Dave Jirikovic of HMY Yachts was on a quest. The sales broker was looking for the meanest, nastiest patch of Gulf Stream he could find to show a potential client what the Two Oceans 555 power cat could handle.

“There,” he said, pointing ahead. “A series of solid 4-footers.” The Gulf Stream was roiled from several days of 20-plus-knot northern winds running against the northbound current.

And just as he had intended to show us, the broad-shouldered power cat didn’t even notice. He even dropped the single-lever throttles back to idle and left the 25-foot-wide Two Oceans 555 beam-on to another set of square-edged seas. The 55-footer brushed that off too. Jirikovic tried quartering into the seas—never a happy angle for catamarans—and the yacht drowsed through them.

Stability was among many characteristics that left me impressed with the Two Oceans 555, the company’s first offering in the United States. The builder was founded in 1989 and constructs its boats in Cape Town, South Africa, with power and sail models from 23 to 160 feet length overall. Two Oceans also builds offshore rescue craft, which explains some of the other characteristics I saw after taking a turn at the helm of the Two Oceans 555.

For instance, I was startled to learn that this power cat gets about 1 nautical mile per gallon at 10 knots. With 750 gallons of fuel, that’s a lot farther than most yachtsmen will ever want to run in a single hop.

This cat also has speed—topping out at more than 27 knots—with twin 550 hp Cummins QSB6.7L diesels. The vessel’s performance and seaworthiness are a tribute to the twin slippery hulls designed by Du Toit Yacht Design of South Africa. Using tunnels tightly fitted to the props for maximum power, and with low-drag sacrificial keels, the 555 has just a 3-foot-6-inch draft.

Construction is solid with a vinylester barrier coat underwater and PVC foam core, all vacuum-bagged for strength and reinforced with carbon fiber in high-load areas.

Effort has clearly been spent on soundproofing; my decibel meter barely nudged 82 dB(A) at 26.5 knots in the salon. Thanks to the boat’s underwater side-mounted exhausts, the bridge sound was even quieter: 79 decibels at 23 knots.

The thing I liked most about the Two Oceans 555 is that it is essentially a blank canvas. This particular boat had a layout I liked: an on-deck master stateroom separated from the salon by sliding doors. The master has 180 degrees of 27-inch-high windows for a panoramic view from the walk-around island berth. The en suite head is in the port hull with twin sinks, a 3-by-4-foot shower stall and a tilt-up vanity.

Guest staterooms included an athwartships space forward in the starboard hull with a larger-than-queen berth, and another stateroom aft with a queen berth. The opposite hull had a third guest stateroom with twin berths.

This yacht’s salon had a dinette to port opposite a galley large enough to accommodate several chefs. All the usual amenities—from US manufacturers for easy service—included a stand-up two-door fridge with a drawer, a microwave, a five-burner cooktop, an ice maker, a trash compactor and a dishwasher. What was more interesting was the size of the L-shaped Corian countertop: The L was a few inches shy of 8 feet, while the fore-and-aft counter was more than 11 feet long.

The salon opens up to the cockpit, which, on this 555, had a settee with a dining table. The back is double-sided so people could sit facing aft, either to watch the launching or retrieval of a tender with the hydraulic platform or just to enjoy a sunset. There’s also a U-shaped recessed dinette with wraparound seating on the foredeck.

That leaves the flybridge, whose open aft deck was 9 feet by 28 feet for sun lounges, chaises or personal watercraft to be launched via the optional crane. A wraparound dinette to port faced a grill, a fridge, an ice maker and a sink.

The helm is forward, abaft a full-height windscreen. There’s a double-wide Stidd seat, and either two or three Garmin multifunction displays. Future boats are likely to have the engine monitors and switches in an overhead, aircraft-style panel on the hardtop, but there was room for the skipper to make good use of the standard Side-Power bow thruster (a stern thruster is optional).

This power cat had the optional Off-Grid package, using twin 9 kW Integrel Solutions generators coupled to the prop shafts with flex power takeoffs. Combined with the solar panels forward of the flybridge helm, this arrangement feeds a bank of Victron Energy lithium-phosphate batteries totaling 26,000 watts, providing more than 19 hours of silent running time for all air-conditioning, ship and galley needs.

