Good News

[duluthboats]

It’s always nice to see some good news about the industry these days. It will be interesting to see if the promotional claims of 70% increase in efficiency hold up.

http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20081208/BIZ/712089970/1005

http://www.aspenpowercatamarans.com/index.html

Gary :D

[bexman86]

It is nice to see someone being optimistic these days. And these are real nice looking catamarans!

The idea of a single engine on a catamaran is interesting, and their approach to it is definitely interesting.

However, the claim of 70% increase in efficiency is just silly. As most of you probably realize, with the boat still in displacement mode (or pre-planing) as it sounds like, there are simple rules of nature that cannot be cheated. I have no doubt that this will be an efficient boat, but that claim is a bit over the top if you ask me.

[eponodyne]

I bet that thing is a cold bitch to dock if there's any kind of breeze blowing at all.

[masalai]

More HP than necessary for displacement, not very efficient underwater lines, inefficient prop angle, over-weight pregnant cow, how far would you go with such TINY fuel tanks? - no real advantage as a cat - may as well go mono (trawler) as only 14 or 17 ft wide to fit in a standard mono marina berth.... and at US$549000 for the 39 footer VASTLY overpriced - - - this http://www.boboramdesign.com.au/39-c/ or this http://www.boboramdesign.com.au/39-c-power/ can be had for about half that!!!!

About time some people got out of the BIG engine no range concept as a "cruiser" most of your fuel hungry cars would travel twice as far on a tankful and for a lot less.... ????

http://www.icecat.com.au/objectives.htm has a consumption of 1.3 or less litres per nautical mile and has been Australia to Fiji making an ocean passage of around 1000 miles and more.... NON STOP (no fuel stops mid ocean) ????

[masalai]

But here is some good news for kayackers (spelling?) and other users of electric "outboards" http://www.torqeedoaustralia.com/Torqeedo_Australia/Home.html and US http://www.torqeedo.com/us/hn/home.html - - - head office is in Germany