So after video one, I went to the website. They do apparently offer some options that would change this boats layout to a more usable unit (in my opinion)... it can be fitted with a double head, and it can be had with a mostly enclosed cockpit. These two items would change the feel and usefulness of the cat, and did not seem very expensive. Very interesting for sure.
i think i speak for a lot of your subscribers when i tell you that we appreciate how honest you are. lots of people who do walk-through's, tend to down play the negative. maybe it has to do with their desire to continue to get invitations from brokers. it's not that you're rude about it or anything like that. you're just forthright. you just tell it how you see it. hope you don't get any kickback from brokers. but like i said, we really appreciate your honesty and fulsome analysis. in time, i think it will pay off bigly. lol. keep it up.
Great review. I had the same feeling. This seems the perfect "local" boat to enjoy the water with friends with minimum work. Not sure about long-distance cruising because of the lack of protection, even in the enclosed version. Hope to get to the east coast of Florida and see one in late October. Another plus, at only 28 feet the dockage will not kill you.
I am SO GLAD to see a boat like the S280. I grew up sailing on a cal 35 on a lake. I've always been interested in cats, but have never seen one on the lake and everything that I have seen in my internet research seems impractical (too big, too expensive, and would require more wind than the lake typically gets to move the boat). I think this boat would be PERFECT for a weekend on a lake for a small family or with friends. Love the layout, love the stability. The boat seems very SAFE, which is important (although i didn't love the comment about the fuel and batteries being together...). Some people don't want to heel over a bunch, but being able to sail in a good wind without fear of your guests loosing their footing would be ideal. I hope I can have a boat like this one day.
Looks more like a weekend lake boat once they get all the problems fixed. I certainly wouldn't want to be far from a safe anchorage and dry land when a storm comes through. I hope you're still looking for your dream Cat. 😊👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
great boat for the great lakes --bigger is not always better with dockage fees being what there are in the great lakes and few spots for ball over night wise it great for cost they will get better as the go along-- great you are showing this type of weekend sail boat. great video as always
Good to see you guys back out sailing! Man-o-man you had a lot bridges to go under. 8-0 Seems like you spent more time getting out to where you could sail, than time actually sailing. haha At this point I like monohulls better so I'd have to be neutral on this boat. But certainly it isn't a long distance blue water cruiser.
Do they offer or is there a provision for a Isinglass surround for the Cockpit, at least for the front and sides to reduce wetness in the seating areas? (might be something they think of offering). This seems like it would be a cute Costaler or Great Laker boat. Great video guys, hugs from Canada!
Would have been a better idea to enclose the saloon with full length windows, so if it gets rainy you can be kept dry, and when it's dry you could open all the windows for the open feeling...
Also noticed that the outboard engines kept dipping in and out of the water while sailing. If they can be pulled clear, it could be an advantage over an inboard.
It looks like a great boat for a family weekend or a couple cruising on a lake. The price kinda boxes you in to a corner when it comes to outfitting. So if you need a blue water, ocean crossing cat, then you should look elsewhere. But I believe it has potential for getting a budget minded sailor into a new boat without costing his\her entire savings. Love the videos!
Yeah, if all I could afford was this, I'd probably just pick up a beneteau 35, gonna sail better, quicker and more comfortably, plus it could leave protected waters, lol.
We love the boat tours (please keep doing that)...but here is what most of us would like to see. The two of you buying something (Preferably something unique) outfitting and sailing around the world.
A great boat for a small day-sail charter business except you would have to wait 5 years for a Jones Act waiver. You can't use foreign built vessels for coastwise commercial operations.
Could you please check out the Aventura 34? It's another budget catamaran for something like 160,000$ starting price, but it's bigger, i think it's better equipped, and has a enclosed saloon. I would love to hear your opinion about it. Thanks
The more I look at this boat the more I wonder why it's a sailboat... Take the sails and mast off and it would make a great weekend/holiday slow motor cruiser, and cheaper without the rigging.
Well pontoons don’t have such nice accommodations a few mods and one great weekender I also noticed tiny sails but close to the coast would be a lot of fun fishing with a kitchen means party
Nice enough budget cruising cat if you expect to cruise for 2 or 3 days. And lets face it most of the owners of a 42' or shorter cat haven't done any long passages at all
It's one of the heaviest boats per foot that you can buy new and subsequently it's underpowered. Looking at it, I suspect the underwater hull form is probably super simple. Not really a huge deal, but even with more lightness or more sail area, it will likely never be a fast boat, especially with those crazy blunt bows. In the video it looked like it was hobby horsing a lot, suggesting the hull form could definitely be improved. My biggest concern with the smartcat though, is build quality. All of the various components (harken winch, b&g electronics, the engines, fridge and... I think it had a microwave as well) would probably cost around a third of the purchase price of this thing. Then you start looking at the cost of materials, and you've probably got a quarter of the purchase price covered, and you haven't even built the thing yet. Once you've paid the people to build the thing (I believe that these are made in S. Korea which has labor rates not much below certain parts of the US), plus various other costs of building (power, etc...) then paid your sales guy and amortized mould creation, there's not really much left over for the big guy to put in their pocket... So somewhere along the line something has to get cheaper. When you start putting super tight budgets to increase profits on there, the quality goes down pretty quickly. That said, It's probably 100% fine for, like you say, day sailing and party boating in protected waters. It's great to see a budget friendly cat on the market though. But if I was honest, if I could afford this, I would just buy a 35 foot beneteau for about the same price, and I doubt we're going to see many other entrants into this segment, unless it just absolutely blows up and becomes an economy of scale matter for making profit.
