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

The post Two Oceans 555 Reviewed appeared first on Yachting.

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”

The post Axcell 650 Powercat Gets Price Improvement appeared first on Yachting.

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.

The post Palatial Powercat appeared first on Yachting.

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.

The post VisionF Launches Flagship Power Catamaran appeared first on Yachting.

Aquila Power Catamarans hosted the world premiere of its 42 Yacht at the Miami International Boat Show in mid-February.

The Aquila 42 Yacht has multiple layouts and is a perfect option for someone looking for a pocket cruiser; in the standard configuration, there are two staterooms and a utility cabin. Three- and four-stateroom versions are also available.

Owners also have a choice of engines from Volvo Penta. Aquila says the 42 Yacht is designed for cruising as well as entertaining. There are three outdoor spaces to get the party started.

“Our international Aquila team worked with the famous French VPLP designers to bring this amazing power catamaran to the market, using computational fluid dynamics and finite element analysis to enhance the performance and comfort at sea,” Lex Raas, president of Aquila Power Catamarans, stated in a press release. “As well as partnering with European Chedal Anglay for a modern interior design, incorporating our Aquila Yachts DNA of bulbs, walkway from the flybridge, opening aft bar, patented dinghy crane, patented swim ladder, largest panoramic cabin windows in class and our standard CE Category A certification, all culminating in a 42-foot power catamaran unrivaled in the world.”

What other models did Aquila have on display at Miami? The 28 Molokai, 32 Sport, 36 Sport, 44 Yacht and 54 Yacht.

Where to learn more: visit aquilaboats.com

The post Meet the Aquila 42 appeared first on Yachting.

French-based builder Fountaine Pajot has teamed up with the charter firm Dream Yacht Worldwide to launch the Aura 51 Smart Electric as the first model in a collection of electric-powered catamarans.

The Aura 51 Smart Electric is a zero-emissions design that stores energy in two lithium battery banks. It will become available for charter in Italy starting in April, with about two dozen electric yachts expected to join the Dream fleet by spring 2024. Ten of them will be sailing catamarans, and a dozen will be monohull sailing yachts from Dufour, which is part of the Fountaine Pajot Group.

“By partnering and supporting the research and development of electric yachts, we can continue to make sailing accessible to people around the world but with a lower impact on our seas and environment,” Loïc Bonnet, CEO and founder of Dream Yacht Group, stated in a press release. “Being environmentally conscious is central to our mission to protect our planet and oceans, and we are confident that our charter clients will support this endeavor.”

How big of an eco-difference can these types of boats make? Fountaine Pajot says only 20 percent of the carbon footprint comes from producing the boats. Some 80 percent comes from the use of the boats.

Where to learn more: go to fountaine-pajot.com or dreamyachtcharter.com

The post Meet the Aura 51 Smart Electric appeared first on Yachting.

If there was any question that the “Tesla moment” has arrived in yachting, the Silent 60 clearly provides a positive response.

Consider, for a moment, crossing oceans in silence at 5 to 6 knots without consuming a drop of fuel and never needing to plan your course between fuel stops. Imagine sitting at anchor and running the air conditioning all night, not to mention all the galley appliances plus the washer-dryer, without the hum or fumes from a genset.

During my time aboard the Silent-Yachts 60, the electric yacht cruised easily at 8 knots. When I whipped out my sound meter, it barely registered 52 decibels, which is about the sound of a dishwasher. The Silent monitors at the helm showed we were charging our 286 kWh lithium batteries at more wattage than we were using to spin the 340 kW motors, so we were ahead of the power-usage game—and this was in South Florida rain under a solid cloud layer. Had we upped the ante to the yacht’s top speed of 20 knots, it would have been drawing from rather than adding to the batteries, but the speed capability gives skippers the option to outrun weather (or just get to the best moorings first).

The Silent 60 is a catamaran design for several reasons. First, the twin hulls are easily driven to minimize the power needed. Second, with nearly 30 feet of beam, there is enough deck area for the solar panels needed to create power.

Buyers can choose as many as six staterooms, each en suite with stall showers and nearly king-size berths. The salon also uses that beam well, providing bowling-alley space under 7-foot-6-inch headroom. With the Silent 60, the interior is basically a blank sheet, allowing buyers to tailor the layout to their cruising needs.

