I was speaking recently with Karen Schuler of Trawlers Midwest about PDQ and Lagoon, the company's power catamaran offerings. Karen and her husband Ken first began selling Nordic Tugs on the Great Lakes about 15 years ago. Today they carry American Tug and Camano, admittedly more traditional designs than either the Lagoon or PDQ. I was reminiscing about a Lagoon Power 43 I helped deliver from Florida to the Virgin Islands. "I have to tell you, it's a great island hopper", I commented.

Karen politely interrupted and corrected me; "They're also very good Great Lakes boats George." And the more I thought about it, the more I realized she was right. The expansive deck space, huge interiors and economical operation are all great attributes that have a home on the lakes as well. Better yet, the ability to shake off bad weather is something that any Great Lakes cruiser should find appealing.

Power catamarans first sprang onto the North American market about ten years ago and during the last two they seem to have an increasing presence at boat shows and marinas. Karen and Ken have basically been the pioneers in bringing power cats to the Great Lakes, complementing their other trawler offerings.

The interior space afforded by the design is certainly one of the most appealing aspects of a power cat. The Lagoon 43, for example, can be built with four heads and four staterooms in a layout that doesn't put you on top of one another. Or one of the staterooms can be turned into an office. Trawlers Midwest has a 43 in stock with a master aft instead of two staterooms, along with two separate heads. This is a convenience usually found only on boats with a much longer LOA.

During my trip to the Virgin Islands, five of us had plenty of privacy in staterooms located in each end of the hull. I was never disturbed by somebody flushing a head at night next to my pillow, or late night chatter in the saloon. Although the thumping of Bob Marley in the cockpit did jar me awake briefly. It's no wonder that the power cats are finding easy acceptance in Caribbean charter fleets.

One of the other advantages of a power cat that people may not think about is fuel efficiency. The hulls of most power catamarans are relatively narrow, usually with a length-to-beam ratio of 6 or 8 to 1, making them rather easily driven by smaller engines. For example, Karen and Ken said that during the delivery of a new PDQ 34, they burned only 6.6 gallons an hour at 18 knots total for both twin 100 hp Yanmars. This is nothing to sneeze at, compared to other cruisers. PDQ also offers twin 75 hp Yanmars, but I think the 100s are the way to go, giving a little higher cruising speed.

The lateral stability is another benefit. I'm not kidding when I tell you we hit 12-14-foot seas in the Gulf Stream on the Lagoon. They were from our aft corners and the boat rose easily with each sea before settling back down. It a while to get used to the motion, but after we did, we settled into a very comfortable routine.

But like everything on the water, there is always compromise. One item that you should be aware of with a power cat is slip availability. It won't be much of an issue with the smaller PDQ 34, but the Lagoon has a beam of 21 feet and will most likely be regulated to a T-dock slip. You should also determine if you can conveniently haul a boat with a wider beam. Are any of these items insurmountable? Absolutely not. And they should not act as a deterrent for looking at a new power cat.

Last year, Karen and Ken took delivery of the first Lagoon 43 on the lakes. After speaking to them about the trip, comparing it to my island, I thought it would be better for the people who are bringing power cats to the region to tell us a little about their first experience. Look for a detailed report on the PDQ 34 in a future issue as well.

Delivery Day

By Karen and Ken Schuler

On April 3, 2004 we were informed that our new Lagoon 43 Power Cat had been successfully loaded in France on the ship Federal Elbe with an ETA in Milwaukee of April 21, 2004. It arrived here late that day having safely crossed the Atlantic and making it's way down the St Lawrence to the Great Lakes. We were instructed to be at the Federal Marine Terminal at 8 a.m.

When we arrived, a Manitowoc crane was in place and the procedure was about to begin. As many as 15 workers were at hand to handle the slings and straps necessary to unload the vessel. It was quite a sight to see the Lagoon gradually rise out of the bellows of the ship and dangle in mid-air as the crane maneuvered her out of the ship and down the dock area to where it would be lowered into the water. A howling northeast wind had flags straight out and whipping. Not a pleasant thought for Lake Michigan on an overcast day in April with a brand new boat!

But for now, our attention was fully focused on the Lagoon as she slowly settled into the water. The workers held a ladder for us to make our way down to the boat, get the engines started, and check all the through-hull fittings and fuel flow valves. We were soon casting off the lines and on our way. It was both very exciting and intimidating. Ken had to be aggressive in getting away from the cement dock wall as the wind and waves tried to force us against it. But she responded precisely to his actions and we cruised out into the lake.

Timidly at first, we headed straight into the 5-6 footers and were soon taken by the solid feel and stable ride. She sliced and lunged through the waves as we brought the speed up to 10 knots, then 12, and then 15! We had tested this boat on the ocean and felt her solid handling there, but the short wave patterns of the Great Lakes were another matter. Our trepidation waned as she continued to perform beautifully. I was amazed as I stood in the saloon area near the inside helm, holding on to nothing, and watching the action or I should say, lack of it. The charts & books we had on the table just stayed right there. It turned out to be a very pleasant and fun ride back to Manitowoc.