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Testimonials

The boat is a 441 Dean Catamarans from Dean, Cape Town, South Africa

So why we choose a "family" factory at the end of the world, producing "confidential" and products we do not talk in the press?

The answer lies in one sentence: it is enough to see one to be convinced that this boat IS the ideal Boat trip.

During one year we have went to boat shows, read everything published on catamarans... Our choice was first of all on a French boat, until we visit La Rochelle boat show in 2007 where Dean was exposed: the time to get on board, take a tour of five minutes and our final choice was made.

Malucat www.malucat.com

The Nauti-Dolphin was not only a beautiful yacht. She is tough. I left South Africa at the wrong time of year and caught a huge front with 50kt winds and 50-60 foot waves. I managed to beat the worlds record for the fastest Dean cat by surfing a 60 foot wave. My max sog was 27.8 knots. I got soaked to the bone and was ready to quit but I felt that the boat could take a lot more. I headed for Luderitz Namibia and spent a few weeks there while waiting for a better weather window. I had a little water comming in the portside hull so I was concerned. It turned out to be a simple fix, just a faulty check valve on a bilge pump. Peter Dean sent one of his crew to up to Namibia to fix it and a few other little issues. I would have to say the best thing about owning a Dean Cat is Peter Dean. He stands behind every boat he builds, If something was wrong he made it right. I do not think you will find better after the sale service anywhere in the world! The rest of the trip was an absolute pleasure. It was smooth sailing all the way across the Atlantic. When I reached the Carribean I learned the true value of a beautiful yacht. I found out how handsome I was... at least while sitting on the boat. I recieved four marriage proposals in one day!" ..........Thanks Guys.... happy sailing.

 

Jeff Voorhees Miami, Florida

I have sucessfully done a number of deliveries on the Dean Cat 440 and have allways had pleasure in dealing with the factory staff and technical team. The Yachts have been fantastic to sail, spacious and comfortable whilst underway and easy to manouver in tight confines. I have found the build quality to be outstandingly strong and can recommend them for extended cruising

Larry Dáguiar Delivery Skipper

"I was drawn to my boat, 'Karibela' in 2001 at the Southampton boat show. Looking back on it the aero 440 came number I in looks, value for money and in the response and service from the 'Dean' team although ironically the first two were not part of my decision criteria.

I was looking for a multihull from which I could pursue diving activities with my family, particularly in out of the way locations. This meant a boat built for ocean going passages with the emphasis on seaworthiness and safety. This immediately cut the large number of catamarans designed for the charter market out of the equation. Having now logged over 25,000 miles of ocean passages in both the northern and southern hemispheres that's exactly what I got. In a variety of weather systems she has lived up to everything I had heard about her and more and I cannot speak to highly of her in this respect.

Having met the its primary purpose I guess the next question is how does she stack up against other similar sized multihulls. The answer is very well. In all my travels and at subsequent boat shows I have only come across a couple of competitors that match it in specification, design and build and they were in a different price league. None of them match her for looks, outdoor living and internal storage. Every boat has its teething problems and strengths . Taking all of them into consideration I would have no hesitation in another Deancat."

Nigel Beresford

After long consideration, planning, and months of looking at various yachts, we decided to buy a Dean Cat as we found it to be a very good cruising cat.

We bought our yacht last year and sailed 7000 miles from Cape Town, South Africa to Portugal. Our journey was life altering and we enjoyed every minute feeling content/safe with our Dean Cat as she handled the sea very well.

Having problems with our Auto Helm in Ascension, Dean Catamaran had no problem in sending us a new Auto helm. The Dean Team was extremely helpful and willing to do whatever it took to get the job done.

Overall we found the Dean Cat a very seaworthy yacht, and the post sales service we have received has been outstanding. We would recommend a Dean Catermaran to anyone who is interested in luxury, quality sailing.

A big thank you to the whole Dean Catermaran Team!

