Gunboat - The Ultimate Cruiser?

[Lighthouse]

Is this the ultimate cruising yacht or what?

http://gunboat.info/

See the "Video" link.

[SeaVenture]

Whoa!

[Nausikaa]

I'll second that, "WOW".

Not really my thing though even if the wallet would stretch to it. I wonder what hitting a container feels like at 30 knots?

I disagree with the arguement that speed is a great safety factor and keeps you out of the way of storms. It certainly can help but storms make some unpredictable moves at times. Between Mauritius and Durban I once hit three cyclones, one after the other. As we were on our way to Durbs, there was no way to avoid them completely despite the ship being able to steam at 36 knots.

Aye

Stehen

[Trim50]

Yeah...pretty impressive.

[duckie]

Impressive and exhilarating, but you would only do short cruises as you would get there real quick.

687 miles in 24 hours, and across the Atlantic in 4 days!

Certainly an "ultimate".

The interior seems to be designed to look impressive than be functional.

Perhaps more a day/weekend boat to impress the mates and the clients than long term cruising.

[Auzzee]

Anyone who sails in the Southern Ocean deserves exactly what they receive! I don't mind being wet. I don't mind being cold. But being wet and cold on an endless roller coaster is not my cup of tea.

But....What a nice boat to be sat on in Watson's Bay at Lizard Island.

David.

I think I read these were around 1.25 to 1.5 million usd??!! The article never gave the amount, but referred to a dollar amount per foot. Anyone read this...was in a sailing rag....

- Jay

[Auzzee]

SORRY....Didn't mean to be geographist.

If it's good enough for Tony Bullimore, it should be good enough for anyone.

Choice mate!

David.

[imagine2frolic]

They are sweet looking boats, and I have had one sprint past me. I like the simplistic layout, and no frills. Imagine was up 18.5 knots coming between St. Maarten, and St. Barts under spinnaker, and main. It made my knees weak, and I bought the damn boat....LOL

[Duane2312]

I thought it would look more like this. I used to drive / pilot one of these in the early 70s.

[JeanneP]

Peter and I have delivered a friend's catamarans occasionally, and I thought that 37 feet was a big boat to maneuver. 48 feet is HUGE to my mind, and I can't imagine trying to drive a 60-footer or more.

We looked at a 54-foot power catamaran, and a 42-foot power catamaran, and both of them felt like we were driving a house. I don't want to drive a house! I want to be able to see all around me, alongside me, and especially what's right in front of me when negotiating reefs. I'd have to drive one of these things from the first spreader to feel adequately informed of what was happening.

Considering the cost of watefront houses in the southern US, maybe something like this monster would be acceptable. But why have a mast and sails, then?

We had a friend who had a 52' sailing catamaran, and he felt even bigger was better when crossing oceans. Not for me, though.