Welcome to the Yacht and Catamaran section.
Yachts and Catamarans
Yachts and catamarans are both types of boats but differ in their designs and purposes, as outlined below.
Yachts
Yachts are typically single-hulled (monohull) sailboats or motorboats designed for recreational and luxury purposes. The basic components are a mast to support the sails, sails to catch the wind, a keel to stabilise the boat, and a rudder to change the boat's direction.
They come in various sizes, from small sailing yachts with basic overnight accommodation for a few people to large, luxurious super-yachts with numerous cabins, amenities, and crew.
Yachts that have encapsulated and lifting keels, deck saloons, or a pilot house are for comfortable sailing. For racing, deep bulb keels and smooth decks, either way, simply enjoying time on the water.
Catamaran
Catamarans are multi-hulled boats with two parallel hulls connected by a bridge deck or platform.
Catamarans are known for their stability and speed, thanks to their wide hulls. It makes them popular for various purposes, including leisure cruising, racing, charter vacations, and expansive decks ideal as a fishing boat.
They can be sailing or power catamarans, and an engine in each hull makes them very manoeuvrable.
Catamarans often have more deck space and interior room than monohull yachts of similar length.
Key Differences
Stability
Catamarans are known for their stability due to their wide hulls, while a monohull yacht can heel or tilt more.
Speed
Catamarans are often faster than monohull yachts of the same size because of reduced hull resistance, and in comparison, they are much lighter boats and do not need a weighty keel.
Interior Space
Catamarans generally offer more interior and deck space, making them suitable for larger groups and the charter market.
Cost
Catamarans are more expensive than monohull yachts of similar size due to their advanced design and features.
Choosing between a yacht and a catamaran depends on your preferences, intended use, and budget. Yachts are traditional and luxurious, while catamarans are modern, stable, and spacious, making them suitable for various activities on the water.
Yacht - Maintenance Programme
It is a globally accessible Maintenance Programme designed to suit the individual needs of owners, skippers, and those responsible for the maintenance and operation of their yachts or catamarans.
Our programme covers the mechanical, electrical, domestic, fire and safety systems. It automatically resets the task periodicity when the maintenance has been carried out.
Maintenance Plans
Three core plans – The Primary Plan covers all the mechanics of a boat from the fuel tank to the propeller and takes priority over all other plans. The Primary Drive Plan is the drive system for your boat – both these plans include the critical spare parts list. The Secondary Plan covers the auxiliary, domestic, and ancillary systems.
Maintenance Tasks
The tasks are adapted to a vessel’s needs and should help those new to boating, and those who prefer to do things for themselves and only occasionally look to the boatyard for assistance. Either way, an owner is encouraged through our programmes to manage a variety of maintenance tasks, thus understanding better the systems on their boat.
Maintenance Schedules
Maintenance Scheduling is a way to help the planning of maintenance. Yearly monthly, weekly, daily, and even hourly checks form part of the maintenance schedule. Flexible scheduling has been designed which can be readily adapted to a cruising programme, and periods alongside. We find that leisure boat owners will set their maintenance at the beginning or end of the cruising season.
Yachts & Catamarans - Fire & Safety Equipment Maintenance
Boat Safety and fire maintenance practices are essential for the well-being and safety of your boat and crew.
In many countries the authorities are looking for paperwork showing test certificates and expiry dates for fire and safety equipment, VHF and AIS certification, plus LPG testing. These are systems covered by imardex-marine’s Maintenance Programme.
Yacht and Catamaran Maintenance
Keels
Two keel configurations, the encapsulated and fin (bolted keel) are covered by our Maintenance Programme. Both keel types after grounding can have their own special damage related problems. The hull areas around these keels need to be inspected for stress cracks which can be up to the waterline. A grounding incident inspection report has been developed by imardex-marine to cover this.
Sails
General maintenance includes inspecting areas suffering from UV and chafe damage, checking stitching especially around the clew, tack, and top of sails, around cringle points, and batten areas, also on the plan, cleaning drying and storing of sails.
Rigging
Rigging also forms part of the pre-sea check list. Maintenance of the rigging includes standing rigging and running rigging. Standing rigging - includes stainless steel rod and flexible wire rigging, swages, bottle screws, toggles and clevis pins. Running Rigging - halyards, sheets and lines, blocks and tackle.
Spars
Included in the Maintenance Plan are shroud and spreader root connections, mast head and foot, through deck connections and partners. An in mast electrical wiring inspection, mast, boom, gaffs, bowsprits and spinnaker poles all form part of the programme.
Deck Equipment
All deck equipment is covered by our Maintenance Programme including winches, genoa tracks, travelers cars, jamming cleats - clam & cam cleats plus fairleads and safety line deck connections.
