largest catamaran boat

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Top 10 largest Catamarans in the world

Characterised as a multi-hulled watercraft, a catamaran is a marine vessel comprising two proportioned hulls giving her greater stability and manoeuvrability. Catamarans also have a shallow draft which enables them to enter unexplored regions beyond the reach of sailing yachts or cruise ships.

Their invention is attributed to the Austronesian peoples of Southeast Asia, while the first European Catamaran was built in the 16th century by scientist William Petty. Capable of attaining greater speeds, catamarans are used for recreational sailing, cruising and racing. Modern Catamarans have luxurious features and marvellous design, which makes them enticing.

Let us have a look at the top 10 biggest catamarans in the world.

Table of Contents

1. Hodor ( 217 Ft.)

Renowned as the world’s largest floating toy box, the 66.2 m long SHADOWCAT Hodor was built by Astilleros Armon in Spain. Incat Crowther and YCTS. Ltd worked on her functional design and naval architecture, while the interiors were chosen by Oliver Design. Painted grey with vibrant orange lines running across its hull, the catamaran is as robust as it looks.

Launched in 2019, she has a maximum sailing speed of 22.5 knots derived from two MTU diesel engines. With a 14-metre beam, she has a gross tonnage of 1525 tonnes respectively. In terms of LOA, she ranks among the top five per cent in the world. She defeats her counterparts both by average speed and volume.

She is donned with aluminium; her hull, deck and even superstructure are made of this malleable and corrosion-resistant metal. Presently sailing under the flag of the Cayman Islands, Hodor is a treasure-house of water sports gear, filled with nine jet skis, four water bikes, laser dinghies, snorkelers, fishing equipment etc.

The empty space below the main deck is reserved for the Seamagine Aurora-3 submersible which will be delivered soon. Its main attraction is the 17-metre Nor-Tech 560 sports centre console attached to a hydraulic lift system for putting it in water. The largest catamaran is managed by 20 crew members and staff.

2. Sunreef 49 Power Cat ( 160.8 Ft)

Constructed by the Polish builder Sunreef Yachts, the multihull was fitted in Gdansk and delivered in 2021. Flaunting a classy white exterior, it is an embodiment of cutting-edge marine technology and fresh naval design.

It has three decks and expansive outdoor areas, including an open bar, a swimming pool, a helipad and a forward terrace. Its sun deck lounge has a spa pool, sun pads and even a saloon. With a broad beam of 16.85 metres, the yacht has 8 cabins which comfortably sleep 17 crew personnel and offers luxury accommodation for 11 guests. Five bedrooms on the main deck are equipped with a private balcony.

Low drag, a consequence of the specially designed twin-hull, makes the catamaran glide gracefully on the water while optimising efficiency and low fuel consumption. It has a 90,000-litre fuel tank which enables the power cat to cover 5000 nautical miles without a stopover. Driven by two 3400 HP engines, the superyacht has a top speed of 21 knots and carries three tenders, water sports gear and several jet skis.

3. Charley ( 150 Ft.)

Charley was launched in 2016 as a support yacht to serve the superyacht White Rabbit Gulf, both constructed by the shipbuilding company Eco Yachts. The 46 m long and 14 m wide catamaran has a white exterior, three teak decks and modern fittings. Its naval architecture, interiors and exterior design were taken care of by LOMOcean.

Labelled as the largest composite resin-infused yacht made in Australia, Charley was carefully assembled near Fremantle. With a volume of 702 gross tonnes, she has spacious interiors and outdoor entertainment areas to keep her guests engaged.

However, her most attractive feature is the 12-metre long tender catamaran called Vicky, equipped with a platform located at Charley’s stern. It can store some RIBs, tenders, personal watercraft and one hovercraft.

Propelled by two 2,700hp Cummins QSK60 engines and two propellers, Charley has a 60,000-litre fuel tank which enables her to travel 2,500 nautical miles at the cruising speed of 16 knots.

She has a 3.2 m draft which allows her to traverse shallow bays and narrow canals or even cruise near the shoreline. Possessing a GRP hull and superstructure, Charley has three suites for taking in 5 guests.

4. Moecca ( 148 Ft.)

The catamaran motor yacht Moecca was constructed by Oceanfast yachts in Australia. Designed to provide a luxurious sailing experience with moderately-decorated functional spaces, it has a simplistic classic exterior. Delivered in 1992, it underwent maintenance and repair in 2006. Refurbished in the same year, Moecca is fully air-conditioned, having expansive outdoor areas for sunbathing and relaxing.

Her curves are spectacular, thanks to Bannenberg Designs Limited, which crafted her exterior while Phill Curran was responsible for naval architecture. Having a 13 m or 42.7 feet beam, she has seven suites that conveniently accommodate 12 guests and six small yet well-furnished cabins for 11 crew members.

Its spacious salon has two seating areas, a home-theatre set-up and a 12-seater alfresco dining room connected to a bar and a refrigeration room. Her aft deck is enriched with circular sofas and side tables. More open space is provided on the upper deck, which incorporates an open pool and a small workout space. All these amenities are curated by the English design house Bannenberg and Rowell.

She can travel 2200 nautical miles at a maximum speed of 25 knots, achieved by two powerful MTU diesel engines. Moecca is sturdy yet elegant, with a green aluminium hull and a GRP superstructure. Her sides are panelled with mildly-fragrant wood. She has a 1.8 m draft and water tanks capable of storing 15,000 litres of fresh water.

5. HeySea Vista ( 140 Ft.)

Launched in 2020, the golden hulled Vista is an amalgamation of absolute royalty and finesse. Constructed by the Hey Sea Yachts Group, a prominent yacht manufacturer in China, Vista is a fully custom-designed project built in a 66,700 square m shipyard lying in the Pearl River Delta region near Hong Kong. One of the most challenging aspects of its construction was to attain a perfect shimmering gold finish, achieved by delicate yet continuous polishing.

Her stylish appearance and functional naval design were crafted by the Heysea marine architects and interior designers. The twin-hull allows for voluminous interiors carefully chosen by Horizontal Design to match her stunning fibreglass superstructure.

Vista is adorned with beautiful paintings showcasing marine life, modern art pieces and metallic fittings. She has five bedrooms that comfortably sleep 10 people. The yacht is managed by a 15-member crew.

Coming to the technicalities, she is driven by two Volvo 725 HP engines allowing her to reach a top speed of 15 knots. The vessel can go up to 4000 nautical miles at a cruising speed of 10 knots. Vista has been the biggest project of HeySea, which brought her international appreciation.

6. Sarha ( 137 Ft.)

Registered at the Port of George Town and sailing under the Cayman Islands Flag, Sarha is a 40 m motor yacht built by Sea Management, fabricated in Australia and launched in 1989. With its sleek white exterior and blue windows, she is a piece of sheer beauty and class.

She was designed by John Winterbotham & Partners while her interiors were done by H2 Yacht Design. Refitted in 2002, she boasts a steel hull and an aluminium and steel superstructure complemented by a fine teak deck with spacious seating areas.

Sarha can travel 3000 nautical miles at a cruising speed of 10 knots, and her top speed is 13 knots. She is fitted with two 2340 HP diesel engines that generate 1722 kilowatts. She is driven by two propellers and Koopnautic thrusters. Her home port is Abu Dhabi, and her water tanks carry 20,000 litres of fresh water.

Sarha can accommodate 30 guests and 11 crew members in beautiful, well-ventilated cabins having double beds. She has a gross tonnage of 726 tonnes and a 500-tonne displacement. Having a wide beam of 12.9 m, she has a shallow draft of about 2.7 metres.

7. Royal Falcon One ( 135 Ft.)

Flaunting a modern naval design, Royal Falcon One is a stunner of the Singapore-based yacht builder, Royal Falcon Fleet. Curated by the renowned Porsche Design Studio, she has been described as a Spaceship on Water by her makers, while some compare her to a sports car. She has an aluminium hull and superstructure and three teak decks.

Enriched with appealing aesthetics, this dual-hulled yacht offers the highest comfort and luxury. She has five cabins to accommodate 10 guests, three master suites and a lounge on the main deck. Its main attraction is the saloon which offers a 360-degree ocean view due to its glass walls.

The 12.5 m broad beam allows for more entertainment and relaxation space. Its sundeck has a jacuzzi and a steam sauna. The crew cabins are located near the stern, concealed by the ship’s twin hulls. Delivered in 2019, it has a maximum speed of 35 knots, a 1.7 m draft and a gross tonnage of 499 tonnes.

8. Silver Cloud (134 Ft.)

Portraying exemplary marine engineering , Silver Cloud was constructed by Abeking & Rasmussen in Germany. Infused with a small waterplane area twin hull, commonly called SWATH, its distinguishing feature is smooth sailing in harsh waters, especially the North Sea.

It was sold for 16 million dollars to Alexander Wallace Dreyfoos Junior, an American businessman based in New York. As per news reports, the vessel will be renamed Nurja. With a 58 feet beam and a 13.5-foot draft, she has a maximum speed of 14 knots.

Silver Cloud is the two-time winner of the World Superyacht Award, owing to its highly trained crew and world-class reputation. It has five cabins that comfortably sleep 12 guests, equipped with televisions and private bathrooms. The main attraction is the saloon with large windows and glass doors, designed by Michael Kirschstein. It also contains a spa, gymnasium, diving equipment and a helipad.

9. Zenith ( 131 Feet)

Constructed by Australia-based Sabre Catamarans in 2012, the 40.5 m Zenith is a luxury motor yacht which redefines sophistication and style. She has a 10.5 m beam, a 1.5 m draft and an interior volume of 461 gross tonnes. She was sold in 2018 for a whopping 19 million dollars.

Her luxurious cabins can take in 10 guests, designed by Water Line, while her eye-catching exteriors were chosen by Incat Crowther. Having an aluminium hull and superstructure, she can attain a top speed of 29 knots due to the powerful MTU engines. Her fuel tanks can hold up to 51,800 litres of diesel, while freshwater tanks can carry 3790 litres.

