People travelling with children and infants are welcome. We recommend use of a snuggly / backpack / infant carrier so that you can securely hold the child while keeping your hands free to hold the rails. Crew provide general assistance to all guests and are not available to mind your child.
For their safety, children must be accompanied by their guardian at all times. CHILDREN MUST NOT BE LIFTED ABOVE THE RAILS AT ANY TIME.
By design, a catamaran is inherently safer. It has much greater reserve stability (resistance to rolling) than single hull vessels. Since there are two hulls the cat has more watertight compartments in the unlikely event of damage. Likewise, the greater size of the catamaran means that it is less influenced by waves and sea conditions during normal operating conditions. The cat is equipped with two engines instead of one for greater maneuverability and safety.
Gatherall’s catamaran has a greater range than other tour vessels so we can explore further. Time is valuable. We like to spend “more time being there” and “less time getting there”. Most other boat tours are longer only because the boats used are not as efficient and simply take longer to get to the nesting seabirds and / or whales. Gatherall’s tours offer loads of time observing the Atlantic Puffins with time to find the whales.
Your comfort & enjoyment is important. Our catamaran provides the most stable and most comfortable ride. It is much wider than conventional boats which means less rolling which helps to greatly reduce motion sickness. The added width of the cat means there is more room for each and every guest plus we have rail space for all plus inside accommodations for all guests in the event of inclement weather.
People sometimes think that you can see “more” or get closer to whales in a small boat – that’s simply not the case. We’ve used small boats in the past and have found that our guests have a much better experience on the larger boat. While searching for whales, our high decks and raised wheelhouse allow our crew and guests to spot whales from further away – you just cannot see as far from a small boat. Think about a ship’s lookout positioned high up the mast to get the best view. Often, while heading towards distant whales, our high decks enable you to keep an eye on the action for a better experience. Our larger boat ensures that everyone has space alongside the rail.
Gatherall’s cat has the greatest range of the local tour boats. It’s unique design allows it to travel much further than most other boats in an equivalent period of time. While this cannot guarantee whales during every cruise, it does make a difference especially when whales are at the outer extents of our range. Our captains are also in contact with other boats and local people onshore to keep track of whale sightings so that we can attempt to minimize travel time to maximize whale time whenever possible.
Gatherall’s catamaran was custom designed for our tour operation and location. Its size and configuration was developed to provide our guests with both the most space and comfort to provide the best overall experience.
Gatherall’s cat is big enough to be safe and comfortable yet small enough to allow you to interact personally with our crew. It’s important to us that you have every opportunity to interact with our crew. While presenting their wealth of information, our guides are free to move about the boat to answer questions and to chat. The cat is still nimble enough to get safely alongside of the shores of the islands where the puffins nest or close to shore when the whales are feeding in the shallow waters. Yet when the waters are less than calm, the larger size of the cat makes for a much more pleasant ride.