Design and Construction
The hull form defines the boat's character. Twin hulls with chined vee-bottoms give the Catalac 8M its vee-hulled catamaran keel type, and the modest 2' 4" draught lets her dry out upright on sand or mud bottoms — a practical trait for a family cruiser anchoring in tidal creeks. With a beam of 13' 6" and a displacement of 3,000 kgs, the boat is a pure cruising catamaran with moderate displacement and modest but adequate sail area; all the Catalac range are built this way, without pretensions to high performance. The 8M and 9M designs were slightly modified to Mk II in about 1980 by adding a skeg and changing the rudders from lifting blades to fixed rudders supported at the base by the skeg, a change that improved windward performance. Production of Catalac catamarans made by Tom Lack ceased around 1985, and about 600 Catalacs in total were built by Tom Lack Ltd., with the 8M the most popular model of the range.
Rig and Handling
Rigged as a sloop with 386 sq ft of main and genoa, the Catalac 8M is not designed for high speed and is absolutely not designed to "fly hulls." The lack of heeling beyond 5 or 10 degrees is a feature many people value, and on all points of sail except dead to windward she is as fast or faster than most similar length monohulls — though offwind they can be a bit faster than comparable sized monohulls. Except in very extreme conditions unlikely in a normal cruise, the boat is virtually capsize-proof, and over the years quite a number have made transatlantic and longer passages. The Mk II's fixed-rudder-and-skeg revision sharpened her upwind manners without turning her into a thoroughbred.
Accommodations
The interior spreads five berths across the central bridgedeck and two hulls. The saloon sits in the central section over the bridgedeck, with standing headroom under the raised canopy and sitting headroom by the table and seating. The forecabin holds a double berth 6' 3" long by 4' 10" wide, reached via the starboard hull and galley area where headroom is 6' 3". The port hull carries a very long double berth — 7' 6" plus but narrow, 23" tapering to 16" — with the heads compartment forward of it. Many Catalac 8Ms were fitted with a fixed shelter over the companionway hatch, giving additional shelter; that structure is actually asymmetric, with sides more vertical on the "doorway" side.
Known Issues and Ownership Notes
Fuel consumption was higher on these boats, particularly with two-stroke petrol engines, a fact worth weighing against the outboard and diesel options. The 8M Catalacs were usually powered by a single outboard of 10 to 25 hp mounted on the back of the bridge deck, while some were built with twin Yanmar 1GM engines of 6 or 9 bhp; outboard-powered boats had the engine mounted centrally on the back of the bridgedeck. Twin diesels were often 10 hp each, or outboards of 10-25 hp. The higher burn of two-stroke setups is the one recurring ownership caveat the record flags.
The Verdict
The Catalac 8 is a deliberately undramatic cruising catamaran: a glass-reinforced-plastic evolution of a 1960s plywood family boat, refined in the Mk II to track better upwind, and proven on ocean passages without ever pretending to be fast. She offers walk-around beam, upright drying, and a berth layout that uses both hulls and the bridgedeck sensibly. The only documented downside is fuel burn with certain engines.
Pros
- Virtually capsize-proof in normal cruising except extreme conditions
- Dries upright on sand or mud with 2' 4" draught
- Heeling limited to 5–10 degrees; as fast or faster than similar monohulls offwind
- Proven transatlantic and longer passage history; most popular Catalac model
- Five berths across two hulls and central saloon with standing headroom under canopy
Cons
- Higher fuel consumption particularly with two-stroke petrol engines
- No pretensions to high performance; not designed to fly hulls or sail dead to windward efficiently
