Catathai 34 & 40

Hervé comes from La Baule, the land of the Pajot brothers and the Peyrons. Inevitable, this leaves its mark, especially when you are attracted to sailing! Between racing and cruising, he has always been a multihull enthusiast, until he arrived in Thailand, delivering a 25-metre catamaran. He liked the country, and stayed there to do what he does best: build boats. But as a leopard can't change its spots, only catamarans come out of the Catathai yard. These catamarans (the range includes a 34', a 40' and a 50, the first two examples of which are currently under construction) are built in a divinicell foam and vinylester resin sandwich, under vacuum. The construction method is original, as the only moulds are for the bottoms of the hulls. The panels are built separately on a table, then fitted and bonded, in a slightly similar way to a plywood construction method. Results: no expensive moulds, and perfect control of each part. But the disadvantage of this method is the time it takes and above all the (very) many hours of sanding necessary.

An exciting 34-footer

The Catathai 34 is a pretty 'little' catamaran, capable of taking you racing round three buoys or cruising for a few dream days. Moreover, this was the case for our test boat, which is available for charter from Phuket… On seeing this boat for the first time, with its squat lines, long sugar scoops, and open design but with a comfortable, very protective rigid bimini, it is immediately attractive. The hull, with its prominent chines, the imposing mast and above all the curved deck are impressive. We hopped aboard. The large saloon/cockpit offers a comfortable settee forward, occupying its whole width. In the middle, a coffee table can be turned into a dining table or a huge bed in a few seconds: the part to be added is under the bimini and descends along two tubes, which in addition stiffen this bimini's structure; simple and practical! On each side of the table, we find comfortable seats which are also very practical stowage lockers. Finally, to starboard, a small sink and a little stove allow meals to be prepared, whilst to port there is the electric fridge (an option – as standard there is a 120 litre ice box). The electric bracket supporting the 20hp outboard motor and the battery is under the coffee table. As standard, the bimini is equipped with two solar panels (2 x 80W) and a rain water collector, which is as simple as it is useful in these latitudes.

The hulls are dedicated to night time accommodation, with a choice of either 2 cabins and 2 heads or 3 cabins and one heads (our test version). Inside, there are no embellishments; everything is simple and functional. Catathai's creed is to offer sailing pleasure and eliminate everything which could spoil your sail. But, between the three double cabins and the convertible cockpit, eight people can live aboard this 34-footer. Obviously, we are talking about coastal camping rather than ocean cruising, but in the tropics, it's possible... The Catathai's deck plan is a bit convoluted, to allow all the mainsail control lines (traveller and sheet), as well as the self-tacking jib and gennaker sheets, to return to the aft crossbeam, where a vertical tiller has the place of honour. The advantage of this system is that it doesn't take up any space, and with its extension, you can settle comfortably on one of the seats to windward. Our test example was in fact the prototype of the series and already a season old; in addition, it was laden with all its owner's equipment (except the dinghy). The sea in PhangNga bay, off Phuket, was calm on our test day, and the wind was blowing at between 15 and 20 knots, easing off to less than 10 at the end of the day. Enough to have fun at the helm of this dynamic, playful 34-footer. At each tack, the cat was eager to accelerate, and never got caught in irons. We bore away a little: it accelerated immediately, responding to the helmsman's every request – the smile never left his face. No doubt, we were having fun! The only downside was the steering system, which gave absolutely no feedback. But the builder has already found the solution, and the next 34' will be equipped with a new, more direct transmission system. The same goes for the 4-part mainsheet tackle, which is quite frankly under-sized, to the point that we had to wait for the tacks to be able to sheet in the mainsail. Not very practical!

Very sound, even with over 20 knots of wind and full sail, the cat remained amazingly safe; the volume in the forward part of the hulls prevents any inclination to 'dig in'. In these conditions, the cat sped along nicely at 10 knots, and we had fun racing against its 40' big sister. At the end of the day, with less than 10 knots of wind, the 34 was just as reactive and manoeuvrable, returning peacefully to windward at 6 knots... The idea of starting the outboard to return to the port never entered our minds. We were having fun, and we wouldn't have been any quicker under power! As we came alongside, we said to ourselves that the outboard alone would be borderline for harbour manœuvres, but that otherwise, this cat has no reason to be envious of its much bigger sisters...

A mature 40-footer

Same architect, same builder, same simple and functional concept, however the Catathai 40 is really nothing like the 34. 'Moucathai' is the first boat in the series. It was launched in 2010 and has already covered 4,500 miles. Its two co-owners are sailing a lot (43 weeks in 2 years) around Thailand for the moment, before they take it to Reunion, where its definitive home port will be. Here again, we were not testing a new boat, prepared to give of its best, but a boat in cruising configuration. Its owners had just returned from a cruise in Thai waters, and the boat's tanks were full of diesel and water. A boat in real cruising mode!

