A monohull typically sits deep within the water while a catamaran sits much higher on the water.

What is monohull. The Monohull or single-hull boat is the most popular boat design today. Boat Draft In Shallow Waters. Gone are the days of bracing yourself in the cockpit and living your life.

The movement is very different in itself. The monohull or single-hull boat is perhaps the most common boat design in use today. Downwind cats feel like a house gliding on the ocean at speed while monos roll from side to side.

Monohulls heel upwind and when the wind is on the beam while catamarans stay flat but pitch upwind. A multihull substitutes its breadth or beam for the monohulls heavy keel. Stability is a big plus for families with young children or seniors who are not particularly steady on their feet.

A monohull simply cant be compared to a cat in this regard. Monohulls have a keel underneath their hulls which is generally very heavy made of lead. Multihulls can develop an unpleasant motion in a big sea Upwind most cruising multihulls wont point like a monohull with a deeper keel and when it gets lumpy and fresh the motion can become distinctly unpleasant.

Even when powered up a cat or tri will rarely heel more than 5-10 degrees before its time to reef. The most noticeable thing about sailing a catamaran or trimaran vs a traditional monohull is the lack of heeling. A monohull boat is the typical design that most people imagine when thinking of a boat.

Monohulls are boats that have one hull. Monohulls use heavy weighted keels suspended under water to keep the boat upright. Catamarans on the other hand have two hulls.