the proliferation of handholds and grabrails, to deep sinks in the galley offering immediate stowage when under way and the stand up/sit down showers. Stowage is good, too, with plenty of sensibly sized lockers in easily accessible positions.
The Discovery 55 has practical ideas and nifty details aplenty. She’s not, and never was, a breakthrough in modern luxury cruising but she is pretty, comfortable to sail and live on, and well mannered.
Photo: Latitudes Picture Library
You can’t get much more Cornish than a Rustler. The hulls of this Stephen Jones design are hand-moulded and fitted out in Falmouth – and few are more ruggedly built than this traditional, up-for-anything offshore cruiser.
She boasts an encapsulated lead keel, eliminating keel bolts and creating a sump for generous fuel and water tankage, while a chunky skeg protects the rudder. She is designed for good directional stability and load carrying ability. These are all features that lend this yacht confidence as it shoulders aside the rough stuff.
Most of those built have had a cutter rig, a flexible arrangement that makes sense for long passages in all sea and weather conditions. Down below, the galley and saloon berths are comfortable and sensible for living in port and at sea, with joinery that Rustler’s builders are rightly proud of.
As modern yachts have got wider, higher and fatter, the Rustler 42 is an exception. This is an exceptionally well-mannered seagoing yacht in the traditional vein, with elegant lines and pleasing overhangs, yet also surprisingly powerful. And although now over 20 years old, timeless looks and qualities mean this design makes her look ever more like a perennial, a modern classic.
The definitive crossover size, the point at which a yacht can be handled by a couple but is just large enough to have a professional skipper and be chartered, sits at around the 60ft mark. At 58ft 8in, the Oyster 575 fitted perfectly into this growing market when launched in 2010. It went on to be one of the most popular models from the yard, and is only now being superseded by the newer Rob Humphreys-designed Oyster 565 (just launched this spring).
Built in various configurations with either a deep keel, shoal draught keel or centreboard with twin rudders, owners could trade off better performance against easy access to shallower coves and anchorages. The deep-bodied hull, also by Rob Humphreys, is known for its easy motion at sea.
Some of the Oyster 575’s best features include its hallmark coachroof windows style and centre cockpit – almost everyone will know at first glance this is an Oyster – and superb interior finish. If she has a flaw, it is arguably the high cockpit, but the flip side is the galley headroom and passageway berth to the large aft stateroom.
This design also has a host of practical features for long-distance cruising, such as high guardrails, dedicated liferaft stowage, a vast lazarette for swallowing sails, tender, fenders etc, and a penthouse engine room.
A true luxury catamaran which, fully fitted out, will top €1m, this deserves to be seen alongside the likes of the Oyster 575, Gunfleet 58 and Hallberg-Rassy 55. It boasts a large cockpit and living area, and a light and spacious saloon with an emphasis on indoor-outdoor living, masses of refrigeration and a big galley.
Standout features are finish quality and solid build in a yacht designed to take a high payload, a secure walkaround deck and all-round views from the helm station. The new Privilege 510 that will replace this launches in February 2020.
It was with this Tony Castro design that Richard Matthews, founder of Oyster Yachts, launched a brand new rival brand in 2012, the smallest of a range stretching to the flagship Gunfleet 74. The combination of short overhangs and centre cockpit at this size do make the Gunfleet 43 look modern if a little boxy, but time and subsequent design trends have been kind to her lines, and the build quality is excellent. The saloon, galley and aft cabin space is exceptional on a yacht of this size.
Photo: David Harding
Conceived as a belt-and-braces cruiser, the Kraken 50 launched last year. Its unique points lie underwater in the guise of a full skeg-hung rudder and so-called ‘Zero Keel’, an encapsulated long keel with lead ballast.
Kraken Yachts is the brainchild of British businessman and highly experienced cruiser Dick Beaumont, who is adamant that safety should be foremost in cruising yacht design and build. “There is no such thing as ‘one yacht for all purposes’… You cannot have the best of all worlds, whatever the salesman tells you,” he says.
Read our full review of the Kraken 50 .
Few yachts can claim to be both an exciting Med-style design and a serious and practical northern European offshore cruiser, but the Wauquiez Centurion 57 tries to blend both. She slightly misses if you judge solely by either criterion, but is pretty and practical enough to suit her purpose.
A very pleasant, well-considered yacht, she is impressively built and finished with a warm and comfortable interior. More versatile than radical, she could be used for sailing across the Atlantic in comfort and raced with equal enjoyment at Antigua Sailing Week .
A modern classic if ever there was one. A medium to heavy displacement yacht, stiff and easily capable of standing up to her canvas. Pretty, traditional lines and layout below.
Photo: Voyage of Swell
Well-proven US legacy design dating back to the mid-1960s that once conquered the Transpac Race . Still admired as pretty, with slight spoon bow and overhanging transom.
Capable medium displacement cruiser, ideal size and good accommodation for couples or family cruising, and much less costly than similar luxury brands.
Photo: Peter Szamer
Swedish-built aft cockpit cruiser, smaller than many here, but a well-built and finished, super-durable pocket ocean cruiser.
Designed as a performance cruiser there are nimbler alternatives now, but this is still an extremely pretty yacht.
This yacht has already circumnavigated the globe and is ‘prepared for her next adventure,’ says broker Berthon. Price: £535,000 + VAT
‘Stunning, and perfectly equipped for bluewater cruising,’ says broker Ancasta International. Price: £845,000 (tax not paid)
Nearly new and with a high spec, this Oyster Brokerage yacht features American white oak joinery and white leather upholstery and has a shoal draught keel. Price: $1.49m
The Frers-designed Swan 54 may not be the newest hull shape but heralded Swan’s latest generation of displacement bluewater cruisers when launched four years ago. With raked stem, deep V hull form, lower freeboard and slight curve to the topsides she has a more timeless aesthetic than many modern slab-sided high volume yachts, and with that a seakindly motion in waves. If you plan to cover many miles to weather, this is probably the yacht you want to be on.
Photo: Carlo Borlenghi
Besides Swan’s superlative build quality, the 54 brings many true bluewater features, including a dedicated sail locker. There’s also a cockpit locker that functions as a utility cabin, with potential to hold your generator and washing machine, or be a workshop space.
The sloping transom opens out to reveal a 2.5m bathing platform, and although the cabins are not huge there is copious stowage space. Down below the top-notch oak joinery is well thought through with deep fiddles, and there is a substantial nav station. But the Swan 54 wins for handling above all, with well laid-out sail controls that can be easily managed between a couple, while offering real sailing enjoyment to the helmsman.
Photo: Graham Snook
The Performance Cruiser winner at the 2019 European Yacht of the Year awards, the Arcona 435 is all about the sailing experience. She has genuine potential as a cruiser-racer, but her strengths are as an enjoyable cruiser rather than a full-blown liveaboard bluewater boat.
Build quality is excellent, there is the option of a carbon hull and deck, and elegant lines and a plumb bow give the Arcona 435 good looks as well as excellent performance in light airs. Besides slick sail handling systems, there are well thought-out features for cruising, such as ample built-in rope bins and an optional semi-closed stern with stowage and swim platform.
If you want the space and stability of a cat but still prioritise sailing performance, Outremer has built a reputation on building catamarans with true bluewater characteristics that have cruised the planet for the past 30 years.
Lighter and slimmer-hulled than most cruising cats, the Outremer 51 is all about sailing at faster speeds, more easily. The lower volume hulls and higher bridgedeck make for a better motion in waves, while owners report that being able to maintain a decent pace even under reduced canvas makes for stress-free passages. Deep daggerboards also give good upwind performance.
With bucket seats and tiller steering options, the Outremer 51 rewards sailors who want to spend time steering, while they’re famously well set up for handling with one person on deck. The compromise comes with the interior space – even with a relatively minimalist style, there is less cabin space and stowage volume than on the bulkier cats, but the Outremer 51 still packs in plenty of practical features.
The Xc45 was the first cruising yacht X-Yachts ever built, and designed to give the same X-Yachts sailing experience for sailors who’d spent years racing 30/40-footer X- and IMX designs, but in a cruising package.
Launched over 10 years ago, the Xc45 has been revisited a few times to increase the stowage and modernise some of the styling, but the key features remain the same, including substantial tanks set low for a low centre of gravity, and X-Yachts’ trademark steel keel grid structure. She has fairly traditional styling and layout, matched with solid build quality.
A soft bilge and V-shaped hull gives a kindly motion in waves, and the cockpit is secure, if narrow by modern standards.
A three or four cabin catamaran that’s fleet of foot with high bridgedeck clearance for comfortable motion at sea. With tall daggerboards and carbon construction in some high load areas, Catana cats are light and quick to accelerate.
An established bluewater design that also features in plenty of offshore races. Some examples are specced with carbon rig and retractable bowsprits. All have a self-tacking jib for ease. Expect sweeping areas of teak above decks and a traditionally wooded interior with hanging wet locker.
A vintage performer, first launched in 1981, the 51 was the first Frers-designed Swan and marked a new era of iconic cruiser-racers. Some 36 of the Swan 51 were built, many still actively racing and cruising nearly 40 years on. Classic lines and a split cockpit make this a boat for helming, not sunbathing.
Photo: Julien Girardot / EYOTY
The JPK 45 comes from a French racing stable, combining race-winning design heritage with cruising amenities. What you see is what you get – there are no superfluous headliners or floorboards, but there are plenty of ocean sailing details, like inboard winches for safe trimming. The JPK 45 also has a brilliantly designed cockpit with an optional doghouse creating all-weather shelter, twin wheels and superb clutch and rope bin arrangement.
Photo: Andreas Lindlahr
For sailors who don’t mind exchanging a few creature comforts for downwind planing performance, the Pogo 50 offers double-digit surfing speeds for exhilarating tradewind sailing. There’s an open transom, tiller steering and no backstay or runners. The Pogo 50 also has a swing keel, to nose into shallow anchorages.
Seawinds are relatively unknown in Europe, but these bluewater cats are very popular in Australia. As would be expected from a Reichel-Pugh design, this 52-footer combines striking good looks and high performance, with fine entry bows and comparatively low freeboard. Rudders are foam cored lifting designs in cassettes, which offer straightforward access in case of repairs, while daggerboards are housed under the deck.
It’s unsurprising that, for many families, it’s a catamaran that meets their requirements best of increased space – both living space and separate cabins for privacy-seeking teenagers, additional crew or visiting family – as well as stable and predictable handling.
Photo: Nicholas Claris
Undoubtedly one of the biggest success stories has been the Lagoon 450, which, together with boats like the Fountaine Pajot 44, helped drive up the popularity of catamaran cruising by making it affordable and accessible. They have sold in huge numbers – over 1,000 Lagoon 450s have been built since its launch in 2010.
