28 foot catamaran

8 Best Catamarans That Are 30 Feet or Less

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Large-sized catamarans are appealing due to their ample spacing and comfort. Therefore, a cruising family or couple looking to buy a boat is more likely to go for one of these. But are there small cruising catamarans that provide the performance, comfort, and amenities found in larger boats?  

The best catamarans under 30 feet (9.14 m) include the TomCat 6.2, Cadillac 27and 30, Gemini 30, Endeavour 30, and Maine Cat. These time-tested cruising cats are easy to handle, premium built, and are great for daytime sailing, overnight trips, and some even suitable for long-range sea passages. 

In this article, you’ll find a list of the best cruising catamarans below 30 feet (9.14 m). Keep reading to discover which catamarans make this list, what they have to offer, their pros and cons, and how much they cost.

If you are unsure whether or not 30ft is too small for your needs, then I suggest you check out another article I wrote named Best Size Catamaran , it will discuss why length matters and how it affects safety.

Unlike most catamarans designed for racing purposes, the TomCat 6.2 is a medium-sized cat that’s well-suited to daytime cruising. It boasts high-quality construction, vacuum-bagged hulls, and a plywood-reinforced deck.

This 20 footer (6.09 m) comes with an 11-foot (3.35 m) beam and not only offers you safety and comfort but performance and versatility as well. 

This boat has a centrally placed outboard engine and two rudders that allow it to turn quickly and maneuver confidently into and out of marina slips. The 9.9 hp outboard propels it to speeds of around 8 knots (9.21 mph or 14.8 kph), though the boat has the potential to move faster if desired.

This simpler type of cat (just one engine as an example) also allows for cheaper and easier maintenance. Maintenance costs are something most people underestimate when getting a cat, if you want to get some real numbers from actual sailors then I suggest you read this article (How much does it cost to maintain a cat).

The boat sails with minimal heeling, comfortably accommodate 6-8 people, and you can sail it single-handed or take a crew. 

High and narrow hulls bearing arched bottoms allow for a low wetted surface. The hull design provides low resistance and a great deal of reserved buoyancy and also enables you to drive through closely spaced waves.

On most 20-footers (6.1 m), driving through waves generates a smooth but wet ride, but with the TomCat’s enclosed deck (link to parts names explained here ), you are safe and protected behind a windshield and the high bulwark.

The TomCat makes an excellent cruiser because it performs impressively well both under sail and power. It combines the performance of a modern sailing cat with the comfort, style, and convenience of a powerboat. It’s also trailerable since you can detach the hulls from the deck , winch up the deck on a trailer, and slide the hulls underneath.

But the best part is that it’s easy on the pocket, with the price ranging between $36,750 and $44,580 .

Catalac 30 (9M)

The Catalac brand consists of strongly built vessels that sport thick hulls, glass windows, narrow beams, and vertical transoms . Catalac 30 was the first vessel in this popular British cruising line designed by Tom Lack in the late 60s. The boat’s appeal was attributed to its safety, ample spacing, well-built interior, and load-carrying abilities.

These characteristics are extremely important on a safe catamaran, overloading your cat makes it sit lower in the water, increases drag, reduces handling and speed, there is stuff you should know about this (so that you can make an educated buy). I have created an article where I try to explain the basics of a safe cat ( link here )

Sporting 5 berths, a massive galley, plus a cockpit with a sheltered steering position, the 30-foot (9.1 m) Catalac makes an excellent floating home for a cruising family. It sails exceptionally well, doesn’t heel ( heeling explained here ), and delivers a reasonable motor-sailer level of performance.

Furthermore, the hulls provide adequate headroom, allowing those on board to move around comfortably, and there’s enough space on the deck for sunbathing. 

The Catalac’s structure features solid fiberglass, chined hulls, and a staggered sheerline that allows easy aft access. With a modest rig that’s easy to handle, the Catalac can deliver top speeds of up to 12-14 knots (13.81-16.11 mph / 22.22-25.9 kph) under sail.

Given that the boat’s design focuses more on comfort than speed, this is a spectacular performance.  

