Non-RIB, Cheetah Catamarans

[ncp]

No idea where to post this - I didn't see a miscellaneous category.

What does everyone think of them?

I'm ready to move to a cabin hardboat. My SR 5.4 is still awesome but not family friendly for our new 1 year old daughter and we like to overnight.

Prices seem reasonable. I want something very open and not too yachty. Good cabin. Good ride. I'm ok with low horsepower and an 18-20 knot cruise. A quick search shows some of you have seen them and some of you have captained a few. There are two in Canada but none in the US.

The pilothouses I seem drawn to are all very "commercial" (shocking, I know, since my three ribs have all been ex-commercial). The catamaran pilothouse offerings here in the US are all very leisure oriented. I want a decent cabin with seating and a large back deck for diving, fishing, gear hauling, or setting up chairs and having a cold drink. (I'm also looking for cats from AUS too, and west coast US lobster boats, and US northeast lobster boats.

[Andre]

Originally Posted by ncp

No idea where to post this - I didn't see a miscellaneous category.

What does everyone think of them?

I'm ready to move to a cabin hardboat. My SR 5.4 is still awesome but not family friendly for our new 1 year old daughter and we like to overnight.

Prices seem reasonable. I want something very open and not too yachty. Good cabin. Good ride. I'm ok with low horsepower and an 18-20 knot cruise. A quick search shows some of you have seen them and some of you have captained a few. There are two in Canada but none in the US.

The pilothouses I seem drawn to are all very "commercial" (shocking, I know, since my three ribs have all been ex-commercial). The catamaran pilothouse offerings here in the US are all very leisure oriented. I want a decent cabin with seating and a large back deck for diving, fishing, gear hauling, or setting up chairs and having a cold drink. (I'm also looking for cats from AUS too, and west coast US lobster boats, and US northeast lobster boats.

why don't you look at European boats as you are looking at AUS ones. We have shipped our Pilothouse and Weekend boats to New Caledonia, Australia and Japan. The US is only across the pond so no bid deal. Anyway as a matter of interest have a look at À propos de Parker | Parker Poland

[beamishken]

Originally Posted by Andre

why don't you look at European boats as you are looking at AUS ones. We have shipped our Pilothouse and Weekend boats to New Caledonia, Australia and Japan. The US is only across the pond so no bid deal. Anyway as a matter of interest have a look at À propos de Parker | Parker Poland

Surely he is looking at European boats cheetah are on the Isle of Wight that's still part of Europe isn't it?

[karlT]

I bought a 6.2m new from cheetah a few years back. Great boats and a good company to work with. They are accustomed to shipping overseas.

[Andre]

Originally Posted by beamishken

Surely he is looking at European boats cheetah are on the Isle of Wight that's still part of Europe isn't it?

I know the company and they are for sure fine boats . I just did not connect

[tim griffin]

Great boats great people

[ncp]

Originally Posted by Andre

Anyway as a matter of interest have a look at À propos de Parker | Parker Poland

I have had a look at your line and they probably fall under the "too yachty" category. The wife would probably like the the 750 or 770 but the issue I have with those two is the lack of deck space when it comes to fishing or diving.

In the US market, we have lots of monohull options for a pilothouse design. There are a couple that interest me but they are all custom builders and expensive. I'm on the look out for something lightly used here that fits my needs or something that needs work and I can afford to customize. It's highly unlikely that I will find something in the used market that fits exactly since I am almost 2.0m tall. For example, popular boat in the US is Parker Boats, 2520 XL SC - the interior headroom is 6'4. I have fished off of one before and can't stand up straight inside. Hence, why I would need to find something cheaper that I could customize.

I also want to maximize the space [in the 7-8m range] and catamarans do that well. Many of our smaller US cat builders limit the beam on their smaller cats to 8'6 due to many states trailering limitations. Most also fall under the category of "too yachty". Many also require high hp. I'd rather have an open deck that's configurable to the purpose of the trip - removable livewell, ice chests, seating, etc. I like that Cheetah will do a 25' x 9'10 (7.6m x 3.0m) and run on lower horsepower. I'm ok with trailering 9'10 (my 7m rib was 9'0). In California, any boat over 8'6 but under 10'0 just requires a $90/year permit. Cheetah will also supply a boat fitted out to your specifications and level of finish - anything from a bare hull to full kitted out and "yachty". I only asked for a quote for hull/open back cabin with glass/rub rail and a few cleats. I would power it over here and wire it up myself.

I've also considered AUS and NZ because of their Cat builders. From what I've seen so far, even with a strong dollar, their prices are almost the same as the US.

I'm just thinking out loud here and wanted to ask some opinions - I don't know the logistics of getting something to US. But, if the economics work, it might just happen.

[Bigtalljv]

I forget you are as tall like me. I'm in the same situation. I'm looking for a fiberglass hull for my next project and the very first thing I have to do is cut the cabin and add 6" in height to it.

