YOUR CATAMARAN AND TRIMARAN DEALER

Choosing between sailing catamaran brands for blue-water cruising means balancing performance, comfort, and offshore reliability. Performance-focused designs like McConaghy offer faster, more efficient passagemaking, while Nautitech delivers an ideal blend of speed and practical cruising comfort. For sailors prioritizing stability and load-carrying ability, NEEL trimarans provide exceptional offshore capability. Together, these brands represent some of the strongest options for confident, enjoyable ocean voyaging.

Some of the best high-performance catamarans for ocean sailing include McConaghy’s luxury racing-cruisers, which combine lightweight carbon construction with offshore-worthy design for blistering passagemaking. Nautitech’s performance catamarans offer a balance of speed and liveaboard comfort, ideal for long-distance blue-water voyaging. For sailors prioritizing pure speed and cutting-edge build, high-end brands like Gunboat and Outremer also deliver—but McConaghy and Nautitech remain standout choices for performance-conscious cruisers.

Some of the best-value models for blue-water sailing are Nautitech’s Open series, especially the 46 Open, which offers a light, performance-oriented design and surprisingly competitive pricing for offshore cruisers. The McConaghy MC60 is a strong choice — built in carbon composite for speed and efficiency, yet still designed for long-distance comfort. For trimarans, the Neel 51 delivers excellent living space, stability, and fast passage-making, making it a great-value high-performance cruiser.

For families or liveaboard sailing, the Nautitech 44 or 48 are excellent—their four cabins, bright interior, and 360° flybridge make it very social and roomy for extended cruising. The Nautitech 48 Open offers a merged saloon and cockpit that feel like one large living space, ideal for community living and family time. On the trimaran side, the NEEL 51 or 65 deliver truly expansive accommodation with six cabins, a panoramic “Cockloon” lounge, and exceptional stability and privacy. For a high-performance but still livable cat, McConaghy’s multihulls (like the MC55 or MC62) offer luxury, lightweight construction, and customizable layouts that suit both cruising and long-term living.

When choosing a multihull for long-distance cruising, prioritize foam-core construction, which offers better durability and water-intrusion resistance than the balsa cores used in most production boats today. Pay close attention to shipyard reputation and structural integrity, favoring builders like Nautitech, McConaghy, and NEEL that emphasize strong engineering, reinforced bulkheads, and ocean-ready systems. For safety, be aware that daggerboards can compromise watertight integrity during a hard impact, while mini-keels (sacrificial keels) provide a far safer, more forgiving solution for real-world cruising. Finally, look for designs with excellent stability and compartmentalization, such as trimarans with multiple buoyant volumes that enhance offshore security.

For yachts between 43 and 80 feet, annual maintenance typically runs around 5% of the boat’s value, including dockage, insurance, engine servicing, sails, and general upkeep. Maintenance costs are usually lower with a new yacht because all systems are brand-new, major components don’t need replacement, and repairs are minimal. Additionally, a new yacht comes with a full manufacturer warranty, which can cover unexpected issues that might otherwise be costly on a pre-owned boat. For this reason, buying new often offers better long-term value and peace of mind for serious cruisers.