Seawind 1000

Let's design a sailing boat for the Australian way of life. We'll make it seaworthy, spacious and speedy, give it a huge amount of outdoor and covered deck space, a barbecue on the rail, and a shady place to laze by the water.

Quite by design that is the portrait of the very popular Seawind 1000. Richard Ward, the man behind the brand, has hit on something of a winner with his fast and fashionable cruising boats.

Whichever way you look at them, Seawind catamarans suit the Australian ethos like a banger sanger with tomato sauce. In fact, wherever you go, they seem perfectly at home.

Seawind has sold 60-something of the celebrated 1000 since it was released as a soft-top version in 1994. While only hard-top versions are now in demand, foreign markets looking for a taste of our sailing lifestyle are queuing up for the cat.

These days, more than 50% of Seawind boats are exported and the biggest market is predictably the east coast of North America. Yet the Seawind 1000's appeal is much wider, leading to sales in Brazil, Jamaica, the Caribbean, Thailand, New Caledonia and even Italy.

This is to say nothing of the fact that charter companies all around Australia have embraced the Seawind 1000 like a sausage in a roll. For example, you can charter the cat in the Whitsundays, Moreton Bay, Lake Macquarie, Gosford and Pittwater, and with a skipper on Sydney Harbour.

In fact, Ward says he will refund the charter fees if you buy a Seawind catamaran as a direct result of chartering. More than a marketing ploy, this is something which he has been forced to do on many occasions. Spend time aboard and you too will be convinced.

DESIGN PARAMETERS
"I set out to design pretty much the catamaran equivalent of the Beneteau," Ward says. "The boat had to have absolutely superb sailing qualities - that was first and foremost - and it had to be beautifully built, luxurious and world standard."

These traits have been incorporated in the Seawind 1000, a stylish boat which uses a nifty Scott Jutson-designed hull with Ward's own innovative deck and interior. He explains that construction is all foam sandwich using uni-directional and bi-axial glasses, making Seawind the first Australian company to get a sailing catamaran in survey.

For the benefit of the odd few worried about catamarans at sea, Ward points out that the chances of flipping a Seawind 1000 are "theoretically zero". All his fast cruising cats have plenty of buoyancy in the bow, and to his knowledge no-one has ever got into trouble in one.

Among the passages these boats have undertaken are Sydney to Lord Howe Island, up to the Great Barrier Reef countless times, from Sydney to Darwin (by a 73-year-old), and San Francisco to Mexico (through the eye of a wicked storm which flattened houses but not the yacht).

Recently a new Seawind 1000 bounded across Bass Strait for its new home in Tasmania. Safety and stability have been traits that have shone through in all cases and, considering how far and wide the Seawind 1000 is selling, it would be fair to assume these are all-weather craft. Cats for all occasions.

CREATURE COMFORTS
But the unique feature of the Seawind 1000 is undoubtedly the way the saloon flows to the aft deck, much like a patio leads to a sunroom once the French doors have been folded open. The giant saloon and cockpit contribute to a fantastic amount of outdoor space and views to die for, while providing shelter in the event of bad weather.

The lay-out permits crew and non-sailing guests to socialise together, one of the main reasons the boat is so popular for chartering. With a hard-top covering lounges around a big saloon table, wraparound windows, and hatches for fresh air, the Seawind 1000 can comfortably accommodate up to 12 people while sailing at 10-12kt.

But unlike the ride on a monohull, your pretzels will remain in the bowl and your beer on the table. Ward says the stability factor alone means wives and families instantly warm to the cat. He says his Seawind 1000 has even saved marriages - surely a first for any boat.

The design allows kiddies a sense of freedom, with personal space away from boring mums and dads, from the trampolines in the bow to the walk-through transom.

Add to this the benefits of fast passage sailing and you might find yourself sold on the cat. While Ward has had a Seawind 1000 surfing at 19.5kt, the norm is cruising at 7.5kt in a little breeze instead of trudging along at 5.5kt in a mono. Along the way, you will find the Seawind is a snap to sail - virtually set and forget - making it perfect for short-handed crews and, of course, charterers.

Finally, there is the special attribute of manoeuvrability derived from twin 9.9hp four-stroke Yamaha outboards. These are lifted and deployed by a pulley system and insulated by deck hatches. With electric start, high-thrust, easy maintenance, less weight, no drag and little noise, the little kickers are a smart alternative to diesel inboards.

BON VOYAGE
Using the twin throttles, this catamaran can be spun on its axis, as I discovered when we weaved our way out of the marina for the wilds of a windy harbour. The mainsail lies ready in lazy jacks, while the headsail has roller furling for similarly quick dispatch.

