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Chartering a catamaran: why the deposit is higher
Short answer
Two hulls mean two engines, two saildrives and a beam that fills most Mediterranean berths.
The deposit reflects what a typical repair costs, not the comfort you are paying for.
Put a catamaran's security deposit next to that of a monohull the same length and the gap looks like a surcharge on holiday style. It is not. A catamaran carries two hulls, two engines, two saildrives and two steering systems. Everything that exists once on a monohull exists twice here and can be damaged twice. Add a beam that takes up close to two berths in a crowded Dalmatian harbour, a large surface for the wind to work on, and handling under power that forgives a clumsy manoeuvre far less than most crews expect.
The excess follows the same arithmetic. It is the slice of the deposit the operator keeps when something is damaged, before their own hull cover responds, and it is set by what a typical incident costs on that boat. A grounding with two saildrives to inspect, a topside scrape while berthing in a tight basin, a broken bathing platform: each of these is simply dearer on a catamaran than on a monohull. That is why the deposit sits noticeably higher, and why a small mistake takes a larger share of it.
Two things follow for the charterer. Read the deposit and excess figures when you compare offers rather than when you sign, because two bases quoting a similar weekly rate can be far apart on this point and the number lives in the charter agreement, not the brochure. Then decide whether deposit insurance makes sense for you: it responds to a justified deduction on the terms of that contract. Anything beyond the deposit, because you damaged another yacht or a pontoon, is a liability question and belongs to skipper liability cover.
Worth remembering
Two hulls
twice the machinery, more surface, tighter berths
One deposit
set by what a typical repair actually costs
Compare deposit and excess alongside the weekly rate. They belong in the same column.
Questions
What owners ask us about this
Is a catamaran deposit always higher than a monohull's?
At comparable length, as a rule yes. What binds is the charter agreement of the particular base, and the spread between operators and cruising grounds is wide, so read the figure before you book.
What is the difference between the deposit and the excess?
The deposit is the sum you lodge at handover. The excess is the portion of it the base may keep after damage, before their own hull cover responds. Both figures appear in the charter agreement.
Does deposit insurance matter more on a catamaran?
The amount at stake is larger, so the calculation looks different than on a small monohull. Whether it is worth it comes down to the price against the size of the deposit, which you can work out beforehand.
Does the deposit cover damage to other boats?
No. It concerns the chartered yacht only. Damage to another vessel, to a pontoon or to a mooring is a liability matter and can run well past the deposit you lodged.
Related
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