Catalac 9M requires a skilled hand when turning into the wind as it is prone to blowing sideways. This is because the boat lacks ballast (which helps in keeping momentum during a tack) but also centerboards ( explained here ).

Skills are always the most essential things to bring aboard and you can acquire them in many ways, my two favorite ways are through NauticEd courses (two free courses here ) or by reading books (my top 15 books here )

Back to the boat! This model came in two versions; the standard layout contained a 30-40hp outboard, while the second option had duo engines. The latter is easier to maneuver into a marina. 

These cats retain their value pretty well. However, they might not be easy to come by since most owners find it challenging to get their hands on a larger boat with similar qualities and performance.

A Catalac 30 (9M) goes for between $33,000 and $55,000.

Catalac 27 (8M)

The Catalac 27 8M is a pocket cruiser that boasts a strong reputation for high quality, durability, and strength. Besides, the boat’s design makes it somewhat suitable for bluewater sailing ( understand why the small size is an offshore problem).

Built like a battleship, the boat contains solid fiberglass hulls. Additionally, it comes with double engines, a large cockpit fitted with cushions all around, and features standing headroom in each hull.

Like the Catalac 9M, this boat comes with two different layouts; a twin inboard diesel engine or an outboard engine. The twin-engine models can motor up to 1000 km (621 miles, read more on cat fuel consumption here ) without needing to refuel, while the 70 amps of charge plus water tanks (70 gallons / 265 liters) make these vessels remarkable coastal cruisers. 

Catalacs equipped with outboard engines sail faster since you can raise the engine during sailing and are also lighter. This helps to minimize drag . Catalac 8M sports a short but thick mast that helps make the boat stable. 

Though small in size, this catamaran packs a lot of features in its small frame. It has a full-sized berth, a large galley that’s almost 8 feet (2.4 m) long, a quarter berth, head, and navigation station.

What’s more, the cockpit is as large as that of a 38 to 40-foot (11.5 to 12.1 m) cat.

Catalac 27 costs about $31,836.

The Endeavour 30 

The Endeavour 30 catamaran is a boat characterized by stability, ample deck space, and a spacious interior. It boasts fast cruising speeds under both sail and power.

The boat has mini keels and rudders plus symmetrical hulls separated by a hydra-cell. The latter is a center section with a characteristic V-shape. 

The boat’s vacuum-bagged construction helps enhance strength and stiffness while reducing weight. Furthermore, the interior has a fiberglass mold, providing extra strength and rigidity. With sufficient breeze, this vessel can deliver reasonable off-the-wind and doable upwind speeds.

As such, you can expect to attain speeds of about ~10 knots (11.51 mph or 18.5 kph) on power reaches. Below is a video showing a panoramic tour of the Endeavour 30:

This vessel has the internal capacity of a 40-foot (12.1 m) monohull. And you can tell this from the unique layout merging the cabin and cockpit with wide doors to the numerous features packed into this 30-foot (9.14 m) vessel.

It has a spacious salon, an enormous galley, two queen berth staterooms with plenty of storage space, a head with separate showers, and a sizable U-shaped dinette. 

You can get this boat for under $50,000 .

The Geminis by Tony Smith were the United States’s first production cruising cats. Today, these vessels remain the most appealing American-built cruising catamarans. Built between 1981 and 1990, the Gemini 30 does not have a contemporary design, but it works remarkably well for cruisers desiring generous living space in a small affordable sailboat.

At only 14 feet (4.2 m) across, Gemini cats are somewhat narrow. But this mean s they can easily fit into most of the regular marina berths.

Besides, the boats still contain enough interior space for a queen-size double berth and two smaller doubles housed in separate guest rooms.

There’s also a modest but serviceable saloon with duo settees and a collapsible table that can transform into an additional double berth.

For the Gemini 30, this translates to a cruising cat with standing headroom that can comfortably accommodate 3 couples in private cabins or a family with small children. A good-sized galley, a spacious head with a shower, nav desk, and a large comfy cockpit make up the Gemini 30’s cruising palace.

