Andy McCutcheonCatafoil 60' Catamaran - Review
September 7th 2007 00:49
Catafoil - Noble 60'
Catafoil 60' Catamaran
The much-anticipated release of the newest 60’ Catamaran out of the Gold Coasts Marine Precinct has hit the waterways running on a tight deadline to the Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show.
While the unique and newly designed power-cat is a first time release to the cruising market, the name Catafoil is synonymous with construction of some of the toughest commercial vessels in the World.
With a flawless 18-year military pedigree and a client list that boasts surveillance, police patrol boats and commercial fishing operators, I had high expectations for her performance, but would the transition from her commercial roots to an up-market entertainer be as smooth?
The invitation to review the Noble 60’ was extended to SeaSpray by Tony Ross and the crew of Ensign Ship Brokers, who represent Catafoil exclusively throughout Australia from their offices at Marina Mirage in Queenslands Gold Coast.
Being a local manufacturer though, I had the opportunity to visit the Catafoil factory on numerous occasions throughout the vessels construction and while early on in the piece Catafoil seemed a bit slow out of the blocks due to hierarchy reorganization, it is apparent now, that despite this early setback they are poised for growth with stable management, dedicated trades and a solid workforce behind them enabling Catafoil to meet the market demands that I’m certain will be on them in the coming months.
The vision of Catafoil for the Noble 60’ was to produce a luxuriously stylish, economical, high-speed catamaran that could rest on the laurels of it’s commercial pedigree to traverse unkindly sea conditions…a tall order on anyone’s drawing board, so… let’s break it down and put each of these criteria to the test and see how they fared.
Luxurious Styling;
If you see the vessel beam on, you could be forgiven for thinking it was a displacement mono-hull from any number of European designers. It is a sleek and sexy looking boat that sits well balanced in the water with no apparent listing.
A broad two-pack silver stripe down the middle works very nicely and aids in breaking up the visual overload of white. Additionally, use of a teak aft deck and swim platform do much the same while not adversely affecting, or adding significantly to the exterior maintenance requirements.
A large set of tinted sliding glass doors delineate the aft deck area from the vessels interior, which at the time of testing still required small amounts of trim to be affixed.
The interior itself is light and fresh. Butter soft, doeskin coloured lounges are complimented by neutral carpeting and blonde timber cabinetry. High gloss, two-pack finishes will ensure longevity, while curvy ergonomic styling speaks to its sensuality.
A full sized, freestanding dining table and chairs are adjacent to a crescent shaped starboard lounge. Forward of the lounge is an open concept galley with nearly as much space as a residential kitchen and the design elements support my theory that the sink, cooker and refrigerator should always form a triangle in order to maximize it’s potential usefulness.
In faulting the galley specifically, or at least putting the criteria of luxurious styling to the test, I would question the use of laminate countertops. In my opinion, corian or granite veneers would make a preferred option in a boat of this caliber.
Opposite the galley to port is a long “J” lounge that tucks in behind the helm station. Designers and manufacturers alike seem to be moving in the right direction with sensible guest placement, because lets face it, we all like driving our own boats and unless the vessel is stationary, the helm station can become a lonely place for the skipper while guests enjoy the best seats in the house.
The helm station while it may be lonely at times, affords it’s operator excellent visibility from an up-market captains chair while showcasing the latest in electronic gadgetry.
Below decks the blonde timber cabinetry is carried through with neutral coloured micro-fibre suede in all three cabins.
On the plus side, the overall styling is great, the cabinetry is exceptional and the design elements are quite good. On the negative side, the laminate countertops, the carpets and the PVC tiles in the heads could be a bit more up-market. Having said that, the negatives I have pointed out are not integral to the boat and can be easily modified during construction.
Economical;
The second criteria we will touch on surround’s the economic viability of the boat. Capital cost of the vessel in the $2.5M range is on the lower end of the spectrum and design of the hull on lifting foils is where this boat really shines. Powered by twin Caterpillar 700Hp diesel engines, the boat is designed to rise 300mm out of the water on about 17kts, increasing speed, reducing drag and requiring far less horsepower, fuel and operating costs than any of its closest competitors. While it may still cost the same to fill up at the pumps, the extended range of this vessel as a result, will see you refueling with far less frequency.
