Editing Catamaran (section)

{{Short description|Watercraft with two parallel hulls of equal size}}
{{About|a type of boat or ship|the pharmacy benefit management company|Catamaran Corporation}}
{{Distinguish|Kattumaram}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2018}}
[[File:The Spirit of Dallas Catamaran.jpg|thumb|''The Spirit of Dallas'' catamaran on [[White Rock Lake]]]]
[[File:Bladef16-1up.jpg|thumb|A [[Formula 16 (sailing)|Formula 16]] beachable catamaran]]
[[File:Salem Ferry.JPG|thumb|Powered catamaran passenger ferry at [[Salem, Massachusetts|Salem]], [[Massachusetts]], United States]]

A '''catamaran''' ({{IPAc-en|ˌ|k|æ|t|ə|m|ə|ˈ|r|æ|n}}) (informally, a "cat") is a [[watercraft]] with two parallel [[hull (watercraft)|hulls]] of equal size. The wide distance between a catamaran's hulls imparts stability through resistance to rolling and overturning; no ballast is required. Catamarans typically have less hull volume, smaller [[Displacement (ship)|displacement]], and shallower [[draft (hull)|draft]] (draught) than monohulls of comparable length. The two hulls combined also often have a smaller hydrodynamic [[drag (physics)|resistance]] than comparable monohulls, requiring less propulsive power from either sails or motors. The catamaran's wider stance on the water can reduce both [[Heeling (sailing)#Heeling|heeling]] and wave-induced motion, as compared with a monohull, and can give reduced wakes.

Catamarans were invented by the [[Austronesian peoples]], and enabled their expansion to the islands of the [[Indian Ocean|Indian]] and [[Pacific Ocean]]s.<ref name="Doran1974">{{cite journal |last1=Doran |first1=Edwin Jr. |title=Outrigger Ages |journal=The Journal of the Polynesian Society |date=1974 |volume=83 |issue=2 |pages=130–140 |url=http://www.jps.auckland.ac.nz/document//Volume_83_1974/Volume_83%2C_No._2/Outrigger_ages%2C_by_Edwin_Doran_Jnr.%2C_p_130-140/p1 |accessdate=January 12, 2019 |archivedate=January 18, 2020 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20200118071139/http://www.jps.auckland.ac.nz/document/Volume_83_1974/Volume_83,_No._2/Outrigger_ages,_by_Edwin_Doran_Jnr.,_p_130-140/p1 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Catamarans range in size from small [[sailing]] or [[rowing]] vessels to large naval ships and [[roll-on/roll-off]] car ferries. The structure connecting a catamaran's two hulls ranges from a simple frame strung with webbing to support the crew to a bridging superstructure incorporating extensive cabin or cargo space.