Glacier Bay (power) Catamaran's
BeachPlace
Catamarans in the 22 - 26 foot range. But lately they have been attracting all
sorts of attention (this writer for one) for their open ocean, long distance
crossings. They are also breaking all sorts of records doing so. The boats were
26 feet and were either open, center console types or their walk around cuddly
cabin style. All the boats were powered by Honda four stroke engines.
The following are parts of recent articles appearing in boating magazines which
was summarized printed in a local boat club newsletter here in Florida. I have
additionally taken the time to review the boat and others in it’s class which I
report on at the end of the excerpts.
====
“.................... Glacier Bay's 26' Canyon Runner power catamaran recently
became the first outboard-powered boat to reach the Bermuda Islands from the
U.S. mainland unassisted. Making the trip was Larry Graf, president of the
power catamaran manufacturer Glacier Bay of Monroe, Washington. He was
accompanied by Glacier Bay and Honda Marine dealer Troy Shields of Todd Marine
in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
The two set out alone on September 20, 1997 to complete the 728 mile trip that
took them through parts of the Bermuda Triangle. About 150 miles from Bermuda,
they encountered sloppy, rough seas and waves coming from three different
directions. According to Shields, "I wouldn't have made the trip on anything
other than a Glacier Bay catamaran. There were others who attempted the
journey, but most never got to the halfway point."
Boating Magazine entitled the adventure "The Bermuda Challenge," and will
present trophies to both Glacier Bay and Honda Marine. The successful
completion of the 37-hour trip was made possible by the latest in power
catamaran designs and state-of-the-art 4-stroke outboard technology.
The Glacier Bay 26' Canyon Runner power catamaran provided an extra-stable,
seaworthy ride. This allowed the boat to handle rough ocean conditions which
have prevented v-hulled craft similar in size from completing this kind of
ocean adventure in the past. The voyage required just about 350 gallons of
fuel, much less than ordinary 2-stroke outboards would need. Twin Honda 90 hp
4-stroke outboards provided outstanding fuel efficiency. Graf and Shields still
had 7 hours of fuel left when they reached Bermuda.
The boat needed no special alterations to make the Bermuda voyage. Cruising
between 20 and 25 mph, Graf and Shields used a chart plotting/GPS navigation
system provided by Furuno and computer charts provided by Navionics software.
As for a future adventure, Graf replied, "Who knows, we may try the North
Atlantic next time."”
Then the headlines of a Honolulu Newspaper read:
“Local businessman attempts world record from Oahu to Midway Island”
.......Joe Adams, General Manager of Windward Boats in Kailua, will attempt a
world open ocean distance record for outboard powered boats. Adams will deliver
two boats purchased by the U.S. Dept. of Fish and Wildlife and Midway Sports
Fishing to Midway from Oahu. Travel is by two 26' Glacier Bay Catamarans
powered by newly introduced, twin 130 HP Honda 4 cycle engines. The boats will
be fully outfitted to include all safety equipment, full electronics including
single side band radio, auto pilot, etc. Barring bad weather, the 1,300 mile
expedition will begin on or about August 27 1998.
Participants include Adams, who will captain one of the boats, and Larry Gaff,
President of Glacier Bay Catamarans, captain of the second boat. Rob
Shallenberger, Refuge manager, Midway Atoll, will represent the fish and
Wildlife Department. Representatives from Sportfishing Magazine and Trailer
Boat Magazine as well a videographer will also be on board to record the
historic event”.
....With a crew of three aboard each boat they explored and fished their way to
the northwest completely unassisted along a chain of six extremely remote
islands. A trade wind route that averaged 6’ foot swells with white caps in the
20 mph winds which were always on their quarter. Yet on Sat., Aug. 29th as
they headed towards the French Frigate Shoals for refueling, they experienced
some 25 ft. swells that fortunately were the long & rolling type and didn't
give them too many problems as they navigated through them.
Except for the extra 400 gallon tanks, these were production boats and motors.
They used the same Furuno and Cetrek auto pilot that one might find on the
shelves of Boat US or West Marine. They cruised at 22 knots (25mph) and
consumed 865 gallons some of which was pre-delivered to island outposts ahead
of time. The longest let was over 600 mi with most others being in the 300 -
400 mi range. After seven days they Cruised into Midway, boats and crews in
great shape. Says Larry Graf “ A boat it a terrible thing to waste, So stop
reading and get out there yourself”
We also read about a fellow who took a Honda powered 26’ Glacier Bay from St.
Petersburg Fl, to Annapolis.