Catamaran layout is highly personal and if you want to learn more about different characteristics then I suggest you read my article Designing the perfect catamaran layout ( Link )

While not that fast, the Gemini 30 will easily outsail the Endeavor 30 discussed above. Its daggerboards (which are explained in detail here ) can point well, and if you keep it light, it can do 7-8 knots (12.9-14.8 km/hr) under sail.

Besides, raising the daggerboards reduces the wetted surface area, and increases the speed downwind.

The Gemini 30 tends to pound and hobbyhorse a little when sailing in choppy waters – particularly when overloaded (more on load carrying capabilities in this article ), but the deep pivoting daggerboards provide stability and lift underwater.

Furthermore, the Gemini’s retractable rudders enable it to venture into shallow waters.

This is a very popular cruising cat that’ll give you a lot of bang for your bucks.

You can find a Gemini for less than $65,000.

Maine Cat 30 

The Maine Cat 30 combines premium quality construction materials with the most advanced building techniques to create a lightweight vessel capable of handling most offshore conditions. What’s more, this boat can remain trouble-free for years on end with little effort.

If you are in the market for a simple liveaboard cruiser that you can use for a short weekend getaway or a cruising voyage, this is it.

The boat has a sizable primary stateroom berth with ample overhead space and a dresser fitted with a hanging storage cabinet. The enormous head includes a toilet, sink, 20-gallon (75.71 L) holding tank, vanity, and a pressurized shower.

Covering the open bridgedeck is a permanent hardtop. This spacious bridgedeck can hold quite a crowd and comes with a convertible dinette that turns into an extra berth. If need be, you can even enclose the entire space using acrylic windows or screens. Gabo

The 360-degree visibility from the cockpit allows the captain plus the crew a panoramic view, and all sail controls go back to the cockpit, which is very useful if wanting to sail single-handedly.

I believe that most boats should be set up in this way since sooner or later you might be in a situation where there is only one person to handle the controls, such as in an emergency. But more on that in another article ( Link ).

The Maine Cat 30 is a classic boat that delivers on high-performance multihull sailing. Designed to offer much better performance than catamarans bearing tall and heavy bridge decks, this cat weighs less and suffers less windage thanks to the acrylic windows.

The boat’s interior layout allows for easy cleaning as surfaces sport a smooth gel coat and satin-finished cherry trim. The solid but lightweight furniture bears the same Core-Cell foam core employed on the hull, deck, and hardtop. Plus, there’s ample storage for all your sailing equipment, cleaning supplies, and provisions.

A Maine Cat 30 can cost up to $110,000.

Heavenly Twins 27

The overall design of this well-equipped catamaran makes it a superb pocket cruiser.

Heavenly Twins 27 manages to fit not one but two coachroofs on hulls that are only 27 feet (8.20 m) long. Canoe sterns and a central cockpit separating the duo coachroofs form the boat’s other prominent features. 

Famous for their excellent build quality, medium-depth draft, and narrow beams, Heavenly Twins 27 appeals to a wide range of boating enthusiasts.

These include solo sailors, weekend sailors, cruising families, circumnavigators, beginner sailors, and experienced liveaboards such as this famous Youtube channel “Kittiwake”.

The vessels house double cabins in the hulls while the forward starboard contains the heads and, to port, the galley. You can easily access the bar from the well-protected cockpit while the Comfordesk accommodation converts into a double dock. 

A stoop through allows access from below-deck to the aft compartment without going through the cockpit. There’s ample storage space throughout the boat, plus you can section off the large stateroom into smaller double compartments if desired.

The price range for this boat is $ 20,098 to $24,193. (I believe that kittiwake is for sale too)

The last cruising catamaran on my list is the Aquilon 26 . This French-built cruising vessel is light in weight and trailerable, which means you can disassemble it in a few hours or transport it as-is.

Designing a boat that is possible to disassemble usually means that it is structurally less strong, which by no means is a problem during coastal sailing but the Aquilon 26 is mostly attractive to sailors who prefer inland lake sailing. It’s also suitable for beginner sailors.

Although there are no real “beginner cats” there are specs to consider if you are a beginner with catamarans, most of them I have listed in another article ( here ). Gabo

This 26-footer (7.92 m) has the potential for good speed though its layout is anything but conventional- which forms part of its appeal.

