test rode a procat and up coming race.

S

starcrafttom

Active member
Saturday after fishing I went for a test ride on a 28ft procat. Why?? well they were having demo days for the local dealer giving free rides, what more reason do I need? Great riding boat by the way, leans to the out side a little but you can correct by giving the out side motor more gas. do the tom cats have this same problem? The boat will do about 48 mph and still planes all the way back down to 17 mph. very little bow rise. While on the ride I thought I new the guy driving. He and his dad were on the dock at uclulet last year with there twin vee cat while susan and I stayed there. Small world some times.

The dealer told me something that I think you all may find interesting. This next summer he plans to hold a cat race to ketchican and back in three days. The rules are simple you can only use 500gallons of fuel and you have to be first back. Any tom cat owners interested?? The guy is trying to get free publicity. He thinks he'll win with the time and the gas limits. the gas limits rules out all the big of shore race boats. Does any one know what the current record for the run is???
 
A lightly loaded Tomcat with twin 150s should run at about 47-48 mph at WOT and will go on plane at 17-18 mph.

My fully loaded Tomcat- full tanks (150 gallons), full water, 4 passengers, and bottom paint consistently hits 44.5 mph at WOT.

Gas consumption at 28 mph in smooth waters is about 2.2 mpg.

What's the round trip distance for the "race"?
 
'Seems like floating logs and wind would be the big "deciders" on a trip like that. How could you look for logs going that fast at night?

John
 
Hi, Alok

What engines do you have and what props? I'd love to get those kind of numbers, especially fully loaded, and I only carry 130 gals!

Bob Cat
 
It would be really foolish to run through that course at night!

The course ought to be raced in daily legs during daylight hours with a common start time on each leg. Boats would finish at the end of each leg with their finish recorded and elapsed time calculated. The winner is the boat with the lowest total elapsed time.

Joe.
 
There may be a few that have taken more risk doing adventures things than me on this site, but the number would have to be small to still be alive. BUT THE RACE IDEA IN THIS AREA IS WAY BEYOUND FOOLISH.

Not meant as a put down to anyone. Just my opinion.

Jay
 
Stop shouting and stop shooting the messnger. Iam just passing on what I was told. I always think races are good ideas. This cant be the first race that has been done in this area. As far as logs are concern, make be slowing down and taking it easy as night is part of the challange.
 
Second the foolish to run at night part...also the original notion of the race assumes everyone can just run flat out the whole way without being concerned about wind, currents, seas, fog or whatever...so the guy who takes foolish chances is either the winner or ends up dead?
Sea Wolf":2srgor7v said:
It would be really foolish to run through that course at night!

The course ought to be raced in daily legs during daylight hours with a common start time on each leg. Boats would finish at the end of each leg with their finish recorded and elapsed time calculated. The winner is the boat with the lowest total elapsed time.

Joe.
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starcrafttom":1pzwzneq said:
Stop shouting and stop shooting the messnger. Iam just passing on what I was told. I always think races are good ideas. This cant be the first race that has been done in this area. As far as logs are concern, make be slowing down and taking it easy as night is part of the challange.
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My opinion on the race idea in this area was directed at the person or party wanting to do or organize the race. I realized you are just the messenger and I have nothing against racing. Also have no problem with anyone risking there own life doing anything they want. The reason I felt this is beyond foolish is the risk to others along the way. Day or night this area has many fisherman, computers, and others who would be put at risk. Definately not shooting or shouting just opining.

Jay
 
...this area has many fisherman, computers, and others who would be put at risk.
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Well, if you want my opinion, anyone foolish enough to have their computer floating on the water deserves to suffer the risk. But perhaps there could be some sort of sponsorship for the race idea. Which would stand up better to being run over by a boat - Mac or PC?

And Jay, don't you dare edit out your little typo there, because it is all Tom's fault for wearing the messenger target.
 
OK Jay, that's good of you. Now let's get back to beatin' the crap out of Tom. He might not deserve it for this, but there have been plenty of things he didn't get caught for. Tom - you damn fool - keep that boat in the living room where it belongs and do not enter this race!!
 
