Traffic has increased quite a bit recently with links to some of my articles posted by a popular blogging couple, The Wind Travelers, who are syndicated in Cruising World and have large followings on social media sites like Facebook. One of the posts they linked to is almost always my most popular week in and out, my list of 10 Best Center Cockpit Sailboats Under 200k. It is with a bit of mixed feelings I see the popularity of this post because I do not agree with the viewpoint it proposes or is interpreted to propose especially for a sailing family like the Wind Travelers. I do not think they made the right choice in their boat purchase.
The better choice for the Wind Travelers would have been a catamaran. If you are just a couple with a tight budget of under $200k, then yes, I think a center cockpit monohull fits the bill. Or if your plan is a no nonsense circumnavigation, a monohull or whatever size and price makes sense – the longest your budget can afford. But for a growing family cruising the Caribbean, a catamaran makes so much more sense in terms of comfort, draft, privacy, and more. Please see my list of reasons why a catamaran might be better than a monohull. Below is a list of 10 catamarans for the cruising family with a budget under $200,000 in alphabetical order.
- Admiral 38
- Catana 381
- Dean 440
- FP Belize 43
- Lagoon 410
- Leopard 3800
- Manta 38
- Prout 38
- Seawind 1200
- Voyage 430
This list was composed from a current scan of available multihulls priced slightly above or below $200,000. Please feel free to comment in and defend the choice of the Wind Travelers. Or chime in with additional suggestions for family cruising cats. If you have a higher budget, you might like my over $300k catamaran list which has a bit of overlap depending on what vintage model you are targeting.