As for the engine rooms, NASA could take a page from Silent-Yachts: Everything is precisely labeled, placed for easy access and surgery-suite spotless. Externally, the Silent 60 is striking, with reversed bows and black graphic slashes on the topside that conceal dark-tinted windows (which provide bright, airy interiors to the staterooms). What catches the eye most, however, are the 42 solar panels that cover every inch of the cabin top as well as the hardtop over the flybridge. Produced by SunPower in California, these panels feed power to a lithium battery pack reportedly good for 3,000 charge cycles—or an estimated 35 years of normal boating use.

The Silent 60 I got aboard, which was Hull No. 3, had a four-stateroom layout. A larger stateroom forward in the starboard hull served as the master, with an athwartships berth, settee and built-in vanity. This yacht also had a walk-through Dutch door forward in the salon next to the helm, leading to settees on the foredeck as well as providing salon ventilation. Another benefit of the door for short-handed cruisers is quick access to the anchor gear under the foredeck.

Owners can sacrifice the forward door in favor of a forward master stateroom with a king berth just a couple of steps below the salon and an en suite head in the starboard hull. An intriguing design feature is the two outward-facing “window seats” indented into the stateroom on each side deck, which would make a wonderful spot at anchor with a good book.

The salon has a fixed dining table that easily seats eight people on the wraparound settee. There also are loose chairs and a pad just forward for lounging. The helm is raised one step and has twin Simrad multifunction displays plus the Silent systems monitor, all easily understood.

Aft and to port, the U-shaped galley has a dishwasher as well as a full-height fridge to starboard. The fridge setup may change to a pair of undercounter drawer fridges on future boats for easier access and to eliminate a blind spot for the skipper.

Abaft the galley, a window slides open for easy pass-through to the cockpit to serve whatever the cooks have prepared using the Hafele four-burner, two-zone cooktop.

The Silent 60 is a work in progress, and additional changes might be on the way, such as the addition of twin berths that slide together, and a different location for what is now the midsalon washer-dryer (in a console abaft the helm). This hull was built in Thailand, but production is moving to Italy.

Still, the yacht has exceedingly clever design ideas, such as the hinged hardtop on the bridge. The top lowers electrically to seal off the bridge from the weather as well as keep the solar cells from being shadowed. The bridge itself is conventional, with a double-wide helm seat to port that reverses to create wraparound seating for the dining table, and double lounge pads for relaxing, not sunning, since the solar panels take up every bit of sun space.

The cockpit has a settee and an L-shaped table. A hydraulic swim platform is available in varying widths to handle up to a 13-foot tender without impinging on the platforms on either hull. Silent-Yachts also gets points for good walk-around decks protected by toe kicks as well as welded stainless-steel rails.

The Silent 60 is on the leading edge of a greener yachting experience. For cruisers who are looking to lessen their carbon footprint while enjoying some quietude at sea, this yacht is worth serious consideration. 

Built for Safety

Future Silent 60s from Italy will have fully resin-infused fiberglass sandwich construction with carbon reinforcements in high-stress areas. Each of the hulls has watertight bulkheads, sealed floors and three collision compartments for enhanced safety. The foam sandwich core provides thermal and sound insulation.

Kite Sailing

One option available on the Silent 60 is a kite-wing propulsion system using a collapsing mast and hidden winch to fly a 140-square-foot sail. (By comparison, a Laser sail is 76 square feet.) With open ocean breezes of 17 to 21 knots, the builder says the kite can power the Silent 60 at 6 to 7 knots alone, or it can bump the speed with motors to go faster than the usual 8-knot cruise speed. 

Big Sisters

In addition to the Silent-Yachts 60, the boatbuilder has 62-, 80- and 120-foot electric power cats available for owners looking for something bigger. Additionally, it recently started work on the hybrid-powered Silent VisionF 82. 

Take the next step: silent-yachts.com

The post Greener and Better: the Silent 60 appeared first on Yachting.

Horizon Power Catamarans will debut its redesigned PC60 at the 2022 Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show. The updated power cat has a new flybridge, and, depending on configuration, it can come with either three or four staterooms.

Owners can choose between either what Horizon calls an On-Deck Master layout or an Open Salon layout. A PC60 with an On-Deck Master layout will be on display at FLIBS.