The Membership Package
Please click through to ‘Membership Desk’ to check whether your vessel, engine and drive system are included
Membership is required to access imardex-marine’s maintenance database. To become a member simply click ‘Membership Desk’ and select to pay monthly or annually where you will benefit from a discounted fee.
Benefits of Membership
At imardex-marine we expect that the membership and the use of its maintenance programmes will bring the following benefits:
- A safer boating experience for crew and passengers
- Increased operational efficiency and fewer breakdowns when underway
- Reduction in the general running costs
- Longer life expectancy of machinery
- Greater understanding and knowledge of the systems on your boat
Boat Insurance
Please click here to read our Boat Insurance information.
Services included in the Membership Package
Pre-Departure Checks - A special checklist identifies the necessary safeguards to be undertaken prior to departure. It is supplemented by a list of checks and helpful hints to be followed when underway.
Winterising - A guide and checklist available for winterising your Main Propulsion, Auxiliary and Domestic Systems.
Boatyard Work Guide and Check List - A comprehensive useful guide and checklist, prior to a boat yard starting work on your boat.This information has been put together with the help of the imardex-marine team and members who have many years of experience in dealing with boatyards and marine workshops.
Action after Grounding - A check list to assist the boater through a grounding scenario, and what to look for when inspecting keels, rudders and hull section, after such an event.
Back up and support from the imardex team
The imardex team is available to answer any queries or problems you may have, please send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with your telephone number, and a brief description of your query.
Miscellaneous Information
New Developments
Boat Shows and Show Boats
A directory of Boat Shows around the world for 2023/2024
Electric & Hybrid Boats
Imardex-Marine has outlined a brief summary of this new form of boating.
Emission Control & Waste Management Guidelines
This new section deals with 21st Century environmental issues.
Boating Holidays
Boating Holidays with some very interesting destinations - 2023/2024
Non-Destructive Testing & PTFE Spray Lubricant
Two Maintenance products that could be useful to have aboard.
None-Destructive Testing (NDT)
Spars and standing rigging connections can be inspected for hairline cracks, which are not visible by the naked eye by using the None-Destructive Testing (NDT) technique.
There are two types of NDT testing systems available for the yachtsman, Ultra Sound which is very effective but needs training to understand the kit and resulting data.
A much simpler technique is the Dye Penetrant Crack Detection System which comprises of three aerosol sprays, a cleaner, the dye, and a developer. Follow instructions carefully and photograph the results, cracks will show up as a distinctive red line. Also ideal for checking cracks in solid stainless-steel rigging, chain plates and toggles, masts and booms where there could be areas of stress related cracks behind tangs, spreader roots, and connections. Particularly test the area around the foot of the mast.
PTFE – Spray Lubricant
Regarding sheaves, cars and travelers, winches (not the greased areas) furling gear etc. PTFE spray is recommended, it does not a absorb dirt and dust and is ideal for the sailing environment.
The Modern Diesel Engine its Fuel and the Environment
Modern Diesel Engines
To reduce the increasing threat to the environment and global warming, the harmful emissions of diesel engines have to be reduced. The search for cleaner emissions has resulted in engine manufacturers redesigning fuel delivery systems to the cylinder. Common rail diesel delivery being one system. Injector pressures in the 70’s was around 300 bar (4,351 psi), today pressures are in excess of 2,500 bar (29,000 psi), this higher injection pressure is a key factor in reducing an engine’s untreated emissions. It also improves atomisation by having a better fuel air mixture ratio, meaning that optimum combustion is achieved giving enhanced power output and efficiency.
Fuel & Additives
To reduce harmful emissions from diesel engines, the sulphur content of diesel fuel over the last few years has been reduced from 500 parts per million to 15 ppm. This fuel is now known as ULSD (ultra-low sulphur diesel). This dramatic reduction has resulted in problems for manufactures and operators of diesel engines and diesel fuel distributors. There is a full programme of maintenance and preventative measures to combat diesel bug outlined in the members section, entry by subscription. Engine and Generator Lubricating Oils can be sent for testing, we can advise you on this.
Diesel Engines - Maintenance
We have designed a comprehensive maintenance programme to be followed by owners of marine diesel engines. Requiring only basic skills, this maintenance programme covers all the mechanical work to keep the engine in a seaworthy condition. It does not include tasks where rebuilding is required.
Modern Boat Engines & Drive Systems
Modern Boat engines have a higher power to weight ratio and are usually more reliable and cleaner than older engines. Many now have electronic controls to optimize fuel consumption and efficiency. Our maintenance plans reflect this increase in power, by the addition of rescheduled maintenance tasks.
Posted by : The imardex-marine team
