Catamaran and trimaran are big boats and expensive. If you are choosing one among them, then you are on the right page. Here I listed all the advantages pf catamarans over trimarans.
- Livability is difficult in a trimaran than a catamaran.
- Wave tackling is a bit hard in a trimaran than a catamaran.
- The deck area is huge for a catamaran.
- The resale value is very less for a trimaran.
- The storage space is less for a trimaran.
- Trimaran tilts a bit more than a Catamaran.
- The trimaran has a bit of jerky motion in rough seas.
- A catamaran is a bit safer than a trimaran.
- Trimaran jerks more after anchoring.
These are the major advantages of the Catamaran over trimaran. The only best advantage of the trimaran is speed. Trimaran travels very fast than a catamaran and a monohull. In so many aspects catamarans are better than a trimaran.
Catamarans are better than trimarans because the catamaran won’t tilt or jerk much in rough seas and after anchoring the boat as well. The living space is less in a trimaran compared with a catamaran, and the deck area is less for a trimaran. Catamarans are a bit safer than trimarans.
1. Livability is difficult in a trimaran.
Why livability is difficult in a trimaran than a catamaran?
The livability is difficult in a trimaran than a catamaran because trimarans have three hulls, but only the center one is occupied, so there is less living space compared to the Catamaran. This means you will get less space in a trimaran. So, livability is difficult in a trimaran than a catamaran.
The trimaran has three hulls in it. The center hull is the hull where you live in the boat. The other two hulls are empty they just give some stability in the water. Living in trimaran is the same as living in a small monohull boat. That’s the reason why you will get less space in a trimaran.
Why catamaran has more living space than a trimaran?
A catamaran has more living space than a trimaran because in a trimaran, among the three hulls, only the center one can be used for living. So, there is less space in a trimaran, whereas, in a catamaran, there are only two hulls and occupies the full space between the two hulls.
If you are buying a boat for sailing purposes, then better go for a catamaran because it has more living space than a trimaran. More living space is essential for sailing.
Nowadays, trimarans (different trimaran brands) are trying to increase the living space in the boat. Still, the living space is less compared with catamarans. Let us hope they will change that in the future.
2. Wave tackling is a bit hard in a trimaran
Why tackling a wave is a bit harder in a trimaran than a catamaran?
Tackling a wave is a bit harder in a trimaran than a catamaran because trimaran has three hulls. If you are moving a bit sideways to the waves, first, the wave hits the side most hull, then the middle hull, then the other hull. Overall, the boat will shake a lot. So, trimaran shakes more in waves.
For all the multihull boats, tackling a wave is hard if you go a bit sideways to waves. Even for a catamaran, wave tackling is hard, but it is less than the trimaran because the catamaran has only two hulls, whereas trimaran has three hulls.
If you are using a monohull boat and then shifted to a multihull boat, then you might feel little dizziness in the starting because the multihull boat wave tackling is a bit different than other boats (monohulls).
This is the most common problem what the boater feels when they shifted to a multihull boat from a monohull boat. After some days you will get used to it, and it will be fine.
Tackling a wave in a catamaran is much better than in a trimaran because the catamaran has only two hulls, it might shake two times. Whereas the trimaran has three hulls, it will shake three times.
3. The deck area is huge for a catamaran.
Why deck area is huge for a catamaran than a trimaran?
The deck area is huge for a catamaran than a trimaran because there are 2 hulls for a catamaran. There is a big living space between the 2 hulls, unlike a trimaran, which has 3 hulls, and the living space is only in the center. Trimaran is like a monohull with extra hulls attached to the sides.
In a trimaran, the only deck area available is on the center hull. There is no other area, the trimaran is like a monohull boat, with extra hulls attached on the sides. Catamarans are big compared to trimarans.
The catamarans have two hulls, and those two hulls are placed farther away from each other. The space between the two hulls is covered. So, the catamaran has a more deck area than a trimaran.
Whereas the trimaran has the same area as a catamaran with the extra hull. The Majority of the deck area is eaten up by the extra hulls on the sides. So, the trimarans have less deck area than a catamaran.
4. The resale value is very less for a trimaran
Why resale is very less for a trimaran?
Reselling the trimaran is very difficult because there are only a few people who are interested in trimarans. If anyone is thinking to buy a multihull boat, that means many people will think about catamarans than a trimaran. Many people avoid trimarans due to its design.
Generally, people after completing their sailing life, they will sell their boats. In the beginning, they will keep the price at high, and most people don’t prefer trimarans over catamarans in general.
The owners want to sell their boats fastly. Then they will decrease the price, even after decreasing the cost, there is no guaranty that someone will buy that. It is because catamarans are more popular and preferred choice than trimarans.
Eventually, they will decrease it more, and someone will come and buy that for a very less price. At that cost, the buyer will get profit, but the owner will get a loss.
Maybe after two or three years, they will sell their boat to others. In those two or three years, they should spend some time and money on that boat. And still, they will decrease the price so much in that two or three years. That is the reason why the resale value is very less for a trimaran.
5. The storage space is less for a trimaran
Why storage space is less for trimaran than a catamaran?
The storage space is less for trimaran because the design itself decreases the storage space. In a trimaran, the only space for storage is in the center hull, and the remaining hulls are just for stability. So, the trimaran has less storage space than a catamaran.
The whole living space for a trimaran is in the center hull. There is no extra space on the boat. It will be fine if there are only 1 or 2 people on the boat. If there are more people, then it might a problem. If there are more people, then go for a bigger boat.
