For nearly 40 years, MarineMax Vacations has been one of the premier charter yacht providers for British Virgin Island vacations.  At the recent 2012 Miami International Boat Show, MarineMax announced the commission of an innovative 46-ft power catamaran that will soon join its BVI charter fleet.  The new powercat will be called the MarineMax 464 for charter fleet and Aquila 46 for private sale.  It will be designed by Seaway and built by Sino Eagle Yachts, both leaders in the design, engineering and construction of advanced power catamarans.

According to Raul Bermudez, VP of Sales and Marketing at MarineMax Vacations, “The MarineMax 464 will change the charter industry”.

Read more about MarineMax Vacations and the Aquila 46 on the MarineMax website.

KonaCats power catamarans are built from 100% composite materials.  There is no wood, aluminum or steel is used in the construction of these catamarans.  This makes them lighter and more resistant to rot and corrosion.  They deliver performance and reliability and thanks to a “quick-build” system  can be completed in 6 months or less.  Noah Thompson, on the world’s top naval architects, is the designer responsible for KonaCats unique and innovative designs.

Find out more about KonaCats power catamarans on the company website.

Based on Australia’s Gold Coast, Montebello has been building power catamarans since 2008.  According to the Montebello website, the design of the company’s 12.5m powercat focuses on providing value for money with increased fuel economy, higher performance and high-quality construction.  Naval architect Roger Hill, a native of New Zealand, is Montebello’s designer.  Hill has over 30 years experience in boat design with the past 15 years dedicated to the design and construction of sailing and power catamarans. 

This YouTube video shows the Montebello 12.5m power catamaran in action:

Seawind Catamarans is the largest manufacturer of sail and power catamarans in Australia, producing some of the most popular cruising cats in the world. Established in 1982, Seawind Catamarans builds over 25 boats a year. Seawind dealers are located throughout Australia as well as in New Zealand, Hong Kong, Thailand, Italy and in several locations on both coasts of the U.S.A.

The Venturer 38 is a Seawind cruising power catamaran, ideal for family cruising. Spacious living space includes high gloss timber accents and designer décor. Two different configurations are available for either long distance cruising or high speed sport cruising. Visit the Seawind website for more information.

Adventure Bay Motoryachts of New Zealand is banking on power catamarans as the most important new trend in motoryachts. In 2001, Adventure Bay designed and built the 86ft Pacific Harmony, a luxury charter powercat yacht. Chartered for the America’s Cup in 2003, the Pacific Harmony was then motored to Florida and sold.

Adventure Bay has designed several models of 30ft – 56ft powercats, with production taking place at their shipyard in the Far East. Completed boats are shipped to the buyers’ country of choice. The Adventure Bay designers have a decade of experience with multihulls and are able to use this experience for innovative hull and foil designs.

You can get a good view of the Pacifica Harmony’s hull design in this YouTube video.

Admiral Powercats of Cape Town, South Africa are a new breed of power catamarans aimed at the sport, fishing, leisure and commercial markets. Asymmetrical stepped hulls and hydrofoil technology provide an extended range, greater speed and increased fuel economy. Admiral Powercat models include the 21ft Centre Console, the 42ft Prestige and the 45ft Express Powercat.

The Admiral Boat factory is one of the largest catamaran producers in the Southern Hemisphere, with about 70% of the boat produced for international export. The state-of-the-art facility includes a variety of eco-friendly processes. Cape Town is a center for boat manufacturers, with many of the leading builders in the world located along the Western Cape of South Africa.

We’ve written here in the past about the ArrowCat family of power catamarans, described as the next generation of powercats due to their targeting of the family boating niche. Here’s a YouTube video showing one of these midsized New Zealand powercats in action. The video also includes a tour of the interior of the ArrowCat.

Powercat Planet is a website which promotes the benefits of power catamarans. The website includes reviews, articles and comments about the benefits of powercat designs. A recent review covered the Kingfisher 1200 powercat, the latest offering from Tauranga’s Ally Marine of New Zealand. This 12m boat features a huge flybridge, which contains a helm station, fridge and plenty of room for seating. With twin 280 hp Cummins diesel engines, maximum speed for the Kingfisher 1200 is 28 knots, with a cruising speed of 16-20 knots. Sleeping for 5 is available in dedicated bunks. The Kingfisher 1200 is ideal for fishing, diving, day excursions or extended family cruising.

Powercat Marine Australia is one of the original manufacturers of power catamarans in Australia. Family owned and operated, Powercat is dedicated to providing world class fiberglass powercats to boating enthusiasts the world over.  Owners Steven and Lynda Shaw have been working with marine fiberglass construction techniques for over 25 years, and their son Brendon has now joined the team.  On the Powercat Marine website, you can take an online factory tour and see the step-by-step construction of a powercat.

When it comes to powercats, the name Skater is synonymous with high performance and velocity.  Skater power catamarans are built by Douglas Marine Corporation, the top builder of high performance catamarans for that past 30 years.  The first Skater was the Skater 18, built in 1974.  Since then, no catamaran manufacturer has won more national and international racing championships or set more speed records.

Douglas Marine Corporation is based in the U.S. in Douglas, Michigan.  Learn more about company on their website.