All of a sudden, it seems, power catamarans are taking center stage in the U.S. cruising community. You now see them almost everywhere, and more and more people are talking about them at boat shows, on blogs, and on the docks. It’s easy to see why.
Most obvious, is that power cats offer space – a lot of it. The salons resemble living rooms at home, with all the comforts of home. The decks are filled with lounging, dining, entertaining and private areas everywhere – on the foredeck, the aft deck, up on the flybridge, often even down in the beach club. With beams often equal to half the boat’s length, the cats have room for everything.
Then there’s the efficiency of the platform. The twin hulls, broadly spaced, are designed to run on top of the water, rather than through it, like displacement hulls. (I’ve driven a Maine 47 Power Cat in four- to five-foot seas in the Bahamas where the ride would not have been nearly as comfortable in a monohull.) And power cats are often more fuel efficient than same-size monohulls.
One thing I think people tend to overlook is that power cats offer more privacy (while also providing more social spaces). This is particularly true in the sleeping areas, where the owner and guest cabins can be separated into the two hulls. But even in the salon, or on the outer decks, the sheer amount of extra room means that most people can find their own private space if they want it.
The growing popularity of power cats follows that of sailing cats around the world. At first, power cats were popular in Europe (largely because of the French builders) and the Far East. But then they were introduced into large charter fleets, particularly The Moorings (Leopard) and MarineMax Vacations (Aquila). People tried them there, liked them, and brought their enthusiasm back home with them.
Here’s our look at ten top power cats that we’ve covered recently. (You also can keep up to date on power cats in our sister publication, Multihulls Today http://multihullstoday.com)
AQUILA 54
Aquila just announced that it’s building a new 54-foot cruiser for its large, worldwide catamaran fleet, and it is designed for maximum comfort inside and out. The full-beam master stateroom is forward, for example, with panoramic views from hull side windows; it takes advantage of the cat’s more than 25-foot beam to make it a special place underway or at an anchorage.
The 54 will debut later this year, and we’ll have more details later on as well. But what we know now is that the boat will have three-, four- or even five-cabin configurations, plus a possible skipper’s quarters and an optional galley-down layout. The galley-down takes the place of the fifth cabin, but it provides more room in the already massive salon, adding a formal dining area plus an extra seating lounge.
The salon has large tempered glass side windows for maximum natural light, and a deep, comfortable lounge. The aft cockpit has a separate dining area next to an indoor/outdoor bar. The large swim platform is made for easy access to water sports. It also supports a tender on solid mounting blocks. The flybridge can be open or complete enclosed and climate controlled.
To make life easy on board, the Aquila 54 has lots of counter space, a full-size refrigerator, a water-maker and a washer and dryer. Aquilas are built by Sino Eagle in China, and are sold to private buyers and also put into the MarineMax Vacations charter fleet. The Aquila fleet itself now has 32-, 36- and 44-foot models; a new 70 is scheduled for later this year.
Dave Bigge, the VP of Aquila International, says the list of standard features on the 54 “will impress anyone familiar with vessels of this size. Performance, another hallmark of the Aquila brand, will allow for high-speed travel and slower, more efficient, extended cruising ranges.”
Specs.: LOA: 54’2”; Beam: 25’2”; Draft: 4’6”; Disp.: 52,367 lbs.; Fuel: 581 gals.; Water: 238 gals.; Power: NA. https://www.aquilaboats.com/models/power-catamaran/54
ASPEN C108
Just launched, the Aspen Power Catamarans 35-foot C108, powered by asymmetrical Yamaha outboards, hit a top speed of 25 knots and a fuel-efficient cruising speed of 19 knots, producing 2 mpg.
Larry Graf, Aspen’s founder and “chief adventurer,” designed the new Aspen so it could be trailered to new cruising grounds. It has a beam of 10 ’8” and a combined boat and trailer weight of 12,500 pounds, so it could be towed by a ¾ ton pickup.
Like all Aspens, the new C108 has the company’s patented non-symmetrical hulls and power to help with exceptional tracking, fuel efficiency and performance in heavy seas. The boat has a 200-hp Yamaha in the larger starboard hull, and a 115-hp Yamaha in the smaller port hull.
