location catamaran outremer

• Who are we ?
• Why Outremer catamaran
• Rent Outremer
• Owner of Outremer

Longing to charter a boat that really sails ?

Outremer Charter

Longing to have fun under sail ?

Keen to trial a boat built to order by her owner , keen to trial a catamaran designed and equipped for long-distance cruising .

• Mentions légales

Sail Wildling

Sail puffin website.

Our new website that follows our experiences building, owning and sailing our new Outremer 4X is now online. You can find it at: http://sailpuffin.com

Share this:

New project for us.

WILDLING has been sold! The new owner lives in France, so WILDLING will be staying in the Med. We wish the new owner many safe and happy miles of sailing on this exceptional catamaran!

We would like to sincerely thank the team at Grand Large Services, led by Pierre Delhomeau for managing the sale of WILDLING. GLS is a sister company of Outremer Yachting and handles the post-warranty servicing and management of Outremer boats. Pierre managed the entire sales process for us and took excellent care of WILDLING throughout. I was in and out of hospital and physical therapy during most of this, and needed someone I could completely trust to handle the sale. I can’t speak highly enough of Pierre and the GLS team, they are super professional, kept me informed at every step, and went above and beyond to take care of the highly complex process of selling WILDLING. I never imagined selling a boat of this size could be a stress free process, thank you all!

On the personal front, my shoulder is coming along nicely. I’m now at the point where I am beginning to use it again, but I’m still 6 months away from full recovery. It’s a slow and painful process, and requires more patience than I was born with, but I’m starting to see light at the end of the tunnel.

We are building a new sailboat to replace WILDLING. Robin and I decided to downsize our next boat, because most of our sailing will be just the two of us, with our kids away at university. We want a boat that is safe, comfortable, capable of crossing oceans, but still fast and able to be sailed single-handed by either of us. After much discussion and research of potential boats, we have chosen an Outremer 4X .

Our 4X is named PUFFIN, after the little sea birds that we love. She is currently under construction at the Outremer factory in La Grande Motte, and will be launched in August this year. We have booked passage on a yacht transport ship to bring PUFFIN from Palma to Brisbane.

We have been working closely with the Outremer team to customize PUFFIN to our needs. The basic 4X design is excellent, so we have focused on some additional weight saving options to make her faster, and a number of sail handling changes to make her easier to sail solo. We have also been able to incorporate some of the construction techniques from the Gunboat line into PUFFIN, which is a great benefit of the same company owning both Outremer and Gunboat and having both construction factories co-located in France.

I will detail all of this and more in our new website and blog. I’ll post a link to the new website as soon as it’s ready. In the meantime, here are some preview photos of PUFFIN under construction.

Change of Plans

It’s taken me three weeks to get my head around what’s happened and to be able to write this post. We’re in London, I have had three surgeries on my shoulder and Wildling is for sale!

My appointment with the shoulder specialist started out OK, he was thinking it was most likely a partial tear that would heal on its own, but based on the nature of the injury and the fact that I had pain in multiple locations, an MRI was required. The MRI showed extensive damage to my shoulder joint and tears in two of the rotator cuff tendons. It would not heal without surgery, and full recovery after surgery would take 1 year! It took three surgical procedures during a 3 hour operation to repair all the damage.

All our plans for sailing Wildling in the ARC in November and then across the Pacific next year are completely shot. Even if we postponed the Atlantic crossing for 1 year, it doesn’t work because we have to be back in Australia at the end of 2019 so Lindsay can go back to finish her last two years of high school. So that pushes a voyage of this magnitude off until after Lindsay starts university, 3-1/2 years from now. We bought Wildling to explore the Med for a few years and then sail over to the Pacific, but since that isn’t possible, we have decided it’s best to sell her in France and buy another boat in Australia when I am able to sail again. Robin and I still plan on exploring the Pacific once both the kids are in university, but we will be doing that from our home base in Australia.

One thing for sure, whoever buys Wildling is going to get an amazing boat! With all the upgrades we have done and taking care of the post delivery “new boat” repairs and getting her totally dialed in for world cruising, she’s even better now than when we took delivery of her in 2015.

I’m going to focus on shoulder rehab and Robin and I have a lot of thinking and planning to do as we decide what’s next for us. This will not stop our sailing adventures, that’s for certain, we just have to adapt to the new situation and move forward!

Valletta to La Grande Motte

Satellite tracking history of our passage from Malta to La Grande Motte via, Sicily, Sardinia and Corsica.

We had an excellent passage from Malta to France. We left Valletta on Thursday morning at 10 am and arrived at La Grande Motte the following Tuesday at 10:30 am, so 5 days at sea without any stops on the way.

Since the forecast was showing a Mistral wind was going to arrive on Wed or Thu, we decided to go non-stop to avoid any chance of having to beat into it. After our previous experience sailing in France in 2016 where we had 55 knot winds from a Mistral, I’m pretty motivated to never do that again if I can avoid it!

The PredictWind weather models showed very light wind for most of the passage, mostly from the northeast, which would mean a lot of upwind sailing and motoring required. Definitely confirms the saying in this area that Med stands for Motoring Every Day! We did manage quite a bit of sailing without the engines though, which was really nice, and the light wind meant calm seas for the most part.

The first part of the passage was all sailing with wind 8-12 knots at 70-80 degrees true. This gave us 7 to 8 knots boat speed close hauled at 40 to 45 degrees apparent. In these conditions we had full main and staysail up and the boat tracks perfectly in this configuration. The helm is well balanced with the autopilot holding the rudder angle between 0 and 1 degrees the whole time.

Once we cleared the southwest corner of Sicily and headed for Sardinia, the wind increased to 15 to 18 knots, which pushed our apparent wind to 20 to 25 knots. There was also one of those awful Mediterranean steep wavy seas against us. These happen frequently in the Med, and when you’re headed upwind you just have to pound through it. I hate these conditions, they make you wish you were anywhere else but suffering the crashing and banging required to make headway. Not only is it uncomfortable as hell, it’s stressful to have the boat crashing down off the wave tops all night. We put in a 2nd reef to keep our speed under 8 knots so the motion was a little better, but it was still a long night.

By the morning of the third day we were closing in on the east coast of Sardinia, and the seas calmed down a lot. The rest of the passage was smooth sailing and really fun. We had light winds forward of the beam most of the way, so we had to motor pretty much all the last 2 days. Wildling is slow under engines, so I never like being forced to motor, but we had to beat the arrival of the Mistral so we couldn’t pull in somewhere and wait for better sailing conditions.

When motoring long distances I always run a single engine at a time at moderate RPM, which for us means one engine at 2,000 RPM. This gives us about 6 knots boat speed. If I run both engines at 2,000 RPM we add about 1 knot of speed, so it’s not worth the extra fuel and engine wear. What I find works best is to keep the sails up while motoring and sail an angle where we can use the apparent wind generated by the boat’s forward motion to get some drive out of the sails. In most cases we can get an extra 1 to 2 knots of speed when motoring by doing this.

About an hour out from La Grande Motte, I called the Outremer folks and Sylvain came and met us as we pulled up to the welcome dock. He then helped us maneuver into one of the catamaran berths in the marina.

My injured shoulder did OK on the passage. I was pretty worried about how we would go, particularly since we don’t have Gavin with us to help with the more physical maneuvers. My shoulder was definitely very painful and pretty much out of action, but a combination of mostly light winds, lots of help from Robin and Lindsay, and our electric winches, allowed the three of us to sail the boat with no problems. Robin and I traded watches during the night and Lindsay did a long watch each morning to give us a chance to catch up on sleep. It worked out really well!

We are in London this week so I can have my shoulder looked at. While we are away the Outremer team is doing some maintenance projects on Wildling, so we will be ready to continue on towards the Canary Islands when we get back. I’m really hoping I won’t need surgery on my shoulder, as that would put me out of action for quite a while. I’ll find out the verdict tomorrow!

Back in the water

All the work on the new skeg was completed, and the third coat of bottom paint applied, so we were scheduled to go back in the water early the next day.

At 7:30 am we moved out of the hotel and back onboard Wildling. She was filthy dirty after being in the yacht yard for 9 days, and to make matters worse, for a few days before we re-launched, the yard workers were angle grinding a steel hulled boat right alongside, and we got showered with tiny metal filings, which instantly turned to rust, leaving red spots all over the deck. Great!

