Great news for luxury catamaran enthusiasts, owners and potential owners is that the  Admiral 38 foot and 40 foot catamarans are back in production again.

Trading under the name Celtic Yachts, an experienced boat building team, Tim Duncan and David Baxter, have taken over production of the ever-popular 38 foot and 40 foot custom-built catamarans, designed by Angelo Lavranos. The second Admiral is in production at Celtic’s yard in Killarney Gardens, and the first one was launched last year and is berthed and sailing in Saldahna, where she is available for interested parties to view and test sail.

Tim Duncan and David Baxter are the perfect team to build the Admiral catamarans. As Celtic yachts, they own the moulds, designs and intellectual rights to the Admiral 38 and Admiral 40, the two most popular Admiral designs.

Tim is no stranger to boat building, or to the Admiral designs. For seven years his yacht interior business did all the interior work for the Admiral catamarans and he owned an Admiral 38. David Baxter has owned both monohulls and catamarans over the years and is a keen sailor. He recently spent three years building an aluminium Kerr 500 catamaran himself, no mean feat. Celtic Yachts are also fortunate to have Collin Ellis as their factory manager. Collin managed the production of Admiral Catamarans for years and so is the perfect man for Celtic Yachts to have on their team.

The Admiral 38 and Admiral 40 footer are amongst the most reasonably-priced and affordable, custom-made catamarans in their class, built in South Africa today. Owners can choose their finishes, layout and interiors of these smooth-lined and sleek-profiled catamarans, which are perfect for both the experienced sailor and first-time boat owner. They are perfect for short-handed sailing, and provide a luxurious live aboard experience. Attention to detail in all aspects of these robust yet elegant catamarans and superior interior finishes have always been one of the advantages of buying and Admiral Catamaran, and still are.

The Admiral 38 footer was first built in 1999 and over 100 of these popular catamarans have been launched over the years. The Admiral 40 evolved from the Admiral 38 and was designed using the feedback from and consulting with many Admiral 38 owners. It  boasts flat decks and a substantially increased internal volume. Both boats have received numerous excellent reviews over the years, which can be read on the website.

Dave and Tim do not want to focus on mass production. Instead, Celtic Yachts’ focus is on building a couple of the highest quality catamarans per year, with optimum focus on workmanship of the best standards and the end product of a custom-built catamaran, built with the best attention to detail in all respects. With this ethos, backed by the design of one of the most successful and popular catamarans ever built, Celtic Yachts is certainly set for great success.

 Du Toit Yacht Design designed the Scape 51 – a 15.62m / 51 foot day charter cat – for Petro Jonker, an experienced Caribbean charter operator based in St Maarten. Quality Time, as she was named, was launched in November 2010 and Petro has loved every minute of owning her. She was built in epoxy E-Glass composite materials and was designed for back-to-back day charters in the Caribbean. The substantial sail plan and electric motors follow Petro’s brief for a performance-orientated, yet eco-friendly boat. Seating in the covered and forward cockpits easily accommodates 60 passengers.

Petro’s charter company, Eagle Tours, is a family owned and operated sailing tour and charter company started in January 2002 on St. Maarten by Petro and his wife, Sophie. They sailed to St Maarten on their schooner from Cape Town in May 1999 and arrived in St Maarten a month prior to a hurricane called “Lenny”. Petro joined the Company called Outisland Charters. As Sophie is French and Petro is from a Dutch background, the transition to living on a French/Dutch island was an easy one. In 2001, Petro and Sophie took over Outisland Charters and formed their current charter business, Eagle Tours.

We asked Petro a few questions about the boat and his experiences with her, a year and a half or so after her launch:

What were your main objectives for the boat when you designed the Scape 51 with Anton du Toit?

Petro Jonker:

The main objectives were to improve the efficiency of existing day charter vessels. This meant a design which could successfully charter with a large number of passengers, utilising mainly sail. To achieve this meant a big improvement on less weight, increased sail area and maximising comfortable seating areas. Secondly, it was also important to me to have interesting and modern lines by avoiding the often – “boxy” look associated with catamarans. Thirdly, we were seeking an eco-friendly design which could operate with a minimal use of fossil fuels. Fourthly, I enjoy racing so was looking for a vessel which we could use for work and play!

How long did the design process take and what were your experiences?

Petro Jonker:

Anton had existing plans for a similar size vessel and was able to provide concept drawings in a relatively short space of time. Some modifications were requested to provide a soft, rounded transom and we found the deck layout with the central “Jacuzzi” seating very attractive. Further modifications were made to provide easy access and entry and exit points for moving large numbers of passengers on and off the vessel with minimum queuing.

Are there any unique design features and characteristics you can talk us through?

Petro Jonker:

The initial design called for electric motors with Lithium batteries. As a day sailing vessel, the motor running time can be kept to two hours per tour. Given overnight charging and recharging via solar panels and propeller back-charge, this would be feasible for our type of operation.

