Flying Cat
 

I drove a cat for the first time yesterday. I have always liked the way they look and the performance comparison to a V hull with the same power is amazing. BUT in a 4' chop, that I thought wasn't that bad, the 7500 lb boat wanted to fly. In fact it did at 55 mph it become a flying cat. What was nice is it came out flat a reentered the water flat. And turning at that speed was not going to happen without a half mile radius. I think with a few hours of seat time, I would be able to work out how to best handle it in 4' water but 6' wouldn't happen. I know I'm going to hear some I told you so's, but I had to take a look. I'm sticking with the V hull. Maybe a 36' cat will work on Lake Michigan but a 31' won't. At least not for me.

Not all cats are the same.......what make?...power?

FYI......the Cat -Vee controversy was settled on the race course 18 years ago........ (Good)Cats beat Vees of equal length and power in all seas that are legal for racing (up to small craft warnings). ..... a simple look at the Factory 2 boats vs the identically powered Super cat lights confirms this.

Cats:
are faster
turn better(at the same speed)
handle chop better
etc.

Cat's do not have equivalent cabin space....and as I have repeated consistently....do not offer a symbolic "extension" for the owner's male ego.

T2x

Don't sugar coat it Rich, tell us how you really feel ;) ;) :D :D

Rich is ABSOLUTELY correct. As with Vee's, the manufacturer of the boat has much to do with performance and handling as anything else. Just as all Vee's do not handle equally, neither do all cats. I am not going to pick on manufacturer's specifically, but I am sure if you went for a ride in a few different manufacturer's cats you would have a different opinion. The same goes for vee's.

I would hazzard to guess that you were trimming it to high.The most common mistake V hull drivers make when I let them drive my cat is over trimming it big time.As mfor rough water running,I can consistently run away from most v's longer than me in 4 footers.:D

EXACTLY correct on all points Airpacker!

What??? What did I say???????

Who me??????

At least he didn't credit steps on his vee for helping him span the waves better.................:p

T2x

T2x....hahahaha,steps,hahahaha...You funny

P.S. I like your new avatar.My dad had one when I was but a youngen.Ran like a scalded cat until it sunk(with the boat attached in 220 feet of water)

Steps ?Everybody needs steps ! How else you gonna get in the boat on the trailer !!:D :D

Actualy I have 2 steps on my old 39' express cat . I think I might put duck over them and see how it runs !!:p

7500# 31' boat, at least we know it's NOT a Skater.

We have a lot of small craft advisories here. 3-6'ers was quite common this summer. I think that's what he's thinking.

While I've never been on a cat, I'd agree, up to that warning, you're allright, and it would seem a wider boat (Pontiac made a slogan on that concept) would handle chop better.

However, the other factor is, try going 55 in 4'ers in a 31' v hull. That's fast in 4'ers and a rough ride, and a v-hull wants to launch, even a 32 Thunder for you AT guys...LOL! So, 55 is fast in 4'ers in that size boat in my opp. It's no wonder it would want to fly. Plus, cats are made to run different, and those conditions exploit those design characteristics.

But hey, Q-S, thanks for the info, it is good to know. I always wondered why I didn't see too many cats on Lake MI. Rides like that might be the reason. That and lack of budget for 46 Skaters....the latter is my problem. :D

Mark

Its a 1998 Warlock 31' SXT. Powered by 502 Mag EFI's W/ 30p. Bravo 1 props. Headers and stand off boxes. Stand up bolsters and it has a good size cabin. The guy told me that it would run 95 MPH. I talked to a person from Warlock that said yes it would.

The guy that owns the boat is scared to death of this boat. At 30 MPH it slapped once and he stopped. I thought it was funny that as soon as he got the boat on plane he trimmed up the drives. From that point on I knew he didn't know how to handle the boat. I asked if I could drive and I left the drives down and he said you have to trim them up. I said I wanted to keep the boat in the water. When I hit 35 he wanted off. So, I dropped him off and took it out.