American rock maple was used for interior panelling along with Queensland Maple. It has a spacious open lounge with four sofas. The main deck features a lavish dining area attached to a fully equipped media room and a cocktail bar.

10. The Beast ( 129 Ft.)

Described as somewhat different and unique by her owners, the Beast is true to its name. Having a military-type camouflage exterior, she is not easy to spot among other sailing vessels. She belongs to the entrepreneur, Sir Michael Hill and has several interesting features, the first being a 13 m fishing boat fitted on its main deck, known as Baby beast.

Winner of several awards, the Beast is 39.2 metres long and has a volume of 493 gross tonnes. She was delivered in 2019 by Profab Central Engineering Limited, and her decor was styled by the famous Oceania Interiors. She has a master suite and five cabins for sleeping 12 guests and accommodation for nine crew members.

Known for her outstanding seagoing capabilities, the Beast is available for charter in the South Pacific. Having a steel hull and aluminium superstructure, she is loaded with the latest water gear such as four kayaks, paddleboards, and fishing and diving equipment. She can reach a top speed of 15 knots while her cruising speed is 10 knots.

You might also like to read:

• Top 10 Biggest RoRo Ships In The World
• 5 Biggest Tanker Ships In the World
• 5 Biggest and Magnificent Sailing Ships of All Time
• 10 Most Expensive Cruise Ships
• Top 10 Biggest LNG Ships

About Author

Zahra is an alumna of Miranda House, University of Delhi. She is an avid writer, possessing immaculate research and editing skills. Author of several academic papers, she has also worked as a freelance writer, producing many technical, creative and marketing pieces. A true aesthete at heart, she loves books a little more than anything else.

Read More Articles By This Author >

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HEMISPHERE Sailing yacht for charter

• Length: 44.2m (145ft)
• 10/12 guests in 5 cabins
• Built: 2011 (refitted 2023), Pendennis Shipyard, United Kingdom

For those looking for something different to the standard charter, something more exciting and adventurous, something unforgettably special that celebrates the ocean and its inhabitants without sacrificing seven-star comfort and service, congratulations. You have just found your next charter.

• Designed for off the beaten track exploration
• Two principal suites
• Included in price: 16.4m Custom Sports Fishing tender for shore excursions, diving and fishing trips
• Certified PADI dive training centre with two dive instructors as part of the crew - guests can become PADI certified whilst on board
• Large jacuzzi on the sun deck
• Sport tournament standard fishing equipment
• Long standing crew with outstanding charter record
• Unrivalled deck and interior space in 499 GT

About HEMISPHERE

View all yachts for charter

HEMISPHERE, the world's largest sailing catamaran, is designed to deliver incredible experiences. She has a PADI-certified, Nitrox-capable dive centre for up to 12 guests and Captain Gavin is a qualified dive instructor with encyclopaedic knowledge and infectious passion for marine life in this divers' paradise. There is a 16.4m (53.8ft) sports fishing tender for exploring ashore and reaching special dive sites as well as tournament-standard fishing capabilities.

With a 16.6m (54.5ft) beam, her deck spaces are vast. From her flybridge jacuzzi and al fresco dining areas to her shaded spaces on the main deck aft and the sunbathing trampoline forward where you can watch dolphins play underway, she covers every base for relaxation and entertainment. The two VIP cabins on the main deck each have access to a terrace lounge forward and her award-winning interiors are refined yet instantly welcoming.

HEMISPHERE and her crew live to the maxim 'Sometimes you have to step off the beaten path, for the bigger rewards in life' and relentlessly glowing feedback from delighted guests means they deliver those rewards every time.

'Wow! Once again Captain Gavin you have exceeded our expectations! Our trip was full of surprises and adventure. Truly the best holiday a family could dream of sharing. Thank you for welcoming us back and we look forward to returning next year.'

'You are all amazing. We had such a fabulous week on board, everything about the charter was wonderful. The hospitality of the entire crew was unforgettable, I can't wait to be part of this experience again!'

'I have been on many boats in my 57 years and this holiday has surpassed all of them. The crew are the best we have been with. Sharks, whales, dolphins, sunsets, cocktails, laughter, loads of love -thank you Gavin and crew.'

Tenders & toys

• 1 × Towed tender
• 2 × Tenders
• 1 × Sailing dinghy
• 1 × Deck jacuzzi
• Diving board
• Inflatable platform
• 4 × SeaBobs
• 1 × Kayak
• 1 × Stand up paddleboard
• Inflatable tows
• Dive centre
• Scuba diving equipment
• Fishing gear
• Snorkelling gear

Please note that tenders and toys are subject to regular upgrades and changes. Contact a Burgess broker for the latest information.

Fitness equipment

• Free weights

Please note that fitness equipment and wellness facilities are subject to regular upgrades and changes. Contact a Burgess broker for the latest information.

Charter offer

HEMISPHERE, for a limited time, offers a charter in Cocos Island, Costa Rica - from 22 July to end of August - eight days for the price of seven: USD 280,000 + 2,5% tax + 30% APA

Check availability

Hemisphere is available for those dates, hemisphere is available for those dates subject to confirmation., sorry, hemisphere isn't available for those dates, contact a broker to discuss your requirements, please change your dates or contact us for a personalised yacht selection..

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South Pacific

From USD 260,000 per week

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The 145 ft / 44.2 m Custom catamaran ‘ Hemisphere ‘ is the world’s largest catamaran and was was built in 2011 by Pendennis. This piece of marine art came off the drawing boards of Van Peteghem Lauriot Prévost (VPLP) and the yacht’s interior was designed by Michael Leach. The lines on this boat remind me of VPLP´s earlier performance catamaran designs – read our Lagoon 67 review to see what we mean.

Living Space

Well, we are obviously talking top end luxury on this Supercat. She will sleep up to 12 guests in 5 comfortable en-suite cabins. Plus a crew of 10 crew onboard. The 2 VIP cabins on the main deck have access to the forward terrace lounge forward. It’s a yacht that not even the Sunreef Yachts luxury range can compete with.

Photo credit: Pendennis Shipyard

VPLP has a solid reputation for designing multihulls with projects ranging from ultra-light carbon racing cats to the 138-foot custom catamaran Douce France—previously the world’s largest luxury cat—built at Alumarine in 1999.

Wow Factor Michael Leach was responsible for the interior design – and he had a lot of space to work with. She’s very luxurious yet practical. Watersports include windsurfers, wakeboards, Seabobs, waterskis and so on. The port hull has a fully stocked dive centre that can handle both Air and NITROX tank fills. Just raise the lift-up steps aft to reveal the ultimate dive locker.

Let´s just say, there is a lot of it on Hemisphere!

The oval dining table for 12 has a map of the world etched into its glass top. There´s also a huge dining area below.

Huge Space The huge teak aft deck below is a real WOW factor and this space fits 2 seating areas, a large sunbed and a big oval table set in the shade for lunch when the sun is overhead. The entire area can be closed off with an ‘Eissen glass’ screen and cooled from A/C units located under the flybridge sun pad.

On the main deck, 2 curved sliding doors connect the aft deck with its dining and lounging areas to a 100 m2 saloon, with several zones including a seating area with fantastic views.

Forward of that is a small lobby that leads to the guest cabin in the port hull, a day head to starboard and 2 VIP cabins.

Signature Sugar Scoops And those daybeds at the top of the sugar scoops- let´s not forget those. The whole yacht has been designed with an incredible attention to detail.

The crew quarters occupy much of the starboard hull. Forward is the mess and laundry area, and aft there are three well sized cabins. A happy crew means a happy cuise!

Hemisphere has a selection of tenders including a Castoldi jet tender stowed in the starboard hull and a RIB stowed between the two that is launched via bomber-like hatches.

5 Star Accomodation The TV room is on the main deck, and puts most 5 star hotels to shame. There are Wi-Fi and socket connections, Satcom and Cellular communications, Satellite TV, iPod docking stations and MP3 connections throughout the boat. There’s also 61″ plasma TV in the lower saloon, 42″ plasmas in the VIP staterooms and 32″ LCD TVs in the guest staterooms.

It´s all a far cry from the world´s best selling catamaran! (Read our Lagoon 380 review if you want to compare notes on the 2 boats 😉 )

And she can sail, too. She’ll regularly see 10 knots, and downwind the mainsail and gennaker add up to a total sail area exceeding 12,000 feet: Hemisphere can top out at 20 knots. It’s all powered by that mouth-droppping 53m (174-foot) 5.8-ton carbon mast by Lorima, which flys 865 m2 (9,321 sq ft) to 1118 m2 (12,037 sq ft) of carbon and spectra sails. Incredibly, this amazing catamaran is her owner’s first yacht. It’s a good job he can afford the crew!

A Catamaran with a Garage? Yes. One of the most famous Hemisphere catamaran design features is the “ailes de mouette” or seagull wings under the bridge deck which minimises bridge slam. On Hemisphere the wings serve a secondary purpose: there’s a watertight garage between the two hulls within the seagull wings.

For such a large vessel, she has a very low drag so only requires relatively small engines for her size : energy consumption and noise are kept to a minimum. Midships in each hull are 2 engine rooms with 2x Caterpillar C12s 490hp engines as the power source. There are 3 Caterpillar generators with a total output of 251kW, and there is a thruster fore and aft in both hulls to make life easier in the marina.

Other technical gizmos include a Radio Zeeland control and alarm system with 550 functions including monitoring standing rigging loads to fridge temperatures, plus programmable lighting; navigation, communication and the entertainment system that was supplied by HST with control units in each cabin.

Watersports

Check out this list of toys. Well, if you have the space…..

This cat has been designed for maximising watersports fun. The owners are keen divers, and in fact the initial brief for the yacht came from this angle. A hydraulic swim platform means access to the water is easy, and a springboard, attached to the stern, is a favourite with guests.

