Marine diesel engines for Fountaine Pajot catamarans
Fountaine Pajot builds both cruising sail cats and a power catamaran range, and the two are entirely different engine propositions under the same badge.
The sailing catamarans
Twin engines, one per hull, predominantly Volvo Penta or Yanmar on saildrives, sized to the model. This is the standard cruising cat arrangement and everything in our catamaran engines page applies: two of every service item, two diaphragms, two sets of leg anodes.
Access in the aft hull engine bays is generally good, which offsets some of the doubled cost.
The power catamarans
A different proposition: considerably more power per hull, and the boats are used more like a motor yacht — sustained cruise, real load, real hours.
For these, the things that matter shift towards what matters on any planing or semi-displacement powerboat: cooling capacity under sustained load, fuel system condition, and the drivetrain.
The charter question
A meaningful share of Fountaine Pajots in the market have charter history, in the Caribbean, the Mediterranean, Southeast Asia or the Whitsundays. As with any ex-charter cat, the profile is high hours in warm water with heavy low-speed manoeuvring and a lot of engine-charging time.
That is not disqualifying — charter fleets service to a schedule — but it makes the leg condition, the diaphragm dates and the post-fleet maintenance gap the things to investigate.
What comes up
Two diaphragms, each with a time-based interval and a haul-out.
Warm-water leg anodes, particularly on boats coming from tropical charter grounds.
Uneven engine hours, from favouring one side for manoeuvring or charging.
The generator, a separate diesel with its own raw water circuit, impeller and anodes, and routinely forgotten.
Gearbox and control cables, worked hard by differential-thrust manoeuvring.
Frequently asked questions
What engines do Fountaine Pajot catamarans have? The sailing cats carry twin Volvo Penta or Yanmar saildrive auxiliaries. The power cats carry considerably larger engines. Check both plates.
Is an ex-charter Fountaine Pajot a good buy? It can be. Charter fleets maintain to schedule. Investigate the leg condition, the diaphragm dates and what happened after the fleet sold it.
Why do my two engines have different hours? Owners and charter crews favour one side for manoeuvring and charging. The lower-hour engine has been sitting.
Do the power cats need different servicing? Yes. They run at sustained cruise load, so cooling capacity and fuel system condition matter in a way they do not on a sail cat.
What is most often neglected? The generator, and the second engine’s saildrive leg.