I felt the boat could use trim tabs. It would help in turning which the owner would only do when idling. Like I said, this is the first one that I drove and the owner was crapping in his shorts. He did not boost my confidence.

Is this a good cat?

I love my cat and in 4 footer not a problem 5 footer i start to slow down it depens on the spacing you jest have to get used to the way they ride and know when to say when. I know my cat is a littel small for the grate lakes but it halls ass.;) ;)

Good luck

level cat
 

If you get a chance to drive a 30' chris cat/ shadow or the newer 31' Awesome Thundercat or the 3100 AO it will change the whole perspective vs the Warlock handling.
In that water, the center pod/sponson/appendage will launch it.

Of course if money were no object you could go Skater and pay 95 grand per sponson!

Best of luck with the shopping!:D

straycat

It would be great to try out another cat. The problem is to find them and more important finding one in my price range. It would be fun, but a waste of time, to take out a $250,000.00 Skater. The Warlock only has 115 hours on the motors and a price tag of $98,000 and I'm sure the guy that owns it didn't beat it up. I think he could be beatup on the price, he sure is afraid of the boat. If he still has it in the spring maybe I'll take another ride, on a flat day.

Is the Warlock the polecat of the cat family? If so I won't even look at it again.

31 Warlocks are pretty nice in my book. I may be in the market for one in the spring. They run pretty fast with mild power and have the best cabin I have found in a 30 foot range cat.

"Its a 1998 Warlock 31' SXT. Powered by 502 Mag EFI's W/ 30p. Bravo 1 props. Headers and stand off boxes. Stand up bolsters and it has a good size cabin."

Well there you go..................The same hull that Richard whats his name raced to last place in his short stint as dot-com millionaire cum boat company owner.

Without specifically insulting any manufacturer.......Let's just say that there has never been a top notch cat made west of the Mississippi and let it go at that.

Here's a list of what I consider to be "good" Cats:

30' Shadow Cat

30' Chris Cat

Skaters........ The 24 is tad small for the real rough stuff. otherwise they are the best in the world.

Talon....... 37'..and the current Hustler variant......

Most English Cougars....... in aluminum and later composites

Express Cats...and Ocean Express cats

Ten Cara's........ if you don't mind spending twice the value for a boat.

The Linder/ Luhrs/Adams Conquests......

Jaguars.

CUV's......in aluminum

There are other pops and copies of the above....but, heck, they're pops and copies......and not going to get my endorsement here.

The "center pod" cats don't work real well....and a lot of them are plug ugly to boot....( P.S. I know the next question;) ...Amazing top speed can be obtained with a bath tub......if you apply enough horsepower...... and magazine "endorsements" can be arranged based on the size of a manufacturer's ad budget in that periodical)

T2x

Talon....... 37'..and the current Hustler variant......



The "center pod" cats don't work real well....

T2x [/B][/QUOTE]

HUH? every Talon I have ever seen has one of the biggest center pods out there.Those things are dam nearly tricycles.:D

And what exactly are your thoughts on the new center podless Eliminator 36?

Hey QS,
There is a (1987?) 39 ocean express from grand haven that is at viscious one's shop with a big for sale sign on it for about 20K less than that warlock. It's the one with the black Panther on the side if you know the boat. It could use some dash, and interior updates to look newer, but that boat wouldn't care what the waves were like. It has mild blower motors, and ssm3's and it's a heavy boat, so it wont be doing blistering speeds, but it will handle the SHizit on lake michigan well. I think it still runs somewhere in the 90's though, plus a monster cabin, and it's on a traliler.

Airpackr.......... Regarding the Eliminator....... Let the race results speak for themselves....at present the hull is getting blitzed by Skaters in the APBA.

The Talon , on the other hand , has done pretty well going back to "Suigeneris" in the early 90's. This hull has a lot of aerodynamic lift and is very nicely balanced.

T2x

T2x,

I love that west of the Mississippi quote!:D

30' Shadow Cat...I raced one as you know and it was an UNBELIEVEABLE rough water runner!

