[PCW] trailerable MC-29 power cat

[corbin moore]

This is merely a monohull with sponsons glued on.  Doesn't get uglier than 
that!  You guys need a good hobby!
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "motorcat" <motorcat@o2.pl>
To: <power-catamaran@lists.samurai.com>
Sent: Monday, September 11, 2006 9:24 AM
Subject: Re: [PCW] trailerable MC-29 power cat


> This was taken at Dundarave, where there no break water protection  ,just
> public dock (no overnight).
>
> The location is subject to small swells even on a calm day since it is 
> open
> for 30 miles.
>
> Mountains behind MC 29 in the picture are on small islands and Vancouver
> Island -40/50 miles away.
>
> Any object even bigger boats would b
roll b
 in those calm conditions.
>
> Jerry Kostanski
> MC 30 & 29 Designer
> ---- WiadomoED Oryginalna ----
> Od: "Greg Schoenberg" <dene@ipns.com>
> Do: "Power Catamaran List" <power-catamaran@lists.samurai.com>
> Data: 9 wrzeEnia 2006 23:09
> Temat: Re: [PCW] trailerable MC-29 power cat
>
>> I had the same thoughts.  Did you notice how it rolled when it was being
>> docked?
>>
>> Perhaps a wider beam is in order.
>>
>> Other than that, it is a nice looking boat.  If it's priced around 100k, 
>> it
>> will likely give GB and C-Dory some serious competition.
>>
>> -Greg
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "D C *Mac* Macdonald" <k2gkk@hotmail.com>
>> To: <power-catamaran@lists.samurai.com>
>> Sent: Saturday, September 09, 2006 1:41 PM
>> Subject: Re: [PCW] trailerable MC-29 power cat
>>
>>
>> > Maybe it's my imagination (video is prett low resolution)
>> > but the waves don't seem very big, but the boat seems
>> > to be porpoising quite a big.  Also, there seems to be
>> > quite a bit of roll when the boat is back in the harbor
>> > toward the end of the video.
>> >
>> > One other thing to mention is that the URL is definitely
>> > "case-sensitive."
>> >
>> >
>> > D C "Mac" Macdonald
>> > Grand Lake - Oklahoma
>> > Potential "catter"
>> >
>> >
>> > ----Original Message Follows----
>> > From: rodgibbons@mindspring.com
>> > Reply-To: rodgibbons@mindspring.com,Power Catamaran List
>> > <power-catamaran@lists.samurai.com>
>> > To: power-catamaran@lists.samurai.com
>> > Subject: Re: [PCW] trailerable MC-29 power cat
>> > Date: Sat, 9 Sep 2006 02:10:30 -0400 (EDT)
>> >
>> > (Bias Alert:  the following e-mail is from a catamaran dealer. 
>> > "Danger,
>> > Will Robinson...Danger!")
>> >
>> > Occasionally a thread will appear here about trailerable power cats
>> (Glacier
>> > Bay, Twin-Vee, C-Dory, etc.)
>> >
>> > For those interested in that topic, I just received an e-mail from
> Grahame
>> > Shannon, Vancouver BC resident, and co-designer (with Jerzy Kostanski) 
>> > of
>> > the MC-29 trailerable power cat. He was writing to let me know a 
>> > 3-minute
>> > video of the MC-29 is now available at his web-site.
>> >
>> > The first MC-29 to arrive in North America was offloaded in Vancouver, 
>> > BC
>> > about 4 weeks ago (hull #12). The MC29 will have its formal North
> American
>> > debut at the Seattle Boats-Afloat show next week (9/13 thru 9/17), with
>> > private seatrials available in the days right after the show. Grahame
> will
>> > be at the show to explain the merits of his design.
>> >
>> > For those who are unable to inspect the boat at that show, you may find
>> > interest in seeing the short video at Grahame's web-site:
>> >
>> > www.aviadesign.com/MC29
>> >
>> > After the site opens on your screen, simply click on the word "video."
>> >
>> > I visited Vancouver 2 weeks ago, specifically to inspect and seatrial 
>> > the
>> > MC-29. For those interested in my evaluation of the boat -- pros and
>> cons --
>> > feel free to contact me off-line.
>> >
>> > Meanwhile, here are my primary observations.
>> >
>> > PRO:
>> >
>> > (1)  The finish and styling is the most appealing of any cats I've seen
>> > under 30' in length. Probably 85% of the trailerable cats currently
>> > available in the U.S. are, first and foremost, designed for fishing, 
>> > with
>> > actual cruising a distant (or even unaddressed) afterthought. This boat
> is
>> > ALL about cruising, yet one could certainly add "rocket launchers" or
>> > "down-weight" trolling hardware and enjoy fishing from it, too.
