The concept
To produce a large, fast, highly fuel efficient hull. Excellent build quality in maintenance free Grp at a realistic price to you. This has been achieved by producing a one piece moulding for the hulls and a one-piece moulding for the wheelhouse (no time consuming joining to deal with) also by standardising the interior, by incorporating a multi-faceted full width dash and helm assembly and modular moulded seat/locker units.

I have been a professional skipper for 8 years and in that time, a few boats later, and after a lot of research I know what’s required from a boat both from the skippers and customers’ point of view. Already having a Grp, pattern and moulding business, (Poltech Services) which has been trading since 1982. Developing ideas from first concept through design to a finished product using various moulding methods from hand-lay, chop-spray, vacuum and infusion methods.

The daunting task of constructing and fabricating the entire plug, pattern and moulds for a 12.1 metre high volume island wheelhouse catamaran commenced. It’s taken over two and a half years of blood sweat and tears to end up with the final demonstrator boat, a Catapult 396!! But what a boat, she achieved and surpassed everyone's expectations, for speed, manoeuvrability, ride altitude, dryness and fuel consumption.

Design
A one-piece hull moulding with ultra fine deep “V” forward sections reduce any slamming to a minimum, this also keeps vessel on a more level altitude whilst running through all the speed range, allowing power to be transferred more efficiently to propellers by keeping the propeller shafts at a constant angle enabling more forward thrust. A deep forefoot counteracts the windage that a vessel of this size is subject to at slow speed manuoverbility. Down-turned convex lifting chine’s running fore to aft generate massive lift over the whole wetted area of the hulls, dropping the displacement weight as speed increases.

The bridge deck has been designed as a reverse “S” section instead of the usual convex formation, this allows us more head room in accommodation space whilst still retaining full island wheelhouse status. Also this gives a water to brigedeck forward clearance of over two metres.

A full-length wave breaker has also been incorporated in the design with built in flare and progressive reserve buoyancy. This gives us a massively strong spine to the boat, does not present any flat surface areas contacting oncoming seas and increases water / air mix ratios through the tunnel. Two full-length keels give the vessel increased grip in the water to aid good course keeping and extra static stability in wind situations.

The dead wood section of the keels has been cut back and profiled to deliver a clean flow of water to the propellers, for this reason “P” brackets and hung rudders were the best option giving enhanced hydrodynamics and performance. Less drag equates to more speed and better fuel economy.