“I made a bet with my friend Joe that I could do a 1,300-mile run and handle
everything-navigate, steer, make repairs and the occasional lunch-without any
help. It would be from St. Petersburg, Florida, to Annapolis, Maryland, aboard
one of our long-term project boats, a 26' Glacier Bay cuddy-cabin catamaran
with twin Honda 130s. The rig was straight from the factory. So Joe figured I'd
never attempt it, and if I did, I wouldn't get very far. Joe didn't know it,
but his money was already in my wallet well before I left the dock. .....”.
“ ........One thousand three hundred miles in less than a week after leaving,
Joe helped me tie up at our dock in Annapolis...and paid up on the spot. For me
it was easy money, plus I got six days of "therapy." I may have been
schizophrenic-as helmsman, deckhand and navigator all in one-but this was
definitely my kind of rehabilitation. I came back happy, tan and fatter in the
wallet. God, I love boating. With or without a crew”.
And finally from this November's (98) Boating World from the article entitled
Walkers Cay Chronicle
“...It doesn’t take long for things to get interesting when crossing to the
Abaco's from Ft. Lauderdale (in a pair of 26’ Glacier Bay Cats). As we hit the
Gulf Stream, the seas started rising. Usually when waves get around 5 feet, my
anxiety level begins to climb. We were in steep 6 foot seas, cruising at 30 mph
and I’m not touching the wheel or throttle. As I sit at the helm with my hands
crossed, I am absolutely stunned: the boat is driving itself”.......
This writer has been out on three types of cats. The Glacier Bay which is a
full displacement hull catamaran and is definitely the smoothest as compared to
a full planning hull like the Grady White. The Grady, this writer found to be
the least desirable and quite bouncy in just 2 - 3 ft swells even preventing
the practical use of its front seats. The in-between is the semi displacement
hull as characteristic by World Cat. On a recent test ride in 3-4 seas we
passed a sixty footer close to its stern wake at full speed. Its wake caused
little impact or bouncing. The World Cat is a little faster than the Glacier
Bay but for ascetic reasons Glacier Bays wins out in this writers opinion.
For one the World Cat, has a steering ram for each of it’s motors which could
get out of alignment. The transom has no opening gate and is close to 30 inches
wide forcing one to sit on it, and swing your legs over to cross to the
platform. The transom compartments in the WC that hold the batteries (and oil
reserve if you choose 2 stroke engines) are difficult to get at making it
difficult to fill the oil and almost impossible if you opt for the optional
transom bench seat.
The cabin area in the GB is moved more to the forward affording more cockpit
space. And as far is the cabin interior layout we have to go with the Glacier
Bay. Both do come with electric toilets with holding tanks although with the WC
it is an option.
One last thing, don't be tempted to call the two floating sections of a
catamaran, pontoons. They are SPONSONS..
CBDO
>Glacier Bay is a name you may not heard of. They make outboard powered
>Catamarans in the 22 - 26 foot range.
<snip>
> The boats were
>26 feet and were either open, center console types or their walk around
>cuddly cabin style.
I knew there was something I liked about the cuddly cabin style..... (sorry,
sort of)
Bud Feuless 14
By the way, the GB 260 Canyon Runner, unlike the 220, employs
semi-displacement style sponsons, similar to the WorldCat. The aft sections
of the sponsons are completely flat, which I notice generally when I am
cleaning them after an offshore run. Also, GB's own ad copy confirms this
and Larry Graf will verify it for you if needed (he's a nice guy and sure
likes to talk about his boats).
I agree with some of what you seem to be saying about the quality of the GB;
however, do not over-inflate the expectations of your readers. For
instance, note the low average speeds employed in the Midway Run. Seas were
fairly large and even this boat cannot take 8-10' seas head on at full tilt.
The boat will slam in those conditions. Also note that, in large seas, it
is better to run any cat at an angle to the waves, rather than dead on
(which is acceptable for short waves). There was a recent article in Sport
Fishing, written by a gentleman named Clem... (sorry, don't recall the last
name) that was actually the first article I've ever seen in print that
truthfully relayed the ins and outs of power catamaran performance and
handling. Note also that, as a hull, while the GB out-performs many similar
cats, it does tend to roll substantially in a beam sea, as compared to some
of its competition.
I own a 1998 Canyon Runner 260 and it is a good boat. I did, however, have
to overcome some false expectations when I began running it, as many
articles in many magazines give the impression that you can launch it
completely and land light as feather. My back and doctor's bills will
testify that this is not true of the GB and, I'm sure of any other boat in
this LOA, or probably any other, for that matter. I once accidentally
launched mine off a vertical wave at the jetties doing about 30mph. We
landed something like a boulder hitting a brick wall. I was laid up with my
back shaped like an "S" for about 3 weeks...
