Chartering a Catamaran for a Multi-Day Trip: What Families Should Settle Before Booking
A multi day catamaran cruise gives a family room to spread out, a galley on board, and a new anchorage each night. Most first-timers choose between a captained crew and a bareboat charter, then settle cabins and route. Here is what to settle before you book a captained charter for Los Angeles and Catalina trips.
By Blue Pacific Yachting Team, USCG-Licensed Captains & ASA-Certified Sailing Instructors
What is a multi day catamaran cruise and how long should a family trip be?
A multi day catamaran cruise is an overnight trip on a sailing catamaran, a boat with two parallel hulls, where your group sleeps aboard and moves between anchorages instead of returning to the docks each evening. Catamarans from builders such as Fountaine Pajot, Lagoon, and Leopard share the same basic plan: a wide cockpit, a shared saloon, and cabins split between the hulls. Families like that layout because adults and kids each get their own space.
Trip length depends on the route. From the Marina del Rey breakwater, Catalina is about 27 to 30 nautical miles, a 5 to 6 hour sail, so a single night spends most of its time underway. Two nights gives you a crossing each way plus a full day at anchor. Three or four nights lets a family settle into one harbor, swim off the back, and explore the beaches ashore.
Out of San Diego, the main cruising grounds are Mission Bay and San Diego Bay, with several anchorages for overnight stays. Shorter hops suit young children well.
Younger kids usually do best with short legs and plenty of swim time. Teenagers often want the longer crossing. For a reference point, our learn-to-sail vacation is a five-day, all-inclusive liveaboard class to Catalina Island, which shows how much a group can fit into one multi day catamaran cruise.
How to charter a catamaran for a multi day trip
Here is how to charter a catamaran for several nights, in the order that saves the most back and forth:
- Pick a base and dates. We operate from San Diego (Safe Harbor Sunroad Marina), Marina del Rey, and Loreto, Mexico. The base shapes which boats you can book, so confirm availability at the base you choose.
- Choose captained or bareboat. The next section compares them.
- Count your guests. Every vessel has a flat USCG cap of 12 guests, whatever its size.
- Match cabins to your group. Tell us who sleeps where, especially with small children.
- Settle the food. Bring your own food and drinks at no extra charge, or have us coordinate catering and/or an onboard chef.
- Share your wish list. Beaches, a sunset anchorage, a morning swim. Your captain shapes the route around the weather.
If you want a licensed captain handling navigation while your family handles the fun, our Multi-Day Charter With Captain is the natural place to start, and our team can match a boat to your dates.
When is the best time to book a multi day catamaran cruise?
San Diego sunset cruises run every day, year-round, and summer from June to November is spectacular, with long evenings at anchor. Winter and early spring bring gray whales migrating along the coast, and dolphins often race alongside the hulls on crossings in any season. Pick the window by what your family wants most: warm swim days or wildlife. Sea conditions vary in every month, so your captain reads the forecast before each leg.
How far in advance should you book a catamaran charter?
Summer weekends, holiday weeks, and school breaks fill first, so book as soon as your dates are firm. Several months ahead is a sound rule for those peaks, while off-peak dates may open up on shorter notice. Blue Oceans (Lagoon 46) sails from San Diego, so check that the boat you want is open on your dates at your chosen base. Ask us about your exact window.
Bareboat or crewed catamaran charter: which is right for a family?
Bareboat means you rent the boat without a captain and run it yourself. A captained charter puts a USCG-licensed Master Captain at the helm. Our captains hold 50-Ton and 100-Ton Master licenses, and our instructors hold ASA certifications from 101 to 114.
| Option | Who runs the boat | Best for | What you need |
|---|---|---|---|
| Captained private charter | Our USCG-licensed captain | Families who want to relax, first-time cruisers | No sailing background |
| Bareboat charter | You and your family crew | Experienced sailors | In San Diego, ASA 114 with 104 plus a sailing resume |
| Learn-to-sail liveaboard | An ASA-certified instructor | Families who want to learn together | Capri 22 keelboat lessons first, then the liveaboard |
Most first-time families pick the captained route. Parents take turns swimming, napping, and cooking while the captain handles the sails, the anchor, and the harbor entry. You also get local knowledge: which anchorage gives shelter, when to cross, and where dolphins tend to show up. Families who want to build their own skills can look at Intermediate Sailing (ASA 103/104) before they try bareboat.
Do you need sailing experience to charter a catamaran?
Not on a captained trip. Your captain sails, and your crew just enjoys the cruise. Bareboat is different. San Diego bareboat charters require ASA 114, the cruising catamaran certification, along with 104 and a sailing resume. The charter company checks skipper qualifications before it hands over the boat, because a catamaran under sail behaves differently from a single hull yacht. If you are not sure you qualify, book a captain for the first trip and build the sailing experience from there.