The cockpit works as the saloon, and a full bimini protects the crew from lousy weather. The starboard hull contains a dinette and galley, and the port has a double berth stateroom. The windows are quite unusual, but they provide lots of light, remarkably enhancing interior visibility.

Aquilon 26 can deliver an average cruising speed of 10knots (11.51 mph or 18.5 kph).

On a beam reach, you can expect around 25 knots (28.77 mph or 46.3 kph) with an adequate breeze ( I have never sailed at 25knots but researching this boat supposedly it is possible).

You can get this boat for under $50,000.

What Makes Small Cruising Cats Attractive?

Small cruising cats are ideal for sailing along the coast. But that’s not all. Under capable hands, properly fitted smaller cats can also deliver spectacular offshore passages similar to their larger counterpart (Heres a list of full-sized bluewater cats).

They can operate over long cruise ranges, cross oceans , and circumnavigate the globe . Smaller cats are also suitable for day sailing, overnight trips, and coastal or inland voyages. 

For most sailors, comfort on board is crucial, so they’ll look for a vessel that guarantees a comfortable cruising experience. The good thing is that smaller vessels provide almost the same qualities and amenities that bigger vessels offer. Plus, you can do quite a bit with the available space, especially if it’s well laid out.  

You’ll find that most 30-footer (9.14 m) or more miniature cruising cats comprise a galley, head, bunks, navigation and entertainment electronics, and refrigeration.

Sailors usually talk about these benefits of smaller cats:

• They’re less expensive. Large boats are costly to buy. They also cost more to hire, maintain, and dock. You can buy a small-sized boat at a much lower price, and parts tend to cost less too. Besides, you get to use smaller sails, winches, and lighter lines than those applicable on a larger boat. And since marine services such as moorings and haul-outs get billed via boat length, a smaller cat makes sailing more affordable.
• They boast superior builds. Most cruising boats under 30 feet (9.14 m) feature designs that are 30+ years old. In those days, weather forecasts were hard to come by and not as accurate, so boat builders used hulls with thicker fiberglass than the type found in today’s builds. Furthermore, everything in the boat, including rigs, rudders, hulls, keels and decks, was designed to withstand strong winds and high waves. 
• They have simpler systems. This means less time spent fixing and maintaining your boat. For instance, most small cruising cats often lack water-makers, hot water systems, or electric anchor windlasses. 
• They’re easier to handle. Smaller cats are simpler to sail than larger cats. It’s also easier to sail one single-handed or with a small crew.

What is the largest cat on person can sail?

The Disadvantages of Smaller Cruising Cats

Below are some of the most discussed downsides of small cats:

• They have limited living space, storage, and amenities.
• Though they don’t heel much, they are less comfortable than larger boats since they get tossed around much more easily in big ocean swells.
• It’s not easy to accommodate crew for extended periods; hence there are fewer hands to share work.
• They are slower and take longer to get to their destination.

Though fewer are on the cruising trails than their larger counterparts, small catamarans make ideal cruisers because they are simple, seaworthy, and pocket-friendly.

When choosing the best cat for your needs, focus on quality rather than size. A well-planned 30-footer (9.14 m) is reliable and provides ample space for your accommodation, dining, and relaxation, plus a storage room for provisions and any spare parts you might need. 

And if you want even more info than I have presented to you in this article I would recommend a book from Serj, he makes it easy to understand why size matters and how to find a cat suited for your needs (amazon link )

Owner of CatamaranFreedom.com. A minimalist that has lived in a caravan in Sweden, 35ft Monohull in the Bahamas, and right now in his self-built Van. He just started the next adventure, to circumnavigate the world on a Catamaran!

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Skoota 28 transportable minimum live aboard cruiser

Download Plans cost GBP1150

Please click on the button below if you wish to buy full building plans. Note: You can pay using Paypal or with your normal credit card. 