Small catamarans with fixed bridge decks don't work because they pound into wave tops. Not enough clearance between the water and the underside of the deck. This boat is strictly a daysailor for very moderate weather.
200k for the house model--needs to be at least 35 ft to not bob so much--you can see the bows are pushing water,not cutting,probably losing 1 to 1.5 mph being a water logged cork!
I would agree with you, IF it didn’t have 3 cabins. Although this video showed you little of anything of the boat itself. Next video guys tell us the top speed while you’re on the water, show us the cabins. You could’ve done much more selling of this boat. I personally would like to see this. 😳
She's a handsome boat. She settled one question that I had, the design of the front causes the hobby horsing effect. Some of the other comments are valid, probably a good option for the charter market. A good option for a new, first boat for day sailing and coastal. The used market is probably better, albeit Covid seems to have raised prices.
Great boat is you mainly want to have a live aboard that spends mostly spends it’s time moored at the marina only venturing out for occasionally day sailing. Not a good ship for actual serious cruising.
When you did the tour.. it reminded me of the Macgregor mono hull.. bargain basement.. poorly put together.. the test sail pretty much confirmed that... no secrets in boat building.. you get what you pay for..
Marketing a new boat line is a very tough line of work. I wish them all the best. That said, this boat is strictly a warm, fair weather boat for short passages. Go outside Biscayne Bay and head for Bimini and there is going to be considerable spray coming across the bow and into the cockpit. I can think of many better ways to spend $200,000.
Critical catamaran design info: vertical bridge clearance should be at least 5.6% of length overall. Vertical clearance x 2 = height of waves at which the slamming starts. What is the vertical clearance of this little thing?
I'm not sure because I dont think it's listed, but as you, I, and many others have said this boat is not designed to cross an ocean. It's a day boat, weekender, and at the very most light coastal cruiser. It probably will slam in heavy seas, but in the bay there was no slamming.
@@LearningtheLines We agree on the facts but not the conclusion. My conclusion is that there is a poor market for a vessel so expensive and with such little utility. If you never want to leave the Keys, or are retired and can go to Bahamas when you like it might work, but such a buyer probably values comfort and is highly unlikely to spring for a $200,000 daysailer. I shop the catamaran market constantly, and see no future for this boat.
This boat is about 50% efficient and I can see how much hobby-horsing that I would be sea sick in this boat in short order ! Probably nice for the newbie, but not for anyone looking for sailing beyond the horizon.
I agree with you on the industry heading in what I think is the wrong direction. In the early '90's (a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away), I had a choice of a LOT of small, some of them trailerable, weekender coastal cruisers. Sadly, that's gone the way of the gooney bird - Fox, Hake, etc. Even Catalina makes either a dingy, or a sport boat then BAM! 31 footer. Only ComPac seems to fill the niche, but man, for their size, these boats are expensive! the 27 footer is about the same price as this boat, and the Catalina 315 is about $30,00 to $40,00 more! I like the idea of this boat, but remain unconvinced that a multihull is the way to go. I heard that you can't load them up like you can a monohull. Plus, even us coasties encounter rough conditions and the monohull is a proven thing. Maybe so are multies, but not having experience, time or money to check out the multihull experience, I remain unsure. Thanks for your vids! I live vicariously through you two, and you put out some GREAT data on potential boats for my family. Know what I would like to see? More videos on new boats and your impressions. Like Com Pac, Catalina, The French boats, Corsair, stuff like that. Maybe new boats less than $150,000 or so. You guys save me a lot of time visiting dealers - which in Illinois (Chicago area) are surprisingly few and far between!
No description down below on mobile phones, iPad or tablets.i think this boat is a great day sail boat, lots of entertaining space, it needs a barbecue, and it is suitable for overnighting. Spend a week or two getting away from it all, ideal budget boat.
"She's small, relatively affordable with a price tag of $149,900, and offers a ton of accommodation for a 28 foot boat. She's built to be a daysailer, weekended or light coastal cruiser, and I think she would be a fun boat for those purposes. " I believe this quote to be the crux of the matter. You get what you pay for, to an extent. Many of us have watched the boats that have crossed the major oceans. IF that is your dream, it is mine, WOULD this boat handle the challenge. IS the construction of this boat equal to that of the major manufacturers that heave models that have circumnavigated the globe? Could this boat be retrofitted with the technology and equipment for such a task, or am I asking a daysailer to compete in an offshore race? Maybe, maybe not.
Its, with a little expertise easily sorted, its just a Shame they weren't in touch with a good knowledgeable sailor before hand, as most of the fixes are relatively small ,it would be a not bad little cat for coastal cruises, i think both guys could up there professionalism a bit , but they seem nice enough people.
The base price is $149,900 for the open model. Yes, this boat is listed for 200k because it has upgrades like the A/C, bigger outboards, etc. I'm sure you already know new boats rarely ever sell for the base price.
yup, and those pesky Vikings only sailed open ships as well, all over the place in cold climates (almost large canoe style row/ sail for a Viking Long Boat), maybe we all just turned into wimpy little modern humans.
