Design and Construction
The Maldives 32 is a 32-foot catamaran with almost vertical bows, a choice made to maximize waterline length on a small hull. The very curvy superstructure prefigured the styling language of later cats, giving the boat a visual lineage that reads as modern even decades on. Construction used fiberglass with foam-core hull and deck, and the gelcoat lasts rather well according to period observation, a point in its favor for a boat now well into its service life. The compact footprint and avant-garde shaping make it an early statement of Fountaine Pajot's catamaran direction under the Joubert/Nivelt partnership that began with the builder's first production cat in 1983.
Rig and Handling
This is a fractional-sloop catamaran of modest sail area, carrying 592 square feet above a 31-foot waterline, with a hull speed around 7.5 knots and a displacement near 6,600 pounds. The most consequential handling fact is propulsion: the builder opted for a simple outboard motor mounted on a bracket rather than diesel inboards, using a block and tackle system — and sometimes a second one — to tilt the engine's shaft. Because there are no diesels, there are no ignition or engine controls for them. The practical consequence is that you obviously can't reverse both engines, a limitation inherent to the outboard arrangement rather than a defect in execution.
Accommodations
Inside, the Maldives 32 presents a fairly Spartan atmosphere, and Multihulls World cautioned that owners must adapt to that character. The compact catamaran format trades creature comforts for the open, light-filled volume that only a multihull beam of over 17 feet can provide. The boat should be read as a minimalist cruiser whose appeal lies in its platform and trajectory, not in furnished luxury.
Known Issues
The single recurring ownership burden is the outboard itself. Regular maintenance, or even replacement, of an outboard does not represent much compared with two diesels, but it remains a cyclical cost and labor item unique to this propulsion choice. The inability to reverse both engines is a handling constraint rather than a failure, but it belongs in the same conversation for anyone judging the boat's close-quarters manners.
The Verdict
The Maldives 32 is a small, forward-looking catamaran whose outward sophistication masked a deliberately basic interior and propulsion package. Its gelcoat and avant-garde lines have aged well, but the boat asks its owner to accept Spartan living and outboard-dependent motoring.
Pros
- Avant-garde vertical-bow, curvy-superstructure design that still reads as modern anchor
- Durable gelcoat over foam-core construction
- Outboard simplicity lowers maintenance scope versus twin diesels
Cons
- Spartan interior atmosphere requires owner adaptation
- Single outboard means no reversing both engines anchor
- Outboard demands regular upkeep or replacement
