Boat & Sail

Builder · Premium · Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Seawind

Australian-Vietnamese cruising catamaran builder, 1982-founded. Cruising cats with the tri-fold cockpit door layout.

Seawind cruising catamaran at sail
Founded
1982
Headquarters
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Ownership
Private
Tier
Premium
Website
seawindcats.com

Seawind is the cruising-catamaran builder founded in 1982 in Australia. Production moved to Vietnam in the 2000s. The brand is known for the tri-fold cockpit door system that opens the cockpit fully into the saloon.

The brand argument is the cockpit-to-saloon integration via the tri-fold door system. Seawind cats compete with Bali on the open-layout cat segment, with smaller production volume and a more refined fit-and-finish.

Lineup

Current platforms.

Model breakdown

Each platform, what it does and where it falls short.

Seawind Seawind 1370 / 1600 / 1800

The Seawind line is the volume cruising-cat range. Twin Yanmar diesel saildrive, tri-fold cockpit door, full master suite plus guest cabins.

Things we like

  • · Tri-fold cockpit door fully opens cockpit into saloon
  • · Build quality refined relative to volume builders

Things we don't

  • · Smaller production volume than Lagoon or Fountaine-Pajot, used inventory thin
  • · Pricing premium over Lagoon at equivalent LOA

Buyer's guide

The Seawind story and what to know on the used market.

Origin and ownership

Seawind was founded in 1982 in Australia. The brand moved production to Vietnam in the early 2000s for cost and capacity reasons. Australian design partnership has continued.

Design philosophy

Seawind catamarans use moderate-displacement hull form with the tri-fold cockpit door system as the brand signature.

Yanmar diesel saildrive is the standard engine rigging.

Used-market notes and known issues

Yanmar saildrive seal pattern on 2017 to 2020 hulls warrants inspection.

Tri-fold cockpit door requires periodic maintenance on the hinge and seal hardware.

Vietnamese production with Australian design oversight, build quality runs comparable to volume European builders.

Dealer network smaller than Lagoon or Fountaine-Pajot, concentrated in the Pacific and Australian markets.

Resale

Seawind holds resale tightly within the boutique cruising-cat segment. Three-year depreciation runs 14 to 20 percent.

Where Seawind fits

Buyers cross-shop Seawind against Bali (open layout) and Lagoon (volume). The argument is the tri-fold cockpit door layout and the boutique production volume.

FAQ

Frequently asked.

Why the tri-fold cockpit door?
Fully opens the cockpit into the saloon, creating a single entertaining space. Useful in tropical cruising where the cockpit is the primary living space. Trade is more complex hardware to maintain.
What's the maintenance cost on a Seawind 1600?
Annual service on twin Yanmar saildrives runs $3,500 to $5,500. Bottom paint $1,500 to $3,000. Sail service $1,500 to $3,000. Storage $3,000 to $8,000. Insurance for an $850K hull runs $5,500 to $9,000.
Where are Seawinds built?
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Private facility with Australian design oversight.

Compare

Categories Seawind fits.

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