All I heard you guys say throughout the review is "PARTY BOAT", thats about the extent of the review, LOL. At the very begining the captain says to the sales guy, "Hey, did you see that party boat with all them girls in bikinis the other day, laugh, laugh?", That just says it all right there to whom this boat is marked towards, LOL. It surely wasnt towards you all who are smart, savy sailors like me, lol. And am I the only one that thinks you all were not very interested in this review, like they really didnt want to do it but the Sales guy really wanted to show off, and in order to look it this was the deal they wanted, LOL... The filming of the test sail was so mimimal, I mean, we didnt get to see the sailing performance, didnt see how it handles close hauled and into the wind, how close can it sail to the wind? How is tacking, how is the traverler and the auto tacker and did the sails work as expected, etc. How about down wind sailing, and does it have any other sails like a spinaker or genoa? I get the impression you were not alowed to film the boat in action at all. The last part of the review you seemed to get more specific on your impressions and that provided a bit more details. My comments from part one of this review still stand, it's not a boat I am personaly interested in. And I have a feeling this boat is for the family or young person that really isn't all that aware of the sailing world and doesnt know much about specifications and what is needed or how things need to be on a Sailboat much less a Catamaran. So there market is that "Party" group, the college student or young couple that want something for the day or weekend to play on the lake or small bay or just to go up and down the ICW on the weekend and party it up in their bikinis. I dont see this boat crossing from Miami over to the Bahamas for the weekend either, there is just not enough going for this manuafacture yet in their design. Like you all and I have said, we need a 35-40 foot range for this to be viable, and they need to ramp up the sails and traveler and the refrig/freezer and a bunch of other things that would make it comfortable and viable for coastal cruising or hopping over to the Bahamas for the weekend.
That did not look very comfortable at 1:56 at all. Sure it would be fine once in awhile like once a week, but that would get old real quick with any amount of more use then a day sail. It reminded more of a pontoon houseboat with a sail designed for nice day out during the weekend, which is fine and great for those wanting such a thing. Not for me though. At most I would only take it out for a day sail, not really an overnight due to lack of really any interior space to hang out. Which means all that accommodation of bed space is a waste imho, but meh am sure someone else might like it and have use for it. Would have been nicer to have seen bit more of actually sailing, was not even full 3 min worth. But considering you really think it needs better sails anyway suppose that would not have helped much.
I love the concept as yes there is a terrible need or what the are TRYING to do. But for that size the beam needs to be less than 16' to fit in a normal slip, and as it has sailing issues, perhaps offer only/additionally a powercat version. Put some darn storage areas down stairs. Am I not supposed to bring clothes, towels, and a toothbrush? Those aft beds looked twin size, if you can't have queen size it's never going to work, currently it sleeps 3 singles, maybe 5 people when you drop the cockpit table down? So the boat clientele is limited to a few guys that want to party? Really, what is the thought here? Although I can look at the million dollar cats and say most of the same things. Make it a 2 queen bed, 2 head. Add some lower living storage, 3/4 enclose the cockpit, beam < 16', electric motors with solar panels on the cockpit roof with a generator backup, and I'll buy one for 175k.
Interesting boat. I don't mind the twin outboards much in lue of a few small diesels. More inboard room and easy replacement. But damn man, the thing looks like a deck over 2 Clorox bottles. Now mind you, the wider hulls increases load capacity for a cat, but that is always where the cats fall down. Lots of room but load capacity for length compared to a fat assed mono hull is like#$%^&*( . 150K? Well the rigging issues aren't that big a deal. You actually want a smaller mast and a larger foot on the foresail. The last thing you want is a cat deck being caught in the wind on a beam reach by one of the hulls lifting up out of the water. Once the wind gets up under one hull to put pressure on that deck, well then@#$%^&*. That remains a large selling point with Warhams, not the fastest cats but very safe on sail to displacement to keep #$%^& from happening. Overall, for only being 28' if they improve the rigging and sail dimensions it could be better performer for being little more then a deck across two Clorox bottles. Let's face it man, into the wind is always going to an issue on and CRUISING cat. Might as well call em "trade wind sailers" and call it a day.
This is just what I expected. Its a large living space and weight per dollar, but it is too heavy and short to sail well and too exposed to to live well. To me it doesn't make sense as a weekender because every friday you arrive you are faced with 2 to 3 hours of cleaning that giant exterior living space -then the sun is going down. I think they should lose the forward single and add a second head, come up with a slick way to enclose the salon and market it as a condo-cat for 2 couples.
They have that exact configuration available. Two cabin two head with a 3/4 enclosed saloon. Small galley up too apparantly. I'd like to see how that works out.
@@LearningtheLines That would be an attractive accommodation for the price (assuming price is as reasonable for adds as base boat). Sailors may be turned off by the performance but it has two big advantages over anything near it's size and price -level stable sailing and wide open spaces without crouching. Anyone that knows the market will tell you that this is an easier sell -no sea sickness, no "basement" feel, family friendly, butt simple and new so minimal repairs. It works as a charter which bodes well for the company. The big question is where to keep it? It would fit nicely in 2 30ft slips -that costs about 70% more than a 50ft slip. I know you are looking for a cruiser and I just don't think this boat is good for that. It doesn't have the heavy weather capability and it doesn't have the speed and pointing to avoid it. It has enough motor until it hits a little wave and the props come out of the water. With all the cats that have had sugar scoops extended I have never seen a boat that needed it more than this one.
