With a displacement of roughly 44,000 pounds and a beam just shy of 28.5 feet, the 530 carries its volume low and wide. That gives each hull serious payload capacity for extended voyaging.
Design and Construction
Royal Cape builds the 530 at its yard in Durban, South Africa, where three dozen employees construct each catamaran from the keels up. The hulls, deck, six structural bulkheads, and bimini are vacuum-bagged using isophthalic resin. The hulls use solid fiberglass below the waterline and balsa coring above it, while the interior furniture is also balsa-cored.
The builder describes the Majestic series as solidly built for ocean crossings and able to handle any conditions encountered. On the 530, modified hull lines modernize the boat’s appearance while bringing more natural light, ventilation, and space to the saloon, galley, cockpit, and cabins.
The decks are flat and uncluttered, with wide 3-foot walkways. Solid stainless-steel safety rails, ample grab rails around the seating, and safety lines for clipping on with a harness in rough seas give the deck layout a deliberately secure character.
Rig, Helm, and Handling
The 530 has a fractional sloop rig with a single spreader. An inner forestay and double outer stays secured to the outside of either hull support the rig while leaving the wide side decks clear for moving around.
A rigid bimini covers the raised helm stations. The starboard side has the helm seat, while the port side has an elevated bench and winch. Sightlines are good once seated, although the climb to the stations is a little awkward. The helm itself sits behind a protective bulkhead.
The reviewed boat carried an optional Leisure Furl boom, an Ullman Sails mainsail, and an overlapping standard genoa. Externally accessed, well-laid-out engine bays allow the crew to work safely in following seas.
Accommodation and Living Space
Buyers could specify as many as six spacious double en-suite cabins. Choices included a six-cabin, six-head charter layout or a four-cabin alternative.
Hull number 13, reviewed by Cruising World, had five cabins and five heads. The owner’s suite forward in the port hull included an athwartship double berth, desk, couch, and en-suite head. The starboard hull contained three cabins, with an athwartship bunk aft and fore-and-aft doubles forward. A Boat of the Year judge praised the fit and finish of the maple woodwork.
In the saloon, a four-leaf dining table sits to port beside an L-shaped settee. The navigation station is forward, and a large island galley faces the cockpit. Outside, the cockpit has two fiberglass tables and a stern cabinet suited to either a barbecue or dive-tank storage.
A 200-litre-per-hour watermaker supplies a washer/dryer and dishwasher, helping make the boat suitable for full-time liveaboard use.
Equipment, Tankage, and Energy
The extended solid bimini can carry up to 6,000 watts of solar panels. Slide-out panels mounted on top of the bimini work with a generator, alternators, and a compressor to power onboard appliances.
Standard long-range tankage holds about 317 gallons of fuel and 264 gallons of water. A dive/swim platform also serves as a tender lift. Buyers seeking a higher viewpoint can choose the Panoramic flybridge variant.
Refits and Ownership
Recent upgrades across the fleet have included changes to the deck, coach roof, and extended solid bimini, with the latter improving the solar platform.
Each hull is built to the buyer’s specification, with superior finishes and is well equipped from the outset. As a result, ownership tends to depend more on how heavily a particular boat was optioned when commissioned than on deferred baseline equipment.
Verdict
The Majestic 530 is a modern, heavily built cruising catamaran with substantial payload capacity and strong liveaboard credentials. It develops the proven Van de Stadt hull shape into a brighter, wider boat with decks designed for secure movement. Its secure rig, protected helm, and energy independence suit long passages, although access to the elevated helm is a minor ergonomic drawback.
Pros
- Vacuum-bagged resin construction with solid fiberglass below the waterline for ocean-crossing durability
- As many as six en-suite cabins
- Liveaboard systems including a watermaker, washer/dryer, and dishwasher
- Flat, wide decks with stainless-steel rails and harness lines for secure movement in rough seas
- Strong solar and generator capacity for off-grid cruising
Cons
- The elevated helm stations are somewhat difficult to climb to