The launch went reasonably well, except that there was a problem with the slipway brakes so there were a series of high speed slides and jolting stops on the way down the ramp. My stress level was through the roof when we finally got back in the water and were floating again. I really hate these haul outs, there are too many things that can go wrong. It’s definitely one of the negatives of having a boat as wide as Wildling’s 8.6m beam. There are very few marinas equipped with a travel lift wide enough to lift us out, so we have to find either a crane or a slipway, which are much more complicated.

The Volvo guy was onboard when we went back in the water to make sure the engines started properly, and everything was OK with the fuel and water supply after the service. We had to purge the fuel pump on the starboard engine when it stopped running after 5 minutes, but no big deal (the starboard engine usually takes a few goes to fully purge after replacing the secondary fuel filter). I found out later, after a day into our passage that he had forgotten to replace the engine oil evacuation cap on the side of the engine crankcase, and 2 liters of oil emptied into the bilge. Thanks Volvo guy! On the positive side, it was a good reminder to never skip the daily engine checks when at sea!

When we started the port engine, we found a small salt water leak coming from the exhaust muffler inside the engine room. I wish I had known about that so I could have fixed it before starting a 5 day passage! The muffler will have to be replaced, so I added it to the never-ending list of “things to fix when we get to the next port”.

We quickly checked everything then motored over to the fuel dock at Marina Di Valletta. Lindsay and I filled the diesel tanks while Robin did some last-minute provisioning for our passage. Our destination is La Grande Motte to visit the Outremer factory and get some rigging maintenance done. The attachment loops that connect the shrouds and forestay to the mast have to be replaced every 2 years, and ours are due. I would rather the factory does it as they are 3 of the most important rigging components on the boat and it needs to be done right. We’ll stop off at La Grande Motte on out way over to the Canary Islands. It’s about a 950 nautical mile voyage from Malta to La Grande Motte and based on the forecast we should have light winds a lot of the way, which means we will have to motor quite a bit, so we need full tanks to be sure to make it without having to find fuel on the way.

Malta thoughts

As we say goodbye to Malta, a few thoughts on our visit here, and our experience getting work done at the yacht yard. Overall, we really like Malta. It’s relaxed, the Maltese people are very friendly, there is good food and shopping, it’s a lot cheaper than central Europe, and there’s tons of great history.

On the downside, it was incredibly hot and humid, which made everything more difficult, especially because we had to stay on land while Wildling was out of the water.

Our experience with the Manoel Island Yacht Yard was very good. The team is friendly and helpful, they kept me informed of progress and were very easy to work with. They also did excellent work at an affordable price. I highly recommend them! We’ve been in and around marinas and boatyards in many countries and they are usually pretty inhospitable places. The folks that work there are often impatient, and unreliable, but that was not the case at all in Malta. My two complaints with the Yacht Yard are that they made our boat decks completely filthy (which unfortunately is a normal occurrence during a haul out) and the guy at their main security entrance is a total jerk! Seriously, it was like an inquisition each time we entered and left the yard. Pretty much every exchange went something like this:

Security guy: “What do you want?”

Me: “I have come to work on my boat”

Security guy: “What boat?”

Me: “It’s the catamaran, WILDLING, the same one as yesterday”

Security guy: “Do you have an appointment?”

Me: “No, I just need to get access to my boat. Same as yesterday.”

Security guy: Peers at me suspiciously for about 10 long seconds and then very reluctantly presses the button to let me into the yard.

Me: “Thank you sir, have a great day!”

This process was repeated, sometimes three times a day, for the entire 8 day stay, which was so ridiculous it became comical! Once given access to the promised land of the Manoel Island Yacht Yard, everyone inside couldn’t have been more friendly and helpful. I was very thankful to be judged worthy of entry each time I heard the security lock click open!

The scooter accident

We have an electric scooter, which is really handy when traveling back and forth between the boat and town when staying in marinas. We love our scooter, and it has worked perfectly the past three years. When I was leaving the marina about 5 days before we left Malta, I was going down a hill and when I hit the electric brake, nothing happened! A complete brake failure. I pumped it a few times, but nothing. I was about to hit a boat stand and didn’t have time to go for the (pretty much useless) backup foot brake, so I had to bail out. I cartwheeled over the concrete, landing fully on my left shoulder and heard a loud popping crunch sound. Not good!

After a couple of very painful days with no use of my left arm, Robin convinced me to go see an orthopedic doctor and have it checked out. X-Rays were clear, but ultrasound showed a partially torn rotator cuff tendon. The verdict from the doctor was this will require surgery. Since no MRI was called for and I felt like there could be other damage deeper in the joint, I decided to find a specialist to give me a second opinion. The doctors in France are excellent, but the waiting times to see one can be months long. I couldn’t find any doctor that could see me until late October. I called the specialists at the Shoulder Unit in London. They were able to book me in right away, and said I definitely need an MRI before any surgery diagnosis can be made, which is reassuring. We will be flying up to London for scans and consults after we get Wildling to La Grande Motte.

But there’s still the matter of a 5 day passage ahead of us. So now I get to find out if it’s possible to sail an Outremer 5X across the Mediterranean Sea with one arm tied behind my back! Should be fun! Seriously though, I have Robin and Lindsay to help, and the weather looks pretty calm, and in the famous words of renowned sailing philosopher, Captain Ron: “ The best way to find out, is get her out on the ocean! “

We lost a keel!

We hauled out Wildling in Malta on Tuesday this week, and as soon as we were clear of the water we found that our port keel was missing! Outremer fits sacrificial keels on the hulls just forward of the sail drives. These are non structural, and serve to protect the sail drive legs in case of an impact with an underwater obstacle.

Starboard side keel or “skeg” is located forward of the saildrive leg to protect it from impact or grounding.

The starboard side keel was fine, but our port side keel is missing!

On the port hull, our keel is gone!

This actually should not have been a surprise, since normally I swim under the boat and check on everything every few days, but since we have been immobilized in the marina in Tunisia, where the water is pretty murky and nasty, I haven’t had a chance to look under the boat. Also, the last time we hauled out in La Grande Motte, I noticed the port keel was not attached too well. There was some flex in it when rocking from side to side and a small amount of water was seeping out from the joint between the keel and the hull.

Since we didn’t have time to replace it then, I decided to leave it and see how we go. Obviously we now know, it was not solid enough. We haven’t hit anything or grounded (that I know of) and there was a lot of marine growth on the attachment area, so the keel must have detached during the passage from Marseille to Tunisia last year.

Attachment pad for the lost keel after cleaning up with the pressure wash.

What to do?

On Tuesday afternoon, as soon as I realized we were missing a keel, I called Outremer. They had a replacement in stock and sent it out by DHL to Malta on Wednesday. Manoel Island Yacht Yard received the keel at noon on Thursday and prepared it for fitting. By Friday afternoon the new keel was epoxied in place, ready to be faired and painted on Monday. You can’t ask for better service than that!

Replacement keel epoxied in place and ready for fairing in.

The guys at the Yacht Yard had to make a new mounting flange to set the keel at the correct angle to the hull surface. The flange and keel were then bonded to the hull. The next step is to grind the flange edges smooth and add filler to keep the hull surface streamlined.

The epoxy needs to set up over the weekend, then on Monday they will fair and prime the keel. Then we will add three coats of anti-fouling paint over the next couple of days and Wildling will be ready to go back in the water.

The other projects we needed done are all pretty much finished. I replaced both of the through hull fittings and valves for the air conditioning sea water inlet filters. The original factory installed fittings were corroding badly and starting to leak. The new fittings are 100% bronze so there should be no more corrosion. This is a bit odd since we have not had any corrosion or leaks on any of the other factory through-hull fittings on the boat.

New bronze through hull fitting for air conditioning inlet water filters. I had to replace the factory fitting in both hulls due to major corrosion and leaks.

We also had the topsides polished and waxed, so Wildling looks shiny new again!

We had the engines and sail-drives serviced, and found a large amount of algae growing in the starboard side fuel filter. They cleaned it all out and we’re adding biocide to the fuel tanks, but I will need to keep changing fuel filters frequently to make sure any remaining gunk is removed.

