Live Aboard Power Cat Choices

[MV Wanderlust]

Originally Posted by Salty_Peanut

New to the forum, was directed here from The Hull Truth:

I can see there is a wealth of knowledge here...

The time has come for us to start thinking about retirement. The oldest daughter is in the Army now, the youngest graduates this up-coming year, and will be going off to college. I will be retiring from the Army soon, after a 32 year career. My wife is in a very well-paying job that allows her to work from home, or abroad. She has been mentioning living aboard a house boat for years… we are both water lovers and are on the boat every chance we get. So, we started looking at boats we can live aboard. However, in our nomadic spirit, being tied down to one wet slip marina is not in the cards for us. We need to move around. So, we are now looking at Power Cats. I have never sailed, and I am in the process of getting my Captain’s license. We know that to truly travel, a sail boat is really the only logical choice. But, from Florida, we can have the Caribbean in our reach with the new efficient power cats. A few we are looking at are: (Definitely not limited to these)

Leopard 43, 44, 47 and 51 PC.

Lagoon 44

Fountaine Pajot MY 43

Bali 4.3

We really like the wide beam of the cats, and understand the berthing limitations due to the wide beam. Not going into this blind… just doing our due diligence and research now. We will pay for the boat out right, and have no other overhead so we can be truly worry-free travelers. This is a huge lifestyle change, huge commitment but we are both very excited about it. She has set it as a 24 month plan.

Let the fun begin!!!

Thank you in advance for any advice.

v/r

Darren and Lisa

Darren, thanks for your service.

You have listed some good options. The Fountaine Pajot 40 and 44 both have a walk around master bed. So does the Endeavour 44, 45, 48, and 50, the Lagoon 43 Owner's edition, and the Aquila 44. Having a walk around master berth is important to some (including us) but not such a big deal to others. There are many pluses to a power Cat. As with any boat, there are always compromises so it's best to go to a few boat shows, talk to some brokers, and get on as many as you can.

Let us know what you find and we'll help you sort through the deluge of info.

John

[edmundsteele]

My Leopard 47PC “Doodlebug” is tied up just south of Fort Lauderdale. It is on the market for sale and ready to go. My wife and I bought her a couple of years ago and planned on taking her to Fiji for extended live-aboard / cruising. Unfortunately, a family medical emergency has intervened and we have had to change our plans. She is an ex-Moorings charter boat and has already been upgraded for live-aboard with water-maker, solar panels, inverter, radar, AIS, flybridge refrigerator, LED lighting throughout, factory rebuilt engines, new generator etc. etc. Take a look at her. She is in Hallandale Beach and is represented by the Moorings brokerage.
Ed Steele

[Cotemar]

What about the FP MY 37.
17 foot beam
2.5 foot draft
3 staterooms and 2 heads
1000 miles on a tank of fuel
18 foot air draft (including radar)
20 knot top speed

[ranger58sb]

Originally Posted by JohnEasley

The Fountaine Pajot 40 and 44 both have a walk around master bed. So does the Endeavour 44, 45, 48, and 50, the Lagoon 43 Owner's edition, and the Aquila 44.

Useful to know.

-Chris

[windycityxx]

Not sure your timeline and not sure if this helps but the Miami International Boat show in Feb/Mar has quite a few cats in the water.. but don't remember how many were power cats etc.

[Vizsla_Buddy]

Originally Posted by Sirago

Look at Aspen Power Cat from PNW

Wondering if you bought an Aspen? If so, which one. They are not designed for live-a-board but are really cool. Would love to hear your thoughts as an owner.

[ethan.vaughn]

Hello everyone,

This was a very helpful thread. My family is current in the market for a power cat and deciding between a few different options. Has anyone heard of the Two Oceans 555 power cat? It is our favorite right now, but haven't seen many reviews on it. Didn't know if any of y'all had an opinion?

Thanks in advance!