Customer Reviews

Sailor's Multihull guide to the Best Cruising Catamarans & Trimarans

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This book touches very superficially on the standard topics found in books on sailing and seamanship. In fact, the first 115 pages appear to have been taken from the introductory paragraphs of chapters from other books and given the authors list that is probably the case. The information is so superficial it is not educational. At the end of each text chapter an individual or a business is recommended to the reader for further help in that area. The next section of this book is advertising that includes color pictures of boats and accessories, information that is readily found in sailing magazines. The final section that starts at page 128 and goes to page 471 is a two page per boat general information and specifications that are clearly provided by the manufacturer. No effort is made to evaluate or categorized any boat for its appropriate use, i.e. inland water, coastal or blue water use, but are all categorized as a `cruising' multihull. This book is essentially a $21 catalog or directory of multihull boats. It is an infomercial in book form.

This book was a disappointment. See A.Amatori's 21 March 2003 review - I concur with it completely. Wish I would have read that review before purchasing.

On the plus side, it does provide an overview of many of the currently produced multihulls in case you want basic info.

Far better books are Chris White's "The Cruising Multihull" and Charles Kanter's "Cruising in Catamarans".

This book is a mediocre directory of multihulls in production today. It is divided in three sections.

The first one is a collection of previously published articles that can typically still be found on the net (for example Eric Smith's excellent "Good Cat/Bad Cat" essay).

I was disappointed to find that next comes a paid advertising section. This may explain why some of the articles appeared to be edited for political correctness - better not upset any one manufacturer.

The last section is the directory proper, in which each multihull model gets its own two page black and white spread with general specs, a side view, and the layout. The information is very light, and this is where the book falls short: it appears to be a passive compilation of manufacturer supplied specs, exactly what you can find in a couple of minutes of surfing on the net. There was no attempt to collect some of the hard to find data or diagrams that are sometimes conveniently left out by manufacturers to hide a weakness of their model: for instance many catamarans are missing data on payload, bridge deck clearance, Static Stability, polar charts, etc. The graphics are minimal often without deck layouts or underwater profiles. Also there was no additional value added information or insights that could be gleaned by interviewing the designers and the yards: yard history, model history, etc. And if you are looking for information on a used multihull that is not in production today, you will not find it in these pages.

In conclusion this book is wide on breadth, but short on depth. Unless you are starting from scratch and know nothing at all about the industry you will find it a superficial introduction to what's available in the market today. On the other hand, if you are in the market for a Catamaran, your money would be much better spent on Chuck Kanter's solid "Cruising in Catamarans". It does not have the breadth of this directory, but it is a much more substantial piece of work.

I purchased these two books together and would not do so again as they cover pretty much the same ground.

A major section of "Sailor's Multihull Guide" is taken up with description of a large number of new and expensive sailboats. For my needs this is pointless.

I find "The Cruising Multihull" to be the more useful of the two books.

While I agree to certain extent with the other reviewers, you would have to purchase many magazines and other types of literature to collect this much model specific multihull sailboat information. This book used in conjuction with multihulldynamics.com can be a great resource in comparing one mulithull to another regarding performance and stability.

"Jeffrey has assembled a dozen of the world's multihull authorities to write about all aspects of these vessels, from choosing, buying, and building to chartering and seamanship. A directory of 150 models from around the world is included."

"This guide is a "Must" for anyone contemplating purchasing a multihull ! Later it becomes an invaluable reference when spotting various make encountered while cruising or for those spirited discussions in the club bar. The advise sections on purchasing, surveying, sailing tactics,
insurance etc. are well written and thorough."

"The updated 3rd Edition of the Sailors Multihull Guide is a unique and indispensible work for buyers and professionals alike. I have owned the previous 2 volumes and it is the only publication of its kind in the world. I will be the first one to buy the next one."

"Sailor's Multihull Guide is rather more than simply a reference book or index - it will guide the prospective
buyer or new sailor through every step on the way to reaching their dreams, even throwing in a few chapters on basic sailing and handling techniques." SAILING/SA
Yachting magazine South Africa

"The Third Edition of the Sailor's Multihull Guide is the most up to date and complete compilation on the planet of all the avaliable cruising multihulls currently in production. For anyone looking to buy a new or even used multihull it is a must-have bible and valuable research guide."