When it comes to interesting and innovative boat design and performance, Larry Graff, founder and CEO of Aspen Power Catamarans may well be in a league of his own.
He builds proa-style cruising cats in which one hull is narrower than the other, like Polynesian sailing proas. This unusual feature reduces drag and weight which in turn minimizes the power needed from the outboard motors for maximum efficiency and speed.
He builds five models from 32 to 44 feet in Bellingham, Washington, of which the 38-foot C110 is the newest addition. The boat has a three-cabin, one-head (with shower) configuration that is plenty roomy enough for family cruises.
With a 10-foot, eight-inch beam, the salon and cockpit have the square-foot area of a 50-footer, yet this width also makes the C11 trailerable. The boat has a displacement of 10,800 pounds so you will need a good-size pickup to tow it, probably something like a 3500 dually.
One of the new design’s improvements is the additional 16-inches of width on the swim platform which makes climbing in and out of a dinghy easier and safer. It also makes a better platform for Aspen’s unique dinghy davit system. Aspen’s new Carbon Cat dinghies fit neatly between the engines.
With the new design, Graff is making Mercury outboards standard and these feature over-sized alternators, digital throttle and shift controls, and electronic steering for effortless maneuvering and docking.
The optimal set up has a 115-horsepower motor on the narrower hull and a 200 on the main hull. These engines weigh the same so the hulls will stay in balance but the 85 fewer horses make a real difference in fuel burn. At normal cruising speeds throttled to 2500 RPMS, the C110 will burn 1.8 gallons per mile. This is significantly less than the burn for twin 200s.
The benefit of having two 115-amp alternators, one on each engine, is the ability to quickly and efficiently charge the large lithium ion phosphate house battery bank which will run all house electrical functions all night. You can even power a 17,000 BTU air conditioner.
Graff is an adventurer as well as a designer and boat builder. A few years ago he took one of his proa cats the full length of Canada’s mighty McKenzie River.
And, last year before delivering hull number one of the brand new , 44-foot C128, he took the boat on a cruise of Vancouver Island’s remote and rugged West Coast. Both adventures ran seamlessly and proved the boats worthy of rigorous cruising.
The new C110 joins an elite Aspen cruising fleet and will make a fine, comfortable and efficient family cruiser.
