Motor size for Tom Cat

thataway · Posted: Mon Apr 16, 2007 8:01 pm Post subject:

My esperience is that once a wife has spent a night or two in the cave of an express cruiser, the open pilot house of either the CD 25 or the TC 255 is like a revelation. It is so wonderful to watch the world go by as you sit at the table and have protection from the elements. Jim D's area the pilot house makes a 4 season boat (I lived 2 1/2 years in that area of the Chesapeake/James River).

The only advantages I see of the CD 25 is a smoother transition from displacement to planing speeds--(but I didn't post how the TC behaved with bow up at the lower speeds). The CD 25 is cheaper, one engine better fuel mileage, but you won't get the 49 mph top end when light. The other day we had full tanks, with 4 good sized people and all cruisng gear aboard. We still had top speed in the mid to high 30 knots.
Both boats are good and will work.

journey on · Posted: Mon Apr 16, 2007 8:13 pm Post subject:

Bob, that statement " but you won't get the 49 mph top end when light" is a key to this whole discussion on speed. When a cat is lightly loaded, they are really fast, BUT when you put weight in them for cruising they become similar to a monohull. Keep the Tomcat lightly loaded, and it'll scream; load it for a cruise, and it ain't that fast. Thats why cruising cats are BIG and racing cats are small(er). As you know.

On our CD-25, when I took the cruising gear out of it last fall and then went out on San Diego Bay, Our Journey just screamed. Now, I'm putting that junk back in for this summer's cruise. Arguing with Judy all the way.

Remember: light is fast.

Boris

thataway · Posted: Mon Apr 16, 2007 11:00 pm Post subject:

Journey On,
Yes, definately the cats do better when light--but actually the planing cats are not like the displacement sailing cats, or even the cruising power cats, which do end up as slow as most monohulls. We are talking planing boats and boats with lots of HP here.

My experience with the CD 22 (I have not owned a 25, yet)--is that 30 is about the desirable top speed--they get a little skitterish above that speed and with 90 hp our 22 would get into the low 30's even loaded for cruising.

The Tom Cat 255 can still cruise at 30 to 35 knots fully loaded. There is a price you pay--and it is more fuel--the CD 25 will most likely be a more economical boat to run--with one 150 hp vs two 150's for the TC. The TC's still run at 2.4 mpg when loaded for curising at 25 knots--I don't know about the C D 25's.

Regards