Friday, February 5, 2016

Could this be the future of Small Boats

The first time I saw the Nauti-Craft on Youtube a year ago, I knew it was a great idea. Although revolutionary for a boat, the use of hydraulic shocks is standard on land vehicles and its function is fully understood. The decision to make the Nauti-Craft a Catamaran is a wise one. This has enabled her to cruise at high speeds with standard outboard motors in heavy seas with ease.
Buy why would anyone opt for a Nautical-Craft. The answer is... so they'll arrive in better shape.
This is so true when making an offshore trip to exotic destinations like Pulau Tioman (120nm), Pulau Bawah (140nm), Anambas (180nm). Its easy for a 60 foot Cabin Cruiser to cruise there at 16 - 24 knots in relative comfort. But for a small craft, the faster you arrive at these destinations. the better it is for you. It is unlikely that anyone will be able to sleep along the way or have a decent rest when cruising in a boat less than 36 foot & under 6 tons.When the seas go beyond Sea State 2 (Beaufort state 3), you will have to throttle back to 15kts max. With the Nauti-Cat suspension system, you'll probably be able to maintain the SOA (speed of advance) of 25 kts in similar conditions.  

The Nauti-Craft in Head seas fitted with twin Yamaha V6s
As the height of the free-board is unusually high for a boat this size, she provides a generally dry ride. The main hull is built like a standard mono-hull, probably to give it added bouncy in heavy seas. I guess the video say its all.


  

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