Skaters....I have one of those "tad small for the real rough stuff" 24's and it will out run, out handle, out ride any vee up to 32+ in the rough or calm.

The "center pod cats"...well, you summed it up best. How can I top that?:D

OH YEH....well....well.....well, wait a minute and I'll get back with ya :p

Sorry U.T.................. I wish Phil and I got a chance to speak with you BEFORE you made your choice.


T2x

T2x,

Do you think that U.T. may be persuaded to cross party lines and come to the other side?;)

Oh yeh, well explain "layup period" on your insurance contract :eek: :)

Hey Jersey bro’s, just busting your rocks a little. I know I can’t get there on the boat side of the argument, so I thought I’d pull the old ad hominem **** on you

Actually got my wife to crawl around in 36Skaters Skater at the poker run last weekend. Hoping she would get turned on. Her only comments were, “the cabins too small,” and “how do you handle the wind in the face without canopies?”

Oh well! Almost got her to go to Skaterfest last year. Guess I’ll just keep trying. In the mean time, what are the words to that old Beach Boy song, “I wish they all could be Jersey girls?” :p :D

While the experts are on this subject. Could you please list the cats that don't have center pods. I think T2x's list may have already done this. Thanks.

Brian

T2x
Thanks for the education on cats. I'll take a pass on the Warlock and keep looking. I'm surprised the Daytona brand didn't make the list of good cats. For Uncles Toys sake I hope its not just good marketing.

A_R
I appreciate the lead but my slip is only 34'. Sticking 5' out in the river probably wouldn't go over with the harbor master. It sounds interesting though and it is on T2x's list of good cats. It sounds like its worth a look.

U.T.,

About the wind issue...First, they make flip up wind screens that are easily installed and work great! You may also want to consider 1/4 canopies. There is an all white 32 for sale in my home town advertised on www.skaterpowerboats.com check it out.

Shane

Shane, you bring up a good point. Remember on that 46’ Skater we all sat around and watched being launched. Didn’t he have some kind of retraceable windshields?

Got to mention, the passion you guys project for your boats is really fun to observe. Except for T2x, I guess he’s at the next level up. ;)

It must be one hell of a boat for so many high-end guys to get that excited about it. Really makes a guy want to be part of the club. :cool: :)

Come on SHANE thats a stretch doon't ya think?

U.T.,

Our club does NOT discriminate. PLEASE join the ranks...we would be honored to have you. I don't know about being a high end guy, remember I only have a 24, but I CAN tell you, that if you have one, regardless of size, other Skater owners will do ANYTHING for you. Not to say that all oerformance boaters aren't like that as well, just there seems to be this special connection we share in owning a Skater. If you ever want a ride in a "BABY SKATER" you are more than welcome to run a poker run with me on mine.

Shane

GRH,

Anytime you want to run a 31 Vee up next to mine you will quickly see the difference. Remember, SKATERS are VASTLY different than an AO like Jimmy's.

Skatermike24, Ryan Beckley, Charlie28, T2x, George Lindner, care to comment?

SHANE - Name the time & place & you're on....

GRH,

TIME...next spring, Skater put away for winter and waiting for my new gear case. You can even man the wheel.:D

SHANE- Place?....

Wherever! Hudson, LG, NYC Poker Run if my neighbor doesn't go, 1000 Islands Run.... Ask Miller he ran with me in Gananoque!

I was just on the Skater site looking at all the boat's in their used section. The 32 with 502efi's and bravo zx drives and a cabin for 105K looks pretty intresting. Just needs a lmore modern look in the interior. That's almost want I want. It's still 4 feet short of the 36 though, and the motors aren't enough. But it's 1/2 the price of a 36.

SHANE - Any of those sites will be fine... I was at the 1000 Islands too.... I watched you follow a bunch of 32 footers up that river....no offense intended my friend.... but like I said .... up to 32' is a stretch.... up to 28'... maybe up to 30' singles (SUPERBOAT EXCLUDED) I'd buy... but you get up to 32' in 6' water & your outgunned my friend.... ;)