The VPLP-designed 450 was originally launched with a flybridge with a near central helming position and upper level lounging areas (450F). The later ‘sport top’ option (450S) offered a starboard helm station and lower boom (and hence lower centre of gravity for reduced pitching). The 450S also gained a hull chine to create additional volume above the waterline. The Lagoon features forward lounging and aft cockpit areas for additional outdoor living space.
Besides being a big hit among charter operators, Lagoons have proven themselves over thousands of bluewater miles – there were seven Lagoon 450s in last year’s ARC alone. In what remains a competitive sector of the market, Lagoon has recently launched a new 46, with a larger self-tacking jib and mast moved aft, and more lounging areas.
Photo: Gilles Martin-Raget
The FP Helia 44 is lighter, lower volume, and has a lower freeboard than the Lagoon, weighing in at 10.8 tonnes unloaded (compared to 15 for the 450). The helm station is on a mezzanine level two steps up from the bridgedeck, with a bench seat behind. A later ‘Evolution’ version was designed for liveaboard cruisers, featuring beefed up dinghy davits and an improved saloon space.
Available in three or four cabin layouts, the Helia 44 was also popular with charter owners as well as families. The new 45 promises additional volume, and an optional hydraulically lowered ‘beach club’ swim platform.
Photo: Arnaud De Buyzer / graphikup.com
The French RM 1370 might be less well known than the big brand names, but offers something a little bit different for anyone who wants a relatively voluminous cruising yacht. Designed by Marc Lombard, and beautifully built from plywood/epoxy, the RM is stiff and responsive, and sails superbly.
The RM yachts have a more individual look – in part down to the painted finish, which encourages many owners to personalise their yachts, but also thanks to their distinctive lines with reverse sheer and dreadnought bow. The cockpit is well laid out with the primary winches inboard for a secure trimming position. The interior is light, airy and modern, although the open transom won’t appeal to everyone.
For those wanting a monohull, the Hanse 575 hits a similar sweet spot to the popular multis, maximising accommodation for a realistic price, yet with responsive performance.
The Hanse offers a vast amount of living space thanks to the ‘loft design’ concept of having all the living areas on a single level, which gives a real feeling of spaciousness with no raised saloon or steps to accommodation. The trade-off for such lofty head height is a substantial freeboard – it towers above the pontoon, while, below, a stepladder is provided to reach some hatches.
Galley options include drawer fridge-freezers, microwave and coffee machine, and the full size nav station can double up as an office or study space.
But while the Hanse 575 is a seriously large boat, its popularity is also down to the fact that it is genuinely able to be handled by a couple. It was innovative in its deck layout: with a self-tacking jib and mainsheet winches immediately to hand next to the helm, one person could both steer and trim.
Direct steering gives a feeling of control and some tangible sailing fun, while the waterline length makes for rapid passage times. In 2016 the German yard launched the newer Hanse 588 model, having already sold 175 of the 575s in just four years.
Photo: Bertel Kolthof
Jeanneau leads the way among production builders for versatile all-rounder yachts that balance sail performance and handling, ergonomics, liveaboard functionality and good looks. The Jeanneau 54 , part of the range designed by Philippe Briand with interior by Andrew Winch, melds the best of the larger and smaller models and is available in a vast array of layout options from two cabins/two heads right up to five cabins and three heads.
We’ve tested the Jeanneau 54 in a gale and very light winds, and it acquitted itself handsomely in both extremes. The primary and mainsheet winches are to hand next to the wheel, and the cockpit is spacious, protected and child-friendly. An electric folding swim and sun deck makes for quick fun in the water.
This was the first Nautitech catamaran to be built under the ownership of Bavaria, designed with an open-plan bridgedeck and cockpit for free-flowing living space. But with good pace for eating up bluewater miles, and aft twin helms rather than a flybridge, the Nautitech Open 46 also appeals to monohull sailors who prefer a more direct sailing experience.
Made by Robertson and Caine, who produce catamarans under a dual identity as both Leopard and the Sunsail/Moorings charter cats, the Leopard 45 is set to be another big seller. Reflecting its charter DNA, the Leopard 45 is voluminous, with stepped hulls for reduced waterline, and a separate forward cockpit.
Built in South Africa, they are robustly tested off the Cape and constructed ruggedly enough to handle heavy weather sailing as well as the demands of chartering.
Photo: Olivier Blanchet
If space is king then three hulls might be even better than two. The Neel 51 is rare as a cruising trimaran with enough space for proper liveaboard sailing. The galley and saloon are in the large central hull, together with an owner’s cabin on one level for a unique sensation of living above the water. Guest or family cabins lie in the outer hulls for privacy and there is a cavernous full height engine room under the cabin sole.
Performance is notably higher than an equivalent cruising cat, particularly in light winds, with a single rudder giving a truly direct feel in the helm, although manoeuvring a 50ft trimaran may daunt many sailors.
A brilliant new model from Beneteau, this Finot Conq design has a modern stepped hull, which offers exhilarating and confidence-inspiring handling in big breezes, and slippery performance in lighter winds.
The Beneteau Oceanis 46.1 was the standout performer at this year’s European Yacht of the Year awards, and, in replacing the popular Oceanis 45, looks set to be another bestseller. Interior space is well used with a double island berth in the forepeak. An additional inboard unit creates a secure galley area, but tank capacity is moderate for long periods aboard.
A popular model that offers beam and height in a functional layout, although, as with many boats of this age (she was launched in 2002), the mainsheet is not within reach of the helmsman.
The Philippe Briand-designed Sun Odyssey range has a solid reputation as family production cruisers. Like the 473, the Sun Odyssey 49 was popular for charter so there are plenty of four-cabin models on the market.
The hull design dates back to 1995, but was relaunched in 2012. Though the saloon interior has dated, the 441 has solid practical features, such as a rainwater run-off collection gutter around the coachroof.
Chris White-designed cats feature a pilothouse and forward waist-high working cockpit with helm position, as well as an inside wheel at the nav station. The Atlantic 42 offers limited accommodation by modern cat standards but a very different sailing experience.
Bestevaer 56.
All of the yachts in our ‘expedition’ category are aluminium-hulled designs suitable for high latitude sailing, and all are exceptional yachts. But the Bestevaer 56 is a spectacular amount of boat to take on a true adventure. Each Bestevaer is a near-custom build with plenty of bespoke options for owners to customise the layout and where they fall on the scale of rugged off-grid adventurer to 4×4-style luxury fit out.
The Bestevaer range began when renowned naval architect Gerard Dijkstra chose to design his own personal yacht for liveaboard adventure cruising, a 53-footer. The concept drew plenty of interest from bluewater sailors wanting to make longer expeditions and Bestevaers are now available in a range of sizes, with the 56-footer proving a popular mid-range length.
The well-known Bestevaer 56 Tranquilo (pictured above) has a deep, secure cockpit, voluminous tanks (700lt water and over 1,100lt fuel) and a lifting keel plus water ballast, with classically styled teak clad decks and pilot house. Other owners have opted for functional bare aluminium hull and deck, some choose a doghouse and others a pilothouse.
Photo: Jean-Marie Liot
The Boreal 52 also offers Land Rover-esque practicality, with utilitarian bare aluminium hulls and a distinctive double-level doghouse/coachroof arrangement for added protection in all weathers. The cockpit is clean and uncluttered, thanks to the mainsheet position on top of the doghouse, although for visibility in close manoeuvring the helmsman will want to step up onto the aft deck.
Twin daggerboards, a lifting centreboard and long skeg on which she can settle make this a true go-anywhere expedition yacht. The metres of chain required for adventurous anchoring is stowed in a special locker by the mast to keep the weight central. Down below has been thought through with equally practical touches, including plenty of bracing points and lighting that switches on to red light first to protect your night vision.
Photo: Morris Adant / Garcia Yachts
The Garcia Exploration 45 comes with real experience behind her – she was created in association with Jimmy Cornell, based on his many hundreds of thousands of miles of bluewater cruising, to go anywhere from high latitudes to the tropics.
Arguably less of a looker than the Bestevaer, the Garcia Exploration 45 features a rounded aluminium hull, centreboard with deep skeg and twin daggerboards. The considerable anchor chain weight has again been brought aft, this time via a special conduit to a watertight locker in front of the centreboard.
This is a yacht designed to be lived on for extended periods with ample storage, and panoramic portlights to give a near 360° view of whichever extraordinary landscape you are exploring. Safety features include a watertight companionway door to keep extreme weather out and through-hull fittings placed above the waterline. When former Vendée Globe skipper Pete Goss went cruising , this was the boat he chose to do it in.
Photo: svnaima.com
A truly well-proven expedition design, some 1,500 Ovnis have been built and many sailed to some of the most far-flung corners of the world. (Jimmy Cornell sailed his Aventura some 30,000 miles, including two Drake Passage crossings, one in 50 knots of wind).
Another aluminium design with a swinging centreboard and a solid enclosed pilothouse with protected cockpit area. There’s a chunky bowsprit and substantial transom arch to house all manner of electronics and power generation.
Previous boats have been spec’d for North West Passage crossings with additional heating and engine power, although there’s a carbon rig option for those that want a touch of the black stuff. The tanks are capacious, with 1,000lt capability for both fresh water and fuel.
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My Cruiser Life Magazine
Single-handed boats aren’t just limited to solo travelers. Many cruising couples will tell you that it’s a good idea to have your boat rigged and ready to be sailed single-handed. Why? What if one person gets injured—or just seasick? If your usual crew complement is only two, it makes no sense—from a safety standpoint—to require them both to be “on duty” all the time.
Of course, there are times and situations when you’ll be headed out by yourself. Maybe you like to travel but lack a consistent crew. Or many you’d just rather not bother with a crew.
The good news is that most modern cruising boats can be modified and re-rigged to improve their single-handed abilities. It all comes down to picking the right boat and making the correct modifications. Here’s a look at some of the things you’ll want to consider and five great single-handed monohull and catamaran designs.
Goals for your boat, the under-rated importance of ease of single-handing, what does a single-hander need, types of autohelm, what does a single-hander want, single-handing rigging considerations, 5 great sailboats for single-handed cruisers, best single-handed sailing catamarans.
To find the perfect boat for you, whether solo or crewed sailing, is to make a list of goals and find the vessel that best meets them. There is no perfect boat. Furthermore, while you might be interested in solo sailing now, you might find yourself with a crew later on.
Start with the basics—why are you looking to single-hand your boat? Are you an adventure seeker looking to break records and find adventure with long-distance cruising? Thinking of entering a single-handed sailing race, like the Vendée Globe ?
Or are you just a solo sailor looking for a production boat that’s easy to operate by yourself? This is more common than you might imagine. Most cruising couples out there will readily admit that one member of the crew does very little to help during the actual act of sailing.
Even on two-person crews where both partners are capable, it’s often desirable for the boat to be equipped to be handled by just one person. What if one partner becomes incapacitated by seasickness—or worse, an injury? What if, even rarely, one person needs to move the boat while the other person is away?
