23m Wavepiercer Trimaran (See build photos at end of page)

The vessel operates as a private motor yacht in the Indian Ocean surrounding the island of Mauritius. She is configured as a two deck wavepiercer trimaran, offering a large external cockpit, an adjacent galley and dinette and a bridge area capable of seating a pilot and seven passengers in aircraft style ‘one plus one’ seating arrangement.  Sleeping accommodation for eight persons is provided in three double cabins plus a twin bunk arrangement.

The vessel is used chiefly as a day boat, but with over nighting capabilities.  Of significant importance is the ability of the boat to travel, at moderate to high speeds, the 250 nautical miles of open ocean between the islands of Mauritius and Saint Brandon and to return without refuelling.  The form of the craft is relatively novel; intended to maximise passenger comfort at high speeds in rough water, the central hull is designed to wave pierce, rather than pitching, rising and falling over oncoming waves. This requirement has been verified by extensive model tests carried out by Craig Loomes Design Group.
 
 

The vessel has been built, equipped and finished to pleasure yacht standards. The construction medium is E-glass, epoxy, foam cored sandwich composite, utilising stitched E-glass reinforcement materials, epoxy resins and both linear and cross linked PVC foam cores. 

Powering is by twin Caterpillar C18's rated to 1000hp. The propulsion units are Seafury surface drives, with surface piercing propellers.

The vessel was built by Diogene Marine of Mauritius and follows work done and experience gained with the large scale test model. A series of build photos are shown below.
 

Hull frames	Deck Frames
Hull structure	Hull structure
Deck structure	Demihull topsides
The excellent build team on the side deck	Deck structure internal
"Is it a plane?"	Cockpit and aft bulkhead
"Are you sure it's not a plane?"	Bridge windows
The kiwi builders (just before the All Blacks whooped  the British & Irish Lions in the first rugby test 2005)	Bottom shell and centretopsides
Rolling the hull component	Ready for the outside skin
A minimal application of fairing compound	Typical CLD fluting detail
Sunroof opening	Portlights & hull fairing
Sponson side preparing to be faired	Sponson side faired
Hull & deck joined on trailer aft	Hull & deck joined on trailer fwd
A bit of elbow grease...	Dry fitting seafury surface drives
Foredeck painted	Exterior fit-out
Menacing looking machine	Not menacing looking build crew