How to Buy a Used Cruising Catamaran: Online Workshops
Next Workshop-July 16th EDT 7.30Pm
The Mistake Most Buyers Make
Catamarans aren't simple purchases. You're buying a collection of interconnected systems in a corrosive, constantly moving environment — and a used market where the refit cycle, the real purchase budget, and the structural considerations rarely appear in the listing.
Most buyers don't know what they don't know. These workshops change that — before travel costs, surveys, negotiations and emotions start influencing decisions.
I spent $180K after a "perfect survey" on a $450K boat
Rob - Salina 48 Owner
Process & Framework
Understand the lifestyle, the boats, the buying process and the ownership realities — before broker pressure, emotions and sunk costs start influencing your decisions.
Depending on the workshop, topics may include lifestyle realities, cruising goals, budgeting, catamaran selection, assessing listings, refit considerations, surveys, negotiations, contracts and the mistakes buyers most commonly make.
The goal is simple: help you become a more informed buyer. Better questions, better research, better decisions.
What You Dont Hear About Online
Many of the most expensive problems aren't discussed publicly. Owners rarely share negative experiences. Manufacturer NDAs, confidential settlements and private repair agreements mean significant structural issues can remain out of public view for years — sometimes repaired quietly, sometimes not at all.
Surveyors assess the boat in front of them on the day. Model-specific structural knowledge is a different thing entirely.
The result is a gap between the listing, the sales pitch and the long-term ownership reality. These workshops help close that gap.
Real Buyer Examples
$12K issue identified before closing
Outcome: Approximately $12,000 identified and used during negotiations.
$50K+ structural issue identified early
Outcome: Significant issue discovered before the buyer became financially or emotionally committed.
Bulkheads repaired — but not properly
Outcome: Buyer identified the risks early and walked away before proceeding further.
These aren't hypothetical examples.
They're real situations where better understanding, better questions and earlier investigation helped buyers make more informed decisions.
Confidence doesn't come from hope.
Start developing the same decision-making skills, research habits and assessment mindset and processes I use with my consulting clients — well before you commit to a boat.
What My Leopard 48 Taught Me
My Leopard 48, Coco, was advertised as "like new at 7 years old" What I didn't fully appreciate was how much work, upgrading and refinement it takes to turn a production catamaran into a serious long-term liveaboard. And how the refit cycle is beggining.
Solar, a watermaker and a generator are often only half the story. The real lessons came later — redundancy, power storage, tools and spares, self-sufficiency, structural considerations, and the difference between a prepared cruising boat and a project boat.
These lessons are difficult to understand from listings and marina dock walks alone.
Throughout the workshops I'll use Coco as a real-world example — the upgrades, the mistakes, the successes and the ownership lessons learned over seven years and more than 12,000 nautical miles.
This is the education I wish I'd had before buying.
How The Workshops Are Structured
Live, online and intentionally small — so there's room for real discussion and questions relevant to your own situation.
Real-world examples. Practical frameworks. No fluff.
Post-workshop clarification questions answered.
The Buyer Journey
Define your objectives. Understand your options. Research effectively. Assess thoughtfully. Move forward with confidence. That's the journey these workshops are designed to support.
Working with Brokers or Sellers (with out getting pushed)
Buying a catamaran isn't just about understanding boats — it's about understanding the buying process. Brokers, sellers, negotiations, surveys, contracts and due diligence all play a significant role.
Sometimes a single question saves thousands. Sometimes it helps you avoid the wrong boat altogether.
The goal isn't to create professional negotiators. It's to help you become a more informed, confident and prepared buyer.
Cruising Costs Calculator
One of the biggest surprises for new owners isn't a single expensive failure — it's when multiple systems fail together. Standing rigging, sails, batteries, electronics, watermakers, refrigeration, engines. Individually manageable. Together, they can quickly overwhelm an unprepared budget.
My refit cycle framework explains why some purchase decisions set you up for two years of upgrades and $150K in costs before you've even started cruising.
Understanding the purchase price is only part of the story. Understanding the ownership journey is just as important — in workshops, I work through this with tools like the Catamaran Mentor Cruising Budget & Acquisition Planning calculator, which builds out both your ongoing cruising costs and your true purchase budget, so you're planning against real numbers instead of guesswork.
Why learn This From Me
I'm Peter Rollo — founder of Catamaran Mentor,
MBA, 25+ years in business
and 12,000+ nautical miles offshore aboard my own Leopard 48.
Like many of you, I packed up my old life to pursue this dream.
I made expensive mistakes so you don't have to.
I don't sell boats. I help future owners become more informed buyers.
Next Live Workshop-Thursday 16th July 2026 7.30PM EDT
This session is about what you need to understand before you make an offer — the three traps that cost catamaran buyers the most money, and how to avoid them. These are the lessons I wish someone had spelled out for me. Whether you're weeks away from making an offer or still a year or two out, I'll be specific about what you need to be doing at your stage right now. YouTube got you interested. A surveyor will check the boat on the day. Neither is enough — and I'll show you why.
"How to Buy a Used Cruising Catamaran Without Making a $150K Mistake"
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The Age Trap: why the wrong age range costs buyers tens of thousands and a hot sweaty year in a boat yard
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The Model Selection Trap: why a survey alone is not enough protection for major structual issues and what to do about it.
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The Budget Trap: How to set a purchase price refit budget and cruising budget — you'll take home your own scenario-planning calculator, built to answer three numbers before a single dollar is on the line.
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Plus: a closing look at what surprises almost every new owner in year one — the redundancy gap, the real volume of maintenance, how seasons and cyclone zones own your calendar, and the bureaucracy nobody warned you about.
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Plus — every attendee receives an exclusive structural inspection video of my Leopard 48, Coco. A real-world example of what to look for. Not available anywhere else.
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Two weeks of daily access to me via a private WhatsApp group — ask questions, work through what you've learned, and apply it to your own boat search.
Thursday 16th July 2026 · 7:30pm EDT · Online via Microsoft Teams
$195 per household · Limited to 10 places (Can't make it live? A recording will be available to all registered households.)
100% MONEY BACK
SATISFACTION GUARANTEE
Attend the workshop. If you don't believe you've received exceptional value, simply ask for a full refund.
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This session covers the biggest and most expensive mistakes catamaran buyers make. Can't make this date? Register below and I'll notify you as new sessions and topics are announced.