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Experience

Catamaran Sailing

A day sail out of Mahé or Praslin: two hulls, a skipper who knows which anchorage is out of the wind, and lunch somewhere you could not have driven to.

At a glanceOn water
How longOne day, or severalA day sail, or several nights aboard
How hardLightGetting on and off a boat, and swimming from it
SeasonYear-roundThe trade winds decide which side of the islands you sail
  1. Aboard at the marinabags stowed, briefing, lines off
  2. Out to the first anchoragesails up once there is room to bear away
  3. Swim, snorkel, eatthe boat stays put for the middle of the day
  4. Back on the afternoon breezein before the light goes

The marina in the morning is all diesel and rope. You step across the gap onto the deck, hand your bag down, and someone shows you where the water is kept and which head to use. Then the lines come off and the harbour slides away.

Two hulls means the boat sits flat, which is the whole reason people who do not sail end up loving a catamaran. There is deck to lie on, a net at the bow that nobody ever leaves once they have found it, and a shaded table where lunch happens. The engine runs until there is room to bear away, and then it goes off and the noise becomes water instead.

A skipper who works these islands is worth more than the boat. The trade winds set which side of which island is comfortable on any given day, and the difference between a lovely anchorage and a rolly one is a decision made an hour earlier by someone reading the sky. You will be taken somewhere that was not on the plan, and it will be better.

The middle of the day is spent at anchor. Swim off the steps, snorkel round whatever granite is nearest, eat, and let the afternoon go slowly. Then back on the breeze, in before the light goes, salt-dried and pleasantly useless.

The longer version is a charter of several nights, moving through the inner islands and sleeping aboard. It suits people who want the sea to be the holiday rather than the excursion, and it pairs naturally with island hopping at either end. Either way, it fits into a Seychelles week without arguing with it.

Good to know

  • Boats sail from Mahé and from Praslin, and the departure point is set by the operator rather than by which hotel you are in. Transfers are arranged with the booking.
  • Shared day sails run to a route and a timetable; private charters do not. Which suits you is usually a question of group size.
  • What lunch and drinks include varies by boat. We confirm it in writing so nobody is surprised at the bar.
  • Bring reef-safe sunblock, a hat that will not blow off, and a layer for the run home. Sun on water is the part people underestimate.
  • Charters are weather-dependent by nature. A skipper who changes the plan is doing the job properly.

Charter rates, day-sail departure points and times, group sizes, what lunch and drinks include, and skipper and crew arrangements are all set by the charter operator. We confirm what applies to your dates in writing before you pay anything.

The engine goes off, the sails fill, and the islands start moving past on their own time.

Where to do it

Where we arrange catamaran sailing

Start from the destination, and we will build the days around this.

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Questions we are actually asked

What does a day on a catamaran cost?
The charter operator sets it, and it moves with the season, the size of the boat and whether you are sharing the deck or have it to yourselves. We quote the current figure in writing with your itinerary rather than publishing one that dates.
Shared boat or private charter?
A shared day sail puts you on a bigger boat with other people and a set route, which is the easy way to do it once. A private charter is your route, your timings and your lunch, and it makes sense for a family, a group of friends or anyone who wants to stop swimming when they have finished rather than when the schedule says.
Do we need to know how to sail?
No. Boats come with a skipper, and on the longer charters a crew. If you can sail you will be handed a rope soon enough; if you cannot, nobody will make you.
Will we be seasick?
A catamaran is steadier than a monohull, and most of the day is spent at anchor rather than under way. The exposed stretches between islands are where people feel it. Take something before you board if you are prone to it.
Can we sleep aboard?
Yes. A live-aboard charter through the inner islands is a proper way to see them, and it goes places a hotel cannot. Cabins are smaller than a room and the days are governed by wind and light, which is either the appeal or the problem depending on who you are.

Keep reading

Where to go next

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