How to Sail a Catamaran

A catamaran is an exciting but complex boat. Its 2 hulls reduce drag on the water, giving the boat more velocity bang for its power buck. However, with the benefits of speed come the difficulties of maneuvering and turning. If you're looking to sail a catamaran, follow these steps to make your sailing smooth.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

1. Get a good launch. Launching a catamaran is one of the hardest parts of sailing the boat. A sail-powered catamaran requires that you give the boat a push and jump aboard just as it catches the wind. You need to be able to think quickly and move even faster to time your launch correctly.
2. Watch your head. A catamaran's sail and boom (the piece of metal or hard plastic that runs along the bottom of the sail) sit much lower than that of other boats. Even if a catamaran has a free sail (one without a boom), the force of a swinging sail is enough to knock you out cold. Make sure you keep your head low at all times to avoid an accident.
3. Grip the tiller. A catamaran's movement through the water puts a tremendous amount of force on the rudders which, in turn, transfer that force to the tiller. Turning, and even just steering, the boat requires that you place the tiller under your arm and behind your back so you can use leverage to steer and maintain control over the boat.
4. Learn to tack and jibe. (See the related eHow article "How to Tack a Catamaran.") Tacking and jibing a catamaran is very different than turning a singled-hulled boat. The width of the catamaran relative to the boat's length means that turning takes longer and requires more power and momentum to complete the turn. Practice turning the boat through and with the wind, and pay particular attention to getting the boat going again if it gets stuck in the middle of a turn.