Shape of things to come??? - MBM article

[hobiecat]

MBM on page 61 says rising cost of fuel could be the catalyst for more efficient hull shapes like split hull/cat designs. More motor catamarans are just starting to appear like Lagoon, Motorcat, Transcat, Fountaine Pajot, Starcat, Powercat. Will other builders start looking at these more fuel efficient hull shapes or are people too conservative to take these benefits seriously?

 

[rickp]

In the spirit of full disclosure, it would be nice if you at least filled in your bio so we could understand the motives behind your post.

Thanks,
Rick

 

[Wiggo]

Don't be daft, he's already fessed up to being summat to do with Motorcat.

 

[hobiecat]

I import the motorcat. I do not mean to hide anything. I am interested in all forms of boating and many threads on the forums. I genuinely wonder what people think. How might fuel issues might play a part in future popular designs.

 

[oldgit]

Suspect that there is not much development left in the monohull,and most of the improments came during the 1930s and 40s.

 

[rich]

I just took a look at the motorcat,purrrfect for the islands,Ilike it, I want it /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

http://corsairtri.com/mc30.photos.html

 

[hobiecat]

Older monohull boats were more fuel efficient being narrower. Modern planing boats have been getting shorter to contain mooring fees and fatter to give more interior space - but poor fuel consumption is the result. Some 1920 hydroplane boats had a length beam ratio of 5:1 with 275hp giving 36 knots. Now modern planing cruisers have ratio of just 3:1 with a speeds of 25 knots with similiar power plants.

 

[BrendanS]

My modern planing boat, 2.5 ratio, 195HP, 44knts, and 1 litre per mile
Think your numbers only apply to certain types & size of boat.

 

[hobiecat]

Your bio says you own "a cast iron roll top bath...... Drive shaft through plug hole, rudder mounted in tapholes With prop in place, and a huge elastic band, I have enjoyed many happy hours boating" Is this the shape of things to come - surely not???

The figures given were those in printed in MBM article and suggest that is the norm. Are you saying they are incorrect?

The article talks about PLANING monohulls and then mentions Motorcat which is a 20 knot ++ DISPLACEMENT split hull with 100hp. A planing split hull/ high performance cat needs more hp just like those used in performance offshore racing.

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

The obvious problem with multi hulls is berthing particularly in the Med where beam is more important than length and I cant see how multihulls get around this. We looked closely at the Lagoon 43 a couple of years back, we loved the acres of deck and accomodation space and its obvious stability and lower running costs but we concluded that finding a berth in one of the popular Med areas would be even more difficult than with a monohull and I was concerned about resale value also. IMHO, until such time as one of the big manufacturers starts producing multihull boats, there wont be general acceptance of this hull form although I think its only a matter of time.
As I'm sure you're aware, Volvo's new IPS system looks like it might deliver a step change in fuel efficiency and I think for the next few years builders will be focussing on how IPS can be incorporated into their hulls which may have the effect of delaying any innovations on hull shape
I do agree that the basic deep/medium V planing hull form has not changed substantially in the past 25 years and its time somebody started thinking whether this hull form is the right one to take us through the next 25 years

 

[itsonlymoney]

You were right wiggo, this guys undercover......

 

[hobiecat]

Beam should only be a problem on sailing multihulls which need the excessive width to support the rig. Performance motor cats do not need a wide beam. I have never paid any extra berthing fees on motorcat it is the same as many monohulls. In fact I save mooring fees as I often berth in areas where others cant go due shallow draft. Lagoon is a sail cat hull without a mast

Isnt the formula 1 of offshore motor boats narrow beam cats. Should we not be looking at these hull shapes in our motor cruisers?. I agree that until some more manufacturers look at these hull shapes many people will not take them seriously. i would welcome competition as the market will increase as an overall result. There is a huge variety of mono hull shapes - is it not time to discuss the huge variety of cat hull shapes??? I would welcome such a discussion as there appears so little mentioned on this topic which I think should be taken more seriously.

 

[hobiecat]

I am certainly not undercover - I import the motorcat and my username even tells you who i am!!! I owned a princess 33 for many years, instruct on sailboats and i am genuinely interested in all forms of boating. I am interested in this topic so for the first time posted a subject on the forum.

In miami boatshow this year the powercats are increasing in numbers very significantly, in S hemisphere they are already huge iin numbers. They are now popular here commercially - and builders for these boats have long waiting lists. Other manufacturers will follow in UK - thought it a good discussion topic which I have a particular interest.

 

[goochie]

An opportunity for a company like Sealine here surely! If they don't then someone like Beneteau will get in first. Dickies already act for Lagoon Power, and as Benny's largest dealer must surely be feeding back info re. the advantages/disadvantages of these boats!

 

[hobiecat]

I believe Dickies will soon be importing the 26ft excitecat www.excitecat.com this is built for spanish market with the biggest platform possible under 7.5m LWL to avoid spanish wealth taxes. Planing hull. Not particularly efficient as heavy and wide beam.

 

[itsonlymoney]

With respect, your username may tell us what your name is (arguably not a good idea online) but your profile is empty.
My apologies if I offended you with my reply, just a bit of light entertainment. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
Ian

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

The guy's come out. Give him a break. I wish the other builders would get involved on the forum. It would be interesting to hear their point of view eg. it would've been nice to hear from Sealine when some peeps were slagging them off

 

[hobiecat]

No offence taken whatsoever - perhaps I should have taken the time to fill in my profile. Hope people dont think I am some kind of 007 undercover spy. Maybe I am trying to save the world from present low efficiency, fuel sapping hull shapes.

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

You're quite right. Many powerboat racing hulls are multihull presumably because they're more efficient. However a typical 15m Med mooring has a max beam of 4.5 - 5.0m. Can you get a 15m multihull this narrow and wont some of the advantages be negated if this is the case?
The other problem you have in the UK and it is the same with the Lagoon as well is that no multihull powerboat builder has presented a product which is finished to the same standard as the big 4 UK builders
Maybe the way to go is for a powercat builder to take an innovative product to one of the big 4 to try to get one of them to engineer it to their standard and sell it under their name? More peeps would buy a Sealine cat (SeaCat??) than a Motorcat. I know I would be interested if the product was built and backed up by a well known name

 

[itsonlymoney]

Agreed mike. Would be very interesting if manufacturers and or dealers were to be involved on the forum. I wonder how many of them are amongst the "Anonymous users" out there ?
Ian