The point is simply this—every boat that is being considered by a couple or a short-handed crew should be able to be handled by a single sailor. Whether you’re on watch while the rest of the crew sleeps or you just want to be ready for an emergency, no cruising boat should be impossible to handle alone.
Nearly all modern cruising boats can at least be modified for easier solo handling. Here’s a look at some of the most critical gear and considerations.
The importance of each of these items will vary greatly depending on the boat, its mission, and its crew. Rigging any boat is a very personal choice. Sailors notoriously like to do things their own ways, and their boats demonstrate this character trait. The way the manufacturer or the last owner set things up is just a starting point from which you begin modifying the boat for your use.
Probably the most helpful thing to be able to single-hand is a competent hand on the helm. Thankfully, several modern and old technologies can provide solo sailors with just that.
The goal here is to allow the boat to hold a course without the operator being at the helm. Some form of “autohelm” or “autopilot” is invaluable on long passages. While it’s romantic to think of steering your ship through the dark night, in truth, it is exhausting work. An autopilot or windvane lets you relax and know that the boat will hold its course while you keep watch.
In severe weather at sea, it’s not uncommon for hand-steering crews to stand very short watches, sometimes less than an hour. This is simply due to the workload of controlling the boat in heavy weather. Some boats are more work than others, but all require more helm work when the seas are up.
This is the primary reason why the autopilot system, whatever it is, should be considered an essential part of a boat’s safety gear. A sailboat autopilot system is simply invaluable if you plan to travel far distances or do overnights on your boat.
A windvane is a purely mechanical method to controlling the boat’s heading. It has two parts—the actual windvane and then some form of steering. Many wind vanes are so well regarded as to be recognizably by brand name. Monitor and Hydrovane are probably the two most well-known models.
The windvane assembly is mounted on the transom of a vessel. The windvane itself sticks up like the rudder of an airplane, and it reacts to the wind and spins. As it spins, it uses linkages to either move the ship’s rudder or its own smaller rudder. The operator simply adjusts some small lines to select what direction the boat should be sailing from the wind. The windvane then holds that angle.
There are many advantages to these systems, and their usefulness offshore should not be underestimated. While we’re often dazzled by the digital and the new-fangled, a windvane is dead simple and offers the ultimate in reliability. It uses no battery power and requires very little input to operate. It is nothing more than metal, and short of being severely damaged or bent, there’s just not much that can go wrong with one. And one final bonus—some windvanes can be used as emergency rudders.
For all their pluses, windvanes do have some downsides. They are large and bulky, hanging off the back of the boat. And they are costly to purchase and install, too.
Most modern boats are equipped with at least a little bit of electronics, and autopilots are now very common. An autopilot can be described as above or below decks, depending on where the drive unit is mounted.
Regardless of the details, all autopilots work in approximately the same way. They use either a motor or hydraulic system to move some part of the boat’s rudder linkages. Some move the wheel, while others attach to an arm on the rudder shaft. Either way, the autopilot uses electronic signals to move the boat’s rudder left or right, just like moving the wheel.
Most simple autopilots are connected to an electronic compass, giving the operator a heading hold. Sailing models may also tie into the wind instruments to allow the holding of an apparent wind angle. New models that talk to the chartplotter may track navigation courses between waypoints or entire pre-planned navigation routes.
The bigger the boat, and the heavier the weather it might encounter, then the beefier an autopilot system needs to be. Autopilots can and do fail—they’re complicated electronics with a lot of moving parts. Single-handers venturing far offshore will likely want to have an entire backup unit installed or use their autopilot in concert with a manual windvane.
For boats looking to travel long distances or make overnight passages, there is no substitution for having a spare set of eyes on board. All vessels operate on the concept of “see and avoid,” meaning each captain’s responsibility to watch out for other traffic. If a single-hander is busy doing something else, like letting the autopilot drive the boat while they make their supper, who’s “on watch?”
There is only one electronic device that can be used as a second set of eyes, and that’s a good quality marine radar. All modern units allow operators to set up “guard zones.” The unit will monitor a pre-determined zone around the boat and notify you if an object is detected inside that zone.
Of course, there are other benefits to having radar on board. It can see through rain and fog. If you’re sailing solo, there’s no reason not to have a second set of eyes on board, even if they’re electronic.
Once you’ve got a reliable autopilot and radar on board, you can move from the items you need into the items you might want. If you have an autopilot that works and you plan your actions carefully, you can likely handle any vessel without the following equipment. But these items might make it all a little more pleasant and are worth considering.
Cruising vessels that anchor regularly often have electric windlasses. These make hoisting the anchor and chain back aboard as easy as pressing a button. While manual windlasses enable you to bring up very heavy ground tackle, they take a long time to do it and require an awful lot of elbow grease.
The same applies to sailing winches on larger boats. Electric winches are complex and do take a lot of power, but they also make hoisting and handling big sails a breeze.
Pretty much every sailboat has the most crucial control lines rigged to the cockpit. Jib and main sheets are the perfect examples. But some boats go one step further, also running halyards and reefing lines to the cockpit, too.
There are plusses and minuses to this approach. Running these lines from the base of the mast aft to the cockpit increases the drag on the system, meaning it will take more effort to hoist or tighten the lines. But the security of not having to leave the cockpit if you don’t have to is worth the investment, so long as you have the rope clutches and winch power to make it all work.
Some sailors balk at the idea of running these lines aft, often citing that they’ll have to go forward if something goes wrong. But most of the time, they won’t have to. Fewer trips up on deck at sea means a safer and easier voyage all around. For the single-hander especially, the more you can do from one position, the better.
The layout of how the lines are run to the cockpit is important, too. This is often more a factor in the yacht’s design than something you can easily play with. But where applicable, a sailor will want to spend considerable time thinking about where they want to put lines and how they want to get them there.
The simpler the rig, the easier it is to sail. While nearly all production boats are sloops, the catboat has some distinct advantages here. With only one big sail to worry about, the amount of work and line handling is instantly reduced by two (or three, in the case of ketches or cutters). Catboats like the Nonsuch are known to be excellent performers and are super easy to sail. There are a few cat-rigged schooners out there, too.
There are many variations of traditional sailplans that have been played with on modern boats. Junk rigs, for example, are simple to create and very easy to sail. They’re complex in their setup and not very common on fiberglass boats, however.
If you’re looking for something easy to handle, efficient, and really wild, check out this article from Sail Magazine featuring some of the cutting-edge things found on yachts and the very interesting AeroRig.
Related: Best Trailerable Sailboats
Some sloops have smaller headsails that are “self-tending.” This is another way of saying that these sails don’t need to be tacked, you can trim them like a mainsail, and you can tack the boat simply by turning the helm. That’s a considerable reduction in workload for the crew, whether they’re a single-hander or not.
Headsails can either be hanked on or rolled up on a furler. A furler means less hoisting, and you can open the sail from the cockpit. Although somewhat less common, mainsails can be furled too. Some boats have in-mast furlers. On boats with large full-batten mainsails, in-boom furlers are becoming more common.
The advantage of these systems is that they make reefing and reducing sail extremely easy. The hassle, of course, is that they have more moving parts and are expensive to install.
The cockpit layout is about more than just the rigging. You’ll also want to take note of where and how the electronics are mounted. For example, is there a handheld VHF or do you have to go down below every time you make or answer a radio call? Are the chartplotter and radar in easy view of the helm? These are easy things to fix but worth looking at and thinking about as you set the boat up.
Finally, the boat should be easy to dock single-handed. Of course, it’s always preferable to have help on the dock to get the slip safely. But this doesn’t always happen, so you should be prepared to do it yourself.
Many sailboats benefit from having a bow thruster installed, as this can help control the bow when docking in close quarters, especially in crosswind situations.
The overall size of the boat is an important factor, too. You can single hand huge yachts, which is all well and good until it comes time to dock it.
The good news is that you can rig nearly any boat for safe and easy single-handing. The newer the boat, the more likely it will already be set up for single-handing. Modern items like line organizers and rope clutches make it all the easier.
The boats below are exceptional in that they step away from the now ubiquitous Bermuda sloop rig. As a result, they may lose some performance abilities in some conditions, but they more than make up for it in their ease of handling.
Nonsuches are distinctive boats—they are some of the only large catboats on the water today. They’re rigged with a large mainsail that is made easy to control by a wishbone boom rigging system. In effect, this makes handling a Nonsuch much like sailing a giant windsurfing board. The larger Nonsuches come from the drawing board of respected marine architect Mark Ellis.
With only one sail, the boat is straightforward to operate. First, hoist the main, and then control it with a single sheet. Tacks and jibes are easy. Reefing is as simple as letting out the halyard a little and reducing sail.
Freedom has made various interesting and straightforward rigs that contrast with the run-of-the-mill sloops found in most marinas. The number one thing you’ll notice about Freedoms is their distinctive tapered un-stayed mast. With no spreaders and no standing rigging, Freedoms look sleek from the outset.
Several models of Freedom are catboats rigged with a giant mainsail. Others, like the popular 36, are free-standing, fractionally-rigged sloops with a tiny, self-tending jib. This is the best of both worlds since the jib will provide extra power when going upwind and presents very little extra work for the crew.
Picking a catamaran for solo sailing may seem counterintuitive since they are so much larger than monohulls. But most modern catamarans are rigged from the factory for single-handed sailing. These boats are designed from the ground up for charter work—meaning that a captain will do all the work while their guests enjoy themselves. This flies in the face of the design ethos shared by most older “classic plastic” monohulls built for the club racing scene.
Most cruising catamarans are rigged with straightforward fractional sloop rigs with large, full-batten mainsails. The mains typically feature slab reefing, and the foresails are almost always mounted on furlers. Operating these boats is as simple as hoisting the main and then unrolling the jib.
Leopard catamarans, built by Robertson and Caine of South Africa, is the sole supplier of catamarans to The Moorings yacht charter company worldwide. But their boats are equally popular among private owners who want the catamaran lifestyle and ease of sailing.
Unlike competing brands, Leopard embraced the idea of the single-handed operator from their earliest designs. Even some of their original boats, the 38, 45, and 47 (circa 1998), had excellent walk-through helm stations with all lines led to them. As a result, you can perform every task on these boats—from hoisting the main, unfurling the jib, reefing, and even trimming the traveler—while keeping one hand on the helm.
Lagoon is Leopard’s main competitor, but if you look at their older designs, they spent years catching up to Leopard in terms of helm positioning and single-handed operations. This changed dramatically when Lagoon introduced the 39 around 2015 and the 42 and 46 a few years later.
This new generation of Lagoons went one step better than Leopard. They have ditched the enormous and powerful mainsail in favor of a larger and self-tending jib. These boats carry their masts much farther aft than other catamarans, and the design is more similar to the Prouts of the 1990s than other modern catamarans.