All the Toys and More The yacht carries dive scooters, two Seabobs, wakeboards, paddleboards and mountain bikes for onshore exploration. You name it, Hemisphere probably has it covered, including:

• Certified PADI dive centre
• 16.4m F&S Custom sports fishing boat with 2 x 1150hp engines,
• 8.2m Scorpion tender with 400hp engine,
• 4.5m Castoldi jet tender with 125hp,
• Full scuba diving facilities for 12 guests,
• 4 x SeaBobs,
• Windsurfers,
• Kneeboards & tows,
• SUP (Stand up paddle board,
• 4m inflatable water trampoline,
• Inflatables,
• 1m high 2.4m professional diving board,
• Snorkelling gear,
• Sports tournament standard fishing equipment

If you like exploring the underwater world, then you´ll like this next bit.

Hemisphere has a PADI-certified, Nitrox-capable dive centre for up to 12. The ship’s captain is a qualified dive instructor. And then there is the 16.4m (53.8ft) sports fishing tender for getting to those secluded dive sites as well as being a tournament-standard fishing boat.

Entertainment

• State of the art audio visual systems, satellite television
• Wi-Fi and socket connections
• 61″ plasma in lower salon,
• 42″ plasma in VIPs and
• 32″ LCD’s in guest cabins,
• Ipod/MP3 connections throughout the yacht.
• Sat TV (Seatel)Kaleidescape system with a big movie library

If you enjoyed this review, take a look at our Azizam catamaran review which is another classic custom boat – that one’s a smaller package.

Hemisphere Plan

This next section ( Pros and Cons ) is a bit tongue in cheek for this particular custom cat. It’s a process we normally go through on our other multihull reviews. We thought it would be fun!

• All of that space! Come on, this is the largest catamaran around, you are not going to feel claustrophobic on her.
• The garage is a unique feature on this boat. When you have that many toys, you need somewhere for them to go.
• For such a large vessel, she moves. You should see double digits on a beam reach in a decent breeze.
• If you break out into a cold sweat coming into the marina on a windy day, just think of the poor skipper on Hemisphere. Mind you, he or she has bow thrusters and plenty of power in the engines. Oh and the skipper is getting paid to deal with the stress.
• She’s not the cheapest boat to run. Those marina fees are pretty eye watering, and don’t talk to me about filling up with diesel. If you go on the usual adage of 5-10% of the boat’s value on maintenance every year, you are into 7 figures. I can believe that when you think of the cost of the crew
• Most of the power for the service batteries comes from the generators. A more modern design would probably have focused more on green energy. Still, there’s always room for more customisation!

Hemisphere was launched in 2011 and she still sits at the top of the Supercats list. That gives you an idea of how ambitious this yacht build was to begin with. This is the catamaran that all other luxury multihulls aspire to, a work of art from the same team that designed the humble Lagoon 380.

FAQs: Hemisphere Catamaran

How Much Did Hemisphere Cost to Build? Well, that´s not a number that is easy to get hold of, but we are looking at north of $50 million

Can you charter Hemisphere? How much is it for a week? Yes you can, this boat is probably one of the most luxurious dive charters around, but it will cost you more than a Leopard from Sunsail. You are looking at around $250k a week. Everything is negotiable of course.

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Over 80,000 customers across the globe can be found enjoying our catamarans. They’ve chosen our boats because World Cat delivers a smoother, more stable, more enjoyable experience from entertaining at the dock to navigating the deepest waters.

The origin of World Cat can be traced back over a quarter of a century to the beginning of our Glacier Bay Edition boats in America’s Pacific Northwest. Today, World Cat is the largest maker of power catamarans in the world. Located in Tarboro, North Carolina, our boats are precision crafted in a state-of-the-art 140,000 square foot facility.

While we build an array of boats in different sizes and configurations, each is a reflection of our mission to deliver the smoothest ride on water – making boating more enjoyable and giving boaters the comfort and confidence to cruise, fish, dive, and explore the water world around them.

From the South Pacific to Siberia, World Cats have safely carried thousands of boaters over tens of thousands of miles. Shouldn’t you share in that experience?

The first World Cat is built in Greenville, NC with a new mold and new hull. By fall of 1998, the World Cat brand is launched with three models: the 246 Sport Fisherman (SF), 266 Sport Cuddy (SC), and 266 Sport Fisherman (SF).

The 246DC Dual Console launches.

A World Cat wins the Bermuda Challenge – a run from Norfolk, VA to Bermuda.

The acquisition and renovation of a new facility is the start of transitioning production to Tarboro, NC.

Chris Peters sets the World Record Maco Shark in a 246SF.

World Cat launches the 33’ TE Center Console, an innovative performance boat. At the time, it was the largest outboard boat in production and the first outboard boat to feature the new Suzuki 300HP 4-stroke engines, an absolute game changer.

World Cat introduces a truly complex and innovative design with the 320EC, featuring World Cat’s first hull with a cabin and separate head.

World Cat secures its staying power by acquiring Glacier Bay and Livingston Catamaran Boats, while reinforcing its commitment to A Better Way To Boat™.

World Cat launches its first family fish friendly hull and deck design with the new 320CC Center Console.

World Cat officially enters the inshore audience with the launch of the 230CC and 230DC.

For the first time, World Cat launches a boat that does not focus on fishing first with the 230SD, featuring a refined family and cruising boating experience.

World Cat launches the largest dual console outboard boat on the market with the 320DC.

The 280CC-X and 280DC-X is launched, featuring a new hull style line, designed to deliver a refined look at top speeds.

The new flagship 40’ hull emerges with the launch of the 400DC-X, becoming the largest dual console catamaran to ever hit the market. Quickly following was the 400CC-X Center Console featuring the innovative Cat-Track™ seating.

World Cat celebrates their 25th Anniversary year.

World Cat introduces the all-new 260CC-X.

World Cat introduces the all-new 260DC-X.

The top 10 largest catamarans for charter

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• The Top 10 of Luxury Yacht Charters >
• The top ten largest catamarans for charter

Both experienced yachting enthusiasts and those new to the world of yacht charters choose to holiday and hold events aboard luxury catamarans for their unique advantages over monohulled vessels, and these 10 largest luxury catamarans available for charter are amongst the best available today. These impeccably maintained catamarans provide greater stability while cruising and at anchor, and the wider beam creates more space on board for hosting dockside events and revelling in the outdoor lifestyle wherever you travel. Of note are the huge cockpits that are weather protected, spacious foredecks with trampolines, and most large catamarans also have a flybridge for sunbathing and alfresco dining.

Catamarans are also generally considered to be faster than monohulls, and can often enter shallower bays to find hidden gems thanks to their low draft. A final catamaran benefit is twin engines to match the twin hulls, increasing safety and manoeuvrability while travelling between isles.

HEMISPHERE - 44.20m (145')

Since her launch in 2011 luxury catamaran HEMISPHERE has remained one of the largest catamarans in the world as well as the largest currently available on the charter market. She won Interior Layout Award: Sailing Yachts and Interior Design Award: Sailing Yachts at the Showboats Design Awards 2012 where she was also a finalist in other categories for her exterior design and on board amenities.

There are two dive instructors aboard this PADI Certified Dive Centre and the wide variety of water toys will satisfy adrenaline seekers as well as guests look to unwind in the water or on deck in peace. Earthen tones decorate the interior, where there are numerous seating areas for small groups, and the outdoor deck spaces offer a plethora or sunbathing options in addition to a flybridge Jacuzzi.

DOUCE FRANCE - 42.20m (138' 5")

Built in 1998 by Alumarine and last refitted in 2015, DOUCE FRANCE provides late 20th Century style with classic wooden panelling and understated furnishings that create a warm and inviting atmosphere. On board there is a wine cellar with a 250 bottle capacity and an extensive collection of water toys including sail boats, sea kayaks, wind surfers and Scuba diving equipment, giving guests the opportunity to earn a recognised diving licence during their stay.

S/Y DOUCE FRANCE can sail at a constant 22 knots in 28 knots of breeze using her 528.8m2/5,692ft2 fore and aft sail area, and regularly achieves 15 knots in 20 knots of wind, making good time from island to island in charter grounds such as the Saronic Islands.

THE BEAST - 39.5m/129.7ft

Motor catamaran THE BEAST is unusual on this list not only for her lack of sails but also because she is designed for expeditions. She was built in New Zealand and launched in 2019 by Profab Engineering with naval architecture by LOMOcean and deep, moody interiors by Oceania Interiors. Floor to ceiling windows let an abundance of natural light filter through to highlight the textures, and vibrant accents of colour can be found in the surrounding artwork. The main deck aft is used for storing the large water toys, including a custom-built sports fisher and an amphibious RIB. On the flybridge there is a Teppanyaki bar where guests can watch their dinner and dessert being prepared before them in incredible skill and showmanship.

CHE - 34.72m (113' 11")

Sunreef catamaran CHE from 2010 was the shipyard's second custom-built superyacht. She has a voluminous 12.8m/42ft beam that results in a large interior salon, beautifully decorated in warm wooden panelling contrasted by vibrant furnishings in turquoise. The accommodation sleeps a maximum of eight guests in four en-suite cabins, and those on board have at their disposal a sizable cockpit filled with sofas, sunbeds and alfresco dining options shaded by the hard top. On the flybridge there is a sun-exposed sunbathing space and an alfresco dining area soaked in sunshine

QUARANTA - 34.10m (111' 11")

Motor catamaran QUARANTA from Curvelle - Logos in Turkey was built in 2013 was built in carbon composite and powered by a pair of Caterpillar C32 Acer diesel engines that allow her to achieve an excellent top speed of 25 knots and a fast cruising speed of 23 knots.

Sleeping up to 12 guests across six well-appointed and generously proportioned staterooms, M/Y QUARANTA treats guests to light and airy interiors as well as notable features such as the hydraulic swim platform that lifts to give guests and the tender easy access in and out of the sea. At deck level it adds to the area for lounging and entertaining with the tender docked safely out of sight between the two hulls. It can also be lowered to water level and become the beach club and with a touch of a button have two water cascades with spa bubbles from underneath.