If everything goes to plan we should be back in the water and on our way on Thursday next week!

Sailing to Malta

We left Tunisia last week after almost exactly 1 year in Port Yasmine, Hammamet. A big thanks to Duncan and Kais at Yacht Services, Tunisia for taking great care of Wildling for us while we were away during the winter. It took us a few days to get the headsails re-rigged and everything ready to leave, including two trips up the mast for me, which I really hate!

Our first port of call after Tunisia was Valetta, Malta. This is a 196 NM passage which the PredictWind weather routing software said would take us 26 hours with winds starting at 8 knots, building to 20 knots during the night, then dropping to 2 knots as we approached Malta.

We cleared out of Tunisia at 10am on Tuesday, after a somewhat confusing customs process which included a detailed discussion about the size of our diesel tanks (I have no idea why), then we raised the mainsail and genoa and set our course due east towards Malta. This is the first time I’ve used the PredictWind model since we loaded WILDLING’s polar data, and the software turned out to be pretty much spot on. We began the passage with light winds, but spent most of the first 12-15 hours with 18 to 22 knots (true wind speed) on the beam. This translated to 20 to 24 knots apparent at about 60 degrees. We put the first reef in the main as soon as we saw 20 knots apparent and switched down to the staysail from the genoa, and were doing a very comfortable 10-11 knots boat speed all night, and we didn’t need to touch the sails at all. The wind died early the next morning so we had to motor the last 8 hours of the trip (typical Med sailing).

Overall the passage took us 29 hours, but we had 1 knot of current against us the entire way which the weather model didn’t account for. It turns out the Professional weather package gives you current data, but I don’t think it’s really that important for non-race boats.

On our mooring in Malta

Our main objective in Malta is to haul out to get some maintenance done. New antifouling paint on the bottom, engine and saildrive service, two through-hull fittings replaced and some minor gelcoat repairs. We were booked in at Manoel Island Yacht Yard for the haul out, and because we are too wide for their travel-lift, we had to use the slipway, which consists of a huge sled on rails that the boat sits on and gets dragged up out of the water.

Waiting at the entrance of the yacht yard for our turn to haul out

Looking down the slipway rails. The sled is ready for us to dock.

The people at Manoel Island Yacht Yard are friendly, helpful and professional. We reviewed the locations for the lifting blocks and they configured the slipway sled to fit our hulls. The process of getting the boat onto the sled was pretty smooth. They had 4 line handlers on our boat while I positioned us over to the top of the submerged sled, then they tied the boat in place, and sent scuba divers down to line everything up underneath.

Divers adjusting the position of the support blocks so they are directly under the reinforced sections of the hull

On the sled, coming up the ramp

The scariest part was dragging the boat out of the water on the sled, but it was much easier than I expected, and the whole process took less than two hours. There were a couple of surprises when we got the boat out, but I’ll talk about that in the next post.

On “the hard” and ready to get started with maintenance

We rented an apartment not far from the boat yard, so we have a place to stay and escape the incredibly hot and humid Malta weather while the guys are working on the boat.

ARC, owners groups and Nest video

Update on arc prep.

Following my post last week on our less than stellar compliance with the ARC 2018 entry requirements, I sent a message to the ARC organizers with some questions, but still have received no response. I also posted on the Outremer owners group and within 4 hours I had detailed answers to all my questions about the ARC from both owners that have made the voyage already, and also from people at the Outremer factory.

Here are a few of the items I sorted out this week:

Independent navigation lights : battery powered lights are not accepted by the ARC. A tricolor on a rotating mast is indeed not an option, but a set of portable lights that can be deployed in an emergency and connected to the main battery bank is OK. The solution we are going with, and also adopted by other Outremer owners, is a set of portable rail mounted lights and cables with a 12V lighter plug that can be connected in the cockpit and deployed if needed.

Portable rail mount bracket

LED stern light

The challenge I ran into is finding a strong enough bracket system that can be attached and removed easily. These lights from Signal Mate meet all the Colregs requirements for boats up to 50m and have a good strong bracket for mounting.

Radar Reflector: It turns out that a radar reflector that meets the 10m2 RCS requirement is very large, and mounting the thing on the mast is a complicated affair. ARC will accept the inflatable reflector model from Echomax that easily meets their RCS requirement and can be hoisted on the flag halyard below the spreaders. Although these are not permanently installed units, there are plenty of reports of people leaving them in place for 5+ years without any damage.

Echomax passive reflector

Lifejackets : All the other items on the list were pretty straightforward and I was able to order them all from Force 4 in the UK. For the liejackets, we are going with a Spinlock Deckvest 5D, 170N for each member of our crew. Each vest is fitted with an AIS PLB. Here’s a video demo of the Spinlock Deckvest

Spinlock Deckvest 5D combination lifejacket and harness meets all ARC 2018 requirements

The value of online owners groups

The rapid assistance I received from our owners group this week made me realize yet again just how valuable it is to have this resource. When we owned our Catana 471, I really appreciated the active Catana owners group. There is a wealth of knowledge shared in this group, and as a first time multihull owner I had lots to learn and needed to ask a ton of questions. Although I still made many mistakes, I could always ask the group for help on how to avoid repeating whatever stupid thing I had done. Their assistance definitely improved my experience owning a Catana.

The only negative with the group was that the Catana factory NEVER posted or replied to a single question in the 4 years we were active in the group! My biggest criticism of Catana is that they don’t support their owners online, and it’s the reason I looked elsewhere when buying our next boat.

Outremer takes the opposite approach. They maintain their owners forum and they are very active along with the owners in responding to any questions or problems. It’s very reassuring to have their constant input and feedback on any issues raised, and there’s not a week goes by that I don’t learn something valuable from the Outremer group.

Outremer Owners Group. An active, valuable resource!

Nest video update

It’s been about 9 months now since I installed the Nest cameras on Wildling so we can keep an eye on things when we are away from the boat. I have to say, I’m really impressed. The cameras have been running non-stop the entire time, with zero issues. I just need to top up the Orange 4G modem SIM card once a month, which costs about 10 Euros for all the data I need, and I can check in any time and see what’s happening in Tunisia on the boat.

Here are screen shots from the two cameras that I took this week:

Nest IP camera mounted inside the salon looking forward

Nest IP camera mounted in the salon looking aft into the cockpit

Preparing for the ARC

We haven’t been able to do much sailing during the winter, but we have been enjoying our time in Tunisia, and getting some projects done. I really like Tunisia, it’s a slower pace of life, and the people are friendly and helpful.

Things are starting to get exciting now as we begin our preparations for the 2018 ARC (Atlantic Rally for Cruisers) which we will be joining this year for our Atlantic Ocean crossing. A rally is a group of boats traveling together and following an organized route and itinerary. We were part of the Sail Indonesia rally a few years ago when we sailed from Darwin, Australia to Singapore, and it was a fantastic experience for us. We learned a lot, made lifelong friends, and had a great time sharing the experience with other sailors. So, given the choice of crossing the Atlantic on our own or with a rally, it was an easy decision to join the ARC.

The ARC leaves Las Palmas, Canary Islands on November 25th, and the crossing typically takes 15 – 20 days (depending on the weather) to travel the 2,680 nautical miles to Saint Lucia. Not only are we really looking forward to the passage, but we are also very happy that some friends and family will be joining us to help out. Robin’s brother Kirk is coming with us, and so are our long time friends Misti and Clive who are living in Australia. Gavin will be in University, so having some extra hands on board will be a nice help, and will give us a 6 person watch rotation!

Last week we received the ARC 2018 handbook, which is a lengthy read, and full of detailed information, instructions and tips on how to participate in, and get the most out of the ARC. The good news is that it takes a lot of the guess work out of the passage planning and safety preparations. The bad news is that although I tried to configure Wildling pretty comprehensively for ocean voyaging, we are not in compliance with many of the ARC requirements, and we would fail the inspections that are done prior to departure, so I have some work to do to get us ready!

None of the ARC requirements seem unreasonable, and some of them I knew we had to meet anyway, but still I was a bit surprised to see how many of the checks that we currently FAIL. The biggest issue is their requirement for two independent systems of navigation lights, which will require us to install a tri-color light at the top of the mast. I wish I had known that when we were building the boat!

