Trade-A-Boat — January 2018

U

nfortunately, Powercat

tests don’t come around

frequently enough for

my liking, maybe every

second year if you are

lucky – and it’s no wonder as they

haveaproductthatworksanddoes

notreallyneedfurtherimprovements

especiallywhenitcomestoits3100

range.

It is a shame that trailerable cat hulls

are the minority in Australia as once

you have owned one, it’s very difficult

to go back to a mono. The cons, a cat

hull generally takes a bit of style and

fine tuning to drive – a small education

to a degree if you’re a virgin at the helm

of a cat. However, the pros significantly

outweigh the cons and a ‘decent’ cat

hull can produce a high-speed ride

that’s comfortable and far more stable

than a monohull – and that’s exactly

what Powercat has perfected in the

3100’s hull.

PREMIUM CRUISING

The latest edition to the Powercat fleet

is its 3100 Sedan Cruiser Platinum

series, an upgrade to the already

successful 3100 Sports Cruiser tested

some time back. There’s definitely a

lot more to these local Queensland-

manufactured Cats than meets the eye

at a glance, as they boast a meticulous

and crafty combination of phenomenal

ride characteristics, crossed with style

and sophistication in design, as well

as serving as an entertainer’s and even

fisherman’s delight.

So, what’s new to this already proven

hull design and top performer? Well,

at a glance the new hard top with

full glass screen and double sliding

windows to replace the clears is quite

the standout. The new hard top has

also been extended further into the

cockpit thus adding to protection from

the elements, but still maintaining a

decent open deck area in the stern. The

80-100mm of extra height also makes

a big difference to keeping it open and

spacious.

The hard-top lines and design style

is fairly sharp, even a bit boxy, but still

comes across as aesthetically stylish. A

combination of vinyl and plush linings

then adds to the interior styling and

68 trade aboat.com.au