Royal Cape Catamaran

[pslive]

Does anyone know anything about the Royal Cape Catamarans? There are 50 and 53 foot versions. They are made in South Africa but I have never seen one except at the boat show in Miami.

Thanks.

[Splash Gordon]

They're HUGE, VERY well appointed, and essentially very good value for the level of spec. I've seen their evolution via various incarnations, and they're now well-tried cruising boats. They are very tough- one fell of its trailer on the highway on the way to launch, and nothing moved or shifted, save a whole lot of paint and some divots in the keels! Off our East coast they've been pummelled by lots of gales, and they have all got through just fine! You'll never turn one over or fly a hull though- far too conservative for that. The developments have all been designed by a naval architect- as in the Navy type- and the nett result is a certain type of boat that will do its job very well. Don't expect record-smashing performance, but then if you're looking at a cat which will keep 10 or so guests in consummate comfort you've got maybe two choices- superyacht, or something like the RCC. You're unlikely to ever find one in the "for sale" pages, too, because they have a ready market in the charter industry, which is where all the predecessors of the current models seem to have ended up, even after being privately owned!

[Buffalo Bill]

I too had an opportunity to check out the Royal Cape Majestic 530 at the Miami Boat show. I also had the opportunity to demo sail one with Ken Bircher the owner of Royal Cape, his Production Manager James, and the owner of the boat Jean Mark along with other guests. These are the things I like about the Majestic 530:

Degree of customization- this boat offers lots of different configurations and finishes as compared to some the larger production manufactures. The boat we were on was set up for sport fishing and/or scuba diving. I have not seen these options as well executed on any other boat of this size.
Solid construction- you can't help but notice how sturdy this boat is built.
Large interior volume and plenteous flat exterior deck- 6 ensuite cabins available. Solid SS steel rails to protect cruisers on deck. Good access to all of the deck. Excellent slip resistant coatings- better than wood in my opinion when it gets wet.
Excellent galley- one of the largest, most functional, better equipped galleys I have seen in this size boat. I also liked the amount of storage space in the kitchen. Some of the boats catering more to the charter industry seem to skimp a bit on the galley, especially those with the galley up configuration. Not this boat. There is sufficient room and amenities for a cruising family to enjoy extended cruising.
Reserve buoyancy- The boat displaces 38,000 lbs according to the literature and has a gross tonnage capacity of 100,000 lbs. Lots of room for cruisers stuff.
Stability under sail- Given the wide hull configuration and beam, this boat won't win many regattas. It will however be very stable and comfortable to sail. We had no trouble hitting 6.5 knots in 14-16 knot apparent wind.

The bridgedeck clearance is a bit low as compared to other boats. I wonder if slapping would occur in heavy seas. We did not experience this on our demo sail. The lower bridgedeck allows for excellent headroom in the cabins. I'll take a little slapping for the extra room (if it occurs). The wider hulls probably help minimize this.

If I had the cash to put a boat into charter, the Majestic 530 would be on my short list.

[James S]

Welcome to the forum pslive and Buffalo Bill...good posts.

[pslive]

Thanks Buffalo Bill. There are lots of things to like about the boat. Like you, I noticed the Royal Cape sits a little lower and has less free board than most other 50' cats. I'm wondering if that translates into a wet ride in rougher water.

[downunder]

Buffalo Bill , do you have any photos of galley and fitout for diving/fishing you can post?

Have seen a review but photos mainly showed externals. Not the best looking cat by anymeans however on the sea I will take practicallities over looks anyday.

[Buffalo Bill]

Hi downunder-

Here is a link to the royal cape website that has lots of picture of the Majestic 530 and 500, inside and out:

royalcapecatamarans

I got one picture of some of my family and I on the deck- sorry. I was a bit hesitant to take many inside picture since this is a privately owned boat. The info on the website is better than anything I would have taken anyway.

One thing that is lacking on the website in my opinion are pictures of the boats systems. The stuff under the access panels. Engine compartments, genset access (under the rear starboard bed on this boat), anchor locker up front, electric closet (starboard hull toward rear). James, the production manager was kind enough to show me the bowels of the boat while on the demo sail.

You can see pics of the Majestic 500 and 530. We were on the newer 530. This longer version has the fish station on the back.

You will see subtle differences in the galley configurations in the pics on the website. It appears the layout has been changed slightly based on the clients preferences or as the new owner Ken puts his ideas into the design. The boat we were on had a raised shelf above the countertop separating the galley from the salon seating area. Ken indicated the latest thinking was to do away with this to keep the sight lines between the galley and salon seating more open.

Check out the downloads section of the website. Plenty of good stuff.