High Speed;
Following on from the discussion about economy is speed. The twin Cats work in conjunction with the 28”x 35” five blade NAB propellers to give this vessel an excellent thrust to weight ratio. The boat as tested weighed in at 27,000kg while it reaches a top speed of 32 nm per hour. Use of both lifting as well as stabilizing foils account for its high-speed performance but the floating sensation you achieve while at top speed may take a little getting used to.
Catamarans by nature have different handling characteristics than their mono-hull counterparts. Add to this a sensitive electric over hydraulic steering mechanism alongside the floating sensation apparent while at maximum lift and inherent oscillation results from a tendency to over steer the boat.
Of course that brought up the question of operating the boat via use of an autopilot, to which three potential courses of action in my opinion would be necessary. Firstly, do away with the electric over hydraulic unit altogether and revert to a standard hydraulic steering unit eliminating much of its sensitivity.
Secondly, keep the electric over hydraulic technology, but change over the hydraulic pump, reducing the rate of turn and thirdly, adjust the autopilot to lag in its response to the actions at the helm in an effort to reduce oscillation.
Once you get used to the airy feeling of the Noble 60’ at speed, you will soon appreciate its handling characteristics in rough sea conditions.
Seaworthiness;
At the time of testing this vessel winds were SSE at 15-20kts and we were an hour off low tide and a low-pressure system to the South had been causing 2.5 – 3.0m swell all day. With the run out tide against incoming wind and swell, the Southport seaway was like a witches cauldron.
The skipper had punched the throttles achieving a running speed of 28kts and headed straight out. Midway out the bottlenecked waterway as the effect of wind and swell became apparent, the cushioning effect of the foils and asymmetrical hulls was increasingly noticeable.
When we reached the bar however, we crossed a rogue 3m plus breaking wave that launched the vessel clear into the air and as I stumbled backwards, I counted, One-One-Thousand, Two-One-Thousand and wondered upon landing if one hull was going to head North and the other South?
Construction of the hull however is a composite end grained balsa core sandwich and reinforcement rings on all bulkheads guarantees the integrity and rigidity of the vessel as demonstrated.
Once we were passed the bar, wind and swell continued to churn seas to 2.5-3.0m and riding on the foils at 32kts felt like being in a tinny on a millpond, testament to the fact that this is one tough, all weather vessel that will get you where you want to go when you want to go there.
Highs & Lows;
The lows for me would have to be the laminate surfacing throughout the boat. Even at the $2.5M Pricetag, one would expect to find better surfaces and in my opinion alongside the beautiful timber work, granite or Corian would take this vessel to a whole new level.
Secondly, carpeting in the main saloon could have been a bit more up-market and the PVC tiles found in the heads could have been swapped out for something nicer looking, albeit not as practical maybe?
On the exterior of the boat going forward, the decks were somewhat narrow although in compensation there are fitted hand-rails all the way along and the stainless deck rails could have been about 100mm higher.
All in all, they are things that amount to personal preference in most cases and Catafoil assures me that they are easily overcome during the fit out stage.
In trying to place this vessel into the marketplace, I would have to say its appeal would come from both mono and multi-hull owners alike. It looks like a sleek stylish mono, but has the interior volume capability that only cat owners enjoy.
It is very fast and very economical with a low cost capital outlay. It is a large volume cruiser complete with a massive flybridge entertaining area that has go anywhere capability and sensual interior styling that gives it a lot of female appeal. Storage capability aboard this vessel is astronomical and occupies nearly a quarter of the overall cubic meter age of the vessel.
Kudos to Catafoil on a job well done and we wish thank Tony Ross and crew for the opportunity to go aboard. We would also like to wish Ensign Ship Brokers the best of luck in marketing the Noble 60’ at both the Sanctuary Cove and Sydney Boat Shows and in the months that follow.
Text by Andy McCutcheon
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