Looking for a catamaran? If you're about to spend your hard-earned money on a new one, here's why you should listen to my ramblings below.
A Brand That's Rare to Find Second-Hand
VOYAGE Yachts have been established in catamaran circles for a long time, but they're quite rare to come up on the brokerage market — it seems that once owners buy one, they like to keep it.
VOYAGE produced the Norseman some 30-odd years ago. I first saw one in the Rio Dulce, Guatemala, and ended up selling it for the owner.
We also worked with a charter company that had several VOYAGE 440s and 450s under management out of Palma de Mallorca, in Spain's Balearic Islands. They were always in demand, and we never had a single complaint come in.
The VOYAGE range has always been aimed at both private owners and charter operators, but over the last seven years — with the VOYAGE 590 as their flagship — sales have been predominantly to charter companies.
Back in the days of the 440 and 450, the design was simple: interiors with very little timber, or cosmetic detail purely for looks. But they were great boats — easy to keep clean, and you could almost pressure-wash the interior after a charter, ready for the next client.
Now the new VOYAGE 510 is also produced as an "Owner's 3-Cabin Version," catering to the private sector with a lot more cosmetic flair and modern design, while still keeping the build quality the brand has always been known for. It makes the VOYAGE range even more desirable for a couple with a small family cruising — and just as attractive for charter management.
The Time an Owner "Stole" His Own Boat
At one point, I had a big problem.
We had a Fountaine Pajot Bahia 46 under charter management out of Denia, on mainland Spain, and the owner turned up and "stole" his own boat early one morning. The trouble was, we had the parents of the New Zealand America's Cup team booked on the Bahia — arranged a long time in advance. They were arriving that weekend, and this all happened on the Wednesday. I was panicking.
I managed to charter a VOYAGE 440 from one of our competitors at the time, which saved the day — but it meant picking it up myself from Palma, single-handed, delivering it to Valencia for the America's Cup event, and explaining to the guests why they weren't getting the Bahia after all. It also meant cleaning the boat en route, in a heavy chop, at night, running up and down the steps trying to keep watch.
The guests reluctantly accepted the VOYAGE 440, and I could tell they were a little disappointed at first — I believe they'd chartered a Bahia before. But on their return, I learned they'd loved it: easy to handle, easy to keep clean, no problems, no complaints. I'd felt exactly the same way when I took it over, and I'd also noticed just how well it was built.
Eventually, I came to an arrangement with the VOYAGE dealer at the time and sold three boats. That's what started my relationship with VOYAGE Yachts, all those years ago.
Why We Took On a New-Build Dealership
After-sales service can be a nightmare, and I'd had a great deal of experience with that, working with one of the main catamaran production builders. That experience had put me off new-yacht sales altogether — I was averse to the whole idea. So we had to properly prepare and ready ourselves before taking it on again.
In February 2026, we decided we were finally ready to take on a dealership.
I'd been looking around the multihull show in La Grande Motte, France, to scout brands I might want to work with. I checked out the Seawind stand, Vision Yachts, C-Cat, and others. They were all nice catamarans, and I couldn't fault any of them — but after 35-plus years in the business, I felt I knew what my customers want.
Then I bumped into Bonnie and Ashleigh of VOYAGE Yachts. Even though they didn't have a catamaran at the show, I felt I'd found what I was looking for. VOYAGE Yachts are excellent to deal with — easily contactable any day of the week, and they genuinely pride themselves on after-sales service.
"Selling is nothing but a transfer of feeling — if you can help someone feel about what you're selling the way you feel about it, they'll buy what you're selling." — Zig Ziglar
He also said, "If you help enough people get what they want, you'll get what you want." That sounded like a good plan to me. Ha!
I loved the look of the new VOYAGE 510 and VOYAGE 590 in the brochures and photos online, and judging by the independent tests and reports from French sailing magazines and American and Canadian bloggers, VOYAGE Yachts and Worldwide Catamarans sounded like a match made in heaven.
Inside the VOYAGE Factory
In their new, spacious, modern factory, VOYAGE Yachts are enthusiastically building the owner's version alongside the charter version, the former with a lot more design flair and personalisation. Flat, uncluttered decks. Amazing build quality. Solid fixtures and fittings, with attention to detail second to none.
Flybridge or non-flybridge — no problem. Galley up or galley down — no problem. The standard inventory is impressive, and so is the options list, with extremely competitive pricing.
South African labour rates make buying a newly manufactured boat more affordable, but more important is the fact that VOYAGE has extremely talented, passionate artisans who put countless hours of craftsmanship into every boat they build. Some, I'm told, have been there since 1994, when the company was first established. Their workforce is loyal, and it's happy.
Many of the employees at the large production builders are production-line assembly workers who could just as easily be putting together washing machines. The crew at VOYAGE Yachts are proper boat builders. You start to understand pretty quickly why VOYAGE can offer a whole lot more boat for your money.
See It for Yourself at Annapolis
Hull #2 of the VOYAGE 510, Waymaker, will be exhibited at the Annapolis Sailboat Show this year, and I'm hoping I can line up my ducks so I can be there with the team. You guys have to get to the show and see it.
Honestly, I haven't been this excited about a cruising catamaran since I first started in the business. It has all the bells and whistles I'd want in a newly built catamaran of this size: shaft drive, no climbing into a treehouse-style bunk with your nose pressed against the ceiling, and a proper, spacious, safe-access engine room. Blah, blah, blah!
Check out the information, but contact me directly for pricing and the options list. You won't want to look any further — I guarantee it.
Open Factory Days
If you're keen, why not visit the shipyard and meet the crew at one of their open factory events? We'd be more than happy to welcome you.
- VOYAGE 510 Hull #3 — 1–3 October 2026
- VOYAGE 590 Hull #18 — 22–24 October 2026
- VOYAGE 510 Hull #4 — 3–5 December 2026
- VOYAGE 590 Hull #19 — 3–5 June 2027
Build time is reasonable compared with the major production builders, and you'll get a far better all-round package — particularly if you order sooner rather than later, and help us get a demonstrator boat into the Mediterranean, Australia, or anywhere else in the world.
Register for the Factory Visit →
Check out: VOYAGE Yachts on our website →
Don't take my word for it — I'm sure you're doing your own research, so check out what the media are saying. Compared to anything else on the market, you'll find the VOYAGE 510 and 590 hard to beat on value for money, build quality, ease of maintenance, layout options, and customer care.
If you got this far, thanks for listening to my ramblings! :)
Graham, Worldwide Catamarans
