TRAWLER CATAMARAN CONCEPTTop

Our TrawlerCat's are, first and foremost, designed and built for safety and comfort, followed closely by performance and a long range open ocean capability. Although our hull form is capable of high speed, high speed is not comfortable and has never been a priority. You can't expect a motor home to have the performance of a Ferrari.

Our long and narrow semi-displacement hull form does not produce the restrictive bow wave that a conventional wide displacement monohull produces by pushing a larger and larger wall of water ahead of it that restricts its top speed to its calculated hull speed. Our long narrow power catamaran hulls slice effortlessly through the water producing only a small bow wave that is quickly overcome around 11 knots as you power up and ride on top of it. This lack of bow wave resistance is the real secret to a power catamarans unique economical performance.

A typical TrawlerCat sits flat in the water, does not roll from side to side and enjoys the inherent stability that comes from the buoyancy provided by two hulls located at both sides of its extreme beam. This stability and lack of rolling is also due to the tunnel between the hulls. In a beam sea as the wave approaches the up sea hull the hull lifts in a smooth up and then down motion as the wave passes quickly under the shallow narrow hull and into the tunnel exerting its wave energy upwards into air. This process is repeated again as the down sea hull is lifted up and lowered down as it side steps over the wave.

On a monohull powerboat the beam sea wave pressure is exerted against the side of the hull tilting it away from the wave. With its rounded shape and very little buoyancy provided by the vertical hull side on the down wave side of the boat, the boat heels over away from the wave energy that is pushing against it until the wave reaches the center of buoyancy and the boat begins its slow roll back the other way. It is this long slow rolling from side to side on a monohull powerboat that produces motion sickness.

One of the most expressed delights of anyone who suffers from mal de mer after they experience the motion of a catamaran is that it does not make them sick. The rather quick and unpronounced up and down motion of a catamaran does not produce the same sea sickening effect that a long continuous slow rolling motion does.

SAFETY - Top

All our power catamarans are designed for open ocean conditions, but don't let this mislead you. Many people say they don't want to cross oceans and therefore don't need all this strength and safety. The fact is that the shallower waters near the coast build up bigger waves and are far more dangerous than you'll find in most offshore condition and you don't run aground in deep oceans. Therefore it is crucial that your near coastal cruising boat be strong and controlable enough to get you safely to a harbor in the event you are threatened with a storm that could produce breaking seas. In shallowing coastal waters this can happen very quickly.

Our wave piercing bows slice into waves and the raised foredeck and bulwarks keep you safe and dry when motoring into head seas or surfing down following seas. A little known fact about power catamarans is their inherent ability to surf down waves without tending to broach in the same conditions that would have monohulls broaching and rolling from gunwale to gunwale. The reason is our two widely spaced narrow hulls and full length keels that act like twin keels on a sail boat keeping the boat on a straight path, even under autopilot.

But what about striking an object or running aground?

Our foam sandwich constructed power catamarans are UNSINKABLE even with the bottoms ripped out of both hulls you will still remain afloat. The hulls have double bottoms that are the hull soles that we fiberglass making them watertight and an integral part of the hulls. The space below the sole is divided into many separate watertight sections that will contain water in localized areas wherever the hull is ruptured. From above the water line down, both hulls are reinforced with Kevlar, the same cloth used in bullet proof vests for its strength and impact resistance. A full outer layer and an inner layer of Kevlar on the hull joins provides more strength and impact resistance than many metal boats of a similar size.

If you strike an object head on the wave piercing bows absorb the first shock. Behind the stem of the wave piercing bows are two more watertight collision bulkheads 3' apart covering a 6' area and this huge crumple zone would have to be ripped open before any water could enter the rest of the hull. At the aft end of the hulls the steering rooms and engine rooms are independently watertight. The rudder stock is watertight only protruding once it's well above the waterline. This means if a rudder should break off or fall out, no water would enter the boat from the rudder tube. These areas also have automatic bilge pumps and bilge pump counters and alarms so even the slightest persistent leak will be detected and you will know about it by a light and an alarm in the pilothouse.

The positive buoyancy produced by the foam sandwich construction of our boats, four collision bulkheads, four watertight hull areas, double bottoms and watertight void areas will overcome the weight of the flooding and equipment on board keeping you and all onboard safe from sinking.

We put safety first and build a strong UNSINKABLE boat, boats don't come any safer.

COMFORTTop

With safety no longer an issue the comparison of comfort can be looked at. Our 45' TrawlerCat with a beam of 23' would have more flat usable space and therefore a better accommodation layout than a 50' monohull and our hulls and sound insulated engine rooms have full headroom and are wide enough for you to walk around and service your engine from either side. Our 65' and larger models offer space and layouts comparable to megayachts.

The flat ride and non-rolling motion of a TrawlerCat Marine power catamaran allows the use of domestic appliances and free-standing furniture. Our smallest model, the 45' Cruiser and Voyager, have walk around queen size beds and split level en-suite bathrooms in their staterooms. The main salon has comfortable seating and an entertainment center. With so much space and comfort a TrawlerCat offers the lifestyle of a cottage at the lake, but with the ability to change the scenery at will.

The deck clearance above the waterline at the bow is 7', (probably the highest in the industry), this tapers down to about 4' at the transom and this taper produces a horizontal venturi effect. From the stem of the bows to the widest part of the hulls a vertical venturi effect is created and the combined venturi effects compresses the air providing dynamic lift at speed. This air cushion softens the ride and our wave piercing bows dampen pitching. Together they provide a softer more comfortable ride.