The Two Oceans 555 power catamaran has the interior and exterior real estate of a monohull nearly double its size. It offers a smooth ride in rough water, has accommodations for the largest of cruising families, and uses solar power to cruise anywhere a yachtsman desires. All of this, combined with the ability to heavily personalize the yacht, makes the Two Oceans 555 a strong offering in the power-cat marketplace.  

Wealth of Experience

Du Toit Yacht Design may not yet be a household name in the United States, but it is the leading catamaran design firm in South Africa, with several sizes of Two Oceans power cats and Balance sailing catamarans, and more than 120 production and custom yacht designs.

Power Play

Victron Energy is a Dutch producer of electrical equipment for marine and industrial needs, energy storage and solar energy access. Each Victron lithium-phosphate battery has its own battery-management system.

The Battery Basics

The builder says that when it comes to recharging, the yacht’s lithium-phosphate batteries can ramp back up to 85 percent power in just 60 minutes when the main engines are running. 

Efficient Engines

The Cummins QSB6.7L is an in-line six-cylinder, 408-cubic-inch, turbocharged, after-cooled diesel noted for its 80 percent noise reduction compared with similar engines, because of its common-rail fuel system. The single-loop, low-temperature after-cooling eliminates the need for keel coolers, and it reduces emissions.

Take the next step: hmy.com

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AWOL SHAKA, an Axcell Yachts 650 power catamaran, is listed with Worth Avenue Yachts with a new asking price of $2.19 million, which represents about a $1 million reduction from the original asking price.

The 67-foot powercat’s hull was constructed in 2010, however, the yacht was only officially commissioned in 2020, and it underwent an extensive refit in 2022.

The refit included an interior update, outdoor furniture being reupholstered, decks resurfaced, a rebuilt head system, repainted engine and lazarette bays, upgraded Garmin electronics, and updated tender garage–that accommodates 15-footer–and more.

There is also a three-stateroom, three-head layout with not one, but two salons.

Stepping onto AWOL SHAKA ’s aft deck the two-tiered cockpit immediately impresses with aft-facing bench seating just two steps up from the swim platform, perfect for breaks in between snorkeling and water sports activities. Up two more steps takes guests to a second bench seat, however, this one gets shade from the superstructure’s overhang.

Forward from the cockpit, owners and their guests will enjoy the pilothouse salon and its C-shaped settee and table to port, an excellent spot to enjoy the drinks you fixed at the starboard wet bar, just abaft the helm. Additional bench seating is available forward and to port.

Forward and down is an additional salon, featuring a bar to port with fixed-stool seating, another C-shaped settee and table to starboard, and a flat-screen TV forward of the bar. Two staircases, one tucked behind the bar and the other just abaft the starboard settee, take guests below.

Step down the portside staircase and guests are in the galley down, which has a full-size refrigerator and freezer, a microwave, a five-burner induction cooktop, a sink, dishwasher and a trash compactor.

Forward of the galley is the VIP stateroom, which has a queen-size berth and an en suite head. Taking the starboard stairs belowdecks leads to the final stateroom, which also has a queen berth; however, the head is separate and abaft the stateroom.

Owners get a main-deck master stateroom with an island queen berth, en suite head, a double dresser and a closet.

Twin 1,050 hp Caterpillar C18 diesels with just 400 hours give AWOL SHAKA, a reported top hop of 40 knots with a 30-knot cruise speed. And the yacht’s shallow 3-foot-10-inch draft makes it accessible to skinny waters.

Where is AWOL SHAKA located? The yacht is currently lying in West Palm Beach, Florida.

Take the next step: contact the listing agents, Wally Wolanske or Robert Stotler at +1(561)833-4462, Wally@WorthAvenueYachts.com, Robert@WorthAvenueYachts.com, worthavenueyachts.com

Quick Specifications:

• Length Overall: 67’
• Maximum Beam: 21’
• Fuel Capacity: 650 gallons
• Draft: 3’10”

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Versatility is at the heart of the 47 Molokai, which will be the second and larger offering in the Aquila Power Catamarans Offshore range. The vessel measures 49 feet, 4 inches length overall with a 14-foot-7-inch beam. The center-console design builds on the offshore-fishing foundations laid by the 28 Molokai while enhancing entertainment abilities and granting weekending opportunities for a couple.

