Design and Construction
The Apache measures 40 feet 10 inches, with a 41-foot overall length, a 36-foot waterline, and a 19-foot 6-inch beam. It displaces 16,000 pounds.
Its centerboard-keel arrangement is described as lifting keels, and the boat draws just 3 feet with the boards raised. That shallow draft and substantial displacement help define its character: this is a heavy, stable passage-making platform, not a racing catamaran.
The type has a well-earned reputation for stability and safety, and many Apache 41s have crossed oceans under their own keels. A capsize screening figure of 3.1 and a comfort ratio near 12.65 place the boat among conservative cruising multihulls. Its displacement-to-length ratio of 153 reflects heavy hulls that trade acceleration for steady load-carrying ability.
Rig, Performance, and Handling
The Apache carries a generous rig. It’s a masthead sloop with 710 square feet of sail area and a sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 17.89.
Even so, the high displacement limits its pace. Performance is modest, and a hull speed of just over 8 knots reflects the drag of two full-length hulls. In return, the Apache offers the secure motion and predictable behavior of a beamy catamaran, with full standing headroom on the bridgedeck. It feels settled when heeled and reassuring in a seaway.
Accommodations
The Apache 41 was laid out for extended family cruising, with eight berths distributed among the hulls and bridgedeck. Two heads serve the accommodation.
Full standing headroom on the bridgedeck helps the central living area function as a proper salon rather than a passageway, avoiding the cramped feeling common to smaller catamarans. The 19.5-foot beam provides volume that a monohull of similar length can’t approach. Together with the eight berths, it makes clear that the boat was planned for a full crew spending weeks or months aboard.
Verdict
The Apache 41 trades sparkling performance for ocean-crossing stability, shallow draft, and genuine living space. Its lifting keels and 3-foot raised draft suit anchorages that deeper boats avoid, while the solid-fiberglass construction and conservative ratios reflect a design intended to be lived aboard and sailed far. It won’t win a race, but it was never meant to.
Pros
- Well-earned reputation for stability and safety, with many ocean crossings to its name
- Lifting keels provide a 3-foot shallow draft for gunkholing and easy haulout
- Eight berths and two heads, with full standing headroom on the bridgedeck
- Generous masthead-sloop rig
- Beamy, solid-fiberglass catamaran structure
Cons
- Only modest performance because of its high displacement and heavy hulls
- Shallow-draft centerboard configuration is less efficient upwind than fixed keels