But this setup makes two significant improvements. First, it reduces the power of the sometimes difficult to control mainsail. Second, it also adds self-tacking abilities to the headsail. And since most cats use furling light-wind sails for downwind and calm-day sailing, no real performance loss results.
An older boat that is underrated these days is the Prout 37 Snowgoose. These boats featured a double headsail paired with a very small and easy to tend main. While the headsails aren’t self-tacking, they are both usually mounted on furlers. This provides a lot of sail plan options for offshore adventures. Additionally, the mast on these boats is located so far aft as to be even with the helm, meaning you can do reefing and hoisting chores without leaving the cockpit.
Matt has been boating around Florida for over 25 years in everything from small powerboats to large cruising catamarans. He currently lives aboard a 38-foot Cabo Rico sailboat with his wife Lucy and adventure dog Chelsea. Together, they cruise between winters in The Bahamas and summers in the Chesapeake Bay.
As former editor of Yachting World, David Glenn has plenty of experience of both monohull and multihull cruising. Here he weighs up the pros and cons
One hull, or two? Your choice will define your life afloat Credit: David Glenn
Through the binoculars I could see masts off Basil’s Bar on Mustique. Their lack of movement suggested a fine anchorage, sheltered from the tradewind-driven swell that builds up in the channel between Mustique and Bequia. It soon became apparent that most belonged to cats, immune from the rolling monohulls like ours would endure if we were to stop in this otherwise enticing bay.
More anchorages in a multi
Cats galore off the Soggy Dollar Bar, Jost van Dyke: too shallow for a fixed keel monohull of similar size
Stability is one of the truly great advantages of a cruising multihull. Not just at sea where the tiresome business of heeling is something that simply doesn’t – or shouldn’t – happen to any great extent, but at anchor too. It dramatically widens one’s choice of anchorages to include those affected by swell – not uncommon in the Caribbean, for instance, where a subtle change in wind direction can make a previously flat calm anchorage unbearable in a monohull. Its comparatively shoal draught widens the choice still further.
I grew up with monohulls, own one, and frankly wouldn’t consider a multihull for the sort of sailing I do. In northern European waters, marina berthing is a regular necessity and completely safe open anchorages are few and far between.
No rolling or heeling, 360° views and one-level living, as here on a Lagoon 52, appeal to many
But if I were to undertake some serious blue water cruising and I wanted family and friends genuinely to enjoy being afloat, particularly those less experienced, a multihull would have to be a consideration. I would have to put aside the question of aesthetics – let’s face it, they’re ugly beasts – and forego that unique and satisfying sensation of a yacht sailing well, because to date I have not experienced it in a cruising multihull. And that’s quite a sacrifice.
More space in a multi
My attitude changed after chartering catamarans in the Caribbean and Mediterranean. The need to accommodate two families comprising largely of teenage children made the choice of a multihull a no-brainer. In a 46-footer we could accommodate a party of 10 in comfort and the paraphernalia demanded by youth, like surfboards, windsurfers, kites and snorkelling kit, without feeling jammed in.
One-level living makes a big difference when sailing as a famly
The cavernous berths in the ends of the hulls, the wide saloon-cum-galley with its panoramic view and the inside/outside lifestyle made possible by the juxtaposition of the big aft deck and the same level saloon, got the entire crew onside instantly.
As an outside living space, with a trampoline at one end and a massive aft deck at the other, there is simply no comparison with a monohull of the same length. So space, linked to stability, makes for an experience that everyone, even the timid and novices, will find hard not to enjoy.
No speed difference
A multihull, like this Moorings 46, has abundant stowage on deck and below, but filling it all will slow her down
Load-carrying ability is a double-edged sword. On the up side there is room for a big crew and its kit, much more fresh water tankage than a monohull, eliminating the need for an expensive, temperamental watermaker, and finding space for a generator should be easy.
On the down side the temptation to overload will probably cancel out any perceived performance advantage. Multihulls can be relatively quick in the right offwind conditions, but if they are heavily laden – as they will be for blue water cruising – there really is no significant speed advantage.
The Gunboat 66 Phaedo 1 piles on the speed, but for blue water cruisers, comfort and stowage is more important than pace
Some new designs such as Gunboat and Outremer have concentrated on performance, but most clients aren’t overly concerned about outright speed and are happy to trade performance for the considerable comfort offered by brands like Lagoon, Broadblue, the Fontaine Pajot stable, Leopard, Catana, Privilege and others.
Mono sails better
Monohulls, like this Amel 55, sail better upwind, and her ballast keel adds displacement, which means comfort when it’s rough. Multihulls can develop an unpleasant motion in a big sea
Upwind, most cruising multihulls won’t point like a monohull with a deeper keel, and when it gets lumpy and fresh, the motion can become distinctly unpleasant. You have to keep a particularly careful eye on sail area too, but more of that in a moment.
In 2011 I was involved in a test of three cruising catamarans and among my fellow judges was multihull design legend Nigel Irens. He pointed out that catamaran buyers have voted for accommodation (which means weight) over performance, so the dilemma of mixing the two has largely disappeared. With it went the spectre of capsize because, relative to their displacement and beam, the modern cruising catamaran is under-canvassed. But that doesn’t mean that sailors can simply set sail and go in any weather.
‘Speed limits’ on a multi
On a multihull, it’s more important to know when to reef. Set speed limits and stick to them
Also on the panel was Brian Thompson, the lone Brit on board the 130ft French trimaran Banque Populaire V that sailed around the world in under 46 days. He told me that the tell-tale signs for knowing when to reef are far more subtle on a multihull. Apart from instinct, Brian suggested monitoring boat speed closely and having a speed limit to trigger reefing. It is easy to overlook a building breeze when bowling along downwind in a multihull, which is going faster and faster. ‘Keep your boat speed within safe limits you should not get into too much trouble,’ he said.
People often ask about anchoring a multihull, which is important as a multihull will spend a lot of time at anchor. Squeezing into a marina can be nigh on impossible, and expensive if you can get in. An essential piece of kit, which should be standard with a new boat, is a bridle that runs from either hull and keeps the anchor cable on the centreline. In many ways this is easier than anchoring a monohull as it prevents the ground tackle from fouling the hulls.
If you do get alongside a marina pontoon you will soon discover another modern cruising multihull issue: excessive freeboard. It’s worth investing in a portable ladder for those marina moments. Of more concern is MOB recovery. There are bathing platforms on both hulls of most new boats, but it’s not the place to be if a yacht is pitching in a heavy sea. So considerable thought needs to be applied to retrieving an MOB if the worst happens.
The recent and dramatic increase in numbers of multihulls going blue water cruising is certainly testament to their appealing ‘lifestyle’ attributes, but one must bear in mind that they are not a fix for all liveaboard cruising challenges. It’s just a different way of doing things. The elements remain the same and can inflict just as much punishment for the unwary on a multihull as they can on a monohull.
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Catamarans are quickly outstripping single-hull boats for long-distance journeys. They are more stable and comfortable , and some can travel more than 200 miles in a day. In today’s article, I have put together a complete (well almost) list of some of the best catamarans for circumnavigating the planet; the question is, which one is best for you?
The best catamarans for sailing around the world include:
These cats focus on speed, safety, and comfort for longer journeys.
This article will show you the seventeen best catamarans for long journeys, and why they’re the best. You’ll also learn some great tips on what to look for in a Catamaran and how to save money by buying a used catamaran. Let this list be a jumping-off point for your future research!
Pro-tip; here are the actual costs of maintaining a cat and here are considerations on how to circumnavigate .
Table of Contents
A catamaran is a double-hulled boat with a deck or cabin area in between (bluewater cat definition in this article ). The double hull design means that the boat rocks less, sits higher on the water, uses less fuel to sail, and can be sailed in shallower waters than a single-hulled boat without worrying about grounding.
Catamarans come in a variety of sizes and can be sail-powered or motor-powered and range from single-person sailing boats to family-sized yachts. Every catamaran design is different, and the twin-hull shape offers many ways to customize the layout of a ship.
Each boat on this list is a larger catamaran (+40ft, more on size here ), so if you’re going to sail around the world, you want lots of space for provisions and rest.
Of course, there are tons of technical specs for each of these boats, but I’m going to focus on the overall features of each of these catamarans, what makes them stand out, and why they would each be an excellent choice for a transatlantic journey.
The Antares 44i is an excellent option for sailing around the world and was explicitly designed for long-distance cruising. It performs well in any weather conditions, can be sailed easily by two people, and you’ll be able to sail long distances and live in comfort.
Although it can be easily sailed by a crew of two I believe that a true bluewater cat should be set up for single-handed sailing, more on that in another article .
This catamaran features a stateroom on each hull and a forward cabin with plenty of storage space. The living and entertainment features include a flatscreen tv and a high-end deck speaker system.
With this model, Antares dedicates itself to high-quality boats with optimal rigging and engine configurations.
Atlantic is no longer building this catamaran, but there are usually a few pre-owned boats on the market. You can also get it made custom if you love the design, but be prepared to spend more money on a custom boat (custom boat also gets custom problems ;)).
The Atlantic 42 is slightly smaller than some of the other catamarans on this list but is a seaworthy vessel. 42 ft is what most sailors I interview ( in this article ) said was the smallest cat to safely cross big oceans. It is also a decent size to counter the risk of capsizing (more on that here ).
It has a forward cockpit and pilothouse, which gives the owner a better use of space and makes the boat easier to navigate. With single-handed capability, one person can sail it easily and let the rest of the crew relax.
One of the best-praised aspects of the Atlantic 42 is its galley, more extensive than most 42-footers (12.8-meter) can offer.
One of the few 50 footers (15.24 meters) that can be sailed by just one person (many would of course disagree on this).
The Catana 50 is a catamaran worthy of an overseas journey. Its size adds to its stability on the open waters and its ability to sail straight through the choppy ocean and windy conditions.
The Catana is also incredibly spacious on the inside, with substantial cabins and showers. The biggest downside to the Catana 50 is its price, as it’s much more expensive than most of its competitors.
Catana also holds up well against some of the fastest cruising cats out there, here’s a list of the fastest cruisers if you are interested in that.
However, if you can find a gently-used Catana 50, you can rest assured that this boat will last!
The Dolphin 42 is unique because of the use of daggerboards instead of fixed keels. This upgrade means that the boat has some pretty decent upwind performance while at the same time being faster downwind.
Centerboards and daggerboards offer some interesting downsides compared to mini keels. This is an interesting discussion and I suggest you read another one of my articles if you want to deepen your knowledge a little.
These catamarans are some of the lightest on the market. Not many Dolphins were made, so they are relatively hard to find. However, if you want a small, lightweight boat capable of going great distances, the Dolphin 42 is an excellent choice.
The Fountaine Pajot Belize is another well-built cruising yacht. Its core is made of foam instead of balsa, which reduces the risk of structural damage due to a rotten core in case of water intrusion.
