Powercat 3000 Sports

The number of large trailerable boats on the market is on the rise. There are a lot of large boats available from a number of manufacturers that may be conditionally towed under permit from the relevant traffic authorities. These permits usually forbid towing after dark and require a wide-load flag and sign on the towed boat. When you get into this league, tow vehicles are often in the range of Ford F250s and upwards, as these kinds of rigs often weigh in at around 3.8 tonnes.

PowerCat’s 3000 Sports is one such big rig and we tested it out of Bribie Island.

This rig won the AMIF Fishing Non-Trailerable award in the 2005 Boat of the Year contest and a closer inspection reveals why.

The versatility of this boat is what gets it runs on the board. Featuring a hard top running off a targa, the sleek lines are imparted down the stylish windscreen to a large foredeck, where two adults could comfortably relax. Access to this part of the boat is most easily done via the hatch in the roof of the cabin.

The forward part of the hard top is supported by a heavy, stainless steel framework that allows for full beam to beam viewing and the installation of clears.

 Beach access off the stern is via a wide and gently sloping companionway that leads from a half-cut transom bulkhead, which has a fibreglass safety fence to match the rest of the aft end. A stainless steel ladder drops down for easy entry onto the companionway and there are stainless steel handrails between the pair of 200hp Suzuki four strokes.

The owner of this boat had a hinged gate put in the starboard transom for easy access on and off the pontoon at his canal estate home, as well as a short step to get him to the correct level before alighting.

VERSATILITY
The large compartments in the aft corners of the transom could be plumbed for livebait, used for rubbish, or to store wet and sandy clobber.

A deckwash was available at the transom, with hot water coming from a 25lt heat exchange system built by PowerCat and approved by Suzuki Marine.

It is at this end of the rig that its versatility begins to show. Comfortable corner lounges offer a great place to kick back in the sun. The gap between the two allow one to negotiate the transom exit gate, but then again an infill may be installed to turn the lounges into a second double berth for sunbaking or sleeping under the stars. To accommodate some serious fishing, the corner lounge bases unclip and can be totally removed, transforming the cockpit into a work deck. A table, stowed against the forward end of the central galley unit, may be installed when the seat bases are present to create a functional dining suite.

The centre module in the 3000 is brilliant. Slightly offset to port, there’s enough room between it and the portside liner to allow quick access to the helm. The aft end of the unit contained a recessed fridge and, on each rounded corner, there’s a cupboard for storing crockery and the like.

 A cutlery draw was high on this fascia and the fully guard-railed bench top featured a neat, round sink and a flush-mounted, removable hatch that opened to reveal a cook top. The high back of the kitchen area prevented objects bouncing forward in rough conditions while also acting as the back rest for the skipper and passenger on the front side. The seat bases folded into the back rests to make a soft, flush back support.

In both the port and starboard cockpit liners there is a number of open and hatched storage compartments, as well as one large, wet well in the deck of the companionway that would be in the vicinity of 100lt. It drains to the bilge.

The helm is located to the port side of the dash, allowing for a large aperture in the helm bulkhead to give access to the cabin below. Instrumentation was neatly laid out on a brow behind the wheel, with binnacle controls within easy reach.

Entry to the cabin is via a single, lockable door on the face. The companionway is easy to traverse and, immediately in front, was a neat console concealing a pump-out head. At the back of this is a wardrobe for storing clothes. The rest of the cabin was taken up with a queen-size bed.

It’s an enormous bed to have in any boat and I’ve never seen such a neat installation on a cat before. Sitting upright on the bed, one’s head would be close to the cabin roof, but there’s ample room to sprawl out.

CAT OUT OF THE BAG
The Suzukis are a good match with the 3000 Sports. They were extremely quiet and at 6000rpm you could still hold a normal conversation at the helm. At that rev range, the engines were at full throttle and the boat recorded a GPS speed of 79km/h. Backed off to 2000rpm, the boat was running at 17km/h and, at 3000, it pushed 36km/h.

Its comfortable cruise speed was at 47km/h. At this speed, the engines were running at 3500rpm, but 4000rpm showed 54km/h on the chartplotter.

The shallow water in the north end of Moreton Bay is typically choppy. But even with a strong wind on the quarter, the boat’s windscreen and occupants inside remained very dry. The water coming off the hull at the stern was clean and only a wisp of spray splashed the outboards.

 Anyone who has ever fished or travelled in a cat would appreciate the stability offered by the two hulls underneath. Twin hulls often chine-walk, which means they rock from one hull to the other when crossing waves at an angle. This was not evident in the 3000 model, perhaps partially due to the weight of this hull, but also because of the deep, sharp keel entry at the forefoot of each hull. That feature in itself makes for good wave-piercing attributes in steep chop.

With the chop reaching to three quarters of a metre, this boat still ran at full throttle. There was no discernable aeration at the prop or change in tune of the engines when the 3000 was thrown into full lock at that speed. Steering remained responsive and manoeuvrability when reversing using transverse thrust and push and pull on the engines is as good as it gets.

I had to think long and hard about what I didn’t like about this rig. There really isn’t anything... other than the fact I can’t afford one myself, and if I did I wouldn’t have the space to store it or a vehicle to pull it. Those that do should get themselves into one. As an all-rounder, there’s a lot to enjoy!