A catamaran is a watercraft with two parallel hulls of equal size. The term "catamaran" is derived from the Tamil word "kattumaram," which means logs bound together. The distance between the two hulls imparts resistance to rolling and overturning, making catamarans more stable than monohulls. Catamarans typically have less hull volume, smaller displacement, and shallower draft than monohulls of comparable length. The two hulls combined also often have a smaller hydrodynamic resistance than comparable monohulls, requiring less propulsive power from either sails or motors. Catamarans range in size from small sailing or rowing vessels to large naval ships and roll-on/roll-off car ferries. The structure connecting a catamarans two hulls ranges from a simple frame strung with webbing to support.
Sailing a catamaran is very similar to sailing a monohull in most aspects. If you learn to sail on a monohull, most of the skills are easily transferable. However, there are a couple of subtle differences that one has to be aware of. Catamarans have exploded in popularity in the last 5 years due to their stability and advantages over monohulls.