WILDLING fails the ARC checklist 🙁

Here’s the list of checks that each boat must pass before being allowed to take part in the ARC.

[table id=1 /]

Our plans are to try and haul out in Malta in August so we can get the bottom repainted and service the saildrive legs. I should be able to get most of our failures addressed by then. We also need to get some rigging checks done, and fix an issue with our instruments before leaving for the Canary Islands.

I’ll post a lot more info about our experience with the ARC as we go along.

Ascending the mast without risking your life

Recently I went up the mast to check the rig after we found an unidentified nut and washer on the deck, and Robin posted a photo on the Outremer owner’s forum. In the photo, I had attached my climbing harness to the 2:1 halyard block that is normally connected to the head of the mainsail. Outremer saw the photo and posted back saying – Never use the main halyard to ascend the mast!

At first I was a bit surprised, but after a conversation with them, I realized that not only were they correct, I was damned lucky that nothing happened, as I was unknowingly attaching to the most dangerous line on the boat for mast ascending! Here’s why…

On a boat that has a 2:1 mainsail halyard, there is a fixed point where the halyard attaches to the top of the mast. This point can not be inspected from the deck. If it lets go, you will fall. Take a look at the drawing below:

The safe way to go up the mast, is to tie in to any 1:1 running line. The only fixed point should be the end that attaches to your harness. The other end will be on the winch. On our boat, this could be the topping lift or the running line on the mainsail halyard.

To tie into the running leg of the main halyard, use a Bowline on a bight knot .

Before tying in, you should pull the entire line through and inspect it completely, to make sure there is no wear, damage or chafe. It’s also a good idea to tie onto a second line as a backup. I usually use the spinnaker halyard as my backup safety line.

Topping lift snapshackle

I fitted a snapshackle to the end of the topping lift so we can disconnect when needed to go up the mast. In the case when the mainsail is raised and I need to go up, the only line that will get me to the very top of the mast is the topping lift.

• Outremer 45
• Outremer 4X
• Outremer 4.zero
• Outremer 52
• Outremer 55
• Outremer 51
• Outremer 5X
• All the Outremer Fleet
• Personalized support
• Blue Water Sailing Seminars
• Our concept
• The Outremer team
• Our commitments
• Construction principles
• Our catamaran services
• After-sales customer service & Quality control
• Offshore Connected Catamaran Maintenance
• Concierge Services
• Our owners’ stories
• FAQ – Outremer catamarans

• Brokerage: used catamarans for sale
• Privacy Policy
• Legal Notice
• Grand Large Yatching

Outremer Catamaran Yacht Charter

Not yet decided on owning an Outremer? Looking to cruise the Mediterranean or explore idyllic destinations in Southern France, Spain, or Corsica?

We offer the unique experience of a cruise on an Outremer catamaran, from our 48ft to our 60ft catamaran, fully equipped for long distance cruising.

Make your dream of blue-water sailing come true without long-term commitments with our catamaran charter options.

No need to wait to sail an Outremer…

From the legendary Outremer 45 to the acclaimed Outremer 55, not to forget the 51 and the 4X, you will find a wide range of Outremer catamaran yachts to charter, depending on your model of interest. Enough to satisfy your dream of blue-water cruising, solo, with your family or your friends, while freeing you from purchasing constraints.

What to expect during a charter

We offer a complete range of support services. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced sailor, you will benefit from the best comfort and safety during your blue water catamaran charter.

Preparation of the boat

Turnkey offer: your dedicated skipper will handle the preparation of the boat allowing you to take sail with complete peace of mind.

Skipper briefing

Take advantage of the advice of our experienced skippers. They will be at your disposal to answer all your questions and share their experience on an Outremer.

During your cruise

Get a good idea of how the multihull boat behaves while under sail and define the stopovers in consultation with the skipper. From the shipyard in La Grande-Motte, France, you will have the choice between several anchorages:

• on the West side: Cap d’Agde, Balearic Islands, Costa Brava
• on the East side: Porquerolles, Gulf of St Tropez and Corsica

Chartering a catamaran yacht offers many possibilities to you: enough to satisfy your desire of discovery and sailing in Europe!

Rates for short and long-term catamaran rental

Advantageous rates are available depending on the rental period of the catamaran: low, medium or high season. Rent an Outremer catamaran from 8300€ per week (one week rental minimum).

Variable according to the selected model, estimate available upon request.

You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser to improve your experience.

• Sailing Blogs
• List Your Catamaran For Charter
• List Your Catamaran For Sale

Outremer 55

Outremer 55 Owner’s Review

Thanks to Marijke and Mark from Cat Greatcircle for their help on this extremely thorough owner’s review of the Outremer 55. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

This is very comprehensive feedback from two experienced sailors. We have pulled out some key points below, but we encourage you to read the whole article, as it has some fantastic insights into the Outremer 55 and performance catamarans in general.

Some Key Points

• This couple has migrated from a Lagoon 39 to a Lagoon 52S and onto a performance catamaran. When I asked “Would they swap the Outremer?”, they said “yes”. They are swapping her for a new Outremer 55 (!)
• The main reason? Higher daily average mileage and no flybridge (smoother ride)
• The best bit about the Outremer 55? It’s the best compromise between comfort, performance and looks available on the market.
• Save some budget for the carbon options, solar, traveller line driver and your sail locker.
• The 55 gets sailing from 3 knots of apparent wind and up. That’s eco sailing.
• 38 degrees AWA is the sweet spot for VMG going upwind.
• The flexible dual helm setup works well in all conditions.
• Cat Greatcircle plans on 230 nm days. That’s just under a 10kt average.
• The 55 has a high-quality finish. These yachts are built to last.
• Cat Greatcircle has tested the Outremer after-sales service to the max. It’s good.
• The other area that Outremer excels in is its sail training and owner/manufacturer community

Full Review

Reading time: 20mins

Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your Outremer 55 catamaran? You’ve crossed the Atlantic and the Pacific so far, right? What is the plan now from NZ? Marijke has been sailing monohulls since she was 6. After we met in 1997 we started sailing together, first on chartered monohulls in several sailing areas of the world. Later Marijke bought her former Rival 34 back and we sailed around Holland in it.

Nice boat but a bit small, so in 2015 we decided to buy our first cat, a Lagoon 39 and sailed it from France to above the Arctic Circle in Norway. As we were really enjoying the liveaboard life, after a year we upgraded to a Lagoon 52S and sailed it almost full-time for 3.5 years in the Med and crossed the Atlantic to the Caribbean and back to Holland.

Just before our first Atlantic crossing, we had already signed up for the brand new Outremer 55, hull number 4.

At that time the boat only existed on paper, but it already promised to be the ultimate combination of comfort, performance and looks.

The second Greatcircle was delivered mid 2021, just before the departure of the GLYWO500 rally, a rally with around 30 boats circumnavigating the globe.

In the meantime, we’ve sailed over 18.000 nautical miles with the Outremer 55, from the South of France via the Panama Canal to New Zealand.

At the end of March 2023, we will start the second half of the rally back to the Med. The route will take us via New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Australia, Indonesia to Mauritius and then South Africa this year. Next year we will cross via Sint Helena to Brazil and then via the Carib and the Azores to Lisbon.

Why did you choose the Outremer 55? Was it the helm position, the performance or the living space for example? Which layout did you go for? (eg the desk in the front cabin?) We have been looking at all of the cats on the market regularly since 2015. The Lagoon 39 was a perfect cat to start on and get used to the particulars of a catamaran.

At that time we already thought it was huge (at least compared to our Rival 34 that is still in front of our house). The upgrade to the L52S was easier than expected and the sailing characteristics and motion comfort were already way better than on the L39. The L52S is probably the best sailing Lagoon ever built.

After 3 years on the L52S, we decided to make another step in preparation for a circumnavigation and had a thorough look at the available brands and models on the market.

We were not looking for the fastest or lightest cat on the market as we are not racers but cruisers. We know that for boats on the lower end of the weight scale, comfort has to suffer both in terms of the equipment and in terms of motion comfort.

In the end, we chose between two boats that only existed on paper, a Lagoon 55 and the Outremer 55. In hindsight it was love at first sight when we saw the design of the Outremer.

