The sailboat, ship, yacht we are familiar with has a monohull but the catamaran is a uniquely designed boat with two hulls, not only that instead of a solid deck they have trampolines installed. It may come as a surprise to you but catamarans are better than the regular sailboat.
When the monohull sailboat is struggling to find stability, the catamaran is greatly stable and it doesn’t end here the trampoline installations are not just a goofy design it has an important purpose to fulfill. Let’s see what it’s
Why do sailing catamarans have trampolines?
In sailing catamarans having a trampoline instead of a solid deck is a simple way to reduce the weight as well as making the space available to use. When the boat is facing high waves, having a trampoline on the front allows the wave to go through pretty easily and makes the boat more stable.
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What is the purpose of the trampoline on a catamaran?
Weight reduction:
Having a trampoline instead of a solid frame reduces the weight pretty dramatically.
Open weave or closed mesh, no matter what trampoline you choose for the catamaran, the weight will be lighter than the solid wooden or metal deck.
Providing stability:
The trampoline allows water to pass through. When you are facing high waves and have a solid framework in the deck then there is a high chance that your boat might overturn.
The solid deck framework will try to resist the wave’s force. But if your boat has a trampoline instead of a solid deck then the waves can easily pass through the open weave or closed mesh trampoline.
Less resistance to the wave makes the boat more stable and reduces the chance of capsizing or sinking.
Adding a Relaxing touch:
You can use the trampoline to sit down or lay down and enjoy a sunbath or just sit and enjoy the vast ocean view.
Sitting on a metal or wooden deck can be quite irritating and uncomfortable and you would need cushions, shade, and lots of other things to make it tolerable to sit on.
Sitting or lying on a trampoline will provide you with a relaxing experience without going through any extra hustle.
Variations in catamaran trampolines
You may find 2 types of catamaran trampoline variation on the market when it comes to differentiating using knitting characteristics. These are
- Open weave trampoline
- Close mesh trampoline.
Open weave trampoline is famous for its built quality and knit. It has large holes which help the water pass through or drain water quickly. It’s a safer option when you are sailing through rough and heavy waves.
Close mesh trampoline is comfortable to walk on. The knits are pretty densely packed. The visual aspects of this close mesh trampoline are great but it takes quite a bit of time to drain the water.
So if you are using a close mesh trampoline on a catamaran then you might have to compromise on sailing on the high waves.
Now you can also find different variations when it comes to building materials and quality. You may find
- Dyneema netting
- Polyester and polyethylene netting
- Webbing
- A mixture of various mesh materials
Among these variations, Dyneema is the most promising one. It will provide sufficient durability and abrasion. Though it’s gonna cost you a little bit of extra money to have these types of netting.
How to maintain a catamaran trampoline
The longevity of the catamaran trampoline will depend on how much it’s in use, how well it’s been maintained, its built quality, and proper installation.
Proper installation:
Proper installation of the trampoline is essential when you are thinking about its longevity. A perfectly installed trampoline will provide proper support to the framework.
If the installation process was not properly done, the trampoline will become loose and saggy which will eventually lead to loss of tension and stability.
So checking the tension and resistance of the trampoline and checking the knits and joints conditions is a must.
Choosing the best material:
The trampoline will be in direct contact with the sun. The sun lights, UV rays, sea salt, and water will greatly put an impact on its longevity.
Choosing UV ray-resistant materials for trampoline will surely increase its longevity. Look out for any trace of rust or broken knits, you should decide if the trampoline is worth restoration or need to replace with a new one.
Not putting excessive loads:
Putting excessive loads on the trampoline will surely make it wear down faster than usual. Overload will weaken the trampoline joint and fibers so keep an eye on keeping the trampoline at ease.
What kind of boat is a catamaran?
The catamaran is a boat with two hulls. The two hulls are equal in size and are parallel to each other.
The distances between are hulls not concealed with solid metal or any other materials. The cavity is covered with a trampoline. This particular design of the catamaran was to provide better stability and resistance to sailing in rough and mighty waves.
Are catamarans easier to sail?
Catamarans the boat with two hulls are faster, better, and much more stable than the boat with a monohull. The catamaran has a better sense of balance. The trampoline attachment not only reduces the overall weight of the boat it also has another purpose.
The trampoline lets the wave pass through so there is a less overturning force to deal with. As a result, you don’t have to put too much effort into controlling the boat. You can say it’s easier to sail a catamaran boat.
Do catamarans flip easily?
The catamaran has two hulls. This particular unique design made the catamaran more stable and easy to control for sailors.
There isn’t any solid deck between the hulls, instead, the cavity is filled up by a trampoline. Now the question may emerge, does this have any negative effect on sailing, will the catamaran flip easily?
To flip a boat there should be an imbalance between the center of buoyancy and the center of mass. But catamarans are stable thanks to two hull designs. Now about the trampoline, it lets the wave pass through so the boat isn’t dealing with any overturning force from the wave.
Now you can rest assured and say that the catamaran boat won’t flip easily.
Are catamarans safer than sailboats?
Sailboats are monohull built and catamarans Have two hulls. This particular design plays a huge role in their sailing experience. The catamarans have a larger contact area with the ocean, instead of having a solid deck the catamaran has trampoline installation.
The trampoline lets the wave pass through and reduces the boat’s overturning force. Now when we are talking about the sailboat it has a monohull which is famous for its leaning and flipping over.
The monohull sailboat doesn’t possess the stability nor does it have anything on board to deal with the waves overturning force. So it concluded that the catamaran is safer than the sailboat.
Are catamarans more stable in the rough sea?
Catamarans are stable and have a low chance of flipping over thanks to their unique two-hull design and the trampoline attachment.
The two hulls provide better stability compared to the monohull boat and the trampoline lets the water pass through and reduces the overturning force. In rough seas, the waves are strong and unpredictable.
The boat sailing in the rough sea doesn’t only have to be strong and sturdy but also be uniquely stable and efficient. The catamarans fall into this category pretty easily. Catamarans are stable even in the rough sea.
I hope you got an overall look at why there is a trampoline on the catamaran. It’s not just for fun hangout attachment it’s much more.
The uniquely designed catamaran, the two hulls, and the trampolines make the boat stable and a perfect vessel to sail in the rough seas. Enjoy the sea with the catamaran, wish you a marvelous sailing experience.