The design of Belize offers many options for customizability, with large open spaces and a combined saloon, navigation, and dinette area.
There are two styles of Belize catamarans for sleeping quarters. You can either purchase a boat with an entire primary suite on one hull or one with two cabins in each hull. The first option is great if you are sailing the world alone and not expecting many guests, as it increases the storage capacity.
Understanding what factors to consider when getting a cat can be hard, there are just so many of them (such as the daggerboard discussion above), I have tried to compile some of the most important in this article .
The boat also has wraparound windows to increase the sense of space in the galley.
Fountaine Pajot is one of the best sailboat manufacturers existing today, as their boats are well made and highly versatile. The Lucia 40 is no exception – it’s a smaller boat but has a lot of room for moving around and on-board living.
The living area is remarkably spacious on this catamaran for its size.
The galley and lounge easily accommodate 6+people. The Lucia 40 doesn’t disappoint when it comes to sailing either, as the narrow hulls slice through choppy waters with ease.
Most catamarans today are built to withstand rough weather but that doesn’t matter as much if the crew isn’t up for the task, I firmly believe that the most important thing a boat should consist of, is knowledge. Therefore taking online courses ( two free here ) or reading books ( my favorites here ) is imperative.
Gemini’s boats have been on the market for years and are solidly built for cruising. This boat is one of the most popular ever made, I personally would consider something different for offshore cruising, but since it has such a good reputation, I felt I had to add it to the list.
If you want to understand why I am hesitant to take this boat around the world, I recommend you read my article: What are trampolines on a catamaran?
The Gunboat 62 is a great catamaran and set the standards for the rest of the impressive Gunboat lineup. It’s sleek and spacious while being robust and capable of transatlantic journeys. You can easily travel the world in a Gunboat 62 with several people and not feel cramped.
The yacht was made for speed and power and remains one of the fastest catamarans on the market, even rivaling the newer Gunboat models. GABO
Although the earlier models of the Gunboat 62 weren’t designed for a lot of cargo, you can still find space for everything you need without compromise.
Lagoon catamarans are known for their reliability and ease of use. If you are considering a catamaran for the first time and are unsure about the technicalities of sailing, a Lagoon boat is a great option.
The Lagoon 380 is probably the smallest cruiser on this list, which makes it better suited for solo or couple sailing.
When I go looking to buy something, whether it be a boat, campervan, or whatever, I create a checklist and classify all the things I want either by NEED or NICE to have.
I believe the Lagoon 380 to be sub-optimal for my NEEDS, even though it does check a lot of NICE boxes, there’s a step-by-step article on the NEED and NICE method here .
There are several cabin options available on the Lagoon 380, but if you’re sailing by yourself, you can settle for three cabins and a larger galley and living space. With a smaller cockpit and broader side decks, the Lagoon 380 packs a lot of practicality and ease of sailing into a more compact catamaran.
If you like the idea of a Lagoon boat but want a little more space, the Lagoon 42 is the upgraded version of the Lagoon 380. With all of the same benefits, it comes with more space for cabins or storage, making it one of the best-selling Lagoons of all time.
The Lagoon 42 is also a faster cruiser built for strength. While it’s not the fastest on the market, it works well in choppy waters and windy conditions, making it great for the beginning sailor to go on a more extended trip.
Many people have completed an around-the-world sail with this ship.
Although there is a flybridge version, I would recommend the “open” version due to several factors, some including increased windage and a higher boom. More on flybridges pros and cons here .
For stability, safety, and durability, you can’t beat the Lagoon 42.
The Leopard 45 performs better with less storage weight because of the relatively low bridge deck clearance. If the boat is fully loaded, you could experience some wave pounding. However, the cockpit is open and airy, with devices that block the sun and provide maximum comfort while sailing.
The Leopard 45 is an incredibly beautiful boat, and has a strong reputation for excellent build quality!
Leopard catamarans are one of my personal favorites, as such I have written an entire article about the brand, so if you want to understand its pros and cons then here is the link . Gabo
Designed in South Africa, it features a high rear arch for extra support and very smoothly connected decks. The galley is large and open, and most Leopards offer a four-cabin plan. If you are traveling with another person, this boat is an excellent option for you!
The Manta 42 is another classic catamaran that you can buy used (at a decent price), as it is an incredibly seaworthy vessel. While still in production, the Manta was one of the most popular catamarans on the market.
It is still in high demand amongst circumnavigators. Buying a used Manta 42 usually means that you inherit some of the previous owner’s boat upgrades!
The Manta 42 also made it to my list of the 9 safest catamarans on the market ( link ).
This blue water cat can be sailed by one or two people, making it ideal for liveaboard couples or long-distance shorthanded sailing. The galley is in the saloon ( instead of in one of the hulls ), making the cabins below more spacious and better equipped.
Overall, the Manta is well equipped for sailing around the world.
Nautitech is an excellent brand of the catamaran, with several different designs per boat. The Nautitech 44 has a unique feature, you can have it with two options for steering: twin wheels or a single wheel.
The Nautitech 44 also features a cockpit on the same level as the saloon. The door between the two is more convenient than a hatch and dramatically reduces the risk of water damage during rain pour.
This is also the same boat that aeroyacht president Gregor owns, he has offered some great insights into Nautitech in the book Catamarans (amazon link )
Outremer is famous for being one of the fastest brands of catamarans on the market. If you need speed, the Outremer 45 might be the perfect choice for you. It has a top speed of 16 knots, which is higher than almost every other catamaran of its class.
While the Outremer 45 is known for speed, it doesn’t compromise on the quality of living.
You can settle into life on this boat with complete peace of mind. Even as a beginning sailor, the steering is simple and easy to use, and the autopilot is top of the line, so you’ll be able to sail across the ocean in an Outremer without issue.
A French-designed catamaran, the Privilege Serie 5 is one of the most comfortable 50-foot (15 m) yachts available. The unique cabin layout includes the master cabin in the boat’s center instead of in one of the hulls.
The Privilege Serie 5 is also incredibly easy to sail, despite its larger size.
The sails and controls lead to the helm, where the raised deck makes it easy to see all around the deck. If you want to cross the ocean with a full crew then the Privilege Serie 5 might be perfect for you!
The Seawind 1000 is the smallest boat on this list, measuring 33 feet (10 meters) long altogether. However, this doesn’t mean that it’s not livable. If you are sailing on your own or with a partner, there is more than enough space to live in the Seawind 1000, which includes the option of a centered cabin or two hull cabins.
Because it’s small, the Seawind 1000 is easy to handle. The mast and sails are all manufactured for extra stability and ease of use.
Overall, the Seawind 1000 is an excellent example of a simple, safe, and seaworthy catamaran.
Note: since this is a small catamaran it will also be more sensitive to heavy weather so trip-planning becomes even more important.
The Voyage 44 is one of the oldest cats on this list, having had its hay-day in the mid-1990s. However, this also means that a used Voyage 44 will be cheaper than a newer boat. If you can find a Voyage with previous responsible owners, you will inherit any upgrades and fixes that they’ve made on top of a very seaworthy boat.
The Voyage 44 has more storage and space than most cruisers of its size and is known for behaving very well in choppy waters.
This catamaran does its job well while providing adequate space for cooking, sleeping, and living aboard.
If you are planning to sail around the world, you need to be very careful about which kind of catamaran you decide to use. Many of the things you want in a boat really comes down to personal preference, so be sure you know what design preferences you want before you start shopping!
The most important thing to consider when buying a catamaran is how much space and cargo you need because the larger the boats are, the bigger the payload it can handle. Decide how long you want the ship to be and how much you’re taking with you.
It’s vital not to overload a catamaran, this will reduce performance and increase risk of unwanted behavior in heavy seas.
Most catamarans have options for a “Maestro” cabin placement, where one entire hull is the master suite, and the other cabins are located on the opposite hull.
Is the cockpit on the boat you’re looking at covered or open? This can make a difference on the high seas, especially during rainy weather.
The size of the ship also can affect how many people you need as a crew. If you’re traveling by yourself or with one other person, you don’t want to buy a boat that needs a larger crew.
If you don’t want to spend the money on a brand new catamaran, I don’t blame you. Several of the ships on this list are out of production and can only be found used. However, for circumnavigation, you do want a boat of high quality to keep you safe and dry until you make it to your destination.
When buying a suitably used catamaran, it’s essential to look at the refit history of the boat more than the year it was made. Catamarans are sturdy, and the general design has been the same for at least the past decade.
If you find a newer, larger, cheaper boat, you should look into its history.
Your best bet to save money while buying a catamaran will be to buy an older, probably smaller boat with an excellent refit history and no serious issues. It will still be an investment, and a sturdy used catamaran will serve you well.
No matter which catamaran you decide to buy for your journey, you’ll be able to sail safely and comfortably. Catamarans are great yachts for long-distance sailing, and the ships on this list are the best of the best. These brands are time-tested and ready to accompany you on an adventure around the world!
Thank you for reading this article. I hope you found it helpful as you hopefully start your sailing adventures. Here are some resources that I use as a sailor that I hope you’ll also find helpful. These are affiliate links, so if you do decide to use any of them, I’ll earn a commission. But in all honesty, these are the exact things that I use and recommend to everyone, even my own family. Sailboats: If you’re looking for the best boat to suit your needs, I would recommend a catamaran. If you’re interested, I can show you the differences between catamarans and other types of sailboats .
Books: For getting started, I really like Cruising catamarans made easy . It is actually a textbook from the American sailing association; it is used to get a cruising catamaran certification. There are some other great books, and I have compiled a list of books about cruising catamarans that you will find useful.
Communication: Being out on adventures, whether it be sailing or climbing mountains, good communications are essential to being safe. I recommend two things Google fi (incredibly simple cellular data all over the world) and Garmin inreach mini (for text and voice in remote areas without cell coverage)
Sailing courses: Online sailing courses are great for beginners starting out their sailing career; it’s an efficient way of learning the basics of navigation, throttle controls, and maritime safety. I suggest starting with two free courses from NauticEd .
To see all my most up-to-date recommendations, check out this resource that I made for you!
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!
I like the efforts you have put in this, regards for all the great content.
Thanks Elisabeth I really appreciate the kind words 🙂
I appreciate you sharing this blog post. Thanks Again. Cool.
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Best Liveaboard Bluewater Catamarans
Last Updated by
Daniel Wade
August 30, 2022
Catamarans are known for seaworthiness, but what sets a run-of-the-mill recreational cat from a full-blown liveaboard blue water cruiser?
The best production blue water cruising catamarans are the Manta 42, the Lagoon 42, the Leopard 45, the Lagoon 450, and the Prout 45. These vessels have excellent living accommodations and great sea keeping abilities.
In this article, we’ll cover five of the best liveaboard cruising catamarans, along with what sets them apart from similar vessels. Additionally, we’ll go over what to look for in a catamaran that functions both as a home and an offshore adventure cruiser.
