How do you define a condo cat ?
- often length of 40 ft (12M) and upwards
- 50%+ beam
- deck saloon with excellent visibility
- acres of space
- galley up - leaving less living space but more cabins
- many have a charter layout with no. of berths being important
- often 4 double cabins
- often many heads
- much higher prices than older catamarans
- mostly more modern and lighter built
What is a condo catamaran ?
So called because they offer the space and facilities of a condominium home - lots of space, lots of cabins, lots of heads, outdoor space for lots of crew/visitors, room for BBQ, cold boxes in the cockpit ...
Pretty much what you'd like to buy for a world cruise but prices tend to start above £200 GBP/$200 USD.
Condo cats are often significantly more luxurious than their smaller counterparts - but more modern boats are built down to a price and weight so some condo cats look as though they've been fitted with a budget kitchen. Finish and quality of the woodwork are often considered poorer than older catamarans - but lighter weight can optimise performance. Many condo cats routinely cruise at speeds older cats simply can't achieve.
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Older Cats
Older cats can include quite a range - from Wharram to Woods. Commonly available either in the UK or USA are Prout, Gemini, Catalac and the Solaris Sunrise.
Most date from between 1970 and 2000. The Prout, Gemini, Catalac and Solaris Sunrise (I use the term because there is also a very posh make of Italian monohull called just Solaris - don't be confused !!) largely share :
- length under 40 ft (12M) with some as short as 8M
- less than 50% beam
- spacious cockpit though smaller than condos
- deck saloon with good views, though some older cats don't have standing room
- fewer berths/cabins
- one, sometimes 2, heads
- often galley down
- solid build - most include good woodwork
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Compare Prices
Ouch ! Budget is always the bottom line. We all of us, however large our budgets, reach the point where we have to consider
- whether we can afford a boat
- how other family priorities impact the amount we spend on a boat
- what the mooring and maintenance costs are likely to be
- whether the boat needs any renovation or new equipment
- how much work on the boat are we likely to be able to undertake ourselves
- and whether the rest of your family/crew love the boat as much as you do !
Most condo cats are well into 6 figures - and the top prices can be in the millions. If your budget is 5 figures then older cats can offer lots of space and goodies - mainly for 5 figures, not six. Some smaller cats, such as the Prout and Catalac can even be in 4 figures.
And as all boat owners know, cat or mono, the price of mooring and maintenance is not linear so the smaller boat may give nearly as much fun at a far lower cost.
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Space in Harbours and Marinas
Space in marinas and harbours is often at a premium. And if the berths/slips are set up for monohulls then you may well take up the space of more than one monohull. Not only is this costly but marinas are generally unwilling to occupy 2 spaces when there is high demand.
Even if you are anchoring, then you may find that your catamaran lies to the anchor in a different way from monohulls (though there is variation there too, depending on the keel and hull type) meaning that you need more room if you anchor among monohulls.
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Mooring Costs
Wherever you sail, if you choose to moor in a marina or harbour, rather than anchor, you are likely to face significantly higher charges for a catamaran than a monohull. The charges vary from place to place but typically you will pay 50% more than a comparable length monohull. Bearing in mind that many newer monohulls are VERY fat it can seem pretty iniquitous - but you won't win that argument !
Some harbours even charge you extra if use a swinging or trot mooring.
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Build - Lightweight and Fast or Slower and Tougher
I hear squeals of complaint heading this way. This is, of course, a huge over-simplification. However, if you broadly take the older cruising catamarans such as Prout and Catalac and compare them with some of the larger modern designs e.g. Lagoon, Leopard ... then you will generally find the latter are lighter built and faster (in addition to being longer and faster) whereas the designs of the 1970s used thicker GRP, more wood and showed less concern for weight. Of course not all older cats are like that - instance Woods.
But maintaining older heavier cats is often easier - real wood as opposed to faced ply, solid GRP layup makes modifications less fraught.
Most purchasers are swayed by the price - if you can't afford a condo cat then at least you can have a nice cat for less money. But where you plan to sail and moor your catamaran can also be a significant factor.
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Climate Suitability
One of the other factors which may make you shy away from a condo cat is the area where you sail. The YouTube videos of catamarans in the Caribbean or the Mediterranean are myriad. But if you sail in the UK, on the Atlantic coasts or in northern Europe you may find a boat heater and full cockpit cover are more important to your comfort than a huge open cockpit with BBQ.
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Our Choice of an Older Catamaran
But budget and sailing area have led us to believe that condo cats aren't for us - at least not yet ! If catamaran sailing proves to be truly addictive there is always the possibility of selling the house and heading off. If that sounds mad when we were in this for down-sizing, perhaps it shows how a move from a mono to a cat can be quite liberating.
Whatever you choose - enjoy !
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