For anglers, the 47 Molokai has 16 rod holders mounted on the gunwales, another 10 at the bow, six at the transom, eight on the hardtop and four welded into the grab rails just abaft the second-row helm seating. Aquila conceals a tackle stowage box, and a bait- and tackle-rigging station in the backrests of the three-person aft-facing mezzanine seating. Anglers also have tackle-box stowage beneath the second-row helm seating and to port. There are flush-mounted stowage lockers to port and starboard.

Aft, there are two 42.5-gallon transom livewells by Hooker Electric. Here, there is also stowage with a lid on the outboard side of each livewell, and owners heading out for big game can opt to convert these compartments into tuna tubes. The 47 Molokai  has two 90-gallon in-deck fish boxes, each with dedicated macerator pump-outs.

Whereas the 28 Molokai had seating for eight, including its two helm seats, the 47 Molokai has seating for 17 throughout the yacht: 14 forward-facing and three aft-facing positions. There are two foldaway stern bench seats that can seat two people each, in addition to the two rows of seven total helm seats and three foredeck lounge seats. Forward of this seating, there is a sun pad.

Abaft the cockpit’s aft-facing seating, there is a table, but it’s removed if owners choose an outdoor cooking setup instead of the seats. In either configuration, owners will have a place to stow drinks and snacks here, with insulated coolers beneath the seating.

The 47 Molokai has a double-stepped hull design that Aquila says provides better handling and stability, and reduces drag. The hull, deck and cockpit sole are infused with vinylester resin, and there’s an infused-fiberglass structural grid. Primary forward and aft bulkheads are made of carbon fiber, while the secondary bulkheads are vinylester-resin-infused. The 47 Molokai’s hardtop is made of carbon fiber.  

Take the next step: aquilaboats.com

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By now, the boating world at large is aware that power catamarans have found an ever-growing fan base; they’re not just a trend. SilverYachts is looking to further cement the multihull’s position by bringing new owners into the fold with its latest project: the SilverCat 22M. This 70-foot power catamaran is an owner-operator vessel that will join two other SilverCat models—the nearly 118-foot 36M and the 78-foot 24M—as the line’s new entry-level yacht.

With its aluminum construction, the 22M is lightweight yet sturdy. Powered with twin 1,000 hp Volvo Penta D13 diesels, the builder reports a top speed of 20 knots; reported cruising speed is 17 knots. the powercat’s draft is just under 4 feet, making this yacht Bahamas-friendly.

Also Bahamas-friendly is the SilverCat 22M’s optional hydraulic swim platform. From here, guests have easy access to the water for a dip or they can launch a Williams DieselJet 415 tender into the water. Forward in the cockpit is forward-facing bench seating for at least four and a dining table with space for at least six free-standing chairs beneath an overhang. Farther forward and to port, there is a day head and belowdecks crew access; to starboard, there is a wet bar and stairs leading to the flybridge.

The upper deck offers more opportunities to enjoy alfresco living. Aft, there are four sofas arranged in a U-shaped formation, and they’re accompanied by two coffee tables; however, this furniture can be arranged however an owner desires. Owners can also opt for a retractable awning aft to cover this lounging space when the sun gets high in the sky.

Forward, there is a dining table for 10, space for at least two more modular chairs to port and a wet bar to starboard. The upper helm station is positioned forward and to port, as well. Above, there is a retractable sunroof.

The main deck’s interior offers a similar experience but enclosed: Dining for 10 is to port and a lounge with loose-furniture arrangements is to starboard. Here, the helm station is forward and to starboard. Guests can also lounge on the foredeck, where there is a forward-facing, U-shaped settee that’s flanked by sun pads.

Accommodations and the galley are belowdecks. For starters, the galley and an en suite guest stateroom are in the portside hull, with another day-head abaft the stairs, too. The master and another en suite guest stateroom are in the starboard hull. Owners will have a king berth, a vanity and his-and-hers sinks.