BELLA VITA - 32m/105ft

Guests looking for serenity and comfort will fall in love with luxury catamaran BELLA VITA , who is true to her name by offering calming, well-lit interiors suited to dining and lounging as a group or spending time on personal pursuits. She won Best New Refit at the World Superyacht Awards 2010 and has plenty of outdoor sunbathing areas, and there is a great selection of water toys for all ages and fitness levels to truly interact with your surroundings.

TIP TOP II - 31.7m/104ft

When you want to take a larger group for a cruise, options can seem few and far between - even aboard larger luxury yachts. M/Y TIP TOP II can host up to 16 guests overnight, who have a choice of 10 light and airy en-suite cabins. The large shared areas take advantage of the 12.2m/40ft beam and surround the rooms with windows for naturally lit interiors that are also fully air conditioned. The large salon and formal dining area will be filled with memories before you leave, and you'll never forget resting on the sundeck in the sunshine while enjoying a cocktail.

IPHARRA - 31.09m (102')

Luxury sailing yacht IPHARRA was launched in 2010 and is the first 102ft Sunreef multihull ever produced, in addition to currently holding the title of the world's second biggest sloop-rigged catamaran. She has comfortable accommodation for up to 12 guests in five spacious cabins, while the rest of the guest areas take advantage of her 12.8m/42ft beam for an extensive sun-drenched foredeck and sundeck while the shaded main deck aft also provides a generous outdoor living area.

HUTIANE - 31m/101.8ft

Superyacht HUTIANE from Cuneo Marine is highly desirable for her bright modern interiors where 'less is more' certainly means more space for guests within her 12.3m/40.3ft beam. Outside, the flybridge, foredeck and main deck aft create an abundance of space for hosting dockside events, and the latter area has a Jacuzzi along the stern for sweeping views of the scenery while resting. The accommodation sleeps up to 10 guests across four en-suite cabins, and there is a wide variety of water toys to suit all ages and interests.

MARTINA - 30.7m/100.9ft

Luxury catamaran MARTINA is an excellent choice when you want to connect with your destination and loved ones: Her timeless cabins are well-proportioned and sleep 12 guests on five en-suite cabins, and make a desirable retreat at the end of an action-packed day exploring on land and in the water.

The sides of the main deck aft can be covered for use in less clement weather, while the sundeck and foredeck are ready to welcome guests for a day in the sunshine.

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On board with Frédéric Jousset, future owner of the world's largest catamaran

The fearless Frenchman charts his adventures, from early internet exploring to globe-trotting with a catamaran stuffed with art. Stewart Campbell tries to keep up with his life story

When he was 16, Frédéric Jousset made a bet with his best friend: the winner would be the first to visit every country in the world. There is a little contention over who is actually winning. In 1987, Jousset visited East Germany, which his friend claims shouldn’t count as it is no longer a country. If you take this view, they are tied on 114 countries each, with 79 left to see.

“I love to explore,” explains the London-based Frenchman and boss of outsourcing giant Webhelp. The wiry 49-year-old is suffering from a cold on the morning we meet at his office a few steps from the Ritz, but he still manages to crackle with a rare energy when describing how he plans to win the bet: by building the biggest sailing catamaran in the world and taking it, well, everywhere.

• Italian Sea Group to build 46.5m sailing catamaran ArtExplora

In doing so he’ll be indulging another passion – cultural expropriation. Jousset is an art lover who wants everyone to be. At 35, as a newly minted multimillionaire, he donated a million euros to the Louvre. “The Louvre people were shocked because most of their donors were either old men or rich American families,” he says. “And here comes this guy in his mid-thirties they’d never heard of.”

Jousset directed the money be used to attract new audiences to the museum; to make its grand rooms more accessible to a non-traditional demographic. Fifteen years later, he’s supercharging this kind of cultural outreach by commissioning ArtExplorer, his 46-metre catamaran project, which has been designed as  a superyacht-cum-gallery that will sail to far-flung parts of the globe, democratising the arts as it goes.

The idea came to him on a sailing charter a few years ago. Jousset was at the helm during a night passage to Stromboli, his girlfriend sleeping below. “I was looking at the stars and thinking how much I loved sailing, and then  I started to think about how much I loved culture and what I could contribute. I could add another museum, but it’s nothing new. Private foundations have been done, but I thought that no one has thought of the sea, of using a boat as a platform.

“And the more I thought about it, the more it made sense. A boat is an optimal platform because it can go anywhere, and it’s a great place to host people. It had to be a sailing yacht because it had to be green and it had to be big to host as many people as possible, so a catamaran makes sense. And that’s how I started the process.”

When it debuts at La Biennale di Venezia in 2023, ArtExplorer won’t only be the world’s biggest sailing catamaran, eclipsing 44.2-metre Hemisphere , it will be the only yacht of its type in the world, housing a vast main deck exhibition space as well as all the customary superyacht accommodations and appointments. Jousset breaks the programme down: one month will be reserved for him and his guests; another month will be dedicated to yard work; it will be available to charter for two months; for the remaining eight months of the year ArtExplorer will be used to host exhibitions.

It’s a wild idea, but one Jousset is profoundly committed to. The boat will be built “to the highest superyacht standards”, he says. Eight teams competed for the job of designing the yacht, which was ultimately won by Axel de Beaufort, who heads his own design studio, in collaboration with Japanese designer Oki Sato. It was “love at first sight”, says Jousset of their design, which is all sculptural curves and comfortable minimalism – itself a piece of art.  A shipyard is expected to be announced imminently for the three-year build.

Until then, Jousset will be preoccupied by the small task of running Webhelp, with its 140 offices in 35 countries and 55,000 employees. Today, the company is a world-leading business solutions provider, its success a testament to Jousset’s entrepreneurial nous and nimble mind. But that doesn’t mean it has always been easy – there has been no shortage of dramatic knife-edge moments in Webhelp’s 20-year story.

The most significant came early in the company’s life. In the late 1990s, Jousset and his business partner Olivier Duha were working at consultancy Bain & Company, but neither saw a future there. “I realised that doing PowerPoint presentations for other people was not something that fascinated me. We thought: ‘Why don’t we join forces and try to find something else?’”

Their idea was to scour North America for a tech business they could import to Europe. “We came across a Canadian company called Webhelp, which had just announced it had raised C$40 million (£22.8m). We thought we could team up and launch it in Europe,” says Jousset. The company was an early pioneer in the internet search industry. Users could input a query and within three minutes a “web wizard” would locate relevant content and push it to them via a novel chat feature.

“It was the first human-assisted real-time search engine,” says Jousset. “Nowadays it makes you laugh because it looks like the Stone Age, but you have to remember it was 1999. We thought it was just brilliant.” The key to the business were the people answering users’ queries – Webhelp had outsourced everything to India. Jousset and Duha travelled to Canada and cut a deal: if they could raise $5 million in four weeks, they could launch Webhelp as a joint venture in France.

“Sometimes in life you do stupid things that you can’t explain and we thought that this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. So we resigned by fax and had four weeks to find $5 million.” They ended up raising $16 million, including a sizeable chunk from LVMH boss Bernard Arnault, but decided to only take five. “That was the second stupid thing we did – today you would take the money! But we thought we would be too diluted if we took all $16 million.”

They launched Webhelp in France in 2000, outsourcing the web wizard work to Romania, which had a ready population of young, hungry, tech-savvy graduates with a good grasp of French. “We had big traffic, lots of press, lots of noise, like we were new French heroes disrupting the way people search. One month later I’m sitting at my desk and a friend called me and said: ‘Have you checked out this new website called Google? It does what you do, but a bit different.’

“I remember seeing the Google homepage for the first time, all white with just this box. The question we asked to demonstrate the efficiency for human search engines was ‘How old is Mickey Mouse?’ So I keyed that in and boom, a million pages, in milliseconds. And suddenly it’s like you’re selling candles and someone else is selling electricity. And then we saw their traffic…”

The Webhelp ship started sinking – fast. The company was burning cash and had to pivot. “Our remaining asset was our Romanian workforce. They were cheap, they were smart, and we had a chat technology that was quite efficient. We thought: ‘Why don’t we go to the Amazons, the first e-commerce websites, and offer a white-label customer service using our chat technology.’”

They got contracts with five French websites, taking a cut of every product sold, and at the end of their first year in business had revenues of €80,000 (£69,000). They added email management to their offering and at the close of 2001 had 20 clients and revenues of €500,000. “Then our clients said: ‘When our customers are really angry, they want to reach out and talk to someone, so you should come up with a solution for that.’” French call centres already existed, but no one had thought of putting them offshore, so Jousset and Duha opened a call centre in French-speaking Morocco. “And then things sky-rocketed,” he says. “We started with 40 people, then 100, then 200, then 3,000 and then all of a sudden we had 5,000 people.”

In 2010, revenues had grown to €200 million and last year the company was valued at €2.4 billion after diversifying into the full suite of business solutions. It’s been almost breakneck growth, but Jousset remains unfazed; he clearly doesn’t rattle easily, which is important given some of his extracurricular passions. He recently scaled Everest and is an extreme skier and diver, regularly going down to 50 metres.

“At that depth, if anything goes wrong with your bottles or equipment, you’re screwed,” he says with cool sangfroid. “It’s not just for the sake of it. It’s not that I want to kill myself, but it’s something I need because otherwise I am not happy. It’s more a positive thing, I guess.” He can’t explain where it comes from, this need to live an edgy existence, but his sister has it too: she’s a foreign correspondent and documentary maker who regularly embeds herself in some of the world’s sketchier places.

He has always pushed himself and excelled academically, ultimately graduating from HEC Paris, the country’s leading business school. Then came mandatory national service in the French Army, but instead of simply riding it out, he extended his service and volunteered for the paratroop regiment, rising to platoon commander.