Norbert Balak - Yacht Noel

Our long sailing trip has come to an end I feel a little sad I can't pretend

We've had continuous harmony And special memories A magic five years aboard Yebo Touring so many countries

Not even one day was a bore Remember that day the whales we saw Playing around the boat in moonlight From the moonshine on their bellies silvery white

Endless cocktails in the sun Tan faces, great places just having fun Exquisite meals did that galley make And we ate, and ate; and ate

We did not have wind in our sails all the time Becalmed days spent swimming and on the raft As usual all of us acting daft

Fancy dress parties were all the rave Attended by all walks of merry men The best one was "last night" Our crewmen say again and again

Well sailors this is au revoir not goodbye And in our hearts there will always be A special place for our Dean Catamaran, Yebo

written by Ed and Heather Harary

Having had the opportunity to deal with you once again as a delivery skipper, I wish to thank you for the honesty and integrity you have afforded myself and the crew. It was a pleasure to deliver another of your vessels. The condition of the vessel at handover was superb and we experienced no on board problems despite some heavy weather en route.

Derek Shuttleworth
ADVENTURE CONCEPTS
Sailing and Motor yacht deliveries world wide

We sailed from Cape Town in February 2002 towards Marmaris, Turkey, calling in at St. Helena, Madeira and Palma, Majorca on the way.
The voyage in the Southern Atlantic was sunny days of light Genekar sailing and balmy evenings

Once we crossed the Equator and sailed into the NE. Trades we had 10 days of unrelenting 35 knot winds from the NNE. Through all of this the boat behaved beautifully sailing at 60 degrees to the wind through, up to 10 metre high seas, making an average speed of 8 knots.

The trip from Madeira to the Straights of Gibraltar was made in two and a half days a distance of 600 miles. Average speed 10 knots It a very strongly built boat, and with the fresh water and fuel tank capacities will take you anywhere.

On a round the world voyage I can't see that anyone would want to sail in anything else.

George Turnbull
Owner of Dean Aero 440 'Tumshi'

Back in August 2002 I was asked to deliver a new Dean Aero from Cape Town to La Rochelle for the Grand Pavois boat show. This was going to be my first delivery of a Dean Catamaran and I guess at that stage of my sailing career I was undecided whether mono-hulls were the only way to sail and these floating caravans on two pontoons left for the old fuddy duddies and those too afraid to get their feet wet.

Well here I am 4 years later having sailed over 300,000 miles with 28,000 of those on various Dean Catamarans crossing the Atlantic and Indian Oceans waving the flag in respect that multi-hulls are the only way to sail and for the un-initiated still thinking that mono-hulls are the best then they must be living in caves. Multi-hull sailing is the way forward.

Being a delivery skipper I have had the opportunity to of delivered many yachts including many catamarans from various manufacturers and I am able to compare each one on not just their looks but how they perform and how they perform in all sorts of weather and what they are like to sail over many thousands of miles.

The Dean Espace is a big yacht compared to most. At 45 feet in length which compares the same as many others but the difference with a Dean is that almost all of that length is used. The foredeck area which has only a tiny trampoline, (at sea you hardly use a trampoline, and is for the magazines pictures only) is perfect for cocktail parties, group exercise programs, the odd game of Volley ball with enough room to mount a 55mm machine gun or a Exorcet rocket (or both).

Above the coach-house the area is also plentiful and used constantly. The cockpit more than ample for dining 'al-fresco' and then finally there is the 'balcony' at the rear. All this needs is a deck chair, a fishing rod or a copy of "Home and Gardens" and it would be complete.

Enter through the patio doors into a saloon that can only be described with a wow factor of 10, and would take the whole of the Australian Rugby team to fill, a galley that would not be an excuse for dishing up a lousy meals, the list goes on and on.

Of course there are other yachts that I haven't yet sailed on and there is one other cat in particular which I have delivered which is lighter and sails faster that catches my fancy but the Dean Espace to me represents the yacht that if I was in the market to buy one it would be top of my list if I was planning any sort of long Ocean voyage. It is perfect in many ways and will give every owner (including their spouses who have been 'talked' into sailing) peace of mind, security and miles of comfortable sailing and fun. It is the 'Catamaran of Choice"

Graham Harris has been sailing for over 40 years and has been a professional Yacht Delivery Skipper for the past 28 years. He can be contacted at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you would like further information, not just about the Dean Catamarans but anything to do with sailing in general. He can also be contacted if you are considering having your yacht delivered.

