I wanted a boat for myself as well as for a particular type of client I was coming across in Pattaya. After several, sometimes heated discussions about my requirements with my friend Albert Nazarov, he came up with a proposal for a 30' LOA catamaran powered by two 210hp stern drives, with a top cruising speed of 35 knots. Construction of the vessel began at my yard this month.
The new catamaran is ideal for the sheltered waters around the Gulf of Thailand and has a day-cruising capacity for ten guests. It will also have stowage for both a jet ski and a 110cc motorbike. I insisted on full standing headroom inside while maintaining a very sporty, fast-looking styling (I am, after all, Italian!) and a moderate displacement. I also wanted to be able to beach the boat sometimes on one of the many, sandy-shored islands and empty beaches scattered around these waters.
I prefer a jet ski to a dinghy. Dinghies rarely last long. If they're timber – aluminium looks awful – and big enough to be useful, they're too heavy. Inflatables take forever to pump up and the material rots quickly in the local heat and humidity. On the other hand, jet skis are fast, fun, increasingly affordable – and durable. They can be used in almost any sorts of conditions – Hawaiian and Australian lifesavers use them in very heavy surf and professional board-riders are towed behind them onto the faces of 10 to 25 metre waves off the coast of California and Hawai – and they're very practical when it comes to exploring less accessible stretches of coast.
In order to get the jet ski aboard, I am thinking of fitting rollers on the transom and a powerful winch, either electric or linked to one of the engines. But that's an argument with Albert for another day!
By the way, the provisional model name for this boat is the Warrior but I'm open to suggestions. Maybe one of my readers here has a better idea!
The new catamaran is ideal for the sheltered waters around the Gulf of Thailand and has a day-cruising capacity for ten guests. It will also have stowage for both a jet ski and a 110cc motorbike. I insisted on full standing headroom inside while maintaining a very sporty, fast-looking styling (I am, after all, Italian!) and a moderate displacement. I also wanted to be able to beach the boat sometimes on one of the many, sandy-shored islands and empty beaches scattered around these waters.
I prefer a jet ski to a dinghy. Dinghies rarely last long. If they're timber – aluminium looks awful – and big enough to be useful, they're too heavy. Inflatables take forever to pump up and the material rots quickly in the local heat and humidity. On the other hand, jet skis are fast, fun, increasingly affordable – and durable. They can be used in almost any sorts of conditions – Hawaiian and Australian lifesavers use them in very heavy surf and professional board-riders are towed behind them onto the faces of 10 to 25 metre waves off the coast of California and Hawai – and they're very practical when it comes to exploring less accessible stretches of coast.
In order to get the jet ski aboard, I am thinking of fitting rollers on the transom and a powerful winch, either electric or linked to one of the engines. But that's an argument with Albert for another day!
By the way, the provisional model name for this boat is the Warrior but I'm open to suggestions. Maybe one of my readers here has a better idea!
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