The new salon is larger than in previous Aspens, and has a five-person dinette, a 12-foot long galley, and wrap-around windows. Below, the new cat has room for a master with a king-sized bed, two smaller guest cabins, and a large head with shower. http://aspenpowercatamarans.com
CAPE POWERCATS 35
Taking advantage of two trends, the increasing popularity of power catamarans and the explosive growth of outboard power, Cape Powercats is introducing its new 3500, and it comes in either a center console or a pilothouse version. And you can customize either one to fit your cruising lifestyle.
The good news is that the new Cape Powercats use the same hull as the one on the Buzzards Bay 34 power cat that received rave reviews when it was launched in 2010. When I was talking to JP Skov, a partner in Northstar Yacht Sales in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, who’s handling Cape Powercats, I realized that I actually had tested the Buzzards Bay back then, on a lousy afternoon, heading out from Falmouth on Cape Cod to cruise over to Martha’s Vineyard on three-to-four-foot lumpy seas.
I remembered at the time that the cat performed admirably, giving a relatively smooth ride without the pounding that I had expected. It turned easily and remained almost flat, and when we could find a stretch of decent water it produced an upper-30-knot top speed.
Chris White, of Chris White Designs in South Dartmouth, Massachusetts, drew that boat for Russell Hunt’s Multihull Development Inc. White had been designing multihulls for about three decades, and he got this one right.
The Buzzards Bay, and now the Cape Powercat, also are designed for the way many people use their boats today. The cats provide comfortable, fast, enjoyable coastal cruising with a lot of space for their length. The 12’ 7” beam means there’s room for everyone, or everything, you want to take along for a day, weekend or even a week on the water; a cat simply offers much more volume for its size than a comparable monohull.
But the real appeal is in the ride. The Cape Powercat has slender displacement hulls with a fine entry and full after sections. The boats accelerate quickly, track easily and they don’t pound. The deck between the hulls on the Buzzards Bay didn’t slam or make any noise while cutting through the waves and spray; the boat has a tall tunnel and ramped underbody.
“The ride of a Chris White-designed power catamaran is one of the best and most sea-kindly I have ever experienced,” says Skov. The lines of the boat are clean, functional and appealing. Skov says that a carbon beam aft gives the strength to deliver a wide-open platform with the cockpit and the helm deck all on the same level. “This feature has allowed us to deliver a boat to a client that is wheelchair-bound,” he said. ‘It also allows us to offer customizable layouts depending on the client’s boating style.”
Specs.: LOA: 37’7”; Beam: 12’7”; Draft: 1’6”; Disp.: 10,000 lbs.; Fuel: 300 gals.; Water: 60 gals.; Power: 2×300-hp outboards. http://capepowercats.com
FOUNTAINE PAJOT 67
Fountaine Pajot just launched its Power 67 flagship, and the big French cat is now on its way to Greece; it’s off Gibraltar in the picture at top. The Power 67 is a long-range, blue-water cruiser with massive social and entertaining areas, and its lines show off Fountaine Pajot’s usual elegant and innovative design.
The flybridge is covered by a hardtop with a sunroof, and it extends aft to protect the cockpit and port and starboard to cover the side decks. The teak swim platform lowers for access to the water, while the cockpit has several sunbathing areas, a grill and a dining table. Glass doors open fully to the salon; it’s built for entertaining, and it’s filled with natural light from windows all around.
The cat’s 32-feet-plus beam provides enough space for comfortable living and entertaining at sea or at the dock. There’s definitely room for a crowd. The Power 67 come in two versions: The Classic version, with the galley up on the port side of the salon with a large L-shaped lounge to starboard. In the Lounge version, the galley is down, but there’s a bar in the salon and another large L-shaped sofa on the port side.
With the galley down, the boat has the owner’s suite plus three double cabins in the twin hulls below; all the cabins have their own heads with showers. With the galley up, the accommodations include the owner’s suite plus four double cabins.
Fountaine Pajot calls the owner’s suite a private apartment, with good reason. The apartment has a sofa, a dressing room, a walk-in shower and twin vanities. It also has a private door leading to the massive foredeck, with several lounging areas and an optional Jacuzzi..
Standard power comes from twin 300-hp diesels; twin 435-hp diesels are optional. Range with the larger engines is 1,700 nm.
