Tom Cat Supersized

D

Doryman

New member
I just got a marketing email from Black Feather Boats in Juneau about a cruising version of the Chilkat 30.

As some of you know, this is allegedly the first Tom Cat. It's good to see the cruising version finally in production but I wonder if the QC issues that B-C raised earlier about the charter fishing version he used last summer have been addressed.

I think I'll make a point of going to Juneau this summer!
 
I'm sure they have, as I said, the one they have at work is hull #1 and the start of the learning curve. After running the thing for a spell, I think the majority of the grousing from previous captains was about the noise generated by pushing it to hard for the conditions....I loved the boat and hoped to be assigned to it next season, it's a great fishing machine. That cruising version looks like a dandy...cept for trailering.
Did they mention the price tag on one of those rascals?
 
When I saw the sleeping berth, I was very interested. I thought that this would work great for me, my wife and my two young boys. Sleeping for everyone without having to dismantle the dinette each night. I wrote to them and I received a call from Brandon. He sounded like a very nice guy.

The 30' Cabin Cruiser is $155K w/o electronics or motors or a trailer.

Dimensions:

The cabin itself is 7' tall, by 7' wide, by 10'2" from dashboard to door.

The berth is 10' wide and approx. 8' deep with two 4'x6'6" beds. He said he is 5'8" tall and he can sit up in the berth.

The dinette table is 35" x 27"
Each seat is 35" x 21"

The countertop is 31" x 25" (holds a sink and wallas - mounted front to rear)

The bench seat (next to the counter top, behind the helm) is 4' x 25"

The interior walkway is 24" wide

B~C can address the build quality and ride, but the boat looks like a winner to me. Of course, like everything in life, I wish it cost less, but I think it is competitive.
 
B~C:

Re: The ChilKat 30

Do you think that the lack of a center hull nacelle (deep center keel like running strake) makes the hull slap more than it would if there were one? Just curious.

Joe. :thup :teeth

Trunk%20Cabin%20Shoot%20049.jpg


ChilKat 30 Cruiser by Black Feather Boats
 
Sarge wrote:

"The 30' Cabin Cruiser is $155K w/o electronics or motors or a trailer."

So......(very roughly!)

Boat ='s $155k
Electronics 12k
2 motors 35k
Trailer 10k
Tax 15k
Dealer Prep ?k

Total='s ~$230k?

Is that about a fair estimate?

Joe. :thup :teeth
 
I have been following this boat since they anounced that there would be a "cruising version" My initial correspondance indicated that you probably could be into the boat for about $200K plus tax. I think you can get the engines, electronics and trailer for a bit less than Joe--but you don't know until you actually price it all out--and there may be shipping charges to Juneau if you bring the boat back with its engines.

I don't think that the lack of a nacelle makes much difference in the noise or slap. All of the cats will have some of this, depending on the tunnel clearance. I talked with the owner of a 56 footer who complained about the noise in the foreward cabins underway.

If there is tunnel clearance at displacement speeds, it will be more effecient when going slow.

I might want to make a different layout, if possiable, in the cabin. The 48" wide "double bunk" is a bit tight. I love the 64 x 80 inches of the Tom Cat 255.

I do really love the walk around decks--and that is a great feature. The boat can be "legally" trailered--with a wide load permit. But I consider this a real hassel. You might also have to get a bigger truck--like a 450 or 550 vs a 250 or 350. This would be an additional expense. But any of the big cats have this problem. I was told by the dealer at the Glacier Bay that they had to have a full police escort to get the 34 from the ramp to the dealer in the middle of the night.

Would I buy one? No I don't think it offers that much more than the 255, even if the price were closer. But for a person who likes to fish in the PNW- it is going to be a great boat--and we will see if it is as effecient as they say.

BC-what "mileage" did you observe?
 
The bosses boat was the first one built and it was my understanding that he had to send a crew over to help get it finished up in time for the season. In spite of that, I thought the overall build quality was on par with any boat that would roll out of the C-D factory.
I thought the ride was most excellent in the wind chop and smaller waves. In the bigger water you can get some nasty sounds that could leave a person to think it was breaking up, I don't think a nacell would do much to quiet things down. I suppose, like most cats, quick turns at speed where not something it excelled at. Overall I thought the boat was a good driving boat with good visability returning about one nautical mile per gallon at cruising speed.

It isn't a trailer boat fer sure but if I had retired chemistry teacher kind of money I'd love to have one tied up in the Sound :)

the above contains many rumors, lies and mistruths
 
Another reason to have a trailer is so you can use a "trailer valet" service at a dry storage facility (which seems to be the shape of "things to come" with the increasing demands - and limitations - placed on navigable waterfront).

Keith
 
CW":98noi0co said:
These Pacific 3200s by Sea Sport can be had used or new. Probably beyond trailering. Can you imagine being on that flying bridge? C.W.
http://www.boats.com/new-boats/seasportboats/665820/details.jsp?srh_prev=true
Click to expand...

Flying bridges are intimidating at first, like when you have to put the boat in a slip with almost zero clearance on the sides and at the top, but once you get used to them, they're a blast!

They're not for cold weather, though! That's why they have helm stations down below! And pilothouses!

Joe. :thup :teeth
 
One of the problems with the cats (even up to the 56 footers ) is the limited room in the very narrow engine room. I have a friend who has a 56 footer and he had a very difficult time changing the impeller in the water pump because of lack of access to the sides of the engines.

This tends to be one of the other reasons that the outboard powered cats seem to do well at least up to 30 feet.
 
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