The Shuttle 47

Sailing Catamaran

Overall Length

14.4 m
47.24 ft

Draft

0.6 m
1.96 ft

Displacement

9 000 kgs
19 841 lbs

The Shuttle 47

Sailing Catamaran

The design brief for this project was simple – produce a high performance, spacious, liveaboard catamaran, that could safely sail around the world.

The owner, no newcomer to the yachting world, had previously crossed an ocean with a friend and fellow sailor — who would go on to become one of the world’s most highly respected designers of high-performance ocean sailboats — John Shuttleworth.

With the selection of the designer a given, the focus shifted to the requirements list and final drawings for a special one-off.

Speed and light weight were always a critical element of everything relating to this boat.

There were no disappointments when the first sea trial — held in 30 knots of Cape Town’s South East Doctor wind — produced 22 knots speed over ground, with very little effort.

The boat, Life’s A Dream, has completed some notable passages on her journey around the world via the Panama Canal to Hawaii, and more recently through the South Pacific to Australia, where she is currently receiving some tender loving care before a passage back to Durban via Mauritius.

Gallery

SPECS

Principal Characteristics

L.O.A: 14.4m
Beam: 9.0m
Draft: 0.6m
Displacement: 9000kg
Height above DWL: 22m
Main Sail: 76.13sqm
Furling Genoa: 40.5sqm
Screacher: 82.2sqm
Symmetric spinnaker: 211sqm
Asymmetric Spinnaker: 179sqm

Hull & topdeck

  • 1 x 47 ft catamaran hull designed by Mr John Shuttleworth

  • Constructed to designer specifications utilising:

    • CE-approved isophthalic polyester resins

    • Corecell A500 – sandwich construction vacuum bagged onto glass layers

    • Stitched quad-axial mat

    • Kevlar reinforced below waterline

    • Carbon, aft, midships and forward beams

Anchoring

  • Single bow roller

  • Electric windlass

  • 50 m x 10 mm galvanised chain

  • 50 m x 16 mm polyester rope

  • 1 x 60 lb CQR anchor

  • 1 x 21 lb folding anchor

  • 6 x fenders

  • 6 x 16 mm mooring lines

  • 6 x mooring cleats with fairleads

Engines

  • 2 x Yanmar 40 HP sail drives

  • Wet muffler exhaust with waterlock

  • 1 x exhaust blower

  • 3-blade feathering propellers

  • 2 x integral diesel tanks – total volume 1,470 L – with piping, filters and valves

Electronics

  • Furuno NavNet system with wind and multi-displays

  • Furuno NavPilot 500

  • Icom M402 VHF radio

  • EPIRB

Galley

  • Veneer countertops

  • Side panels – painted finish to client’s specification

  • Doors and trimmings in timber (beech, maple or cherry)

  • Force 10 gas stove with oven and rotisserie

  • 90 L built-in fridge

  • 90 L built-in freezer

  • 1 x stainless steel double sink

  • 1 x drop-in dirt bin

  • Microwave

Electrics

  • 1 x 65 amp start battery per engine

  • 6 x deep cycle Probe batteries – total 660 amps

  • 1 x battery switch per engine

  • 1 x main isolator battery switch

  • 2,000 amp inverter/charger with battery management gauge

  • Navigation lights

  • Spreader light on mast

  • 1 x fan in each cabin, 2 x fans in saloon/galley

  • 12 x downlighters in saloon

  • 6 x downlighters in cockpit

  • 1 x fluorescent light in each cabin

  • 2 x reading lights in each cabin

  • 1 x fluorescent light in each engine room

  • 1 x fluorescent light in each head and passageway

  • 1 x DC switch panel in navigation station

  • 1 x 12V outlet at navigation station

  • 2 x 220V plug points in galley

  • 1 x 220V plug point at navigation station

  • Marine-grade wiring

Plumbing

  • Total fresh water volume 2,350 litres

  • 3 x black water tanks – approx. 45 L each

  • 3 x grey water tanks – approx. 100 L each

  • Pressurised fresh water pump system

  • Pressurised hot water system to galley and heads

  • 2 x 40 L calorifiers

  • All piping, valves and skin fittings

Heads

  • 3 x heads complete with manual toilets

  • 3 x showers and basins with mixer taps

  • Mirrors in each head

  • Doors to be timber outside, Formica inside

Cabins

  • 2 x forward double cabins including mattresses

  • 1 x aft queen-size cabin including mattress en suite

  • Cabin doors to be timber

  • 1 x hanging cupboard in each cabin

  • 1 x storage cupboard in each cabin

  • 1 x set of drawers in each aft cabin

  • 1 x vanity top in each cabin

Saloon

  • Large U-shaped upholstered seating with timber table

  • Drinks cabinet below table

  • Bookshelf and TV cabinet with timber edgings

Port midships

  • 2 x single berths

  • Large storage locker with hanging space

  • Shelving with storage space below berths

  • Head with toilet and shower

Starboard midships

  • Navigation station on port and starboard sides of passageway

  • Storage shelving and cupboards

  • 2 x drawers

Stainless steel – Grade 316

  • 2 x pushpits

  • 1 x boarding ladder

  • Swim platform rails

  • 2 x chain plates

  • 1 x life ring holder

  • 1 x Dan buoy holder

  • Various hand/grab rails in cabin

  • Aft deck canopy supports

  • Skipper’s chair

Finishing

  • The hull exterior is to be faired and painted with non-skid on top-deck walking areas

  • Epoxy barrier to be applied prior to antifouling

  • Two coats of anti-foul

  • The hull interior will have a smooth gloss finish

  • All edgings and hatches to have timber framing (maple, beech or cherry)

  • Cabin flooring to be imitation teak and holly on plywood

Helm stations

  • Morse electronic controls on both helm stations

  • Engine start panels – B-type

  • Compass and electronics

  • Edson steering system with stainless steel wheels

Cockpit

  • Loose cockpit cushions

  • Wrap-around seating

  • Day bed

  • Storage lockers

  • Dive bottle storage – eight cylinders

  • Gas bottle storage – two cylinders

Safety gear

  • Semi-rigid 3.6 m tender

  • 15 HP Yamaha outboard

  • Eight-person life raft

  • EPIRB

  • Life jackets

  • Full safety equipment as per SAMSA Category A regulations

Deck hardware

  • 2 x Lewmar 64 – 12V electric winches

  • 2 x Lewmar 44 – two-speed manual winches

  • 4 x Lewmar 54 – two-speed manual winches

  • All control lines, sheets and halyards

  • 750 mm high stanchions

  • Main sheet, genoa, furler system – all to have Lewmar / Spinlock equipment

Hatches and port lights

  • 1 x Size 70 hatch

  • 3 x Size 30 hatches

  • 12 x Size 60 hatches

  • 1 x Size 77 hatch

  • 2 x Size 44 escape hatches

  • 12 x Size 30 port lights for ventilation

Mast

  • Standard Sparcraft aluminium section – anodised with radar, antennae and lights

  • Anodised boom

  • Tender lift in boom

Sails and running rigging

  • 1 x Three-reef full batten mainsail

  • 1 x Non-overlapping furling genoa

  • 1 x Screecher

  • 1 x Jib

  • 1 x Fractional symmetric spinnaker

  • 1 x Boom cover

  • 1 x Full set of running rigging