The finished hull mold under the tent at the yard in Southport, Florida
Now building · Southport, Florida

Hull No. 1

A 149-passenger sailing catamaran, built to U.S. Coast Guard rules for passenger vessels. Launching 2027. The first of a series.

Inquire about this vessel Follow the build
Capacity
149passengers, certificated
Rig
Sailcatamaran
Built in
SouthportFlorida, by builder and operator
Launch
2027hull one
01 · The vessel

Built for a full deck of paying passengers, under sail.

Two crew fairing the hull mold under the tent frame
Fairing the moldSouthport, October 2026

Sailing catamarans that carry this many people are rare, new or used. Most of what's on the market is smaller, older, or built for private cruising rather than a working day on the water.

Hull No. 1 is being built to U.S. Coast Guard rules for passenger vessels from the first layup, with a certificated capacity of 149. It is designed for the work operators actually do: day sails, sunset charters, snorkel and island trips, and cruise-ship days when the dock is full.

It is being built by people who run passenger catamarans for a living, in a yard on the Florida Panhandle, and it is the first of a series. The hulls that follow will be built to the same approved design.

Capacity
149 passengersCertificated under U.S. Coast Guard passenger-vessel rules.
Type
Sailing catamaranTwo hulls, a bridge deck and a full rig: stable, shaded and quiet under sail.
Purpose
Commercial passenger serviceDay sails, charters, snorkel and island tours, cruise-ship days.
Builder
Gulf Coast Luxury CatamaransBuilder of record, Southport, Florida. Operators first.
Status
In buildMold complete, hull panels under way. Launching 2027.
Day sails

Room for a full deck to move around, with shade and a quiet ride under sail.

Charters

Sunset, private and corporate charters at a capacity that pays for the day.

Tour operations

Cruise-ship days, island runs and snorkel trips, built by operators who run them.

02 · The build

Watch the boat take shape.

The finished hull mold, faired and sealed, under the tent at the yard
The mold, finishedSouthport · October 2026

First hull panels out of the mold

With the mold finished, the first hull panels are coming out of it and being bonded under the tent. Four panels become two hulls.

Hull · in progress
A finished hull panel lifted out of the mold by a telehandler, under a clear sky
October 2026

The mold is complete

After several weeks of cutting, a great deal of sanding, two hurricanes to dodge and a long hot summer, the boat mold is done. Every hull in the series will come out of it.

Mold · complete
The completed hull mold, glossy and faired, under the tent
16 October 2026

Shaping the mold

The mold comes first, framed, skinned and faired by hand under a tent in Southport. It is the slowest part of the first boat and the fastest part of every boat after it.

Mold · fairing
The hull mold taking shape under the tent, with the crew at work
October 2026

The yard is ready

The tent is up, the containers are in, and the first bundles of marine plywood are on the ground. Everything that follows starts here.

Yard · set up
The empty tent at the yard with the first bundles of marine plywood delivered
September 2026
Sailing catamarans at anchor off a white-sand Gulf Coast beach
03 · The builders

Operators first.

We have spent years running passenger catamarans on the Gulf Coast, and we know what a day on the water asks of a boat. So we are building the one we always wanted to run.

The yard

1542 McKenzie Road, Southport, Florida. Visits by appointment.

The team

An experienced build crew, a naval architect, and a consultant who has built this kind of boat many times before.

Where our boats go

The Gulf Coast and the Keys, the Caribbean, Hawaii: wherever a full deck wants to sail.

04 · The series

Hull No. 2, and beyond.

Looking down the length of the finished hull mold under the tent
One mold, many hullsOctober 2026

Hull No. 1 is the builder's own. The hulls that follow are for operators like you, built to the same approved design, with everything learned on the first one.

If you run passenger boats and have been waiting for a sailing catamaran at this capacity, tell us about your operation and your timing. Early conversations shape the order of the series.

Register interest in a future hull

05 · Inquire

Interested in this vessel, or the next?

Buyers, charter operators and brokers: tell us a little about your operation and Donnie will get back to you directly. Specifications, timing and pricing are discussed in person.

Talk toDonnie, owner and builder
The yard1542 McKenzie Rd, Southport, FL
by appointment
Or write to Donniegclc@gmail.com

Thank you.

Donnie will be in touch. If it is time-sensitive, email Donniegclc@gmail.com.

Preview site: the form connects to the lead list when the site goes live.