>> >
>> > (2)  Performance is heavily weighted toward economic, longer distance
>> > cruising. Top speed (with the 160 HP Volvo, or twin, 4-cycle outboards)
> is
>> > about 26 to 27 MPH. Economical cruising speed is about 18 to 21. (The
>> Volvo
>> > diesel burns 4+ GPH at 20 MPH.) Twin 4-cycle, 40 HP outboards cost 
>> > less,
>> > and, of course, give you less top speed, but even greater economy, with 
>> > a
>> > cruising speed of 12 to 14 MPH.
>> >
>> > (3)  I could easily imagine my girlfriend and me cruising aboard this
>> pocket
>> > cruiser for anywhere from 3 days to 3 weeks. And the fine galley and 
>> > head
>> > design, plus large owner's berth, wouldn't make 3 months of coastal
>> cruising
>> > a struggle either.
>> >
>> > (4)  Ingenious inclusion of a fully private head with toilet, sink and
>> > shower fixture, h/c pressure water, AND 6'4" headroom. What a MAJOR
>> > difference from most other under-30 cats that often provide no more 
>> > than
> a
>> > porta-potty and a flimsy curtain, calling that the "head area."
>> >
>> > (5)  Trailerable, so great for sneaking off to Florida to launch for a
>> > Bahamas cruise...or down to the Sea of Cortez for a winter respite...or
> up
>> > to Bellingham and the San Juan Islands....or a New England coastal
> cruise.
>> >
>> > (6)  Very comfortable owner's berth forward -- it's wider at one end 
>> > than
>> a
>> > queen-size bed, plus surprising amount of storage room in that
>> compartment.
>> > Storage commodius enough for a pair of BIG duffle bags with room to
> spare.
>> >
>> > (7)  Excellent headroom in the salon (about 6'5")
>> >
>> > (8)  Easily transited side decks, with good hand-holds, and a
> surprisingly
>> > well-designed anchor locker and anchor sprit.
>> >
>> > (9)  Without exception, this is the driest power cat I've ever been
>> aboard.
>> > It soon becomes obvious this is because the odd-looking nacelle (oddly
>> > reminiscent of a "bull-frog's neck bulge") that's designed between the
>> > exceptionally slender cat hulls, thus precluding ANY "sneezing"
>> whatsoever.
>> > I didn't see a single drop of spray on the windshield during 90-minutes
> of
>> > low-and-high speed maneuvering. Now THAT is unusual in a power cat.
>> >
>> >
>> > CON:
>> >
>> > (1)  Speaking of windshields, this design looks great from the outside,
>> but
>> > inside I'd like to see a narrower post at either end of the windshield,
>> port
>> > and starboard -- not much, just another inch or so. And there is no 
>> > wiper
>> > system. For an upscale cruising boat like this, it would be nice if 
>> > that
>> > were standard. (Although the dry ride is noted above, and one can add
>> > "drip-free" coating to the windshield like skiers use, to great 
>> > success,
>> on
>> > their goggles.)
>> >
>> > (2)  This is highly subjective, but I'd not have bothered with keeping
> the
>> > beam to 8'6" for no-permit trailering. This isn't a boat that many
>> American
>> > owners are going to launch and retrieve each weekend -- too easy (yet
>> > reasonably economical) to keep it berthed at a marina, ready to go.
>> Instead,
>> > I'd have liked a beam of 9'10" or so, thus still allowing for 
>> > inexpensive
>> > permit-capable trailering when occasionally desired, but thus always
>> > providing an even roomier craft. Then again, the boat's European built,
>> and
>> > I believe they have more stringent rules over there regarding the
>> trailering
>> > of boats that exceed the MC-29's current beam.
>> >
>> > (3)  There's good visibility from the helm seat, but the spacious bench
>> seat
>> > isn't quite big enough for today's "average size" American couple to 
>> > sit
>> > there for an extended period. The boat wants a second raised seat, 
>> > across
>> > from (to the port of) the current helm seat, also facing forward. The
>> > designers already have an option for that in mind, and it's something
> that
>> > would be good to see as standard.