Tom,

Another 10 page thread?? LOL

for those whose brains are already running on this, here are some numbers:

Seattle to Ketchikan; 660 nautical miles one way or 1320 miles round trip
Five days x 24 hrs= 120 hours available
Only running in mostly daylight; 12hours/day x 5=60 hours
Overall average speed needed 1320 divided by 120=11 knots
Overall daylight average speed needed 1320 divided by 60=22knots
So, first day run 12hrs x 22=264 miles
second day 264
1/2 of third day 132
total miles 660
Fuel economy required 1320 miles divided by 500 gallons=2.64nautical miles per gallon.

Questions Can any boat achieve 2,64 mpg while AVERAGING 22 knots?

I assume that the night time hours would be used to refuel, sleep, etc.

If the boat touches land, anchors, or hovers with another vessel(refueling at sea) then they must clear customs into Canada, then into Alaska at Ketchikan, and back into Canada somewhere.

Can the boats carry extra fuel to avoid refueling enroute? If so, that would help a lot.

This race may be possible without running at night, and if the boat carries 250 gallons, without refueling enroute.
If the run continued at a very reduced speed at night(like 5-6 knots)on a kicker, then no Customs check-ins would be required and fuel would be saved.

A Nascar style refueling team could meet the boat at Ketchikan and refuel them and they could head south immediately.

That would be something to tell your grandkids!!
 
To answer Bob Searle's questions--yes I get the same numbers as Alok--actually slightly better on mileage on fill up to fill up--running at a constant mid 20's speed (2.3 to 2.4 mpg best runs in ideal condtions).
We really haven't experimented much with 18 to 20 knots, because the boat runs so well at 24 to 25 knots. We can keep it on a plane down to 16, and if we get Permitrims, may get a little lower planing speed???

We have the Suzuki 150's counter rotating, set so they run with the cavitation plate right on the surface at planing speeds. We also got in the high 40's before we put on all of the "stuff".

The Tom Cat is one of the few cats which do not have the outward lean on sharp turns. This is because the Tom Cat is definately right up on a plane.

But, running to Ketchican is not ideal conditions. I think you would have to check into Canada--you will have to fuel--and probably twice on the way up and twice on the way back--This also will add both time and distance if you go to a dock. The ProKat (I believe this is the correct spelling) 28 carries 252 gallons of gas--vs 150 (or 130) for the Tom Cat.
The ProKat normally runs on 200 to 250 hp vs 150hp engines on the Tom Cat. Even according to the ProKat web site the best mileage on the 28 is 2.17 mpg on a light boat (twin 225 Yahami's)--I would be very surprised if you got 2 miles a gallon on a rigged boat with fuel etc.
The 26 with twin 200's didn't do any better. The ProKats are planing boats. Even though they are built in Alabama, I did not consider the ProKat's based on what I had read on The Hull Truth. I had examined an older boat--and it did not age well.

I don't think that the ProKat can do the run on one tank--and so there is no major advantage. I don't know if the ProKat can run faster into a chop than the Tom Cat--of course, if the racer didn't care about banging up the boat and his body--I suspect that both the Tom Cat and ProKat would be close to the same speed into a chop.
 
Larry-

Sounds like you've got the bug!!!

Go directly to the C-Dory Executive Offices tomorrow morning and hit them up for a free TomCat 255 and another $175,000 for sponsorship expenses!

You're gonna have to get out of that big slow trawler and back to life in the fast lane!

Think you and Bob can take on the Big Boys?

hydroplane.jpg
 
Bob,

The sea conditions up the inside passage in the summer are often NW wind 10-20 knots with 2-4 ft chop. The Westerly can sometimes blow at 20-25 knots for several days. That would cut into the fuel milage!!

When the Glacier Bay cats ran from Hawaii to Midway Is, they reduced speed and only used one motor at night. The off-watch slept on the side deck(open boats!).

Do you think a Tom Cat could improve the mpg numbers by using that technique?
 
Alok said:
My fully loaded Tomcat- full tanks (150 gallons), full water, 4 passengers, and bottom paint consistently hits 44.5 mpg at WOT.

Sounds like we have the winning boat right here!

What does the winner get for all this risk? :beer :cigar :cocktail
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Joe,

No chance!! Not me.

But I could be an observer boat to watch them fly by one day and then see them go the other way the next day.

C-Dorys are welcome to raft up and have a cool one (BYOB)and watch from the fly bridge!!
 
C-WEED said:
"Sounds like we have the winning boat right here!"

Chris- you may very well be right...but since I am on the opposite side of the country, it would make more sense for someone on the West coast to lend me a boat for the event :D
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