At the 11th hour we converted back to diesel motor backup as the batteries and recharge systems required further time and testing. I am very pleased we followed this route as we are still looking to change over to electric as the newer advances take place. So a retro fit would be fairly straightforward.

The second important consideration was for the vessel to actually carry 28 plus passengers at full hull speed under sail in our average trade winds of 12 – 15 knots.

Finally, we operate in a hurricane area so we had large ballast tanks fitted in the forward compartments for flooding in extreme weather conditions.

Where is Quality Time based now?

Petro Jonker:

The vessel is operating out of Phillipsburg, St Maarten, doing mainly full-day round the island sailing tours.

She is also in good demand for charters to neighbouring islands such as Anguilla and has pretty much captured the high-end market.

What sort of sailing are you doing with her?

Petro Jonker:

Fun sailing as well as competitive regatta sailing!  For the last regatta we entered, as we were completing the entry, Quality Time was returning from a full day sail around the island with 65 passengers on board! When questioned how many crew were on board, for the regatta, the regatta officer certainly did a double take as I pointed to the vessel!

It takes our crew about two hours to clear all the charter gear and set up for competitive racing. And competitive she is!  In the past year we have chalked up a number of first places and had very close racing with the top boats. In the recent Heineken Regatta we were racing boat-for-boat with a 66 foot Gunboat and were within a whisker of beating her. Pretty cool going with Dacron working sails…maybe time to gear up!

In normal charter mode we find that Quality Time operates very easily to our mandate and the Captain Andre Swart calls in to confirm her reaching at 12 – 14 knots with a full passenger count under sail only!

When operating with our Eco Tour, which is restricted to 28 persons, Quality Time, under sail alone, outsails the other day sailing catamarans which are using sail and engine.

This has brought a quality element to the tours as there is no doubt the sailing experience is enhanced and we have seen a marked increase in demand for our tours.

Tell us a bit about Eagle Tours and the sort of charters you do.

Petro Jonker:

Eagle Tours started operating in 2002 in St Maarten, operating two Gold Coast 63’s and a 75 foot St Kitts- built catamaran under contract to the cruise lines. The business expanded into island and resort tours. For these tours, a 39 foot Scape and the more recently, Du Toit Yacht Design’s 51 foot design, were brought into service.

Charters are high volume with cruise ship charters doing two tours a day and the island resorts full day tours. Standards and quality of service are maintained to excellent levels and safety of passengers is of prime concern.

In what sort of waters is Quality Time sailing?

Petro Jonker:

We are fortunate to have generally good light trade winds in clear Caribbean waters. As we moor or anchor close to beaches and reefs a shallow draft is an asset.

Are you doing any racing with her? If so, what regattas have you taken part in and what was your experience of her as a racing yacht?

Petro Jonker:

Our first race was the Multi-hull Regatta, sailing around the island of St Maarten.

We were entered in the cruising class but found ourselves mixing it up with the racing class boats. We won our class!

Next off was the Anguilla Regatta with light wind conditions. We were competitive but found our handicap would suit us better in stronger winds.

We sailed the first race of the Heineken Regatta and found we were competing with the 66’ Gunboats; they had a slight edge on us but then they are fast boats, designed for racing.

We sailed in a local Captain Oliver’s Regatta and won the multihull class.

Recently, we entered the racing class in the Multihull Regatta and picked up second spot.

We have set the time for the Three Island Race of Saba, Statia, completing the race in just over nine hours and currently hold the trophy.

This year’s Heineken Regatta was close racing but we found with our handicap it now means we give the Gunboat 66’s time! So, a bit of tough call but maybe comparative high tech sails will give the edge!

To your mind, what are her most positive features? What would make you recommend this design to other potential buyers?

Petro Jonker:

This is an excellent day sailing vessel, great carrying capacity, (we are licensed for 71 passengers but operate 68). We have only had positive passenger feedback.

The vessel has very low maintenance, way below budget for this type of vessel, which is pleasing business-wise. She does require an experienced sailing captain; we can lift a hull in 25 knots hard on the wind in racing mode!

I can say without hesitation to potential buyers, this is an investment which will bring high returns in any tourist destination.

Anything else you would like to share?

Petro Jonker:

The vessel has met every design criteria in terms of operation. Whether chartering with 65 passengers or racing in 25 knots upwind at 14 knots and, as we found recently, hitting high twenties under spinnaker (28.2 knots!) – she feels like a real race horse.

We are still learning after only a handful of races and get the feeling there is still a lot more in the tank. After 15 months of operation there is not one design feature that I would change, other than completing the electric drive feature.

“I think about 6000 passengers would agree!”

