cruising catamaran with daggerboards

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Catamaran basics The daggerboards: understanding and adjusting them

Having a catamaran with daggerboards means enjoying better pointing ability than an equivalent model equipped with fixed stub keels, which are inevitably shorter. It means that you can also optimize drag, speed and even safety. Partially integrated, with foils...an inventory of the daggerboards on our boats and how to use these appendages.

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Published 01/04/2015

By Emmanuel van Deth

Published: may / june 2015

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Issue #: 141

Published: May / June 2015

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1) All the Catanas are equipped with daggerboards. They are very long, and held structurally in their cases by the whole height of the hulls. Simple and strong, but beware of the significant windage in the raised position.

2) The latest Catana models are equipped with curved daggerboards. On the 59, the foil effect is worth 500kg at a speed of 15 knots.

3) The latest Outremers have adopted shorter structural cases, to reduce the size of the daggerboards. Less windage in the raised position and less weight, but the construction is more complex…

4) Numerous trimarans are also equipped with daggerboards/centerboards. They can be central and integrated into the accommodation, as aboard this Dash 750.

5) Other trimarans, such as the Tricat 25, are equipped with centerboards integrated into the floats.

6) Builders such as Outremer provide stopper knots for the daggerboard control lines; a good way to judge the position when the daggerboard is not visible.

7) Once the daggerboard is out of its case, it is easier to judge: the lifelines are an excellent adjustment indicator!

8) To windward in light weather, the daggerboards are fully lowered, to take advantage of maximum 'grip' on the water.

9) When the speed increases, it is worthwhile raising the windward board to optimize drag. Note: a daggerboard which moves is no use. Therefore we raise it!

10) But for safety, it is preferable to raise the leeward appendage: in the case of a strong gust, the risk of the boat ‘tripping up’ is thus reduced. The compromise could be to raise both the daggerboards by half... It’s up to you to judge!

11) Downwind, the daggerboards are no longer useful, especially when the boat exceeds 10 knots... Keeping one third of the surface can however help the helmsman or the autopilot to steer a straighter course.

12) Heavy weather? Raise them completely so the hulls slide. On the other hand, with big seas from behind, (just like downwind in more manageable weather) it may be useful to keep a little daggerboard lowered to avoid yawing.

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Which Catamarans Have Daggerboards? Detailed List and Comparisons

Choosing a catamaran with daggerboards can greatly enhance your sailing experience, especially if you value performance.

Daggerboard-equipped catamarans are typically faster, more maneuverable, and can navigate shallow waters with ease.

Below, we explore the benefits and trade-offs of daggerboards, and how they work, and offer a comprehensive list of catamaran models that feature them.

Why Choose a Catamaran with Daggerboards?

Daggerboard catamarans are designed for superior performance. Unlike fixed-keel catamarans, they can sail closer to the wind when going upwind, offering a faster and more efficient sailing experience.

Daggerboards also allow you to lift the boards, reducing the draft and enabling anchorage in shallow waters. This flexibility makes daggerboard catamarans ideal for performance sailors who prioritize speed and versatility over comfort.

One reason daggerboard catamarans tend to outperform their fixed-keel counterparts is the attention to weight and materials.

Builders of these boats often use lighter materials , which contribute to better performance. The focus on performance also means that these boats are designed by top naval architects to optimize hull design and hydrodynamics .

Carbon fiber is commonly used for its high strength-to-weight ratio , especially in hulls, masts, and daggerboards, making the boats faster and more efficient. Fiberglass , a widely used material in boat construction, balances strength and weight but is heavier than carbon fiber. To learn more about fiberglass construction and its applications, you can visit our guide to boat fiberglass .

However, it’s important to consider the trade-offs. Daggerboard catamarans typically have less interior space because of the daggerboard compartments, which may limit the boat’s overall comfort.

The complexity of handling daggerboards also adds to the learning curve, and these boats are generally more expensive, with daggerboards adding around $30,000 to the overall cost.

How Do Daggerboards Work?

Daggerboards are retractable keels that provide stability and control to a catamaran.

Unlike a fixed keel, daggerboards can be raised or lowered depending on sailing conditions, offering greater flexibility. When sailing upwind, lowering the daggerboards increases the boat’s ability to sail closer to the wind by reducing sideways drift, also known as leeway.

When sailing downwind or anchoring in shallow waters, daggerboards can be lifted, reducing the boat’s draft and allowing the catamaran to navigate through shallower areas that fixed-keel boats can’t reach.

Benefits of Daggerboards:

• Enhanced upwind performance : Reduces leeway by providing a more effective lateral resistance.
• Shallow-water navigation : Can be lifted to reduce draft, allowing for easier access to coastal areas.
• Adjustability : You can lower or raise them depending on the conditions, optimizing performance in both calm and rough waters.
• Complexity : Requires more attention and skill to operate, especially for novice sailors.
• Maintenance : Daggerboards require regular checks and maintenance due to wear and tear.

Catamarans with Daggerboards: List and Comparison

Here is a detailed list of popular catamaran models that feature daggerboards, including key specifications and performance highlights.

