Catamaran Stars of the Annapolis Boat Show

[Event_Horizon]

Originally Posted by YOGAO

And I don't disagree with your generalized statement, but think it is a stretch to apply it to the fit & finish of the FPs I have seen at the boatshow the last several years.

Fair Winds,
Mike

I can't disagree with your assessment of the FPs. I was just put off by the the general gripe of all boats being on cabinet and fixture spacing

[Sparohok]

Originally Posted by Joe S

Have sailed the Atlantic 55 and 42. The 57 is a BIG boat. For me, the 48 appears to be the right size.

I couldn't agree more! I have always wondered why the 57 gets such love and the 48 barely mentioned. A 57 footer seems like a really ambitious size for an owner-crewed boat, at the outer limits of practicality.

Perhaps the builder has something to do with it, Alwoplast seems to be a big part of the success of A57.

Martin

[oscar]

I would talk the wife into that Discovery today if I had the money. That master bunk is a king size and a half. One does spend a third of one's life in bed....

In addition as the sole handler of the boat and chef/bottle washer the galley/nav station layout is perfect. You can run the boat and work the galley perfectly. Right up to the window with great visibility.

The fit and finish is is superb.

Of course there is the minor issue of the price tag.....

[Joli]

Your opinion fairly well matches that of Peter Johnstone.

"The GUNBOAT 48 is the largest reasonably managed yacht that can be operated by the owner without crew. Kept simple, the spaces are well designed to achieve ample privacy and spaces for a 2-3 couples or a family for extended cruising. The Gunboat 48 is designed to be suitable for day-sailing, sabbatical cruising, or year-round world-cruising.

http://www.gunboat.com/48-description.php

Originally Posted by Sparohok

I couldn't agree more! I have always wondered why the 57 gets such love and the 48 barely mentioned. A 57 footer seems like a really ambitious size for an owner-crewed boat, at the outer limits of practicality."

Perhaps the builder has something to do with it, Alwoplast seems to be a big part of the success of A57.

Martin

[LandL]

The boat was a Fountaine Pajot 44 “Samaquan”. It was being shown by a broker and they were giving demo rides that I didn't take advantage of. IIRC the boat was for sale and was only a few (maybe 3?) years old, but don't hold me to that. Seeing the off kilter 1 inch gap around the cabin door killed any interest I might have had for the boat so I didn't pay a lot of extra attention.

[Banjo]

Good Evening,

It is good to read that Penelope, the St Francis 50 was well received in the States.

Penelope's journey started here in St Francis Bay, a tiny coastal resort town in the middle of nowhere in South Africa. A town free of traffic lights or traffic jambs.

If there IS a traffic jamb in the Village, you must just look skywards. If you see a mast, rest assured a new St Francis 50 is being towed from the factory to the Port. The first journey (by road) is some 8 kilometers distant. The mast is put up at the factory, the sails are already bent on and the boat is ready to hit the high seas. Smack bang down the middle of the road with the entire Yard staff on deck and Duncan driving in front to warn people off the road. And the boats then cover what, about 8 000 n/miles on their own bottoms to the US for these boat shows?

These boats are being built in an area of South Africa where having a job is regarded as a status simbol in the communities where the lower ranked factory workers live. A yard like St Francis Marine is a major provider of employment in this region and does a tremendous amount to uplift the community.

It is always exciting to see the boats roll down the road and the whole town gets caught up by the new launch.

And we are all proud of the Yard that brings so much fame to St Francis Bay.

Regards,
Banjo.

[gr8trn]

Originally Posted by Banjo

Good Evening,

It is good to read that Penelope, the St Francis 50 was well received in the States.

Penelope's journey started here in St Francis Bay, a tiny coastal resort town in the middle of nowhere in South Africa. A town free of traffic lights or traffic jambs.

If there IS a traffic jamb in the Village, you must just look skywards. If you see a mast, rest assured a new St Francis 50 is being towed from the factory to the Port. The first journey (by road) is some 8 kilometers distant. The mast is put up at the factory, the sails are already bent on and the boat is ready to hit the high seas. Smack bang down the middle of the road with the entire Yard staff on deck and Duncan driving in front to warn people off the road. And the boats then cover what, about 8 000 n/miles on their own bottoms to the US for these boat shows?

These boats are being built in an area of South Africa where having a job is regarded as a status simbol in the communities where the lower ranked factory workers live. A yard like St Francis Marine is a major provider of employment in this region and does a tremendous amount to uplift the community.

It is always exciting to see the boats roll down the road and the whole town gets caught up by the new launch.

And we are all proud of the Yard that brings so much fame to St Francis Bay.

Regards,
Banjo.

Banjo,
I had know of the factory and town, but not that is was reasonably depressed. It is nice to hear from a local and to hear of the local support for one of the favorite Cats at Annapolis it sounds like.

Good Stuff!
Greg

[schoonerdog]

I was a little disappointed in who didn't make it there, Antares, Privilege, Dolphin... I'm also surprised by the comments on the SF 50 a bit. Sprayed enamel interior will crack and come off in a few years (all of the older ones do); the wiring isn't marine grade, but tinned (big difference in the durability of the insulation) and will degrade along the length of the wiring conduit; the lighting fixtures are literally the cheapest plastic ones available and will yellow and become unusable within 5 years. It was acceptable for a 44 ft boat because they were affordable and very solidly built, but a 50 ft boat is now just cheaply built and expensive.

