Aspen Power Catamarans is launching its new 34 Aspen C107 with two outboards at the Seattle Boat Show that opens this Friday, Jan. 25. The new Aspen, with the company’s patented asymmetrical proa hulls, is similar to its previous C100 model, except that it has a 200-hp Yamaha on the starboard hull and a 70-hp Yamaha on the port hull, instead of the earlier single-diesel application.
Larry Graf, Aspen’s CEO, founder and “chief adventurer,” started testing a 32-foot outboard-powered prototype last summer, in response to the increasing popularity of outboard cruising boats. The trick was to get the right balance of power between the two hulls. Graf developed Aspen’s proa design, patterned after South Seas boats, with a starboard hull that is about 35 percent larger than the port hull, giving the boat less drag, less weight and greater fuel efficiency. In the diesel boat, the engine and all the machinery were in the larger, starboard hull. After lots of sea trials in the prototype, it turned out the 200-hp and 70-hp Yamahas were the right combination for the outboard boat.
Aspen, with its factory in Burlington, Washington, has a well-earned reputation for building seaworthy long-range cruising boats. Indeed, last year a 40-footer completed a 10,000 mile tour of the United States from the Pacific Northwest to its home port in Annapolis, Maryland.
The new C107 is designed to maintain that reputation. The salon is built for cruising. The aft bulkhead window opens fully to the cockpit, to integrate the two areas. The galley is to port and the dinette, with seating for four at a large table, is to starboard. The dinette converts to a sleeping area, a full 6’ 3” long, for two adults. The helm is to port, and it has a Side-Power joystick for the bow thruster; the co-pilot’s seat is to starboard, near steps down to the accommodation deck.
The master, with a king-sized berth set athwartship, is forward. A guest cabin is a bit aft, to port, and the head with shower is to starboard. There’s lots of storage space throughout the boat to make life on board easy for cruising.
Aft, the cockpit has an entertainment center with a sink with a Corian counter and a mini-fridge. There’s also a 96-quart Igloo cooler with a cushion.
Specs.: LOA: 34’8”; Beam: 10’0”; Draft: 22”; Disp.: 8,400 lbs.; Fuel: 80 gals.; Water: 50 gals.; Power: 1×200-hp Yamaha outboard; 1×70-hp Yamaha outboard. Price: $325,000.
http://aspenpowercatamarans.com
