2019 PowerCat 2400 Pioneer review

Twelve months in the making, the PowerCat 2400 Pioneer is the first model launched by new PowerCat owners, Grant and Melissa Oliver, and arguably the first properly new PowerCat model in a decade.

PowerCat needs little introduction to Australian powered catamaran enthusiasts, but some boaters may not be aware that this Sunshine Coast, Queensland-based boat maker was established more than 30 years ago.

I distinctly recall (and even tested) some of the classic early PowerCat models from the late 1980s – such as the 248, 288 and the flagship at the time, the sterndrive powered 328 Flybridge. More recent highly regarded models include the 2500 Sports Fishermen and the 3000 Sports Targa – both dual outboard-powered, rough water-capable craft.

In the modern PowerCat boat range there are around a dozen different models plus a series of custom commercial boats. The flagship is the 3100 Platinum Series Cruiser. The entry model was the 2500 Sports Fishermen, but the smallest PowerCat now available is the new PowerCat 2400 Pioneer centre console.

Package pricing for the Pioneer 2400 starts from around $189K, and includes a pair of Suzuki 115hp in-line four-cylinder, extra-longshaft (25-inch) counter-rotating four-stroke outboards with hydraulic steering, along with a custom-made PowerCat dual-axle galvanised steel trailer with AL-KO suspension axles and a Sensabrake breakaway braking system. This is a heavy-duty, 3500kg rated trailer, over-built to handle the Pioneer's 3.0-tonne BMT towing weight.

The PowerCat Pioneer 2400 will come to you as a virtual turn-key boating package, complete with a Raymarine fishfinder/chartplotter display and VHF radio, Fusion stereo, Maxwell electric anchor winch and rode, full interior lighting, and more.

There's too much standard kit to mention here, but additional key items include the moulded helm console with bow seat, console head compartment and chemical toilet, twin 200L fuel tanks, 80L water tank with freshwater deck shower, dual batteries with VSR and isolator, two plumbed 38L transom live wells, self-draining rear deck, a pair of 700g/h bilge bumps, saltwater deck wash, rear boarding platform with stainless steel gate and boarding ladder, Ritchie compass, GME EPIRB, fire extinguisher, and a safety gear pack for six adults.

Being the first of the new PowerCat Pioneer 2400s, our test boat was understandably loaded with extra features and options, including a pair of more powerful Suzuki 140hp outboard engines fitted with hydrofoil anti-ventilation plate fins to provide more stern lift.

The electronics gear was upgraded to include a Raymarine Axiom Pro RVSC 12-inch display with chirp transducer with matching Axiom 12-inch repeater screen chartplotter, and a Raymarine Evolution autopilot with P70R controller.

Our test boat also gained an upgraded Savwinch 1500 anchor winch, the moulded fibreglass hardtop with stainless steel support/grab rails, underfloor storage/fish boxes, coaming bolster padding, Rhino non-slip floor lining, rear bait board, LED underwater and spreader lights, 12-volt spotlight, CZone digital switching, a Minn Kota Riptide Ulterra 36-volt bow mount electric trolling motor (with battery pack and charger), and a central work station with sink and mixer-tap, tackle storage and a 49L Isotherm fridge.

With the above deluxe fit-out package, the price for the PowerCat  2400 Pioneer rises to a substantial $256,616. It's worth noting, however, that this price will fall to $244,416 if you take out the Minn Kota trolling motor, which is $12.2K by itself.

The PowerCat 2400 Pioneer has a high-sided, powered catamaran hull with 28-degree vee, symmetric-shaped sponsons that sharpen to virtual knife-points at the bow. The hull has quite a low tunnel, but it is still able to entrap and compress air between the sponsons when the boat is running at speed, cushioning the ride in heavy chop.

I know from experience that this hull works best when it is lightly laden, providing a wonderfully soft ride in bay chop and offshore in the rough stuff. Excess weight is the nemesis of most powered cats, and this is true of the 2400 series hull.

