Powercats continue to gain traction in the cruising-boat market offering owners more space, greater privacy and better fuel efficiency and seakeeping ability than monohulls of similar length. Here is a sample of some of the best cats (and tris) on the market today.
NAUTITECH 47 POWER
Based on the successful Nautitech 46 Open sailing catamaran, the new Nautitech 47 Power redefines the aesthetic, as well as practical parameters of today’s power multihulls. The dynamic Nautitech 47 Power benefits from the same streamlined design as the sailing version.
The semi-displacement load-carrying hulls give the Nautitech 47 Power performance advantages over other power catamarans. The expansive flybridge houses the steering station which can seat three people side by side and forms a perfect vantage point to dock, reverse or simply relax in any weather. Thanks to an innovative targa arch and protective bimini, the flybridge can be fully enclosed even in bad weather.
The award-winning designer interior of the Nautitech 47 Power catamaran is based on the popular sailing version, providing a huge chef galley and plenty of lounging space.
aeroyacht.com/power-catamarans/nautitech-power-catamarans
LEEN 56
The Leen 56 power trimaran is a long-range cruising multihull, perfectly capable of transatlantic voyages or living aboard in high latitudes. Built in a highly efficient, new hybrid composite panel system, this power trimaran has a range of 5,000 miles and may only be fueled up once a year.
It has a large diesel as main propulsion and electric drives in the outer hulls (amas). This allows for great maneuvering in ports or silent autonomy on just the electric pod-drives. A large generator acts as an effective charging device in case the main engine fails. With just the electric drives, the boat is capable of speeds of up to 5 knots. Under full power and depending on the engine choice, the boat can achieve 20 knots, according to the builder. Typical cruise is 15-18 knots and consumption is 2l gph. This is about 10 times less than a power trawler and twice as efficient as a catamaran trawler yacht.
aeroyacht.com/power-catamarans/leen-power-trimarans/leen-56-power-trimaran
LEOPARD 53 POWERCAT
The Leopard 53 Powercat is an all-new design that replaces the Leopard 51. Designers sacrificed the forward cockpit and moved the windshield forward to add volume, which is reportedly 31 percent more than aboard the 51. There is 6 feet, 10 inches of salon headroom, along with 6-foot, 8-inch headroom in the spacious staterooms and 40-inch-wide side decks. The salon feels immense, which isn’t a surprise when you consider the 25-foot, 2-inch beam, and it offers a bright ambience and all-around views. The windows seem to disappear behind the couches, and the door to the foredeck is glass. This door leads directly to a hidden anchor windlass, past a pair of sunpads.
The helm has a double-wide bench seat abaft the dash. The wheel is outboard, and with all the visibility, there are no worries about running the boat from inside the air-conditioned space. The hydraulic swim platform should easily muscle a 10-foot tender in and out of the water, leaving two 5-foot boarding platforms on each side.
The boat has no inside dining, but the cockpit has a table with wraparound seating and a sunpad opposite. The design of the steps makes it easy to access the bridge and side decks from here; the bridge is like a second salon, and is easily enclosed under the fiberglass hardtop. A dining table, chaise and forward-facing seat are to port, with the helm and a cooking setup to starboard.
Power for the Leopard 53 Powercat comes from a pair of 370-hp Yanmar diesels that reportedly are good for just under 25 knots maximum speed, and an economical cruise at 17.5 knots. Cruising with one engine, range jumps to nearly 2,000 nautical miles at just shy of 7 knots, according to the builder. Whether the goal is family fun, longer-distance cruising or charter service, the Leopard 53 Powercat is worth a look.
BALI CATSPACE MOTORYACHT
Conceived by Olivier Poncin and designed by Lasta Design, the new catamaran Bali Catspace Motoryacht combines all the latest innovations in cruising. The shape of its hulls and its integral deck give the boat excellent seakeeping qualities and make it exceptionally easy to move between the deck salon at the bow with its immense relaxation space, and the large aft platform with its bench seat and lockers. Access to the flybridge on each side is easy and safe.
Everything is designed for conviviality. The cockpit, offering a 360-degree view, is lined with comfortable bench seats, as is the central area with table and kitchenette for aperitifs and a well sheltered meal under the opening hard-top bimini (optional), before relaxing on the large sunbathing areas, aft.
Engine choice (from 2 × 150-hp to 2 x 250-hp Yanmar) will determine your cruising program.
bali-catamarans.com/en/catamarans/bali-catspace-my
60 SUNREEF POWER
The 60 Sunreef Power is a versatile and modern motoryacht offering extreme comfort, seaworthiness and complete freedom for customization. With her contemporary and sporty look, she follows the design guidelines of Sunreef Yachts’ new Power range consisting of the 60 Sunreef Power, 70 Sunreef Power, 80 Sunreef Power and 100 Sunreef Power.
A smart and easily maneuvered luxury catamaran, she can cruise both with or without crew. The 60 Sunreef Power boasts a vast, semi-open salon. Blending seamlessly with the aft cockpit, the interior main deck lounging and dining space is entirely customizable and filled with sunlight from both the skylight and panoramic glazing.
The generous volumes within the hulls can be easily customized to match any navigation plan and lifestyle. The alfresco relaxation areas of the yacht include a large bow terrace and an aft cockpit with plenty of space for dining and lounging. The aft hydraulic platform provides a fantastic spot for sunning and enjoying water sports. The flybridge can house a spa pool, a bar, a dining area and oversize sunpads. An aft garage and aft platform allows the 60 to take her tender, jet ski and toys anywhere she goes.
https://www.aeroyacht.com/sailing-catamarans/sunreef-catamarans-70-to-150/new-60-sunreef-catamaran/
HELIOTROPE 48
Power catamarans have been at the forefront of the largest sector in the boating industry for decades. The Heliotrope 48 breaks the mold by projecting a fantastic design, detail-oriented craftsmanship and customer-oriented approach in creating the ultimate cruising power catamaran.