$150K may be cheap for a new cat but $150K buys a lot of used boat (especially monohull). That is why it is hard to justify this unsailable wreck of a vessel that is "only" $150K. A 30 year old Tartan 372 in good condition should be just under $100K. Upgrades and refits maybe $20K to make it exactly what you want. Still save $30K. It is really tough to sell entry level sailing vessels because boats last a long time and that means there are tons of very good older boats out there.
With that kind of money i rather get myself a Used 60' Catamaran with weather proof sailing abilities. Throw in a couple of thousand dollars to fix or change anything inside of the boat.
Defiantly trying to do too much on 28 feet. What you end up with is a boat that's ugly as sin, doesn't sail worth a crap with poor accommodations. On the plus side, you can get as drunk as you want to on it and it wouldn't make much difference.
From your first review I did not think this was a "real sailing" design. A factor pointing to this would be tankage in the bow. Also I thought it poorly built and a clue to that was the mess of wiring behind the distribution panel. You seem to forgive poor workmanship because it's only $150,000. I would say that it can be a drop in the ocean in yacht terms but to most people 150,000 is a big number and you can expect basics of fit and finish to be right. One could point to the standard criticisms leveled at catamarans, like a lack of pointing ability, but those would not be constructive criticisms. However, one criticism I do have is the shortness of shaft of the outboards. In a swell there would be cavitation from alternating engines as she rode over waves.... A previous comment has pointed out that she seems to hobby horse in these nearly flat conditions. I think all things said that this is a pretty poor design and poorly executed. I am sure that the company has but a lot of money into this but I think they should really reconsider their offer to the market. Yes it fills a niche.... But they could, and should, do better to make it a successful project.
I tend to agree, especially with your notes about electrical system and about the shaft length. I don't know why Jordan thinks the boat lists for 150,000. It is listed with United Yacht Sales for 200,000.
A cat without the performance, without the comfortable, and yes i agree with 90% of the comments, it’s a party boat! A toy.. but remembering it’s the first offering, i think it’s safe to say, “yes it has a market” and yes it will only get better, if anything it should drive the prices of new cats down slightly.. as it does fill a gap, although needing actual sailors to tell them how to make it better without added 200k to the price.. when you talk about new sails not being correct, and parts being fitted incorrectly, ya really not buying heritage are you? Fortunately it’s cheapish.. so some forgiving allowed? I would say yes, but limited, get real sailors aboard asap, and take there advice just as quickly, or keep building a party boat!
So after video one, I went to the website. They do apparently offer some options that would change this boats layout to a more usable unit (in my opinion)... it can be fitted with a double head, and it can be had with a mostly enclosed cockpit. These two items would change the feel and usefulness of the cat, and did not seem very expensive.
Very interesting for sure.
Thank you for sharing and being honest about your opinions...
Thank you so much for this review! Keep up the good work!
I love watching your videos especially when you look at boats and sail them around where I live!
i think i speak for a lot of your subscribers when i tell you that we appreciate how honest you are. lots of people who do walk-through's, tend to down play the negative. maybe it has to do with their desire to continue to get invitations from brokers. it's not that you're rude about it or anything like that. you're just forthright. you just tell it how you see it. hope you don't get any kickback from brokers. but like i said, we really appreciate your honesty and fulsome analysis. in time, i think it will pay off bigly. lol. keep it up.
Loved to see you two sailing!!!
Keep it up.
It would be great to see a follow up sail. Once, they get addressed the issues that you brought up. Thank you for sharing your experience with us. 🤠
Affordable cars definitely needed, thx jordan and Randi
It would be interesting to see an update when they get the fixes sorted out.
thanks for the variety of boats you review, guys. very open-minded.
Outboards dipping into and dragging in the water.Can they be raised any higher?
great review.
Great review. I had the same feeling. This seems the perfect "local" boat to enjoy the water with friends with minimum work. Not sure about long-distance cruising because of the lack of protection, even in the enclosed version. Hope to get to the east coast of Florida and see one in late October. Another plus, at only 28 feet the dockage will not kill you.
I am SO GLAD to see a boat like the S280. I grew up sailing on a cal 35 on a lake. I've always been interested in cats, but have never seen one on the lake and everything that I have seen in my internet research seems impractical (too big, too expensive, and would require more wind than the lake typically gets to move the boat). I think this boat would be PERFECT for a weekend on a lake for a small family or with friends. Love the layout, love the stability. The boat seems very SAFE, which is important (although i didn't love the comment about the fuel and batteries being together...). Some people don't want to heel over a bunch, but being able to sail in a good wind without fear of your guests loosing their footing would be ideal. I hope I can have a boat like this one day.
Wow I caught it 42 seconds after you posted. I was really waiting for this vid and your opinion on how she sails.
in terms of length v beam the boat is almost square is that affecting performance? would also like an enclosed cabin as opposed to the open area.
Looks more like a weekend lake boat once they get all the problems fixed. I certainly wouldn't want to be far from a safe anchorage and dry land when a storm comes through.
