Sailing boat Ibiza vs Catamaran

In this article we will list the main pros and cons of catamarans versus sailing boats on the boat hire Ibiza industry in 2014. We will get to the conclusion that these type of multihull boats a are ideal for Ibiza boat trips and Formentera.

Sailing boat catamaran
Spend your holidays in Ibiza on our sailing catamaran!

The main difference between a sailing boat Ibiza and a catamaran is that the catamaran is like two boats together, one next to the other, when a normal sailing boat has only one hull. On the contrary, a catamaran has two hulls and between both hulls, there is a magnificent living room.

Video: Can you exercise on an ongoing sailing catamaran?

Come exercise with us!

Advantages of a catamaran vs a sailing boat Ibiza

    • Since a catamaran has two hulls the stability in much higher.

      bows of lagoon 380 catamaran Mallorca
      Imposing frontal view.
    • When a regular charter sailing boat in Ibiza sails upwind (against the wind) or with the wind on the side, the whole boat tilts in the direction of the wind (downwind). Sometimes up to 30 degrees or more. This side effect is known as the heeling. For sailing enthusiasts heeling can be an incentive for a while. But for those who are not used to sailing, heeling will become soon a tiring and uncomfortable effect that produces an unsafe feeling and forces everyone to be holding themselves and doing continuous effort to maintain balance, cooking, partying, celebrating a hen party in Ibiza, etc. However, a catamaran never heels, not even sailing against the wind, giving greater comfort and safety for navigation, especially for those unfamiliar with the nautical world.
  • You will also notice this high stability in the moorings. For example, when we anchor in one of the fabulous beaches of Formentera, it is very common to suffer continuous traffic waves due to high boat and ferry traffic around. When a wave hits a normal sailing boat on the side, it begins to swing from one side to the other, until little by little it recovers the balance and horizontal stability, like a whack. Unlike catamarans, once the wave passes it recovers the permanent horizontal position in a second, thanks to the two support points (the two hulls).
  • The total living area on​​ catamarans is much larger than the living area on normal sailing boats. For instance our new sailing catamaran Lagoon 380 Ibiza has the following measures, 11.55 meters in length and 6.55 meters beam (wide) so the total area is 76 m2. We are talking about a floating apartment.

    bachelorette party in ibiza
    Keep the party up!
  • Most single hulled sailing boats have just one engine,. A sail catamaran has two engines, one in each hull, which gives our boat better maneuverability and power to sail against the wind and swell. Also in case one of the motors fails, a catamaran always has the other engine ready and functioning to help us reach the nearest port without needing to be towed.
  • In any single hulled sailing boat when you want to get inside you have to duck and go down some uncomfortable and narrow steps. This makes people who are inside to be at a different level and makes communication difficult with those on the outside (on the cockpit of the boat). This contrasts with our charter catamaran where the inside and the outside are at the same level, so, for example, two people can be cooking while participating in the conversation with the rest of the group, sitting outside at the cockpit, since both groups will be only 50 cm apart and at the same level.

    interior-catamaran-lagoon-380
    Getting ready for breakfast from the catamaran galley!
  • The speed of a catamaran is superior to a sailing boat. There are several reasons but the main reason is that the hulls of a catamaran have better hydrodynamics, ie are “sharp” and that reduces friction with the water, so to equal length a catamaran sails faster than a normal sailing boat.

    speed of catamaran
    With only 13 knots of wind, we sail at 9 knots.
  • In most sailing boats the boom (aluminum bar that holds the mainsail) can hit the head of a person who is standing up on the cockpit of the boat. This creates a serious danger because especially sailing downwind and with a small role (wind change) the boom can jibe (go to the other side) at high speed and hit the heads of the people who are standing up. It’s rare but it happens several times every summer. On the contrary, the boom on catamarans is more than two meters high, so even if it gybes it is impossible that it hits the head of the crew.

    back of catamaran Lagoon 380 anchored in Ibiza
    Wide and comfortable steps to get in the water from the catamaran.
  • Finally, the visibility when catamarans are at anchor is total. Even from inside, while comfortably sitting on the couch, you can see perfectly what is going out outside. However, from the interior of a sailing boat, the visibility is very reduced and anyone must go outside to make sure that the anchor is holding well and the boat has not dragged or moved while the crew was inside.

Advantages of a sailing boat Ibiza vs catamaran

In our opinion sailing boats only offer a unique advantage over catamarans. These are so wide that it is hard to find a berth at the port and most catamarans do not fit in a normal berth and normally and must be docked at the end of the pontoon. Nevertheless, this is not a problem for our catamarans because we have a permanent berth at the yacht club in San Antonio, Ibiza, all year round. This berth is also included in the rental price for our boats in Ibiza, and not just for the day of arrival or departure, but for every day.

port of san antonio
Arriving at the yacht club in San Antonio!

By Jose Charteralia –   how we started our adventure.

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