We sourced the specifications listed in this article directly from boat design guides and the manufacturers themselves.
Table of contents
Generally speaking, blue water catamarans that are suitable for offshore cruising and living aboard are between 40 and 50 feet in length. Some well-designed catamarans between 25 and 39 feet in length can also be used.
A good liveaboard cruising catamaran should have adequate berthing and galley facilities, along with an enclosed cockpit. Catamarans without enclosed cockpits, especially smaller vessels, aren’t spacious enough in the hull to accommodate good liveaboard facilities.
As far as cruising is concerned, the best Bluewater catamarans are designed for durability and seaworthiness. A vessel’s sea keeping abilities rely on more than just smoothness and speed. These vessels should be water-tight in key locations, positively buoyant, and equipped with all the right extras.
There are several additions that manufacturers commonly include with sea-going blue water catamarans. These include water-tight hatches, radar units, a backup generator, and a berth close to the cockpit.
The latter is particularly important, as the captain and crew need to be able to grab the controls in the event of a nighttime emergency.
Other add-ons, such as automatic winches and controls, are extremely beneficial to blue water catamarans. These devices allow the sails to be controlled remotely without the crew needing to walk on deck.
Fundamentally, cruising catamarans and ‘blue water’ catamarans are one and the same. When companies classify a catamaran as a ‘cruising’ catamaran, they usually do so because of a few notable design features.
These include cruising accommodations such as large-capacity water tanks, large fuel tanks, onboard power supplies (like a generator and a battery bank; sometimes solar panels), and long-distance communication systems. Radar is another perk, and it’s available on most cruising catamarans.
We searched the market, researched specifications, and listened to the owner’s opinions to find the best sea-going catamarans on the market.
These vessels are also spacious and comfortable enough to live aboard, both at sea on extended voyages and in a marina. Here are our top picks.
The Manta 42 is a well-known and popular cruising catamaran with a reputation for seaworthiness and exceptional comfort for its size. This vessel, while on the smaller end for cruising catamarans, is quite seaworthy and handles well in all conditions.
The Manta 42 is powerful—it has a large sail area for its size, which gives it incredible speed in both low and high wind conditions.
The Manta 42 has an unconventional design feature that makes it stronger than the competition—and technically, more seaworthy than many larger and fancier catamarans. The feature we’re referring to is the Manta 42’s fixed crossbeam, which is stronger than typical designs.
The Manta 42’s interior is really well-designed and ideal for living aboard. The hulls feature large berthing areas, and the center cockpit area features a full-size marine galley and sitting areas. This vessel is popular with families, as there’s plenty of room for parents and one or two kids.
Here’s another 42-foot cruising catamaran with exceptional seaworthiness, shallow draft, and spacious accommodations. The Lagoon 42 is a modern and advanced sailing catamaran with numerous cruising features, such as a self-tacking jib and a flybridge.
This model has extensive sleeping capacity. Standard versions can sleep up to 12 adults, which is much more than many catamarans in the 40 to 45-foot range. The vessel also features four separate heads, which ensures privacy for guests and family members.
This vessel is designed for comfort, and therefore it's a bit beefier than some slimmer and less spacious models. It’s a heavy boat with a 25-foot beam, and it has excellent sea keeping abilities.
The primary drawback of the design is that its size and hull shape limits speed. But this isn’t as big of an issue on long voyages, and it’s still much faster than an equivalently-sized monohull.
This premium catamaran is a bit larger and more comfortable than the vessels we’ve discussed so far. It’s a luxury catamaran with everything you’d expect for the half-million-dollar price point.
This vessel shines on the open water where it can let out its sails and stretch its legs. The vessel is lightning fast in the right conditions, and it has an astounding 700-gallon fuel capacity for when the wind isn’t blowing. You can sail it, motor it along, or do both at the same time for even greater speed.
From the factory, the Leopard 45 sleeps around 12 adults at its maximum capacity or four couples in separate staterooms—each with its own bathroom and shower. The center cockpit is also quite spacious, and the vessel can be navigated from the flybridge above the central living area.
Here’s another 45-foot catamaran that comes from one of the world’s most respected catamaran builders. Lagoon, which is currently producing several catamaran models, is known for its high-quality material choice and construction.
The Lagoon 450 is a flybridge sailing catamaran. Its design is based on the best-selling Lagoon 440—a slightly smaller model that proved itself over years of use and countless miles sailed between owners. And though it’s only 45 feet long, this catamaran is massive both inside and out.
The vessel is fast and nimble, and it has excellent sea keeping qualities. Below decks, the surprisingly wide hulls have room for full-size staterooms both fore and aft. But what the Lagoon 450 is known for is its deck space. There’s a ton of room on the decks for hanging out, living activities, and entertaining guests.
The center cockpit of the Lagoon 450 is like something out of a luxury condo. The styling is impetuous and airy, and there’s more than enough room to prepare a full meal for ten people or more. The settee can double as a sea cabin, with more than enough room for a small crew.
Here’s a sleek and fast catamaran that’s a superior choice for cruising and living aboard. The Prout 45 debuted in the 1990s and was a huge success.
Impressively, over 2,000 individual Prout 45 cruising cats were eventually produced. That’s a lot for a production catamaran—especially a large 45-foot model with a hefty price tag.
This sea-going catamaran has unconventional features, including pointed monohull-like bows and a nearly flush cockpit.
The interior arrangement of the vessel is unconventional as well, but many owners eventually learn to prefer it. For example, oddities include a galley in one of the hulls instead of the center, where catamarans often keep such facilities.
This is a fast cruising catamaran with a very shallow draft. Three feet six inches of draft, to be precise.
This means that the Prout 45 is ideal for sailing in shallow locations, such as around tropical coral reefs and in areas known for sandbars. The draft of this vessel is much closer in depth to that of a 20 to 25-foot displacement monohull than to a full-size 45-foot catamaran.
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Hi folks. This is my first post but I promise have done my 'due diligence' by reading other related threads first and I am aware of the problems in asking for a "best of" anything recommendation ... but I have a specific angle I have not seen asked and I understand might be best served by links to other places as I am looking at a blind spot in my own awareness. I am look for an economical, singlehanded, bluewater sailboat and not "caravan on keels". I don't mean to offend anyone else's taste and requirement, and I understand there are perfectly good reasons to go for comforts, but I am exhausted by trawling through all the perfect adequate AWBs to find what I am looking for (... and I am starting to wonder if I should be look at older racing stuff of which I know nothing ). It seems the vast majority of boats are aimed at stuffing in as many people in as possible, including the wife and her kitchen sink, and that the 4 birth-er is the industry standard form. I'm not after that. I'm looking to escape her ... kind of like when a man has a mid-life crisis and buys a Harley-Davidson with a single seat to make the point clear. I'm looking for a singlehander with good long distance bluewater capacities and am willing to accept low head heights and spartan facilities, e.g. single bunk but more storage/tank space. (However, I am headed off to warmer places and would prefer some ventilation, meaning that some of the more airless low-profile cabin designs are out). In terms of preference, I'd say; wood, steel, GRP (... or if it has to be GRP to have a lot of wood in the cabin) with an inboard engine and a proper head not a portapotty. I'm aware of most of the obvious good choices around the 28 foot mark and, at present, Folkboat or FB derivatives seem to be the more obvious choice. There are many to choose from and many are either raw or have already been customised. I've also had a look at some of the 20 - 22 mini cruisers which are interesting, but they seem to go for really high prices considering what they are or what the money would buy elsewhere. What I am thinking is that although this is not an obviously commercial design it must be a fairly common ideal and that, perhaps, there is something in the vintage/classic world that exists ... Or that is a stage a few people go through and once they have it out of their system, or become domesticated, move back to a more comfortable design, so there may be the odd custom designed boat coming up now and again. Other boats which have caught my eye for other reasons are the Kingfisher 30; strong and with large fuel and water tanks, and a Van de Stadt Zeebonk; steel & built like a tank (as in Panzer tank). Where my knowledge is weak is on potentially lighter & faster stuff. Thanks. Hope this interests others too.
Sadler 25's seem to be doing quite a few atlantic circuits these days and I know a norwegian chap who regularly does the same in a Contessa 26. If you want something a bit bigger then an old S&S 34.
Not caravan on keels Click to expand...
Here is an idea: http://www.theyachtmarket.com/boats_for_sale/372274/ If you want a smaller boat for blue water cruising, it's nice to know your boat is unsinkable. Put your own criteria into the search engine and, to give yourself a wider choice, don't just limit your choice to British boats. The Etap is a particularly well made boat but you must check that water has not infiltrated between the buoyant hull skins.
V1701 said: Albin Vega, once held a speed record for transat, one's recently circumnavigated N & S America including going the Northwest Passage, non-stop... http://www.solotheamericas.org/?page_id=283 Click to expand...
Vancouvers seem to have that sort of reputation. Your requirement for plentiful ventilation might conflict with the ocean capability.
Cutlass 27. Put a wind vane on the stern of mine, added an inner forstay to take a storm jib then had to close my business and go and work for someone else curtailing my plans!
Vancouver 27 or 28 would be my choice. Designed for blue water sailing, well built with a long keel, will easily accept wind-vane self steering and easily enough room for one person.
There's an Ohlson 38 for sale at Marconi SC (I have no connection to the seller or other interest). It's a good long distance boat for blue water - v trad styling and a good sea-keeper by all accounts. I mention it because the owner single-handed for many years.
Homeward Bound said: I'm looking for a singlehander with good long distance bluewater capacities and am willing to accept low head heights and spartan facilities, e.g. single bunk but more storage/tank space. (However, I am headed off to warmer places and would prefer some ventilation, meaning that some of the more airless low-profile cabin designs are out). In terms of preference, I'd say; wood, steel, GRP (... or if it has to be GRP to have a lot of wood in the cabin) with an inboard engine and a proper head not a portapotty. Click to expand...
I would also have said Vancouver 27 or partic 28, tho latter significantly more expensive. However, I equally like the look of the Contest marque as mentioned by Rossynant and was looking at details of a 31 for sale just the other day (window shopping only!)and thought what a nice boat it looked for its age and definite blue water pretensions. Link here: http://www.yachtsnet.co.uk/boats/o89912/o89912.htm
You would do well to trawl through the Jester Challenge forum - plenty of people there doing the kind of sailing that you're planning. Good luck.
. With loadsa money : HR 31 With money - Vancouver 27 or Mk II Cardinal Vertue On a budget - Albin Vega, Halcyon 27, Elizabethan 30 - W
How about a junk rigged Corribee... http://www.thesimplesailor.com/Mingming.html
Spuddy said: Vancouvers seem to have that sort of reputation. Your requirement for plentiful ventilation might conflict with the ocean capability. Click to expand...