>> >
>> > (4)  When seated at the surprisingly roomy dinette (easily seats 4
> adults,
>> > primarily because the designers wanted a convertible dinette that also
>> would
>> > make into a ROOMY double berth for guests, which it does), there is no
>> > visibility out the sides of the salon. The admittedly large and 
>> > pleasant
>> > side ports don't extend low enough to afford visibility for those 
>> > seated
>> at
>> > the dinette. But the designers have already come up with an additional
>> > (probably optional, but if so, well worth it) side window for each side
> of
>> > the salon, which would immediately fix this situation.
>> >
>> > (5)  When I was aboard the boat there was a need for additional 
>> > interior
>> > handles for moving about when underway. This has since been taken care
> of,
>> > and I've seen photos of these added handholds; a good item, whether
>> standard
>> > or optional.
>> >
>> > (6)  This first-in-North-America model is equipped with a single,
>> aft-center
>> > mounted Volvo D-3, 160 HP inboard diesel. (as shown in the 
>> > aforementioned
>> > video)  Noise is acceptable in the salon, especially with the aft 
>> > sliding
>> > door closed. Plus the out-of-sight inboard installation makes for a 
>> > clean
>> > appearance at the rear of the boat. But given my druthers, I'd probably
>> opt
>> > for the twin, 4-cycle 60 HP outboards. Because they're mounted wide
> apart,
>> > they could only further enhance the already decent maneuvering
> capability.
>> > And the redundancy factor of twin engines is something I like. (But 
>> > yes,
>> > there's something to be said for diesel over gasoline, and for the much
>> > larger alternator that a diesel engine includes, which affords much
> better
>> > battery charging.)
>> >
>> > (7)  The boat had too little fuel capacity. The D-3 is quite
> fuel-miserly;
>> > the boat gets nearly 5 MPG at 20 MPH, but the range is only about 120
>> miles.
>> > I'd like to see that doubled. I'm told that added (doubled) fuel 
>> > capacity
>> is
>> > now available as an option, and may become standard. I'd definitely
>> > recommend ordering that increased tankage.
>> >
>> > (8)  It's not fair to call the following a "con," but the motion aboard
>> this
>> > boat is a new sensation to me. Due to the boat's modest, trailerable
> beam,
>> > and the relatively narrow fore sections of the "amas," there is an
>> > occasional, slight, side-to-side motion. Again, it encompasses only a 
>> > few
>> > degrees, and is neither uncomfortable nor offputting. And I may have
>> noticed
>> > it only because I'm so used to power cats where the beam often exceeds
>> > one-half the length of the boat.
>> >
>> >
>> > Overall observation? If I were seeking a trailerable cat for which most
>> (or
>> > even much) of my time were spent fishing, I'd get a Glacier Bay, or
>> > Twin-Vee, or World Cat -- or one of their cousins -- that include
>> > rod-holding compartments, slide-out drawers for lures and lines,
> live-bait
>> > wells, recessed/walk-around decks, etc. (Conversely, I wouldn't choose 
>> > to
>> > CRUISE for more than a couple days on ANY of those fishing-oriented
> cats.)
>> >
>> > If you're seeking a truly comfortable under-30-feet cat, designed
>> expressly
>> > for extended cruising (tho' still fishing capable), this is one of the
> few
>> > cats for your very-short, final-selection list. The only other cat that
>> > immediatley comes to mind for that list is the C-Dory. But the level of
>> > finish, and the excellent ergonomics (2nd forward seat not 
>> > withstanding)
>> of
>> > the MC-29 -- ergonomics including generous standing head room, large
>> owner's
>> > berth, very workable galley unit, ingenious private head compartment,
> etc.
>> > -- that combination of design and comfort is likely to make this new,
>> > pocket-cruising cat a leading choice for would-be owners seeking an
>> > under-30' power cat.
>> >
>> > And for those looking to "pimp their ride," the MC-29 offers an 
>> > unusually
>> > extensive luxury-options list (gensets, heating and air-conditioning,
>> > electric anchor windlass, state-of-the-art electronics, etc.). In fact,
>> the
>> > list is more extensive than that available from some builders of larger
>> cats
>> > costing $100,000 to $200,000 more than the MC29. (Depending on the 
>> > engine
>> > package selected, the MC-29 starts at about $110K to $120K.)
>> >
>> > Check out Grahame's video. You'll see another unusual aspect of this
> boat.
>> > Until it's underway, you could easily confuse it for a monohull. Given
> its
>> > advantages over a monohull, you might say that makes the MC-29 a "wolf 
>> > in
>> > sheep's clothing."
>> >
>> > Rod Gibbons
>> > founder:  Cruising Cats USA
>> > Seattle - Portland - SF Bay - Hawaii
>> > _______________________________________________
>> > Power-Catamaran Mailing List
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