Two Oceans Marine, having completed numerous sailing boat deliveries, felt the need to market a motor cruising version of one of the sailing catamarans. The design brief therefore, was for a medium speed, fuel efficient, live aboard platform with open ocean capabilities. Statistically, a sail boat spends a very high percentage of most delivery voyages under power owing to distance to be covered,weather windows, and time constraints. John Shuttleworth, a well respected designer of high performance sailing boats, who had worked with Two Oceans Marine during the build of the 47 ft sailing cat, “Lifes a Dream”, was employed to design a modernised 44ft. power driven catamaran.
Owing to the fact that a power driven vessel is pushed from the rear, as opposed to a sailing boat being pulled from the front, it is not technically/economically correct to utilise the lines of a yacht hull for the production of a power driven vessel. The first Powershuttle was designed to accommodate outboard power, owing to its operation in a remote area and the need for the minimum period of, down-time, resulting from engine failure/maintenance.
Following the delivery of the first three vessels, it was decided to modify the hull bottoms to improve the general sea keeping capabilities. The hulls were widened and lengthened resulting in a 47ft vessel.
The last hull launched is powered by Yanmar inboard diesel engines coupled to fixed, shaft driven, propellors.The performance of this vessel is exceptional in terms of fuel economy and resultant range. Long distance operation, carrying light fuel loads, with realistic average speed capabilities is definitely achievable.
The advantage of having a base design around which a client is able fine tune their personal requirements has truly been achieved with the Powershuttle 47.