Thank you very, very much for these recommendations, particularly for the Jester Challenge , which I didn't know of but hits the nail on the head, and apologies if I get a bit philosophical here. Please also excuse me whilst I read up on them for a while, you've given me a lot of homework. I do not know anyone else who has the yearning for this. The Val Howells reference is what it is about, I guess, and the stuff about "those who abhor the rules, regulations and general 'nannydom' that threaten our freedoms" and "the lack of expectations on others" all resonates very well. Think of it as a 'Punk Yachting' approach. I hope to head eastward not westward and go and pay respect to Yoh Aoki ( Yoh Aoki ) with whom a friend studied. If you don't know of Yoh, can I introduce you to his wonderful story ... (see link). The Albin Vega ( Albin Vega ) I was not aware of and reviews very well ... with a surprising turn of speed, and the added advantage of having a built in bath if one wants! I also get the Corribee and have looked a junk sails on a couple of yachts. The Elizabethan 30 had already come on the radar, I don't want to spend a lot of money on this at all or want it to be about that. Yes, old GRP did score more highly and I know how wrong the priority of materials is ( ... but then wood does have the advantage of providing for a Viking send off! ). I guess if you are going to spend a long time staring at something it ought to be nice to look at, and wood is warm, but I don't see myself living with this for a long time so that does not matter. I'm looking for a one-off experience, and it's similar question to, "why ride a vintage Triumph when a modern Honda really does do every job better?". It's true but a Honda also lacks something. Please shoot me down in I am wrong here but I'm just starting to notice how different nations/cultures craft their boats differently and am trying to think outside of my box. A lot of the 70s/80s British stuff and later which I see have gone on in a sort of Abigail Party/Austin Allegro direction ( how cutting can I get!?! ) and a bit pedestrian for what I am after. You know, it's all 'wife and two kids' which I have not got ... " why go touring the Highlands in a two-door open-top sports car when you can take a caravan and make tea and toast all day? ". I know it is wrong to generalise but older designs seem to tend to be narrower. Are broader beams a compromise to fit more space in? I'm not looking for space. I do get something like a Falmouth Cutter ( Falmouth Cutter , they are expensive enough and old Bristols way beyond my budget ). I kind of see them as a kind of ( v. competent ) Morris Oxfords of the waves and old fashioned British. I guess I like the Folkboats just for their more stripped back and slightly racier nature and one of the most appealing so far I looked at was an open interior FB with a wood burner in it. It had a feel of a real ship. I'm start to wonder what more trad. Baltic or Asian sailboat would be like. Someone else wrote here, there don't seem to be many boats made with singlehanding in mind. I guess a few of you are going to think I am nuts but I'll refer back to the Jester guys and Aoki. It's not just about getting there, it's about having a particular sort of experience that is getting rarer and rarer in this world. Perhaps I need to find one of these good boats that has had already 'the caravan' ripped out of it. If I see one more boat that 'the wife' made matching cushions and curtains for ... and I am afraid secretly yearned for net ones too ... I'll scream and set fire to it.
Rossynant said: Deep Seadog ... Click to expand...
Yacht Cruising Lifestyle
Everything fun you can do from your yacht
January 5, 2021 by Travis Turgeon 2 Comments
Choosing the right bluewater yacht for your needs requires a ton of research. With so many designs and features available, it can be overwhelming trying to narrow down your options. The process gets even more complicated when you begin to consider the personal opinions of other sailors.
So how do you know where to start? Every person’s definition of comfortability will vary when it comes to onboard living. What suits a family of four won’t necessarily suit a couple or a single-handed sailor. Your budget, style, and needs are all unique to you and your situation, so it’s essential to know just what to look for when buying a new or used vessel .
To start you off in the right direction, we put together a list of our top choices for bluewater cruising yachts under $100,000.
Built as a long-keel ketch or cutter, the Allied Princess 36 was in production from 1972 to 1982. Around 140 vessels were manufactured in total, so you can occasionally find them on the used market.
While these cruisers’ design and construction are considered sufficient, the excessive use of fiberglass makes the design a bit bland. Although they may not have the most appealing design, these bluewater yachts certainly tick a lot of boxes.
With the full-keel measuring just four-foot six inches, it’s a design that holds steady on its course without pointing as high as a fin-keel design.
Overall, the Allied Princess 36 is a wonderful option for bluewater sailing.
Prices range between $30,000 and $60,000.
The Cabo Rico 38 is at the top of its class, constructed with a long-keel cutter rig design that gives it outstanding bluewater capabilities for its price point. The vessel was produced in two models – Pilothouse, and Trunk Cabin – although the Pilothouse design is less common.
Cabo Rico i s consistently successful with it s 38 models, and t hey remain one of the most prominent cruising boats on the water.
Internally, this boat has various features required for a bluewater cruiser: Large water and fuel tanks, a solid design with balsa wood cores for thermal and noise insulation, and an overall seaworthy design.
While this boat wasn’t m eant to win races, it is a fantastic choice for a crui sing vessel.
Prices range between $30,000 and $80,000.
The Celestial 48 is the largest boat on our list and is commonly sought after by the cruising fraternity. The problem is, these vessels are scarce on the used market.
The Celestial 48 is a ketch rig with a shoal-draft, fin-keel design, and a center-cockpit configuration that is comfortable and ideal for bluewater sailing. One of our favorite features is the six-foot, two-inch headroom in the cabin, along with high-capacity water and fuel tanks.
The Celestial 48 was built in China by the Xiamen boatyard, although it’s no longer in production.
If you can find one, the Celestial 48 will make an excellent bluewater cruiser.
Prices start near our $100,000 mark.
The Corbin 39 is manufactured in two designs, aft or center cockpit. Designed and built in Canada by Robert Dufour and Marius Corbin, the 39 is now (sadly) out of production. This cruiser remains a favorite of many and is still commonly searched for on the used market.
One thing to note is that most of the boats were sold as unfinished kits, leaving owners to complete the interiors themselves. For this reason, the standard of interior design finish will vary, so it’s worth checking and comparing with other vessels carefully.
When found, the Corbin 39’s present a very reasonable price tag, but a full survey is essential.
Prices range between $40,000 and $60,000.
The Freedom 36 is one of the smaller yachts on our list, but it has an exciting design that attracts cruisers. The wide beam and long waterline design allow for a much larger interior than most other boats of similar length. As a cruiser, space is a top priority, so this cruiser should be on your list of considerations.
A unique feature of this Freedom yacht is the stayless carbon fiber mast. It looks a little odd for most, with no forestay or backstay and a mast that flexes alarmingly in the wind. It’s a proven design, though, and gives clean lines just like an aircraft wing.
The Freedom 36 is certainly an exciting cruiser to keep an eye on.
Prices range between $40,000 and $80,000.
Known as a capable cruiser or live-aboard boat, the Gulfstar 44 is a spacious yacht that can take you around the world.
Designed with a fin-keel and skeg-rudder, the Gulfstar is comfortable and well built.
Internally, you’ll find a large galley, king-size aft cabin, and spacious fore cabin, with ample room in the saloon. Earlier Gulfstar vessels suffered from inconsistent build quality, but from around 1976 onwards, the company made huge improvements.
For a spacious bluewater sailboat with excellent heavy-weather handling characteristics, the Gulfstar 44 is a great choice.
Prices start around $60,000.
If you’re considering cruising the world in a bluewater yacht, then the Hans Christian 38-T should be added to your shortlist of candidates.
With a full-length keel design and laden with solid teak, this boat weighs in at 12.5 tons, making it a heavy displacement vessel that you can rely on to take you through some of the harshest conditions.
Manufactured in Taiwan, these cruisers can be a chore to acquire. One of the most common downfalls of the Hans 38-T is electrical problems, so be sure to get the wiring checked out by a professional.
Outside of electrical issues, this boat is a proven winner in the cruising world.
Prices start around $70,000 but expect to pay well over $100,000 for the more admirable models.
The Hinckley Bermuda 40 was in production for over 30 years, from 1959 until 1991, but only 203 boats were manufactured in total. Many Bermuda 40s were used as racing vessels throughout their production, winning the Northern Ocean Racing Trophy in 1964.
The design also gained many admirers in the cruising world thanks to the long keel and centerboard, which allows the boat to maneuver through shallow waters. The Hinckley Bermuda 40 is hard to beat for versatility, combining classic looks with the shallow draught and generous interior space.
Early models from the 60s and 70s start around $80,000, but later models land well above our $100,000 threshold.
Although only in production for six years, 178 Island Packet 35s made their way onto the market. These vessels have become justifiably popular with coastal cruisers and bluewater sailors alike.
These cruisers are available in two designs; long-keel or long-keel with centerboard – both of which come with cutter rigging.
The design is conservative and built for comfort rather than speed. Inside space is very generous, with a 12-foot beam, a v-berth cabin in the forepeak, and a double cabin on the aft port side.
Island Packet 35’s appear on the used market regularly, so locating one shouldn’t be too much of a hassle.
Prices start at around $65,000.
The Niagara 35 is a popular cruiser available in two exciting models, each one coming with a fantastic interior design.
The original model features a center galley and marine toilet that separates the fore and aft areas. The saloon is completely closed off, making it useful during extended passage journeys.
The later model has a double-berth forward, separated from the saloon by the head and shower. Both models include a spacious cockpit design. Through its 12 years of production, 260 Niagara 35’s went on the market – so you can regularly find them for sale.
Early models start around $30,000, with later models coming in closer to $70,000.
Only 32 of the Robert Perry-designed Nordic 40s went through production, making them exclusive and difficult to find. If you do manage to get your hands on one, however, you won’t be disappointed.
The fin-keel and skeg-mounted rudder design allow for up to six people to stay comfortably, including extra storage space for luggage and provisions.
The Perry design is recognized for the quality of its fittings, including rod-rigging and full hull insulation on early models. After 1987, they cut back on a few design features, but it’s still a quality boat.
If you can manage to find a Nordic 40, it will make an excellent investment.
While it may be rare to find one below our $100,000 mark, it is possible.
Built in Taiwan, the Passport 40 is another excellent design by Robert Perry. Sporting a fin-keel and a skeg-mounted rudder, the design is known for its well-balanced performance.
Originally supplied with a sloop-rig, the majority have an inner stay, fitted to allow a double headsail. This cutter-style rig makes the Passport 40 even more suitable for ocean crossings.
The interiors are well designed – as you’d expect from a Robert Perry – and make for comfortable living during long passages.
The Peterson 44 was designed and built as a performance cruiser, combining sufficient speed and sea-kindly handling.
A low center-cockpit, 10,000 pounds of lead ballast, and a long fin keel allow this vessel to take turbulent conditions in stride without sacrificing the crew’s comfort.
Internally, there is plenty of space in the well-designed cabin. For long passages, there’s a 132-gallon water tank and a 117-gallon fuel tank.
Finding a Peterson 44 may be your only problem. They manufactured about 200 boats, but owners rarely like to part with them – adding to their intrigue and value.
