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Thread: 2nd hand NOOSA CATS What to look out for?

  1. #16

    Re: 2nd hand NOOSA CATS What to look out for?

    Guys,

    The point i was trying to make was that even cats arent foolproof. Even the best boats (in my opinion the 23') can be rolled in certain circumstances.

    Im not saying its a common occurence, more so that yes it can happen.

    I too agree its more news because of the circumstances, but cats generally have very experienced skippers, and even they can get into trouble, imagine what an inexperienced person can do when they take their "bulletproof" boat into the rough.

    Like the old saying of money cant buy brains, nor can a great boat be instantly unbreakable.

    Regards
    Darren

    P.S. The boat in the footage survived the first breaker better than you would expect, but got rolled by the next one after being turned to run from the waves, and even then it surfed for a while first.

  2. #17

    Re: 2nd hand NOOSA CATS What to look out for?

    Quote Originally Posted by boatboy50
    ....P.S. The boat in the footage survived the first breaker better than you would expect, but got rolled by the next one after being turned to run from the waves, and even then it surfed for a while first....
    It was rolled simply because it had lost BOTH engines in one go on that first wave and without power it couldn't run anywhere but down hill.

    Cheers, Kerry.


  3. #18

    Re: 2nd hand NOOSA CATS What to look out for?

    Kerry do u eva agree with anyone else??? lol

    Darren and I have been through the same training and have both seen the footage he spoke about a number of times and have both done rescues of other overturned vessels in white water. The superiority of a cat was proven not so long ago when a 25 Blackwatch rolled just outside the seaway. A large RIB was first on the scene to complete the rescue but was not able to get into a position safely to complete the rescue. Water Police showed up shortly after in their 7m cat and were able to get in where they were needed and pull the people out of the drink.

    Engine failures aside, if driven correctly a cat is indestructible. Big statement? Yes. However having been out with maybe over 100 hundred different drivers at varying skill levels it takes significant time and training to reach the level of being a skiiled cat driver, of which Darren is one so his opinion is certainly valid.

    Steve

  4. #19

    Re: 2nd hand NOOSA CATS What to look out for?

    Quote Originally Posted by reScuE_RanGEr
    Kerry do u eva agree with anyone else??? lol
    Steve, The point was that it wasn't an issue with being a Cat but the fact that it lost both engines (at once) and it makes absolutely no difference what type of hull it was, no power in that situation and one has some real problems, type of boat irrelvant.

    A driver with any cat knowledge can always stop the boat from getting into these situations. And since you here I might also add that it wouldn't make 2 rats what type of cat knowledge a skipper had in that situation as the boat was really fine but the engines let the whole show down and unfortuneatley both stopped at once, not good but could a skipper stop that in that situation? but I don't believe that was a situation that was predicted, obviously possible to loose both but with both down one is completely at the mercy of the sea.

    It doesn't occur often but maybe engines on boats that have to be put in this situation should have additional thought put into the intakes, much like some of the UK boats, which can completely go over, use reed switches to shutdown the engine/intakes when upside down, will self right, power up and start without much drama?

    Cheers, Kerry.

    As for agree well no the boat wasn't turned (as such) to run down the waves the damn thing was completely at the mercy of the waves, it was completely out of control with out engines down as if there was even the slightest amount of grunt from one engine then downhill was never ever the way to go.

  5. #20

    Re: 2nd hand NOOSA CATS What to look out for?

    Hey Guys,

    Kerry, I do agree with what you are saying.

    The footage i am thinking of is not the Pt Maquarie footage, and in it they did still have one engine after the first wave, but not nearly enough power to get out of the situation they were in.

    My 1st post was mainly to kill the myth that the 18ft Sharkcats had a problem of rolling, because as we know, anything can be rolled by the right driver.

    Regards
    Darren

  6. #21

    Re: 2nd hand NOOSA CATS What to look out for?

    Darren, yeah any boat can be rolled, even Blackwatch's

    The problem with 18 foot (or there abouts) SC's is that there were so damn many of them. Some were so light headed in the bow that a person standing on the front deck is almost enough to lift the props clear of the water and that's not a good trait. The other is injested water and "some" 18's were bad for doing this.

    If most people could push a similar 18 footer the same as they might be able to push a 18SC then there is every possibility they would come unstuck quicker in a conventional hull well before the Cat. The one issue is that a conventional simply can't be pushed to the extent that a 18SC can.

    Cheers, Kerry.


  7. #22

    Re: 2nd hand NOOSA CATS What to look out for?

    boatboy50 is right, I have operated a 3100 series noosacat for over 1000hrs in a charter operation and know the handling charcteristics of this hull well.
    They can litterally go through almost any thing when its coming at the pointy end, but anything beam on or coming from aft they can be quite uncomfortable and almost scary. Feeling like they want to roll over is not the greatest experience and I know 1 particular skipper driving this vessel 2 years ago got in an unfortunate situation and actually had the life raft washed of the roof!

  8. #23

    Re: 2nd hand NOOSA CATS What to look out for?

    Hey,

    Funny you should mention that. We also had the unfortunate situation with our current 8.0 metre where a wave ripped the liferaft clean off the hardtop roof. Naturally it inflated and had to be picked up again. Wsant me but must have been a fun situation!

    Regards
    Darren

  9. #24
    viagra
    Guest

    Re: 2nd hand NOOSA CATS What to look out for?

    knakers, after having operated the 3100 series for so long and despite it's bad points that you mentioned, is there any other boat you would have rather been in?

  10. #25

    Re: 2nd hand NOOSA CATS What to look out for?

    Well Termi I would say yes as I am looking at it from totally commercially viable point of view. i run 2 very different kind of charters and the owner does not want to part with the boat. It is powered by 225 yammies 4 strokers and pushing this particular boat even the 4 stokes are not very fuel efficient. For the fishing charters the boat does the job at a compromise. Just for bottom bashing its fine but for trolling the vision for the skipper is limited as it is a lockup wheelhouse design. You cannot watch you lures or baits which from a skippers point of view is frustrating.
    The second charter is a sightseeing trip and we can only put a maximum of 12 guests on board. some oppostion compnies are running 35 ft rigid inflatables which carry 25 pax. They are running twin 225 4 stroke yammys and get better fuel efficientcy as well. So I guess the answer to your question is for the fishing trips i would rather be operating a diesel powered 30 odd ft gameboat for the economy and a large rigid inflateable for the other trips.
    Dont get me wrong the cat can go almost any where and it just needs a bit of forthought on which heading you will be taking when going somewhere, Working the angles!!

  11. #26

    Re: 2nd hand NOOSA CATS What to look out for?

    interesting footage of the accident for sure.
    if you don't mind big video files, this 1.5mb
    film of the us coast guard is interesting.

    http://users.tpg.com.au/adessaix/uscg.wmv

  12. #27

    Re: 2nd hand NOOSA CATS What to look out for?



    A new sport .... Boat surfing #

    Looks like they did it on purpose too ... I have heard stories about the crazy training exercises they do with those US Coastguard boats.

    Mark

  13. #28

    Re: 2nd hand NOOSA CATS What to look out for?

    awesome footage
    how would the 680 go mark?
    see you at the caloundra bar saturday morning, you go first , i will video your run
    cheers
    dazza

  14. #29

    Re: 2nd hand NOOSA CATS What to look out for?

    Sorry Dazza .... busy Saturday morning # #but you start without me and I will catch up # #Invite Mackmauler. #I remember a post a while ago where Rob said he had already done this in the oceancylander on the south passage. #We need someone with experience to teach us on the first run #

    Mark

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