Most boat lovers have tried out different types of boats. There are so many to choose from that it is practically impossible to say which one is the “best” or “ultimate” boat. It is all a matter of taste, weather conditions, and your goal.
Monohulls Are No Longer In
If you are looking to develop your sailing skills as quickly as possible, there is nothing better than sticking to a small monohull and making sure that you understand everything it has to offer. Monohulls are traditional boats, the kind we are familiar with in the Western world – one long hull and a sail sticking up from the middle. Most boats in Europe are monohulls, but lately the popularity of multihulls has begun to spike.
There are several reasons for this, but the main one is that modern people simply do not want to have to do too much work while on the boat. Why bother, when you can just lean back, relax, and let the wind do its thing? Normal monohull sailing vessels can be hard to control, and if something goes wrong they will sink to the bottom of the sea, becoming nothing more than an apartment for fish. Multihulls – catamarans and trimarans – are impossible to sink, meaning that they are safe and much easier to control.
Catamarans
Chances are that you have already seen a catamaran or two in your life. They are simple vessels, and yet they look amazing. Catamarans have two hulls instead of one, which is why they are called multihulls. With the increased stability mentioned above comes many advantages. The smaller vessels are fun to sail, and can accommodate anything from two persons up to ten, fifteen or even twenty. Then you have the bigger catamarans, designed to hold anything from thirty people and up. You can see these all over the Mediterranean, and quite a few other places as well, where they are put into use as small ferries.
Trimarans
Just like the catamarans, the trimarans are multi-hulled vessels. As the name suggests they have an additional hull as compared to the catamarans. Three hulls in total makes the trimaran completely unsinkable. Even in the roughest weather, the ultimate hazard of capsizing is minimized. And even if the trimaran flips over, it will still stay on top of the water – turning it into the perfect life raft. This is very good to know when you are out sailing, and it should be reassuring, to say the least. And if the worst should happen, i.e., capsizing, the trimaran will be easy to spot, especially from a helicopter. By having a big hull in the middle and two small hulls on either side, the trimarans are also more fun to sail. They combine the elements of a monohull with the stability of a catamaran, making them the best of both worlds.
Trimaran vs. Catamaran:
• If you are looking for stability and minimum work, go for the catamaran
• If you are looking to practice your sailing skills, but want to remain safe at all times, go for the trimaran
• If you are looking to be the fastest sailor around, go for the trimaran
• If you are looking to hold amazing parties on board, go for the catamaran