They Didn’t….Did They?

The new ProBoat Drawing Board picked a first design right out of Stuff Done Wrong. Yikes!
http://www.proboat.com/proboat-drawing-board
A 36’+ powercat that is only 12.6 feet wide overall. It takes me right back to the Florida cat rolling over in the relatively small beam-on wave and killing someone. Yikes. http://multihullblog.com/2013/02/catamarans-and-waves/

And it seems to be over 20,000 lbs. in lightship condition.  For a 36′ powercat.  Yikes. No wonder it needs so much horsepower. We are supposed to be improving these things.

5 thoughts on “They Didn’t….Did They?”

  1. I suppose it really depends on where and when that cat is supposed to operate. In protected and semi protected waters no problem and there are likely restrictions on wind and wave conditions. So obviously it’s not an open ocean all conditions boat but within design limitations no problem. As has been said a billion times, every boat is a compromise.

  2. Hi Kurt,
    1 – For marina lovers 12′ is great (in calm waters that is not in the Intracoastal WW in Florida) , but for cruising, i would think at least w=1/2L. But it has to do also with the Net H of water/cockpit . W=L should be the maximum , optimal at 1/2 to 2/3 . The center of gravity is to be studied carefully.
    2 – If i want to drive a formula 1 car , i will look at the roads conditions, it should be the same with a boat.
    3 – A catamaran should be designed like a catamaran, not a monohull or even a trimaran. I agree the weight is so crucial for a cruising cat. I like the almost endless flexes of wood products … but it will be fun to watch the extreme designs at the A Cup in Frisco.
    Cheers

  3. Too bad the design is incomplete. What it really needs is an observation deck on top so the passengers can enjoy the view. Preferably surrounded by an 18″ high bulwark devoid of freeing ports so their feet won’t slip under it. As long as the inadequate drains don’t plug up, the deck doesn’t fill with water, and there are no wakes it shouldn’t upset at the dock—.

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