“I remember the first day joining the regiment – you had to walk for 120 kilometres with full gear on, weighing probably 20 kilos. And you had to do this in less than 36 hours, which meant walking constantly, in leather boots. I remember walking while sleeping, but once you do that it’s immensely useful because when you do business negotiations and it’s 3am, everyone around you is tired, but I’m not because I know I can walk for 36 hours. That confidence in yourself from a physical standpoint holds forever.”

His mind he takes care of by retreating to a monastery in Normandy each year and handing over all his technology to the monks. He doesn’t speak for three days, which provides a useful reset. His soul, meanwhile, belongs to the sea. Until this point, he has always chartered yachts, including, memorably, the massive 78.55-metre classic, SS Delphine . In 2008 he was engaged and due to be married in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat and had booked the superyacht for brunch. “But 10 days before the wedding I got cold feet and called it off,” he says.

His charter broker didn’t care. “No can do,” came the answer when Jousset asked if he could cancel the booking. The only thing his broker could do was switch the dates, so Jousset decided to take the yacht on his birthday, 3 May, add two more days to the charter and pack it with 25 friends – and his new girlfriend. “We went cruising from Saint-Tropez to Portofino and back. It is the best memory. We partied like there was no tomorrow. And I realised how much I liked it, so that’s how I got into superyachts – by accident.”

Nowadays, he’s much more deliberate in his yachting choices, and has a very clear vision for ArtExplorer: he wants it to become the centrepiece of a foundation that will one day include planes, trucks, buses – whatever moves and is capable of spreading culture beyond the walls of museums and galleries. In 20 years he’d like it to be the “equivalent of Greenpeace for art and culture”, he says, with millions of followers, subscribers and volunteers.

It’s a hugely ambitious plan, but coming from a guy who has conquered the business world and Mount Everest, I’d say he’s a safe bet. And by then he might have won his, too.

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BIG Catamarans In The Mainstream

Sailing catamarans in the above-50ft range are a rare commodity on the global market and are more often custom designs for a particular owner.

Lagoon, Catana, and Fountaine Pajot have each tested the waters in this market and have had varying degrees of success. We have seen first-hand how the market is reacting to these large cats, because we have sold many of them including two of the new Lagoon Seventy7 so far!

Catana’s 70-ft cat, the FP Ipanema 58, and Lagoon’s 620 have all been well received by our clients and are generally very successful catamarans. However, Lagoon has topped this market in 2016 with their latest offering, the Lagoon Seventy7.

The Seventy7 is built by sailing superyacht experts CNB-Lagoon in Bordeaux and designed by the illustrious design team, VPLP, Patrick Le Quément and Nauta Design. No doubt it’s an luxurious super-catamaran but even so, it has elegant and graceful lines and appears to sail well even in a gentle breeze.

Check out the walk-through video of the Lagoon Seventy7

The Lagoon Seventy7 will make its U.S debut at the Miami Boat Show on February 16-20, 2017!

• Lagoon Seventy7 Pictures & Specifications>>

Buying A BIG Catamaran? Get Your Personal Representation!

Choose your yacht broker wisely. After a house, the purchase of a large sailing catamaran is probably one of the biggest investments a boat buyer will make in their lifetime. So it makes sense to ensure that they have the very best representation. Brokers come free to the buyer, so find a knowledgeable yacht broker who knows the product, understands the industry, and can advise on ALL components of the transaction.

Catamaran buying and boat ownership should be a pleasure, not a nightmarish experience. Your yacht broker should be able to consult, advise, and educate you, not pressure you to buy.

You should feel like a valued client and insist on superior service!

We would enjoy the opportunity to talk with you about catamarans and catamaran buying.  Contact Us

More Resources For Large Catamaran Buyers

Yacht As A Business Ownership Program. Read More>>

Crewed Catamaran Charter Programs. Read More>>

Large Catamarans: How To Own & Operate Them. Read More>>

Estelle Cockcroft

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2023 Boat Buyers Guide: Catamarans

• By Karl Anderson
• December 27, 2022

The popularity of the multihull (aka catamaran or cat) fishing boats has never been greater, as more and more boatbuilders enter this growing segment of the market. The inherent stability of the catamaran design rolls less with the seas, making fishing offshore less tiresome and more comfortable. Available from 20 to 48 feet, catamarans typically offer a large fishing platform with generous storage and fishing amenities. They are available in a wide variety of deck layouts, including center-consoles, dual-consoles, and even pilothouse and express variants.

Big Picture

The large deck area of a catamaran enables many large underdeck storage lockers and insulated fish boxes in the sponsons. This gives anglers ample room for gear and the day’s catch. The catamaran’s stability, fishability, and smooth ride in rough seas make it attractive to anglers as well as day-cruisers. A center-console version adds 360 degrees of angler access to the rail. With the dual-console design, generous seating behind a beam-to-beam windshield makes for a great family fishing-friendly setup.

Live bait is one of the most popular types of fishing in virtually every coastal zone. To do it successfully requires optimal water capacity and proper flow. The minimum size of the outflow water plumbing should be twice the size of the inflow. The plumbing should have a drain at the bottom to shed scales at the end of the day, as well as a drain at the top of the well to adjust capacity and allow overflow. Above-deck transom-mounted wells should fully flood to the lids when running to keep baits from getting beat up. 

Tip: A sump box with multiple pumps in case a pump fails is the best setup for first-rate livewells. Conveniently located inflow and outflow valves make it easy to optimize the flow without tiring your bait from swimming too much in the well. 

Rod Storage

Having enough rod holders is essential to be successful for opportunity fishing. Look for vertical rod storage along the console and across the back of the T-top. Many models also have rod holders along the outboard transom wall. Having plenty of gunwale rod holders for drift- and kite-fishing is helpful. 

Tip: Placing adjustable swivel rod holders by Gemlux makes deep-dropping, lure-fishing and drifting even easier because they allow your rods to face the direction the baits are fishing, yet they can be swiveled back to keep rods from sticking out of the boat while running and docking. 

Manufacturers often offer multiple choices for horsepower, but whatever the choice, the engines must come in pairs. For example, you might order twin outboards (one for each sponson) or four outboards (two for each sponson), but single- or triple-outboard configurations are not common on a cat. Optimal selection should be made based on user load, weight of the boat, ride comfort , performance desires, and best case for resale. It’s a rare day when you can run wide open, but having more horsepower gives better torque at slower speeds and thus better control. Running larger engines slower gives better fuel efficiency too.

Tip: When possible, choose the highest horsepower offered because it typically leads to a better resale value with a shorter sales cycle. 

Power steering from engine manufacturer Optimus or SeaStar is essential with the higher horsepower required for larger boats, and it makes installing and operating the upper station in a tower far more practical and comfortable.

With the power demands of electronics, livewell pumps, stereo amps and more, it is wise to have at least two house batteries, and for larger boats, a third or fourth with a multibank charger for dockside. Each engine should have its own dedicated battery as well. 

Electronics

Typically choosing the largest screen or multiple screens that will fit on the console is best-case scenario for ease of use, ergonomics, and visibility. VHF radios, stereo controller, and equipment switches for lighting, pumps, and accessories should all be integrated with greatest visibility and ease of operator reach. 

A Tale of Two Hulls 

A catamaran rides on pair of hulls, or sponsons, each thinner and sharper than  that of a similarly sized monohull boat. The narrow sponsons of the cat tend to slice easily through water to deliver a smooth ride, even in rough seas. At the same time, with the sponsons positioned out to the sides of the boat, cats tend to roll less, thus providing great stability to enhance crew comfort, security and safety. However, cats tend to corner more flatly than a monohull, and some hulls (but not all) tend to lean outward versus inward during a turn.

Experts Say

Newer designs such as Invincible’s Morelli and Melvin-designed semi-asymmetrical sponsons eliminate some of the negatives of the cat design, such as “sneezing,” where water sprays out the front of the boat when hitting a wave. They’ve also controlled the uncomfortable “outboard lean” ­sensation common in older designs when in a turn. Once transitioned to a ­catamaran, many become true believers and preach the benefits of the design.

Editor Says: Saltwater fishing cats not only offer superb stability and smooth ride, but some also display exceptional speed and range. I recall one trip out of Key West, Florida, aboard an Invincible 40 Cat with four 350 hp outboards to the Dry Tortugas. It was a 60-mile run, and we made it there in 70 minutes. We caught more fish than our arms could bear, and then dashed back to Key West, arriving in time for cocktail hour on the same day. -Jim Hendricks, Staff Editor, Boating and Fishing Group

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SAN DIEGO HARBOR CRUISES

Take In the Beauty of San Diego Bay on the Brand New Triton Catamaran

Cruise San Diego Harbor on Triton Charters

Table of contents:.

• What is included in the Harbor Cruise?
• What are the Landmarks we will see?
• Who is this cruise for?
• Why choose a catamaran?
• Harbor Cruise Itinerary
• Pricing, Parking, and FAQ’s

A visit to America’s Finest City isn’t complete until you spend some time enjoying the San Diego Harbor. There is no better way to do that than aboard a luxury catamaran harbor cruise. Bring your family, your friends, your co-workers or come solo and experience the gorgeous San Diego Harbor views while listening to the fascinating history of The Big Bay. 

You’ll get beautiful shots of the downtown San Diego Skyline and travel under the Coronado Bay Bridge in luxurious comfort. You’ll likely meet some of San Diego’s most beloved friends, the seals and sea lions who like to sunbathe on the docks. If you’re lucky, you might even catch sight of a dolphin or two swimming alongside the Triton catamaran.

To keep you refreshed on our two-hour sightseeing sail, we offer an onboard bar serving soda, beer, wine and cocktails. 

There really is no better way to experience the scenic beauty of San Diego than from the water. Relax, sunbathe, sightsee, learn, mingle and unwind with us on the Triton cat. We can’t wait to see you!