If you are thinking to buy a big size trimaran, then go for a catamaran because it has more living space and storage space. The catamaran has more benefits than a trimaran.
Other than keeping more money on a big size trimaran, you can buy the same size catamaran for less price. You will get so many different types of catamarans at that price values. Even you will get more spacious catamarans.
6. Trimaran tilts a bit more than a Catamaran
Why trimaran tilts more than a catamaran?
Trimaran tilts more than a catamaran because in trimaran the center hull will be occupied, and the other two hulls are empty. Due to that, it tilts a bit more than a catamaran but nowhere close to monohulls. Whereas, catamaran just stands on two hulls won’t tilt much compared with trimaran.
If all the hulls in the trimarans are filled with something, then the trimaran won’t tilt much. But, the side hulls are kept empty. It gives stability but, but the center hull is a living area, and it has more weight than other hulls.
That makes the trimaran to tilt a bit more than a catamaran. The catamaran just stands in the water it won’t tilt much compared with trimaran. The monohull tilts more than all the multihull boats. For monohulls, there is no support, unlike all the multihulls that have more than one hull for support.
Even after anchoring the boat, the trimaran will tilt a little bit. Whereas catamaran won’t tilt much compare to both monohulls and trimarans. It is due to its design (catamaran design).
7. The trimaran has a bit jerky motion in rough seas
Why trimaran has more jerky motion in rough seas than a catamaran?
The trimaran has a jerky motion in rough seas because the design of the trimaran makes it like that. In trimaran, the center hull will be occupied, and the other two hulls are empty. Due to that, trimaran jerks a bit more than a catamaran in rough seas.
It is the same as the tilting of a trimaran. If all the hulls in the trimarans are filled with something, then the trimaran won’t jerk much. But, the side hulls are kept empty. It gives stability but, but the center hull is a living area, and it has more weight than other hulls.
That makes the trimaran to jerk a bit more than a catamaran. The catamaran just stands in the water, it won’t jerk much compared to a trimaran.
The monohull jerks are more than all the multihull boats. For monohulls, there is no support, unlike all the multihulls that have more than one hull for support.
Even after anchoring the boat, the trimaran will jerk a little bit. Whereas catamaran won’t tilt much-compared with both monohulls and trimarans. It is due to the design.
8. A catamaran is a bit safer than trimaran
Why catamaran is a bit safer than the trimaran?
The catamaran is a bit safer than a trimaran because the catamaran is much more stable than trimaran. Catamaran won’t tilt or jerk much in choppy seas. Whereas the trimaran tilts or jerks more in choppy seas due to its design. Even after anchoring the boat, the trimaran tilts a bit more than a cat.
There are so many reasons for that, but the main reason is stability is a bit less for a trimaran than a catamaran.
- Tackling a wave is a bit more hard in a trimaran because it has three hulls. If you are moving a bit sideways to the waves, first, the wave hits the side most hull, then the middle hull, then the other hull. Overall, the boat will shake a lot. So, the trimaran shakes more in waves.
- The trimaran has tilts or jerky motion in seas because the design of the trimaran makes it like that. In trimaran, the center hull will be occupied, and the other two hulls are empty. Due to that, trimaran tilts or jerks a bit more than a catamaran.
- Overall, both are almost the same and safe. But, the catamaran has an upper hand over a trimaran.
9. Trimaran jerks more after anchoring
After anchoring the boat, the boat should be stable. Although many boats can’t be stable enough, the trimaran is less stable than a catamaran. It’s mainly due to the design.
But, the trimaran tilts less than a monohull. This is because the monohulls have only one hull. Monohull boats won’t have much stability than a multihull boat. The design, as I already mentioned above causing the most problems.
Both the catamarans and trimarans are multihulled boats. They both have the same problem when anchored. But catamarans are a bit more stable than a trimaran. Because it is standing on two hulls, which makes it more stable than a three hulled boat.
Key takeaways
Catamarans have a different motion compared to monohulls. Where monohulls rolls (more with swells and less with choppy seas) and tilts (at sail). Catamarans have sharp jerky motion (rolls less with swells, but terrible in choppy seas).
Yes at the dock catamaran is comfortable, but at sea, while sailing in choppy seas trimarans are not pleasant. Trimaran is the median between these.
- Trimaran tilts a bit at sail more than catamaran but nowhere close to monohulls.
- Trimaran rolls a bit more than catamaran but nowhere close to monohulls.
- The trimaran has a bit jerky motion in choppy seas more than monohulls but nowhere close to a catamaran.
- Trimaran is faster than a catamaran.
- Trimaran is a bit less safe than a catamaran at sail. A bit of roll can let some of the gusts spillovers.
- Trimarans have less living space and storage than a catamaran.
But that said, no one is stopping catamarans from having a narrowing hull giving up a bit on draft and total roll resistance but gets rid of the sharpness of jerky motion in choppy seas (in my opinion should be the best of all).
These being said, one of the main advantages of the trimaran is the speed. Trimaran is super fast than catamarans than monohulls. Being so much faster than monohulls, this is one of the reasons you will see top yacht racers such as Thomas Colville choosing trimarans for their long-distance world record attempts.
The furthest ever traveled under sail in 24 hours was 908 miles on the trimaran Banque Populaire V. By comparison the world record for a monohull was set by the 100ft Comanche at 618 nautical miles, or nearly 30% less than the trimaran.
