Safety

Unsinkable:

Unsinkability and the bulkhead structure inside Fountaine Pajot catamarans are key elements in their safety. Unsinkability is ensured by sufficient volumes of foam placed in the forward and rear extremities of the hulls.

The watertight bulkheads in the stem of each hull provide total isolation: even after an impact causing a leak, only the forward compartment floods, and the boat can continue to sail.

Shock resistant fins for sailing:

The keel to hull attachement is a key element of catamaran safety and has been patented by Fountaine Pajot. No other catamaran manufacturer can offer this protection. For safety reasons, the fins are completely separate from the hulls, a feature which preserves and protects the water tightness of the vessel in the event of a violent impact. Unlike other builders who laminate and bolt their keels – which in case of a collision could rip out the bottom of the hulls, Fountaine Pajot connects them in a watertight cavity that is integrally moulded to the hulls. In addition to this safety system,  if a keel is damaged, it makes them easier to repair or replace and normally takes less than several hours.

Fountaine Pajot Sail catamaran impact protection

Fountaine Pajot Trawler catamaran impact protection

The Fountaine-Pajot yard made a deliberate decision in opting for fin keels in preference to daggerboards. They have many advantages :

• they are fixed, and therefore require no manipulation,
• easy beaching
• they give perfect protection to drive shafts, propellers, rudder blades and hull bottoms in the event of grounding,
• the absence of a daggerboard case means saving of space in the interior of the vessel,
• thanks to their wind-tunnel designed profiles, the fins give excellent performance and generate no turbulence or vibration

Protected Steering Station:

The original design for a single, aft bulkhead mount steering station was originally created by Fountaine Pajot 25 years ago. It has become a standard of reference for all catamarans. The steering station is equipped with a Plexi glass screen providing two functions :

• it gives protection against wind and spray and provides visibility of all four quarters without leaving the helm
• it can accommodate the GPS, binoculars, mobile phone, nautical charts or a drink.

The steering station is equipped with all the necessary electronics and is located in a single strategic placement for navigating and sailing: for example, trimming the mainsail and genoa can be achieved with visibility of all four quarters of the vessel without leaving the helm, a feature rarely found in other vessels.