The DTYD Scape 51 Principle Dimensions:

• LOA: 15.62m or 51.24ft
• LWL: 14.80m or 48.56ft
• Beam Overall: 7.92m or 25.99ft
• Draft (Boards up):  2.27m or 3.47ft
• Draft (Boards down):  1.06m or 3.47ft
• Displacement (DWL): 7520kgs or 16582lbs
• Sail Area: 146.30m2 or 1575ft2

Catamaran and monohull sailors are not without humour! This latest Kindle book by Paul Stevens, is humorous memoir of a wannabe ocean going sailor and captain that touches all bases of what can and does go wrong with boats at sea. It’s an enjoyable read and we would love to hear your comments! Maybe somebody could pass on their ‘catamaran’ version?!

Tag Yachts manufactures luxury yachts out of St. Francis Bay in South Africa. Compared to old, established boatbuilding companies based in Cape Town, Tag Yachts is relatively new in terms of production size and market share. Established in March 2007, Tag Yachts was conceived by Tim van der Steene. Tim is a qualified architect and a sailing enthusiast who started sailing at 9 years old. After his 7-year stint of managing private and charter catamarans in the Caribbean, he returned to South Africa and settled in St. Francis Bay.

He decided to combine his knowledge in architecture and enthusiasm for sailing and started Tag Yachts. Tim collaborated with Leon Scheepers, an experienced Master Boat Builder. Leon brought to Tag Yachts over 25 years of experience in boat-building, 10 of which he gained as part of Cape Town based Robertson and Caine, the biggest catamaran builder in the Southern Hemisphere, and the award-winning St. Francis Marine, one of the oldest catamaran builders in the world. At present, Tim serves as Tag Yachts’ Managing Director and Leon as its Technical Director.

Since its inception in 2007, Tag Yachts has produced and launched two luxury catamarans. Tag’s very first project was a 60-foot custom catamaran that started production in July 2007. The Tag catamaran was designed by the well-established Young Yacht Design headed by Greg Young, who shared Tag Yachts’ enthusiasm for multihull sailing and innovative design. The Tag catamaran design incorporated the innovative and ecologically friendly electric propulsion system by David Tether of Electric Marine Propulsion. The electric engines run on high performance lithium batteries, courtesy of International Battery, which are charged every time the Tag catamaran sails. Christened “Tang”, this luxury catamaran hit the water for the first time in September 2010. Following the success of this Tag 60 custom catamaran, Tag Yachts launched the next luxury catamaran in September 2011, this time a production boat named “Star Dust”. Major changes in the production boat included streamlined hydraulic systems and diesel engines instead of electric engines like in the custom catamaran. The current listed price of the “Tang” catamaran is USD3M.

The other major collaborators of Tag Yachts include AMT Composites, who supplies Tag with high performance composites and keeps them up-to-date with the latest developments in composite construction. AMT also provides product training and laboratory testing. For composite designs and engineering, Tag Yachts tapped High Modulus New Zealand. The mast design and tooling was done by Chris Mitchell from AES New Zealand.

Soon after it presented its “Tang” catamaran in the 2011 Miami Boat Show, Tag Yachts announced its new model, the TAG60 GT, which is a user friendly cruiser version of the original Tag catamaran. It still retains high performance features but is designed to be easily handled by a couple. It will have the same lay-out and luxurious amenities and a carbon/epoxy construction. Tag Yachts now offers the original with model name TAG60 XR and the new model TAG60 GT. These new models or model designations are expected to come out in their new launches.

In the aforementioned boat show, Tag Yachts shared the stand with South African Boat Builders Export Council (SABBEX), the National Export Council responsible for sustaining South Africa’s export boatbuilding industry. Tim van der Steene, Tag Yachts’ managing director stands on the SABBEX committee and brings with him Tag Yachts’ vision of world-class, sustainable South African boatbuilding industry on a par with benchmarks in France and New Zealand. Tag Yachts supports this vision by its plan to establish a boatbuilding academy, a future move that it hopes will make the catamarans and other boat types manufactured in the St. Francis Bay area compete consistently with other South African catamarans and South African boat models, as well as those available worldwide.

The latest issue of Multihulls Magazine Digital Edition has hit the web newsstands — this time loaded with interactive video. The November/December 2010 issue was worth the wait with a number of worthwhile features including a recent Leopard 460 catamaran delivery from Annapolis, MD to Peru.

Leopard catamarans in Peru

Stalwart Captain, Jorge Ventura, a regular contributor to the magazine, recorded the epic journey.

The magazine has regularly featured South African Catamarans, which have a solid cruising pedigree around the world.

You can purchase the magazine for either $19.99(six issues) or $29.99 (12 issues) online respectively.

Purchase The Multihulls Magazine Here!

(Hint: If you want a discount let them know found this promotion on catamaran.co.za and you may get lucky! You heard it here, kerel

Miami Boat Show Around The Corner

Just a reminder that the Miami Boat Show is coming up in February. Let us know if you have news you would like published on this site regarding South African catamaran attendance at the show.