LOA 8.5m 27ft10in LWL 8.3m 27ft3in BOA 4.2m 13ft9in BWL .64m 2ft1in Headroom 1.9m 6ft2in Displacement empty 1.8T 4000lbs Displacement to WL 2.3T 5060lbs Engines: twin 20-60hp

Skoota won the "Most Interesting Boat" prize at the 2013 Vancouver Wooden Boatshow and also was a Wooden Boat Magazine "Wooden Boat of the Week" in August 2013

NOTE: If you do not want to build this boat yourself then it is available professionally built in ply/epoxy to any state of completion in Sequim, Wa, USA. Please contact me for more details.

The Skoota 28 is now also available with longer, 30ft hulls. The extra length is only in the hulls and the cockpit. The extra length gives more displacement, so better able to carry bigger engines and also offers a slightly higher top speed. The cockpit is 300mm (12in) longer and the aft steps are also 300mm longer. That gives more room for a dinghy in davits. For now the plan price is the same as for the Skoota 28.

A "true" Skoota 30 called the Aegean, using symmetrical hulls, thus similar to the Skoota 32 but with Skoota 28-like accommodation, is now available, see separate web-page for more details. 

Please email me for a study pack for the Skoota 28

From a home builder: "Thank you for your quick reply. Your Skoota 28/30 plans are of excellent quality and easy to understand. Congratulations!"

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The Skoota 28 is a 28 ft demountable coastal cruiser for a couple. Ideal for the European canals, the PNW or the Great Loop. It will demount for transport on a flat bed lorry/truck or could even be towed by a large car but should not be considered "trailable". When disassembled it does not need a "wide load permit" for transport.

We launched the first Skoota in March 2013 for us to use as a coastal cruiser in British Columbia. After 50 years of sailing you can see why we chose to have a powercat as our cruising boat HERE

As with my other powercat designs the Skoota 28 is designed as an economic cruiser with a cruising speed of 10-12 knots. Our Skoota is fitted with twin 20hp outboards yet still does over 16 knots flat out. Twin 60hp are the maximum recommended for speeds in the mid 20's

Apart from being comfortable, fast and economic underway, the Skoota is also a very safe boat.

For a start it has twin engines, which, even though modern outboards are very reliable, has to be better than relying just on one.

Next, each hull is divided into seven different watertight compartments so even if holed neither hull will flood. And even if they did, the central cabin would keep the boat afloat. Not only that, but there are no seacocks or skin fittings in the hulls to leak or break off. There are no bilges, so no need for bilge pumps.

Finally, a boat is essentially immune to capsize in waves until the wave height exceeds the beam of the boat. Only after that does the boat become at risk from capsize. With a 14ft beam the Skoota is much more stable than most monohull powerboats.

Like all the Skoota designs, the Skoota 28 is a lightweight boat, and is based on the experience gained from over 35 years of sailing multihull designs. It isn't a twin hulled trawler! So even a completely decked hull can be easily carried by six men. As you can see, two hulls can be taken on a regular flat bed trailer and together are under 2.5m, 8ft wide.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7k-LHu2VwwA

The central cabin can travel on its aft bulkhead, so it is 6ft wide, 10ft high and 12ft long. Thus both hulls and cabin will fit on a 40ft trailer without needing a permit. If you have a wide load permit then the cabin will fit on sideways, as it is 9ft10in wide (just under 3m) which obviously makes it much easier to load onto the trailer.

The in-build photos below give an idea of the interior layout, the finished photos are lower down the page

Note, the anchor lockers and bridgedeck front still need to be bolted in place

The Skoota was built 40 miles from the launch site and the shed door it was built in was 10ft wide.

Once built the boat was disassembled and man/woman handled outside and onto a truck. Driven 40 miles down a busy highway and reassembled ready for launching. No wide load permit or escort used. You can see a "sort of" time lapse video below. This includes shots of the disassembly, transport and reassembly (in the snow!).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RERXh8T4gwI

As it is our own boat we will be posting many more videos and photos over the coming years, but for now here is the first.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIvM01seyLA

Note this video was taken before adding the cockpit seats and bimini. Also before the engines were trimmed properly (they now angle forward more, so the bow does not rise so much at speed)

and some photos below, showing we still have a lot of painting to do! (So the carpet is not yet fully fitted) But at least we can go cruising while finishing it all off.