Doing 7kt under motor, this sailboat is as motor friendly as can be. Only the occasional passing ferry pushes up a wash that causes a motor to cavitate. This, assures Ward, isn't anything to worry about and is peculiar to passing boat wake rather than ocean swell.

Set up for the cruising life, the boat has a targa arch with twin 120 watt solar panels that trickle-charge the batteries and keep them running the fridge and freezer, the electronics and the electric anchor winch all day and night.

Under the arch are pushpit seats, an optional centre-mounted stainless barbecue (a must) and two gas bottles which also serve the internal hot-water system.

The cockpit has two moulded skipper's seats and twin wheels, a central table and a big U-shaped lounge (it converts to a spare bed) with storage beneath. A bimini top and all self-draining non-skid decks ensure you remain dry and comfortable.

On the butt-end of the sponsons are wide boarding steps, a retractable swim-ladder on the port side, while the deck is backed by three life lines for safety. Up three steps from the cockpit you can walk to the bow along modern moulded decks, launch the anchor from the locker, or simply delight in the fresh air and salt spray.

There are two wonderful trampolines for watching the dolphins cavort from the bow, and an ingenious hatch through which an aluminium ladder folds into the water. This way, the kids can play off the bow while the parents swim off the stern. Divers might also consider the access to the water.

Another smart touch is the fold-down mast which, after 15 minutes work, folds forward to allow passage under low-slung bridges. It would be handy for heading upriver on places such as the Clarence and Yamba, for example.

The helm, with cable steering, is light enough and there is a binnacle over the starboard-side companionway harbouring the sailing gauges. The view forward is through a curved Lexan front window or around the sides.

FLARED INTERIOR
By flaring the inner or tunnel sides off the sponsons, Ward has enlarged the accommodation and created a big galley and head, all with full headroom. The access below leads off the cockpit to port and starboard, with five stairs that are easily negotiated.

The starboard sponson includes an aft double bunk with a hanging locker and storage beneath the mattress, in shelves and dedicated lockers, mainly finished in flowcoat. The headliner is white, the fabrics conventional, and the choice of teak flooring and American oak joinery imparts a solid feel. Yet, there is just 250kg of timber in the boat.

Amidships is a purpose-built cupboard with glass, bottle, bowl and plate shelves and a cutlery drawer that won't fly open in a seaway. The galley has huge amounts of storage space, with cupboards below and above, and a pantry the envy of any galleying gourmet.

There are also twin stainless sinks, formica bench tops, a two-burner stove/griller, and a fridge/freezer of catering proportions. A small dining area for two or three persons is situated forward at the foot of the double berth in bow. The dinette has a small fold-up leaf table. Methinks it better to eat outside.

While the starboard sponson has accommodation for three guests, the port side is more the domain of the owner. It has a big amidships double berth - about to be further enlarged - a pile of lockers and a book shelf. Though there's accommodation in the bow, many opt to make the cabin a walk-in wardrobe or lounging area.

Aft is a massive moulded fibreglass bunker of a bathroom with room for a well-earned shower, a manual loo, and a sink with hot and cold water. My only reservation centres around the fact there is just one hatch. Ward says many opt for opening portholes to improve ventilation.

Though the American oak is a hardy timber, a light-hued wood coupled with more summery fabrics and beachy bedspread would no doubt help liven things up. As Seawind has terrific woodworkers, this shouldn't be a problem.

In a nutshell, the boat's interior is well planned by sailors who view practicality and comfort above all else.

SALAD DAYS
We had the Seawind 1000 fairly hooting along in 20-25kt of south-east wind, reaching across the harbour and making useful headway without having to sail too far off the breeze.

With all lines leading aft to the cockpit, a husband and wife team can sail without much effort. Actually, you can do it single handed.

But the fickle weather which has plagued the east coast this summer was up to its usual tricks. Just as we had a taste for doing 10kt or so, the wind fizzled to a whimper. Still, the Seawind ran nicely downwind with the optional kite. It would make a fun weekend racer, if not a boat to blast along the back of beaches on your passage north.

Ward calls it patio-sailing and says he designed the Seawind 1000 around his needs.

"I like to enjoy the outdoors, but I still want luxury," he says. "I was setting out to achieve a lifestyle - that's what sailing is all about or should be - and this is it. It's a good entertaining boat, too."

Really, there's not much left to say other than you need to spend time aboard the Seawind 1000 to appreciate its virtues. While it looks like a catamaran from afar, aboard it feels more like a summer house.

Already I'm thinking about the Whitsundays, blue sky days, bare-footed sailing aboard. It's such memories which tide you over from one summer to the next. It's such memories which have turned many Seawind charterers into Seawind owners.