Larry Graf, the founder and “chief adventurer” of Aspen Power Catamarans, has launched an updated version of the 36-foot Aspen L107 that he ran 1,200 miles up the Mackenzie River in Canada’s Northwest Territories to the Arctic Circle – and back – in 2019.
Now, Graf has launched the L107 CLX, a new and improved version of his Arctic Circe boat with enough amenities to make it much more family friendly than the original. The CLX version stays true to the original design, but it now can be used as much more than an adventure or day boat.
Indeed, it has a galley module and an enclosed head, both of which were missing on Graf’s Mackenzie River epic. There’s a teak cockpit table with fold-out barstool seating, and the seating area on the bow converts to a king-sized sleeping area with a canvas cover for protected overnight camping. A large Bimini, with a radar arch and solar panels, offers some protection from the elements.
Since it’s part of the Aspen family, the L107 CLX is built on the company’s asymmetrical hulls, with a 200-hp-Yamaha outboard on the longer starboard side, and a 70-hp Yamaha on the port side. The design, derived from open proas that navigated the waters of the South Pacific for hundreds of years, is meant to be efficient and seaworthy in blue-water conditions.
The design replicates that of the single-diesel inboard-powered Aspens, but the starboard hull does not have a keel or a prop pocket. The hull shape at the bow serves to balance the boat. You don’t need to correct the helm to have the boat steer straight; it has hand-free tracking. For safety, Aspens are built with double-bottom hulls and watertight bulkheads.
The L107 has a top speed of 30 mph, and a range of 439 miles at 9 knots. At a trolling speed using only the port-side 70-hp motor, the range goes all the way up to 1,334 miles, with a 10 percent fuel reserve. Aspens are built in Burlington, Washington.
Specs.: LOA: 36’8”; Beam: 10’; Draft: 1’10”; Disp.: 7,200 lbs.; Fuel: 80 gallons; Water: 20 gals.; Power: 1×200-hp Yamaha outboard, 1×70-hp Yamaha outboard.
Read more at http://aspenpowercatamarans.com and see the video below:
