About Ocean Catamarans

So, you want to go cruising? Want to get away from the daily grind?
You want to travel the oceans and experience new places! The entire world can be your playground!

You want a simpler lifestyle--a lifestyle where you dictate the demands; and you’re considering a catamaran to help make the journey more enjoyable.

Well, in our opinion you started looking in the correct place. The Ocean Cat 49 was designed by cruisers who continue to blue water cruise. In 1990 they acquired a boat company and built a 38-foot catamaran. Seven years later after logging over 100,000 miles they spoke to hundreds of cruisers to find out what they liked and disliked about their own boats. During this time they relinquished their interest in the company and soon found that they desired a larger, faster boat. After searching in the United States and Europe they could not find a production boat that met their needs and decided to design and build a boat based on their personal desires and which incorporated many of the needs other cruisers had expressed. The Ocean Cat 49 was born based on their sailing experiences and this market research.

They set out to build a sleek, fast, low-maintenance boat. It not only had to perform but it must have exceptional water clearance under the bridgedeck and exceptional sailing qualities. It had to be strong yet lightweight. They strived to be innovative, while still remaining practical; seeking out new finish materials and creative utilization of space.
What did the research and experience tell them that they did not already know?

They spoke to owners of monohulls, multihulls, trawlers and powerboats. Cruisers stated that that they did not want to necessarily go fast; but they definitely did not want to go slow. When a weather window came they wanted to get to their destination before the window closed. Comfort in rough seas or at an anchorage was discussed and all agreed that catamarans certainly had the advantage. While all the couples wanted a comfortable roomy boat that had adequate user friendly storage they were aware that weight carrying capabilities always directly related to performance.

Full time cruisers had strong opinions. Items discussed included the following. The majority of owners hated the maintenance that exterior teak required; although they found interior woods beautiful, many did not care for the darkness or the constant vigilance and upkeep teak soles required after a few years. They wanted low maintenance easy care finishes that let them enjoy the boat and the environment they were in, not be a slave to it.

Women wanted more counter space in the galley area and lots of storage (at least enough storage so that they would not have to take out five items to find the one they needed). Air circulation/ventilation was also a concern. The large majority of cruisers consisted of a husband/wife team; this made multiple cabins and heads a big discussion point. Although many enjoyed visitors for short stays they definitely did not want a charter boat version with four bedrooms and baths. The consensus was that two, maybe three berths with two bath areas was plenty.

All couples who have spent time on the water wanted easier access to areas that would require maintenance, i.e.; generators, water makers, refrigeration, plumbing, wiring, etc. They were tired of balancing on their head or becoming a contortionist to work on something. All experienced cruisers appreciated simplifying systems as much as possible. Because after all, when you're out there on your own, miles from land or at a foreign port, whether something works or not depends on you! The rule you live by is that the systems work or you do without -- as you become the systems manager and maintenance department.

An area specifically dedicated to a tool room/workshop was high on the priority list and a laundry room was considered a real convenience. We took all of this information and many more ideas into consideration when we designed this boat.