I hope you're still looking for your dream Cat. 😊👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
great boat for the great lakes --bigger is not always better with dockage fees being what there are in the great lakes and few spots for ball over night wise it great for cost they will get better as the go along-- great you are showing this type of weekend sail boat. great video as always
Thanks for the boat review. Do you think the boat is also suitable for full time living on?
Great review!
It's very positive that 90% of the issues listed had relatively easy fixes. Looks like a fun little boat!
Great Video
Good to see you guys back out sailing! Man-o-man you had a lot bridges to go under. 8-0 Seems like you spent more time getting out to where you could sail, than time actually sailing. haha At this point I like monohulls better so I'd have to be neutral on this boat. But certainly it isn't a long distance blue water cruiser.
Do they offer or is there a provision for a Isinglass surround for the Cockpit, at least for the front and sides to reduce wetness in the seating areas? (might be something they think of offering). This seems like it would be a cute Costaler or Great Laker boat. Great video guys, hugs from Canada!
Would have been a better idea to enclose the saloon with full length windows, so if it gets rainy you can be kept dry, and when it's dry you could open all the windows for the open feeling...
Also noticed that the outboard engines kept dipping in and out of the water while sailing. If they can be pulled clear, it could be an advantage over an inboard.
They can be pulled clear. We didn't have them as high as they go.
Damn. I saw this notification and was hoping you were back at it. Maybe some day.
It looks like a great boat for a family weekend or a couple cruising on a lake. The price kinda boxes you in to a corner when it comes to outfitting. So if you need a blue water, ocean crossing cat, then you should look elsewhere. But I believe it has potential for getting a budget minded sailor into a new boat without costing his\her entire savings. Love the videos!
Yeah, if all I could afford was this, I'd probably just pick up a beneteau 35, gonna sail better, quicker and more comfortably, plus it could leave protected waters, lol.
Love yo see a review on the new Aventure 34 sailboat, also budget boat.
I'd like to see a updated video with your up graded sail suggestions. At 28ft you'd think it would fly.
Q?: ... do they offer a dodger-kit for the helm / salon area? (or i guess one could always after-market source something. thx!
We love the boat tours (please keep doing that)...but here is what most of us would like to see.
The two of you buying something (Preferably something unique) outfitting and sailing around the world.
As this is a Demo boat it will be interesting to see there 5th boat after the things they have learned.
Is there a large swinger presence in the sailing community?
boat seemed to hobby horse a lot too
can be reduced, but not exactly easy
Ineviatble at this LWL vs. beam. The only way around that is with foils, which are not in this market's wheelhouse.
@@obsidianjane2267 Better hull design would also help, but you would probably have to lose anything in the hulls forward of the companionway, lol.
A great boat for a small day-sail charter business except you would have to wait 5 years for a Jones Act waiver. You can't use foreign built vessels for coastwise commercial operations.
Could you please check out the Aventura 34? It's another budget catamaran for something like 160,000$ starting price, but it's bigger, i think it's better equipped, and has a enclosed saloon. I would love to hear your opinion about it. Thanks
Interesting!
The more I look at this boat the more I wonder why it's a sailboat... Take the sails and mast off and it would make a great weekend/holiday slow motor cruiser, and cheaper without the rigging.
Well pontoons don’t have such nice accommodations a few mods and one great weekender I also noticed tiny sails but close to the coast would be a lot of fun fishing with a kitchen means party
I would love to see you guys sail a Wharram cat. :-)
Maybe you could check out an Aventura 34 .. It's also one of the least expensive catamarans in the market
I be uo to join the next time you sail a boat in Ft Lauderdale or Miami.
Have you guys seen a Jeanneau 490?
Can i cross the Atlantic with that???? Can i put solar panel not to buy fuel????
Great boat for cruising the west coast of Florida.
Would love to see the interior of the boat little dispointed.
Nice enough budget cruising cat if you expect to cruise for 2 or 3 days. And lets face it most of the owners of a 42' or shorter cat haven't done any long passages at all
Small well laid out boat, Reminiscent of a Wharram Tiki
No inside tour?
What was the interior of this boat like while under sail?
Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump....
It's one of the heaviest boats per foot that you can buy new and subsequently it's underpowered. Looking at it, I suspect the underwater hull form is probably super simple. Not really a huge deal, but even with more lightness or more sail area, it will likely never be a fast boat, especially with those crazy blunt bows. In the video it looked like it was hobby horsing a lot, suggesting the hull form could definitely be improved.
My biggest concern with the smartcat though, is build quality. All of the various components (harken winch, b&g electronics, the engines, fridge and... I think it had a microwave as well) would probably cost around a third of the purchase price of this thing. Then you start looking at the cost of materials, and you've probably got a quarter of the purchase price covered, and you haven't even built the thing yet. Once you've paid the people to build the thing (I believe that these are made in S. Korea which has labor rates not much below certain parts of the US), plus various other costs of building (power, etc...) then paid your sales guy and amortized mould creation, there's not really much left over for the big guy to put in their pocket... So somewhere along the line something has to get cheaper. When you start putting super tight budgets to increase profits on there, the quality goes down pretty quickly. That said, It's probably 100% fine for, like you say, day sailing and party boating in protected waters.