Regards, Bud
Mak37
Thanks for the honest feedback. Can you tell me what month issue of sport
fishing mag the article on cats ran?
Thanks
Paul
Ken
catamarans. It looks to me like a good, low maintenance alternative
to a semi-displacement hull boat, as long as you don't need the
storage space.
Can anyone tell me why they cost approximately 2X as much as other
dual-o/b powered 25 foot catamaran hull boats? (i.e. $60K vs. $30K)
Ken
(to reply via email
remove "zz" from address)
Bud Feuless 14
of Sport Fishing. - Bud
Bud Feuless 14
Why do you consider this boat to be lower maintenance than a comparable
"semi-displacement hull boat"? I spend more time cleaning mine than a
comparable V-hull, as the sponsons have a lot of surface area and a tunnel
where I must remove the salt. I don't mind this... it washes up in a couple
hours. If you are referring to mechanical or electrical systems, GB's are
well designed, but so are many high-end boats that meet ABYC standards.
Why do you even compare it to other semi-displacement hulls?
Semi-displacement V-type hulls are typically used in today's "fast trawlers"
such as Grand Banks, or my Mainship, boats that generally wish to be
reasonably efficient at displacement speeds but also have the ability to get
up on plane when needed. These boats often have partial or full keels, but
do not carry ballast like full displacement vessels. Normal cruising speeds
on such boats still generally follow the speed to square root of length
relationship. A semi-displacement cat like the GB or WorldCat is better
compared to a mod-V or deep-V planing hull. Such cats do not follow the
speed to square root of length relationship, but can actually reach speeds
similar to planing hulls while still in a displacement or semi-displacement
mode. While they can move at typical V-hull displacement speeds in calm
waters, they will actually pound terribly at such slow speeds in any kind of
rough seas. They are better at higher speeds, where they smooth out
considerably. If you are interested in a trawler, then this cat is not for
you, you should look at power cats from Fountain-Pajot, Endeavor, or
TrawlerCat. If you ARE interested in a fast bluewater sport-fisherman,
compare the 260 to planing V and mod-V hull center-consoles, not
semi-displacement hulls.
"... as long as you don't need the storage space..." WHAT? The 260 Canyon
Runner has enough storage space for a giant bluefin, or at least a couple of
dead fishing buddies, in each fishbox! The center console can have a head
and enough storage for all your PFD's and 4 to six coolers! I haven't even
figured out what to do with the forward storage bin and fish box yet! The
anchor well has enough space for my #19 danforth, chain, 300' of rope, drift
anchor and paraphernalia and still has enough space left for... let's see...
oh, only about probably another 1500' of 5/8' rope...!
A fully equipped 260 with twin Ficht 150's would list out at about $61K.
You can probably get electronics and a T-Top, if you really haggle for a
final price less than $70K. This is the same price range for a similarly
equipped and similarly high quality/high-end V-hulls like Mako, Boston
Whaler, Contender, Intrepid, Fountain. Heck, the engines are going to run
over $20K alone. If you can get a 26' offshore center console new, for a
hull price less than $10K, you must be talking about some sort of
rolled-edge skiff (like the Nautico or Seagull, or (yuk) a KevlaCat) or just
a darn cheap boat. Not what I would want to risk my neck on 100 miles out,
which is what this boat is intended to do... . It is true that cats have a
lot more fiberglass (and weight) and take more work and tooling than a
similar V-hull, but, although I'd been lead to expect that this would mean a
high price for the cat, I've found that prices are very comparable to
V-hulls. While GB is not cheap, neither is a Grady White and the GB is by
far the better boat.
Get on board a Glacier Bay. Run it in 4-6' waves and leave the other boats
in your dust. Run it in 10-12' waves and notice that you will be the only
one out there (and safe (although, do learn proper power cat handling first,
there are some interesting tricks (see my preceding post and the great
article by Clem Bloom)). Try the same in the off-brand hulls or even in a
WorldCat and notice the differences. Check important things like
thru-hulls, bilge pumps, coring and flotation, scuppers, etc... . If you
really want to go far offshore in any weather, the GB has no competition.
They may be having some "corporate" problems right now, though, so you might
wait a bit to see how things shake out before you consider buying...
I hope this clarifies a few things... please don't take this as disparaging.
I'm just surprised by your points, as they are so contradictory to my
experiences and the facts as I know them. Perhaps, if you could tell us
what kind of use you have in mind for the boat, we could come back with
further and more useful information for you...
Regards, Bud
Ken
I consider any fiberglass boat with outboard motors, no marine head
and no seacocks low maintenance, especially if it has little or no
wood. Also, you don't have to winterize them.