Specs.: LOA: 64’6”; Beam: 32’2”; Draft: 3’8”; Disp.: 31.5 tons; Fuel: 1,057 gals.; Water: 277 gals.; Power: 2×300-hp; option: 2×435-hp. http://fountainepajot.com
HORIZON 65
I thought I’d take a quick tour of the new Horizon 65 Power Catamaran during the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, where it was just launched. Then I realized there’s no such thing as a quick tour of this boat. It’s huge. It’s luxurious. It has beautiful woodwork – as in the curved railing on the stairs from the salon to the skylounge; it’s like a work of art. You don’t just glance at it and look away. You want to get up close and personal.
I forgot about the quick tour and settled in to enjoy this new cat, hull number one of Horizon’s 65 PC series, a boat that combines the best aspects of a high-end motoryacht with the stability, efficiency, performance – and space – of a large cruising catamaran. Horizon builds its boats per the owners’ specifications. The 65 comes with either four en suite staterooms (two with king berth, two with queens), or three en suite staterooms with crew’s quarters. The twin hulls provide enough space so that these are all large, comfortable and filled with light from hullside windows.
And this cat performs. Powered by standard twin 850-hp CAT diesels, it tops out at 26-plus knots, and has a cruising speed of 22 knots. Range at cruising speed is 500 nm.
Stuart Hegerstrom, the co-founder of The PowerCat Company, which distributes Horizon power cats, said the hull design is the result of long-term research and tank testing. “We are in the enviable position of being at the leading edge of the power catamaran revolution,” he said. The symmetrical, semi-displacement hull was designed by Lavranos Marine Design of New Zealand, and it has a sophisticated planing wedge that provides a stable, soft and level ride, even in rough conditions.
The first thing you notice when you climb on the new Horizon is the cockpit: It’s huge (the boat has a 24’ 6” beam) and it’s luxurious enough to be at home on a megayacht. There’s a curved settee across the transom, a high-gloss centered dining table, a wet bar and fridge, and enough space to hold a crowd. Indeed, at a media event there I counted 21 people in the cockpit, and there was room to spare.
Horizon customizes the interiors to fit the owner’s wishes. The wife of this boat’s owner (it’s his third Horizon) is a chef, so the galley, with counterspace that stretched on forever, is dominant in the salon. Up top, the skylounge (the boat also comes in a plain flybridge configuration) also is huge. Twin Stidd helm chairs are forward, then there’s another wet bar with stools to port, plus a day head aft; a large L-shaped settee is aft to starboard. The boat deck all the way aft is large enough for a good-sized dinghy and any assortment of water toys.
The 65 is built for owner/operators, liveaboards or the charter trade. Richard Ford, the other co-founder of the Powercat Company, said “the PC 65 allows you to own a boat with larger engines, more fuel for longer-range cruising, and ticks the box of a well-appointed fourth cabin. For owners who choose to put their PC 65 into our charter program, it also offers comfortable crew accommodations.”
Horizon offers a management program for owners who want to put their boat in charter when they’re not using it. Part of the charter program is a try-before-you-buy offer, Ford said, where a potential customer can charter the boat for about 1 percent of its price before he makes a final decision. The base price of the new 65, Ford said, is about $3.9 million. The charter price for a week is $35,000. “We’ve sold so many yachts to people who charter before they buy,” he said. The Horizon power cat fleet ranges from 52 to 74 feet.
Specs: LOA: 65’1”; Beam: 24’6”; Draft: 5’3”; Disp.: 111,250 lbs.; Fuel: 1,500 gals.; Water: 300 gals.; Power: 2×850-hp CAT C12-9. http://horizoncatamarans.com
LAGOON SEVENTY 8
The flagship of the Lagoon motor yacht fleet, the new, luxurious, long-range Lagoon Seventy 8 will be introduced at the Cannes Yachting Festival in September and then shown in the U.S. later in the year. The company says the idea behind the massive 78-foot-long cruiser with a 36-foot beam is to compete in the top end of the world-wide motor yacht market.
The Seventy 8 will emphasize comfort, luxury and seaworthiness. The cat’s twin hulls provide stability and space, while the three-foot draft gives the boat access to shallow bays and coves around the world. We don’t have details yet, but the interior spaces will be large for living aboard and entertaining, while the lines and proportions have been drawn to give the boat a timeless elegance. The exterior was designed by Patrick Le Quement; the interiors by Nauta Design.
