Summary
Thinking about a power catamaran charter? This guide explores some of the world's best charter destinations, from the Bahamas and British Virgin Islands to Greece, Croatia, Thailand, and the Pacific Northwest. Learn where to find power catamarans, what to expect from the experience, how much a charter costs, and why a sailing catamaran can be a smart alternative for exploring remote anchorages and unforgettable cruising grounds.
Planning the escape for your best vacation yet.
By Zuzana Prochazka
Your Bucket-List Power Catamaran Charter Escape
Chartering ranks among the finest ways to reach the world’s most beautiful anchorages without owning the boat that carries you there, and the best power catamaran charter destinations sit high on nearly every boater’s bucket list. In my first charter column, I covered the realities of bareboat chartering, a wonderful way to visit remote anchorages and nautical playgrounds that grows at 5 percent a year. This time I turn to powerboat availability and the crowd-pleasing destinations worth planning a whole trip around.
People always ask about my favorite place to charter, and my answer stays the same: it depends. What are you in the mood for? If you want beaches and bars, the Caribbean delivers. The culturally minded head to the Mediterranean, where UNESCO sites abound in Greece, Croatia, and Italy. A slow boat on a river carries you to castles in France and bucolic fields in Ireland, and for truly remote or exotic trips, Tahiti, Mexico, and the Seychelles fit the bill. You can also put away your passport and stay close to home along the Pacific Northwest or Florida’s Sun Coast. Picking a favorite isn’t easy, but it’s fun to try.
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Where Can You Charter a Power Catamaran?
Sailboats make up 80 percent of traditional charter. That may not sound ideal for our readers, but a sailing catamaran still carries two engines and makes a perfectly reasonable substitute, reaching the same anchorages with many of the same comforts and amenities. For the purists who want power, I spoke with Ian Pedersen of The Moorings to learn where this charter giant introduces powercats to put powerboaters at ease.
“Our powercat fleet is a fast-growing segment,” Pedersen says. “We’re revamping the fleets at many of our most popular bases and investing in powercats as much as possible.”
Caribbean and Bahamas Powercat Charters
The Moorings runs powercats in the Caribbean at the British Virgin Islands, St. Martin, St. Lucia, and Grenada. In the Bahamas, both the Abacos and the Exumas offer power options. Its sister company, Sunsail, focuses strictly on sailboats.
MarineMax in the British Virgin Islands offers powercats from Aquila Catamarans exclusively. Its fleet of modern yachts from 44 to 50 feet stays easy to handle and includes models with three to five cabins. A 54-footer is available, but only with a captain.
Loic Bonnet of Dream Yacht Worldwide, another major player, notes that the company offers some powercat options but focuses mostly on expanding its fleet of electric sailboats. You can leave the sails down and motor with a hybrid system at many of its bases around the globe, saving a bit on fuel.
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Mediterranean and European River Charters
In the Mediterranean, The Moorings offers power in Greece at Corfu and Athens and in Croatia at both Split and Dubrovnik. Even remote bases like Phuket, Thailand, and La Paz, Mexico, keep powercats on hand.
If it’s power or nothing, consider river cruises across Europe, including France, Germany, and Italy. Le Boat offers 18 destinations with monohull powerboats from 35 to 45 feet, which run like RVs on the water and cruise rivers, lakes, and canals at five knots. You can even call at Loch Ness in Scotland and maybe spy Nessie, the notorious monster.
Powercat Charters Close to Home in the US
In the US, Anacortes Yacht Charters keeps a large selection of powerboats, from 27-foot tugs on up to large monohull yachts. The scenery around the San Juan Islands is spectacular, and sea-life sightings include orcas, dolphins, and whales. The Pacific Northwest season runs short, and August draws crowds, so book early for the best choices.
Florida is trickier. Many smaller independent companies offer a mix of sail and powerboats that may or may not come crewed. Dayboat charters like center-console fishing boats abound, but you’ll do best to pick a destination first and then search for local charter outfits nearby.
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How Much Does a Power Catamaran Charter Cost?
At the top end, private charter outfits run large power yachts, including catamarans like the Lagoon 63 and a variety of large Sunreef models. These fully crewed experiences run $30,000 to $80,000 per week.
The number of powercats and power yachts keeps growing in charter, but they remain relatively scarce, so book early when you plan to request one, especially in Greece and Croatia, which together represent 75 percent of the major charter companies’ business. Because of that scarcity, powerboats cost more, and that’s before you factor in fuel.
Should You Charter a Sailing Cat Instead?
All of which brings me back to chartering a sailing cat for less money and maybe just not worrying about hoisting the canvas. You reach the same skinny-water anchorages, you enjoy the same beach bars at sunset, and you keep more in the cruising kitty for the next trip.
Any way you choose to do it, charter can be a magical escape, possibly the best vacation of your life. So go ahead and dip your toe in. The water’s great.
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