Seawind 1370 2024 Review

For more than four decades Seawind has built a diverse range of cruising catamarans. Since 2010, it has based its manufacturing in Vietnam after it bought out US-based trimaran specialist Corsair.

The Seawind range, now also built in a new factory based in Turkey on the Mediterranean, now comprises models from the 11.6-metre 1160 to the 16.1-metre 1160.

However, it's the mid-range boats, the 11.9-metre 1170 and 13.7-metre 1370, that are lifting the brand's popularity, both in Australia and in its largest overseas market, the US.

The stand-out has been the newly designed 1370. To see why, we travelled to the Gulf of Thailand where Seawind hosts its Asia-based handovers.

Ocean Marina, about 160km south-east of Bangkok on the Gulf of Thailand, gave me my first sight of the 1370, hull number four.

Our test boat is priced at $US1.16 million as delivered from the factory in Vietnam. With all the extras stacked on this boat, including air conditioning, it's substantially more than the base price of $US820,000 ex-factory.

The standard layout is an owner's three-cabin version with twin heads and a luxury interior finished in textured fabric sides and cabin tops, timber laminates or gelcoat. High-traffic floors are surfaced in synthetic timber.

The finished Seawind 1370 includes a Targa arch that houses the mainsheet traveller, and dinghy davits rated to 300kg.

The two helms are fitted with 1.0-metre composite steering wheels, and the steering system includes a redundant cable and tie-rod linkage system so if one wheel fails, the other can continue to point the boat.

The helm stations both use B&G electronics with a 12.0-inch plotter on both sides. Shift and throttle controls, tachometers and engine monitoring and warning systems are fitted to both helm stations.

The helms are well-shaded by the Targa hardtop, with skylights giving a clear sightline to the mainsail. The saloon windows drop down at the push of a button for clear views forward.

Our review boat came with twin Harken 50 electric winches with jammers – four two-speed self-tailing manual winches are standard – as well as a winch on the mast used for setting a spinnaker.

The standard engine fit-out is twin 40hp Yanmar saildrives with freshwater cooling, turning three-bladed fixed propellers, with our test boat fitted with 57hp engines and twin-bladed Gori folding propellers with overdrive.

The Seawind 1370 also comes standard with a VHF radio, electric winch with gypsy, electric toilets in each of the heads, a pressurised hot and cold water system with 40-litre hot water service, two 200Ah deep-cycle gel house batteries and two starter batteries, five 24-volt USB outlets, 24-volt lighting, and two 160-watt solar panels.

The galley includes an LPG-fuelled three-burner stove and oven, a 130-litre fridge and a full-size two-drawer freezer.

Aircon is another tropical nicety, with our test boat fitted with a 24-volt/32000BTU Mastervolt system.

The Seawind 1370 is equipped with an anodised aluminium mast and boom with dieform wire standing rigging, self-tacking furling headsail and a fully battened mainsail with three reefing points and lazy jacks.

Seawind uses the most advanced building techniques for the 1370. This includes a hull and deck made from vinylester resin-infused laminate over a PVC foam core reinforced with fibreglass and carbonfibre. Bulkheads are made using foam-cored polyester resin that is also strengthened with fibreglass and carbonfibre. The result is a fairly lean build displacing 12,300kg.

Deck areas are finished in a moulded non-slip surface, and the Seawind 1370 uses mini keels that protect the sail drives when beaching.

European CE build standards apply to these boats, so an escape hatch is included in each hull; an essential for a bluewater sailing catamaran. The GRP hulls are fully foam-cored which both creates strength and more inherent buoyancy, while the infusion build has also been refined to include triaxial fibreglass cloth in key areas.

Importantly, the hulls, featuring wavepiercer-style reversed bows, yield 0.85 metres of bridge deck clearance to give an easy motion as long as you don't overload it.

Access to the 57hp Yanmar engines is from deck-level hatches or via the bathroom bulkheads, with service points all easily accessible.

Our test boat's electronics have had a major upgrade via CZone digital switching that makes balancing the boat's electrical needs between sailing, anchoring or laying up in a marina simple, as well as providing enhanced troubleshooting.

The test boat's nacelle was fitted with three 400-amp hour lithium-ion house batteries along with an inverter to run white goods, with no need to install a genset.

The saloon roof also housed a bank of soft solar panels.

Our test boat is typical of the well-proven Seawind brand, featuring trifold doors to maximise access between the cockpit and saloon, along with twin helms for easy handling.

The Seawing 1370's cockpit has transom seating with an electric barbecue hotplate and a sink on the opposite quarter.

The cockpit is protected by a wide Targa-styled fibreglass hardtop that houses the mainsheet track controlled by a nearby winch, a similar setup to previous models.

Carbon davits support a substantial dinghy, and water access from the transom is good on both hulls with wide steps and a folding ladder.

The Seawind 1370's three-cabin layout dedicates the port hull as the owner's suite, while to starboard are two cabins with a shared bathroom in between.

Privacy is a big plus with accommodation on catamarans, and the portside owner’s suite on the 1370 does this well.

It features a forward athwartships island bed and stern bathroom, with either a small vanity or office filling the space in between. The views outside are excellent, with large hull windows, and natural ventilation comes via an opening side hatch.

The starboard hull has a double cabin aft, with a single berth forward.

Light-coloured ash laminate features throughout the interior contrasted nicely with neutral-coloured soft furnishings.

The views from the saloon are superb via tall windows and generous headroom, although it is a busier space than previous models.

This is because Seawind has adopted the fashionable galley-up arrangement for the 1730 with a U-shaled galley station to starboard and a navigation station in front.

A lounge doubles as a daybed with an elevating table around the bench seating, while opposite nestled into into the aft bulkhead, is a TV.

