Yacht brokers Wiley Sharp and Bill Regan are back for episode 5 of Cat Chat Live: Life Between the Hulls, the show about what's really happening in the catamaran market from two brokers who live in it every day.

This week: instead of a single make and model, Wiley and Bill zoom out to a whole class of boat — the sub-$300,000 cruising catamaran. As pandemic-era prices finally come back to earth, they break down which older Lagoons, Leopards, and Fountaine Pajots are worth a look, what to budget for standing rigging and refits, and why a smaller boat that's already been upgraded can beat a bigger "bargain" that isn't.

They also pull back the curtain on survey day — the single most nerve-wracking day in the buying process. From what a surveyor is actually looking for (and why sellers should stay off the boat), to the haul-out, the sea trial, the full-power engine test, and the findings that show up on almost every survey, this is the closest thing to a field guide you'll get. Naturally, a few war stories come with it — including a mouse in the mainsail and a dock line lesson Wiley won't forget.

Plus: their between-the-hulls catch-up on why St. Augustine has quietly become one of the East Coast's best catamaran hubs, and this week's Broker Pick — the catamarans they'd actually buy for under $300K.

Topics covered:

• Why St. Augustine, FL is becoming a go-to catamaran hub
• Affordable cruising cats under $300K: Lagoon 380/400/440, Leopard 38/39/40/46, Fountaine Pajot Mahé 36 and Lavezzi 41
• What to budget for on an older catamaran (standing rigging, engines, refits)
• A full walkthrough of survey day, start to finish
• What surveyors actually check in the water, out of the water, and under full power
• The most common findings on catamaran surveys
• Broker pick of the week: best sub-$300K cruising catamarans

Have a topic you want Wiley and Bill to cover? Email the show or leave a comment on YouTube, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts.

Keagan Steyn joins Cat Chat Live for his first appearance on the show, and Wiley puts him through the paces: six years running charter catamarans in the Caribbean (Lucia 40, Leopard 50, Lagoon 620), a 200-ton Yachtmaster license earned the hard way in Cape Town, a Dive Master ticket picked up during COVID downtime, and an engagement to Olivia — the chef he talked into joining him on the boat mid-pandemic. From there, Wiley and Keegan dig into what actually makes a catamaran charter-worthy, take a full deep dive on the Leopard 50 (production history, known maintenance quirks, and what to look for on survey), tackle the recurring question of self-managing a charter boat versus hiring a yacht management company, and close out with their brokerage picks of the week.

Meet Keegan Steyn (00:00 – 10:17) Born in South Africa, raised in Virginia after his family relocated in 2001, college in Boulder, Colorado, and a family trip to the BVI that changed everything. Keegan's dad got his captain's license first; Keegan finished college while chipping away at his own licensing over summer breaks in South Africa, then moved to the Caribbean full-time. He ran a Lucia 40 (year one), a Leopard 50 (three years), and a Lagoon 620 named Huntress (two years) before joining Catamaran Central as a broker roughly two years ago. He holds a 200-ton Yachtmaster (earned in Cape Town) and a Dive Master certification (earned during the COVID charter shutdown). He also shares how his fiancée Olivia joined him on the boat in 2020 — she talked her way aboard as his chef, learned to cook professionally at Ashburton in the UK, and the two are getting married in Anegada in about two months.

Between the Hulls: What Makes a Good Charter Catamaran (10:18 – 18:59) Cabin count and en-suite layout ("heads and beds") as the biggest driver of bookings — three to five guest cabins, all en suite, is the sweet spot. The conversation compares owner-operator purchases versus boats built for hired crew, why bigger boats (Lagoon 65s and up) demand more technical comfort from an owner-operator, and why crew count (two vs. three) directly affects the guest experience — especially once water sports, diving, and multiple cabins are added to the mix.

Boat of the Week: The Leopard 50 (18:59 – 30:12) Production ran 2018 to roughly 2024/2025 (around 300 hulls built, replaced by the Lagoon 52), including a rare four-unit "performance" version without the flybridge lounge. Topics covered: solar capacity even with the lounge in place (up to ~3,800 watts on some boats), the 2023/24 interior veneer refresh, the shift from four-cabin to five-cabin availability late in the run, and survey/maintenance watch-items — steering cable tensioning after big swells, Empirbus digital switching quirks, and a pattern of salon window cracking on earlier hull years. Overall verdict: a simple, reliable, easy-to-maintain boat that holds up well for both charter operators and private owners.

FAQ: Yacht Management Company vs. Self-Managing (30:13 – 40:59) A breakdown of the real trade-offs: third-party financial oversight and accountability, protection against a crew's lack of technical knowledge (e.g., replacing a generator that only needed a rewind), the risk of losing an entire season if self-managing crew walks off mid-charter, and how a management company's oversight can actually save an owner money versus the perceived savings of self-management.