Planning a group outing in Marina del Rey?
Tell us your group size and target date and our team will confirm which vessels are available for your window.
How much does a multi day catamaran charter cost?
We do not quote dollar figures in this post, because the total depends on the pieces below. A yacht charter or catamaran charter is priced from the same handful of drivers, and knowing them lets you compare quotes fairly.
| Cost driver | Why it moves the total |
|---|---|
| Boat and hulls | Bigger boats with more cabins usually cost more to charter |
| Trip length | More nights mean more boat time and more fuel |
| Captain | A captained trip adds a licensed captain's time that bareboat does not |
| Food | Bring your own, or add catering and/or a chef |
| Fuel, docks, and moorings | Nights in marinas cost differently from nights at anchor |
| Season and dates | Summer and holiday dates are usually the most in demand |
Which of these appear in a quote and which are billed separately varies by operator. Line items such as the base fee, fuel, and provisioning make up self-skippered charter costs, and the mix shifts with trip length.
What is included in a catamaran charter price?
Ask for the list in writing. On our side, every vessel carries an EPIRB, current flare kits, a VHF radio, and life jackets sized for all passengers, so that gear is aboard whichever boat you choose. Food is your choice: bring it yourself at no charge, or we coordinate catering and/or an onboard chef. Our learn-to-sail liveaboard vacations are all-inclusive.
What should families decide about cabins, safety, and itinerary before booking a catamaran charter?
Cabins. Cabin counts and bed layouts vary by boat. Tell us the ages in your group and who shares, since a toddler and a teenager want different sleeping plans. Cabins in separate hulls give each side of the family some quiet.
Safety. Keep it practical. Tell your captain if any child is a nervous swimmer, and ask whether the boat has trampolines (the netting forward) or a hard bow with cushions. Our Bali 4.8, Pelican Bleu, has no trampolines.
Itinerary. Pick one destination and let the rest follow. A San Diego catamaran sunset cruise on the first evening is an easy start. A simple three-day shape looks like this:
- Day one: leave the docks, sail to the first anchorage, swim, and eat dinner aboard.
- Day two: sail to your main destination, explore the beaches, and watch the sunset from the cockpit.
- Day three: a slow morning, then the sail home to the harbor.
On San Diego Bay, you sail past Coronado before reaching open water. Out of Marina del Rey, Catalina is the destination.
Can you charter a catamaran for several days with kids?
Yes. Catamarans suit children because the deck is level, the saloon is shared, and anchoring in calm coves makes swim time easy. Every vessel carries life jackets sized for all passengers. Share each child's age and swimming comfort when you book, and we will help match a boat and a route.
How many people fit on a multi day catamaran cruise?
Up to 12 guests on every vessel. The USCG cap is flat, so a larger catamaran does not carry more people than a smaller one. Overnight berths are a separate question, since cabin and bunk counts vary by boat. A group of 12 for a private charter works best as a day sail, and an overnight family trip usually works best with fewer people. We can confirm sleeping capacity for the exact boat.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a multi day catamaran cruise near Los Angeles, CA?
Yes. From the Marina del Rey breakwater, Catalina Island is about 27 to 30 nautical miles, roughly a 5 to 6 hour sail, so it is the natural destination for an overnight trip. A captained charter handles the crossing while your group settles in, and you can bring your own food or have us coordinate catering.
Can I book a catamaran charter in San Diego?
Yes. Our San Diego fleet is catamarans only, berthed at Safe Harbor Sunroad Marina. Day sails and sunset cruises run on San Diego Bay and Mission Bay, with Coronado across the water, and longer trips use the overnight anchorages in those two bays. Monohulls are available only in Marina del Rey.
What drives the cost of a 3 day yacht charter?
A 3 day yacht charter is priced by boat, number of nights, whether a captain is aboard, food arrangements, fuel and dock fees, and season. We do not publish a flat rate here because those pieces change from trip to trip, so ask for a line-by-line quote that shows what each one covers before you commit.
Are there all-inclusive yacht charters?
Our learn-to-sail liveaboard vacations are all-inclusive. For other trips, you can bring your own food and drinks at no extra charge, or we can coordinate catering and/or an onboard chef. Ask for a written list of what your quote covers, since inclusions differ by trip and by boat.
Plan Your Family's Catamaran Trip With Blue Pacific Yachting
Tell us your dates, your group size, and whether you want a captain, and our team will match you to a boat and a base for your family sailing adventure. Contact Us to start.
Ready to get on the water?
Send us your group size and preferred date. We will confirm availability and walk you through the option that fits.