TAKE OUR 360° TOUR

As a Guest Aboard the Triton Harbor Cruise You’ll Be Treated to:

• A 2.5 hour tour of The Big Bay
• Luxury catamaran sailing without the expense of a private charter
• Open-air, spacious seating on a 75-ft luxury catamaran 
• Onboard cocktails and beverages
• A full bar with seating
• Live music 
• USCG Certified Captain and Crew

Notable Landmarks and Sites We’ll See 

As you soak in the sun, we’ll sail past some of San Diego’s most spectacular coastal sites introducing (or reacquainting) you with the:

• USS Midway Aircraft Carrier – The USS Midway was commissioned one week after the end of World War II, was the largest ship in the world until 1955 and was the longest-serving aircraft carrier in the 20th century. The Midway was so large it could carry 120 planes on its armored flight deck and was the first aircraft carrier unable to cruise the Panama Canal due to its sheer size. While you are visiting San Diego, be sure to check out the USS Midway Museum to learn more about this iconic ship. 
• Star of India – Star of India is the world’s oldest active sailing ship. She is an iron ship with a long and storied past that includes collisions, mutiny and cyclones. She worked as a cargo ship and then spent half a century bringing emigrants to New Zealand. You can tour the Star of India at the Maritime Museum of San Diego. 
• North Island Military Base – Dubbed the official birthplace of aviation, the North Island Military Base is an active military base home to two aircraft carriers and 23 fixed and rotary wing squadrons.
• Cabrillo National Museum – T he Cabrillo National Monument and museum mark the location where the first European set foot on the western US. There is a lot to take in at Cabrillo park including the Old Point Loma Lighthouse and the rocky intertidal zone. 
• Hotel del Coronado – The Hotel Del is a historic beachfront luxury hotel situated in the city of Coronado, just over the bridge from downtown San Diego. It opened in 1888 as the largest resort hotel in the world and today is the second-largest wooden structure in the US. If you are visiting San Diego, it is definitely worth spending a couple of hours at The Del — grab lunch or stroll the pristine beach. 

Who is This Harbor Cruise Right For?

• Families – Bring the kids, bring the grandparents! The Triton Catamaran offers an unforgettable experience for the whole family. 
• San Diego Visitors –  There is no better way to acquaint yourself with San Diego than from the sea. This is one experience you definitely don’t want to miss while you’re in town. 
• San Diego Locals – Lived here all your life but still a little shaky on your San Diego history? Join us for a relaxing afternoon on the bay;  we’ll catch you up. 
• Groups – We love hosting groups and can cater to parties as large as 75. Learn more about our group chartering options here. 

Why Choose a Catamaran Harbor Cruise?

If you’re looking for a San Diego harbor cruise, you have options; we aren’t going to pretend to be the only boat in the bay. But, if you have ever experienced a sail on a cat, you’ll know why we are a bit biased. 

• Catamarans offer much more space than monohull boats making them the perfect choice for groups; on a catamaran there really is no bad seat. 
• Catamarans also offer more stability with less rocking back and forth than monohull boats, which can help with sea sickness. 
• Thanks to their shallow draft, catamarans can access areas of the bay too shallow for most boats. 

Triton is the largest Catamaran in The Big Bay and one of the only options in San Diego if you want to experience a ride on a luxury cat, but don’t want to spend the extra money for a private charter. 

The Triton Catamaran made her maiden voyage to San Diego in January 2020. She is a brand new, GC70, 75 ft Day Charter Catamaran that boasts:

• Capacity for 100 passengers (we typically limit this to 70 people so you can spread out and relax)
• A dance floor
• Large deck with outdoor seating

The Triton San Diego Harbor Cruise Itinerary

We’ll embark from 2700 Shelter Island Dr. San Diego, CA 92106 and make our way into San Diego Bay from America’s Cup Harbor. The Triton will then hoist it’s sails and sail toward Cabrillo National Monument, San Diego Naval Base, the Star of India, USS Midway, Coronado Bridge and back! 

Harbor Cruise Dates and Times

We Sail Wednesday – Sunday Departures are 12:30pm and 4pm Each Harbor Cruise is 2.5 hours in duration. Too see our schedule, book here.

Tickets are $55 for adults and $15 for children. 

Where to Park and What to Bring

Parking Directions:

Please click   HERE   for the map of where to park. For free parking, please park in the rear of the parking lot as there are no meters. We do not have assigned parking, so please be sure to come at least 30 minutes early.

Walking Directions:

Once parked, please use this   LINK   for walking directions. You must arrive AT LEAST 30 minutes before your ticketed charter time. Please fill out your waivers and be prepared to present your waiver via QR code, and have your ID handy before you arrive!

Our Charter will not wait for anyone who is late and you will not receive a refund if you do not call before the charter departure informing us that you will not be arriving.

Looking for a More Intimate Option?

Our sister ship, The Malarky, is available for smaller charters of up to 12 people. The Malarky Catamaran is a luxury 47’ performance sailing catamaran that can be chartered for a few hours on the bay or for a multi-day trip.  Whatever you decide, we’ll make sure The Malarky feels like your yacht and your crew. You can learn more about The Malarky here.

Triton Charters is definitely the largest catamaran yacht rental I’ve done in San Diego. Crew was super awesome and the Captain provided us with a smooth sail start to finish. Wonderful! 

We were looking for a large boat rental in San Diego and found Triton Charters. We had almost 100 people and there was plenty of seating and space. We will be back!

Needed a party boat in san diego and came across Triton Charters from one of their facebook ads. We got a great deal and definitely will be back. Drinks were on-point and the bartender rocked! 

Local News | Catamaran is the largest boat ever built in…

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Local News | Catamaran is the largest boat ever built in small Outer Banks village

Back in World War II, the Manteo Boat Building Company crafted 13 105-foot wooden patrol boats for the war effort, but at 110 feet, this boat is bigger.

The craft is a catamaran, a double-hulled aluminum vessel that is considerably wider than most boats of its size.

Its launch is a complex dance.

There’s a cable running from a truck to the boat holding it in place as a huge hydraulic jack carefully lifts the hulls off the concrete of the ramp and slowly moves the boat to the open waters of Roanoke Sound. As it begins to float, the craft drifts dangerously close to the wooden wharf on its port side and four men run to the end of the dock and lean into the boat, moving it just enough that it will float free without damaging anything.

Two tow boats wait, attach lines and tow the catamaran, nicknamed the H-2, to the deeper waters it needs to navigate. Noel Manheim, the captain, takes over, bringing the boat around the point to Wanchese Harbor where the finish work will be done.

It’s a pretty remarkable feat of navigation — the boat doesn’t have a rudder or thrusters yet, and Manheim maneuvers the craft using the engines in the two hulls.

The interior of the boat is a tribute to the Outer Banks artisans. The rich brown of wooden cabinets and passageways create a comfortable homelike feel. The galley looks more like a kitchen in a house than onboard a ship. There’s sleeping quarters for crew and passengers.

But for all its luxury appearance, the H-2 will be a working vessel.

Brian Schmitt, a real estate broker from Marathon, Florida, has been as he describes himself, “very successful,” and it’s his funds that built the boat. At 69 years old, he reflected on the lives of people he has known, and knew it is time to take a different path.

“I’ve watched my father and other people who I know and respect work until the day they died because that became their identity,” he said. “They didn’t do everything they wanted to do during their lives. So I built this boat … to force me to do what I know I want to do, which is to explore the world. It’s been something that I have always had a real yearning to do.”

In this case, though, it’s exploration with a purpose. As Schmitt explains, he’s going back to an earlier time in his life.

“My wife and I met in graduate school. I went to the Woods Hole Marine Biology lab. So my wife and I want to go back as much as we can,” he said. “We’re not going to be writing any scientific papers, but we certainly have an abiding interest in nature and seeing some of these places like the Galapagos and the Northwest Passage, Patagonia, and the Antarctic.”

The catamaran’s H-2 moniker is short for Hippocampus, and Schmitt’s science background becomes apparent as he explains the name.

“Hippocampus are the taxonomic genus of seahorses and were Poseidon’s mythical horses,” he said.

It’s his second H series boat. When the H-1, a 57-foot catamaran, was damaged by lightning in 2014, Schmitt started thinking about something bigger, a boat that would let him explore the world.

Felix Herrin, who built the H-1 in 2003 and now the H-2, describes what happened,

Form follows function, and as the function grew, so did the boat.

“It grew from 80 to 90 to 100 feet or 110 feet,” he said.

By 2017 they had a design, but didn’t know where they were going to build the boat.

“I wanted to build this boat in America versus China or Italy or the Netherlands. We wanted to use everything that we could that was made in America. That was important,” Schmitt said.

Wanchese came up because a former employee of Herrin’s was on the Outer Banks and thought the town might be a good site. Two weeks later he knew it was the right location.

“You get here and the community is wonderful. They help each other and they watch out for each other,” Herrin said.

Schmitt didn’t know about Wanchese before work began on the H-2, but he made it clear the village was the right place to build the boat.

“We were very lucky to land in Wanchese,” he said. “There’s a long standing boat building heritage here and a lot of skilled boat builders.”

It took several years from when the keel was first laid to get to launch day. And during that time, much of the work was done by a remarkably small crew.

Rob Ayers, who describes himself as a welder and fabricator by trade, was the build foreman for the project and as he points out there were very few people working on the catamaran.

“We built this boat with just three people over a three and a half year period,” he said. “The interior and the mechanical spaces and the engines, we ended up having to do most of that stuff ourselves as well because we had trouble finding vendors to help. So anyway, we ended up building, I’d say 90% was done by the guys that were on this project and working for Brian.”

Herrin said keeping the building crew small, and local, made for the best workmanship, “We were going to sub out the interior to (a shop) that specializes in interiors for yachts. And Brian was concerned that we would lose quality control if we went down that road,” he said. “So I took a deep breath and built a wood shop from scratch. Hired (local) carpenters and … they are artists. Just phenomenal work.”

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More From Forbes

Gunboat 57 charter catamaran will spoil you with speed.

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Gunboat 57 Vai Vai is not your average charter cat.