Benefits of Having Daggerboards on a Catamaran

• Enhanced Performance : Daggerboards allow catamarans to sail closer to the wind, making them faster and more efficient, particularly in upwind sailing.
• Shallow-Water Navigation : With the daggerboards raised, the draft can be as little as 3 feet, allowing you to anchor in shallow waters and access secluded bays that other boats can’t.
• More Anchorage Choices : The shallow draft offers more flexibility when choosing anchorages, giving you more options to avoid crowded marinas or busy beaches.

Disadvantages of Daggerboards

• Learning Curve : Handling daggerboards requires more sailing knowledge and effort. Unlike fixed keels, daggerboards need to be raised or lowered depending on the sailing conditions, which adds to the complexity.
• Reduced Comfort : The compartments for the daggerboards take up space that could otherwise be used for living areas. While performance is improved, the interior layout can feel more cramped compared to fixed-keel catamarans.
• Higher Cost : The addition of daggerboards typically adds around $30,000 to the overall construction cost of the catamaran, making these boats more expensive than their fixed-keel counterparts.

Why Choose Daggerboards Over Fixed Keel?

Choosing daggerboards over a fixed keel boils down to a trade-off between performance and comfort. If your priority is speed, efficiency, and the ability to navigate shallow waters, daggerboards are the clear choice. Daggerboard-equipped catamarans can cross oceans faster and handle upwind sailing with ease. This makes them ideal for experienced sailors looking to take on long passages or circumnavigations.

On the other hand, if comfort is your main concern and you’re planning shorter, more leisurely trips, a fixed keel might be a better option. Fixed-keel catamarans are generally heavier and slower but provide more living space, making them more suitable for those who prioritize onboard comfort over speed.

Daggerboards are for sailors who expect to make longer passages and have some sailing experience. These boats offer unparalleled performance but require more knowledge and skill to operate effectively.

Final Thoughts on Choosing Daggerboard Catamarans

Daggerboard catamarans offer unmatched performance for sailors who value speed, efficiency, and the ability to navigate shallow waters. While they come with trade-offs like reduced comfort and higher costs, the advantages in terms of sailing capabilities are clear. Whether you’re planning to cross oceans or explore shallow anchorages, a daggerboard-equipped catamaran is a great choice for performance-driven sailors.

By comparing models like the Catana , Outremer , and Dolphin 42 , you can find the best catamaran to suit your sailing style and needs. For those looking to combine performance with some degree of comfort, catamarans like the Outremer offer a perfect balance.

If you have any experience with daggerboard catamarans or know of models that should be added to this list, please share your thoughts!

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Daggerboards: how to adjust them on your catamaran

Author : Nikki Henderson

When I asked the Outremer Ladies’ community for suggestions on webinar topics, ‘Daggerboards’ was top of the list. I wasn’t surprised. I don’t think I’ve had a day out on an Outremer with prospective or current owners where daggerboards were not discussed.

It makes sense that there is a curiosity about daggerboards; using them properly is essential if you want your Outremer to perform. What is interesting though, is how confusing people find them.

One thing I’ve realised is that for some people, the issue is similar to my relationship with electronics (hate) and engineering (love). Things I cannot physically see are inherently cloaked in mystery and much more challenging for me to understand. This can be the case with daggerboards: they are hidden underwater and so are often forgotten or misunderstood.

The other reason that daggerboards can be confusing is that they affect not just the performance of a catamaran, but also the safety. Sometimes the theories contradict each other and lead to conflicting advice as to the right and wrong way to use them. In fact, there is no one ‘rule’ about daggerboards. The key, as with anything on a boat, is to understand the reasoning behind the basic daggerboard practices, so that you can make your own decision based on your own unique circumstances that you encounter at any particular time.

I hope this blog will help you build this critical foundation of understanding so that you can set sail safely and with confidence. Daggerboards – like sail trim – is a subject of continual learning. See this as step 1 in the life-long journey.

Catamaran daggerboards: how should they be adjusted for optimum sailing?

Daggerboards are best thought of as an ‘underwater sail’ – sometimes called a ‘foil’. Just as a sail above the water needs trimming – so does the sail under the water. But unlike the sail above the water, the daggerboard only has one trim option: how much of it is exposed below the hull.

When sailing upwind the daggerboards provide resistance and lift under the water to balance out the sideways effort force from the sail above the water. In more simple terms, daggerboards help the boat move forward rather than sideways when sailing upwind. Therefore, when sailing upwind, the assumed best practice is to have the daggerboards down. [UP-wind = DOWN-board]

When sailing downwind, the effort force from the sail works almost entirely in the direction you need the boat to go. Therefore, you do not need the resistance under the water from the daggerboard to help with the direction. In fact, it will probably hinder you from sailing deep downwind and slow you down. Therefore, when sailing downwind, the assumed best practice is to have the daggerboards up. [DOWN-wind = UP-board]

Generally, when sailing with wind on the beam – a good ‘go-to’ trim set up is one that is somewhere in the middle of downwind and upwind trim. Therefore, a good starting point for a beam reach would be to lift the daggerboards half-way up.

