ONE
Let’s look at the strengths and weaknesses of
catamaran and monohull boats. We picked two boats of
similar length: the Sea Ray Fly 400 (43 feet 6 inches) and
the Leopard 43 Power Cat (42 feet 8 inches). The Sea Ray
displaces more (30,900 pounds versus 25,794 pounds),
but the major diff erence is beam: The Leopard, carrying
22 feet 1 inch of beam, is nearly 9 feet wider than the Sea
Ray (13 feet 6 inches). And that is where many diff erences
between the two start.
Before we go on, we need to provide a disclaimer. We
know we’re comparing apples to oranges to some degree,
so don’t go sending us angry letters about an unfair
comparison. Frankly, it’s sometimes good to compare the
taste of oranges and apples. And here’s the thing: We like
them both! Both boats ended up with good scores in some
areas, lesser in others. We do believe that the concepts
that surfaced as a result of comparing these two boats will
help cruiser buyers make a more informed decision if the
question of cat versus mono arises in their quest for a new
boat. That said, let the comparison begin.
Does a catamaran
make more sense
than a V-hull?
Or vice versa?
By Chris Caswell
PHOTOS: COURTESY SEA RAY BOATS
BOATINGMAG.COM | FEBRUARY 2018| 91
