Power Catamaran World: Wave-piercing Journey 45 LRCat unveiled

Wave-piercing Journey 45 LRCat unveiled

The new Journey 45 Long Range Catamaran (LRCat) upstaged traditional trawler designs at the recent Fort Lauderdale Trawler Fest. Designed by Kernan Yacht Design, the Journey’s wave-piercing bows provide the foundation for the power catamaran’s speed, performance and eco-friendly profile. (Click either image for a larger view.)

Capitalizing on a proven commercial hull design, Journey promises half the fuel consumption and twice the speed of traditional trawlers. Projections suggest that when fully loaded it will cruise at 3 nautical miles per gallon at 16 knots.

Journey Hull #1 is available for delivery in 2011 at an introductory price of $759,000.

At the event, Mike Clausen and Neil Riley of Bay Island Yachts of Alameda, California, introduced a built-to-scale model of the Journey 45 LRCat. It will also be displayed at Trawler Fest in San Diego on March 5-7 and Anacortes on May 20-22.

Powered by twin 220-hp Volvo D-3 common rail diesels, the Journey 45 is expected to perform similarly to its sister ship, the Tim Kernan-designed Water Wizards. Commissioned as an offshore filming platform, the 50-foot catamaran completed a non-stop passage of 2,800 miles from Long Beach to the Panama Canal in just less than six days, reportedly at an average speed of 20 knots.

As part of the journey to powercat ownership, buyers are invited to customize the salon area as well as select either a two- or three-stateroom layout. The interior design on all models is open and airy and provides maximum storage, a huge galley and salon and a spiral staircase that leads to a roomy flying bridge. While taking advantage of the latest technology inside and underneath, the Journey elects classic yacht styling above the waterline.

Partners Clausen and Riley hope Journey will upset the applecart on tired trawler thinking, with “smart boat design that promises the latest in innovation, fuel economy and responsible, green boating.”

Clausen told Power Catamaran World:

“We are waiting for bids back from two yards in China (to build LRCat), have already made a trip there and have a highly placed consultant helping us, and a bid from Navigator Yachts and Bennett Bros. We did have a new yard in China ready to go but, due to their location, shipping was going to be more than $30,000 over shipping from other boatbuilding locations so that set us back about 30 days.

“My partner Neil and I have been together for about 20 years, dealing with cats both power and sail for the last 15. Briefly, we were dealers for Prout, then represented Lagoon, Fountain Pajot & Gemini here in the San Francisco Bay. From 1999 to 2009 we were dealers for Glacier Bay and sold upwards of 85 boats including the 30 and 34. Over that time our customer base was looking for a cruising power cat that didn’t look like a space ship or a stacked container on floats. Hence, we found Tim Kernan who was very keen on our concept and here we are.”

Hull #1 awaits a buyer:

“We have interest in the boat but it seems they would want #2 or #3. We do have investors for the first hull so we’re ready to go when we decide on the builder.”

Site see: www.journeycatamarans.com