Design and Construction
The CATSMART has a hull length of 37 feet 2 inches, a 36-foot-8-inch waterline, and a beam of 21 feet 2 inches. The builder lists its usable deck area at just over 710 square feet, while Multihulls World describes a near-rectangular, 750-square-foot platform with almost no wasted space.
The boat weighs 19,667 pounds empty and 27,650 pounds at maximum load, placing it in the light-displacement class for its size. Construction follows Bali’s usual method: vacuum-infused fiberglass with closed-cell PVC foam cores, rather than balsa, in both the hulls and deck. In place of a trampoline, a solid composite foredeck platform adds stiffness across the bridge.
Bali’s signature aft door allows the saloon and cockpit to become one continuous living area. The CATSMART carries CE certification for up to eight persons in category A and twenty in category D.
Rig and Performance
The standard sail plan measures 818 square feet, while the maximum upwind sail area is 1,076 square feet. That gives the CATSMART more canvas than the Catspace.
Multihulls World tested the boat at Canet-en-Roussillon in six-to-ten-knot breezes and a slight sea. It proved lively under sail even in light airs, an assessment consistent with the design’s sail-area-to-displacement character.
A draft of 3 feet 7 inches gives the boat access to shallow anchorages. Its spade rudders suit the short-handed steering layout the range adopted.
Accommodations
PIATON BERCO’s interior makes the most of the rigid platform. The full-beam saloon opens directly onto the aft cockpit through the tilt-up door, creating a large, continuous living area. Forward, the cockpit serves both as a lounging terrace and as a structural crossbeam.
The layout emphasizes cabin capacity within a manageable overall length. It’s aimed at families and first-time catamaran owners rather than long-range voyagers who need extensive tankage. Black-water capacity is divided between two 55-liter tanks.
The Verdict
The Bali CATSMART is a thoughtfully condensed cruising catamaran. It preserves the range’s open-plan living arrangement and rigid forward deck in a package that’s small enough to berth easily and sail short-handed. Light-air performance and usable space are genuine strengths, while absolute load-carrying capacity and off-grid range are necessarily modest.
Pros
- Lively, responsive sailing in light wind, according to the Multihulls World test
- Full-beam saloon connected to the cockpit through Bali’s signature aft door
- Rigid foam-core construction and a solid foredeck for stiffness
- More sail area than the Catspace for its length
Cons
- Limited maximum-load displacement compared with larger Bali models
- Modest black-water capacity and inferred tankage for extended cruising
