world cat

[Mr. Sandman]

Took a ride in a world cat yesterday and it was rough day. I was impressed on how that boat cut thru the seas. Really a soft ride. I think they are kind of an "ugly" boat but the ride at cruise is sweet. Also at anchor it is very stable. The only neg I found in the ride was at what I would call high trolling speeds before the boat is on plane in rough conditions. It was a little unnerving when waves slapped in between the hulls but man you can fly thru a big chop in real comfort.

[taJon]

I like them.

[Offshore24]

Was on one a few years back down in FL. Took the St. Lucie intllet at 35 mph. Bigger boats with traditional hulls were being pounded and had to slow down. The Captain was just laughing. Went out 45 miles into the gulf stream. I picked up my first sail that day. If I could convince the wife I'd get one too.

[kenyee]

Don't they have zero storage space since there is no "down below"? Would love to ride on one though :-)

[Mr. Sandman]

I was on a 27 and I thought it had plenty of storage space, 2 big fish boxes and two killer liver wells, a big area in the CC and under the front seating area as well as in the bow area. It it similar to a 27 Boston whaler outrage with regard to storage, maybe even more. It does not sleep anyone and the head area is not quite as roomy as the big CC's but they make up for it in beam. There is a huge separation between the engines and you can easily land a big fish between them. I am going to look at a 33'er and that does have a foreward bunk but I think the fuel econ is weak on these. I don't even know if I can get past the box like looks either.

What disappoints me the most is that most have to be OB's unless you go beyond 33'. There is just no room for diesel inboards. (I think glacier bay makes a nice one with twin IB's but it is like 300K) So the fuel econ is not there with the ob's. The best this boat gets is 1.5 mpg at cruise, I was really hoping for alot better.

That said I think the 27 is a great value and they ride better than any monohull I've been on for the same size. We blew past a 25' seacraft that was taking a wet beating in 4-6 and I could not belive we were dry and flying thru this stuff. This is a boat where you want to catch and trap air inbetween the hulls, the air comresses as the boat comes down and absorbs the shock and you don't pound. You brace yourself waiting for the shock and it is a very soft entry, there is no pounding. You don't want to back off the throttles, it actually rides worse if you slow down coming into the seas, as the boat will "sneeze" and the air will vent out of the bow, then you feel the water hit the bottom and you get that pounding effect...you want to keep on tr#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&. That said, I still think they are ugly to look at as a boat. The looks like a square barge and they "feel" strange when you first get on them but after you get use to them they really perform and are very functional at least from a fishing standpoint. It is true you don't get the volume of a mono hull though but it is a different beast.

[Offshore24]

Don't you also run into trailer width issues with the bigger ones? If so winter layup in the boat yard is another cost.

[MakoMike]

I have heard that they are a bear on the drift. Really whip around in a decent sea. But I have never been on one.

[keeperreaper]

My next boat will be a cat. Awesome ride. The pluses of a cat out weigh by far the minuses. The tight chop we see around here that loosens fillings in your mouth get eaten up by cats as do 3-5' seas. Trimmed right they outperform every monohull in their class. Some like Glacier Bay are scary in a following sea though.

[taJon]

I routinely get 2 nmpg with my outboards. The 27 is the most fuel efficient with 225s. They did make an inboard version but it wasn't too popular and was discontinued. From the top they look different but from the side they have a very nice look to them, similar to a carolina boat.
Can you ever have enough storage. I always seem to bring more stuff.