Design and Construction
The Dart 18 is a true multihull with solid fiberglass hulls and a 7.5-foot beam carried on an 18-foot overall length, displacing just 285 pounds. The hulls follow the familiar beach-cat form but carry no centerboards; instead the lower hull sections wear skegs typical for a beach catamaran. Both hulls are fitted with flotation inserts so buoyancy is retained if a shell is breached, and each hull is accessed through a rear hatch cover for inspection or service. Assembly is a shore-side ritual: main and rear beams clip to the hulls with spring-loaded retaining pins, and the trampoline is laced to beams and hulls. The first example, built in Falmouth, now resides at the National Maritime Museum Cornwall.
Rig and Handling
The rotating mast stands 8 meters and is stayed by a forestay and two shroud wires with no spreaders, a simplicity that keeps tuning approachable. Shroud tension is altered merely by moving bolts in the chainplates. The mainsail, at 12.92 square meters, carries nine full battens and no boom, sheeted through a 7:1 purchase with a ratchet-and-cleat block; the 3.16-square-meter jib uses two short battens and a 2:1 sheet. A single trapeze supports the crew, and the boat can be sailed solo without a foresail. On the water the design is rated at a Portsmouth Yardstick of 805 and a D-PN of 76.3, and can reach speeds near 20 knots. A gennaker of 15.5 square meters may be added with a jib-furling setup but is barred from racing.
Accommodations
This is a day-racer, not a cruiser. The Dart 18 is built for a crew of one or two, with a trampoline spanning the hulls rather than enclosed volume. The manufacturer frames the boat as adaptable for everyone and easy to rig, a versatility that means a single sailor or a paired crew can launch and race without complication.
Refits and Ownership
Class rules have constrained alteration, but the boat's tool-free rudder system speaks to ownership ease: the two rudders remove without tools, retract on beach impact, and lock in the up position for trailering or shallow work. Because the beams attach with spring-loaded clips and the trampoline laces on, an owner can dismantle the cat for storage or transport without specialized gear.
The Verdict
The Dart 18 endures as a one-design beach cat with a vast international fleet and a forgiving, fast platform. Its strict class rules protect value and fairness, while flotation inserts and retracting rudders make it practical for beach launching. The lack of centerboards and a boomless main keep it simple, though the racing exclusion of a gennaker limits offwind experimentation for serious competitors.
Pros
- Large global one-design fleet under continuous licensed production
- Hull flotation inserts preserve buoyancy after damage
- Tool-free, impact-retracting rudders ease beach handling
- Simple rotating mast with adjustable shrouds and no spreaders
Cons
- Gennaker and furling jib setup not legal for racing
- No centerboards; skeg-only hulls limit upwind lateral resistance versus board cats
- Day-boat only; no enclosed accommodation for overnights
