There are many reasons for choosing a sailing catamaran over a monohull.   Red Gibbons identifies these Top 6 Advantages of a Sail-Cruising Catamaran:

The Tall Ships Challenge 2010 racing series will bring a fleet of tall ships from around the world to the Great Lakes. Sponsored by the American Sail Training Association (ASTA) and Great Lakes United, the event will promote water conservation education and youth sail training. The racing series will take place on the world’s largest fresh water body and will cross all five Great Lakes.

Great Lakes United is a coalition that works to protect the fragile ecosystem of the Great Lakes. Comprised of environmentalists, academics, conservationists, Native tribes and other concerned citizens, the organization works to clean up pollution and stop invasive species in the Great Lakes. The Tall Ships Challenge 2010, billed as “The Race to Save the Lakes,” will take place from June 30 through August 29.

In 2009, ASTA sponsored a Tall Ships Challenge that crossed the Atlantic. See amazing footage of Tall Ships in action in this YouTube video from that event.

The EYC hosts a sail racing program and junior sailing program, as well as a sailing instructional program. Find out more at the Edgewood Yacht Club website.

The Erie Yacht Club is one of the largest and oldest privately owned Great Lakes yacht clubs. Erie Yacht Club is located on the shores of the Presque Isla Bay of Lake Erie. The club was founded in 1895 by George T. Bliss, who served as Erie Yacht Club’s first Commodore. The club’s membership has had ups and downs over the years, but currently boasts a roster of over 1,200 members. Club members are committed to promote, encourage and develop yachting activities on Lake Erie. The club’s Reyburn Sailing School has a 60-year history of teaching juniors and adults water safety and the fine art of sailing.

When the weather turns cold, many East Coast yachtsman dream of the warm waters of the Caribbean. For those lucky enough to make call the Virgin Islands home, the Royal British Virgin Islands Yacht Club (RBVIYC) is an active club that plans an eventful year of raising, cruising, angling and social events. The origin of the RBVIYC dates back to 1973, though a permanent home for the club wasn’t established until 1993.

Country singer Craig Morgan had a hit in 2005 with the song Redneck Yacht Club, where he summed up what weekend boating is all about for many people who are not members of traditional yacht clubs. Here are some lyrics from the chorus:

Bass trackers, bayliners, and a party barge
Strung together like a floatin’ trailer park
Anchored out and gettin’ loud all summer long
Side by side, there’s five houseboat front porches
Astroturfs, lawn chairs, and tiki torches
Regular Joes rockin’ the boat, that’s us
The Redneck Yacht Club.

The video for the song was filmed on Percy Priest Lake in Tennessee. You can see the Redneck Yacht Club video on YouTube.

credit: Maryland Yacht Club

The Maryland Yacht Club is located on Chesapeake Bay at the entrance to Rock Creek, near the Patapsco River in Pasadena, Maryland. The Club has had a long and rich history since its founding in 1908 with 48 members. The club includes over 8 acres of waterfront, clubhouse, swimming pool and 3 piers with slips up to 75ft in length. The clubhouse commands outstanding water views and is a popular location for wedding receptions and other events. Maryland Yacht Club welcomes both boat owners and non-owners as members. Its calendar of annual events and beautiful facilities make it one of the most popular East Coast yacht clubs on the Chesapeake Bay.

Pristine islands are among the most satisfying sailing destinations.  Cumberland Island, a piece of the National Seashore system that lies off the coast of Georgia, is just such a destination. Located between the Intercoastal Waterway and the Atlantic Ocean, the island offers over 14 miles of untouched beachfront. You can anchor on the protected side of the island, near the National Seashore Visitor Center.

Once you dinghy ashore, you can enjoy the peace of the island’s forests and beachfront. You may even glimpse one of the Cumberland Island’s herds of wild horses, or other wild animals including deer, boar, bobcats, armadillos and turkeys.

You can find out more about Cumberland Island and the National Seashore on the National Parks Service website.

Check out this exciting YouTube video of crash tests for the Hobie 33 monohull sailboat. The Hobie 33 is a lift-keel boat designed to be ultralight and ultrafast. Between 1982 and 1986, a total of 187 Hobie 33’s were built. The Hobie 33 continues to be a competitive offshore sailing yacht. Find out more about Hobie 33 sailing events at the Hobie 33 website.

Buying a boat is a life-changing event.  Besides requiring a major investment of money, owning a boat requires a time investment.  Many people dream of buying a boat for years, but after they purchase one they find they don’t enjoy the challenges of boat ownership.  The best way to find out what you’re getting into before buying a boat is to make sure you do all your homework ahead of time.

These are some questions to ask yourself before shopping for a boat:

The answers to these questions will give you a better idea about the type, size and model of boat to buy.  You can research different types of boats online at a website like BoatTest.com.   Compare different models and read articles about independent tests of each model.  Attending boat shows is another great way to see and compare boats.