Which catamaran daggerboard for which sailing conditions?

For any competent dinghy sailors who understand daggerboards, this is the most common question as they are typically used to using only one!

An important key principle, is that a daggerboard is only effective when it is submerged in the water. Therefore, if you were sailing the boat purely for performance in a flat sea, you would always need to be trimming at least the leeward one. If the windward hull lifts slightly here and there (which it does fractionally in any substantial wind) then the windward daggerboard is not working efficiently.

Do you drop the windward board? In relation to performance, this depends on how much underwater resistance you need.

In very light winds, the standard practice is to lift the windward daggerboard all the way and only trim the leeward board. When both daggerboards are down, (for simplicity) there is now double the ‘underwater sail’ area. This would likely imbalance how much power there is from the light winds on the sail above the water, and literally ‘drag’ the boat and slow her down.

As the winds increase, there may be a time where you feel you want more underwater resistance, and you could consider lowering the windward board as well. You might find your course over ground improves. Then it was a good decision. If your speed decreases, it might be creating too much drag and you should lift it back up.

If the wind continues to increase further, it is likely you will choose to reef the main. If we return to the concept of the daggerboard being the ‘underwater sail’, if you reef the main, then consider reefing the daggerboard and lifting some up slightly with each reef you put in upwind to keep the boat balanced.

You may be wondering how such a tiny thing as a daggerboard could balance out the enormous sail area of a main sail. The answer here is that water is a much denser fluid than air, and so the daggerboard needs much less area to create the same force than it would do if it were in air.

Safety at sea: adjusting daggerboards to avoid risks

This is where things start to get a little confusing.

The leeward daggerboard being down will increase the risk of ‘tripping up’. Therefore, in any significant sea state – or possible impending increase in wind/seastate such as if you are close to a mountainous shore line – where you feel that the hull is, or may, lift a lot, it is in fact safer to lift the leeward daggerboard and only use the windward one. Be aware that you will see a drop in performance as this contradicts the performance best practice of trimming the leeward board and not the windward.

The safest option entirely in very large sea states where the sea is actually tilting the boat significantly from side to side as she rolls down waves is to lift both daggerboards, so you float along waves like a raft.

‘Tripping up’ is a phrase used a lot and in fact sometimes misunderstood. To explain what it means:  if there is wind/waves coming from the side of the boat and the windward hull lifts slightly in a wave, or there is a gust and the sail powers the boat forward – the leeward hull can ‘dig in’ to a wave and trip the boat up. The best way to imagine this is imagine getting one of your shoelaces on one of your feet stuck but the rest of your body is still walking. You will fall over. Same with the boat.

A converse argument to lifting the daggerboards up, is that dropping both of them will protect the underside of the boat – from grounding, or from hitting a submerged object. Having both daggerboards partially down can protect the propellor. Having them at ‘deck level’ can protect the rudder. In other words, if you hit something then it will hit the daggerboard before the more fragile underwater equipment.

Another argument against lifting the daggerboards entirely, is that with no daggerboards, your rudder is doing all the ‘resistance-work’. It is hard to believe, but it also acts as a very tiny underwater sail too. There will be a huge load on the rudder with no daggerboard at all and this risk is probably not worth the gain in speed on a long downwind ocean crossing. One way to spot if the rudder is working too hard is just look at your autopilot rudder angle – if it’s maxing out and having to work very hard to keep the boat going straight then you probably have too much sideways slip. It’s a bit like the boat is sailing on an ice rink. In that case, I’d recommend putting both of them down a touch. This will benefit both the ruder and the autopilot (therefore power consumption).

(Read our Safe Sailing article to learn more about safety on board)

Using daggerboards is a balancing act! Boat weight, weight distribution, sail area, wind strength, sea state, sail trim are all things that effect the decision for how to use the daggerboards: how much daggerboard to use and which one (or both) to use.  This is why it’s not an exact ‘one size fits all’ rule and anyone who tells you so is probably oversimplifying it which could lead to a dangerous sitaution. But start using them and see how the boat feels. The beauty of buying an Outremer is that if you keep her lightweight and trimmed well, then she will talk to you and tell you what feels good. Don’t believe me? Try sailing a brand-new Outremer out of the factory before she has anything on – then compare it to one with four peoples’ life belongings on – and you will see what I mean. 😉

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Setting off on a catamaran with the best sailing weather

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Catamaran VS Monohull: what should you choose to sail around the world?

Sailing around the world is a dream come true: you discover the world to the rhythm of the wind and the stopovers, exploring new destinations every day as you sail. If you’re just starting to read this article, you’re probably nurturing this project. Are you planning to sail around the globe? Then the choice of ship for your next voyage is crucial.

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Catamaran Daggerboards and Keels – Woods Interview # 9

• Post author By Diane Selkirk
• Post date March 27, 2021
• No Comments on Catamaran Daggerboards and Keels – Woods Interview # 9

I am with Richard Woods, and we are talking about catamarans. He’s a legendary catamaran designer and experienced catamaran sailor of many different designs. This is one of several interviews we’re having on different topics. Today, we’re talking about daggerboards versus keels. Richard will tell us a little bit about how daggerboards work, how keels work, and what some of the benefits of each are.