That Lagoon stopped producing Sport-tops for their bigger models probably didn’t help either as we are sailing the boat double-handed most of the time.

We had no need for a flybridge, and it doesn’t help the sailing characteristics either. The new Outremer has half the weight of the Lagoon, and much more space and headroom in comparison to the previous generation.

We chose the three-cabin version with an owner’s hull and a normal front cabin in the guest hull.

When was she launched? 2021 right? How was the buying and building process? The build of the very first Outremer 55 was started in the second half of 2020 and we followed the production of the first 4 hulls very closely. We even rented an apartment in La Grande Motte to document the whole process and to discuss the different choices and options with the local experts.

Dealing directly with the manufacturer is quite different from what we were used to before with Lagoon in their dealer model. We loved being able to shape the boat to our wishes, but also to learn from experienced sailors with another background.

Greatcircle was launched in April and finished and optimised in the months thereafter. It’s nice to see that experiences and improvements found on the first three hulls were immediately transferred to our boat as well. Initially, we were OK with not having hull number one but to be honest we were surprised by the level that they were already able to reach building the very first copy of a completely new generation of yachts.

Outremer is also known for its sail training and owner community. Any feedback on that? eg Ladies Day. As we visited La Grande Motte a lot we met many existing and future Outremer owners. In addition to the pure performance-oriented sailors that already knew Outremer, more and more sailors like us started to explore the 55.

Many of them already saw our YouTube videos on the Lagoons and/or the videos from the design and build phase of the new Greatcircle. They reached out to us via Instagram and Messenger to discuss the pros and cons of the boat in general and of the different choices to make in the configuration process.

It’s a lot of fun to be involved in discussions like that and it has helped us as well to re-evaluate our own choices based on the experience of others.

Outremer Week is a very successful concept, twice a year now, where customers can learn a lot about all kinds of topics from manoeuvring in port to medical training to engine maintenance. It’s a perfect way to get to know a lot of other Outremer owners as well.

Even though Marijke, as a female captain, might not be in the core target group of Ladies Day, she was very impressed by the way experienced female sailors like Nikki Henderson transferred their knowledge.

It seems very important, especially on longer offshore cruising expeditions that the tasks on board can be shared by multiple people on board.

What’s the best thing about Greatcircle? To us, it’s the best compromise between comfort, performance and looks available on the market.

We have all the equipment we had on the Lagoon, we still have plenty of space, headroom and storage space and we’re crossing oceans 20-30% faster than we were used to. And as a bonus, the boat looks stunning.

If there was one thing that you would change, what would that be? Or wouldn’t you change anything? We have already sold our current Greatcircle for the end of 2024. We have reached an agreement on a new Outremer 55 some time ago. The specs would be nearly the same as we were pretty pleased with the choices we’ve made on the current one.

One item we would like to optimise is that we want to expand the situations in which it is possible to sail the boat single-handed. For instance regarding reefing and furling the downwind gennaker when the sail is on port. We’re discussing this with Outremer, it’s still too early to tell but there might be a surprise outcome of this discussion.

Does she carry weight well, or do you have to be careful to not overload her with gear? The Outremer 55 has plenty of payload. We have everything on board you could wish for and there is still 2,5 tonnes of payload remaining even when fully loaded with water and fuel! More performance-oriented owners of a 55 have an even lighter boat (about a ton lighter) but during the GLYWO500 we’ve seen that the differences in average speed are marginal.

What are the “Must Have” Options when buying new in your opinion? eg Carbon cross-beam, carbon mast, watermaker (Dessalator), the convertible table in the saloon, generator (10,000i Fischer?), solar, carbon options, a/c, Esthec decking, extra invertor, extra freezer, water filter, scirocco fans, special galley worktop, Raymarine remote, induction plate, washing machine, folding props, ZF throttles, electric winches, windlass controller at helm For offshore cruising a water maker (preferably a backup water maker too) and a second autopilot are a must have. The other options depend on the personal preferences of the owner. I would recommend not having gas on board. In most cases, the 2000+ watts of solar are enough to cover the energy demand. In periods of bad weather, you still need a backup power source. We chose the genset over charging with engines and/or a hydrogenerator.

Can you give us an idea of what is in your sail locker? Which sails are your favourite? Gennaker, Spinnaker, Code 0, A2 Spinnaker etc We chose the DFI mainsail and self-tacking jib (solent) from Incidence as they are lighter (and Marijke likes black sails :-)). We didn’t choose the staysail/trinquette option and so far we never had a situation where we needed it.

As the 55 doesn’t need to be reefed very early the solent functions perfectly fine in all conditions we would like to sail in. We never had to furl the solent, a couple of turns so far.

Sailing around the world along the traditional routes there’s a lot of trade wind / downwind sailing. You need to have some flexibility and redundancy in the front sails.

We use the (flat and not too big) Code 0 both (close) reaching and downwind depending on the circumstances. Both this Code 0 and the downwind gennaker are perfect in changing conditions where it might be necessary to furl the sail now and then.

The A2 asymmetrical spinnaker is the perfect sail in lighter breezes, we use it to sail starting from three knots apparent wind. After 18.000 miles our engines still have only 350 hours …..

The S3 heavy duty symmetrical spi is made of polyester and we use it to sail almost dead downwind in breezes from 15 knots true. Most of the time we hoist in on the lower halyard and use it without the mainsail. You can leave it up during a squall, we had up to 40 knots of true wind without a problem.

What are the “Nice-to-Have Options”? As discussed the 55 is not very sensitive for a bit more weight. So I would say there is a long list of nice-to-have options that I would recommend. I love the carbon cross, as it makes the boat look fantastic. We choose induction cooking, a combi oven, a dishwasher, a full washer/dryer, aircon, a line driver for the main traveller and all electrical winches. As indicated we also have a genset.

Which options did you “pass” on? For the mast, we chose the non-rotating carbon mast. Reduces complexity and maintenance compared to a rotating one and the performance difference is again marginal.

How are the electrics, plumbing etc? Can you give us an idea of how you set your power system up, the amount of solar (over 2kW right?), hydrogeneration, lithium battery set up (200Ah/battery?) etc? How long can you stay autonomous on power? How often do you use the genset? We have three lithium batteries totalling 16,5 kWh. In normal circumstances, the 2048 watts of solar are enough to charge the batteries during daylight and to cover the total energy demand.

On anchor, it’s almost always enough. Upfront we didn’t realize though that during the longer crossings the sails quite often cover the solar panels.

In hindsight, we’re pretty happy that we stuck to our decision to install a genset to generate extra power when we need it. We installed 2 mass-combis so the genset can charge the batteries very efficiently, so far it has run for 130 hours only.

Is she easy to maintain? Servicing engines, standing rigging etc. You have had a few challenges to deal with on your circumnavigation so far, right? The regular maintenance so far after 1.5 years has been very limited. Of course, stuff breaks now and then, and in those cases it’s fantastic to be part of the Glywo500 rally where every couple of months a whole maintenance team is flown in to bring the boats back into perfect shape.

We did have a couple of incidents during our trip. The worst one was in Aruba when we were hit while asleep on anchor by a 70-ton tourist boat doing around 8 knots. Luckily nobody was injured, but the whole carbon cross was damaged beyond repair.

Without an extraordinary effort from Outremer, this would have meant the end of our rally. An Outremer team and the necessary parts were flown in, and within a month we were up and running again trying to catch up with the fleet before they left the Galapagos.

During this chase, we had a second incident while passing through the Panama canal. While rafted to two other boats and steering on the port side, the starboard gearbox cable broke with the gearbox in the forward position.

Pulling the throttle backward only made the boat go faster forward and the raft hit the wall before we even knew what the problem was. Easy to fix, very lucky that we could give it another go the next day, enough wind from Panama to the Galapagos and we managed to arrive there the day before the departure date of the fleet….

The third incident happened in Fiji where we just hit a reef with the port rudder tip and the rudder system broke. The rally brings you to poorly charted waters and due to the distances in some legs it’s not always possible to sail out in perfect (light) conditions only.

Sometimes if you wait longer to start the leg, you will arrive in the dark. We could have avoided this incident if we had motored along the advised route instead of following the boats in front of us sailing. We managed to stop the water ingress and were able to continue cruising, hopping from the east to the west side of Fiji where the boat could be lifted and repaired.

