Power Catamarans at the US Power Boat Show at Annapolis Maryland
October 27, 2005
First of all, I want to say how enjoyable it was to meet the dealers, manufacturer reps, owners, and potential owners at the show. I had several lengthy conversations about the boats, our new site, and boating in general. I am thrilled that the folks in the industry are such great people.
Everyone seems to agree that one of the biggest issues facing the power catamaran industry segment is awareness. Specifically, awareness by the boating public that power catamarans are a better option than mono-hulls for most purposes. I am sure Powercating.com is going to play a role in solving this issue to the benefit of everyone. I look forward to many fruitful and fun years of working with my new friends from the show.
We attended the show on Sunday October 16th. It was a great day to be at a boat show. The sun was out, temperatures were in the low 70’s and there was a stiff breeze from the south making for less than optimal fishing conditions which helped reduce the nagging feeling that we should be fishing rather than looking at boats.
Our mission – to document all of the power catamaran makes and models at the show; to tour the boats and document our first impressions; to talk with the representatives letting them know about our site; and to take pictures of the boats for all to see.
The show coordinators had all of the mid market boats of less than 40’ docked together with WorldCat and Glacier Bay next to each other on a stretch of dock running east-west and TwinVee on the opposite side of the dock from Glacier Bay. Moving north from TwinVee on an intersecting dock was a series of some beautiful catamaran yachts. We started our tour at WorldCat and worked our way around the dock through Glacier Bay and TwinVee and then around the corner to tour the yachts.
The power catamaran boat makes present at the show were:
- WorldCat (represented by Taylor Marine)
- TwinVee (represented by Brown’s Marin)
- Glacier Bay (represented by Shamrock Marine)
- Buzzards Bay (Multi Hull Development)
- Stealth
- Lagoon
- Prowler
- Manta
- Endeavor Trawlercat
- Ted Hood’s Custom Yachts
- Fountaine Pajot
- Sound Catamarans
- PDQ yachts
The sampling of boats at the show is described below. Keep in mind that we conducted a cursory tour of each boat with no plan for analysis and no one highly experienced in boat reviews with us. We simply looked at the boats much the way a potential customer would for the first time and documented our subjective and qualitative opinions. These opinions are not to be considered the definitive word on anything and are not an endorsement of any particular boat.
Glacier Bay:
The Glacier Bay boats were all very nice with excellent fit and finish, well though out designs, and some nice little extras. They definitely pay attention to making the interior and working space in the boats look fantastic. The Glacier Bay boats were drawing quite a crowd at the show.
2270 Isle Runner, Cabin Cruiser, with twin 155HP Suzuki’s
Looks like a boat that is put together very well and has very nice fit and finish.
The swim platform between then engines with the stow away ski ladder is a nice touch for those interested in a boat that is extremely easy to get in and out of from the transom. This is true of all the Glacier Bay boats we saw at the show.
3400 Express Ocean Runner, Sport Cabin, with two 300HP Yamaha 2 strokes
This is a nice boat with great fit and finish and lots of amenities. it has a lift up table top with built in tackle boxes mounted to the bottom of the table top with a sink and live-well under the table top. A nice touch is the window they place in the side of the live-wells so you can see into the well without opening the hatch. I often wonder if my live-wells are draining without my knowledge and this is nice for checking that easily. It also has great visibility from the helm. It seemed that all of the Glacier Bay boats were designed so that “less than tall” people would have good visibility.
2640sx Renegade, Bow Rider, with two 140HP Suzuki 4 strokes
The boat is a bow rider lovers bow rider. It is outfitted with all kind of luxuries like a wet bar, lounge seats and of course seats on the bow. It has nice fit and finish and the captains chair is very nice and has good visibility. It could use more space for the massive LCD displays on the modern electronics and it is light on fishing stuff. One gets the feeling that Glacier Bay is targeting those that are truly interested in a top notch bow rider rather than a combo family/fishing/ski boat.
2665 Canyon Runner, Center Console
A well put together center console fishing boat. It has some of the amenities as the others such as the window into one of the livewells. The highlights I noticed were combo rod boxes / livewells in the floor. It also has a step up at the helm to aid visibility and the windshield glass is thick and very clear. The casting deck was smaller than I prefer, but that allows for room in front of the console which looks like it is slightly more forward than some to allow a lot of working room in the back of the boat.
WorldCat:
Solid built and super functional with a high degree of fit and finish. The WorldCat boats clearly make functionality and safety a major concern in the design process. The WorldCat boats looked great.
250DC, Bowrider, with two Honda BF 150HP four strokes
The 250DC like all WorldCat boats is a well designed machine that has obviously been given a lot of thought with regard to functionality and safety. It has all the stuff one would expect in a bowrider style boat. However, it is also decked out for serious fishing. It had rocket launchers, gunnel rod holders, and the hard top frame could be used to mount more rod holders. The 250DC seems to be a great choice for someone looking for a boat that could be used to entertain friends and family as well as put in a hard day of serious fishing.
270 EC, Express Cabin Cruiser, with two Honda BF 225HP four strokes
This boat looks like a great option for those interested in a cabin style sport fishing boat. It has a cabin well suited for providing shelter from the elements and as with all the WorldCats it is loaded with fishing functionality.
330TE, Center Console, with two BF 225HP Honda four strokes
This boat is one sweet ride. It is a pure fishing machine with lots of storage, rod holders, rocket launchers, fish boxes, tackle boxes, you name it. Of course it has the excellent WorldCat fit and finish for a boat that looks functional, solid, and polished.