Quality finishes are evident all around the area with Sunbrella fabrics and polished solid wood rounded finishes.

Sloping bulkheads forward reduce windage and large, opening windows give the essential airflow.

The aft-facing galley has panoramic views from the twin sinks with views that could persuade even the most reluctant crew to volunteer to wash up.

Alongside the sinks is a three-burner gas hob and oven. Good design points here include a large chest freezer and an equally large opening fridge.

The entire area is surrounded by ample synthetic worktops with fiddles, and cupboard space below eye level to maximise the views.

The Seawind 1730 is designed as a shorthanded cruiser, with sail controls leading back to both helm stations.

The set-up works well, with both the sheltered helms comfortable, shift and throttle controls on both sides, plenty of small-item storage space and the running rigging controls all tidied into rope lockers.

Flat coamings allow the skipper to sit out and adopt a more race-style posture, and the composite Lewmar steering wheel is a vast improvement over the stainless steel ones used on earlier Seawinds.

The bench-style helm chairs include removable backrests so that they can face the cockpit.

The cockpit includes an aft lounge behind a table with fold-out leaves to increase its size. Further to port is a space that doubles as a sun bed.

I was looking forward to taking time to cruise on the Seawind 1370. The horizon outside Ocean Marina is dotted with islands to the south and west with islands, while numerous peninsulas roll all the way down to the Cambodian border. Owners can choose to take delivery of their new boat here.

The twin 57hp Yanmars, turning 1700rpm, are pushing our test boat along at 7.3 knots.

Turning into the wind, we slowed and rolled the main halyard onto the electric Harken to quickly hoist the mainsail, reaching off to unwind the screecher.

Forward access is via wide and flat side decks with support both from the coachroof handrail and 700mm deep lifelines.

The forward area is uncluttered with all systems in lockers, including a Maxwell vertical windlass with 80.0 metres of galvanised chain and a 30.0kg Excel anchor running below the main cross beam. A secondary roller is installed.

Cleats are all around, including amidships, but a little undersized for my liking.

Nearby is the track for the set-and-forget self-tacking jib, yet another useful cruising feature of the 1370.

The big-topped mainsail fitted to our test boat was an upgraded Doyle Racing Laminate performance cruising sail cut with full battens and sitting in lazy jacks.

Single line reefing, again all operated from the cockpit, finished off a functional sailplan.

For off-the-wind running, sail options include an asymmetric and screecher with bowsprit.

Holding all this up are dieform wire outboard shrouds with substantial chain plates moulded into the gunwales, attached to a single alloy spreader mast tube, from All Yacht Spars in Brisbane.

A skylight lets you check the mainsail telltales from the helm, with 14.0 knots of breeze yielding 8.7 knots on the beam reach.

The light but positive feel of the helm that uses Lewmar hard linkages rewarded my efforts of trimming and steering.

The view forward was important to avoid all the fishing gear spread across the Seawind's path, with the deep saloon windows making it easy to spot obstacles in front of the bow. Sitting outboard in race mode, the view of the headsail telltales was lightly impeded by the coachroof.

Our course was taking us to Monkey Island where the resident fur-clad pirates could board if we anchored too close. With conditions easing we hoisted the asymmetric via its snuffer, put the wind at 120 degrees behind the mast and ran 7.1 knots in 11.5 knots of wind, taking us in the lee of the island.

Dropping the anchor via the Maxwell windlass, we enjoyed lunch in sight of the jungle-clad island and the strange noises emanating from it.

After lunch it was up-anchor and beat homeward. The self-tacking jib meant I needed only turn the wheel to spin the hulls around without touching either the mainsheet or jibsheet.

Easy-as, which sums up this very capable new cruiser from Seawind.

The Seawind 1370 succeeds on several fronts. It's a bluewater cruiser, sturdily built and easily sailed when both crewed or short-handed.

But it also has the sailplan to be a competitor in the cruising divisions of regattas. The Seawind 1370's leaner build enhances its racing ability.

And it comes liveability, with key features such as the well-organised saloon and cockpit making it a boat for all seasons.

Specifications
Model: Seawind 1370
Length overall: 13.7m
Waterline length: 13.7m
Beam: 7.6m
Draft: 1.3m
Air draft: 21.6m
Headroom: 2.1m
Displacement: 11,000kg
Bridgedeck clearance: 0.85m
Engines: 2x40hp Yanmar saildrives
Fuel: 600L
Water: 600L
Mainsail: 80sqm
Jib: 36sqm
Accommodations: 5 people/3 cabins

Priced from: $US820,000 (ex-factory Vietnam) including composite steering wheels with cable and tie-rod linkage system; B&G electronics with 2x12.0-inch plotters; shift and throttle controls, tachometers and engine monitoring and warning systems fitted to both helm stations; 4x two-speed self-tailing manual winches; VHF radio; electric anchor winch with gypsy; electric-flush heads; pressurised hot and cold water system with 40L hot water service; 2x200Ah deep-cycle gel house batteries; 2x starter batteries; 5x 24-volt USB outlets; 24-volt lighting; 2x160-watt solar panels; LPG three-burner stove and oven; 130-litre fridge; two-drawer freezer; 2x40hp Yanmar saildrives with freshwater cooling; turning three-bladed fixed propellers; anodised aluminium mast and boom with dieform wire standing rigging; self-tacking furling headsail and a fully battened mainsail with three reefing points; lazy jacks; 300kg-rated carbonfibre davits

Price as tested: $US1.6 million including 2x Harken 50 self-tailing electric winches; 24-volt/32000BTU Mastervolt airconditioning system; 3x400Ah lithium-ion house batteries; inverter; CZone digital switching; 57hp Yanmar saildrives

Supplied by: Seawind Catamarans