Titchy Cat?

[dgadee]

What does the panel think? €150,000 I think.

 

[Poignard]

Well, since you ask, I don't like the look of it.

 

[Stemar]

What does the panel think? €150,000 I think.

Bank manager says no. Not for that, anyway

 

[Boathook]

Cat C sea area so inshore waters only. 2.3 hours at max speed or 7 hours at cruising speed but no actual speed quoted. Suspect that use of electric cooker and coffee machine will reduce that. May be good for warmer areas or lakes but I cant see it catching on in the UK at present.

Else where on the website ( ARTICLES | HopYacht ) it mentions range of 1.5 hours at full throttle and 4-6 hours at cruising speeds.

Either way, possibly not much range under power, but if it sails well ...............

 

[dgadee]

Ugly and I thought no way, but you could charter it out in Greece for 4 months, put it in a container for 4 months in the Caribbean. But I am no business brain.

 

[AngusMcDoon]

The claims are ridiculous. It says it has the stability of a larger cat and shows the plan of a 50 footer. Of course it doesn't. Just as well they are aiming at new to sailing customers. Anyone who has sailed anything at all will see through that blatant lie.

 

[dunedin]

To be honest the electric drive range is probably not too bad - a 28kWh battery is better than some much bigger boats.
BUT
a small catamaran designed to be so narrow that of fits in a monohull berth, but with a high centre of gravity, sounds very scary.

 

[tillergirl]

Has it been cropped out of a Benny Hill episode?

 

[dgadee]

So, it's a no?

I think put it on the Broads or somewhere but I wouldn't go to sea in it.

 

[Neeves]

This one is not titchy and costs a bit more but it is all electric and does fit in a container.......

Open Waters Yachts

Jonathan

 

[Biggles Wader]

I know of a West Ham footballer who is looking for a new cat. Money no object

 

[Stemar]

This one is not titchy and costs a bit more but it is all electric and does fit in a container.......

Open Waters Yachts

Jonathan

Thanks to the low weight, higher boat speed and the solar/hydro regeneration systems on-board. The boat is a 100% energy self-sufficient.

Maybe, as long as you aren't in a hurry on a calm day. It may be in Australian sun, but I suspect you'd need to top up from the mains from time to time in Britain's cloudy climate

 

[Neeves]

Thanks to the low weight, higher boat speed and the solar/hydro regeneration systems on-board. The boat is a 100% energy self-sufficient.

Maybe, as long as you aren't in a hurry on a calm day. It may be in Australian sun, but I suspect you'd need to top up from the mains from time to time in Britain's cloudy climate

The cat is designed and built in Canada!

I think if you are at anchor then there is a real problem with a reliance on solar. We have just had a week of cloud, rain and temperatures below averages. It is difficult to envisage batteries with 'spare' capacity for a week. Most yachts spend most of their time at anchor. I agree it is all well and good to spruik the green characteristics - but that's not the reality. If you are sailing then a WattnSea (or two) might suffice or regen function from the electric engines/props - unless you are at anchor and have rain, cloud and no wind. Our cat is smaller but under the right conditions we can average 10 knots (over 100nm) and our towed (and thus inefficient) hydro gen from the ex LVM would produce 10 amps - (easily enough to power the cat). So I hanker after a WattnSea.

Its those extremes that anyone promoting green characteristics conveniently ignores

You need a back up to take the chill off reality.

Jonathan

 

[AngusMcDoon]

Thanks to the low weight, higher boat speed and the solar/hydro regeneration systems on-board. The boat is a 100% energy self-sufficient.

Maybe, as long as you aren't in a hurry on a calm day. It may be in Australian sun, but I suspect you'd need to top up from the mains from time to time in Britain's cloudy climate

It's more marketing bolleaux aimed at the ignorant and impractical who think Amps per hour is a useful unit. In the UK that boat is good for sailing around Lake Windermere or the Norfolk Broads on a not too windy day, and that's it.

But at least that misleading garbage is unlikely to kill anyone. It's the claim that it's stable that is horrifying. The Iroquois catamaran (same length as this thing) is a design that's too narrow to be used safely in all conditions at sea and consequently a number have capsized. That design has a beam of 4.11m - this one is 3.44m. I'd rather sail a Wayfarer. At least its design and claims are honest.

For not much more you could get a new Dragonfly 28 which will also fit in a standard berth, of which hundreds have been made, from a manufacturer with a history going back 50 years, and are a proven and reliable design - and far greater stability to boot. But Dragonflies are not aimed at new-to-sailing customers, which that one is. It's the sailing equivalent of a pontoon boat, or a multihull MacGregor. But at least those are/were cheap. This isn't.

 

[Mister E]

Given that a lot of boats do not leave the pontoon and those that do only go out into the Solent.
These boats don't go out in bad weather or the absence of sunshine. Plus only ever go on an expedition to Cowes.

For the above the design seems to fit with the bonus of the living quarters being level could be attractive to those with mobility issues.

 

[AngusMcDoon]

Given that a lot of boats do not leave the pontoon and those that do only go out into the Solent.
These boats don't go out in bad weather or the absence of sunshine. Plus only ever go on an expedition to Cowes.

For the above the design seems to fit with the bonus of the living quarters being level could be attractive to those with mobility issues.

For that usage pattern it's an expensive underuse of lithium which would be better off applied somewhere else. Lithium is not environmentally cost free.

 

[Mister E]

For that usage pattern it's an expensive underuse of lithium which would be better off applied somewhere else. Lithium is not environmentally cost free.

I agree was just pointing out how the boat would fit in .

 

[stephen_h]

It hasn't even got a mainsail ! ?

 

[Neeves]

My thought is that because of the obvious flaws it will not sell and boat builders need numbers. The idea will simply die.

Just think of the number of more sensible designs that have disappeared.

Building boats that fit in containers has been around for years, decades. It sounds great but in practice how many have been successful - does anyone know of a successful example. Timing is also awful - container rates have shot up - the idea of getting your yacht cheaply and safely to the Caribbean this year and the Whitsundays next year is - a dream.

Don't knock people for trying - one day something will turn up (like the Dragonfly or Corsair) that does work.

Thanks dgadee for posting and initiating a conversation.

Jonathan

 

[AngusMcDoon]

Building boats that fit in containers has been around for years, decades. It sounds great but in practice how many have been successful - does anyone know of a successful example.

I seem to remember that the various MacGregors were designed to fit in a container. They were successful & I have never understood why they stopped manufacturing them other than the founder retiring.