For more from Richard Woods, please go to his website .

Richard, can you start off with what dagger boards and keels do for a boat?

There’s the three basic ways of preventing leeway, which is what you’re going to be doing with a multihull. On a monohull you’ve got the keel. Essentially, it’s for stability to balance the heeling, to stop the boat heeling too much. You don’t have that as a problem on a multihull. You are just trying to stop leeway.

You can do it either with using the hull shape, which would be like a Catalac or Wharram catamaran. Then the next would be to have keels. The third would be to have daggerboards.

You could essentially say that a catamaran with keels is a bit like a long-keel monohull, and the daggerboard catamaran is a fin keel monohull in more terms. I think we all know and all agree that the best sailing boats are going to be the one with fin keels. Then progressively a long-keel boat or keel or one with low aspect-ratio keels on the catamaran, that would be the next best. Then the one relying just on hull shape, whether it’s a test barge or a Catalac is going to be the the least good.

There’s two things on that. One is that the daggerboard prevents leeway better, but also prevention of or reduction of pitching, increasing potential top speed. You want to have buoyancy at the ends of the boat and not in the middle. You imagine a diamond shape sailing to windward, and it pitches up and down, up and down, and you end up hobby-horsing. Whereas a boat with fuller ends isn’t going to do that. Unfortunately, the thing with their keels, is that the buoyancy is more in the middle of the boat.

So there’s the two factors: one is the the sea kindliness of having daggerboards, and the other is the better performance.

A daggerboarded boat is always better, but it does have some disadvantages. The main one is that if you want to beach your boat or dry it out. To me, that’s always a major advantage of a multihull. You got to be able to have lifting rudders, and essentially, you don’t want your propeller to be the deepest part of the boat, or if you’ve got an inboard engine.

The daggerboarded boats work really well when you’ve got outboard engines and when you’ve got tiller steering, because it makes it easier to get the rudders. It is still possible on bigger boats and you can also have a bit of a compromise of having a small keel, and then the daggerboard. Or you can have like your boat was, which had daggerboards in the lead hull, so you didn’t need to lift the rudders. The rudders are still higher than the bottom of the keel.

Although there’s a lot of places in the world where you don’t have to beach the boat, the most obvious to say: the Great Lakes in North America, Florida, the Bahamas, most of the Caribbean in fact, you don’t have to. The Mediterranean. They don’t have tides and so you’re not in the beach.

I’ll just show you this. I’m just going to turn the camera around a bit now. As you can see, this is our house now. In fact, it’s low water and we have about an 18-foot tidal rise, so that’s more than you. It actually is neat, so it goes up quite a bit further. But we are used to drying out for six hours a day, every day when we moor our boats. So for us, it’s much more important to have good protection for the bottom of the boat.

If you’re sailing in Florida and then you sail up to say, Cape Maine, you suddenly get to the box and you get this 10, 12-foot tide, and you do want to go around, either deliberately or what not. With daggerboarded boats, you’ve got to think about a lot more when you’re beaching a boat.

The interior room, you might think that was a problem. But usually you can make the daggerboard, say, fit around the side of a heads compartment, or the galley worktop, or something like that, so it’s never really a problem. You can have the dagger board on the inside or the outside of the hull, it doesn’t seem to make much of a problem either.

But the other thing is that the daggerboards are more expensive to make because you’ve got to make the daggerboard case, which is in effect, same as making a keel. Then the daggerboard and then the controls for the daggerboard, so that all adds to cost and complication.

And there’s definitely a learning curve to knowing how to use the daggerboard effectively, and have that experience. So are they less of a beginner kind of attribute on a catamaran and more of a somebody who’s been sailing for a while?

Yes. There’s no point really, in having daggerboards if you’re not going to use them. Essentially, that means having them in simplest, both down sailing to windward, and then lift the leeboard when you’re reaching, and lift both when you’re sailing downwind. That’s the normal.

But you can have the position of, if you’re sailing in big seas, especially big quartering sea downwind, the tail wags the dog. In other words, the rudder steers, and it’s not actually doing anything, because there’s no hull in the water. Then, it makes it a lot easier having the daggerboards both half down.

So yes, you learn quite quickly how your boat behaves according to whether the daggerboards are up or down.

The other thing that I found, is that a lot of people, when they break a daggerboard, it tends to be the lead daggerboard that breaks. When you’re sailing, that’s the side that gets powered up when you’re pushing down on being hit by a wave, and pushing sideways tends to break the daggerboard.

Of course the other thing is, it’s quite a good ultimate echo sounder. We have never actually broken a daggerboard, on any boat, I don’t think. When we were, this is a good excuse because it was an unmarked reef, but we were sailing off Nicaragua, and we were sailing at eight knots. We hit a reef with the daggerboard and the boat stopped dead. In fact, my wife fell over. It was driving a car at 10 miles an hour into a wall, sort of effect, and once we sorted ourselves out, and we lifted the daggerboard, we lost about the trailing edge, about a foot by four inches being totally destroyed. We had a mill u-volt, a 5/16th u-volt, as an up haul, and that was bent completely flat by the force of the boat stopping.

