We have traveled thousands of miles on both a trawler and a catamaran. The time spent on both boats was thoroughly enjoyed. This article is here to explain to you the pros and cons of a trawler vs. a catamaran.

Trawler vs. Catamaran?

Neverland → Adrenaline

The positives of our trawler:

Look at that view!

Living area. Neverland had a very big open galley with plenty of head room. She also had lots of counter space which made preparing meals super easy.

Helm. There was a helm station both inside and out on Neverland. Our favorite spot to steer was up on the fly bridge. If the weather was nasty we always had the option to steer inside out of the elements.

Weight. She was built to chug along loaded down. Weight was never an issue for us on Neverland. We carried much more than we would ever need and also towed a very large (16ft. Boston Whaler) dinghy.

Draft.  Neverland only drew 3’6″ which made it super easy to get close up in the best anchorages.

Slips. At only 34 feet long and 12 feet wide we never had a problem fitting into boat slips.

The Negatives of our Trawler

Where to next?

Speed. They say slow and steady wins the race. That is not the case when trying to out run a storm. At a MAX speed of 7 knots, we always had to keep a very sharp eye on the weather forecast.

Comfort underway. When it was calm we were super comfortable.  Choppy seas, however, would not be smooth sailing. Neverland liked to roll side to side in anything more than a foot of chop.

Reliability. Having one engine while traveling in remote places was always a little nerve-wracking. Our fingers were always crossed hoping for a safe Gulf Stream Crossing.

Docking. Have you ever tried docking a big boat with one engine with the wind and current not in your favor? It takes mad skills.

Fuel. Diesel prices can fluctuate but at the end of the day we were still paying for every mile we traveled.

Trawler vs. Catamaran

The Positives of our Sailing Catamaran

Home Sweet Home.

Wind-powered.  The majority of our miles are completely FREE. The wind fills the sails and we are on our way. Check out how little we spent sailing the Bahamas for 60 days! 

Stability. Having two hulls makes us extremely stable in unfavorable conditions. There is very little roll and the motion is very tolerable even in rough waters.

Speed. Adrenaline’s max speed is 13.8 knots! That is almost double what Neverland could go (for FREE)!

Engines. If we get a lull in the wind we also now have TWO diesel engines. This is also a nice piece of mind in case one engine goes we always have a backup.

Docking. Going from a single diesel to twins makes docking a breeze!

Outside space. Have you ever laid on the trampoline of a catamaran while sailing? If not I suggest you put it on your bucket list. This is a great place to hang and relax or chill out with friends.

Separate Cabins. Unlike most catamarans, Adrenaline’ s hulls are not open to the main cabin. We like this set up because when we have guests over everyone has their own separate space. This is also a big help because Jetty is not too fond of “others”.

Negatives of our Sailing Catamaran.

Are there really any negatives??

Low head room. Luckily we are both short. Adrenaline was designed for racing so everything is sleek, simple, and very short. This does not bother us but some of our friends would have a hard time cooking or sleeping comfortably.

Bigger is not always better. Between two engines, multiple sails, rigging, and seven more feet of boat to handle something is always needing maintenance. Then again what do you expect? It’s a Boat.

Weight sensitive. In order to keep her fast, we need to keep her light. That means limiting everything! Which is not necessarily a bad thing. It helps us keep life simple:)

Outside Helm. Our helm station is very exposed to the elements. We recently made a hard bimini for shade but we still get pelted by rain drops when we find ourselves in a storm.

Slips. Having a 20-foot wide berth makes finding a suitable boat slip difficult. Some docks simply cannot accommodate us.

Rudder. We only draw 3’8″ with our dagger boards up, which is not much more than the trawler. Unfortunately, our rudders are the deepest part of the boat. This means we have to be extremely careful in shallow water, if we lose a rudder we lose our ability to steer. It is also a big pain in the but with areas populated by crab traps. If we accidentally run one over they get stuck around the rudder and are a big pain to get off.

Everything has its own set of pros and cons but I can safely say that we are now forever catamaran people. Our trawler was an awesome boat and we do not regret having her for a second but the speed and stability of a catamaran is like nothing else!

Thanks for reading:)

Sierra