Design and Construction
The CATSMART’s hull length is 37 feet 2 inches with a 36-foot-8-inch waterline and a 21-foot-2-inch beam, giving a usable deck area the builder lists at just over 710 square feet and Multihulls World describes as a near-rectangular 750-square-foot platform with almost no wasted space. At 19,667 pounds empty and 27,650 pounds at maximum load, the boat sits in a light-displacement class for its size. The construction follows the Bali method of vacuum-infused fiberglass with closed-cell PVC foam cores in both hulls and deck rather than balsa, and the solid composite foredeck platform replaces a trampoline to add stiffness across the bridge. A signature Bali aft door folds the saloon and cockpit together, and the boat carries CE certification for up to eight persons in category A and twenty in category D.
Rig and Performance
The CATSMART carries a standard sail plan of 818 square feet and can be built up to a maximum upwind area of 1,076 square feet, giving it more canvas than the Catspace. Tested by Multihulls World at Canet-en-Roussillon in six-to-ten-knot breeze and slight sea, the boat proved lively under sail even in light airs, an assessment that matches the design’s sail-area-to-displacement character. The 3-foot-7-inch draft keeps her accessible to shallow anchorages while the spade rudders suit the short-handed steering layout the range adopted.
Accommodations
PIATON BERCO’s interior work packs maximum living space onto the rigid platform, using the full beam for a saloon that opens onto the aft cockpit through the tilt-up door. The forward cockpit doubles as a lounging terrace and structural crossbeam. Black-water capacity is split between two 55-liter tanks. The layout emphasizes cabin density on a manageable length, aimed at families and first-time catamaran owners rather than long-range voyagers needing vast tankage.
The Verdict
The Bali CATSMART is a thoughtfully condensed cruising cat that preserves the range’s open-plan living and rigid forward deck in a package small enough to berth easily and sail short-handed. Light air performance and usable space are genuine strengths; absolute load-carrying and off-grid range are necessarily modest.
Pros
- Lively, responsive sailing in light wind per Multihulls World test
- Full-beam saloon merged with cockpit via signature Bali door
- Rigid foam-core construction with solid foredeck for stiffness
- More sail area than the Catspace for its length
Cons
- Limited maximum-load displacement relative to larger Balis
- Modest black-water and inferred tankage for extended cruising