I guess it was a sacrificial item!

We still sailed.

Right. That’s what I’m thinking. Rather than hitting the reef with your boat, you hit it with something sacrificial. They can be expensive to replace, but…

Yes. We didn’t hit it with the boat, no. We hit it with something that we could carry on for another three months before we actually had it taken out of the boat and repaired.

Of course, that’s always something. If you can take the broken bit to the mechanic, or to the boat yard, that’s always better than doing it the other way around. Usually, you can carry on sailing with one daggerboard or two half-daggerboards, whatever, but it is quite a common problem.

As I say, if you’ve got a conventional inboard engine with fixed rudders, there are quite a lot of multihulls around, even here, but they’re treated like monohulls. You can’t, for example, go to the Scilly Isles and go to Hawaii, and Green Bay, which is a wonderful place to spend a lifetime, really. It’s the nearest the equivalent of going into the Bahamas. But you can’t do that if you’ve got a boat you can’t dry out.

I guess that’s why multihulls became so much more popular in the UK before other places.

Everything in design, it’s always interconnected. Going back to the comfort, and the rolling. If you look at the Scilly Isles, which are 30 miles off the Southwest corner of England, sort of like saying you’re going out of Miami, and there’s the Bahamas. It’s not quite that far, but it’s pretty near the same as going to Bimini.

There’s a whole stack of islands, but the pilot guide says there is no safe anchorage, because it was written by a monohull sailor. We’ve been and they say, “You know, if you go into this anchorage, then you’re going to be as protected as you can be.” We’ve been into those anchorages, and they’ve been horrible, because you’re open to when the tide’s in. You’re open to the ocean because when they’re out, it’s out in the Atlantic. When you can dry out, you go onto these lovely sandy beaches, and you can dry out and you’re safe then.

Well that’s cool. So thank you Richard, that was fascinating on daggerboards and keels.

• Tags Buying Advice , Richard Woods

By Diane Selkirk

I love to travel and have spent the past seven years sailing with my family aboard our 40 Woods Meander catamaran - traveling from B.C.'s north coast, to the west coast of the US, Mexico, the South Pacific, Australia, New Zealand, South East Asia, across the Indian Ocean to South Africa and on to St Helena, South America, the Caribbean and Central America.

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Daggerboard – the importance of in catamaran sailing

Posted by Tim Weston | Aug 13, 2017 | Cruising , Daggerboards | 3 |

The Critical Role of a Daggerboard in Catamaran Sailing

When it comes to catamarans, one common misconception is that they underperform when sailing upwind. This couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, multihulls possess distinct advantages over monohulls, such as stability and speed, that make them highly capable of going to wind—if designed correctly. The daggerboard, however, often becomes the make-or-break factor.

In this post, I’ll demystify the daggerboard, sharing my personal journey of trial, discovery, and transformation when I upgraded my own catamaran’s design.

What is a Daggerboard, and Why Does It Matter?

The daggerboard is one of the most misunderstood components of a multihull. Sailors often debate questions like:

• Are two daggerboards better than one?
• Should you lift them when going downwind?
• What happens in heavy weather?

These questions reflect the lack of clarity surrounding the purpose and function of the daggerboard. When I built my 40ft catamaran,  Tokyo Express , in the 1990s, I faced the same confusion. After a year of frustrating windward performance, I knew I had to dig deeper.

The Problem: Insufficient Keel Area

Through extensive testing and research, I identified a simple yet profound issue: most catamarans lack enough keel area to perform efficiently. Compared to a monohull of similar size, daggerboards on most multihulls are significantly smaller.

The logic behind this design choice seems to stem from the assumption that faster boats don’t need as much keel area. However, this reasoning falls apart in real-world conditions. When the boat slows down—whether due to rough seas, light winds, or heavy weather—the small daggerboards struggle to provide enough lift, leading to poor pointing ability and excessive sideslip.

The Solution: A Larger Daggerboard

Determined to improve my boat’s performance, I spent three months designing and building a new single daggerboard. This board had 150% more surface area than the original twin boards combined. After installation, the difference was remarkable.

Suddenly,  Tokyo Express  could not only point as high as a keel yacht—but also go faster. Sailing upwind was no longer a frustrating experience but an exhilarating one.

Putting the New Daggerboard to the Test

The real test of my new daggerboard came during a fun race in the Whitsundays at the end of a race week. A triangular course competing against a fleet of 130 boats, including high-performance racing yachts, I started on a handicap, being one of the last boats to leave the start line.

• First leg:  I overtook half the fleet on a hard upwind course.
• Second leg: Also hard to wind, I overtook all the multihulls and most racing monohulls.
• Third leg: Downwind, I held my position despite no spinnaker, finishing 20th overall—behind the mostly high-budget maxi yachts.

This performance confirmed what I had suspected all along: the daggerboard was the key to unlocking my catamaran’s true potential.

The Weak Link in Multihull Design

A catamaran’s rig generates tremendous sideward forces, and the daggerboard must counteract these forces to maintain balance and efficiency. If the board is too small or poorly designed, it will stall, causing the boat to slip sideways.

