A-Z of Powercats: Everything you need to know about Multihull Motor Boats

Once upon a time, there were two distinct camps: monohull advocates and Powercats or multihull fans.

The former liked to talk about style, pace and agility. The latter liked to talk about volume, stability and efficiency. And the two could never see eye to eye.

But times have changed. Boaters recognise more than ever that extra deck space and interior volume are valuable commodities; that uprated stability, reduced fuel consumption and a soft ride are features worth having.

More to the point, Powercats seem far less bothered about sacrificing a little extra speed or sex appeal to achieve these things – and in truth, there are now so many builders looking into power-driven cats that they no longer have to.

Just like monohulls, the modern multihull market has become so varied that you can flex your choice in whatever way suits your lifestyle.

There are narrow-beamed purpose-built powercats with eye-opening performance and offshore pedigree. There are deep-bellied cats with stooping bridge decks that enable you to use the space between the hulls for comfy, cruise-friendly cabins.

There are pared-back expedition-style cats with soft-riding sea manners and ocean-crossing capability.

There are vast multi-deck party platforms that sip the fuel at displacement speeds. And there are compact open cats that adopt the classical bow rider concept and leverage that extra deck space for fresh levels of day boating flexibility.

In short, whether you want to uprate your volume, reduce your fuel bill, improve your comfort or simply change the way you enjoy your boat, nowhere in the marine world is more exciting, dynamic or relevant right now than the powercat sector.