[sail_socal]

Originally Posted by Steve_C

Sorry, here is the link to the whole album

Lots of good pics in there Steve. What is this boat:

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_lCPXe_qYY-E/TL...0/DSC00475.JPG

Cool beard, by the way.

[Doodles]

Originally Posted by schoonerdog

I was a little disappointed in who didn't make it there, Antares, Privilege, Dolphin... I'm also surprised by the comments on the SF 50 a bit. Sprayed enamel interior will crack and come off in a few years (all of the older ones do); the wiring isn't marine grade, but tinned (big difference in the durability of the insulation) and will degrade along the length of the wiring conduit; the lighting fixtures are literally the cheapest plastic ones available and will yellow and become unusable within 5 years. It was acceptable for a 44 ft boat because they were affordable and very solidly built, but a 50 ft boat is now just cheaply built and expensive.

I had the same feeling about the Prout 50.

[schoonerdog]

Originally Posted by Doodles

I had the same feeling about the Prout 50.

I've got to admit that was also true. The traditional Prout crash bulkheads and huge watertight compartments were gone, you could see where gelcoat had been sanded down through gelcoat inside to the fairing compounds in several places, the floorboards actually felt like you were going to pop them out as you walked over them.

The only catamarans I saw there that as an owner I'd have loved to buy was the Atlantic and Gunboat. In the creek was an Admiral, which was a very nicely built cat, reasonably affordable, and better fit and finish than the SF.

Certain things like paint I can and do understand using them to save money and make it a far more durable finish without the worries of a veneer. But when they are doing that, they should at least pick the most durable paint there is. I also don't forgive a manufacturer of any boat not using the best wiring they can. And using formica as a surface veneer, great, go for it. Incredibly durable as a finish for the doors, cabinets, etc. But that opens up a lot of design choices to take advantage of. You don't need to try to make it look like the traditional trailer home with light grain wood, you can chose cooler texters, brighter colors, etc. The bamboo veneer inside the St Francis 50 IS beautiful.

I guess I would say is if your going to do something, like choosing a light fixture, then choose a good quality one for 30% more at Imtra. Choose a good paint quality that you know is the best such as an awlgrip. If you want different flooring, look to plynyl.

There are ways to make a great boat without busting the bank and still have decent quality furnishings that will last a long time and look good. Look at the Admiral as a good balance between affordable esthetically pleasing boat and also a good sailing catamaran without the charter hotel layout or charter compromises of the three SSS's (poor Storage, Slow, and compromised Safety). Or Antares 44 as a "we're going to put the best stuff in" for a wealthier owner that could rival any monohull. Or Chris White for a boat which is a purebreed fast circumnavigator.

[Steve_C]

Originally Posted by sail_socal

Lots of good pics in there Steve. What is this boat:

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_lCPXe_qYY-E/TL...0/DSC00475.JPG

Cool beard, by the way.

I'm not sure what it is? We were out on the bay sailing the Lagoon 450 and I saw it, thought it was interesting and took a pic. It was called "Nautilus".


The beard is my buddy Howard, he has had it over 30 years. His wife has never seen his face! That's me in the stripped shirt.

I did find it interesting that if money were no object my dream boat was not there. They all had issues that would be hard to take for the money they wanted. I certainly saw all of the features I liked, just on different boats.

[YOGAO]

Steve,

The boat called "Nautilus" looks like the Lagoon(?) cats we saw in Guadeloupe used for the day charter business. They arch is just a huge massive chunk. I have no idea what the accommodations would be like below.

Does anyone have any detail on whether or not Admiral has made significant improvements in their build process from when they were making the 36 in 2005? IIRC, that boat was roundly panned in the press by the likes of Bob Perry and others, plus I know of a 40' boat that spent nearly a year on the hard in Trinidad to repair serious build problems. My own 2005 look at the Admiral 36 showed a cheap boat (distinctly different than an "inexpensive" boat).

Fair Winds,
Mike

[Steve_C]

Originally Posted by YOGAO

Does anyone have any detail on whether or not Admiral has made significant improvements in their build process from when they were making the 36 in 2005? IIRC, that boat was roundly panned in the press by the likes of Bob Perry and others, plus I know of a 40' boat that spent nearly a year on the hard in Trinidad to repair serious build problems. My own 2005 look at the Admiral 36 showed a cheap boat (distinctly different than an "inexpensive" boat).

Take a look at this if you are considering an Admiral

Oceans Dream ~ Admiral 40 catamaran

[xxuxx]

Originally Posted by Steve_C

I'm not sure what it is? We were out on the bay sailing the Lagoon 450 and I saw it, thought it was interesting and took a pic. It was called "Nautilus".


The beard is my buddy Howard, he has had it over 30 years. His wife has never seen his face! That's me in the stripped shirt.

I did find it interesting that if money were no object my dream boat was not there. They all had issues that would be hard to take for the money they wanted. I certainly saw all of the features I liked, just on different boats.

The boat you are viewing is a Nautitech, I believe 80'. she is for sale at under 1 million. She was built in the mid 1990's. Her hulls used to be blue, she was just paiinted white, if you look hard , one can see just a slight bkue hue coming through.