Happy sailing, fair winds and merry Xmas!

Take a look a this diagram representing some of the challenges facing the South African catamaran manufacturing sector in 2010 and beyond.

While innovative, catamaran boat builders face unique challenges ranging from slow adoption of new technology, lack of skilled labor and the rising threat (or opportunity) of offshoring the building process to cheaper locales such as China and one day, Vietnam.

We would be interested to hear reader comments on whether this is an accurate picture of the industry in 2010 and whether there should be any new threats, opportunities and statistics added to this representation.

CLICK TO ENLARGECLICK TO ENLARGE

Source:Adapted from COFISA Report on Western Cape Boat Building Industry

Multihulls4Us, that popular evergreen online forum, put together this interesting video on the Maverick 400 at the 2009 Cape Boat Show, including design enhancements relating to the cockpit which can seat 18 people and offer 360-degree panoramic views.

“It stole the show for us,” said Multihulls4Us about the Maverick 400.

They interviewed Rudi Pretorius, owner, who offered his personal insights into what improvements had been made on this model.

TMT Charters recently acquired the first Maverick 400 to come off the production line for their operations which focuses exclusively on West Coast Charters in Langebaan, Elands Bay, Lamberts Bay and St. Helena Bay.

The 40 ft Catamaran, Catlyn, was taken out on her test sail in Cape Town on 26 February, 2009.

According to The Marine Trade Blog, “everybody on board were thrilled with her performance. She was fortunate to challenge a newly launched Dean 44 ft Catamaran, who also went out for test sails. With an apparent wind speed of 18 knots, Catlyn and the Dean managed a speed of 7 to 8 knots. The Dean could not shake her off. Rudi Pretorius of Maverick Yachts and Phil Southwell (Designer) were delighted. The hard work of 18 months was echoed in their smiles.

TMT Charters has range of day charters, sunset cruises, a few overnight options — even a 7 day cruise — onboard a 40-foot Maverick catamaran that explores the rugged coastline of the West Coast, including St Helena Bay and Port St Owen.

Johan and Marlene, own and operate “Catlyn”, a 2009 build, sleeps 8 and features a large master cabin and good headroom.

They offer customized quotations depending on individual requirements and their suggested itineraries for a seven-day cruise cover stop-overs at Bird Island, Lamberts Bay, Langebaan & Mykonos, Elands Baai, Kraal Bay, Paternoster and more.

As a benchmark, their “Overnight” package for six people is priced at around R1250 per person (full board).

Private use of the catamaran for overnight charters is priced at R6000 per day, which includes meals and refreshments.

Just a quick note about St. Helena Bay:

It is one of only three bays in the world where the sun rises and sets over the same bay and is considered the last bay in Africa.

Their website also describes the bay as having “some of the best boating waters along the South African coastline. In summer there is generally no swell within the Bay and the mornings are generally calm and ideal for a leisurely sail or to quietly put a fishing line over the side. Typically of the West Coast by late morning the south easterly wind will come through and increase in speed to about 25 knots by mid afternoon and abating at night.”

So maybe its time to forget a sanitized trip to the British Virgin Islands and go on a real African adventure which will really raise your friend’s eyebrows.

Visit TMT Charters: http://www.tmtcharters.com/

By the way, if you are feeling even more adventurous consider an out-of-the-ordinary cruise in Namibia.

The Cape Town International Boat show kicks into gear October 8-10, 2010 at the V&A Waterfront with national bodies such as Sabbex, CTBi and Connet’d drumming up support and additional marketing behind the scenes.

The boat show attracts more overseas visitors than all other South African boats put together.

There is over 11 000m² of indoor space at the CTICC and over 30 boats that are too large to fit into the CTICC on the water outside the Bascule Bar @ the Cape Grace Hotel @ the V & A waterfront.

Entrance is R50 with show hours between 10h00 and 18h00, except for Sunday which ends at 16h00. However, times and pricing is subject for times so check back here closer to the show to get more information.

Breaking news indicates The Catamaran Company charter department will be present at the show and will shortly be releasing details about their sailing vacations booth.

This will the 10th Cape Town Boat International Boat Show and it looks to be a good one!

THE MULTIHULLS Magazine July / August 2010 issue has just been released online in the United States and covers a large segment of the South African catamaran industry including Sunsail’s 384 catamaran, Scape Yachts and an editorial by Lex Haas, President of The Moorings, in which he touches on the evolution of the modern cruising catamaran.

Each issue is getting better, both in terms of content, and, design. The magazine offers single issues for sale as well as one and two-year subscriptions.

The magazine has been around for over 35 years and is now largely online. South African manufacturers, dealerships and charter operators can submit press releases on and editorial online.

Sign up for the latest 2010 July / August of Multihulls Magazine