Keep it light and agile and you can expect it to perform beautifully; much softer, more comfortable, and more stable than a similar-sized monohull.

The PowerCat 2400 Pioneer's hull is made from fibreglass with a series of bulkheads in each sponson forming watertight safety compartments that can be foam-filled to provide positive flotation to Australia's Level Flotation standard.

Only quality fittings and fixtures are used throughout the PowerCat build, and a vacuum resin-infusion process is used to save weight in a number of moulded fibreglass parts, including the optional hardtop on our Pioneer 2400 test boat.

The PowerCat Pioneer 2400 is designed for offshore boating and fishing with a standard dual-width centre console separating uncluttered bow and stern fishing decks.

The helm console is traditional in size, but has a thoroughly modern, port-side offset helm station and two-tiered fascia to easily accommodate two large multifunction displays along with the switch panel and engine instruments.

There is no glovebox, but storage nooks on each side of the dash cater for your wallet, phone, car keys and more. There's also a pair of cup holders, a moulded footrest, and a radio mounting panel under the optional hardtop, although the VHF radio on our tets boat was secured to the dash.

The design of the helm station has the full-height, deck-to-hardtop windscreen and side windows that wrap around the console to shelter the crew and the dash electronics from the weather. There is a small blind spot created by each of the A-pillars, but the three-pane windscreen set-up is otherwise practical and sturdy.

The car-like, square-bottomed sports steering wheel and binnacle throttle controls are well-positioned for a comfortable drive, and there is space alongside the skipper for the first mate to stand, sheltered by the console.

The padded helm seats are basic but reasonably comfortable. Flip-up front bolsters boost standing space and make it easier to move around the helm console and the optional aft work station.

Alongside the helm console there is a minimum of 400mm of walkway space so you can stride easily forward to the bow's fishing deck and anchor well.

The forward deck is quite heavily sloped (due to the hull tunnel shape), but the optional Rhino flooring fitted to the test boat gives you enough grip underfoot to stand and fish from the bow, and to operate the optional Minn Kota electric trolling motor.

Compartments alongside the anchor well provide space for fender and rope storage and for the battery to operate the electric trolling motor.

Dominating the cockpit in our test boat was the optional deluxe lean post/work station upon which the helm chairs are also mounted. From the rear cockpit, you have access to a freshwater sink with mixer tap, four storage compartments, tackle storage drawers and a 49L Isotherm fridge.

The aft workstation does swallow a fair bit of rear cockpit space, but I still consider it a worthwhile addition to the boat, even at the list cost of $6800.

Swapping out the workstation for a standard pair of helm chairs will boost the cockpit space, but I think the 1.25m of space currently available is sufficient for sport fishing, keeping in mind you can also fish a full 360 degrees around the boat.

The PowerCat 2400 Pioneer is a high sided boat with a correspondingly deep cockpit with plenty of freeboard; up to 970mm along the sides of the boat. This high freeboard makes it safe to walk about the boat in rough weather, but most anglers prefer a little less depth for game fishing to make it easier to wield a rod when fighting a fish. Fortunately, the freeboard in the rear cockpit of the PowerCat is a more modest, fisherman-friendly 770mm.

Our test boat was also fitted with the optional padded coaming bolsters from the bow to the stern to make it comfortable to lean up against those high side coamings.

I'd rate the padded coaming bolsters as an essential option as this boat does not have any foot space or toe rails at floor level.

The two sets of moulded side storage pockets which flank the cockpit are great for stowing deck lines and fishing tackle.

A hinged fibreglass gate opens in the centre of the transom so you can step out onto the rear platform and climb in or out of the boat using the folding stainless steel ladder.

Identical, 38L plumbed live bait tanks are built into the transom corners. Some anglers might prefer a single, larger capacity live well, but two smaller tanks will do the job.

Our test boat was fitted with optional underfloor storage compartments with included bilge pumps. These could be used as fish boxes, but only for reef-sized fish.