Galley with double sink, 2 burner stove, large fridge and plenty of stowage. Opening hatches in aft bulkhead and another in the roof. Full headroom throughout.

The galley from the doorway showing easy access stowage for chartbook and other essential  items

Double bunk is almost queen sized, it could be wider at the expense of the forward lockers

The saloon seats 6 comfortably (table still to be fitted!)

We are using a composting toilet from C-Head. It looks the part and not at all plasticky as other similar toilets are. A generous shower room, plus vanity with sink (out of sight)

This is a detail of the builders (Wheelhouse Woodworks of Sequim, Wa, USA) excellent woodwork

and proof that the boat will do over 16 knots with twin 20hp outboards. You can see we are motoring at the head of a bay, so no tide or wind effects to distort the speed.

In more wind and taken from the local ferry (which does 15 knots)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=_viShuM9SAw

In early May we motored to Vancouver (see the Latest News for May 2013). Getting there was a 'windward bash" but on our return trip the wind had dropped. We motored 38 miles in 3 hrs 20 minutes, so averaged over 11 knots, and used just 5gal of fuel (over 7mpg). That is an accurate amount because we are still using the 3gal tanks that came with the engines. When I got back to Saturna I refilled those tanks with a 5gal can and still had a bit left over

I was initially worried about the engine noise from the exposed outboards. So I used a Db meter to check the sound levels. This is what I recorded: At tickover 55db, at cruise 75 at WOT 81. In comparison when driving our Toyota Tacoma pickup I recorded: at idle 46, at full throttle 76, at 70 mph cruise 66db. So louder than the inside of a car, but not too bad.

I did design some removable sound deadening engine cowls but found that the noise cancelling headphones that I bought for flying made a huge difference to the noise level. So I am using those instead for now.

There are not many cruising powerboats that you can easily drive up onto a beach and dry out for a BBQ or bottom scrub. The lower photo shows the wide hull spacing and good bridgedeck clearance - on many powercats you cannot see under the bridgedeck when at rest. Slamming in a seaway (when you tend to slow down) must be horrible on those boats.

In late July we felt the boat was finished enough for us to go cruising. We headed north to Desolation Sound, see the Cruising Blog on the left menu for more details

This video is a single shot, of first the interior and then the deck area and cockpit. It also shows the "as if by magic" double bunk to saloon conversion

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGW3qWib0RQ

But of course it wasn't really magic. This is how the bunk conversion is done

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVtd0IqEWi0

while this one is a 360 degree view of the boat from the water

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9E8bp_ZLBZk

Our first cruise in 2014 was in March, across Puget Sound to Langley on Whidbey Island as my birthday treat

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KP7cKV4_LU8

And please check for newer videos on my youtube channel

http://www.youtube.com/user/WoodsDesigns?feature=mhee

Update 2015: After three seasons cruising in British Columbia and Puget Sound in October 2015 we transported our Skoota by road to west Texas. From there we cruised round the Gulf of Mexico and on to the Bahamas. You can see more about this trip on my Facebook page and in my blog. See link in the left menu

Please email me for a studypack

Basic Material List

60 sheets 6mm plywood 25 sheets 9mm plywood 450 board feet 1in x 6in timber (140m of 25mm x 150mm) 36 gal (140kgs) epoxy 5lb (2kg) wood flour or similar filler 5000 stainless steel countersunk screws 1in x 6 filler/paint as required

All plywood to be best quality Marine grade Gaboon ply. Sheet sizes are 8' x 4', 2440x1220 All timber to be at least "Joinery Quality". Unless noted otherwise all timber is softwood, eg Douglas Fir, Sitka Spruce, Yellow Cedar or similar. All timber is "PAR", or "Planed all Round".  Thus sizes given are nominal, ie 2" x 1" has a finished planed size of approx 45mm x 20mm. (Note: It is usually cheaper to buy wider planks, eg buy 2" x 1" and cut it in half to create 1" x 1"). Epoxy glue is recommended for all glue joints as it is the strongest and most watertight glue.