It's great to see a budget friendly cat on the market though. But if I was honest, if I could afford this, I would just buy a 35 foot beneteau for about the same price, and I doubt we're going to see many other entrants into this segment, unless it just absolutely blows up and becomes an economy of scale matter for making profit.
Just watched a utube channel called, " the mer and the man" . They have a very similar cat but an older version they bought for a dollar
Small catamarans with fixed bridge decks don't work because they pound into wave tops. Not enough clearance between the water and the underside of the deck. This boat is strictly a daysailor for very moderate weather.
Think it needs a bit more length...my 2 cents worth....thnx guys!
200k for the house model--needs to be at least 35 ft to not bob so much--you can see the bows are pushing water,not cutting,probably losing 1 to 1.5 mph being a water logged cork!
Interesting boat, I would call this a sailing pontoon boat...lol!
I would agree with you, IF it didn’t have 3 cabins. Although this video showed you little of anything of the boat itself. Next video guys tell us the top speed while you’re on the water, show us the cabins. You could’ve done much more selling of this boat. I personally would like to see this. 😳
@@oceanbnd See the previously released video for the interior tour. It's a pretty nice boat for what it is. They make a "closed" version also.
Is this cat mainly a coastal cruiser?
Chicken Soup day sailor or weekender at most
She's a handsome boat. She settled one question that I had, the design of the front causes the hobby horsing effect. Some of the other comments are valid, probably a good option for the charter market. A good option for a new, first boat for day sailing and coastal. The used market is probably better, albeit Covid seems to have raised prices.
This thing is the nautical equivalent of a smart car......
And seems to be a warm weather boat.
Thanks Like #3
Great boat is you mainly want to have a live aboard that spends mostly spends it’s time moored at the marina only venturing out for occasionally day sailing. Not a good ship for actual serious cruising.
Why didn't they let you go down below with the camera? Or was there a down below?
Watch their last video and you see the down below
@@heiner71 Thanks. I hadn't realized this was the same boat as last week.
When you did the tour.. it reminded me of the Macgregor mono hull.. bargain basement.. poorly put together.. the test sail pretty much confirmed that... no secrets in boat building.. you get what you pay for..
Marketing a new boat line is a very tough line of work. I wish them all the best. That said, this boat is strictly a warm, fair weather boat for short passages. Go outside Biscayne Bay and head for Bimini and there is going to be considerable spray coming across the bow and into the cockpit. I can think of many better ways to spend $200,000.
I like the concept, but would never buy a boat from a builder who would put batteries and fuel tanks in the same compartment.
Surprised to see the boat hobby horse in the chop. Probably a function of the shorter length for a cruising cat.
Welcome to my neighborhood. I've lived by this river all my 50years.
Critical catamaran design info: vertical bridge clearance should be at least 5.6% of length overall. Vertical clearance x 2 = height of waves at which the slamming starts. What is the vertical clearance of this little thing?
I'm not sure because I dont think it's listed, but as you, I, and many others have said this boat is not designed to cross an ocean. It's a day boat, weekender, and at the very most light coastal cruiser. It probably will slam in heavy seas, but in the bay there was no slamming.
@@LearningtheLines We agree on the facts but not the conclusion. My conclusion is that there is a poor market for a vessel so expensive and with such little utility. If you never want to leave the Keys, or are retired and can go to Bahamas when you like it might work, but such a buyer probably values comfort and is highly unlikely to spring for a $200,000 daysailer. I shop the catamaran market constantly, and see no future for this boat.
This boat is about 50% efficient and I can see how much hobby-horsing that I would be sea sick in this boat in short order ! Probably nice for the newbie, but not for anyone looking for sailing beyond the horizon.
Video idea: sailing terms. What is a roach?
it is one side of the sail (trailing edge) (luff, foot, roach/ triangle so three sides and three names)
Ali Express boat?
I agree with you on the industry heading in what I think is the wrong direction. In the early '90's (a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away), I had a choice of a LOT of small, some of them trailerable, weekender coastal cruisers. Sadly, that's gone the way of the gooney bird - Fox, Hake, etc. Even Catalina makes either a dingy, or a sport boat then BAM! 31 footer. Only ComPac seems to fill the niche, but man, for their size, these boats are expensive! the 27 footer is about the same price as this boat, and the Catalina 315 is about $30,00 to $40,00 more!
I like the idea of this boat, but remain unconvinced that a multihull is the way to go. I heard that you can't load them up like you can a monohull. Plus, even us coasties encounter rough conditions and the monohull is a proven thing. Maybe so are multies, but not having experience, time or money to check out the multihull experience, I remain unsure.
Thanks for your vids! I live vicariously through you two, and you put out some GREAT data on potential boats for my family.
Know what I would like to see? More videos on new boats and your impressions. Like Com Pac, Catalina, The French boats, Corsair, stuff like that. Maybe new boats less than $150,000 or so. You guys save me a lot of time visiting dealers - which in Illinois (Chicago area) are surprisingly few and far between!
NOPE! I've seen CZcams videos of the outboards getting swamped by following seas. Engines were ruined. OUCH! 🥵
No description down below on mobile phones, iPad or tablets.i think this boat is a great day sail boat, lots of entertaining space, it needs a barbecue, and it is suitable for overnighting. Spend a week or two getting away from it all, ideal budget boat.