Before upgrading my daggerboard, I experienced several problems:

• Difficulty steering:  The rudders became overloaded, making the boat hard to handle.
• Autopilot burnout:  The excessive strain on the rudders caused my autopilot to fail.
• Inefficient sailing:  I had to ease off the wind, sacrificing my desired course to maintain speed and control.

These issues vanished with the new board. Steering became effortless, and the boat’s performance improved dramatically, even in challenging conditions.

Safety in Heavy Weather

The daggerboard upgrade didn’t just enhance performance—it also improved safety. During a stormy return trip from Vanuatu to Australia, I relied on the daggerboard to keep the boat stable and under control. By reefing the sails and locking the autopilot to the electronic wind vane, I maintained a steady course at 7 knots, even in rough seas.

The upgraded daggerboard gave me confidence in the boat’s ability to handle extreme conditions, turning what could have been a nerve-wracking journey into a manageable one.

The Heart of a Multihull

The daggerboard is the unsung hero of multihull performance. No matter how lightweight your hulls or advanced your rig, a poorly designed daggerboard will hold your boat back. Upgrading this critical component can transform your sailing experience, whether you’re racing or cruising.

Ready to Transform Your Catamaran?

If your catamaran struggles upwind or feels sluggish in heavy weather, it may be time to reconsider your daggerboard. I offer detailed plans for building a large, single daggerboard like the one that revolutionised  Tokyo Express .

Not only will you enjoy improved performance, but you’ll also gain extra interior space by eliminating the second daggerboard—a practical bonus for cruising sailors.

Learn More and Stay Connected

Want to dive deeper into my journey with  Tokyo Express ? My book ,  Building Tokyo Express , shares the story of designing, building, and sailing the boat. My upcoming book will explore the five years I lived aboard, offering insights into multihull sailing and lessons learned along the way.

Visit the daggerboard page to explore more and subscribe to the website for updates and new book launch’s.

Happy Sailing, Tim Weston

Transform your sailing experience. Build a better daggerboard.

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Thanks for posting this information!

Very interesting I recently sail A 6 meter beach cat Thanks

I built the UNI-CAT a fun 14 foot x 7 ft boat the solution to dagger boards for that was to use 4 very & narrow short boards that could rotate slightly 2/3 back from the leading when inserted in their slots. In light winds use all 4, but in stronger winds use only 2. They only added 1 foot to the draft but because thet pointed into wind the boat could point to where you were headed without side drift. Later I modified it to use only 1 but controlled the amount of rotation.

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The first HH44 was launched in 2023 and premiered at the Cannes International Yachting Festival.

This innovative design is the “baby” of the HH Catamarans range and has some interesting features such as her closed transoms, swing aft helms and a side boarding gate aft.

She’s a very pretty cat and will turn heads in the marina. This is HH’s first hybrid electric-powered catamaran although you can also opt for standard diesel power with shaft drives.

There are 2 versions, like much of the HH range. The Sports Cruising model: HH44-SC and the Ocean Cruising model: HH44-OC. The SC version is a “no-compromise-boat” with C-shaped carbon daggerboards, a carbon rig, a painted hull finish and 4,232 watts of solar with EcoDrive.

The OC saves you some money with the same hull, interior fit and finish quality as the sportier SC but with an aluminium mast, e-glass longeron, white gelcoat finish and mini-keels as standard.

Many of the ideas on this boat have been driven by a desire to maximise solar generation. There are 4,232W of peak solar on the cabin top alone with an option for more on the davits.

To maximise the solar, they have positioned the helms aft in a traditional sporty set-up. That way, there’s plenty of surface area up top to load on solar.

To help you stay protected in weather, these swing inboard, under the long coach-roof.

There are foldaway seats that tuck into the sides allowing you to either steer the boat from an outboard position with the wind in your hair and your sails’ tell-tales in full view.

Or swing the helms inboard and steer from the protected three-seat sofa on the aft beam.

To make it easy to board the boat in the marina, there is a side gate aft for when you come in along the dock.

The HH44 has been designed to sail. The whole idea behind this catamaran is to get sailing in light winds (you should match wind speed on a beam reach) and to maximise your SOG over a wide range of conditions.

So she has a self-tacking staysail, a solent, a fractional reacher and a furling gennaker. The boom is very low over the coach-roof which keeps the centre of effort from the mainsail low.

There is a traveller aft on the coach-roof to manage your mainsail shape. The HH44 points well into the wind (45 TWA) thanks to her C-shaped daggerboards which provide a bit of lift at speed.

All the lines come back to the helm, so she is set up for short-handed sailing.

Pros & Cons

Light construction.

Carbon and epoxy have been used to build as strong and stiff a yacht as possible while minimising the weight.

All of the lines run under the decks, so you have clear walkways around the boat. Stanchions are 900mm tall and a continuous, unbroken toe rail runs the length of the deck with all hull and deck joints fused and hidden.

Living Space

Moving inside, you’ll notice that the aft cockpit and salon forms one fully protected space with a large sofa on the aft beam and her closed transoms make this a safe family boat.