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• By Dave Lear
• Updated: September 21, 2007

The expression, “Two’s company, three’s a crowd,” isn’t heard much around the Pro Sports factory. That’s because with three models of the 28 Pro Kat catamaran now available – Walkaround, Sport Cuddy and Center Console – there’s one to satisfy most every boater.

“Anyone interested in a 28- to 29-foot conventional boat will be impressed with the Pro Kat,” explains Pro Sports president Mike Robinson. “It’s a hands-down winner for stability, and it lends itself to serious fishing and diving because of its range, ride and handling.”

All three models are based on the same planing hull. Reverse chines on each sponson provide increased lift for stability, fuel efficiency and a drier ride, as we discovered during choppy conditions in Alabama’s Mobile Bay. The Pro Kat sliced through the waves and tracked exceptionally well. Straight runs allowed nearly effortless steering with the Sea Star hydraulic system, while on gradual turns the boat would follow the heading without hesitation or drift. We did encounter some tunnel slap in a head sea, but were able to eliminate it by angling slightly into the waves.

In addition to stability, our test ride demonstrated the Pro Kat’s other positive performance characteristics. It stays abeam of the seas on a drift, offering unhindered fishing from either side, and the effect of whitewater funneling tightly between the sponsons and outboards, combined with the gurgling noise it produces, is sure to raise fish when trolling.

Incredible Range

And speaking of trolling, the Pro Kat will let you maximize your fishing time, according to Pro Sports’s performance data. A Sport Cuddy rigged with twin 200 Mercury OptiMax outboards is capable of 51.9 mph at a wide-open 5800 rpm. Throttle back to 4000 rpm for a cruising speed of 39.1 mph and 19.6 gph, or save even more gas by dropping to 3200 rpm (28 mph and 12.6 gph). With a fuel capacity of 238 gallons, that translates into a 474-mile range at cruise.

Every model of the 28 Pro Kat features plenty of standard angling amenities. Topping the list are a 40-gallon, oval bait well with macerator pump and cutting-board top; two large, insulated fishboxes; molded rod racks, and a molded backing plate in the cockpit sole for mounting a fighting chair. Add the 28’s immense cockpit, padded coaming bolsters, rod holders and ample storage for tackle and gear, and you’ve got a very versatile fishing machine.

Removable transom bench seats and forward padded seating complement the large helm leaning post and console. The console (with standard stainless steering wheel) is large enough to accommodate a typical electronics package, while the carpeted interior offers access, plus additional storage and room for an optional head. A handy console T-top/radio box combo is also available as an option.

The center-console model has wraparound seating in the bow, along with a convenient, lockable storage area that’ll easily handle rods and gear for overnight stays in a marina. The cuddy version, on the other hand, uses that same space for a small yet cozy cabin. The finished space features twin padded berths with storage below. All models in the 28 Pro Kat line come equipped with stainless bow railings, an anchor roller with hawse pipe, and a lifetime hull warranty against rot.

With very affordable price tags for boats of this size, no matter which model of the 28 Pro Kat you choose it’s sure to draw a crowd – of admirers, that is.

Pro Sports Boats, Lincoln, AL; (205) 763-0231; www.prosportsboats.com

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DCB Performance Marine, LLC

Catering to both ends of the customer spectrum, DCB is introducing its smallest M-Series catamaran—the M28—in 2017. The 28-footer, which is based on the company’s incredibly successful M29 cat, incorporates DCB’s state-of-the-art construction techniques and impeccable fit and finish.

Available with twin outboard engines from Mercury or in a single-engine stern-drive setup with packages ranging from Mercury’s 565 engine and Bravo One drive to Mercury’s 1350 engine and M8 drive, the company’s “smallest” model is expected to be a sporty source of amusement and excitement. Featuring a wraparound windshield and seating for five, the M28 might be the company’s smallest offering but it’s a considerable addition to the DCB family of models.

• Max Beam 108″
• Cockpit Length 84″
• Cockpit Beam 78″
• Deadrise & Transom 14.5°
• Avg. Weight 5,500lbs
• Avg. Trl. Weight (3-Axle) 1,800lbs
• Fuel Capacity 110gal

[email protected] Ph: (602) 851-3002