Megayacht Tenders

Codger · 09-19-2005, 05:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KCook

Now that should be breezy enough for Carl

I don't think he hangs out on the same waters I usually do.

http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/station_page.php?station=46004

12 foot with a 12 second wave period. How wet do you want to get?

YachtForums · 09-19-2005, 06:18 PM

Star Ship's Intrepid has a trio of 3.0 litre Mercs. The decals have been removed, so I can't say if they are the 250XS models (275 horsepower) or regular 200-225 Opti's. I've run next to 377' Intrepid equipped with triple Merc 250XS's (loaded down with 8 passengers) and I was VERY surprised at the top speed on this boat. The top speed on my PowerPlay is around 75 mph and I wasn't "running away" from this Intrepid.

Intrepid builds a solid boat, although they're a bit pricey. The performance of the boats are not exceptional, because they are on the heavier side of the scale. The performance is really a by-product of the Merc 250XS's. These are GREAT motors, that are under-rated by the factory. They are hand-built, ported and balanced, much like Merc's 2.5 litre race motors.

I've got a pair of the 3.0 litre 200 Opti's and they are *BY FAR* the best motors I've owned from Mercury. Fuel efficiency on the Opti 's is remarkable too. Although the 250XS models don't get the same gas mileage, their power output approaches many of Merc's high performance engines... but with increased reliability and gas mileage.

YachtForums · 09-20-2005, 01:06 PM

Our Boston Whaler is history! THIS is the tender I want...

Here's the press release...

Honda Marine has teamed up with Aksano Catamarans to produce a fun, high-performance sports combo. Now available with Honda's BF50 4-stroke engine, Aksano's 4-passenger F-3 catamaran makes a perfect family sport runabout, fishing boat, ski boat or yacht tender.

Built for fun and adventure, the 13' F-3 is fast and durable. With BF50s, the cool cat can cruise at 45 mph. To demonstrate the seaworthiness of the small cat, Aksano principals Oz Aksan and Shaun Magruder recently ventured on a 6-day, 600-mile trip. Leaving from Everett, Washington, the cats' incredible journey took them north to British Columbia’s Vancouver Island and back home through unseasonably rough conditions.

Powered by BF50 engines and Solas propellers, the two cats rode through gale-force winds and 8' seas. Aksan, CEO of the Monroe, Washington-based company, was pleased with the performance of the Honda-powered cats. "Even in the worst of it, the cats proved their durability and performed at speeds of at least 20 mph."

At 205 pounds, Honda Marine's BF50 is the lightest outboard in its class, yet it produces the horsepower needed for fishing and sporting boats. The fuel-efficient, environmentally friendly 4-stroke engine features power trim/tilt, autostart enrichment and an offset crankshaft design.

Contact Marketing Manager Robin Senger, Honda Marine, 4900 Marconi Drive, Alpharetta, GA 30005. 678-339-2619. robin_senger@ahm.honda.com; www.honda-marine.com.

Or visit: www.aksano.com to view images and specs of Aksano Catamarans

KCook · 09-20-2005, 01:33 PM

That or a 4 man jet-ski

YachtForums · 09-20-2005, 01:54 PM

Agreed Kelly, this cat is about the size of most 3-seater PWC's, but far more stable and dry. It's really a well thought-out little cat. Plenty of freeboard for it's size and sporting some nice Euro-lines. It should be as stable as most inflatables, due to sizeable sponsons, but with much less drag than a mono-hull inflatable once on plane. The manufacturer rates it for a 50 hp motor, which we all know means... 70 hp.

As small tenders go, I prefer side-by-side seating, much like a Whaler. It makes touring marinas and canals a little more intimate with your siginificant other. I would imagine this could be an option, as the cat has a sufficient beam for the same.

This is one of the smallest cats I've seen, although there were some 13' cats built in the 1980's by Cougar to replicate offshore boats. They became popular with offshore racers (and wannabe's) for IROC style charity events prior to the World Champs. Due to a couple of accidents, these mini-races were cancelled and I believe the molds were sold-off. Because these were sport-boat decks, they didn't lend themselves well to becoming tenders. With the Aksano Cat's increased interior space, coupled with a center console... it may be the perfect alternative to the venerable Boston Whaler.

There was another sport-deck cat built by Express Cats. It was about 15 feet long and with a 2.4 Merc... it would FLY! Express made big offshore race cats back in the day and only a few of these mini-cats were built. Not really a good tender, but hard to beat in the quest for speed on a limited budget.

KCook · 09-20-2005, 01:57 PM

Didn't Baja have a baby cat some years ago?

YachtForums · 09-20-2005, 02:12 PM

I vaguely remember the Baja mini-cat, although I distinctly remember the big Baja cat's that raced in the 80's. Good looking boats that looked VERY similar to the Express Cats. Because Baja's were considered by many at the time to be lake boats, their entrance into the offshore racing circuit was not well recieved by purists. However... the boats performed fine in offshore competition.