The Erin Go Bragh is a sailboat with up to six passengers, as opposed to the large catamarans with up to 40. I've done both, and enjoyed both. I thought I would prefer the Erin Go Bragh, but I actually didn't . There wasn't much room to move around, and the "head," or bathroom was a little funky; the crew insisted that used toilet tissue be placed in a wastebasket--yuck! It was nice to get to the snorkeling location and not have it crowded, although the catamarans did arrive eventually.
One thing I did like about the larger catamaran is that they actually had snorkeling vests, which were comfortable. The large, orange vests used on Erin Go Bragh that are worn backwards are cumbersome and not made for snorkeling. My family and I also felt more comfortable with the fact that one of the crew members of the catamaran was always watching while we were snorkeling. On Erin Go Bragh, Cpt. Bill and Ingrid were preoccupied with getting lunch ready( a really good salad, but so-so barbecue consisting of dark meat chicken and not very lean pork) and weren't really keeping on eye on the snorkelers, let alone in the water with us.
So...if you really like small and privacy and intimacy, go with Erin Go Bragh. If you want a more professional approach to snorkeling, a real bathroom, and a water slide, try one of the larger outfits.







