41" cat build... big single, or twins?

[champion221elite]

So far, I have two 29 inch catamarans and have the itch for something bigger for the windy/ rougher water.

I'm wanting something in the 41''-50" inch range. I'm not looking for ballistic speed, or anything crazy. I won't be racing, so this will be a recreational boat. My ultimate goal is a boat that will run 50-60 mph, and will be reliable doing it.

For hulls, I'm thinking about either an Aeromarine Conquest or Avenger, or possibly even a Fightercat Fantasm. I would like to see suggestions for dual/ single drive that will let me hit my 50-60 mph target. I would also like motor/ esc/ prop suggestions.

Thanks for any insight you guys may have.

[78MaicoRider]

I had the exact same question/goals a few weeks ago. The cost of a HV >200 amp ESC and a large Neu, Castle, or leopard motor pushed me to twin power. I settled on 2700W Fightercat outrunners on 6s with 200A ESCs in a 41" Aeromarine Sprintcat. I don't know if this was the right path yet as I am still collecting all the parts needed. I am down to selecting the rudder. Looks like assembly will start this week.

[keithbradley]

The Conquest and Avenger will be better in rough water than the Fantasm. The Fantasm will take significantly less power for the same or higher speeds (which also obviously means more runtime out of the same batteries), and will be easier to setup.
Keep in mind that although the lengths are similar, the Conquest and Avenger are larger cats than the Fantasm.

What's your budget for this build?
Also...just out of curiosity...
Where in Michigan are you at?

[champion221elite]

Keith, I'm in Boyne City. My 29" Sprint Cat is at your place right now for some refitting. I'm thinking $1200 to $1500 budget for the larger boat.

[champion221elite]

I had the exact same question/goals a few weeks ago. The cost of a HV >200 amp ESC and a large Neu, Castle, or leopard motor pushed me to twin power. I settled on 2700W Fightercat outrunners on 6s with 200A ESCs in a 41" Aeromarine Sprintcat. I don't know if this was the right path yet as I am still collecting all the parts needed. I am down to selecting the rudder. Looks like assembly will start this week.

I would have never expected it to be cheaper to run a dual setup compared with a big single. You would think two motors, two esc's, two mounts, two complete drivelines would be more expensive than a single drive. I'm looking for something that will be fun, and also hold up. Common sense tells me that one driveline will be less failure prone than two of everything. My custom built 29" Sprint Cat has left a really bad taste in my mouth, so I'm being especially cautious this time around.

[Fluid]

From the boats I've seen, the Conquest hull with the Avenger Pro hatch is the best rough water boat among your choices. I've only seen one setup as a twin and it was nothing special - I'd rather go with a single. Right now the Castle 2028 motors are cheap and the current Castle 200HV controllers are quite good, not sure how much cheaper it would be than a twin since this hull will need larger quality twin motors and ESCs due to its size, weight and design. A club member set up an Avenger with the Castle 2028 and ICE200HV on 10S and the boat ran quite well, but was a bit flighty at 60 mph. The Conquest has less lift and is noticeably better in the wind.

The Fightercat Fantasm will be a better choice for twins - you can get away with cheaper, lower-quality motors and ESCs in the lighter, easier to push hull. But it will be a handful in rough water, and it will not turn anywhere near as well as the Aeromarine hulls.


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[champion221elite]

Fluid; from what you've described, it sounds like the Conquest with Avenger Pro hatch is what I'm looking for. The wind is constantly blowing here in Northern Michigan, and I run on natural lakes which tend to get rough. Having the smaller 29" hulls really limits my boating time to early mornings, or late evening when its more calm. Even when you're careful, its too easy to stuff a 29" hull into a wave. I'm hoping a 40+ inch hull would do a better job of spanning the wave rather than stuffing. I'm leanining towards a big single drive provided it will be reliable.

[keithbradley]

My two cents...

-> Any of the hulls you listed will be better in rough water than your 29" just due to size. The Aeromarine cats will definitely be the best in the roughest water.

-> I prefer twins in almost any cat over a single if you can afford it. I think they handle much better and are easier to set up when it comes to "sport" running, since they aren't victim to the side force that a large single prop generates. They also have the potential for higher speed than a single prop cat.

-> I disagree with the idea of twins being cheaper. If you compare equal quality parts, a twin will most definitely be more expensive to build. If this is your first build, a single will be a cheaper way to get your feet wet. As Fluid mentioned, you can get capable motors and ESCs at fairly low prices.

-> I also don't agree with the notion that a twin driveline will be more prone to failure than a single. There will be more load on a single driveline than a twin when accomplishing the same task, so the the single would actually be more likely to fail. However, if the boat is built right that shouldn't be a big problem either way. A 1/4" flex can take a lot of power.

I've built Aeromarine hulls and they really weren't for me. They are great in rough water and can really carve into the turns though, so I can see why people like them. Given your goals and water conditions, they are probably right up your alley. Just make sure to get with someone who has experience with them if you build a single, like Fluid. I would imagine that he can point you in the right direction to build a cat that handles well. There is a learning curve to getting these hulls to run straight well with the large prop required(without a lot of rudder correction). The guys who have already accomplished this can save you a lot of time/work/money.

[Heaving Earth]

What about a high Rpm small prop single? That's how I'm running my mm and it does well, although I'm not sure how that translates to larger boats. A friend of mine had a conquest with a nue 2230.... Holy crap that thing was a beast! I vote conquest as well

[Heaving Earth]

This twin looks pretty awesome

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQjqpdpdFNI&feature=youtube_gdata_player

[champion221elite]

Well, it looks like I have some decisions to make about which direction I want to go with my larger boat project. I understand the Aeromarine hulls will generally outhandle the Fantasm hull, but for sport running, what is really needed? Just jumping to a 41+ inch hull over a 29 inch hull should yield a substantial improvement in the ability to handle wind and waves.

I will have to decide if a twin powered Fantasm will meet my needs, or if I want a single powered Conquest.

[Flying Scotsman]

An interesting thread. the largest cat I run is an H&M M1 Supercat...34" long...single drive....sport setup...not great in chop.
Have you considered a mono hull? I also have an MHZ Lizard Xtreme 32.5" long... runs pretty good in windy/choppy conditions.

Douggie

[champion221elite]

An interesting thread. the largest cat I run is an H&M M1 Supercat...34" long...single drive....sport setup...not great in chop.
Have you considered a mono hull? I also have an MHZ Lizard Xtreme 32.5" long... runs pretty good in windy/choppy conditions.

Douggie

I considered a mono hull, but prefer the looks and handling of a catamaran.