36-38 Catamaran

The Benchmark 38 (called the Benchmark 36 until 1999) is an upmarket catamaran fishing boat whose unique asymmetrical hulls—the inner surfaces have less deadrise than the outer surfaces—set her apart from other catamaran designs. Cats with symmetrical hulls maintain a level attitude in a turn, but the Benchmark leans into a turn similar to a monohull, a feature that tends to keep things from flying around (or off) the boat in a hard turn. Propeller pockets—also unusual in cats—reduce draft, and the entire boat is cored and vacuum bagged with no wood. With a wide 14-foot beam, the cockpit is huge and so is the full-beam foredeck. Lightweight bench seats are easily removed to clear the cockpit for fishing, and a transom door, livewell, two in-sole fish boxes and a swim platform are standard. There are two staterooms below, one with a double berth and the other with bunks. The salon could be configured with either a dinette or an L-shaped lounge. On the downside, the helm console is very small. Cummins 420hp diesels cruise the Benchmark at 26–28 knots (low 30s top).