Crowther 84 Mk IV

[Paws-on-Paws]

Hello All,
We have recently purchased an aluminium Crowther design 54 ft cruising cat. Maybe this is a long shot but I know that three of these were built in Western Australia by Akawa around 2002-2003. We have renamed ours to Paws (ex Waka II).

Does anyone here know anything about the other two?

I am interested in the performance data - what to expect on 18 ton (metric) 54 foot aluminium cat? Except lazy days, fun times and no rain...

cheers

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, Paws.

[tp12]

Originally Posted by Paws-on-Paws

Hello All,
We have recently purchased an aluminium Crowther design 54 ft cruising cat. Maybe this is a long shot but I know that three of these were built in Western Australia by Akawa around 2002-2003. We have renamed ours to Paws (ex Waka II).

Does anyone here know anything about the other two?

I am interested in the performance data - what to expect on 18 ton (metric) 54 foot aluminium cat? Except lazy days, fun times and no rain...

cheers

Purely from a weight perspective I'd have to suggest that it's not a performance boat. 54' I'd expect around half that or even less. But, it also depends on hull shape, rig size and type...

[Sand crab]

The Lagoon 52 is 22.5 metric tons lightship. I'll bet the Crowther does fine.

[alansmith]

Loved Crowther cats. How much did you pay for her, if you don’t mind, and what kind of shape is she in?

[alansmith]

By the way... I have a 30 foot trimaran that only 4 were built. Took some digging but I found three of them ( one is mine... smile) and the fourth is sitting on a trailer in Florida but unknown who the owner is.

Persevere.

[BobFord]

G'day Paws, I have an aluminium EuroCat ( I think only a few built , all " Customised" ) 7yo and many miles under the keels.Last boat was a light and fast Crowther 45 , but this one ' Indigo' , is heavy and more of a m/sailer. Gross 32 tonne, l.o.a.71 feet. Deliberately customised to be an ocean capable ,retirement home ! Oh yes , most important , the missus is very happy to go anywhere !! Your boat sounds a bit on the heavy side but with Indigo, I expect a typical passage rate of 6kts average. Engaging engine if apparent wind < 5 kts.Design allows good windward performance if I make a bad judgement ! Corrosion was handled by an Engineer in the field - numerous anodes this size of house bricks plus an epoxy layer below water.No signs of corrosion except Gori propeller anodes ( 2 year life )Keep a close eye on corrosion and all should be well.

[Midnight Son]

One of the remaining received a 10' stretch. It was registered in Gibraltar, I believe, at the time of sale.

[tp12]

To help the comparison an Outremer 51 is ~10t

Some performance cruising designs are around the 50' mark can weigh as low as 6t.

I imagine it will perform as well as the lagoon /fp offerings which are extremely comfortable with adequate performance. I'd say that's the majority of the cat owning market with many very happy people.

I should think you'll be very happy with your boat for a long time to come.

[mcarthur]

I think you'll find most Outremers a lot more than the base 10 tonne displacement once they get used and take on a cruising load. The OP has a secondhand boat too, probably with added cruising load, so perhaps the comparison is 13T vs 18T. Still a difference of course, but prismatic, LWL/Bh ratio, mast size and sails may make more difference. In reality the Outremer could be slower across the Atlantic, or could be days faster. Doesn't really matter unless you own both and have to choose which you'll use on a particular day - enjoy the one you've got .

For the OP, we have a 50' aluminium power cat weighing in about 15T, but she's built in StrongAll method so has 12mm hulls and 6mm superstructure. An old Onan genset of 250kg, and 2x135hp old diesels each of which is 650+kg doesn't help! You will have a great time I'm sure.

[ausnp84]

Originally Posted by Paws-on-Paws

Hello All,
We have recently purchased an aluminium Crowther design 54 ft cruising cat. Maybe this is a long shot but I know that three of these were built in Western Australia by Akawa around 2002-2003. We have renamed ours to Paws (ex Waka II).

Does anyone here know anything about the other two?

I am interested in the performance data - what to expect on 18 ton (metric) 54 foot aluminium cat? Except lazy days, fun times and no rain...

cheers

Is this the Crowther that was stretched and used as a day sailer?

Crowther didn’t design slow boats so I suspect if the sails are good and you keep the weight low, she’ll boogie along just fine!

N

[tp12]

Originally Posted by mcarthur

I think you'll find most Outremers a lot more than the base 10 tonne displacement once they get used and take on a cruising load. The OP has a secondhand boat too, probably with added cruising load, so perhaps the comparison is 13T vs 18T. Still a difference of course, but prismatic, LWL/Bh ratio, mast size and sails may make more difference. In reality the Outremer could be slower across the Atlantic, or could be days faster. Doesn't really matter unless you own both and have to choose which you'll use on a particular day - enjoy the one you've got [emoji2].

For the OP, we have a 50' aluminium power cat weighing in about 15T, but she's built in StrongAll method so has 12mm hulls and 6mm superstructure. An old Onan genset of 250kg, and 2x135hp old diesels each of which is 650+kg doesn't help! You will have a great time I'm sure.

Well of course, the 10t is a lightship weight. Important to note that Outremer will gaurantee that weight. It's also important to take payload into account which the Outremer's will be lower than an equivalent length heavier boat. I can't see where you've done that.

The other weights I quoted were lightship, too.

Makes no difference in terms of placing boats on the performance spectrum. Though I've noted that some insecure boat owners get a bit of a flap on thinking they're being challenged or something when these facts are stated. Be happy with your choice based on your desires and budget.

As I said, the quoted boat's performance will align with the similar length Lagoon or FP. This is the bulk of the market and these owners are happy with their choice. Most of them... Except the insecure ones who don't like having their boats performance accurately compared even though they're happy with the extra space, comfort and gadgets. Buy with your eyes open and you won't be one of them.

[Midnight Son]

Originally Posted by ausnp84

Is this the Crowther that was stretched and used as a day sailer?

Crowther didn’t design slow boats so I suspect if the sails are good and you keep the weight low, she’ll boogie along just fine!

N

No it was a full blown cruiser, with crew quarters.