Where is Smart Cat manufactured?
South Korea
"She's small, relatively affordable with a price tag of $149,900, and offers a ton of accommodation for a 28 foot boat. She's built to be a daysailer, weekended or light coastal cruiser, and I think she would be a fun boat for those purposes. "
I believe this quote to be the crux of the matter. You get what you pay for, to an extent. Many of us have watched the boats that have crossed the major oceans. IF that is your dream, it is mine, WOULD this boat handle the challenge. IS the construction of this boat equal to that of the major manufacturers that heave models that have circumnavigated the globe? Could this boat be retrofitted with the technology and equipment for such a task, or am I asking a daysailer to compete in an offshore race? Maybe, maybe not.
no. minimum 38ft
Its, with a little expertise easily sorted, its just a Shame they weren't in touch with a good knowledgeable sailor before hand, as most of the fixes are relatively small ,it would be a not bad little cat for coastal cruises, i think both guys could up there professionalism a bit , but they seem nice enough people.
It is listed with United Yacht Sales for $200,000.
The base price is $149,900 for the open model. Yes, this boat is listed for 200k because it has upgrades like the A/C, bigger outboards, etc. I'm sure you already know new boats rarely ever sell for the base price.
The manufacturer really needs to up-grade his public face! Is the "captain" a pro-skateboarder in his real life?
Randi and Jordan thought he was a DeeEyeCeeKay too.
David Green a Dick?
@@David-qs5ii what moment in the video? Backup your claim.
Kinda like some of the Wharreem style cats. People are sailing those, sometimes with open cockpits, around the world.
yup, and those pesky Vikings only sailed open ships as well, all over the place in cold climates (almost large canoe style row/ sail for a Viking Long Boat), maybe we all just turned into wimpy little modern humans.
I know the price is much higher but I think the sea wind 1190 is the best choice for the smallest cruising cat. This looks dangerous in the blue.
All I heard you guys say throughout the review is "PARTY BOAT", thats about the extent of the review, LOL. At the very begining the captain says to the sales guy, "Hey, did you see that party boat with all them girls in bikinis the other day, laugh, laugh?", That just says it all right there to whom this boat is marked towards, LOL. It surely wasnt towards you all who are smart, savy sailors like me, lol.
And am I the only one that thinks you all were not very interested in this review, like they really didnt want to do it but the Sales guy really wanted to show off, and in order to look it this was the deal they wanted, LOL...
The filming of the test sail was so mimimal, I mean, we didnt get to see the sailing performance, didnt see how it handles close hauled and into the wind, how close can it sail to the wind? How is tacking, how is the traverler and the auto tacker and did the sails work as expected, etc. How about down wind sailing, and does it have any other sails like a spinaker or genoa? I get the impression you were not alowed to film the boat in action at all.
The last part of the review you seemed to get more specific on your impressions and that provided a bit more details.
My comments from part one of this review still stand, it's not a boat I am personaly interested in. And I have a feeling this boat is for the family or young person that really isn't all that aware of the sailing world and doesnt know much about specifications and what is needed or how things need to be on a Sailboat much less a Catamaran. So there market is that "Party" group, the college student or young couple that want something for the day or weekend to play on the lake or small bay or just to go up and down the ICW on the weekend and party it up in their bikinis.
I dont see this boat crossing from Miami over to the Bahamas for the weekend either, there is just not enough going for this manuafacture yet in their design. Like you all and I have said, we need a 35-40 foot range for this to be viable, and they need to ramp up the sails and traveler and the refrig/freezer and a bunch of other things that would make it comfortable and viable for coastal cruising or hopping over to the Bahamas for the weekend.
That did not look very comfortable at 1:56 at all. Sure it would be fine once in awhile like once a week, but that would get old real quick with any amount of more use then a day sail. It reminded more of a pontoon houseboat with a sail designed for nice day out during the weekend, which is fine and great for those wanting such a thing. Not for me though. At most I would only take it out for a day sail, not really an overnight due to lack of really any interior space to hang out. Which means all that accommodation of bed space is a waste imho, but meh am sure someone else might like it and have use for it. Would have been nicer to have seen bit more of actually sailing, was not even full 3 min worth. But considering you really think it needs better sails anyway suppose that would not have helped much.
I love the concept as yes there is a terrible need or what the are TRYING to do. But for that size the beam needs to be less than 16' to fit in a normal slip, and as it has sailing issues, perhaps offer only/additionally a powercat version. Put some darn storage areas down stairs. Am I not supposed to bring clothes, towels, and a toothbrush? Those aft beds looked twin size, if you can't have queen size it's never going to work, currently it sleeps 3 singles, maybe 5 people when you drop the cockpit table down? So the boat clientele is limited to a few guys that want to party? Really, what is the thought here? Although I can look at the million dollar cats and say most of the same things.
Make it a 2 queen bed, 2 head. Add some lower living storage, 3/4 enclose the cockpit, beam < 16', electric motors with solar panels on the cockpit roof with a generator backup, and I'll buy one for 175k.