The Heliotrope 48 power catamaran can easily run at 15 knots, all day, in any weather. When it comes time to pick up the pace and look for fishing grounds or outrun weather her twin diesels will have you hold on as she will propel you at 20 knots.
The Heliotrope 48 power catamaran was launched in 2015 and several units have been produced with more in build.
aeroyacht.com/power-catamarans/heliotrope-48-power-catamaran/
LAGOON SIXTY7
The Lagoon SIXTY7 attempts to strike a happy balance between long range, performance, luxury and comfort. Available with up to six cabins and able to sleep as many as 12 guests, this recent model from the French builder offers a worthy platform for coastal cruising or crossing oceans.
Lagoon refers the SIXTY7 as a “high-end Manhattan apartment on the water.” A glance at the interior photos make a solid case for that description. With 385 square feet devoted to the salon, dining area, bar area and nav station, the main deck is more spacious than your average monohull.
The outside decks offer owners more sprawling space to relax and commune with nature. Bulwarks offer a protected promenade around the deck and lend the boat an elegant and refined profile. A hydraulic platform connects the two transoms to form a single platform over the water for relaxation and easy launching of a tender. The outdoor galley features a refrigerator, sink, icemaker and waste-bin. Access between the spaces is sensible and easy.
According Lagoon, the optional 440-hp Yanmar diesels will produce a top speed of 19 knots with a range of 2,100 nautical miles at 10.
HUDSON POWER CAT 56
Power catamaran design has never been so luxurious and comfortable as the new HPC56 Powercat, says Hudson Powercats. The combination of striking styling, excellent performance and complete comfort make this catamaran an exciting new entry in the market. The design and overall concept follow her sister, the HPC48, with modern styling, class-leading interiors and options to satisfy all tastes.
The exterior features multiple living spaces from the spacious aft deck to the open foredeck seating area, to the signature flybridge. The flybridge is available in three configurations: open with radar arch, hard top or fully enclosed wheelhouse. Both the hard top and enclosed flybridge have great protection from the elements and the option of electrically opening roofs. The enclosed flybridge allows you to create a fully air-conditioned wheelhouse with internal stairs linking it to the salon.
The spacious salon has the galley and dining aft, with the galley opening to the aft deck, putting it at the center of social activities. The large galley will comfortably cater to family and friends and features a full-height domestic refrigerator/freezer. The forward half of the salon is a comfortable area for guests to relax. Depending on the options, the salon will also feature an inside helm.
ASPEN C108
Aspen Power Catamarans, a Burlington, Washington-based builder, specializes in its own original take on multihull production boats. Its newest offering is the full-displacement C108. It’s readily apparent that the C108 nixes the notion that all boat designs are a series of compromises.
The C108 has a 37-foot-6-inch length overall with three berths (the dinette converts to a fourth berth). There’s an enclosed head with a shower, and a roomy salon similar to the one on the larger C120. A fundamental feature on the C108, and many Aspens, is the bulkhead between the salon and cockpit. Almost the whole section is glass that can be closed or opened to combine the indoor and outdoor space, which itself is partially covered. An exterior bar with two seats is near the dinette. The C108 also accommodates a dinghy that is secured to a raised metal rack over the outboard engines.
Hull No. 1 has a basic setup; the owner manually deploys and stows the dinghy. More sophisticated options are available for heavier tender users. While the overall feel is that of a cruising yacht, it can be noted is that the C108 is also trailerable.
Hull No. 1 and her dual outboards—a 115-hp Yamaha and a 200-hp Yamaha—push the model to a top speed around 26 knots near 5500 rpm. The just smaller outboard provides a speed of around 1.7 knots. The setup should let anglers zip out to the fishing grounds and then troll at low speeds. And the lack of an inboard engine frees up easily accessible stowage beneath the cockpit sole.
The power proa hull is based on the premise that the two full-displacement keels are of slightly different sizes and are mindful of the ideal tunnel height-to-width ratio for performance. The inner chine of each keel is about three times the width of the outer chine that provides lift. A step at the top of the tunnel breaks through the water and creates a bubble zone that helps cushion the ride at different speeds. There’s also an asymmetrical wave breaker that runs down the center of the tunnel to stiffen the hull.
The package achieves a sweet-spot cruising speed of around 16 knots at 3500 rpm with a 2.4 mpg fuel burn. Both engines wide open produce 26 knots with 1 mpg fuel consumption.
FOUNTAINE-PAJOT MY 40
The new Fountaine-Pajot MY 40 is the latest addition to the builder’s Motor Yacht range and has a flybridge and owners’ suite of unprecedented size for a boat in this class. With energetic lines, a contemporary design and distinctive bows, she makes a sleek impression on the water and her performance is outstanding.
The MY 40 presents expansive comfort, a luminescent interior and is incredibly spacious for her length. All of her onboard spaces are designed to deliver a luxurious and carefree lifestyle with a lounge salon, comprehensive galley and a driving station all opening onto the capacious cockpit; spacious cabins, including a generous owner suite, and a resplendent flybridge with sunbathing beds.
The MY 40 is incredibly stable, comfortable and offers complete freedom of movement on your trips, both underway and at anchor. Her optional aft platform creates even greater opportunity for enjoyment at sea. Her two driving stations, on the flybridge and to the fore of the salon with panoramic views, truly expand new horizons.
