Sailing Catamaran, Power Catamaran or Motor Yacht: Which to Charter in Phuket

Scroll through the yacht rental catalog and many boats look alike in the photos. On the water, though, a sailing catamaran, a power catamaran and a motor yacht give you very different days. They differ in speed, in how many guests the base price covers, in cabins and in what the crew already includes.

Put simply: a sailing catamaran is space at a slow pace, a power catamaran is space with speed, and a motor yacht is a saloon, cabins and comfort for a smaller group. Speedboats sit apart: usually no cabins, but nothing gets to the far islands faster.

Everything below comes from the catalog rows: model names, speeds, capacity, cabins and prices. Prices are for the whole boat with crew, not per person, and refer to the cheapest period unless stated otherwise. If you are still deciding whether you need a private boat at all, read yacht or group tour first.

The sailing catamarans in the catalog are slow by design. Lagoon 44, Lagoon 45, Lagoon 500, Nautitech 40 and Fountaine Pajot 45 cruise at about 7 knots, Leopard 38 and Bali 40 at about 8. The one exception is the 2016 Leopard 51, rated at up to 14 knots. Their descriptions use words like stable and unhurried, and that is the point: a day of swimming, lounging and conversation, not five islands in a row.

Power catamarans cover the middle ground: about 10 knots on Power Catamaran 52 and Power Catamaran 70, up to 13 on Power Catamaran 38 Stealth, 14 on Leopard 40 and Leopard 51 Power, 15 on Prada, Sea Explorer 47 and Power Catamaran 53 Indigo, 17 on Power Catamaran 40 and 18 on the power version of the Fountaine Pajot 40.

Motor yachts are no faster. The classic Grand Banks 53 Sambuca and Halvorsen 50 cruise at about 10 knots, and people pick them for quiet and comfort rather than pace. Azimut 46 and Majesty 48 reach 15 knots, Princess 42 about 16 and Maestro 51 up to 18. Speedboats play a different game: Ocean Pearl 42 cruises at 30 knots and Speedboat 39 tops out at 35, roughly four times the speed of a sailing catamaran.

You can see the speed in the route lists. None of the 7-8 knot sailing catamarans above offers Phi Phi; they go to Coral, Racha, Maiton, Khai, Naka and Phang Nga Bay. A day trip to Phi Phi shows up on power catamarans from 13 knots, for example Power Catamaran 38 Stealth at 45,000 THB for up to six guests, on motor yachts from 15 knots and on speedboats. Our guide to Phi Phi by yacht, catamaran or speedboat compares every option for that island.

Every private boat comes with two numbers: how many guests the price covers and the most it can take. Each guest above the base costs extra, and this is where the three types differ most.

Sailing catamarans take from 9 guests (Fountaine Pajot 45) to 25 (Lagoon 44, Lagoon 500 and the 2016 Leopard 51). Most prices cover 10 guests, but Lagoon 44 is priced for 15 and Lagoon 500 for 20, and extra guests cost 1,000-2,000 THB each.

Power catamarans carry the most people: 10 on Power Catamaran 38 Stealth, 20 on Prada and Sea Explorer 47, 40 on Power Catamaran 46, 45 on Power Catamaran 53 Indigo and 50 on Power Catamaran 70. The base varies just as much: 6 guests on the Stealth, 15 on Sea Explorer 47 and Indigo, and a generous 25 on Power Catamaran 46. Extra guests cost 1,000-2,300 THB.

Motor yachts are built for smaller groups. Azimut 46, Halvorsen 50 and Princess 42 take up to 8, Maestro 51 up to 12, Majesty 48 up to 15 and Grand Banks 53 Sambuca up to 20. The base runs from 6 guests on Princess 42 to 10 on Grand Banks 53 and Maestro 51, with 1,500-2,000 THB per extra guest. No boat listed as a motor yacht in the catalog takes more than 20, so a group of 25 or more is better off looking at catamarans.

Cabins matter even if nobody sleeps on board. During the day a cabin or a closed saloon means shade and somewhere for a small child to nap.

Sailing catamarans almost always have 3-4 cabins: three on Leopard 38, Nautitech 40 and Fountaine Pajot 45, four on Lagoon 44, Lagoon 45, Lagoon 500 and Bali 40. Air conditioning is listed on Lagoon 45 and Fountaine Pajot 45. Nautitech 40 and Fountaine Pajot 45 take up to 6 guests overnight, Bali 40 and Lagoon 45 up to 8, while Lagoon 44, Lagoon 500 and Leopard 38 work as day boats only, cabins or not.

Many power catamarans are day boats. Power Catamaran 53 Indigo has no cabins at all, Prada and Sea Explorer 47 have one, and Power Catamaran 40 has one cabin for two. The larger ones are different: Leopard 40, with three cabins, sleeps up to 6, Leopard 51 Power and Mufasa, with four, sleep up to 8, and Power Catamaran 70, with six cabins and a jacuzzi, sleeps 10 adults and 4 children. Air conditioning is listed on the Fountaine Pajot 40 and 47, Power Catamaran 52 and Mufasa.

Every motor yacht in the catalog has cabins: two on Grand Banks 53, Halvorsen 50 and Princess 42, three on Azimut 46, Majesty 48 and Maestro 51. Azimut 46, Halvorsen 50 and Majesty 48 list air conditioning throughout. They sleep 4-6 guests, and Princess 42 does not do overnights.

