Catamarans are keel-less sailboats.
Instead of a dagger-like piece of wood
or metal keeping the boat
upright, a catamaran is
two pontoons attached
together, with a sail in
the middle. Since they
use triangular rigging, catamarans can
tack and outperform square-rigged ships,
especially in windy conditions.
Catamarans are nearly impossible to turn
over, unless they happen to be sailing
through a hurricane. They do not use
fuel. The numbers below represent
average winds.