Exterior design is by Espen Øino International, while Tillber Design of Sweden handled the 22M’s interior design.

Quick Specifications:

• Length Overall: 72’2”
• Maximum Beam: 35’5”
• Fuel Capacity: 2,642 Gal.
• Freshwater Capacity: 396 Gal.

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VisionF Yachts in Turkey has launched its 78-foot flagship, all-aluminum power catamaran dubbed the Vision F82.

In addition to the powercat’s 78-foot-7-inch length overall, the Vision F82 is notable for its nearly 32-foot beam, which helps create wide-open entertainment spaces like the 581-square-foot salon. The builder says there is an option to have the galley adjacent to the salon. Additionally, the yacht’s size allows for a three-stateroom layout with the owner’s stateroom found in the starboard hull, complete with closets and en suite head with shower and his-and-hers sinks. There’s also room for two crew cabins for four people.

Outside spaces also benefit from the yacht’s LOA and beam, including foredeck with sun pad, a sunken lounge with a sofa and a table (shaded by the flybridge overhang). There is also room for a Williams jet tender and a Sea Doo water scooter, which, according to VisionF, can be launched and retrieved via a dedicated crane. The aft deck is set up with a sofa, four chairs, a dining table and another sun pad nearby. This area offers seamless access to the swim platform.

Spanning nearly full beam, the flybridge has a two-seat helm forward and to port. The space is flexible and can be arranged with loose furniture for lounging and catching rays. According to VisionF, “to enhance privacy when docked stern-to in the marina, a screen is positioned between the two support pillars at the back.”

From a performance perspective, the Vision F82 is powered with twin Volvo Penta 1050 IPS diesels paired to pod drives, which reportedly provide a top hop of 16 knots and a 1,600-nautical-mile range. The builder says its “eco package” option uses batteries to help the yacht’s hotel loads run sans a generator for up to 20 hours. “ We provide clients with a yachting experience that is ecologically responsible,” said Ali Tanir, general manager at VisionF Yachts.

Hull No. 1 of the Vision F82 was built on spec and is set up for the American market, while hull No. 2 is going to a European owner. Hull Nos. 3 and 4 are on track for a March and May 2024 completion, respectively, and are available to be customized for interested owners.

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How fitting it was that Prestige Yachts introduced its new M-Line flagship, the M8, at Portopiccolo, a picturesque yachting village outside Trieste, Italy. Formerly a quarry, the cliff-side area had been chiseled into a clean site rife with eye-catching vistas, much like the French builder’s 65-foot power catamaran and its nearly 3,000 square feet of usable real estate.

Take, for starters, the M8’s 344-square-foot cockpit. Apart from flybridge-bound stairs to port and a wet bar to starboard, this space (as well as most of the yacht’s living areas) is an open deck with modular furniture. This setup allows owners to choose how they spend their time, whether watching sunsets on the hook or relaxing underway. Aboard Hull No. 1, which will debut at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show this month, there were four movable square-shaped sofas and two accompanying side tables.

Aft-deck space is further enhanced by the M8’s versatile swim platform (14 feet, 5 inches by 4 feet, 11 inches) that Prestige describes as a “balcony on the sea.” When it wasn’t overlooking the smooth waters of the Adriatic Sea, the 1,102-pound-capacity platform lowered into swimming-pool mode at the push of a button, allowing access to the garage, dinghies and water toys.

The M8’s modular-furniture concept continues in the salon, where there is 6-foot-6-inch headroom, and on the flybridge. Between both spaces, the only fixed furniture is the 538-square-foot flybridge’s three-person sun pad to starboard, abaft the staircase leading to the salon. The flybridge also has a wet bar with a grill abaft a two-seat centerline helm station with two 22-inch multifunction displays. To port, there is a dining table with seating for eight; aft and to starboard, there is another lounging area with an L-shaped sofa to starboard and two-person aft-facing seating on centerline with room for two loose tables.

