Inshore cruising by multihull

As we begin to witness the first glimmers of a timid global deconfinement, sailing far away is still complicated and events in the medium and long term are unpredictable. Joining up with your multihull, if it is moored in a country overseas, can become an uphill struggle. Sailing in confined onboard mode with almost no contact with land is not very enjoyable. And the same goes for one quarantine period after another. So, before you find the scent of ocean crossings again, why don’t you explore the archipelagos within driving range (or canal range) of your home? The perfect supports for this exercise are the transportable multihulls - mainly folding trimarans or those with telescopic arms - and the slightly larger units, which are nevertheless compact enough to squeeze through the inland waterways. On the US East Coast, the air draft restriction on the East Coast waterways is 65 feet - almost 20 meters, which leaves room for most multihulls up to 40/42 feet. But in Europe, the Canal du Midi for example, requires sailing without a mast with the air draft sometimes limited to 2.36 m (7’9”) for boats that are close to the maximum permitted beam of 5.35 m (17’6”). These last numbers are to remind you of the road gauge: 2.60 (8’6”) in the United States, 2.55 m (8’4”) in Europe. Our multihulls, which are perfect for coastal cruising, can therefore be divided into two categories: transportable vessels and compact cruisers - up to 35 feet in both categories. Take a look at our favorite models which are designed for coastal sailing before a nice trip to the Baltic Sea on board an Astus 24.