14.8m Planing Power Cat

Fully spec'd live aboard cruising boat

This design is a development of our slightly larger 15.9m planning cat design, an up dated and slightly refined styling with similar features and a very similar layout inside.

The NZ based client intends to use the boat in local waters and from time to time ship it up to the Pacific Islands for extended winter cruising. The original concept was to build a much larger, ocean passage capable cat but it was resolved to build a handier size for a couple to use and with the money saved over from the larger cat used for shipping and cruising in the Islands.

This brought us back to a planning hull form instead of the more economic semi displacement hull because there was no longer a requirement for long range and the need to be able to go quite fast from time to time was important also.

The boat is designed to be built completely out of foam cored composites, epoxy resins, and the judicious use of carbon fibre where it can make the biggest impact on the stiffness and weight for a particular panel and justify the expense.

It was built to the NZ MSA survey standard for coastal chartering work which would also qualify it for Queensland waters.

The lower deck has our typical 3 cabin layout, owner’s with ensuite, and 2 guest cabins with a variety of berth configurations. The live aboard aspects are well look after with a full size laundry, water maker, and air conditioning. The main deck has a very large galley with all the appropriate appliances, a comfortable lounge seat and a raised dinette fwd. The cockpit has built in seating around a permanent table, built in BBQ and sink, additional fridge and freezer, and large heads with toilet and shower. The flybridge is fully enclosed and air conditioned, accessed from the lower cockpit via a spiral stairway, there is another fridge and sink behind the offset double helm seat and a larger seating area to port that can also convert to a double berth.

Motive power is from a pair of 540hp electronic diesels and a cruising speed of 25 knots will be easily achieved. Also in the engine room will be the 12 Kw gen set, the hot water heater, and the water maker.