The angular cabin has two large, forward-facing windows that open fully from the the generously sized (187 sq ft or 17.4m2) salon. The standing height is over 2m (6’6”) high throughout.

One of the things that sets the HH44 apart from her competition is the quality of the finish on this semi-custom yacht.  She has foam core furniture and exceptional joinery throughout, and Bosch electric appliances as standard.

There are two options for a BBQ, one which replaces the aft sofa with a large LPG BBQ & Dive Tank station or you can mount an LPG Grill in the aft fishing rod holder, keeping the aft sofa. There is an outlet on the aft beam so you can run an electric BBQ.

In the salon, there is an L-shaped sofa with a table forward to starboard and a large nav station/workstation to port.

Tuck yourself into the U-shaped galley behind the nav station or pull out some cold ones from the fridge on the starboard side. The ventilation at anchor is excellent with those huge forward windows.

The starboard hull is the owner’s side and consists of the master cabin aft and a walk-in shower and head forward. The finish has an Italian feel to it and it is very light down here with a large window aft in the owner’s cabin.

This is a 44 foot performance cat, so there is not as much room down her as you’d find in a cruising cat, but she has ample space in the aft cabin and the storage is well organised.

HH offers three different forward cabin combinations. One is the standard layout with a single berth.

The second has a Pullman berth above the standard bed that folds away when not needed.

A third option does away with the beds and replaces them with a large work bench with shelves (for pantry storage or tools) and an extra Fridge/Freezer unit.

If you go for the option with the EcoDrive, the House Bank is powerful enough to run the A/C overnight without the need to run a generator. There is enough power to run the A/C in the master cabin for over three days.

EcoDrive, her Electric/Diesel Parallel Hybrid System The HH44 was designed from scratch to work with a parallel electric/diesel hybrid, with a minimum of 4,232W of peak solar array on the cabin top and hydro-regeneration while sailing.

EcoDrive gives you silent fume-free motoring at 7.5kts, fast torque for manoeuvring, and hydro-regeneration while sailing. Plus you have parallel, trusty diesel engines for safety.

A diesel engine is paired with a large electric motor, much like an alternator sits on a traditional diesel engine. A belt links the two units and a camshaft allows you to flip between the two power systems, giving you good redundancy. And remember, you have 2 of these systems on board!

The system is designed to offer from 1.5 to 3 hours of electric propulsion: more than enough time to exit the marina or anchorage and hoist the sails.

This boat has been designed to get sailing in light winds which ultimately is the key to an eco-friendly sailing yacht. And you will be recharging your batteries as you sail.

You can also fit the HH44 with traditional standalone diesel engines with shaft drives.

The HH44 is an innovative design that will appeal to sailors setting out across long distances who want to sail more and beat well to windward when needed. This yacht is in a different price league to something like an Aventura 37 of course, but there are two options here: the Sports Cruising and the Ocean Cruising models.

She’s a comfortable boat, although there is a trade-off on space down below particularly in the forward cabins.

With the EcoDrive option and a bow locker full of sails, you’ll be able to minimise your diesel usage on this boat while crossing oceans safely and quickly.

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SEAWIND 1600

The 1600 passagemaker reflects our aspiration to create the ideal cruiser in every aspect: this is the ultimate offshore cruising catamaran., pointing ability & shallow draft, the ultimate offshore cruising catamaran.

Captive daggerboards, which don’t protrude through the deck, reduce maintenance and keep a clean deck that could otherwise prove hazardous offshore. Keeping these large foils captive also prevents windage aloft which can cause a catamaran at anchor to swing and swerve about her mooring. This approach conveniently maintains the aesthetic of the stunning Reichel Pugh design. The daggerboard lifting mechanism is run to a dedicated control in the cockpit, so there’s no need to rush forward and then cross the boat to raise the boards.

PERFORMANCE WITHOUT COMPROMISE

Comfort and performance are a trade-off discussed endlessly. The Seawind 1600 Passagemaker strikes this balance through the use of advanced build technologies and continuous weight-saving efforts. Strategically placed carbon fiber reinforcements throughout the structure, Kevlar reinforcement under the waterline and revolutionary daggerboard integration not only make the Seawind 1600 Passagemaker an extremely stiff and fast catamaran, but also gives her the beach ability that so many Seawind catamarans are renown for.

SHALLOW DRAFT

Through the use of Kevlar reinforced hulls with retracting daggerboards and rudders, the Seawind 1600 Passagemaker is safe on a sandy shoal. The minimum draft (with daggerboards and rudders up) is only 54cm – or 2ft 1 inches. That means the Seawind 1600 Passagemaker can enter protected anchorages and waterways inaccessible to almost any other cruiser on the market today.

Designed for extended ocean crossings, the Seawind 1600 Passagemaker has all of the cruising practicality you would expect from a new Seawind catamaran, but delivered on long and fast performance hulls.

High aspect deep retracting rudders and daggerboards offer performance and practicality - this catamaran sailboat tacks easily and is a nimble performer, but has a minimum draft of only 54cm with the foils raised.