TwinVee:
These boats look like they are built to be all business. They have a great range of hull sizes and designs from which to choose ranging from the 10' tenders all the way up to three 36’ models giving them the greatest number of option of the manufacturers we have seen to date.
36 Pilot Console, Enclosed Center Console, with two Honda BF225HP Four Strokes
This boat is very spacious, wide, and has a great layout giving many of the fishing capabilities of a center console with some of the luxury and protection of a small cabin sport fishing boat. The boat at the show had radar, GPS, and windshield wipers. It looked like it was ready to go. This boat looks like a fantastic option for anyone buying a fishing boat for use on the Chesapeake, the Northeast areas such as Montauk, the Great Lakes and any other area where the serious angler is going to be trolling all day in cold damp weather, but may also spend summer and fall days casting into breaking schools of Stripers and Spanish Mackerels.
26 Express, Express Cabin, with Two 140HP Suzuki 4 Strokes
This boat also looks like it is all business. The cabin is very spacious and has the things you need without a lot of frills to maintain. It is also very spacious in the working area behind the helm. It has a soft top on a rigid aluminum frame upon which are rocket launchers and plenty of space for mounting electronics, outriggers, and more rod holders. It looks like you could even mount a small crow’s nest if you desired. This looks like a great option for anyone looking to fish anywhere, but also have a lot of cabin space for sleeping, storage, or just getting out of the weather.
Manta Catamarans:
Manta 44 PowerCat, Power Yacht Catamaran
Wow! This is a beautiful vessel. We talked with a gentleman from the factory, who I believe is one of the owners. The company has a history of excellence in producing sailing catamarans and has incorporated many of their design concepts into their power catamaran. Without getting into all the details of which there are many, the yacht has tremendous fit and finish. The galley, the lounge, the births, the heads – everything is just fantastic. The thing that stands out most to the casual observer is the overall design and styling of the boat. This craft is ultra sleek with louvered windows and great angles. It definitely has a high-end sports car type of presentation.
Endeavor:
Endeavor TrawlerCat 40, Power Yacht Catamaran
Like all the powercat Yachts, this is a very nice vessel. When looking at this boat, one gets the feeling that the boat is made by a company that has been in the business for a while. There is a lot of space and everything is setup for comfort and ease of use. The primary thing we noticed was the large size and layout of the main room in the cabin area. It also has a nice covered fly bridge to keep you out of the weather.
Prowler:
Prowler 480 PowerCat, Power Yacht Catamaran
This is another fantastic boat. We were impressed with this boat’s ability to provide both stylish design and tremendous cabin space. It has a large main cabin that is stylish and effective with an interior helm that is incorporated into the cabin space very nicely - something the captain will appreciate. The main sleeping birth is amazing. It is very big and symmetrical from side to side. Hence, when standing on one side of the birth and looking across, it seems you are looking into a giant mirror. The ProwlerCat looks like a great option for anyone looking for a yacht that will do just about anything, and do it with style.
Lagoon:
Lagoon 43
This boat seems built for quality and luxury. Like the other yachts, it has lots of nice wood and very clean lines and finishes. It has a nice seating area outside on the bow which looks like a place people would enjoy spending time. It is a nice touch. Overall, the Lagoon 43 is a great looking boat as one would expect from a maker with their reputation.
The following are Power Catamaran Yachts also at the show that we did not have time to tour effectively.
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Ted Hood’s Custom Yachts 62’ Yacht
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Sound Catamarans, 27’ Excite Cat
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PDQ Power Yachts, 34 Power Cat
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Fountaine Pajot, highland 45 and Cumberland 44
Stealth and Buzzard’s Bay were also at the show in person, but did not have boats on display.
Overall, it seemed like a good but not great showing by the Power Catamaran industry. The Yacht makers definitely had a strong presence with some fantastic boats at the show and a lot of manufacturers represented. In the mid market, while three of the major players were at the show with a sampling of their product line, there were some others that we would like to have seen. Maybe next year we will see more as the Chesapeake Bay definitely needs more power catamarans zipping around. As a local resident, I am picking up on growing interest by the folks at my marina and on the local message boards. The more exposure the local community has with power catamarans, the more power cats we will see on the water. Of course, we hope they will all have PowerCating.com stickers on them.
Okay, so since I run a consulting firm in my real life, I have to give my obligatory and unsolicited advice to the dealers and manufacturers that go to these shows.
Several of the Yacht makers had owners at the show to espouse the virtues of the vessel they actually purchased. I think everyone should make sure they have at least one happy owner talking to attendees throughout the show. I know some manufacturers make an effort to do this at the major shows, but this seems like it would be beneficial at all shows.
Make sure the boat type and specs are posted on a large sign in clear view for all to see. I was shocked to see that several boats did not have this.
There is a lot of talk about how wonderful cats are and all their advantages over mono-hulls. However, I did not see anyone with a simple but complete sign or document in clear view that simply lists all the benefits. It would be helpful for the casual observer to see such a presentation as they stroll by the boats. I am going to start a thread to solicit owners’ ideas on items for the list and will then compile it into a list for all to use.
Lastly, it would be nice if there were a little more fanfare around the power catamaran section. People should know they are entering an alley full of cats. At this show in particular, the mid market boats were out on a dead-end and a lot of people were turning the corner to stay in a loop rather than walking down the dead-end. If there was a banner, a red carpet, a caged puma, or something to let them know they need to walk down that length of dock in the catamaran zone it would be beneficial.
We will continue to track the presence of the power cat industry at major shows, as our time and budget allow, in an effort to help everyone involved make the greatest impact possible.
For pictures from the show http://www.powercating.com/PowerCating/Common/AnnapolisShow05.aspx
"Two hulls are better than one"
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