Part of the Beneteau Group, Lagoon has made more than 3,000 large sailing catamarans over the years, while recently entering the powerboat marketplace. Made in Bordeaux, France, the Lagoon Seventy 8 is a motor yacht version of Lagoon’s Seventy 7 sailboat. http://themultihullgroup.com/lagoon-78-my
LAZZARA 70, 85
For all the obvious reasons, Lazzara has just changed the name of its new line of luxury catamarans from Corona to Lazzara Catamarans. It’s building the first two models, a 70 and an 85, in Turkey. And they’re both meant to be head-turning statements of space, light and design.
The 85 (pictured above) is simply a larger version of the 70, but its size emphasizes the enormous parts of the yacht that open for light and air and entertaining on both the lower accommodations deck and the upper salon deck, plus the open flybridge protected under a canopy hardtop.
The lower deck takes advantage of the cat’s 35-foot beam to create a master suite that stretches from one side to the other, and then features balconies that fold out for sunbathing or enjoying a private breakfast or evening cocktail on the water. Open them both and you can enjoy a sea breeze and probably one of the largest private suites on anything smaller than a superyacht. There are four other cabins on the same deck, each designed to be an elegant use of space and light; they don’t have the fold-out balconies, but they do have long strips of glazing to connect them to the views outside.
On the main deck, the salon has three walls of sliding glass that open to port, starboard and aft. There’s an indoor dining area and game table to port, an L-shaped bar and lounge area, and a central U-shaped sofa and counter seating forward.
The flybridge has another dining area, this one al fresco, plus a bar, sun lounges and a Jacuzzi tub. The foredeck is a massive, full-beam social area, with seating and sun lounges.
The Lazzara’s beach club is striking, even given the dramatic lines of the cat from any angle. Sweeping stairways are on both sides of the teak aft deck, embracing what usually would be called a swim platform, for easy access to swimming, watersports and entertaining. The beach club has shaded seating and large-screen TVs, and it’s big enough to hold a 26-foot tender.
Standard power on the Lazzara 85 comes from twin 550-hp Volvos; 1,000-hp Volvos are optional. Top speed with the standard engines is 21 knots; cruising speed is 15 knots.
Specs.: LOA: 85’0”; Beam: 35’0”; Draft: 4’6”; Disp.: 155,000 lbs.; Fuel: 2,500 gals.; Water: 750 gals.; Power: 2×550-hp Volvos. http://lazzaracatamarans.com
LEOPARD 53
Walking through the salon of the Leopard 53, which just made its debut at the Miami show, I was not surprised by the amount of space inside the new power cat. I had expected that; after all, the boat has a beam of more than 25 feet. But I was surprised by the amount of light that beamed in.
There are panoramic windows all around, and the interior décor is all light in color and modern in design, so that it’s both inviting and soothing at the same time. It would be easy to feel at home on this new Leopard; it’s simply begging to head off on a long cruise.
The Leopard 53 PC replaces the Leopard 51, one of the most popular cruising cats ever made, with 135 sold. And the 53 is not only larger; it’s also more comfortable, more efficient, and more stable.
You can walk on via a large teak swim platform and then go up teak stairs on either side of the transom to the large aft deck, which is meant for relaxing and entertaining. An L-shaped settee and table are on the port side; a sun pad, big enough for two, is to starboard.
Large sliding glass doors open wide to the salon; the aft deck and the salon are on the same level, so the outside and inside spaces flow together. The galley is aft, and it’s split. A home-sized fridge and freezer and a sink are on the port side; the stove and microwave and a generous countertop are to starboard.
Moving forward, lounges are on each side, and the helm seat on the starboard side is wide enough to fit two people. A centered glass door opens to the foredeck; it has large sun lounges on each side.
Up top, the flybridge is protected by a hardtop. The upper helm is to starboard, and it can seat two people. A seat for three people is to port. A bit aft, also on the port side, is a large U-shaped settee and table. A large sun pad is farther aft.
The accommodations deck below comes in two versions. The Leopard 53, for sale to private owners, has three cabins. The Leopard 534, which is placed in charter by The Moorings, has four. In either one, the twin hulls of a cat provide a degree of privacy for the cabins that is not usually found in a monohull.
