Modern power cat Trawler?

Recently been looking at catamarans designed to be charter condos in the Caribbean and going back and forth between them and Trawlers. I’m wanting to cruise up and down the west coast, as far as the Homer Spit in AK, and as far south as maybe the Panama Canal. (Might get tired of snow and want to check out the Caribbean.)

It seems like a Trawler Cat is a no brainer. Sailing Cats are super popular, even power cats are becoming popular- Xquisite, Lagoon, Leopard, Fontaine Pajot, Sunreef, all make power cats with recent new models. but they are Charter Condos.

Trawler cats-
Domino and other Malcolm Tennet designs are very nice, but not modern.
Journey Catamarans— what happened to them? Their website is gone and redirects to a broker (I sent them an email) ... seems no new boats in years, but the broker has renderings, that seem dated now.
Endeavor Catamaran- seems they were active as of 5 years ago. Really liked their 50 foot model— or at least it was very nice for the time. Seems they were bought by ArrowCat and the focus now is day boats.

Any action happening?

I saw Selene is working in a “split hull” model. Technically a cat, but barrow.

Aspen Power Carsmarabs seems a good choice, but they are Proas, and they seem to lose a lot if the advantage of a cat with that narrow proa hull.

Aspen makes an amazing boat. It was at the top of our list. The sea trial was unreal, boat was on rails. The construction is top notch and attention to detail is amazing.

Don't let the 30% decrease in the proa hull fool you. It's not even really noticable in my opinion.

They are working on a 50 footer that should be out of this world!

I don’t understand your question. I have a 54’ boat that will do everything you ask. It’s neither a trawler nor a cat but it has way more space than either. Is there a fuel efficiency criteria you have forgotten to mention? A speed issue? Shallow draft issue?

I have written a bit about power cats that may help...

AdmiralS said:

Aspen makes an amazing boat. It was at the top of our list. The sea trial was unreal, boat was on rails. The construction is top notch and attention to detail is amazing.

They are working on a 50 footer that should be out of this world!

Click to expand...

I’m thinking a used Aspen C90 or C105 might be a good first powerboat, before upgrading to something big and much more expensive, like their 50 footer. I can’t wait to see it.

What made you decide to go a different way?

tiltrider1 said:

I don’t understand your question. I have a 54’ boat that will do everything you ask. It’s neither a trawler nor a cat but it has way more space than either. Is there a fuel efficiency criteria you have forgotten to mention? A speed issue? Shallow draft issue?

Click to expand...

I was just giving my understanding of the current power cat market which seems to be moving away from “Trawler Cats” like the endeavor and journey and towards “charter condos”.

What’s your boat?

Reformed-sailor said:

I’m thinking a used Aspen C90 or C105 might be a good first powerboat, before upgrading to something big and much more expensive, like their 50 footer. I can’t wait to see it.



What made you decide to go a different way?

Click to expand...

We are live aboards and found the Helmsman layout to be perfect for us.

mcarthur said:

I have written a bit about power cats that may help...

Click to expand...

Sweet! I’ve been to your blog in the past, jealous of your boat.

Interestingly the Sunreef 70 i think you’re talking about in your first article is two redesigns ago- recently they had the “Supreme 68” and then last year introduced the 80 (of which a 70 and 60 design are created and being ordered.)

The Silent Yachts 55 you mentioned has been built and now they have a 60, and two 80s— on the drawing board. One thing about these boats is they have much larger batteries available, and an option to sail with a kite. So, no sun or wind, use diesel. Good wind: kite, good sun: diesel and solar. But I wonder if the kite can be run at night or not.

AdmiralS said:

We are live aboards and found the Helmsman layout to be perfect for us.

Click to expand...

That’s my concern about the proa design. The Aspen C20 is around 40 feet, but is one king and one bathroom and a single.... meanwhile an Aquila 36 day boat has two doubles and two bathrooms.

Hopefully with the 50 the pros will be wide enough that it’s less relevant that it’s smaller. Maybe two bedrooms in the big hull and two bathrooms in the small one.

Here are a couple of modern ones that tick a lot of boxes:

https://powerplaycatamarans.com/

https://yacht-heliotrope.com/power-range/heliotrope-48-space-grace-and-pace/

Aspen looks great, but I believe also in the $700,000 range

Insequent said:

Here are a couple of modern ones that tick a lot of boxes:

https://powerplaycatamarans.com/

https://yacht-heliotrope.com/power-range/heliotrope-48-space-grace-and-pace/

Click to expand...

Sweet! I didn’t know Thailand has a shipbuilding industry. Those both look great.

Jackhulse said:

Aspen looks great, but I believe also in the $700,000 range

Click to expand...

Yep, they’re a US builder in a highly regulated state, I’m sure they use vacuum bagging because anything else would be illegal.... and with catamarans you pay for both hulls.

Reformed-sailor said:

Sweet! I didn’t know Thailand has a shipbuilding industry.


.

Click to expand...

Australian design alloy cats built in Pattaya

Sea Cat Ships Thailand

Andaman Boatyard also at Pattaya

https://andamanboatyard.com/catamarans/

Serenity, also in Patts

Catamaran and boat builder in Pattaya,Thailand

More Australian cats built there

Home - Asia Catamarans

And these are the easy ones, I know of many others up there doing great boats in alloy and composite.

Personally, unless you live light, I can't see a catamaran being an effective live aboard until they get into the 60ft range.
Fuel, water, niceties all carry a weight penalty and that is the enemy of multihulls.

Reformed-sailor said:

Sweet! I’ve been to your blog in the past, jealous of your boat.

Interestingly the Sunreef 70 i think you’re talking about in your first article is two redesigns ago- recently they had the “Supreme 68” and then last year introduced the 80 (of which a 70 and 60 design are created and being ordered.)

The Silent Yachts 55 you mentioned has been built and now they have a 60, and two 80s— on the drawing board. One thing about these boats is they have much larger batteries available, and an option to sail with a kite. So, no sun or wind, use diesel. Good wind: kite, good sun: diesel and solar. But I wonder if the kite can be run at night or not.

Click to expand...

Thank you. We were simply lucky to find her when we could - not many 50' aluminium power cats on this planet! Let alone with 12mm thick plate protection from reputable builders/welders . In fact there's precious few power cats that aren't designed for the charter market at all. Probably goes with the (reportedly) fewer boaters around as well. We'll test this later in the year as we navigate Cowes and the Solent in peak season .

Good point about the Sunreef - I'll try and get the numbers for the different versions. Not that anything like 70' is part of the usual cruising market! Oh, unless you're Rafa .

Regarding the kite, I'm assuming they've done a deal with kitesail or whatever the modern version is. It's a kite with lines attached to a powered unit that keeps the kite moving in a regular figure of 8 pattern to generate the most power and stop it simply falling into the ocean. I haven't seen one in person. For me, I'd be concerned at the reliance on a power unit and the larger movement of the kite - not so much at night, but certainly in a harbor or on longer passage. I did get a quote from omegasails which uses a different design and is one I'd prefer for long distance down-ish wind passages (upto 45 degrees from downwind). The Lagoon 43 powercat Belle Oiselle used one across the Atlantic I understand, but I've been unable to find out any more...

Trawkler? Hmmm. Perhaps a suitable term for a twin-hulled powered cruiser boat.