Prices for these yachts vary widely. Expect to pick up an older model between $50,000 and $75,000.
As the only catamaran on our list, the Prout Snowgoose 37 is a proven boat for circumnavigation on the bluewater trail.
A standout feature of the early Snowgoose models is its narrow beam, which allows them to navigate canals easily. These boats are popular in Europe and are common on the journey between Spain and France on the Mediterranian. Additionally, the Prout Snowgoose 37 can fit into a single-hull marina, reducing berthing costs when compared to most other catamarans.
If you have never considered a catamaran in the past, the Prout Snowgoose 37 may change your mind.
Prices start near $45,000, with later models reaching over $100,000.
The Shannon 38 comes in two styles, with either an aft cockpit or pilothouse. Shannon Yachts are known for their build quality and attention to detail, and the 38 is no exception. The boat is available as either a ketch or cutter rig, but it’s renowned for its performance at sea in both forms.
Only 100 were built, with the final boat launched in 1988. If you can find one on the used market, it will make a competent bluewater cruiser.
Prices start at $40,000 for older models, with newer models inching closer to our $100,000 mark.
Only 80 of the Tartan 41s were manufactured, although they produced a similar Tartan 43 with the same molds. It is a fin keel design, with a skeg-mounted rudder and sloop-rigging. In its day, it was considered a fast cruiser, but now they’re mostly made for comfort.
If you’re looking at a Tartan 41, check out the keel dimensions. The keel was undersized on earlier models, which caused heavy-weather steering issues. The boatyard redesigned the later models, and some retrofitting has been done on the originals.
Prices start around $45,000 and reach upwards of $70,000.
No list of bluewater sailboats would be complete without the Tayana 37. It’s a beautiful boat designed by Robert Perry that comes in three variants; cutter, ketch, and pilothouse.
Built to compete against the popular Westsail 32, the 37 became a good seller – with almost 600 launched to date. Today, they are manufactured in limited numbers, as the traditional teak-heavy design is now less popular.
If you can find a good Tayana 37, cruising the oceans will be a pleasure in this sturdy and robust vessel.
Early models cost around $45,000, with newer or retrofitted models topping $75,000.
Another boat designed by Robert Perry, the Valiant 40 is one of the most sought-after bluewater cruisers on the used market. By the end of production, two manufacturers were able to put out around 200 boats, so it’s certainly possible to get your hands on one.
With a fin keel, reasonably heavy displacement, and solid build, open ocean cruising is made comfortable in the Valiant 40.
The Valiant’s trademark is the canoe stern, something Perry has carried over into many of his designs. The boat’s performance sets it apart from the more traditional heavy-cruisers, and it still has many admirers.
Expect to pay upwards of $45,000 for an early Valiant, but well-maintained vessels will command much higher prices.
When the weather gets rough, most people prefer bigger, heavier cruisers. Small boats generally don’t perform as well in harsh conditions, but the Pretorien 35 is an exception.
Built to IOR specifications, it’s a short, wide-beam design, with a ballast in the keel that makes up half of the displacement. It may be disappointing in light winds, but as the breeze picks up, the Pretorien comes alive.
Wauquiez built boats are known for their quality finish, so you shouldn’t hold any doubts when buying a used Pretorien.
Prices start around $39,000.
At just 32 feet, the Westsail might be a surprising inclusion on our list. However, the design has proven itself many times over and remains popular with many cruisers.
With a long keel, transom-mounted rudder, and heavy displacement, these are seaworthy yachts.
The flipside to this is that the performance can be underwhelming. The Westsails are known for being slow, safe boats that will get you wherever you need to go – making them perfect for leisurely cruising.
Over 800 vessels entered the market between 1971 and 1981, so there should be plenty available if you look hard enough. The other point to remember is that they sold them as owner-completion kits, so the internal fitments, in particular, will vary in quality.
With so many available, the prices remain reasonable – with an early Westsail 32 fetching around $29,000 and well-maintained older models coming in closer to $50,000.
Remember: When buying a bluewater cruising yacht for less than $100,000, compromise is inevitable.
If you’re looking for a seaworthy, heavy-displacement design, you’ll have to compromise on the boat’s age. Choosing a modern, light design will allow you more for your money.
The best advice for buying a boat is to be truly honest with yourself by defining your needs and separating them from your desires.
If you found this article helpful, please leave a comment below, share it on social media, and subscribe to our email list.
For direct questions and comments, shoot me an email at [email protected]
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November 15, 2021 at 6:30 pm
You guys didn’t mention Cape dory or pacific seacraft. How long have you been sailing?
February 18, 2022 at 1:37 pm
Very nicely done. There will always be people who disagree with your list but they reserve the right to comment without creating any value which is what you provided. Thanks for putting this together.
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The ten best solo bluewater catamarans have unique designs, are about 40 feet (12.2m) long, boast an autopilot, all lines to the cockpit, and can provide a safe ocean passage with only one sailor on board. Popular short-handed bluewater cat models include the Manta 42, Dolphin 42, and the FP Belize 43. Whether you're looking to buy a brand ...
Hallberg Rassy 352. This is a sturdy and high-quality sailboat built between 1978 to 1991. It features a progressive design, combining a walk through with the aft-cabin from the main saloon. It is made with a tall and standard rig each supported on double and single spreaders, respectively.
The most legendary solo bluewater sailboats are the Contessa 32, Westsail 32, Hallberg-Rassy 42F, Pacific Seacraft 37, Island Packet 38, Tayana 42, and Amel 54. These boats have it all: from robust designs to a world-renowned reputation for performance and reliability. They are known for their seaworthiness, durability, and comfort.
The J/109 is unquestionably one of the best single-handed or double-handed sailboats that money can buy. Whether you're looking for a coastal cruiser or a long-distance single-handed vessel, the J/109 will rarely disappoint. ... Best Bluewater Sailboats Under $50K. Daniel Wade. December 28, 2023. Popular Posts. Best Liveaboard Catamaran ...
9. Dehler 29. While this boat is not as popular in America, the Dehler 29 is a popular German sailboat. This boat is starting to become popular as more sailors look for single handed boats. In 1998, this boat earned the honors for boat of the year and sailing boat of the year in the Cruising World Magazine.
The Hallberg-Rassy 372's deck layout is thoughtfully designed for single-handed sailing, with well-positioned winches and control lines. Stepping below deck, the Hallberg-Rassy 372 welcomes sailors into a spacious and well-appointed interior. The layout is designed with extended bluewater cruising in mind, offering comfort and practicality.
Lagoon 380. The long-time best-seller from the world leader in catamarans, with more than 1,000 produced over almost 20 years from 1999. With its characteristic vertical windows, the 380 and its ...
The Outremer 45 is a 48 ft catamaran. Easy to control from the helm station, everything is within reach and the clear view over the four corners of the boat guarantees perfect maneuvers, even single-handed. With its narrow hulls and light weight, the feeling of gliding, well wedged in a comfortable seat with tiller in hand, is exhilarating.
The Maldives has a light displacement of 3.3 tons thanks to the fiberglass and foam sandwich construction. Add in a sail area of 592 square feet, and the Maldives can cruise at up to 11 knots. The Maldives 32 is an excellent basic boat readily available well under our $100,000 price point.
Here are the best liveaboard sailboats for bluewater cruising. 1. Pacific Seacraft Flicka 20. cdmech. The Flicka 20 is the smallest and most interesting sailboat on our list. At only 20 feet overall in length, the interior accommodations of this vessel are spartan at best and suitable for minimalist living.
This 53-footer is idiosyncratically French, and it's also a superbly focused bluewater cruiser. Designed to be handled by a couple, its ketch rig is docile yet effective, with sails set on electric furling gears and some ingenious sail handling systems. Nearly 500 of these boats were built before Amel replaced it with the 54.
Just launched: Ocean Explorer 60. Rubbing shoulders with Nautor's Swan in Jakobstad, Finland, the new team behind this boat have a long track record in building low-impact yachts with high ...
With these considerations in mind, here are my picks—five top choices for affordable bluewater cruising sailboats (in alphabetical order). Caliber 40 LRC. The Caliber 40 design appeared in 1991 and through its evolution into the 40 LRC, remains a very attractive cutter. It has a fully encapsulated, elongated fin keel, and the ballast to ...
The 10 best bluewater boats. 1. Westsail 32. Photo credit: SailboatData.com. The Westsail 32 is one of the most iconic bluewater cruisers and 19 have set out to cross the Pacific in the PPJ rally since 2009. In 1973, this small cruising sailboat garnered a 4-page spread in Time magazine.
Allures 51.9 price: €766,000. The Ovni 370 is another cunning new aluminum centreboard offering, a true deck saloon cruiser for two. The designers say the biggest challenge was to create a ...
Best Single-Handed Sailing Catamarans. Picking a catamaran for solo sailing may seem counterintuitive since they are so much larger than monohulls. But most modern catamarans are rigged from the factory for single-handed sailing. These boats are designed from the ground up for charter work—meaning that a captain will do all the work while ...
NEEL sailing trimarans changed that up a few years ago by introducing a significant amount of living space across a larger main hull and wider amas capable of accommodating full-sized cabins. The powertri has adopted this design and it offers an astounding amount of room. Above: The salon onboard the 2022 LEEM 56 TRIMARAN.
The Baba 30 also offers a nice extra perk. According to Jack Hornon, she "continues to have one of the highest resale values of any boat of this type and size.". A quick look at Yacht World reveals Baba 30s from the mid-70s and mid-80s typically cost anywhere between $20,000 and $70,000.
Multihulls can be relatively quick in the right offwind conditions, but if they are heavily laden - as they will be for blue water cruising - there really is no significant speed advantage. The Gunboat 66 Phaedo 1 piles on the speed, but for blue water cruisers, comfort and stowage is more important than pace.
The Best Catamarans for Sailing Around the World A catamaran is a double-hulled boat with a deck or cabin area in between (bluewater cat definition in this article).The double hull design means that the boat rocks less, sits higher on the water, uses less fuel to sail, and can be sailed in shallower waters than a single-hulled boat without worrying about grounding.
The best production blue water cruising catamarans are the Manta 42, the Lagoon 42, the Leopard 45, the Lagoon 450, and the Prout 45. These vessels have excellent living accommodations and great sea keeping abilities. In this article, we'll cover five of the best liveaboard cruising catamarans, along with what sets them apart from similar ...
Good bluewater boats cheaply available that I like is old Contest 29 longkeel (finkeel was also made, could be) or old Contest 31 (longish fin/skeg). Hi quality built, plenty of best woods inside and out. Draft moderate. Comfy and headroom over 6 feet. Not many of them but saw a few offers.
Additionally, the Prout Snowgoose 37 can fit into a single-hull marina, reducing berthing costs when compared to most other catamarans. If you have never considered a catamaran in the past, the Prout Snowgoose 37 may change your mind. Prices start near $45,000, with later models reaching over $100,000.