At 52 foot, this Reichel Pugh designed performance cruiser offers sailors a true sailing experience whilst not sacrificing on safety or comfort. The Seawind 1600 Passagemaker has proven to be a world class catamaran capable of being sailed anywhere, by anyone.

The Seawind 1600 Passagemaker carries an exclusive interior full of the elegant finish work expected of a true thoroughbred sailing yacht.

A delightful light-oak interior oozes Italian style. The chic grey of the oak interior contrasts well with the modern walnut floor timbers. Soft LED lighting and quality sound system enhance the carefully planned atmosphere aboard.

Reichel Pugh design expertise, along with Seawinds 35 years of practical catamaran handling experience combine to create a yacht ideal for long extended cruising or live-aboard sailing.

Designed by world renowned naval architects Reichel Pugh, this 52-foot luxury catamaran is the perfect balance of cruising comfort and performance sailing.

With simple sailing systems, twin protected helms and a large open cockpit space, this blue water luxury cruising catamaran sets the standard for offshore sailing.

At 52 ft, our Seawind 1600 Passagemaker is the flagship of our range with a brief to be the “ultimate luxury offshore cruiser”. And after thousands of design hours, and thousands more in the early construction and testing phases, that work has been rewarded in a competition we hold in high regard.

SPECIFICATIONS

Overall length, 52'8" / 16.1 m, 26'6" / 8.1 m, 1'9" / 0.6 m, displacement, 31,700 lbs / 14,400 kg, diesel saildrives, 2 x yanmar 57 hp / 43 kw, 196 us gal / 744 litres, fresh water, 174 us gal / 658 litres, 1,558 sq ft / 144.5 sq m, 21'8" / 16.1 m, 200 us gal / 750 litres, 1,080 sq ft / 100 sq m, 478 sq ft / 44.5 sq m, screecher (optional), 990 sq ft / 92.5 sq m, spinnaker (optional), 2,370 sq ft / 220 sq m, recommended options.

DUAL ENGINE CONTROLS

A second electronic engine control mounted at the stbd helm makes for easy maneuvering and makes the boat manageable from either helm.

SIDE CLEARS

These removable role up clears are an essential item for any blue water sailor. Attaching to the outboard side of both the port and stbd helms they allow skippers to remain warm and dry at the helm in even the worst of conditions whilst still allowing for easy access and use of the sail controls.

BATTERY LITHIUM UPGRADE (720AH)

Change from the traditional AGM battery system to a high capacity Lithium system from Mastervolt. This option not only upgrades the batteries but also modifies the entire charging system ensuring a total compatible system including upgraded mastervolt alternators and regulators, additional AGM start battery and DC/DC charging unit.

STORM JIB WITH FURLER

The storm jib is designed for use in winds too strong for the regular jib, typically in conditions 40kts and up. It provides just enough sail area to maintain directional stability.

#SW1600-OPT001

Carbon park avenue boom.

Very simply, the wings of the carbon fiber boom extend outwards to catch the mainsail as it is lowered. Lazy jacks ensure that the mainsail is captured within the confines of the recessed area of the boom deck and hides the bulk of the sail when moored. The sail cover is fit to the inboard groove of the track system installed on the inside perimeter of the boom top.

SATELITE PHONE/DATA WIFI ROUTER IRIDIUM GO

The Iridium GO! is a satellite wifi router/phone. Once installed in the boat the boat will have a wifi hotspot the same as any office/home and all devices (phones, computers, chartplotters, c-zone etc) can then easily be connected to the internet.

B&G forward Scan option

Explore poorly-chartered or unfamiliar waters confidently, avoid upcoming dangers or obstructions and set custom shallow depth alarms with B&G’s forward-looking sensor. With an effective range eight times the actual depth, ForwardScan® helps you avoid groundings or damage to keels and rudders while pinpointing the ideal spot for anchoring.

C-ZONE DIGITAL SWITCHING

The sleek CZone® touch screen digital switching system provides a lightweight sophisticated switching system enabelling control and monetoring of your vessel through the navigation tables touch screen display or through WiFi connection the system can also be controlled at the helm mounted chart plotter or wirelessly via tablet or smartphone.

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Daggerboards

The majority of today's cruising catamarans are equipped with mini keels for reliable and hassle-free operation. There are fewer than a handful of production daggerboard catamarans, which provide the sailor slightly more pointing ability and other advantages as illustrated in previous chapters. Their operation is generally straightforward via either a single uphaul line in case the board is heavier than water, or by an additional downhaul to keep the foil lowered, in case it is more buoyant.

Needless to say, when trying to point as high as possible, the leeward board should be fully deployed. The finer the hulls of the catamaran and deeper the foils are, the more they will contribute to getting the multihull to windward. In very rough conditions, when the boat will be thrown around by wind and waves, it is a good idea to divide the loads between both boards and only let them halfway down.

Marking the daggerboards at deck level will help indicate a "control" depth and assist in judging when they will be extending deeper than the rudders and thus aid in protecing them in case of a collision.

For a more detailed description of daggerboards and their use, please refer to the "Appendages" chapter.

Continue reading here: Tacking

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