The catamaran's rise in the charter market has been the most significant shift in recreational sailing since the invention of the roller furler. In 2010, monohulls accounted for roughly 80% of the global bareboat fleet. By 2025, that share had fallen below 55%, with catamarans taking most of the difference. The trend is driven by charter clients, not by sailors: people who want space, stability, and a platform for swimming choose a catamaran; those who want to feel the wind on the hull and work the sails choose a monohull. Neither is wrong, but the choice shapes the holiday fundamentally.
The case for the monohull
A monohull sails. This sounds tautological, but it is the essential distinction. A well-trimmed 40ft monohull, heeled at 15 degrees in 18 knots of breeze, is engaged with the wind in a way that a catamaran simply is not. The hull communicates — through the tiller or wheel, through the angle of the deck, through the sound of water along the waterline — and the act of balancing sail plan against wind strength is the core skill of sailing. For people who want to learn or to practise that skill, there is no substitute.
Monohulls are also cheaper. A 40ft monohull charters for 40-70% less than a catamaran of equivalent length. In the Mediterranean, that translates to EUR 2,000-4,500 per week versus EUR 3,500-8,000 for a comparable cat. The gap is consistent across all charter regions.
They point higher to windward, meaning a monohull can sail closer to the wind direction than a catamaran of similar size — an advantage in destinations where windward passages are common (the Cyclades, the Caribbean's inter-island channels). They draw more water, typically 1.8-2.2m versus 0.9-1.3m for a catamaran, which limits access to shallow anchorages but provides better directional stability in a seaway.
For a couple or a group of four, a 38-42ft monohull provides adequate space. The saloon, galley, and cockpit are compact but functional. Privacy is limited — cabins share thin bulkheads, and the head is often shared.
The case for the catamaran
A catamaran does not heel. For non-sailors — partners, children, friends brought along for the holiday rather than the sailing — this single fact often determines the choice. Seasickness is dramatically less common on a catamaran. Moving around the boat underway is safer and more comfortable. The cockpit remains level for cooking, reading, and conversation.
The space is transformative. A 40ft catamaran offers roughly twice the living space of an equivalent monohull: four double cabins, each with its own head, a saloon and galley that resemble a small apartment, and a foredeck and trampoline that function as outdoor living rooms. For groups of six to eight — the natural size for a family or two-family charter — the catamaran's space converts what would be a cramped monohull experience into something genuinely comfortable.
The sailing trade-off is real but often overstated. Modern charter catamarans sail reasonably well off the wind and reach effectively in moderate conditions. They are slower and less responsive to windward than a monohull, and they lack the kinetic feedback that makes monohull sailing feel like a conversation with the sea. But for the majority of charter sailing — reaching along a coast, running downwind between islands — the performance gap is smaller than purists suggest.
Shallow draft opens anchorages that monohulls cannot reach. In the Bahamas, the BVI, and shallow-water Mediterranean destinations like the Balearics, a catamaran can anchor in 1.5m of water directly over a sand beach. The swimming platform between the hulls, at water level, makes entering and exiting the sea effortless.
The practical comparison
| Monohull (40ft) | Catamaran (40ft) | |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly charter cost | EUR 2,000-4,500 | EUR 3,500-8,000 |
| Comfortable crew size | 2-6 | 4-10 |
| Cabins | 2-3 (shared heads) | 4 (en suite heads) |
| Draft | 1.8-2.2m | 0.9-1.3m |
| Windward ability | Good | Moderate |
| Stability at anchor | Moderate (rolls) | Excellent (flat) |
| Seasickness risk | Moderate | Low |
| Docking ease | Straightforward | Requires practice |
Destination fit
Monohulls suit destinations with windward work: the Cyclades, the Caribbean's inter-island passages, Corsica to Sardinia, and any route that requires efficient upwind sailing. They also suit destinations with expensive berthing, where the narrower beam means lower marina fees.
Catamarans suit destinations with light airs and shallow water: the BVI, the Bahamas, the Balearics, the Ionian. They also suit destinations where the primary activity is anchoring and swimming rather than long passages — the Dalmatian coast in summer, Thailand's Andaman coast.
The honest answer
For a first charter with a mixed group — some sailors, some not — the catamaran is the pragmatic choice. It maximises comfort, minimises conflict, and ensures that non-sailing members of the crew enjoy themselves. The cost premium, divided among six or eight people, is modest per head.
For a couple or a group of committed sailors, the monohull is the better boat. It costs less, sails better, and offers an experience that is irreducibly about sailing rather than about floating.
For a family with young children, the catamaran wins decisively. The trampoline, the flat decks, the water-level platform, and the space to spread out are not luxuries but necessities.
The worst choice is the one driven by price alone. A cramped monohull with eight aboard is miserable; a catamaran with two feels absurdly empty. Match the boat to the crew, and both options deliver.
