I'll share why we like Valhalla II, our Gemini cruising catamaran. Of course we feel it fits our needs as best as possible option in a single boat.   We have the outboard powered 3400 model.   Shallow draft: In a crowded anchorage, we can usally find a shallow spot on the edge by pulling up the rudders and boards to sneak into 18" of water. Likewise, we have had marinas turning other cruisers away because the only slips they have open are very shallow up near the shore. We gotten those slips, a few times with a discount. We also get into into some of the cheaper fishing boat marinas where the deep draft boats can't go. Our boards and rudders kick up automatically, so if you do go too shallow, you get an early warning. The few times it's happened a quick turn and we are back in deeper water without having to stop. Shallow draft should be a top priority for any looper boat.   Single Outboard Power: We refitted the old 40hp 2 stroke with a 25hp fuel injected 4 stroke. Our worst case of total engine melt down is $5,000 installed. It's quiet, no 2stroke smoke. We get 6mpg at 6kts. If we cut back to 5kts, we jump up into the 10-12mpg range. The outboard steers with the rudders, so we've never felt the need for twin engines or bow thrusters. We used to have a twin inboard flybridge boat and we will take Vahalla II into tight quarters we would never consider with the old boat. In the event of a 12volt failure, we have the option to pull start her. Maintenance is easy and it eliminates the concerns with having the engine in the aft cabins or under the salon floor heating the boat up. You will be hard pressed to find a marina that doesn't know how to work on an outboard. Can the same be said of a diesel? Range with 42 gallons is 250+ miles and we have a couple 5 gallon jugs securely strapped to the aft deck (where any fumes would go overboard) for additional range and to fill up at nearby gas stations for a lot less cost. As a backup, we have a retractable motor mount with our 5hp dingy motor, that is completely independent and will push the boat at 3kts, to get us out of most trouble.   At 14' beam, it's rare to find a slip that is too narrow. Also the stabil stance of a catamaran means we are more stabil than boats that are significantly larger.  When someone steps onto the boat, you can feel it, but there is no swaying back and forth as the boat settles back down.   For the size there is a ton of living space, we converted one of the back cabins into a pantry, so space isn't a problem.   We outfitted her with a composting toilet. Gone are the days of searching for a working pump out and then paying $10 for the privilege. With 2 liquid tanks, we can go a week and then dump them in any shoreside toilet. The solids tank is good for around a month. No need for a second head wasting prescious space. There is nothing to clog or break and the head odor is gone.   Wide flat foredeck for anchor handling, docking & locking. In locks, the straight sides allow us to place fenders fore & aft and take a line from the center of the boat very easily. Boats with high round bows, we often watch flail around as the boat pivots on the curved bow.   With our 60 gallons water, we are good for 4-5 days without paying attention and can stretch that to 2 weeks if we need to but for us the loop is about visiting the local. Where we reasonably can we tend to stay in marinas. A night anchored out here and there is nice but not for weeks on end.   We wouldn't go without airconditioning. You can wind up in some hot humid places. We arent' about proving how tough we are.   With retractable rudders and an outboard the lifts clear of the water, removing a crab pot line can be done from the safety of the boat. We've met two couples who quit after a scary experience having to dive under a rolling trawler to get a crab pot off the prop.   Going from a flybridge, I wasn't sure about the single helm aft set up but now we really like it. I can see all 4 corners. If I sit on my stool under the dog house, I'm dry on rainy days or I can sit on the side seat and be out in the sunshine. If it's cold and nasty, we typically don't travel but I have stood in the cabin and reached out thru the door window to steer (If I ever get around to fixing the autopilot, I wouldn't even have to reach out). With the steerable outboard, she backs up with certainty and even with no momentum, we can still steer. It's not uncommon in tight marinas for me to reverse all the way out to open water.   Overall the boat is simple and easy to maintain (some might say crude but that's in the eye of the beholder). We had the steering line to the outboard break once. I tied the end off to a boat hook and by pulling I could steer the motor while at the helm steering the rudders. Once we got into a marina, I was able to replace the broken line in 20 minutes.   Cons:   She's not going to do 20kts. We top out around 8kts.   She is more sensitive to overloading.   She is a sail boat and we motor 95% of the time on the loop. There is the hassle of strapping the mast on the deck for stretches but again with the wide decks, it's not a major issue.  We are going to be shipping her to europe next summer to do Europes Great Loop (I made up the name and am going to see if it sticks). We plan to leave the mast behind and treat her as a small trawler cat as we expect to motor the vast majority of the time anyway.   Mike & Tammy Vahalla II Gemini 3400