TrawlerCat Marine tested anti-slam nacelles on their first two full size prototypes and can say, quite unequivocally, that anti slam nacelles are a very ineffective way to reduce water slamming against the hulls and underwing of a catamaran. The nacelle actually takes up space that could be better served dissipating the volume of water being thrown against it.

Slamming occurs for several reasons: 1. When the fine bows of a catamaran do not have enough buoyancy to support the weight being exerted on it at the bow, the bow falls down searching for more water to support it. This usually happens heading into a sea after you have climbed the face of a wave and come out the back of it and find there is not enough water to support it. This can also happen in a following sea when you surf down a wave and bury the fine bows into the back of the wave ahead. The dynamic buoyancy of our wave piercing bows help eliminate all these issues.

2. Probably the most common cause of slamming is when a wave enters at an angle between the bows and slams into the inside of the opposite hull. This also happens on monohull boats when a wave slams into its side, but the sound is amplified between the hulls of a catamaran as the underwing acts just like a piano sounding board. It does no damage, but the noise can have a nuisance value to the uninitiated.

We answer 1 by having wave piercing bows on all our boats and this provides more buoyancy further forward than most catamarans and it prevents the bows from being forced under. Our underwing foredeck is 7' above the waterline at the bow, higher than any other similar catamaran, and this gives us a margin of height that reduces pounding considerably.

Our answer 2 is that our underwater hull form at the bow is continually forcing water away from the hulls and as the incoming wave meets the out flowing wave the line of least resistance for the incoming wave is now up the side of the hulls where it is smoothly turned by the curvature of our hull and underwing deck shapes all the time losing its power. Now in a horizontal position, the line of least resistance for what was once a wave, is now straight down back into the water.

WAVE PIERCING BOWS Top

Wave piercing bows have been used on high speed catamarans for some time now and their technology is well proven and a great improvement over bow bulbs. Bow bulbs only provide static buoyancy whereas wave piercing bows provide dynamic buoyancy that it carries to well above the waterline and this helps to prevent the bows from being pressed under. They also lengthen the waterline and move the center of buoyancy further forward. The increased waterline length improves the efficiency of the hulls and the overall performance of the boat.

A feature of the efficiency is the longer waterline keeping the vessel on a more level plane allowing the boat to maintain a constant speed and providing a more comfortable motion for those onboard. The wave piercing bows slice effortlessly through the water producing a minimal bow wave allowing a smooth laminar flow of water along the hulls.

Tests carried out on our full size prototype 52' and 60' power catamarans, with and without bow bulbs, proved conclusively that speed and economy were increased and comfort improved once the bow bulbs were fitted. With the latest wave piercing bow technology being incorporated into all our models the performance and comfort levels will improve even more.

VALUE FOR MONEY Top

If there is any down side to a catamaran over a monohull powerboat it's its cost. Obviously you pay more for a 1500 square foot apartment than you would for a 1000 square foot apartment. The spaciousness of a TrawlerCat requires more materials to cover its greater area. The two-hull configuration requires some equipment to be duplicated. You require more bilge pumps, bilge alarms and switches, thru hulls, more stairs, engine room doors, additional noise insulation, duplicated systems and longer runs for your plumbing and electrics. You may not see it at first but you sure are getting a lot of boat for your money. For instance buying a TCM 45' will provide you with the space, comfort and performance of a 60' powerboat for a much smaller price.

Our boats are in demand with only one of them being sold by its original owner and he was able to sell it for several hundred thousand dollars more than he paid for it, so when powerboat salesmen tell you power catamarans don't hold their value, they are referring to cheap production power catamarans and not high quality TrawlerCat Marine power catamarans. Quality always holds its value.

ANTI CATAMARAN OPINION Top

People looking for faults in a catamaran often say they are too wide and take up too much space at a marina and of course this is true, they are wide, this gives them their stability and spaciousness, but monohulls are also becoming wider as the advantages and comfort of "wider is better" becomes obvious. Boats generally are becoming bigger and consequently marina berths are becoming bigger to accommodate them. It's an on going situation of supply and demand with the demand driving the marina industry to review their facilities and to look to the future of docking bigger and bigger boats.

If you hear anyone saying anything bad about a power catamaran you can be absolutely sure of one thing, they have never been to sea on one and probably never even stepped on board one at the dock. One other thing you can be sure of is, once you've owned a power catamaran, you would never switch back to a monohull. Power catamarans have so many more pros than cons. Why try to choose between hundreds of very similar size monohulls all offering different features, when you can narrow your choice down to one power catamaran that has all their features plus these features; unsinkable, safe, spacious, comfortable and unmatched performance that is not available on a powerboat of a similar size

GENERAL Top

Most of our models have flat main decks inside and out, they are very spacious and stable making them very wheelchair friendly. If you or one of your family has special needs we will work with you to adapt a boat to suit these needs.

Our semi-production power catamarans are fitted out to a standard yacht finish, they are ergonomically laid out and very user friendly with the utmost comfort in mind. They are very practical, docile and easily handled, even docking a TCM 60' is no problem for an experienced couple as the widely spaced propellers make maneuvering the vessel sideways against a dock a very simple operation.

All our designs are very comfortable long range cruising vessels perfectly capable of safely cruising shallow inland waters, along the coast, to offshore islands or around the world. A TrawlerCat will definitely turn heads wherever you go and you will make many new friends because of it.
Our boats are all designed as low maintenance vessels to make your time onboard a pleasure and not a chore and unless you specifically ask for it, you will not find any exterior woodwork to maintain.