Is she easy to sail short-handed? To shorten sail? Is the running rigging complex? Do all the lines lead back to the helms, for example? What is the “German Sheeting” setup? You reef from the port side, right? In all situations, we can sail the boat double-handed (most of the time it’s only the 2 of us on board).

In many situations, the boat can be sailed single-handed. In general, I don’t think we would use the spinnakers single-handed. In our current setup you need two people to reef the main and to furl the gennaker or Code 0 when the sail is on port (the furling line of the front furler is on starboard).

The way we have set up the reefing system with reef lines on the back of the sail only 1 person has to go to the mast to apply or remove the loops for the luff of the main.

You can control the main sheet on both helm stations and also use the line driver to control the main traveller on both sides (and from the cockpit).

In general, the boat is on autopilot while navigating from either the saloon or the cockpit. If the sails need some adjusting you walk towards the port helm station. Only when the bigger front sails are on starboard you will use the helm station on starboard.

Is it easy to lower and raise the daggerboards and furl the head sails? You had some problems with the gennaker I think? You have a line driver for the traveller I see. Controlling the dagger boards is very easy, as is controlling the main. Indeed we did have some problems furling and unfurling the downwind gennaker.

The sail is pretty round and you need to pay attention not to entangle the sail in itself. In the meantime, we know how to prevent this from happening but still looking for ways to make this more foolproof (other furler?).

The line driver is a perfect option. Electronic buttons will be installed on both helm stations so you can easily control the traveller from the helm station while reefing or gybing.

What’s she like in heavy weather / a blow / big seas? How is the ride in general? (pitch/roll) We didn’t have real heavy weather yet. Most of the time the wind has been below 40 knots and the waves haven’t been over 4 meters yet. In these circumstances, the boat feels pretty relaxed and comfortable. Compared to our previous cat the thinner hulls slice through the water and the Outremer can maintain a higher constant speed.

There’s a lot less noise in general and a lot less slamming of waves against the hull.

How are the helm positions? Good in weather? How is the visibility when docking? Those swing helms look great, which position do you use the most? I like the feet steering option 😉 The two helm stations are really good when manoeuvring. You can see all 4 corners of the cat from either one of them and just choose the most suitable helm station when docking.

During cruising we often put 1 of the steering wheels (partly) inside the cockpit, especially in bad weather when we close up the cockpit tent. The boat will normally be on autopilot but if something happens or if there’s a glitch of the AP you can reach the steering wheel very quickly.

The benches at the helm station are very comfortable and ideal for catching the breeze, watching the waves and looking out for sea life.

How does she sail in light winds? You can sail the boat starting from 3 knots of apparent wind.

How does she sail close-hauled? How high does she point to true in a good sea state? Close-hauled she sails as high as a decent monohull but at a much higher speed. If the sea is flat sometimes you’re able to reach an even higher VMG by using the Code 0 instead of the solent and sailing a bit lower.

So far it seems that with both sails you reach optimal VMG at around 38 degrees apparent.

Typically, what’s your average speed on passage? What’s the top speed you have logged surfing? Talking about your top surfing speed is nice during anchor shots but is not so relevant for us. Our all-time high was set on the L52S doing 27,2 knots surfing of 3 consecutive waves. On the Outremer, we’ve surfed over 26 knots.

It’s the higher average speed during crossings that makes the real difference. Out the L52S we used to calculate 190 miles per day (downwind or reaching as upwind it will be a lot less).

On the Outremer 55 we calculate with 230 miles per day on average and it doesn’t make a big difference whether this is upwind or downwind. We crossed over 2000 miles from Cabo Verde to Barbados in 9 days and needed 13 days for the 3200 nm for the Pacific crossing from the Galapagos to Nuku Hiva.

What’s she like under power? Speed, manoeuvrability? 60 HP Volvo engines, right? We don’t use the engines a lot but in general, the 60HP Volvo engines are fine to manoeuvre the boat. As we don’t have a bow thruster it does make sense to anticipate what you’re planning to do as the bows tend to react to crosswinds.

If we use the engines while cruising we only use 1 engine, often at very low RPM using 1 to 2 liters per hour at 6 knots.

Is she easy to dock? How’s the windage coming in, any tips? As mentioned above you have to anticipate the bows reacting on crosswinds

What is she like at anchor? What anchor/chain setup did you go for? 70m chain, 50m rope right? We chose the Force 7 lighter chain with a nice and shiny 35 kg Ultra anchor. Indeed 70 meters of chain plus 50 meters of rope. We haven’t used the rope yet.

What’s she like when it’s raining hard? I like the way the clears fix down outside the helms When it’s raining we just close up the clears, and tilt one moveable helm inside. Both from the cockpit and the saloon you have perfect 360 degrees of vision so you only need to go out to adjust the sails and/or reefing.

Is she comfortable up top and down below? Cabins/saloon/galley/heads. Can you give us an idea of the configuration you went for? The island in the galley looks great. Electric heads? Wood option down below right? We chose a three “burner” induction plate and a combi microwave/oven. Works fine, I think the limitations are more on our side than related to the equipment. We have a freezer and a double refrigerator. We also installed a dishwasher and an extra water filter.

The space in the owner’s hull is more than enough, the beds are also nice and wide. We can’t walk around the bed like we could on our previous cat of course. The bathroom can compete with the one we had on the Lagoon and the spacy shower with rain shower and over 2m headroom is just perfect.

When we were visiting the interior designer Franck Darnet we found a different kind of wood and applied it to both the cabin and the hulls to create a warmer atmosphere. This might be a standard price list option in the meantime.

We also chose the option to implement the same Esthec flooring in both the saloon and the cockpit to emphasize that it is one big living space. The disadvantage of the Esthec in areas open to direct sunlight is that it gets REALLY hot.

Is there plenty of storage? The sail lockers look good. We still have a lot of unused storage space in the cockpit, cabin and hulls, so no complaints there. The bow compartments are huge, we use one for most of the front sails only so it’s easy to swap them. We use the other bow compartment for the lines, the toys and the spares.

On the foredeck, there are two storage lockers as well. In one of them, we installed the genset. The other one contains our bikes, the mooring lines and some shades.

How is the finish of the interior? Does she creak under sail? Both the extensive lamination of the deck and bulkheads and the quality of the finishing of the interior lead to a big difference in sound levels compared to our previous cat.

What is your favourite spot on the boat? Our favourite spot is in the saloon with the cabin table lowered and turned into a lounge area

Is she good for hosting guests? We have the three cabin version as we’re not looking to host too many people at the same time. The guests in the port hull share a separate toilet with a sink and a shower with a sink. The bed in the aft cabin is the same as the one in the owner’s hull, the one in the front cabin is a bit less wide.

What kind of modifications have you done and why? We didn’t do any major modifications that were not on the standard option list

Any plans for further customisation? No

What kind of dinghy/outboard do you carry? We’ve got a carbon  AST Coast 340 tender , the one with the jockey seat. It carries a 20HP Honda outboard

If you were to swap her for another boat, what would that be? Or maybe you wouldn’t swap her? As mentioned before, we have already sold her (from the end of 2024) and ordered a new Outremer 55!

How is the after-sales service from Outremer? It’s amazing. Instead of using too many words, I would suggest looking at the extraordinary after-sales efforts Outremer made when we were really in trouble like in Aruba in February/March last year. There’s a  YouTube video  on both the crash and the repairs on our channel.

What I also like a lot is that in case of problems discovered on other boats, they automatically review whether these changes should be applied to other boats including the ones already delivered. As an example, we will get new carbon davits on our boat in New Caledonia to upgrade the maximum dynamic load they can endure.

Are you happy with the safety aspects? Escape hatches, position of life rafts, clip-on points and so on In general we are happy with the safety aspects. We do feel more exposed at the helm station compared to our L52S and there is not a lot to hold onto when standing there in rough weather. We’re looking at options to improve this.

Anything else you would add to help people thinking of buying an Outremer 55? Different people have different questions and concerns. Everybody is welcome to post questions they might have to our social media accounts on Youtube, Instagram and Facebook.