I walked through the three-cabin boat at the show. It has two cabins, both en suite heads, in the port hull. The owner’s cabin stretches along the starboard side, with the berth and living area aft, the head, with twin sinks, forward, and the separate shower in the bow.
The engine room and machinery spaces on the 53 are aft. Power comes from twin 370-hp Yanmars. They produce a top speed of 25 knots. Running at a cruising speed of 17 knots, the range is 463 nm. But what’s remarkable about this boat is that if you run on one engine, at 6.8 knots, the range climbs to a full 1,995 nm.
All told, the Leopard 53 is an impressive new boat. And that’s not just my opinion. I was on the boat the morning of the second day of the show, and Leopard had already sold three of them.
Specs.: LOA: 53’1”; Beam: 25’2”; Draft: 3’2”; Disp.: 41,070 lbs.; Fuel: 581 gals.; Water: 185 gals. Power: 2×370-hp Yanmar diesels. http://leopardcatamarans.com http://moorings.com
NAUTITECH 47
In another example of the growth of power cats, Nautitech Catamarans will have the world premiere of its new 47 Power at the Miami International Boat Show. The new boat, from the French company that also makes sailing cats, is powered by twin 225-hp Volvo Penta diesels.
With its fine entry and clean lines, the Nautitech 47 has all the design elements of a contemporary European catamaran. Windows stretch all around the salon, letting in an enormous amount of natural light, while windows in the hull sides admit light to the four cabins below.
The large flybridge, with an upper helm, lounging area and wet bar, is protected by a hardtop, and the flybridge extends far enough aft to protect the deck below. A sun lounge is forward of the flybridge, offering great views of what’s ahead, while there’s another, much larger, sun lounge on the foredeck.
The Nautitech 47 is designed for safe and comfortable cruising. The side railings are high going forward, and the boat’s almost 25-foot beam offers stability in a seaway. The boat draws less than 4 feet, so it can cruise easily in the Bahamas or other areas with shallow water.
The boat can be ordered with three or four cabins, with three or four heads. The salon is designed with warm woodwork, and it houses a lower helm station.
The company says the twin hulls provide a perfect trim at any speed. With an upgrade to twin 300-hp Volvos, top speed is 22 knots; dial back to 8.5 knots, and the range is about 1,000 nm.
Nautitech has been building catamarans in Rochefort, France, on the Bay of Biscay, since 1994.
Specs.: LOA: 46’8”; Beam: 24’9”; Draft: 3’11”; Disp.: 33,075 lbs.; Fuel: 340 gals.; Water: 158 gals.; Power: 2×225-hp Volvo Penta. http://nautitechcatamarans.com
SUNREEF 70
Sunreef Yachts, the luxury builder in Gdansk, Poland, is filling out its power catamaran fleet with the introduction of a new 70 footer. Its lineup already has 60-, 80- and 100-foot models, so the new 70 fills a gap.
Like the previous models, the 70 is elegant, comfortable and seaworthy. The new cat also takes full advantage of its more than 37-foot beam to create enormous spaces for entertaining and living on board. The foredeck, for example, runs full beam and includes a “terrace,” a protected lounging area with sofas, and then an open area all the way forward for various sun lounges.
The two hulls provide options for custom layouts below, starting with two large staterooms on each side, but with more possible staterooms aft and crew quarters in the bows. The galley also can be located aft on the lower deck, as opposed to its more standard location on the port side of the salon.
The 70 has Sunreef’s signature knife-like bows and wraparound windows in the main deck/salon. It also has large opening doors aft in the salon, so it blends seamlessly with the aft deck, which is protected by the overhang from the flybridge. The aft deck also has an al fresco dining space. Wide teak steps lead down to the innovative aft garage and a swim platform that can be raised or lowered hydraulically for the launching of a dinghy or jet ski.
Up top, the flybridge has enough space for a spa pool, a bar, a dining area, lounging area, and the upper helm with a three-person seat. The hardtop includes an opening sun roof.
Sunreef is offering multiple power options for the 70, ranging from twin 300-hp diesels to twin 850-hp diesels.
Specs.: LOA: 69’9”; Beam: 37’2”; Draft: NA; Disp.: NA; Fuel: 3,170 gals.; Water: 422 gals.; Power: 2×300-hp diesels up to 2×850-hp diesels. http://sunreef-yachts.com