With a square-headed mainsail, a self-tacking jib, a gennaker and all the control lines returned to the steering position (except for the reefing pendants at the mastfoot), the Catathai 40 is modern boat. Yet once aboard, you feel a different atmosphere: here there are no embellishments, everything is practical and concrete. You can see immediately that the builder has sailed a lot, and that he has tried to avoid everything which could create problems. The 40 will be able to take you to the other side of the world or visit the most beautiful tropical islands for a few weeks, and allow you to enjoy them to the full! The owner's hull is to port. Here we discover a nice double cabin aft and a large 'bathroom' forward. Although there is no headlining or ostentatious woodwork, the effect is rather pleasing, bright yet warm. The starboard hull is for the guests, with two double cabins and a bathroom in the middle. Access to these cabins is via two separate companionways around the chart table: classy! The saloon is particularly comfortable, with a nice table, a galley worthy of the name, and even...a generous chart table. We especially appreciated the numerous stowage spaces both in the hulls and in the saloon. The accommodation is simple and functional and the forward side of the coachroof is pierced by six opening portlights, to give good ventilation of the interior. But in the hot tropical sunshine, you will nevertheless have to cover the large glazed areas to keep the interior cool...

The cockpit is very reassuring when under way, with a gangway allowing access to the nice, wide sugar scoops. Ideal for fishing at sea and having fun at anchor. The cockpit table can accommodate six guests very comfortably, well protected by the rigid bimini, which as on the 34' is fitted with a rainwater collection system (see box). From the raised steering position, you have a good view over the water and the sails, whilst remaining protected from the hot sun by a hood. Comfortably settled on the large helmsman's seat, we set off in pursuit of the wretched 34 which was hovering around us. Annoying! We hoisted the mainsail in a few minutes, unrolled the self-tacking jib and we were off. The 40 is easy to handle singlehanded; as its deck plan is intelligently designed (Antal fittings), the catamaran responds quickly to its helmsman's requests and trimming. We sheeted in the main, let out a bit of traveller, adjusted that of the jib... In a few minutes, the Catathai 40 settled comfortably in the wake of the 34, despite the fact that the wind conditions (between 10 and 12 knots) were not necessarily the best for it. It was only when we sailed too close to the wind that the VMG collapsed. We therefore decided to free off and let the boat have its head. The wind freshened a little (steady 13 knots) and the cat, on a close reach, gobbled up the miles at between 7 and 8 knots. Not bad for a boat which was fully laden for cruising... We tacked and gybed repeatedly, to take advantage of this pleasant and manoeuvrable boat. The wind continued to freshen (up to 20 knots) and the 34 could no longer keep up. The Catathai used its nice longitudinally-stepped hulls to pull a long way ahead, and made us want to go cruising the oceans… Because this is the boat's real programme: sailing far and long-term, with everything necessary aboard. This is also why the builder is now offering a new, beamier hull, which will allow an extra ton to be loaded into the catamaran. A plus for round the world sailors looking for an original boat which is easy to handle and maintain, for a long voyage leaving from...Thailand!

Catathai's rainwater collection system

Throughout time, sailors have tried to collect the fresh water falling from the sky to fill their tanks. At Catathai, all the biminis are equipped with a rainwater collection system which is very simple: a slight slope, a hole equipped with a pipe which can reach the filler cap, and...that's all. When it rains, all you have to do is wait a few minutes for the rain to wash the coachroof. Once the water runs clear, the pipe is put into the filler. In a tropical squall, it will collect 200 litres in 15 minutes...

Technical Specifications

Catathai 34 Builder: Catathai Architect: NG Yachts Length: 10.15 m Beam: 6.25 m Draft: 0.40 / 1.75 m or 1 m Unladen displacement: 2.30 T Sail areas: Mainsail: 45 m² Self-tacking jib: 20 m² Gennaker: 52 m² Water: 2 x 150 l Black water: 45 l Fuel: 100 l Solar panels: 2 x 80 W Engine: 20hp outboard Accommodation: 2 cabins + 2 heads or 3 cabins and 1 heads. Price: 115,000 euros exc. VAT (ex-builder)

Technical Specifications

Catathai 40 Builder: Catathai Architect: NG Yachts Length: 11.99 m Beam: 7 m Draft: 0.50 / 2 m or 1.25 m Unladen displacement: 5.50 T Sail areas: Mainsail: 62 m² Self-tacking jib: 34 m² Gennaker: 76 m² Water: 2 x 250 l Black water: 2 x 45 l Fuel: 2 x 135 l Solar panels: 2 x 80 W Windlass: 1000 W Engines: 2 x 29hp Nannis Accommodation: 2 cabins + 2 heads or 3 cabins + 2 heads or 4 cabins + 2 heads. Price: 220,000 euros exc. VAT (ex- builder)

THE PLUSSES

Rainwater collectors on the coachroof. The 34's cockpit table where 8 people can eat (confirmed during the test). Value for money, with good equipment as standard.

THE MINUSES

The 34's steering system, which is too heavy and gives no feedback. A few finishing details, such as the non-slip in the 40's saloon… The price of transport if you don't want to leave with your boat from Phuket…