Graham Harris

"7 Seas" Should have been an aluminium monohull with an integral center board. It was the only thing of which we were sure of when deciding on a boat for a project of sailing the world. And then.. after visiting shipyards, boat shows and reading boating magazines, chance placed catamarans in our path. Lifestyle space, the light that rushes into the saloon, a view of the sea from wherever you look, and space to accommodate family and friends. No more meals at 45º and the feeling of living in a cellar. No more stressful manovering in a harbour.

With this new prospect in front of us we found the price of certain catamarans is comparable with some aluminum centre board craft, and the advantage of shallow draft is preserved, while gaining an extraordinary speed potential.

Lastly, the potential of doing charter work to make the boat profitable, made us reflect.

It was at the Grand Pavois of the La Rochelle Boatshow that we discovered the Dean 440, with its original shapes, the high quality of its materials, and it's very complete list of standard equipment, that we found alluring.

When compared to other catamaran shipyards "standard" can be summarized as "not able to go sailing". No electronics, sometimes no sails, no warps or fenders, and for some even no transport and launching. (For those deciding not to choose this last extra the possibility exists to take the catamaran on the roof of your Austin Cooper!)

We also learnt that the Dean shipyard is prepared to do some customizing (without extra cost which is extremely rare!)

Despite everything we did sea tests of many other catamarans - making a fast decision is not one of our qualities. Most of them became uncomfortable once the sea becomes agitated with the wave peaks slamming under the bridgedeck.

We tested the Dean 440 but no wind and glassy sea did not help much. Despite this it's elevated bridgedeck and it's tapered hulls led us to believe it would handle the waves better, and we decided to travel to South Africa to investigate further.

The Dean factory is located close to Cape Town and for us is the perfect size. Not too big, nor to small. Too big and you are one customer among hundreds and material quality suffers. Too small makes us feel the defects of too little experience.

At Dean Catamarans boats are hand built and personalized, and we were very cordially welcomed by Peter Dean. When we saw him we understand what it meant by "the passion of boatbuilding" He answers all our questions with precision, intelligence and a smile!" He reflects and finds solutions for each one of our wishes.

Although we would only know it afterwards, this same upfront kindness and generosity continued during and after the construction of the boat.

About three weeks after launching, a violent wind blows through Cape Town and we are moored, probably too loosely, on a decayed pontoon and we are awakened by a sinister noise. The pontoon had collapsed and the pretty gelcoat of a very new boat was damaged. You can imagine our distress. Following morning we sadly tell our mishap to Peter Dean, who gracefully sends his team to carry out a repair. At midday we do not believe our eye's, no trace of damage to the hull.

The entire Dean team and their French agent Bernard Mondoulet particularly impressed us by their availability and kindness. Any question or technical inquiry is solved by a simple telephone call.

Currently we are infinitely satisfied with our choice of yacht. Indeed we can confirm after touring the oceans that the boat passes over waves gently, even in heavy seas. In bad weather we feel safe in it's protected cockpit and it's seaworthiness measures.

The good positioning of all deck gear ensures the boat is easily handled by two people and even an ocean crossing could be done single handed.

The electronic navigation and very complete electric controls make navigation easy, and maneuvering in a harbour is so much easier than we suspected.

And what happiness, when we arrive at an anchorage to easily put our dingy in the water and explore all the pretty creeks and enjoy some good swimming.

Lastly and especially, the interior layout and comfort is immense. We note indeed that there is a difference between living on board and going on a one week cruise. On a one week holiday, one is easily satisfied with the basics and to twist themselves to get into a bath, or to clutch onto walls when there is heeling on a monohull. When living on board one says stop, we want comfort.

"7 Seas" shows us each day how well it was conceived and thought out. Everything is roomy and practical with plenty of storage space for everything including our diving compressor, bicycles and musical instruments. We are glad to be able to sit comfortably at the pilot station, to never have to duck your head in any cabin, to be able to cook fast meals, and especially to sleep in a roomy bed like at home.

In short we regret only one thing: when our boat gets too old, the model will probably have changed. We are now to buy a second one, which we will keep in reserve.

Valerie and Olivier on board "7 seas"

 

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