100 båtar: Motorkatamaran Cheetah

En motorkatamaran är definitivt ingen vanlig båt i Sverige. Men det finns fördelar och kanske kan båttypen vinna mark här som i andra länder, framför allt i båttokiga Nya Zeeland.

Cheetah är dock byggd i Storbritannien av varvet Cheetah Marine på Isle of Wight i storlekar från 6,5 meter upp till 11,5 meter.

En planande katamaran är stabil och rullar inte lika mycket i vågor ens i hög fart, även om rörelsemönstret kan vara påfrestande ändå. Den stora bredden och låga tyngdpunkten gör den även stabil stillaliggande och är populär bland fiskare och dykare av den anledningen.

Men den största fördelen är att man får mycket stora utrymmen ombord utan att man behöver ha stora bränsleslukande motorer. Litet djupgående är naturligtvis också ett plus.

Så här skriver varvet:

” SUPERIOR HANDLING

The entire range of Cheetah Catamarans have symmetrical planing hulls. A cushion of water and air forms in the tunnel giving lift and a soft ride in head seas. The high volume bows and lift generated from the symmetrical bow section give excellent following sea handling. Surfing in such conditions is both comfortable and safe. This counter balanced lift, created in the tunnel allows the use of lower powered engines to achieve the same speed as in a mono hull of the same size. This reduces both the capital and fuel costs.

EASY BEACHING

Curve in the keels makes beach landing easy for all models from 5.5-11.2m. Recovery on and off a trailer is easy with the 5.5, 6.2, 6.9, 7.2 and the 7.9m designs which can all be towed on the road. Beach Launch and Recovery Trailers can also be built for the 8.5 and 9.95m Series which are too wide to legally tow on the road.

INCREASED STABILITY

With a wide beam and low centre of gravity, stability levels are high and are necessary to comply with the MCA Work Boat Code of Practice requirements. Typical inclination angles from the vertical are 3 or 4 degrees when all the crew and passengers are standing on one side.

With a sealed, self draining deck, excellent stability and twin engines, the Cheetah is easy to handle and an incredibly safe vessel.

WASH CHARACTERISTICS AND SHALLOW DRAUGHT

The shallow draught and low hull resistance of all Cheetahs means that planing speeds are reached easily with little or no hump resistance. This gives the Cheetah the ability to cruise in calm or rough weather at intermediate speeds, maintaining a level trim with excellent fuel economy. Shallow draught is paramount when working in tidally constrained waters, maximizing the tidal window for access into and out of the harbour. Working safely in close around sand banks and rocks is crucial for many commercial and leisure applications.

EXTRA SPACE

The configuration of a catamaran is such that more space is available than in a monohull of comparable length. This means that with a very stable deck and excellent weight carrying capacity the Cheetah is suitable for a wide range of uses.

BETTER FUEL ECONOMY

Fuel economy, speed and quietness are paramount in the design of the Cheetah. For example, with twin 90hp ultra longshaft engines the 9.95m will reach 20 – 23 knots and maintain 15 knots with a 1500kg load onboard. Fuel consumption at mixed operational speeds varies from 6 – 10 litres per hour per engine. Low drag means better fuel economy.”

100 båtar