Interesting boat. I don't mind the twin outboards much in lue of a few small diesels. More inboard room and easy replacement. But damn man, the thing looks like a deck over 2 Clorox bottles. Now mind you, the wider hulls increases load capacity for a cat, but that is always where the cats fall down. Lots of room but load capacity for length compared to a fat assed mono hull is like#$%^&*( . 150K? Well the rigging issues aren't that big a deal. You actually want a smaller mast and a larger foot on the foresail. The last thing you want is a cat deck being caught in the wind on a beam reach by one of the hulls lifting up out of the water. Once the wind gets up under one hull to put pressure on that deck, well then@#$%^&*. That remains a large selling point with Warhams, not the fastest cats but very safe on sail to displacement to keep #$%^& from happening. Overall, for only being 28' if they improve the rigging and sail dimensions it could be better performer for being little more then a deck across two Clorox bottles. Let's face it man, into the wind is always going to an issue on and CRUISING cat. Might as well call em "trade wind sailers" and call it a day.
This is just what I expected. Its a large living space and weight per dollar, but it is too heavy and short to sail well and too exposed to to live well. To me it doesn't make sense as a weekender because every friday you arrive you are faced with 2 to 3 hours of cleaning that giant exterior living space -then the sun is going down.
I think they should lose the forward single and add a second head, come up with a slick way to enclose the salon and market it as a condo-cat for 2 couples.
They have that exact configuration available. Two cabin two head with a 3/4 enclosed saloon. Small galley up too apparantly. I'd like to see how that works out.
@@LearningtheLines That would be an attractive accommodation for the price (assuming price is as reasonable for adds as base boat). Sailors may be turned off by the performance but it has two big advantages over anything near it's size and price -level stable sailing and wide open spaces without crouching. Anyone that knows the market will tell you that this is an easier sell -no sea sickness, no "basement" feel, family friendly, butt simple and new so minimal repairs. It works as a charter which bodes well for the company. The big question is where to keep it? It would fit nicely in 2 30ft slips -that costs about 70% more than a 50ft slip.
I know you are looking for a cruiser and I just don't think this boat is good for that. It doesn't have the heavy weather capability and it doesn't have the speed and pointing to avoid it. It has enough motor until it hits a little wave and the props come out of the water. With all the cats that have had sugar scoops extended I have never seen a boat that needed it more than this one.
Budget boat? @ 149.900 pretty expensive sunny day toy in my opinion.as i stated on the previous video i don't like it but that's my personal opinion.
$150K may be cheap for a new cat but $150K buys a lot of used boat (especially monohull). That is why it is hard to justify this unsailable wreck of a vessel that is "only" $150K. A 30 year old Tartan 372 in good condition should be just under $100K. Upgrades and refits maybe $20K to make it exactly what you want. Still save $30K. It is really tough to sell entry level sailing vessels because boats last a long time and that means there are tons of very good older boats out there.
Who is the designer of this boat?
skyak the same guy who designed the AMC Pacer.
Naval architect who used to work for Seawind
With that kind of money i rather get myself a Used 60' Catamaran with weather proof sailing abilities. Throw in a couple of thousand dollars to fix or change anything inside of the boat.
helm required to much attention. The boat obviously did not track well
Catamarans the way to go blue water.
If you have a lot of money, everything is double in a Cat.
Тогда уже лучше aventura34
Defiantly trying to do too much on 28 feet. What you end up with is a boat that's ugly as sin, doesn't sail worth a crap with poor accommodations. On the plus side, you can get as drunk as you want to on it and it wouldn't make much difference.
Better hope it never rains, Stupid Idea only sail in the backyard.
From your first review I did not think this was a "real sailing" design. A factor pointing to this would be tankage in the bow.
Also I thought it poorly built and a clue to that was the mess of wiring behind the distribution panel. You seem to forgive poor workmanship because it's only $150,000. I would say that it can be a drop in the ocean in yacht terms but to most people 150,000 is a big number and you can expect basics of fit and finish to be right.
One could point to the standard criticisms leveled at catamarans, like a lack of pointing ability, but those would not be constructive criticisms.
However, one criticism I do have is the shortness of shaft of the outboards. In a swell there would be cavitation from alternating engines as she rode over waves.... A previous comment has pointed out that she seems to hobby horse in these nearly flat conditions.
I think all things said that this is a pretty poor design and poorly executed.
I am sure that the company has but a lot of money into this but I think they should really reconsider their offer to the market. Yes it fills a niche.... But they could, and should, do better to make it a successful project.
I tend to agree, especially with your notes about electrical system and about the shaft length. I don't know why Jordan thinks the boat lists for 150,000. It is listed with United Yacht Sales for 200,000.
A cat without the performance, without the comfortable, and yes i agree with 90% of the comments, it’s a party boat! A toy.. but remembering it’s the first offering, i think it’s safe to say, “yes it has a market” and yes it will only get better, if anything it should drive the prices of new cats down slightly.. as it does fill a gap, although needing actual sailors to tell them how to make it better without added 200k to the price.. when you talk about new sails not being correct, and parts being fitted incorrectly, ya really not buying heritage are you? Fortunately it’s cheapish.. so some forgiving allowed? I would say yes, but limited, get real sailors aboard asap, and take there advice just as quickly, or keep building a party boat!
$200,000 is ridiculous for a daysailer.
Maaan its ugly ... sry just my opinion - but sailboat is not a squared house.
Looks like a toy:)