Regardless of configuration, though, the updated flybridge is a focal point of the new PC60. There is now a day-head here, in addition to the enclosed, air-conditioned space with an on-centerline helm station, a full bar, U-shaped seating to port with a dinette and enough space aft for a 17-foot tender with a 100 hp engine.

In the On-Deck Master layout, the full-beam master is forward of the salon and galley on the main deck. The galley, with Miele appliances, Scotsman ice-makers, Corian stone options and a bar with four bar stools, is to starboard; to port is L-shaped seating with a dinette. Aft and outside is forward-facing seating and a dining table that can serve six. This layout places another master and a twin-berth stateroom in the portside hull; in the starboard hull, there can be an en suite VIP or a utility room/office.

The Open Salon layout has a galley with an island bar and wraparound lounging real estate that’s forward and beneath semi-panoramic windows. There are three staterooms in this layout, with a VIP and a convertible twin-berth stateroom in the portside hull. The master takes up the entirety of the starboard hull.

What are the power options for the Horizon PC60? Standard power is twin 800 hp MAN i6 engines, and owners can opt for 850 hp engines.

Take the next step: horizonpowercatamarans.com

The post Updated Horizon PC60 to Debut at FLIBS appeared first on Yachting.

Extra Yachts, which is part of the ISA Yachts brand, has announced the Villa X30 project as its first design in a new line of power catamarans.

The Villa X30 will have a length overall of 100 feet and a beam of 45 feet. Exteriors and interiors are by the Dutch firm Phathom.

Power will come from a hybrid electric system to reduce emissions. Glass-impregnated solar cells will provide additional power for onboard utilities, and the boat will be built with sustainable or natural materials including repurposed fibers, alternative leathers and reclaimed woods.

The Villa X30’s cockpit can be configured however owners would like with loose furniture.

In addition, this area is protected by a glass balustrade so as to not impede the view. The high-low platform can handle a tender more than 16 feet long and can be aligned with the swim platforms to create a teak beach.

The stateroom layout includes a master forward between the two hulls and VIPs aft that have direct access to the transom for early-morning swims. Owners can choose galley-up or galley-down versions, along with other customizations.

There’s a master stateroom terrace? Yes, there is. It can be lowered in calm waters for broad views of the sea.

Where to learn more: visit extrayachts.com

The post Extra Yachts Is Building a Catamaran appeared first on Yachting.

The throttles hit the wall, and twin 200 hp Mercury outboards spooled up with dog-sees-squirrel urgency. The Aquila 28 Molokai Power Catamaran’s speed came quickly. Soon, Aquila brand manager Alain Raas and I were shooting across an aquamarine sea off Pompano Beach, Florida, at 40.5 knots. The feeling was more akin to flying over the water than riding atop it.

The 28 Molokai’s hull tunnel is wide and deep, creating a pocket of pillowlike air that provides a sense of liftoff. With a 34-gallon-per-hour fuel burn at its top speed, the 28 Molokai has a range of 160 nautical miles after considering a 10 percent reserve on its 150-gallon fuel capacity. Dial back the speed to a 28.7-knot cruise and fuel burn drops to 17 gph while range jumps to 227 nm.

In addition to offering speed and a stable ride, the 28 Molokai can be set up for the avid angler. Notable fishing features include two 94-gallon insulated fish boxes, a 30-gallon livewell, 15 rod holders and Taco outriggers. There is also a removable cutting board, a sink, pullout tackle boxes and undergunwale rod stowage. For live-bait fans, the bow’s cast-net space is about 4 feet wide with unimpeded room to throw.

If cruising locally is on the float plan, there are two forward-facing foldout seats aft in the cockpit. The seats measure 22 inches wide and 17 inches deep. The coaming lifts up, the seats fold down, and the coaming forms a backrest. The helm accommodates a skipper and companion. The forward section of the helm console has a built-in bench seat for two. A head is inside the console and accessed abaft the seat. There is another bench seat at the bow, and abaft it to port and starboard are two more lounges with removable backrests. All the cushions can be taken off when it’s a fish day.

For boaters who want more protection from the elements, the 28 Molokai is offered in a cuddy-cabin layout.

Sprinting across the water or sitting on the hook, the Aquila 28 Molokai is a solid blend of form and function.  

Take the next step: aquilaboats.com

The post Aquila’s Wave-Taming 28 Molokai Power Cat appeared first on Yachting.