One of the many perks of my job as a yachting writer is that I get to sail aboard a wide variety of boats. I especially love ripping off speed runs aboard some the world’s largest (and fastest) offshore race boats . Now, the truth is, the only reason I’m allowed aboard is because I’m just a humble journalist. But the blistering speeds those boats are capable of is addictive.

And as someone who’s been lucky enough to sail more than my fair share of charter catamarans in the Caribbean, Mediterranean, French Polynesia and other bucket list destinations, I can say every charter cat I’ve ever been on has been a fantastic platform for living large in the tropics. They’re not particularly exciting to sail.

Gunboat 57 Vai Vai speeds in front of Newport's The Claiborne Pell Bridge

I’m also grateful to say that I’ve sailed on a few high-performance sailing catamarans like the Gunboat 57 Vai Vai . One of the many cool things about Vai Vai is that she’s capable of blow-your-hair-back speeds AND providing just the right amount living space and cruising comforts. But I never knew it was possible to charter something as fast and fun-to-sail as a Gunboat 57—in Newport, Rhode Island in the summer and Caribbean in the winter—until now.

Jeff Hager's Gunboat 57 will appeal to sailors who appreciate high performance sailing and stylishly ... [+] comfortable accommodations on a charter boat.

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Clues And Answers For Monday, August 18

Nyt ‘strands’ hints, spangram and answers for monday, august 19th, the good, bad and a whole lot of ugly from the packers’ loss to the broncos.

After spending a little time with the VaiVai’s owner Jeff Hager earlier this summer, all I can say is Vai Vai ’s speed potential makes it possible to cover way, way more ground than a more conventional charter boat. And since everyone (even the helmsman and sail trimmer can hang out in main bridgedeck area, and the catamaran never heels more than a few degrees) more speed doesn’t mean less comfort.

The Gunboat 57 is a powerful sailing catamaran with stylishly comfortable accommodations and an ... [+] indoor helm station

In fact, the indoor/outdoor living aboard Vai Vai is next level. The wrap-around windows provide protection from the high winds and spray such a fast boat produces. The 360-degree view is amazing while the massive roof provides essential sun protection. And the sheer size of the bridgedeck is soooo much bigger than what you’d find on a 57-foot monohull. And the nice thing about having the galley and living cabins in the hulls is that each cabin is particularly private.

But, let’s fact it. This boat will not appeal to anyone who rates a charter boat based on how over-the-top-“luxurious” the accommodations are. This is a high-performance sailor’s catamaran for people who don’t want to give up the sheer thrill of sailing on a charter.

The boat that will bring oysters and other raw bar staples out to your boat at anchor is one of the ... [+] many reasons to stop in Cuttyhunk on a charter aboard Vai Vai.

And if you’re lucky enough to book a week aboard VaiVai before she heads south in the fall, be sure to stop for oysters on the tiny island of Cuttyhunk. I guarantee you’ll beat every other sailing charter boat in Newport’s fleet.

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12 Must-See Yacht Debuts at This Year’s Cannes Fest

Cannes is the start of the official boat show season. if these dozen newbies are anything to go by, the new model year is off to a great start., julia zaltzman, julia zaltzman's most recent stories.

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For yacht shoppers, the Cannes Yachting Festival, which runs from September 10 to 15, is the place to see a raft of world debuts. The show in the tony French Riviera city marks the start of the international boat show season. Its offerings of 700 vessels from 16 to 165 feet includes many global debuts, from sailing vessels to motoryachts, to multihulls and a dozen other boat types. The show has about 4 miles of dock space.

While Cannes doesn’t have the superyacht glitz of the Monaco Yacht Show, its fleet continues to grow each year, both by units and hull lengths. Its two locations, Vieux Port and Port Canto, have very different fleets. Located in the heart of the city along the famed Croisette, Vieux Port is one of the oldest ports on the Côte d’Azur and home to the largest motoryachts and superyachts at the show. This year will also see Port Canto, the smaller exhibition area usually reserved for sailing yachts, dedicate space to motorboats with lengths of 43 feet and under.

Headliners this year will include the 148-foot Tankoa Go , the 114-foot compact explorer Fox from Pendennis, Otam’s 90-foot Sexy Me , and two new models from Azimut’s Seadeck Series of low emission yachts, the Seadeck 6 and 7.

Here are 12 must-see boats at this year’s show.

Pendennis ‘Fox’

The recently delivered, 114-foot Fox is an explorer yacht named after Falmouth-born, 19th-century scientist Robert Were Fox the Younger, who invented the compass that guided the first expedition to the South Pole. Built by Pendennis shipyard in Falmouth, U.K., the yacht marries a muscular, military-style exterior with bright and modern beach-house interiors. It sleeps 10 guests in five suites, including a full-beam owner’s suite on the main deck.

RR-MV-Requests-081924-6

Columbus Atlantique 43 ‘Frette’

The second hull in Columbus Yachts’s 141-foot Atlantique 43 series, Frette features Frette Bespoke linens—the Italian luxury brand the yacht is named after. The exterior and interior are designed by Hot Lab, with naval architecture by Hydro Tec. The yacht is defined by its large outdoor areas. A highlight is the 16-square-foot pool at the stern positioned about two feet above the waterline. Guest accommodations on Frette ‘s lower deck include five double cabins, three twins, and two VIPs that can convert into one large VIP suite.

OTAM ‘Sexy Me’

Otam’s new flagship yacht, the Otam 90 GTS Sexy Me , will make its world debut at Cannes following successful sea trials where the 92-footer hit blistering speeds of 45 knots—three knots faster than its contracted top speed. The power comes from a pair of 2,600 hp MTU engines and Arneson surface-drive propellers. Fittingly, the yacht’s helm console is inspired by racing cars with a carbon-fiber structure that resembles the protective “halo” system used by Formula 1 cars. The air intakes on the front of the yacht and “snorkel” on the hardtop purposely resemble the hood and roof scoops on luxury supercars.

60 Sunreef Power Eco

The 60 Sunreef Power Eco is the smallest model in its solar catamaran range. Launched under the Sunreef Yachts Eco flag, the 60-footer relies on engineered solar panels developed in-house by the Polish builder. The photovoltaic technology uses efficient, shock-resistant, flexible, and ultra-thin solar panels integrated in the yacht’s composite structure, including the hull, mast, superstructure, bow terrace, and bimini roof. Key features include a customizable semi-open salon, a large bow terrace and flybridge with a spa pool, a bar, a dining area, and sunpads. It may be 60 feet long, but its interior volume equals a yacht 20 feet longer.

Azimut Seadeck 6

The 58-foot Seadeck 6 is the debut model from Azimut’s Seadeck Series of low emission yachts. According to Azimut, owners can save as reduce carbon-dioxide emissions by as much as 40 percent. The savings come from a lightened carbon-fiber superstructure, a hybrid propulsion system and an optimized hull that is wider at the stern and streamlined at the bow. According Azimut, the hull shape allows the yacht to plane sooner, reducing drag at lower speeds. Azimut’s 72-foot sistership Seadeck 7 will also be at Cannes, where it will make its world debut.

Custom Line ‘Sodan’

Ferretti’s 126-foot Sodan , the eighth hull in the popular Custom Line 120 series, will be shown at Cannes this year by Burgess Yachts. Its raised pilothouse is a key feature of Francesco Paszkowski Design’s sporty exterior. The studio is also responsible for the interior, which has a functional layout and large social areas. Five well-appointed guest cabins include a full-beam owner’s suite on the main deck with a private owner’s lounge.

Tankoa Yachts ‘Go’

Tankoa is launching Go at Cannes, the first of its T450 series. The 148-footer may be the largest new yacht at the show, but it’s the first vessel under 164 feet built by the Italian yard. Go , with its steel hull and aluminum superstructure, was developed in partnership with Cassetta Yacht Design & Architecture. It’s built for an American client who increased the gross tonnage from 430GT to 450GT to allow for greater interior volume, including a large owner’s suite forward on the main deck and five lower deck guest cabins. The beach club at the stern has opening sides when at anchor and a pool. “ Go is a great addition to the Tankoa core fleet. It is an incredibly flexible platform on which we can create semi-custom yachts, offering big volumes without compromising on the sleek and elegant lines,” said Claudio Corvino, Tankoa’s sales and business development danager for the Americas and Asia-Pacific.

WiderCat ‘Acali’

Wider Centro Stile and Luca Dini Design penned the first hull in the WiderCat 92 serie s . Acali is a roomy catamaran, featuring the builder’s serial hybrid-propulsion system. The main deck is dedicated to the owner’s suite, with a private foredeck lounge that occupies almost half of the interior space on that level. Two VIP cabins and two twin guest cabins are located on the lower deck. The tender garage has a dropdown transom hatch that turns into a swim platform when lowered. On the upper deck is an additional forward cockpit, sky lounge, and helm station.

Omikron OT-60

The OT-60 is the debut model for Omikron Yachts, a new subsidiary brand owned by Greek shipbuilder Olympic Marine. The Cannes Yachting Festival marks the world premiere of the series, which has six hulls that have been completed or are in build. The interior and exterior configurations are designed by Lorenzo Argento, with naval architecture by Juan Kouyoumdjian. The interiors are styled by Ciarmoli Queda Studio, featuring natural materials, neutral colors, and tactile finishes.

Silent 62 Tri-Deck

Optimized for outdoor living and warm climate sailing, Silent Yacht’s 62 3-Deck , full-electric catamaran promises quiet, emissions-free cruising. Powered by the builder’s signature solar technology, the 62-footer has transoceanic range when cruising at eight knots. A signature design is the large flybridge entertaining space, with dining and lounging areas. It’s matched with a bright main deck salon with large windows, an open galley, and a dining area. The customizable third deck is available in three versions: an open sky lounge, a closed sky lounge, or an owner’s suite.

Sirena 48 Hybrid

This Sirena 48 is the Turkish builder’s first hybrid offering of its series. It’s powered by a serial hybrid powertrain driven by twin 213kW electric motors. When cruising at 14 knots in electric mode, it has a range of 30 nautical miles. Other changes to the regular Sirena 48 include a sleek coupe-style coach roof with glass and solar panels for a sportier look. Replacing the previous open-air flybridge, it allows natural light into the main salon while reducing weight to improve the yacht’s performance and range in pure-electric mode.

