What Makes a Good Crewed Yacht Catamaran?

Over the last 10 years of being involved in the yachting industry, I have seen it all in terms of what works and what doesn’t work for crewed yacht charters. As part of my series on buying a catamaran to charter, here is some advice on what it takes to have a good crewed yacht catamaran for charter.

Know your market

Like any industry, there are a number of sub-segments. Are you looking at running family-oriented budget charters? Is your goal to run dive charters off of your catamaran? Adventure-based charters? Ultra-high-end luxury charters?

Determining your goals will really help determine the best type of catamaran to purchase. Think of it as having the right tool for the job.

Heads in beds

The general rule of thumb in chartering is that the more guests you can sleep onboard, the more profitable and busy a catamaran will be. If you purchase an owner’s version catamaran with only three cabins, you are limiting yourself to 4-person charters, since the crew lives in one of the cabins.  

Alternatively, if you purchase a catamaran with 5+ cabins (Lagoon 620, Fountaine Pajot Ipanema 58, etc.) you will not only be able to run 8-person charters, but will also be able to command a premium.

Required Equipment

While some yachts in the crewed catamaran space tend to go without some of the items below, the most successful crewed catamarans all have the following equipment:

A)  Water maker: While in a traditional cruising catamaran, rationing of resources is the norm. On a crewed catamaran, the guest expectations are to be able to shower at will, have freshwater toilets versus saltwater toilets, and not stress about using too much water. A high output water maker (40gph+) will not only enhance your guests’ experience but improve the quality of life for your crew.

B)   Water toys: In the crewed catamaran market there is an “arms race” going on. Catamarans are constantly trying to outdo each other with the latest and greatest in floaty toys, towable toys, paddle boards, underwater scooters, etc. 

At a minimum, a crewed catamaran needs at least two SUPS, one two-person kayak, wakeboard, tube, floating toys, and snorkel equipment.

C)  Tender: The tender on a crewed catamaran is almost as important as the catamaran. I personally think that a crewed yacht catamaran needs at least a 13ft RIB with a 40hp outboard. Larger is obviously better.  

The ability to get on a plane with all of your guest onboard will drastically improve their overall experience. It will also allow you to take your guest waterskiing, wakeboarding, and tubing.  

There is also a “jealously” factor that goes a long way when pulling up to a beach or restaurant in a nice tender. Any charter guest on a catamaran with an older or smaller dinghy will immediately realize they should have chartered your catamaran, and they may do so next season.

D)    Connectivity/Entertainment System: The main reason a lot of people do a crewed catamaran charter is to get away from the rigors of their work life.  

That being said, it is very important for a crewed catamaran to have internet and phone service. Over the years we have booked numerous boats solely because of their connectivity. It isn’t just about staying touch with work.  

A lot of times guest want to check in on their families back home and share photos of their trip in real-time on social media.

It is also important to have a great media library on the boat. A lot of catamarans set up a centralized system through their network where guest can access movies and music either on their own devices or through the televisions in their cabins. It is fairly popular on a family charter to have a movie night.

E)  Layout: The layout of a crewed catamaran is also very important. Charter guests love having either a large cockpit area or flybridge for relaxing and dining. The cabin layouts are also very important. Are the heads dry heads? This means the shower stalls are separate for the rest of the head. Also a walkaround berth is much more desired versus a bed that requires one person to climb over another.

As a “retired” charter captain, former owner of a crewed catamaran management company, and catamaran broker, these are the key items to look for when guiding my clients through the process of purchasing a catamaran for catamaran charter service.

Here are some examples of boats that would make excellent crewed catamarans:

• 62 Lagoon LUDANKA
• 60′ Fountaine Pajot WHY NOT

Stay tuned for the next post in the series about Owner/Operator versus hired crew: Do I need a yacht management company?