As for this hull’s 511-square-foot salon, it had two free-standing chairs to starboard, a sofa on centerline and another to port. The salon connects to the cockpit via an opening centerline window with a service bar that has a wine chiller for 18 bottles, a sink and stowage. Forward and to port, there is a dining area with a table for six, and the galley is to starboard (a galley-down layout is also an option). Appliances are by Miele, including a three-burner cooktop, a microwave and a dishwasher, and there is a 132-gallon, triple-door fridge/freezer by Fisher & Paykel. This M8 also has the optional Surround View system by Garmin to make maneuvering in tight spaces easier; its console is nestled between the galley and centerline stairs leading to the owner’s stateroom. Owners can also opt for a lower helm station with a pedestal seat for all-weather cruising.

The 323-square-foot foredeck lounge is where the M8 diverts from its free-standing-furniture style the most. A sun pad consumes nearly the entire width of this space. Down two steps and forward, there is forward-facing straight-line seating on centerline across from an aft-facing C-shaped settee.

Accommodations can include four or five staterooms, with options for a VIP suite that consumes the portside hull and the galley down in the starboard hull. The 323-square-foot master stateroom is forward and nearly spans the yacht’s 29-foot beam, with its athwartship berth across from a console with a rising TV. There’s also a head with his-and-hers sinks to port, and a customizable space to starboard for a gym, a lounge, a gaming area or whatever else the owner wants.

Power for the M8 is twin 600 hp Volvo Penta D8 diesels. With the throttle all the way to the pins, I observed a 20.5-knot top hop as the diesels burned a combined 63.4 gallons per hour at 2,900 rpm. At 7.7 knots, reported range is 1,583 nautical miles; at 17 knots, it’s reportedly 350 nm. Turning the M8 felt smooth, running like it was on rails, and the wheel was real-time responsive to input.

The Prestige Yachts M8 is worth a look for power cat enthusiasts seeking adaptability, customization and a notable master stateroom that’s akin to one inside a small apartment. This new flagship has plenty of potential to be a desirable home on the water.

Luxurious Furnishings

The M8’s furniture is provided by four brands: Reflex Angelo, Pininfarina, Roda and Foglizzo. Regardless of where I decided to lounge while on board, there was always a place to get comfortable and take in the views.

Access Anywhere

In addition to two stairways leading to the flybridge (one in the cockpit, one in the salon), the Prestige M8 has two side-deck doors. One is forward and to port, and the other is aft and to starboard. A portside day head is accessible from the side deck.

Sun-Powered Anchorage

Hull No. 2 of the M8, which debuted at the Cannes Yachting Festival last month, has the optional “Silent Mode” package: 10 lithium batteries powered by 258 square feet of solar panels, which should allow two hours of silent operation sans generators and with zero emissions.

Take the next step: prestige-yachts.com

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Sunreef Yachts is preparing for the debut of the 80 Sunreef Power Eco at the upcoming Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show.

The yacht, christened Sól, is built with what Sunreef says is “the industry’s biggest battery bank in the category of leisure crafts up to 24 meters.” That battery bank, in conjunction with solar panels that are built into the yacht itself (including on the hullsides), reportedly gives the 80 Sunreef Power Eco the ability to cruise for close to 300 nautical miles.

Sunreef will be displaying the 80 Sunreef Power Eco alongside the Sunreef 80, which is a sailing version of the catamaran that the yard says is one of its best-selling models.

Will the 80 Sunreef Power Eco Sól be available for charter? Yes. It’s part of the Regency fleet and will be heading to the Virgin Islands for the upcoming winter charter season, after the boat show in Fort Lauderdale.

Take the next step: Visit the Sunreef Yachts website at sunreef-yachts.com

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Built by the Sino Eagle Group, the Aquila 36 power catamaran is a versatile outboard-powered dayboat that is also capable of weekending and angling adventures. There are two en suite staterooms, one in each hull, with nearly queen-size berths and 6-foot-6-inch headroom. On the main deck, which can be covered by an optional fiberglass hardtop, cruisers have a dinette, a cooktop, a fridge, a sink and a smokeless grill. Top speed is 35 knots with 350 hp Mercury Verados. As of July, there were 11 Aquila 36s available, ranging from $439,000 to $725,000.  

From the Archive

“The Aquila 36 is a departure from her sisterships in that she is an outboard-powered, express-cruiser-style catamaran, but she also adheres to MarineMax’s philosophies. With a single main living level from bow to stern and a beam of 14 feet, 7 inches, the Aquila 36 is like a bowrider on steroids. She has seating that can handle 20 adults for outings and barbecues, and there are two staterooms below, one in each hull, for family weekending.”