Other rear cockpit features include a total of eight stainless steel rod holders, six cleats (four of them pop-up), an optional bait board, and access to the large battery compartment beneath the rear boarding platform.

The PowerCat 2400 Pioneer series hull performs admirably at sea; it handles better and rides more comfortably than I recall from previous tests, working beautifully beneath the new Pioneer centre console deck.

In the mixed-up seas outside the Gold Coast Seaway, the PowerCat 2400 Pioneer felt very well balanced, light and agile without being flighty.

The optional hydrofoil fins fitted to the outboard engines provide extra stern lift, but I suspect the trim range would be excellent regardless.

PowerCat's Grant Oliver told me he runs the fins mainly to help with correcting lateral trim and wind list, with the fins effectively enlarging each outboard engine's anti-ventilation plate to provide more upward lift when the drive leg is lowered.

Offshore from the Seaway there was a heavy chop on top of a 1.8m swell, creating conditions that would be very uncomfortable in a monohull.

At the helm of the PowerCat I was able to manage the conditions easily, the hull slicing through the sharper waves and gliding across the tops of the larger swells. It was an impressive performance, reminding me again that very few monohulls can match a really good powered catamaran for taming rough water.

Throughout, the PowerCat proved to be soft riding, stable, well mannered and surprisingly dry. We took a little spray over the bow quarter, but a lot less than I expected given the rough conditions.

We also had more than enough power to dart between the bigger waves at the entrance and to power up the back of the steeper waves on the way back into the Seaway.

The top speed we attained from the dual Suzuki 140hp outboards was a relatively modest 38.2 knots, but the test boat never felt wanting for power.

You could get by with the standard Suzuki 115hp outboard engines, but I would advocate spending the extra money for the larger ones, especially given that the two engines share the same block so there is no weight penalty to opt for the more powerful versions.

Performance*

*Both engines

Range on 95% of the 400L fuel supply at 3500rpm: 257.6nm

The PowerCat 2400 Pioneer is a wonderfully finished new boat and an excellent powered catamaran fishing platform. It has all the interior space and features required for offshore fishing, combined with a safe, seaworthy, soft riding and stable hull.

If you like powered cats, you'll love the new PowerCat 2400 Pioneer. If you're not a cat enthusiast, you really should angle for a test run in a boat like this because you might just be converted. The PowerCat 2400 Pioneer is a terrific new boat; one of the best I've tested this year.

Specifications
Model: PowerCat 24000 Pioneer
Length overall: 7.2m
Hull length: 6.7m
Beam: 2.5m
Draft: 510mm (outboards up)
Deadrise: 28 degrees (each sponson)
Hull weight: 1900kg
Weight on trailer: 3000kg (dry)
Maximum power: 2 x 140hp (25-inch extra-longshaft)
Engines as tested: Dual Suzuki 140hp four-stroke outboard engines
Fuel: Twin 200L
Water: 80L
Live bait tank: Twin 38L
Passengers: 6

Priced from: $189,500 with a dual Suzuki 115hp in-line four-cylinder, extra-longshaft (25-inch) four-stroke outboards with hydraulic steering and digital controls, and a dual-axle PowerCat 3500kg rated drive-on galvanised steel trailer with breakaway brakes.

Price as tested: $256,616 as above but with an engine upgrade to dual Suzuki 140hp four-stroke outboard engines, an upgraded Raymarine Axiom Pro RVSC 12-inch display with CHIRP transducer with matching Axiom 12-inch repeater screen chartplotter, Raymarine Evolution autopilot with P70R controller, Savwinch 1500 anchor winch, moulded fibreglass hardtop, underfloor fish boxes, coaming bolster padding, Rhino non-slip floor lining, bait board, LED underwater and spreader lights, 12-volt spotlight, CZone digital switching, Minn Kota Riptide Ulterra 36-volt bow mount electric trolling motor (with battery pack and charger), and a central work station with sink, tackle storage and fridge.

Supplied by: PowerCat Marine