Sailing catamaran or power catamaran in Phuket: which should you charter?
Choose a sailing catamaran for Coral Island, Racha, Maiton, Promthep Cape and Phang Nga Bay at seven to eight knots, from ฿25,900 for half a day and ฿34,900 for a full day per boat. Choose a power catamaran when the day includes Phi Phi, when the group is above twenty, or when you want the crossing done at twelve to eighteen knots, from ฿35,900 for half a day and ฿48,900 for a full day. Horizon Cruises Phuket has 19 sailing and 20 power catamarans in its catalogue; every figure below is the boat's lowest published season rate (low, standard or all-year, as named on its card) for the whole boat with the number of guests included, and the links go to the boat cards with the full season tables.
Speed: seven knots against fifteen
The sailing catamarans in the catalogue cruise at seven to eight knots: the Fountaine Pajot 40 Coco publishes seven, the Nautitech 47 Pepper eight. They sail when the wind allows and motor at about the same speed when it does not. The power catamarans cruise at eight to twenty-four knots, most of them at twelve to eighteen: the Leopard 51 Aurora at twelve, the Leopard 51 Se La Vie at twelve to fifteen, the Indigo 53 Super Mario at sixteen, the Prada 50 at seventeen, the Gin 37 at twenty-four. Over an eight-hour day that difference is the share of the day spent in transit, which is why the long run to Phi Phi is published on power catamarans and motor yachts, and on one sailing catamaran only: the Lagoon 450 St Anna, as a 09:00–19:00 long day at ฿53,900.
Which catamaran for which route
- Phi Phi. Power catamaran. Published days: Leopard 51 Aurora, Phi Phi or Racha Noi, 8 hours, ฿85,900 (12 guests in the rate); Prada 50, Phi Phi + Khai Island, 8 hours, ฿65,000 (10 guests); Leopard 51 Se La Vie, Phi Phi Don + Phi Phi Leh, 8 hours, ฿94,900 (10 guests); Fortuna 55, Phi Phi or three islands, 10 hours, ฿88,900 (25 guests); Indigo 53 Super Mario, 8 hours, ฿84,900 (15 guests). The St Anna long day is the sailing exception.
- Phang Nga Bay. Either type, and the sailing catamarans berthed at Ao Po Grand Marina have the shortest way in: the Fountaine Pajot Astrea 42 publishes Phang Nga Bay with Hong Island and James Bond Island as a 09:00–17:00 day at ฿50,900 (12 guests). On a power catamaran the same bay is ฿60,000 on the Prada 50 (8 hours, 10 guests).
- Coral Island, Racha Yai, Maiton, Promthep Cape. Either type. Sailing: Coco, Racha Yai + Banana Beach, 8 hours, ฿34,900 (15 guests); Pepper, the same routes, ฿36,900 (15 guests). Power: Aurora, Racha Yai or Coral Island, 8 hours, ฿79,900 (12 guests); Gin 37, 9 hours, ฿48,900 (6 guests).
Guests and comfort
Both types stay level at anchor and under way; neither heels the way a sailing monohull does. The sailing catamarans take 12 to 40 guests for a day (Astrea 42: 12; Coco and St Anna: 20; Pepper: 30), and the double-deck Lobster 78 takes 120; they give the day its pace: trampolines on the bow, sails up when the wind is right, engines off at anchor. The power catamarans take 6 to 85 (Prada 50: 20; Aurora: 25; Se La Vie: 30; Fortuna 55: 50; Indigo 53 Super Mario: 55; Pisces 85: 85), with more deck and saloon space for a large group; the Indigo 53s Mario's Brother publishes its full day with air conditioning included in the rate. For a party or a corporate group above twenty, the choice is made by the head count before anything else.
Prices per boat, 2026/27
| Type | Half day from | Full day from | Guests in the rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sailing catamaran | ฿25,900 (Coco, 4 hours, 09:00–13:00) | ฿34,900 (Coco, 8 hours) | 15 |
| Power catamaran | ฿35,900 (Gin 37, 5 hours) | ฿48,900 (Gin 37, 9 hours) | 6 |
| Power catamaran, 21–30 guests | ฿40,900 (Whisky 48, 5 hours) | ฿55,900 (Whisky 48, 9 hours) | up to 30 |
Starting rates by catamaran type, lowest published season, for the whole boat; guests above the number included are charged per person at each boat's published surcharge. National park fees are charged per person: on some boats they are included in the rate, otherwise at the rate confirmed with the quote.
The full lists with season tables: sailing catamaran charter in Phuket and power catamaran charter in Phuket. The Phi Phi day in detail: private yacht charter from Phuket to Phi Phi.
Questions
Is a sailing catamaran slower in practice?
Yes: seven to eight knots against twelve to eighteen. On a Coral Island or Racha day that costs you nothing you will notice; on Phi Phi it is the reason the day is not published on most sailing catamarans.
Which is cheaper for ten people?
The sailing catamaran: Coco's full day is ฿34,900 with 15 guests in the rate. The cheapest power catamaran full day for ten is the Whisky 48 at ฿50,900 for up to 20 guests (9 hours); the Gin 37 at ฿48,900 takes six at most.
Can a sailing catamaran reach Phang Nga Bay in a day?
Yes, from Ao Po Grand Marina: the Astrea 42 does it as a 09:00–17:00 day with Hong Island and James Bond Island.
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