Dictionary
a sailboat with two parallel hulls held together by single deck
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Wikipedia
A catamaran is a type of boat (or occasionally ship) consisting of two hull (ship) hulls joined by a frame. Catamarans can be sail- or motor-powered. The word ''catamaran'' comes from the Tamil language, in which the word ''kattumaram'' means "logs bound together". The catamaran was the invention of the paravas, an aristocratic fishing community in the southern coast of Tamilnadu, India. Catamarans were used by the ancient Tamil Chola dynasty as early as 5th century AD for moving their fleets to conquer such south-east Asian regions as Burma, Indonesia and Malaysia. Catamarans are a relatively recent design of boat for both leisure and sport sailing, although they have been used for millennia in Oceania, where Polynesian catamarans allowed seafaring Polynesians to settle the world's most far-flung islands. Catamarans have been met by a degree of scepticism from some sailors accustomed to more "traditional" designs.
Catamaran sailing - Although the principles of sailing are the same for both catamarans and monohulls, there are some 'peculiarities' to sailing catamarans. For example:Catamarans can be harder to tack (turn through the wind). Because they are lighter in proportion to their sail size, they have less momentum to carry them through the turn when they are head to wind.They have a higher average speed.All boats sail faster when travelling in certain directions relative to the wind the best speeds typically being achieved when heading away from the wind at about 135 degrees. This effect is much more noticeable with catamarans, even to the extent that it can be more efficient to jibe ('tack' downwind) in zig zags, rather than heading directly away from the wind as a monohull would.Catamarans are less likely to capsize in the classic 'beam-wise' manner but often have a tendency to 'pole-axe' (or 'pitchpole') instead - where the leeward (downwind) bow sinks into the water and the boat 'trips' over forward, leading to a capsize.Teaching for new sailors is usually carried out in monohulls as they are thought easier to learn to sail, a mixture of all the differences mentioned probably contributes to this. , a racing catamaran]]Catamarans, and multihulls in general, are normally faster than single-hull boats for four reasons: each hull of a catamaran is (typically) thinner in cross section than those of monohulls; catamarans are lighter due to the fact there is no keel counterweight. catamarans have a wider beam (the distance from one side of the boat to the other), which makes them more stable and therefore able to carry more sail area per metre of length than an equivalent monohull.the greater stability means that the sail is more likely to stay upright in a gust, drawing more power than a monohull's sail which is more likely to lean over.Catamarans are especially favourable in coastal waters, where the open spaces permit the boat to reach and maintain its maximum speed. Catamarans make good cruising and long distance boats: The Race (yachting race)The Race (around the world, in 2001) was won by the giant catamaran ''Club Med'' skippered by Grant Dalton. It went round the earth in 62 days at an average speed of eighteen knot_(nautical)knots.
Catamaran designs - Popular small racing catamarans include: The Hobie catsInternational A-Class (open design; length 5.49 m (18 ft), beam 2.3 m (7 ft 6.5 in), weight 75 kg, sail 13.94 m² (150 ft²))Dart 15 and Dart 18Tornado (sailboat)Tornado, Olympic class racing catamaran.Catamarans for ferryferries:Stena Line Stena HSSHSS class (High-speed Sea Service)*''Stena Discovery'' - Harwich, United KingdomUK to Hoek van Holland, Netherlands *''Stena Voyager'' - Stranraer to Belfast *''Stena Explorer'' - Holyhead to Dun Laoghaire, Republic of Ireland ''Lake Express'' running between Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Muskegon, Michigan''Spirit of Ontario I'' running between Rochester, New York and Toronto, Ontariowiktionary:SSTHSSTH SSTH Ocean Arrow''Ocean Arrow''''SuperStar Express'', P&OP&O Irish Sea running between TroonTroon, Scotland and BelfastBelfast, Northern Ireland.''FoilCat'', ''FlyingCat'' and ''Tricat'' operated by Turbojet Ferry, running between Hong Kong and Macau.The Cat, a high speed car ferry running various routes between Canada's Atlantic CanadaAtlantic provinces and the mainland, which includes a line between Portland, MainePortland, Maine, United StatesMaine in the United States and Yarmouth, Nova ScotiaYarmouth, Nova Scotia, CanadaNova Scotia in Canada.A modern interpretation of the traditional catamaran can be found at wharram.com, designed by James Wharram.
Powered Catamarans - A recent development in catamaran design has been the introduction of the power catamaran. The 'power' version incorporates the best features of a motor yacht and combines it with the traditional sailing characteristics of a multihull.Usually, the power catamaran is devoid of any sailing apparatus as demonstrated by one of the top-selling models in the United States, the Lagoon Power 43. This vessel has now been introduced to a number of charter fleets in the Caribbean and the Mediterranean and is becoming an increasingly common sight.