Jason

[ncp]

Originally Posted by Bigtalljv

I forget you are as tall like me. I'm in the same situation. I'm looking for a fiberglass hull for my next project and the very first thing I have to do is cut the cabin and add 6" in height to it.

Jason

Or drop the floor if there's space.

When I start exploring pilothouses, someone said "just get a Parker". There are plenty of them out there used and they could be repowered easily to get a "new boat" (though you do have to watch out with some of the wood in their construction). The problem is that their molded cabin doesn't lend itself very well to modification and the cabin floor is already 12" below the deck. I'd love to start with a 26' Radon hull but people want $30k for a 1980's hull only - crazy.

[Andre]

Originally Posted by ncp

Or drop the floor if there's space.

When I start exploring pilothouses, someone said "just get a Parker". There are plenty of them out there used and they could be repowered easily to get a "new boat" (though you do have to watch out with some of the wood in their construction). The problem is that their molded cabin doesn't lend itself very well to modification and the cabin floor is already 12" below the deck. I'd love to start with a 26' Radon hull but people want $30k for a 1980's hull only - crazy.

just to avoid any confusion which Parker do you have in mind the USA one or us as we are two separate companies and have nothing to do with each other only both are called Parker and both make pilothouses

[willk]

Snap!

[Pikey Dave]

Never been on a good Cat yet. Loads of room, horrible ride. They don't call 'em "vomit comets" for nothing[emoji849]

[two stroke mick]

any one care to confirm PD observations?

[ncp]

Originally Posted by Andre

just to avoid any confusion which Parker do you have in mind the USA one or us as we are two separate companies and have nothing to do with each other only both are called Parker and both make pilothouses

Unless there is a glut of used Polish Parker pilothouses that made their way to the states, it would be safe to assume that I was referring to the US brand!

[ncp]

Originally Posted by Pikey Dave

Never been on a good Cat yet. Loads of room, horrible ride. They don't call 'em "vomit comets" for nothing[emoji849]

Originally Posted by two stroke mick

any one care to confirm PD observations?

Yes, let's hear some thoughts. And again, I'm talking about a 18-20 knot cruise.

Not talking about a 50 mph cruise like in one of these: https://youtu.be/yIoXp0eiZ9A

[Siochair]

I have found that some cats can have an uncomfortable movement especially with quarter seas. Fine head on but there is something unsettling when the sea is from any other direction. The smallest I have been on was just over 12m so can't say if it would be the same for boats in the size you are looking at.

There is the caveat that I am prone to motion sickness anyway but it did seem worse on cats.

[Pikey Dave]

Originally Posted by Siochair

I have found that some cats can have an uncomfortable movement especially with quarter seas. Fine head on but there is something unsettling when the sea is from any other direction. The smallest I have been on was just over 12m so can't say if it would be the same for boats in the size you are looking at.



There is the caveat that I am prone to motion sickness anyway but it did seem worse on cats.

You basically have 2 hulls wanting to go in different directions, whichever hull lands first gets first grip, then the second hull lands & tries to straighten the boat, the result is a corkscrewing motion that's horrid.

[Andre]

Originally Posted by ncp

Unless there is a glut of used Polish Parker pilothouses that made their way to the states, it would be safe to assume that I was referring to the US brand!

That is a relief

Have you looked at the 800 Pilothouse. Good option with twin 150 HP

[Bigtalljv]

Since others brought up the ride I'll chime in too and not be the only Mr Negative. From all the people I have talked to I'd be concerned with the ride too. I know just one or two people personally who had cats here in California and they got rid of them due to ride issues. Now I have had a brief internet conversation with an actual boat designer and cats can vary quite a bit. A lot has to do with the height of the tunnel so it not bottoming out in the swell or something like that . Some of the more mass produced ones were notorious for their bad ride and that might be what the people I met had. I know of one person who has a 30+' cat if some sort and spends much of his retired time on it so he must be ok with it.

Other friends have a 25' or so power cat down in the Caribbean and really like it. The deck space and storage is impressive, even has a head in it. Huge top covers most of the desk. They summer up our way and have said on multiple occasions they would not want to rock fish here in their boat. It's much better when moving. They do tuna and wahoo fishing down their way.

If cats were the perfect west coast boats I think you'd see a lot more of them...

Just my $0.02

Jason

[ncp]

Originally Posted by Bigtalljv

They summer up our way and have said on multiple occasions they would not want to rock fish here in their boat. It's much better when moving.

That's one of the more interesting catamaran quotes I've heard. Most people love the stability at rest.



I agree, there are pluses and minuses to every every boat out there. I feel like there are a lot of pluses to cats once you get used to some of the handling quirks. It seems more and more guys in the PNW are getting aluminum cats built. The Aussies, Kiwis, and South Africans seem to love them - what is so different about our waters? I've also heard that cats like short period swell/chop (think Gulf of Mexico, again, where they are popular) and we don't usually have that here.