A 2-day, 1-night trip in the cheapest period starts at 99,900 THB on the sailing Lagoon 45 (meals not included), 100,000 THB on Nautitech 40 (full board) and 130,000 THB on the Grand Banks 53 motor yacht.

Prices are easiest to compare on one route. Take a day around Maiton island, combined with Coral or Khai, for a group of ten in the cheapest period. Below is the total for the group, with the cost per person in brackets.

Speedboat. Speedboat 39 does Maiton and Coral in 7 hours for 29,000 THB for up to eight guests, plus 1,200 THB each for the ninth and tenth: 31,400 THB in total (3,140 THB), Thai lunch included. Ocean Pearl 42 does Maiton and Khai in 8 hours for 42,900 THB for up to ten (4,290 THB), lunch not included.

Sailing catamaran. Lagoon 44 spends 9 hours at Coral and Maiton for 39,000 THB for up to 15 guests. Lunch is 400 THB per person, so 4,000 THB for ten and 43,000 THB in total (4,300 THB).

Power catamaran. Power Catamaran 38 Stealth does Maiton and Coral in 8 hours for 40,000 THB for up to six, plus 1,500 THB for each extra guest: 46,000 THB for ten (4,600 THB), lunch included. Prada does Maiton and Khai for 65,000 THB for up to ten (6,500 THB); lunch is ordered at an island restaurant. Leopard 40 does Khai and Maiton for 73,000 THB for up to ten (7,300 THB), lunch included.

Motor yacht. Grand Banks 53 Sambuca does Maiton and Khai in 8 hours for 60,000 THB for up to ten (6,000 THB), meals included. Maestro 51 covers Khai, Maiton and Coral for 109,000 THB for up to ten (10,900 THB), with lunch and beer included. Majesty 48 on Khai and Maiton: 105,000 THB for up to eight, two extra guests at 2,000 THB and 7% VAT on top, 116,630 THB in all (11,663 THB).

The pattern: for ten people a speedboat and a sailing catamaran cost about the same, 31,400-43,000 THB for the day. Power catamarans start close by, at 46,000 THB for the compact Stealth, while the roomier models cost 65,000-73,000 THB. A motor yacht starts at 60,000 THB for the slow, classic Grand Banks 53 and runs to about 109,000-117,000 THB for yachts doing 15-18 knots.

Two to six people after a quiet day: a half-day sailing catamaran (Lagoon 44 on a Coral island morning for 27,000 THB) or the Hanse 43 sailing yacht at 39,000 THB for 8 hours from June to October for up to 8 guests, lunch included. For a classic motor yacht on a smaller budget, book a 3-hour sunset cruise: Halvorsen 50 at 39,000 THB or Grand Banks 53 at 40,000 THB.

Ten to twenty-five people who mainly want to swim and relax: a sailing catamaran with a large base, Lagoon 44 (priced for 15) or Lagoon 500 (priced for 20). They will not take you far, but at Coral and Maiton a full base of 15 or 20 guests brings the cost per person down to 2,600 or 2,000 THB plus lunch.

Far islands in one day: a power catamaran doing 13 knots or more, or a speedboat. The speedboat is cheaper and faster; the catamaran gives you more room, with a Thai buffet lunch on Power Catamaran 40 and a water slide on Prada.

Small children, heat, and a need for shade and a cabin during the day: a motor yacht such as Azimut 46 or Majesty 48, or an air-conditioned power catamaran such as Fountaine Pajot 40 or Power Catamaran 52.

A party of 30-50: a large power catamaran. Power Catamaran 46 (priced for 25, up to 40), Power Catamaran 53 Indigo (up to 45) or Power Catamaran 70 (up to 50, with lunch and a jacuzzi).

What the 'from' price buys. The site shows each boat's cheapest option, and that is often a short trip. On Lagoon 44, 'from 27,000 THB' is a 5-hour morning at Coral island; on Prada, 'from 45,000 THB' is a 5-hour trip; on Grand Banks 53, 'from 40,000 THB' is a 3-hour sunset cruise. Their full days start at 37,000, 60,000 and 55,000 THB.

The base and the extra-guest fee. Work out the total for your whole group before you book.

Lunch, VAT and transfer. The motor yachts in this guide include lunch on an 8-hour day; catamarans vary: 400 THB per person on Lagoon 44 and Lagoon 500, 500 THB on Leopard 38, not included on Prada and Mufasa. On Majesty 48, Sea Explorer 47, Power Catamaran 46 and the 2018 Power Catamaran 53, 7% VAT is added on top. The taxi to the marina is extra on Lagoon 44, Lagoon 500, Prada and Grand Banks 53, and included on Azimut 46, Majesty 48 and Maestro 51.

Season and route supplements. The cheapest period is May to October on most boats (from June on Lagoon 45), and the New Year weeks are the most expensive almost everywhere. For Phi Phi, Leopard 40 adds a 25,000 THB fuel surcharge, and Mufasa adds 28,750 THB for Phi Phi, Racha or Krabi. National park fees are almost always extra; Princess 42 and the power Fountaine Pajot 40 include them.

Overnight-only and weekly boats. The 2023 Lagoon 52 is chartered only with a night on board, from 199,000 THB for 2 days and 1 night, and Sunreef Eco 60 only by the week, from 1,467,000 THB plus a 25% advance for expenses. Neither is a day price. Private boats are booked with a 5,000 THB deposit. Send a request from the yacht rental section with your date, group size and preferred type, and we will come back with options and the total for your group.