How would you rate the Value for Money of an Outremer 55, bearing in mind future resale potential, quality, price and so on ? Our depreciation on the current boat will be 0 (and we could have made a profit if we would have sold it later.)

Would you recommend the Grand Large Yachting World Odyssey 500 (GLYWO500)? For sure! It’s fun to travel around the world with a lot of other boats. You can help each other in case of trouble and enjoy life together on the good days. The glywo organisation takes away a significant part of the bureaucracy and the technical stops are just perfect.

What is your favourite anchorage so far? Marijke’s favourite anchorage is the Bay of Virgins in the Marquesas. I really loved the anchorages in Maupiti and in the Lau Group in Fiji as well.

https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!1m18!1m12!1m3!1d7295.192060516966!2d-138.67447822654512!3d-10.463990020135887!2m3!1f0!2f0!3f0!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!3m3!1m2!1s0x763a1c28d027f6dd%3A0xa6108fb93ecf7576!2sBay%20of%20Virgins!5e1!3m2!1sen!2ses!4v1679336705537!5m2!1sen!2ses

Follow Cat Great Circle

You can follow Marijke and Mark on their travels on  Youtube  (it’s one of our favourite channels),  Insta  and  Facebook .

• Privacy Overview
• Strictly Necessary Cookies
• Cookie Policy

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.

If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.

More information about our Cookie Policy

Basin with mixer tap

• Manual seawater toilet

Opening portlight inboard

COMPANIONWAY

Opening deck hatch with integrated blackout blind and flyscreen

Longitudinal berth 200cm x 140cm (6,6 x 4,9 ft) and HR mattress

Large fixed outboard hull portlight

• Wardrobe, shelves & generous storage below the berth

2 LED lights at the head of the bed

FORWARD CABIN

• Longitudinal berth 200cm x 160cm (6,6 x 5,2 ft) and HR mattress 
• Large fixed outboard hull portlight 
• Opening deck hatch
• Portlight opening onto the scooped stern
• Wardrobe, storage below the berth
• 2 LED reading lights at the head of the berth
• Large fixed rectangular portlight in the outboard side of the hull
• Opening deck hatch with integrated blackout blind and mosquito net

Sliding door separating the owner's hull from the saloon

Wardrobe, storage

Access via door from companionway

• Sink basin with mixer tap
• Manual sea toilet
• Separate shower 
• Opening hatch to the inboard hull side
• LED lighting

SAIL LOCKER

MAIN CHARACTERISTICS

For those of you who prefer the comfort of an on-suite to an extra cabin, this 3 cabin version offers a large sumptuous bathroom instead of the usual forward cabin starboard side.

3 CABIN VERSION

• Wardrobe, storage 
• Longitudinal berth 200cm x 160cm (6,6 x 5,2 ft) and HR mattress
• Large fixed rectangular portlight on the outboard side of the hull
• Opening deck hatch with integrated blackout curtain and mosquito net
• Separate shower
• Opening hatch on the outboard side of the hull
• 1 berth + wardrobe
• Shelves & generous storage below the berth
• Opening hatch with integrated blackout curtain and mosquito net

Fixed outboard hull portlight

For those of you who require extra sleeping space, this version offers a fourth cabin starboard side.

4 CABIN VERSION

CONSTRUCTION

• Composite daggerboard trunks 
• Composite daggerboards
• Composite rudders on aluminum stocks

DECK AND OTHER

• Special NPG gelcoat
• Vinylester barrier coating on the external skin
• Manual lamination of the hull/deck bond
• Laminated bulkheads assembled with flanges on both sides
• Bulkheads in foam/fiberglass sandwich
• Fully-battened mainsail with square top in high-tenacity Dacron,

maneuverability when sailing short-handed

STEERING SYSTEM

• 2 balanced rudders on self-aligning bearing
• Hydraulic transmission in standard
• 407L Tank + 40L hot water tank (220V + engine exchanger)
• 2 blackwater tanks

2 x 40 hp Nanni N4.38 engines

336 liters fuel tank

Propeller 

LED lighting in engine rooms

• Crash boxes and watertight bulkheads
• 2 opening hull hatches for compliance and ventilation
• 60 cm high stainless steel stanchions, double row of guardrails (dynema)
• 2 jacklines
• 5 fire extinguishers

ELECTRICITY

• 2 x 115A alternators
• 1 x 220V/12V 25A charger
• Electric control panel. Multiplex system.
• Pack USB outlets + 12V outlet
• Battery monitor
• 2 x 12 V, 70 A/h engine starter batteries with bipolar battery isolating switches
• 3 x 220 A/h gel service batteries with bipolar battery isolating switches 
• 6 electric bilge pumps (2 per engine room + 1 per hull )
• 1 600 W vertical electric windlass
• Navigation lights (LED), masthead light, mooring light (LED) and decklight.
• Shore power outlet with differential circuit breaker and galvanic protection

DECK LAYOUT

• Fixed aluminium deck-stepped mast: 1 spreader and 1 set of jumper struts
• Dyform stays and shrouds
• Shrouds triangulation in Monotoron
• Aluminium boom fitted with cams for the reefing lines
• Lazy bag and Lazy jack

Fibreglass wheel to portside

Engine controls, steering compass, electronic navigation panel

HELM STATIONS

• Trampolines

Swimming ladder

• 1 winch at the mast for the halyards (except the mainsail) and the reefing lines
• 2 winchs at the helm for the mainsail halyard and sheet, jib sheet and reefing lines
• 2 winchs in the cockpit for gennaker sheets, daggerboards, furler, dinghy
• Mainsail track
• Self-tacking jib track with ball—bearing jib car
• Quick-release clutches on deck and mast
• 8 mooring cleats
• Aluminium longitudinal beam, integrating the chain way and theanchor davit
• L-shaped seating on port side + opposing bench seat on starboard side
• Cockpit table
• Bimini: central fixed companionway + Dralon extension on a stainless steel tubular structure 
• 13 kg gas bottle arrangement
• Aluminium davits

Versions and detailed specifications

Longitudinal berth 200cm x 150cm (6,5 x 5,9 ft) and HD mattress 

Wardrobe storage under the bed

Opening hatch onto the inner hull

2 LED  lights at the head of the bed

• Become an Anchor Captain
• List Your Boat

Basic Information

St Pete Yacht Rental

Yacht rentals st. pete | best yacht charters in st. petersburg, florida, thank you for making anchor the #1 yacht rental company in st. pete, st. pete yacht rentals .

Welcome to St. Petersburg, FL, one of the fastest-growing cities in Florida! Anchor has a beautiful fleet of yachts available for rent or charter in the greater St. Pete area. St. Pete is the perfect yacht charter destination, with intracoastal waterways to view mansions, sandbars for swimming and water activities, and a large selection of yacht charters to choose from. Whether you're celebrating a bachelor or bachelorette party, birthday, or just hangin' with your crew, Anchor is the top-rated yacht rental company in St. Pete!

Day Charters

St. Pete has plenty to offer for a perfect yacht charter. We offer 4 hour rentals, 6 hour rentals, and full-day rentals. We also offer multi-day trips if you want to visit destinations like Fort Myers , Cape Coral , South Seas, Marco Island, and Florida Keys. Day charters are an affordable way for you and your crew to rent a private yacht with Captain and Crew included. Also included in the price of your charter is local cruising fuel, cleaning fees, service fees & taxes, and even some gratuity on most charter listings. Most of our yachts have a 13 guest max, not including the Captain and Crew. So grab 12 of your best friends and head out for a St. Petersburg yacht charter with Anchor!

Find the perfect yacht rental in St. Pete

Anchor has hundreds of yachts available for rent with a Captain. You can shop and browse yachts and filter by date, location (using the map), size, budget, and much more. Book a yacht with confidence with our transparent and all-inclusive pricing. Never worry about hidden fees or additional costs, unless you want to add provisions to your charter. Finding the perfect yacht charter in St. Pete is super easy with Anchor. If you're interested in a St. Pete Boat Rental instead check out this page to view our available inventory!

Yacht rentals and yacht charters to Egmont Key

Egmont Key is a popular yachting destination with beautifully clear / turquoise water. Egmont Key is located just North of St. Petersburg and just north of Anna Maria Island , so if your yacht is departing from downtown St. Pete, you'll want to book a minimum of a 6 hour charter, or save money with the discounted full-day (8 hour) yacht charter options. 