I compare the multihulls to a semi-displacement boat because they both
perform well in steep chop, whereas a planing hull boat is almost
useless there. With a multihull, you also get the advantage of high
speed in smooth water, but this is not so important to me because I
would trailer it if I needed to get somewhere distant in a hurry.
The other boats I am considering are aluminum pilothouse
semi-displacement boats, also with outboard power.
Concerning space, none of the cats I've seen has the sheer volume of a
semi-displacement hull. I wasn't referring to equipment lockers.
This matters if you overnight.
As to price, I was comparing to a Sea Cat 25, which the manufacturer
says goes out the door at $30K.
GSS
ficht 150's, a full electronics package, and a $10,000 T-top. He paid
over $80k for it about a year ago. He has had a lot of problems with the
Fichts, but as yet, they're being handled under warranty. I have a 19'
Crestliner which I paid $3000 for. I like his boat a lot, but for the
money, I like mine a whole lot more. Unless you are rich, I cannot think
of any good reason to buy a new boat, when there are plenty of good used
boats in all sorts of configurations to be had and played with-hell,
that's half the reason you get a boat-to tinker.
Ken wrote:
--
邢 唷��
Harry Krause
>
> My friend has the glacier Bay 260 Canyon runner-beautiful boat with twin
> ficht 150's, a full electronics package, and a $10,000 T-top. He paid
> over $80k for it about a year ago. He has had a lot of problems with the
> Fichts, but as yet, they're being handled under warranty. I have a 19'
> Crestliner which I paid $3000 for. I like his boat a lot, but for the
> money, I like mine a whole lot more. Unless you are rich, I cannot think
> of any good reason to buy a new boat, when there are plenty of good used
> boats in all sorts of configurations to be had and played with-hell,
> that's half the reason you get a boat-to tinker.
>
I don't like tinkering on a boat. I like to use the boat. I'll carefully
wash out a boat each time I use it and I'll do minor maintenance on the
hull and engine and perhaps even install an accessory, but, beyond that,
I'd rather pay or trade services with someone to handle what I need with
great expertise.
If you know what you are doing, buying a used boat can be fun and
rewarding. If you don't know, it can be a disaster. And, to tell the
truth, used engines on boats scare me. It's damned hard to tell what
kind of shape it is in.
GSS
Crestliner and Glacier Bay's are for entirely different purposes) my point was
that I can do a whole lot of tinkering for $77,000, and when I mess something
up, I don't feel too bad. On my friends boat, we accidentally scuffed the bow
trying to get unhooked from a rig in the gulf of mexico-he refused to look at
the damage until we got back because he didn't want to feel bad for the rest of
the fishing trip-but you know what, he felt bad anyway. The fact's were, the
scuff was minor and if it had happened in my $3000 boat, I still would have had
a good time-he didn't though- and isn't that what going out in the boat is all
about?
Harry Krause wrote:
--
邢 唷��
PInc972390
>trying to get unhooked from a rig in the gulf of mexico-he refused to look at
Am really a troller but there is nothing more fun than seeing someone scuff
their boat and then go behind them and have your 90 pound wife tie you up in
the same spot that they just left.
Bud Feuless 14
This is a good example of what I consider a simple rule of boat buying:
Decide what you want the boat for first, then find the boat(s) that fit the
need best. While Crestliner makes (made?) the Eagle and some other aluminum
boat manufacturers also make bluewater aluminum boats, they are still mainly
targeted at the Great Lakes crowd and their designs show it (although I've
heard of one aluminum skiff manufacturer in Alaska making small cats, but
these are very much designed for those specialized regional needs). The GB
is by its nature a boat that is meant to allow you to fish in any conditions
short of a hurricane and to run at faster than displacement speeds even in
the worst conditions. While your pocketbook certainly is a deciding factor,
I think you need to decide what you want the boat for first. If you will
not be going out in rough conditions and making long-range runs or are not
primarily interested in fishing, the GB 260 Canyon Runner is simply the
wrong boat. That it might appear expensive as compared to boats that more
closely fit the need is not too surprising, but it does compare well to
other boats that meet similar needs.
By the way, I've already taken a couple dime-sized chips out of the gelcoat
and bent the bow roller pretty good on an oil rig... but you won't catch me
crying! This is a boat after all, not a classic sports car. I would (and
have) put my soul in hoc to be able to get a new boating and fishing
grounds, money is of secondary importance to these combined joys ...!
Just my $0.02... - Bud
Jeff
month. Well done, Bud.
Jeff
Sorry, but email address disguised due to unscrupulous spammers. Please respond in Usenet.
greenw...@gmail.com
Bill
what I here. Actually thought of buying
the 2270 years ago. I think they are part of World cat now.