Seawind 1370 Review: A Bluewater Catamaran Built for Cruising Couples

Nearly two decades ago, Seawind Catamarans walked off with top honors in Cruising World’s 2007 Boat of the Year contest multihulls category. Judges praised the couple-friendly liveaboard layout, sailing performance and bluewater-voyaging safety features of the Seawind 1160, a catamaran they also recognized as being that year’s most ­innovative entry.

Many of those same noteworthy features—refined now over the launch of several subsequent models—are be found aboard the Seawind 1370, which this year’s panel of judges named 2025 Best Midsize Multihull.

Like its predecessor, the 45-foot 1370 is well-suited to be a couple’s liveaboard go-­anywhere cruising boat, with a versatile Solent sail plan that has a full-batten square-top main, a self-tacking jib and a screecher. The two headsails are on furlers, so changing gears to match conditions is manageable for a shorthanded crew.

For sea trials after the Annapolis Boat Show, Seawind’s sales and marketing manager, Mike Rees, brought along a colorful asymmetric chute as well. That, of course, was set as soon as we were aboard. With the mainsail still stowed in its boom pouch, we were off to the races. The 1370 skipped along at close to 9 knots on a broad reach, giving a good hint of what a run in the trades might feel like. Later—with the main raised, the screecher unfurled, and the breeze down to the midteens—our speed while reaching was in the 7-plus-knot range. Beating upwind with the self-tacker, we still managed 6 or so knots at just under 40 degrees off the wind. That ain’t bad for a cruising cat with fixed keels. For the performance, you can thank the collaboration between the Seawind team and Yacht Design Collective, which did computer modeling for hull design and performance. 

I really like the helm setup that all Seawinds have. The twin wheels are to either side of the cockpit on the bridge deck, adjacent to the hulls. Just forward of each wheel, removable windows let the helmsman see through the salon, providing good visibility in all directions. Comfortable seats are shaded and protected from the elements by the Bimini top and cabin house, or the skipper can choose to sit outboard in the breeze, atop the hulls, where visibility is equally as good and where you get a real sense of what monohull sailors like to call “sailing.” The 1370 we tested had engine controls at either wheel—a nice touch for docking.

The cockpit itself is quite spacious, with a bench seat running across the transom (there’s stowage for gear and toys underneath), a sink at the starboard end, and a propane “barbie” grill to port. Seawinds, after all, were first built in Australia, though Aussie owner Richard Ward has since moved the factory to Vietnam and opened a facility in Turkey. 

Overhead, a composite arch supports the after end of the Bimini top and anchors a track for the mainsheet traveler, which can be adjusted with a side-wind winch mounted on the side column.

In good weather, a clever trifold door between the salon and cockpit can be raised and stowed under the Bimini top, truly opening up things to the great outdoors. The 1370 is a galley-up design, with a U-shaped Corian counter (molded GRP counters are standard) just inside the doors. A sink faces aft, and to starboard are an induction cooktop and electric oven. Cooking underway would be a joy.

Forward in the salon, two ports open wide to let breeze pour through the interior. To starboard, a nav desk/command center offers a well-protected watchkeeping station for cool nights or when the elements are unruly. To port, an L-shaped couch surrounds a table that swivels to allow for various seating arrangements, or that can be lowered to create a lounging area for movie night or a berth where an off-watch crewmember can nap but still be nearby if needed.

The owner’s hull is to port, with a best-in-class head and shower compartment aft. A queen-size raised athwartships berth is amidships, where ­motion underway will be ­minimized. A walk-in closet is in the forepeak behind a ­watertight bulkhead and sail locker.

The starboard hull offers an assortment of crew and stowage possibilities, with a double berth aft, and a head and shower compartment amidships. Forward of that, a fore-and-aft bunk is inboard; space in the forepeak can be used for an additional berth (bringing sleeping accommodations to nine) or as stowage. 

Base price for a 1370 is $820,000. The boat we visited in Annapolis had a $1.15 million price tag, which included options such as twin 57 hp Yanmar diesels with saildrives (40 hp motors are standard). The boat runs on a 24-volt electrical system; four gel-cell batteries are standard, and lithium is an option. They are kept charged by engine alternators and 2.5 kilowatts’ worth of solar panels.

Seawind uses PVC foam coring in its infused hulls, decks and other composite parts, and vinylester resin throughout. Carbon fiber is added in a number of areas to help keep weight down and add strength where needed. Interior woodwork on the 1370 is light-colored ash and bird’s-eye maple. It all looks ­really good. 

Looking around the 1370, I remembered having toured the earlier Seawind 1160 when that year’s Boat of the Year ­judges took note of details such as 30-inch-tall triple lifelines, solid handholds wherever they were needed, and a layout that was practical, comfortable, and safe. This time around, I saw a lot of those elements and more—only better. 

CW Editor-at-Large Mark Pillsbury was a 2025 Boat of the Year judge.

Take the Next Step

Price: $1.15 million (as tested)
Website: seawindcats.com

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