Copied the following pics from a THT thread. Personally I think a console in a hull this big (and sexy) is a waste, but maybe that's an Aussy thing (we prefer cabins etc [emoji1] ). Every 2nd boat over there seems to be a big fast console, with big motors.
Regardless, is this Freeman 34 not 'cat porn' at its best???
Stepped planing type hull, integrated pods with custom trim tabs tucked in under ... in a cat!!! Round top tunnel. And what about that trailer?
In the pics the tunnel seems low, but on the water seems to have a lot of clearance (maybe lightships?). And check out how high the A/V plates are above the keel lines!
Don't know much about the Freemans, but from what I have read, they are one of the few high-end type cats available over there, and are supposedly pretty good. I want a ride in one .
Which leads me to these comments & questions; apart from a few minor tweaks, there has been no real jumps in design development of the cat in Aus for 20 - 30 or more years, well apart from maybe 1 or 2 newcomers I guess. The brands may have different owners, but the half dozen or so mainstream builders (glass and mono) are pretty much building the same stuff, are they not? Are they all that good that they don't need to improve them?
Obviously there is a huge disparity in market size in general, however some of these high end yank builders must be fairly 'boutique' - hence the opportunity to recoup R&D/tooling costs might be similar to some of our bigger guys?? Or is it that profits are still so tight that no one wants to, or can afford to, risk it? Maybe the motto is 'they work well, so why change anything if it ain't broken'... ??
Thoughts?
Enjoy the pics.
Cheers
Brendon