Maldives 32 - Real comfort and speed, cheaply!

Launched 26 years ago already, the Maldives 32 was so avant-garde that it remains current today, both in terms of design and performance. In short, a very attractive, compact catamaran... providing you can adapt to a fairly Spartan atmosphere.

In 1988, the launch of the Maldives 32 made an impression: it was very different from the English cats, such as the Iroquois or the Snowgoose... and even compared to the Louisiane, a metre longer, the Joubert/Nivelt designed boat looked like an ultra-modern UFO. The almost vertical bows for a maximum waterline length, and the very ‘curvy’ superstructure prefigured today’s catamarans. Here then is a model which appears younger than its age, especially as the gelcoat lasts rather well. When it’s time to get under way, you get the first surprise: no ignition or engine controls for the diesels...there aren’t any! The builder actually opted for a simple outboard motor mounted on a bracket and a block and tackle system – even sometimes a second one, to tilt the engine’s shaft. Here you will understand that the Maldives 32, despite its very nice appearance, hides a very basic personality. Finally, this is perhaps not the least of its charms... Yes, the crisis has (already) taken its toll... And regular maintenance, or even replacement, of an outboard doesn’t represent much compared with two diesels... Of course, manoeuvres are trickier – obviously you can’t reverse both engines – and t...