The market for offshore catamarans is exploding. The new generation of catamarans are bigger, faster and a die-hard angler’s dream. Whether you need to travel 75 miles quickly to your favorite fishing spot or you want to head over to the Bahamas with everything you need, the new breed of offshore catamarans can do it all.
Invincible and Freeman are two of the most popular manufacturers of offshore catamarans in the 34 to 46-foot range. Freeman offers four models to choose from: a 34, a 37, a 42 and their new 47. Invincible offers four catamaran models: a 35, a 37, a 40 and their new 46 (as well as a lineup of monohulls). Today, we’ll look specifically at the Invincible 40 as compared to the Freeman 42.
When it comes to speed, range, fuel efficiency, fishability, spaciousness and amenities, both boats deliver. While two feet smaller than the Freeman 42, the Invincible 40 offers much of the same features.
The Invincible 40
- LOA: 40’2”
- Beam: 12’
- Draft: 22″
- Dry Weight with engines: 15,000 lbs
- Fresh water: 80
- Fuel capacity: 800 gallons
- Max power: 1800 hp
The Freeman 42LR
- LOA: 42’0″
- Beam: 11’9″
- Draft: 24″
- Dry Weight with engines: 14,500 lbs
- Ready to fish: 17,500 lbs
- Fresh water: 20 gallons
- Fuel capacity: 800 gallons
- Max power: 1800 hp
Fishability on both vessels is outstanding. The power and range of these boats are an obvious draw, but the myriad of features to enable a day pursuing your trophy catch is impressive to say the least. These boats offer numerous rod holders everywhere you might want them, huge livewells, fish boxes, tackle stations and storage for all your gear. With the beam extended all the way forward due to the catamaran hull design, the deck spaciousness of these center consoles is excellent. You can fish from every part of these boats with ease.
There are a few differences you’ll notice between the Freeman 42 and the Invincible 40 when spending time on them. First, the Invincible 40 comes with an optional dive door. The dive door is super useful for when the kids want to do a little swimming, but it can also come in handy when you’re pulling in a large fish. Perhaps not a deal breaker for many, but once you’ve become accustomed to using the dive door, it’s hard to go without it.
The bow on the Freeman 42 sits a bit higher than that of the Invincible 40. While catamarans, generally, sit a bit higher with higher freeboard than that of a monohull, the Freeman bow area sits even higher and has a step up in the bow which could be a tripping hazard in rough seas. The closer proximity to the water line on the Invincible can make various activities a bit easier, whether its walking around the deck or gaffing a fish.
The Invincible Brand
Additionally, the Invincible’s massive research & development efforts behind the hull construction make the boat really shine when leaning into high speed turns (similar to monohull handling). Long a criticism of the way catamaran’s ride, Invincible has spent considerable time and money innovating and improving the handling of its catamarans. These efforts continue to push the category to new heights.
While Freeman and Invincible are both indeed mainstays in the large cat category, Invincible’s approach to entering the market is quite unique. Backed by years of experience in the monohull market, Invincible took its time, spending years on research and development in order to enter the catamaran segment with a truly unique product.
Invincible partnered with legendary naval architecture firm Morrelli & Melvin, one of the world’s foremost authorities on multihull design. Armed with the resources of an established company and a partnership with premiere naval architects, Invincible started from scratch and spent years developing its entry into the market. The result was the impressive 40 Catamaran by Invincible. Following its successful launch, Invincible rolled out the 37 and the 35, and more recently, the 46.
Invincible’s patented, hybrid, semi-asymmetrical multihull design is the foundation of seakeeping abilities not seen in other catamarans. Simply put, no catamaran can execute the high-speed turn like an Invincible.
While backorder wait times may vary depending on the season and short-term increases in demand, generally speaking, Invincible is going to be building its boats slightly faster than Freeman due to its larger facility.
The company’s resources also mean they’re willing to accept near-endless variations of its product line. Buyers can customize just about every feature on the boat including things such as cup holders, rod holders, windshield type, seating layout and more. While many manufacturers like to limit options to simplify its build processes, Invincible just says, “Yes.” To about everything.
While the deep-V center consoles still reign supreme in Florida waters, more and more anglers are becoming interested in the catamaran option. With the latest outboard engines, these massive 40-foot catamarans are tough to match up with when it comes to deck spaciousness, speed, range and fuel efficiency.
While the entire line of Invincible catamarans will get you at least a 400-mile range at 40 mph, the 40 Invincible will offer 650+ miles at a 40-mph cruising speed. For anglers on the west coast of Florida where long runs are the norm, it just doesn’t get any better than this.
Are you in the market for an offshore catamaran? Consider talking to the Tom George Yacht Group team. The team of TGYG experts can help walk through your needs and wants and recommend the ideal boat for you and your family, ensuring long-term satisfaction on the Florida waters.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are offshore catamarans so fuel efficient?
Catamarans can run with less water displacement than your typical monohull. Less displacement means better fuel economy. The less surface area via the two, narrower hulls as compared to a monohull means great fuel efficiency but also contributes to a comfortable ride since it can cut through the water with less “slamming.”
Do catamarans offer a better fishing experience compared to a monohull?
With regards to features such as rod holders, rod storage and livewells, the features are typically similar. Anglers appreciate the increased deck space that the catamaran offers as well as the ample storage, but the speed and range of these boats allowing Floridians to get to their favorite fishing spots fast really make these boats shine.
Are offshore catamarans becoming more popular in Florida?
While center console monohulls continue to be the most commonly owned boats around Florida, the offshore catamaran has seen a surge in popularity especially for anglers on the west coast of Florida where long runs are typical. The offshore cats started to be seen by Gulf coast fishing charter outlets a few years ago, and the newer line of larger, more powerful catamarans are giving even die-hard monohull enthusiasts compelling reasons for consideration.