Mega Catamarans - One of the biggest developments over the last decade in the yachting arena has been the rise of the super catamaran - a multihull over 60 feet in length which come in semi-custom and custom designs.Various international manufacturers are leading the way in this area including Yapluka, Sunreef, Lagoon and Privilege. A catamaran over 145 feet in length is reportedly under construction on the Eastern Seaboard of the United States.The emergence of the super or mega catamaran is a relatively new event which is akin to the rise of the mega or super yacht which was used to describe the huge growth in luxury, large motor yachts in the French Riveria and Floridian Cost.It takes up to one year to complete construction of one of these super catamarans and represent state-of-the-art design breakthroughs in the catamaran sector.
See also - multihulltrimaranSailing Vessels and Rigs
External links - http://www.cruisincats.com Cruisincats.com - 101 reasons why catamarans are better,faster and sexier than...http://www.catamarans.com/ World's largest exclusive catamaran site!http://www.supercatamarans.com /? Home of the mega catamaranhttp://www.sailing.org/ International Sailing Federation!http://www.catamaran.co.uk/mai n.htmyachtboutique.com - A list of different hull designs
Category:Boat typesCategory:Sailboat typesCategory:Ship !typesda:Katamarande:Katamaranf r:Catamarannl:Catamaranja:双 船pl:Katamaranpt:Catamaranr u:Катамаранfi:Katamar aanisv:Katamaranzh:雙體船
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Websites
Junction Boat Works, Inc.
Andy Smith licensed builder to James Wharram Design catamarans with sole-right for Tama Moana and Islander designs. Specializing in glass-epoxy – ply, strip-plank, diagonal ply construction methods. Andy’s Yard here in the Philippines also builds recognized designs as Jay Benford, Gilles Montaubin, Ken Hankinson, Glen-L and others.
http://www.andy-smith-boatworks.com/
Kitesurf windsurf catamaran
Tornadosurfcenter is located in safaga on the beach of holiday inn resort. Safaga is famous for its strong winds and warm water. we do kitesurf , windsurf and catamaran. Lessons and rental. Hope to see you soon!
http://www.tornadosurf.com/
Lucky Dog Catamaran Company
Scenic catamaran sails on the Chesapeake Bay.
http://www.luckydogcatamarancompany.com/
Boats for sale, new and used - Boat Council
Boats for sale new and used as well as motor boats, trawlers, sport fisherman, houseboats, catamarans and sailboats for sale. Find your motor boat, trawler, sport fisherman, houseboat, catamarans, and sailboat among the best-qualified boat brokers around the world having a boats listed in Boat Council boats database. Information on boat shows, boat manufacturers, fishing tournaments, boat finance, boat insurance and waterfront properties.
http://www.boatcouncil.com/
Sunreef Yachts - Luxury Yacht Building and Charter
We focus on sailing multihulls, monohulls and motor boats. We take on a challenge to create high quality, customized yachts. Sunreef Yachts specializes in boats made of either aluminum or composite that are in the range 60 to 150 feet or longer. We also deal with charter yachts and brokerage.
http://www.sunreef-yachts.com/
Tradewinds Cottages on The Beach. Chaweng. Koh Samui.
Tradewinds Cottages on The Beach offer luxurious accomodation in a beachfront tropical setting
http://www.tradewinds-samui.com/
Catamaran Sailor
Newspaper that covers any and all news concerning beach cats of all brands and breeds. We also devote a lot of space to the larger cruiser/racer multihulls in the 22-to-36-foot range.
http://catsailor.com/
Catamaran Watches
Swiss watch manufacturer, was founded in 1983. Offers information about history, services, activities and collections.
http://www.catamaran.ch/
Catamaran Resort Hotel
Luxury hotel with direct beach access and ocean views. Watersport rentals, sand volleyball courts, business center. Atoll Restaurant and two bars. Complimentary cocktail cruises on Mission Bay.
http://www.catamaranresort.com/
Catamaran Hotel
Small 14 room hotel located on the Southeastern side of the island and in operation since 1968. Includes photos of the property, services and amenities includes, activities available, guestbook, seasonal rental tariffs and contact information.
http://www.catamaran-antigua.com
Catamaran Cruiser
Manufacturer of recreational houseboats and deck boats with fiberglass catamaran hulls which provide safety, stability and low maintenance.
http://www.catamarancruiser.com
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