Yacht rentals and yacht charters to Johns Pass Sandbar

Johns Pass is located a bit further south and is a great local meet up location for yachters. If you've chartered a yacht from downtown St. Pete, you\'ll want to be sure to book a 6 hour rental or 8 hour rental to ensure you have enough time to get there. Johns Pass is a really fun local sandbar where yachters party 7 days a week. Mostly on Saturdays and Sundays.

Looking For Something Smaller?

View our st pete boat rental selection here. We offer amazing charters in great areas around St Pete. Book very quickly and easily to enjoy a great day on the water!

Looking For a Pontoon?

View our tampa pontoon rental selection here. We offer amazing charters in great areas all over Tampa. Book very quick and easy and enjoy a great day on the water!

Weather in St. Pete

Always keep in mind the weather when planning your yacht rental experience. St. Petersburg is an ideal location for a yacht charter, either while on vacation or “staycation” because of the wonderful weather patterns. Located just above the tropical divide, the winters range in the 70°s and summers in the 90°s, so there's no wrong time to visit. While it may rain frequently in St. Pete, the storms are almost always scattered and very short in duration, oftentimes only lasting a few minutes and then the sun is shining again. If you're traveling to St. Pete in the cooler months of the year, be sure to pack some layers to wear while on your yachting trip, especially if you plan to go yachting in the evening. If you're traveling during the summer months, remember to stay hydrated and take some extra precautions when it comes to sun care.

When planning to rent a yacht in St. Pete, your Captain will keep an eye on the weather patterns. The Captain will warn you of any weather that could cause your yacht charter to be canceled, rescheduled, or departure time pushed back. Safety is always our top priority.

Other popular yacht charter destinations near St. Petersburg

St. Pete is located on the west coast of Florida and is nestled near several other wonderful yachting destinations, so if you can't find the yacht charter you're looking for in St. Pete, check out these other amazing locations. Anna Maria Island and Sarasota, Fl are the nearest yachting destinations. Tampa Bay has yachts available just 30 minutes from St. Pete.   Ft. Myers and Cape Coral are about an 2 hour drive south and located below the tropical divide for warmer weather in the winter months.

How much does it cost to rent a yacht in St Pete?

The average cost to rent a yacht in st. pete is $2200.00 (usd).

Average cost of a 4 hour yacht rental = $2200.00*

Average cost of a 6 hour yacht rental = $2900.00*

Average cost of a 8 yacht rental = $3300.00*

*The average cost of a yacht charter or yacht rental can differ based on the size of the yacht and the year the yacht was manufactured. Newer yachts are more expensive, but they are cleaner and offer nicer amenities. And bigger yachts are typically more expensive, but they offer often more space, amenities, crew, and overall experience. 

Anchor Yacht Rentals - St. Petersburg, FL

260 1st Ave S Suite 200-183 St. Petersburg, FL 33701

Link to our Google My Business Profile

Sign up and

GET 20% OFF

Your first boat rental

Welcome to Sailo !

Your code is:

Enjoy 20% off

• Explore boats
• Text +1 910-447-2456 Call +1 910-447-2456

Departure date

Trip duration, multiple days (less than 1 week), weekly trip show boats that have weekly prices. most weekly boats outside of the us are available only saturday to saturday., boat length: 5ft -, manufacturer, boat build year: -, weekly trip, price: $ - $, 6 catamaran charters and rentals in st petersburg, fl.

In addition to the best offers we have for boat and yacht charters in St. Petersburg, FL, see also options available for rent in these nearby locations:

• 58 boat rentals in Waterfront Arts District, St. Petersburg, FL
• 58 boat rentals in Central Arts District, St. Petersburg, FL
• 58 boat rentals in St. Petersburg, FL
• 58 boat rentals in Historic Old Northeast, St. Petersburg, FL
• 58 boat rentals in United Central, St. Petersburg, FL
• 58 boat rentals in Lakewood Estates, St. Petersburg, FL
• 58 boat rentals in Greater Pinellas Point, St. Petersburg, FL
• 58 boat rentals in Gulfport, FL
• 57 boat rentals in Disston Heights, St. Petersburg, FL
• 58 boat rentals in South Pasadena, FL

Rent a Catamaran in St Petersburg, Florida with Sailo!

Rent a catamaran in St. Petersburg to see this stunning location like you’ve never seen before! With a private catamaran rental in St Pete from Sailo, you and your family or friends will have the freedom to discover some of the most beautiful parts of Florida. Whether you choose a sailboat, catamaran or a motorboat, you are in for a thrilling, romantic and unforgettable adventure aboard your private yacht charter.

St. Petersburg, FL is perfect for renting a catamaran!

We’ve been asked many times if a catamaran rental is a good choice to explore St. Petersburg, FL from the water. With more than 46 charters rented every day during the season, our answer is YES, you’re set for an amazing experience when you rent a catamaran in St. Petersburg! Our boats are available with or without captain, with prices starting at $250 per day, depending on the boat type you choose. Browse, find, and book in minutes the best catamaran for you in St. Petersburg, FL!

How to find a catamaran charter in St Pete, FL for fantastic yachting experiences

Wondering how to find the best catamaran charter in St Pete for a memorable experience on the water in Florida? We have created a set of advanced filters to help you navigate easily our database of St. Petersburg boat rentals and yacht charters, and find the one for you. First pick a start date and then choose your trip duration. You can go for an extraordinary of 2, 4 hours or full day experience. Next, select the number of guests, the type of boat and the price range you are comfortable with. The crew filter helps you narrow down the results to the boats with the captain included in the price, or bareboats that you’ll captain yourself. Choose the boat you want in Florida, to view more pics, read description and reviews. Message the owner if you have any questions or continue with your booking request.

How much does it cost to charter a catamaran in St. Petersburg, FL?

St. Petersburg catamaran charters for daily trips are available at an average of $1100 per day. Cheaper boats (sometimes with no captain included) may be rented for $250. Our St. Petersburg premium charters may have price tags up to $6500, with crew, fuel, docking fees and other extras added to your budget.

Do I need a licence to rent a catamaran in St Pete, FL on Sailo?

No, you do not need a license to rent a boat on Sailo as long as you are renting a boat with a captain included. There are two types of boat rentals and yacht charters available on our website: bareboat and captained charters. If you rent a bareboat yacht, then your charter comes without any crew, and you or someone in your group will need a license. The boat owner will require you to upload the boating resume or license of the person who will drive the boat. Most of our boat owners might also like to test your boating skills before you take your bareboat charter out on the water. When you charter a yacht with a captain included or add the captain and/or crew as an extra to your sailing adventure, then a certified skipper will be provided.

Eco-friendly practices for boaters

Sailing is a great way to experience nature. So we like to remind everyone that keeping nature as beautiful as possible involves a little effort from all of us. Some of our tips for responsible boating include:

• Don’t litter or throw waste overboard - take rubbish home and dispose of it responsibly
• Eco-friendly sunblock can help prevent damage to marine life
• buy local and sustainable food products

However long you’re sailing for, a little goes a long way.  Read more about responsible boating.

Popular locations to rent a boat in Florida :

• Miami yacht rentals
• boat rentals Fort Lauderdale
• boat rentals in Key West
• Key Largo boat rentals
• boat rental in Marathon, FL
• rent a boat in Islamorada
• Marco island boat rental
• boat rentals in Tampa, FL
• boat rentals in Miami Beach
• boat rental in Cape Coral, Florida
• boat rental in Fort Myers
• boat rental Naples, FL
• boat rentals in St. Petersburg, FL
• boat rentals in West Palm Beach
• boat rental in Hollywood, Florida
• boat rentals in Miami, South Beach

Popular boat types in Florida among renters:

• party boat rental in Miami, FL
• catamaran rentals in Miami, FL
• sailboat rentals in Florida
• catamaran charter in Key West
• sailboat rentals in Miami
• sailboat rentals in Fort Lauderdale
• FAQ and Policies
• Accessibility Statement
• Boat Rentals
• Boat Calculator
• Discover Boating
• Community questions
• Referral Program
• British Virgin Islands
• La Paz, Mexico
• Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
• Key Largo, FL
• St. Vincent and Grenadines