Design and Construction
Bali hulls and decks are resin-infused and foam-cored, a construction approach that delivers stiffness and weight savings simultaneously. The Catspace rides on short, fixed twin keels with a draft of just over three feet, attached to relatively beamy hulls — 21 feet, 5 inches across — that are engineered for abundant load-carrying capacity. That beam and those keels are a deliberate trade: the shallow draft and wide stance make Caribbean anchorages and Mediterranean marinas accessible while the load tolerance accommodates air conditioning, generators, watermakers, and all the provisions a charter crew might bring aboard. CE certification runs to Category A for ten persons, underscoring the design's offshore-capable intent even if its character is decidedly coastal.
The most talked-about exterior feature is the solid composite foredeck. Rather than fitting the conventional trampolines found on most production cats, Bali chose a rigid foredeck that doubles as a lounge platform — a signature across the range and a meaningful statement about how the company imagines this boat being used. Guests who might balk at stepping onto netting love it.
Cockpit, Flybridge, and Deck Layout
The Catspace places its helm station on a flybridge above the cockpit, reached by steps from either side deck. The arrangement is well thought out for short-handed sailing: winches sit close at hand from the wheel, so a solo skipper or a couple can manage sail trim without abandoning the helm. Handholds are positioned where they're actually needed on the way up. Below the flybridge, an aft garage-style door opens and lifts overhead, making it difficult to discern where the interior stops and the great outdoors begins — a design trick that blurs the boundary between saloon and cockpit and works remarkably well in anchorages and at the dock.
Multiple lounging areas are distributed across the boat: the foredeck platform, the cockpit, and cushioned seating surrounding the flybridge helm. The usable deck area tallies nearly 758 square feet, remarkable volume for a boat in her category.
Saloon and Accommodations
The main cabin is airy for a boat just over 37 feet on the waterline. A large center window opens forward to admit the breeze — the boat is too compact for a second foredeck door — and large sliding windows run along the cabin sides. The galley occupies the forward starboard corner of the main cabin, including a full-size refrigerator, a home-style appliance rather than a marine cooler, which is standard across the Bali range.
Two principal accommodation plans are offered. The three-stateroom layout gives the owner the entire port hull as a private en suite. The four-stateroom version — more common in charter service — arranges athwartship bunks in both forward staterooms, yielding four equal cabins suitable for paying guests. Both layouts share the same generous saloon volume above decks.
Sailing Performance
Expectations need to be calibrated honestly. In about 15 knots of wind the Catspace logged around 4 knots closehauled, and just under 6 knots on a reach in a higher puff. The SA/D ratio of 23 places her firmly in the comfort-cruiser segment rather than the performance segment, and the capsize screening ratio of 3.16 reflects the wide, loaded platform she is. She is stable and comfortable underway; the ride in a Cruising World sea trial was described as comfortable, you bet. Reviewers who sailed the Catspace consistently flagged a code zero or all-round reaching sail as the logical upgrade to add a little more get-up-and-go — it is the one addition that meaningfully expands the sailing envelope without touching the rig.
The standard Yanmar auxiliary drives the boat reliably under power. A Cruising World judge who spent a week aboard an earlier Bali summarized the charter experience as actually delightful, which captures how the boat performs on its own terms.
Known Considerations
The fixed-keel, beamy hull configuration that makes the Catspace so livable involves trade-offs a prospective buyer should understand. There are no daggerboards, so windward efficiency is what it is — the boat belongs to the relaxed-cruising segment, not the performance end of the multihull spectrum. The comfort ratio of 13.52 and displacement-to-length ratio of 156 situate her squarely in the loaded, volume-first category. Sailors accustomed to lighter, faster catamarans will notice the difference upwind.
The Verdict
The Bali Catspace is honest about what it is: a family cruiser and charter platform built by people who also know how to build fast cats, and who chose deliberately not to. The Catana Group's manufacturing quality — resin-infused, foam-cored construction from a yard with decades of multihull experience — gives the Catspace a build standard above many competitors in its class. The interior volume, the solid foredeck, the signature aft door, and the bold, modern design unique in her category add up to a boat that turns anchorages and cockpit hours into genuinely pleasant experiences. Sailors who prioritize speed over comfort will want to look elsewhere. Those who want space, ease, and a capable charter or family platform will find the Catspace an exceptionally well-executed version of exactly that.
Pros
- Resin-infused, foam-cored construction from an experienced multihull yard
- Flybridge helm with winches within reach — genuinely short-hand friendly
- Solid composite foredeck replaces trampoline, expanding usable outdoor space
- Flexible three- or four-stateroom layouts suit both owner and charter use
- Garage-style aft door dissolves the boundary between saloon and cockpit
- Shallow 3-foot draft opens anchorages unavailable to deeper-keeled cats
Cons
- Modest sail area-to-displacement ratio; upwind performance is limited
- No daggerboards means the performance ceiling is inherently modest
- Code zero or reaching sail is almost essential to sail the boat to its potential