— Yachting, August 2018

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Sunreef Yachts says its research-and-development department is working on a Zero Cat: a sustainable sailing yacht that can convert methanol to hydrogen, combining with electric propulsion to create zero emissions and what the builder promises will be “unlimited autonomy.”

The Zero Cat will “measure above 90 feet,” according to Sunreef. It will also have a solar-power system with solar cells built into the body of the yacht.

Sunreef says the fuel-cell and solar-cell systems will provide energy for propulsion as well as hotel loads.

“Our goal is to revolutionize the industry by offering discerning customers an exceptional zero-emission sailing experience,” Nicolas Lapp, chief technology officer and co-founder of Sunreef, stated in a press release. “This project represents a milestone in our ongoing commitment to protecting our oceans and preserving the natural beauty of the sea.”

What else is new at Sunreef? In the past year, the builder also unveiled the Ultima, a range of hybrid power catamarans. The first models are the 45 Ultima and 55 Ultima.

Where to learn more: visit sunreef-yachts.com

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One by one, the fleet of a dozen multihulls—11 performance-cruising catamarans and a sole French trimaran—retrieved their anchors and hoisted their mainsails, each with a deep reef in the main. In the anchorage off Anse Marcel on the French side of the Caribbean island of Saint-Martin, in the lee of the isle, the waters were calm and serene. Outside in the nearby Anguilla Channel, however, the easterly trade winds were pumping, and it was a sporty scene indeed, with the roiled seaway flecked with whitecaps.

It was the second day of the fifth-annual running of the Caribbean Multihull Challenge in early February. For the first time, the event was also hosting a rally in conjunction with the usual regatta for racing cats and tris. While the race committee was setting racecourses back in Simpson Bay on the island’s Dutch side, the cruisers were setting sail for an anchorage on the far side of Anguilla, where an evening of music, dancing and merriment awaited.

As anyone who has been to one of the major boat shows in the past decade knows, the multihull segment of the sailboat sector is far and away the fastest growing. And while the CMC rally fleet was well represented by French builders such as Lagoon, Nautitech and Outremer, with a half dozen entries, the South African-built line of Balance Catamarans was easily the most dominant brand. Perhaps not coincidentally, the company’s founder and president, Phil Berman, was in the thick of things aboard his own Balance 482, In Balance, as part of a season of island-hopping.

“You learn so much from the experience of just getting out and sailing your boat, day after day, living aboard and cruising through the islands,” Berman, a former national champion in the Hobie 14 class, told me at the outset of the rally.

Balance is currently building about 25 of its swift, daggerboard-equipped cats a year, and the production run is basically sold out for the next two years. “It’s crazy, but we’re probably the fastest-growing catamaran builder in the world,” he said. “But we’re just doing what we’ve always tried to do, which is build comfortable cruising boats that perform nicely.”

Berman said he’d been looking for ways to link his owners, and the rally was just the ticket. “We’re trying to build a community with Balance,” he said. “And it’s working. The owners all become friends, and they just like hanging out together.”

As the fleet started blasting across the Anguilla Channel, with most of the Balance tribe hoisting spinnakers and seriously trucking, it was clear not only that the boats perform well, but also that their crews were top-notch sailors happy to push the envelope.

Berman said there were several other Balances cruising the islands. Next year, he says, he thinks he’ll have several more cats in the fleet. Steve Burzon, the CMC director of marketing, says he hopes to attract other brands to the rally. “We do all the organizing; they just need to show up, and, for the price of their entry fee, they get the parties, the camaraderie—everything,” he said. Burzon also acknowledged that the rally half of the event may soon overshadow the racing portion, which drew 17 boats this year. “We may have created a monster.”

It’s a good problem to have, and it will be interesting to see what transpires. In that moment off Anse Marcel, however, all those colorful spinnakers soon vanished over the horizon. While the racers back off Simpson Bay were getting ready for a day of bashing their brains out, the rally folks had different priorities. After all, there was a party to attend to.  

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