Read More On:

• Admiral Yachts
• Azimut Yachts
• Cannes Yachting Festival
• Sirena Marine

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This Lake Como Hotel Is One of T+L Readers' Favorites in Italy — and It Has the World's Largest Floating Infinity Pool

T here’s no shortage of luxury hotel competition in Lake Como, but Mandarin Oriental, Lago di Como is worthy of being ranked among the world's best.

There’s no shortage of luxury hotel competition in Lake Como , Italy. In 2022, Passalacqua opened to much fanfare for a newbie, while classics like the family-owned Grand Hotel Tremezzo have been welcoming everyone from Greta Garbo to Taylor Swift for over a century. Then Il Sereno, Lago di Como, opened a few years ago with immediate accolades, thanks to its modernist architecture by Spanish architect Patricia Urquiola.

But just three nights at the Mandarin Oriental, Lago di Como in Blevio were enough to convince me this property, too, is worthy of being ranked among the world’s best.

I arrived in early June with my newly minted husband for the midpoint of our honeymoon. We’d just spent a week in coastal Italy, soaking up the sun at Capri’s iconic beach clubs and enjoying the views from Ravello, and we were off to the South of France in a few days. To say we’d already been spoiled would be an understatement.

But nowhere more so than at the Mandarin Oriental. The Hong Kong-based hotel group acquired the property in 2018 and opened the hotel after a complete renovation in 2019. Upon arrival, we were led to a sitting room overlooking the lake for check-in and sat in splendor with everything from custom Italian chinoiserie wallcoverings by Eric Egan for Fromental and sculptural artwork by Marta Sala to original coffered ceilings and antique inlaid parquet flooring that were lovingly restored upon Mandarin Oriental’s takeover.

During a quick tour of the property, our guide told us the 19th-century main estate, Villa Roccabruna, once belonged to famed opera singer Giuditta Pasta. Legend has it that Pasta often serenaded composer Vincenzo Bellini, a neighbor across the lake, at night. The rumor is Bellini later wrote Casta Diva from his opera “Norma” for Pasta. And romance truly does permeate the property — fellow honeymooners snuggle during aperitivo on the terrace of the CO.MO Bar & Bistrot, while an events team set up for a wedding in the hotel’s centuries-old botanical garden (we took advantage of the lakeside fireworks show that night) and couples in matching hotel robes hold hands while flip-flopping their way to the spa.

We’d arrived with ambitious plans to explore all of Lake Como’s charming towns, like Bellagio and Varenna, but ultimately only left the property once for a two-hour classic wooden boat tour with Como Classic Boats . On just our second day lounging by the floating infinity pool — an architectural marvel by Swiss architecture firm Herzog & de Meuron that was just unveiled in 2023 — we looked at one another and said, “I never want to leave.” So, we didn’t. It’s that good.

Instead, we woke each morning to the sunrise reflecting off the lake (nearly all the hotel’s 75 rooms have balconies and lake vistas). Then, we leisurely made our way to the property’s lakefront restaurant, L˜ARIA, for a standout gourmet buffet breakfast, which is included in the rate. They sprinkled my husband’s coffee each morning with phrases like ‘Good Morning’ and heart symbols, a tradition we quickly warmed to. I never skipped the chocolate chip cookie, a sweet treat to set the tone for the day.

We’d then grab chic white sun loungers and a Tuuci umbrella on the bamboo wood-planked pool deck and alternate between naps, dips in the glossy 130-feet pool to cool off, waving to the boat tours that’d drive by hourly to see the hotel, and ordering the Diavola pizza for lunch and edamame with Maldon salt later in the day for a snack. In the late afternoon, we’d retire to our room for a siesta, a practice we picked up in Capri, then decide whether we’d rather have a casual dinner at CO.MO Bar & Bistrot or something finer at L˜ARIA.

If the itinerary sounds like heaven on Earth, it was. In just 72 hours, I quickly learned there are no better accommodations on the lake — or perhaps anywhere in the world.

Here, my honest thoughts on Mandarin Oriental, Lago di Como.

Mandarin Oriental, Lago di Como

• The newly unveiled floating infinity pool — designed in Switzerland by Swiss architecture firm Herzog & de Meuron, constructed in Finland, and assembled in Italy — is the largest in the world.
• Nearly all the hotel’s 75 rooms (24 guest rooms, 49 suites, and two private villas) offer lake vistas and balconies.
• Chef Chef Massimiliano Blasone expertly blends Italian and Japanese cuisines at the hotel’s lakefront fine dining restaurant, L˜ARIA.

Housed in a centuries-old botanical park on the eastern shore of Lake Como, the hotel offers 75 guestrooms, suites, and private villas set amongst nine buildings. Designed with modern Italian elegance in mind, the rooms are decorated in light and bright earthy hues that don’t detract from the lake views — even the entry-level rooms have balconies and lake views.

All rooms feature custom furniture, luxuriously sized walk-in showers, Diptyque toiletries, and marble bathrooms. We were greeted by a welcome amenity of freshly baked bread from a local bakery when we arrived, and turn-down service each night included not just one chocolate but an entire box to choose from.

The hotel’s prize suite, the Panoramic Suite, features a massive terrace with a sundeck and the resort’s only private swimming pool overlooking Lake Como.

Because the property faces west, you’ll enjoy more hours of sun during the day and spectacular sunsets each night.

Food and Drink

The hotel has three restaurants on the property, each with a distinctive point of view.

CO.MO Bar & Bistrot is the hotel’s informal offering, but don’t let that fool you: The patio is Italian elegance at its finest and sits directly on the lake. It seemed like all hotel guests gathered here each night to enjoy an aperitivo. When the weather is nice, there’s a pizza pop-up Ape Pizza in a three-wheeler van with a built-in pizza oven that can’t be missed. (We loved the Diavola pizza with Fior de latte mozzarella, spicy salami from Calabria, and tomato.)

At L˜ARIA, Chef Massimiliano Blasone blends Italian dishes with Japanese influences (the “two best cuisines,” a passerby said to us at the hotel). The restaurant has floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the lake and a terrace for al fresco dining. We tried the meat gyoza, prawns tempura, rocket salad with watercress, spinach, and cucumber sauce, spaghetti cacio e pepe with langoustines, and stracciatella gelato for dessert. But you must order the grilled Chilean sea bass, a dish worth traveling for.

Poolside restaurant NAMI Café offers Asian-inspired healthy and comfort food. Think pool classics like chips, guacamole, and waffle fries (I’m not ashamed to admit we ordered these daily!) alongside maki, chirashi, and seafood taglioni. The ‘Porn Star Fizz’ with Ketel One vodka, vanilla, and passion fruit soda is a popular cocktail on a menu that also includes frozen margaritas, spicy Palomas, and banana daiquiris.

Activities and Experiences

Don’t miss the floating pool by Herzog & de Meuron. It was designed to blend into Lake Como’s water when viewed from the lake and is finished in dark local Cardoso sandstone. The pool's appearance so closely mimics the colors of the lake that it’s hard to distinguish where one ends and the other begins. There’s a built-in ledge for kids to splash or adults to sunbathe.

The pool is engineered with a catamaran-like form to reduce wave impact, but it rocks with movement on the lake, lulling you to sleep and creating a boat-like feeling. Beware, the pool will close if the lake is too choppy, although it stayed open for our stay.

The hotel has experienced guides, Lisa and Giacomo, on-site who can help create personalized itineraries with adventures like water sports, hiking, horseback riding, golf, and more. The property often hosts yoga, tai chi, and personal training sessions in the gardens, and a fitness center with Technogym equipment is also available to guests.

Guided by a holistic approach to well-being, rejuvenation, and relaxation, the Mandarin Oriental spa is a destination itself. It has a zen garden, an indoor pool and jacuzzi, a Finnish sauna and steam bath, a Himalayan salt room, and luxurious treatment rooms. It’s the largest in the area.

While I had what can only be described as a life-changing ‘Oriental Essence’ massage, my husband alternated between the spa’s cold plunge pool (with a continuous ice drip from the ceiling!), which was recommended to him by a fellow honeymooner, and the various hot tubs.

I had the tension I’d accumulated from a whirlwind eight months of wedding planning treated with custom-blended oriental hot oils (lemongrass spoke to me) and movements inspired by traditional oriental therapies. For 80 minutes, my therapist focused on stress-holding areas like the back, neck, and shoulders. I initially described any massage over 50 minutes as overkill, but I would’ve laid there all day.

Note the spa is a digital-free zone.

Accessibility and Sustainability

Rooms are in various villas throughout the property, and many are accessible via outdoor gravel and stone paths, which may be difficult for those with mobility issues. The property’s restaurants are also accessed the same way.

The hotel prioritizes sustainability. It responsibly procures the seafood in its restaurants and only serves cage-free eggs. The hotel is also single-use plastic-free and buys electrical energy from renewable resources. A switch to LED lighting is in the works, and electric vehicles are available for guest use. The hotel's renovation was developed closely with local and national heritage groups.

On the eastern shore of Lake Como, the hotel is in Blevio, which is just about three miles from the Como city center — but know those three miles are on windy, narrow streets. It’s about a 60-minute drive or boat ride to Bellagio, one of the area’s more popular towns. We rented a car to drive from Milan, which took about 45 minutes, but the hotel has electric vehicles and motorcycles available for guests to rent. The hotel also has its own fleet of boats that guests can charter for a day on the Lake or a transfer.

How to Get the Most Value Out of Your Stay

The hotel is part of American Express’s Fine Hotels & Resorts program, which means card members have access to complimentary benefits like early check-in, room upgrades, daily breakfast for two people; guaranteed 4 p.m. late check-out, and a $100 experience credit to be used during your stay, applicable for all restaurant charges and spa treatments.

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