Boating USA — February 2018

roll moment is diff erent for each, and you may or
may not prefer one motion to the other.
In hard turns, catamarans remain fl at or
even lean outboard somewhat, which can
intimidate inexperienced skippers more used
to the inboard bank of a monohull. Handling is
another factor to consider, and catamarans have
both good and bad features. With the engines
widely spaced in the two hulls, a catamaran is
more maneuverable at slow speed and spins
easily by using its engines. A monohull, with
the two engines close together, requires more
power and technique to spin.
The downside of handling a cat, of course, is
the much wider beam: Turning a platform that
is more than half as wide as it is long can take
planning, especially in narrow channels. Some,
but not all, catamarans also have some weird
quirks, such as “sneezing ” between the hulls

when running in some conditons, which sends

spray over the bow, and also pounding at times

at idle speeds due to air pockets.

Draft is something to keep in mind too,

especially if you want to explore shallow waters.

The Leopard draws 3 feet 1 inch compared to the

Sea Ray at 3 feet 7 inches. The Leopard also has

skegs to protect its props, rudders and running

gear if you decide to nose up to a beach.

That 22-foot beam has another downside: It

doesn’t fi t in many marina slips, which means

the Leopard is likely to moor on end ties (with

more wave motion) or on side ties along a

seawall, while the Sea Ray will fi t into most any

marina slip. Catamaran slips are often more

expensive too.

Our take: The catamaran wins for its soft ride

in a seaway. The V-hull wins for fi tting into a

greater number of protected, less-expensive

marina slips.

INTERIOR ACCOMMODATIONS

SALON There’s no getting away from the fact

that a 22-foot-wide boat will have more space

than one with a 13-foot beam, or so it should

seem. But that isn’t quite true. Let’s start with

the salon.

Having a 20-something-foot-wide living

room is something you don’t fi nd aboard

monohulls until you pass the 100-foot length,

and this is exactly why catamarans are proving

popular with liveaboard owners. In the case of

the Leopard, there is a large dinette, a single-seat PHOTOS: (FROM TOP) COURTESY SEA RAY BOATS, COURTESY LEOPARD CATAMARANS

The downside

of handling a

cat, of course, is

the much wider

beam: Turning

a platform that

is more than

half as wide as

it is long can

take planning,

especially in

narrow channels.

94 | BOATINGMAG.COM | FEBRUARY 2018