Brokerage Picks of the Week (41:00 – end) As of recording, 18 Leopard 50s are on the market, ranging from $619K (ex-Moorings) to $1.2M+. Wiley's pick: a 2023 model in Fort Lauderdale at $1.125M with a full Victron 48V electrical system, Arco Zeus alternators, and Thermodynamica air conditioning. Keegan's pick: "Southern Charm," a 2020 owner-operated Leopard 50 with nearly 2,000 watts of solar, a 1,800Ah lithium bank, washer/dryer, extra fridge/freezer capacity, and a Code Zero/bowsprit setup.

Charter-ready catamarans are won or lost on cabin layout and en-suite count, not just size. Boats built for hired, professional crew (three-plus crew on larger cats) tend to deliver a noticeably higher guest experience than two-person operations once diving and water sports are added. The Leopard 50 remains one of the more dependable, easy-to-maintain 50-foot cats on the market, with a small handful of known watch-items (steering cable tension, Empirbus switching, early salon windows). And while self-managing a charter boat can look cheaper on paper, the financial oversight and risk protection of a professional yacht management company often pays for itself.

Questions for a future episode? Email the show or drop a comment. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube to catch every new episode of Cat Chat Live.

In Episode 3 of Cat Chat Live: Life Between the Hulls, Wiley Sharp and Bill Regan of Catamaran Central sit down for another candid conversation about cruising, catamarans, and life in the yacht brokerage world.

This episode takes a look at how technology is changing life on the water, from Starlink and connected chartplotters to apps like NoForeignLand and the growing role of AI in passage planning, troubleshooting, and boat ownership.

Wiley and Bill also dive into the Lagoon 450, discussing why it remains one of the most popular cruising catamarans on the brokerage market, what buyers should know about the model, common survey considerations, and a few standout Lagoon 450s currently on their radar.

Finally, they tackle one of the most common questions from catamaran buyers: Volvo or Yanmar? They break down the pros and cons of both engine brands, talk maintenance and parts availability, and explain why an engine's condition and service history often matter more than the name on the side. The conversation also covers saildrives, preventative maintenance, and what buyers should look for during a survey.

If you're shopping for a cruising catamaran, already living aboard, or just interested in the realities of boat ownership, this episode offers practical insight from two brokers who spend their days helping buyers and sellers navigate the catamaran market.

In Episode 2 of Cat Chat Live: Life Between the Hulls, I'm joined once again by Catamaran Central's Mid-Atlantic broker, Bill Regan.

We start the episode by talking a little about our own experiences as boat owners and how actually owning, maintaining, and cruising boats gives us a different perspective when helping clients navigate yacht ownership.

For this episode's "Between Two Hulls" segment, we're talking hurricane season. We break down some of the most popular options for catamaran owners during the summer months, from heading south to Grenada and St. Lucia to spending the season in the Chesapeake or cruising New England. We discuss the pros and cons of each, along with considerations like insurance, boatyard infrastructure, cruising opportunities, cost, and accessibility.

Next, we take a deep dive into the Fountaine Pajot Saba 50. We discuss why we think the Saba has stood the test of time, some of our favorite features and layouts, where we think the boat really shines, a few things we don't love, and what today's brokerage market looks like for these popular 50-foot catamarans.

For our brokerage picks of the week, Bill highlights Singing Winds, a 2019 five-cabin Saba 50 located in Fort Lauderdale, while I take the shameless self-promotion route and choose Libra, a 2020 six-cabin Saba 50 currently operating in crewed yacht charter in the British Virgin Islands.

We wrap things up with one of the questions we hear from buyers all the time: How many engine or generator hours is too many? We discuss why hours matter, why they don't always tell the whole story, and why maintenance history and how a diesel engine has been used can sometimes be more important than the number on the hour meter.

As always, Cat Chat Live is unscripted, unedited, and centered around the conversations we have every day as catamaran brokers, owners, and enthusiasts.

Have a catamaran make or model you'd like us to cover? A topic you want to hear us discuss? Or one of those questions you've always wanted to ask but were afraid was "stupid"? Send it our way—we may cover it in an upcoming episode.

In Episode 1 of Cat Chat Live: Life Between the Hulls, I'm joined by Catamaran Central's Mid-Atlantic broker, Bill Regan. We kick things off by introducing ourselves and sharing how our backgrounds in the yachting world led us to where we are today.

Next, we launch our "Between Two Hulls" segment, where we discuss timely issues affecting the yachting and multihull industries. For this episode, we take a closer look at the current U.S. tariff climate and what it could mean for catamaran buyers, sellers, and owners.

We then dive into the Leopard 40, discussing what we like about the model, common issues buyers should be aware of, and what the current brokerage market looks like for used Leopard 40s.

In our frequently asked questions segment, we continue the conversation around tariffs by exploring foreign vessel registration, cruising permits, and some of the strategies our clients have used when navigating these topics.

To close out the episode, Bill and I share our brokerage picks of the week. Fittingly, after our model deep dive, we each selected a Leopard 40 currently on the market.

Our goal with Cat Chat Live is to create an informative and entertaining show for Catamaran Central clients and catamaran enthusiasts everywhere. Have a make or model you'd like us to cover, a topic you want us to discuss, or a question you've always wanted to ask? Send it our way—there are no stupid questions here.