Signature 4000 Flybridge

Haines Hunter trailerboats reshaped the way we took to the water in the 1970s and early '80s. In more recent times, since selling that company, John Haines and his two sons, John Junior and Greg, have been busy building Signature and Traveler trailerboats.

In fact, things are going so well on the business front that John Haines went shopping for a boat in which he could cruise off into the sunset.

What kind of craft does a big boatbuilder buy? About three years ago, after clicking through some Boat Point webpages (www.boatpoint.com.au), John Haines found a boat that appealed to his instincts. It was a long-range cruiser that sipped fuel rather than gulped it - perfect for today's world - had loads of liveaboard space, was well built, seaworthy and ready for coastal voyages.

Woe betide, it was a Kiwi-built catamaran. John Haines hopped on a plane, met fourth-generation NZ boatbuilder Andrew Fink in Hamilton, formed a new boat division called Signature cats, and ordered a 36-footer and later this 40-footer.

After spending the best part of Christmas aboard - I will overlook the fact that the boat was presented in, shall we say, a lived-in condition - he has just placed an order for a 50-footer. John Haines' own boat should be at the Sanctuary Cove Boat Show in May.

While no date has been set, he and his wife, Alida, intend to cruise to the Top End and perhaps even venture across to the Kimberleys one day. A private expedition boat, his 50-footer will have a hardtop, air-conditioning, big generator, watermaker, dive compressor and loads of fuel.

But for the average retiree looking for a part-time passagemaker and occasional liveaboard boat, the Signature 4000 Flybridge should be big enough. In these times of high fuel prices, a boat like this is particularly relevant. Cruising at 19kt you will use 62lt/h on both motors. Now try doing that in a deep-vee boat.

SEA TRIALS
This 4000 Convertible has seen some sea miles. The Haines boys delivered it to last year's Sydney Boat Show and made it back home in 23 hours, including a three-hour stop in Coffs Harbour for fuel. The delivery to Sydney was in punishing 4-5m headseas, conditions that don't usually suit cats.

But by angling the bows off the waves and buttoning the hull down to a low planing speed using the trim tabs, the boat has a go-anywhere attitude, maintains John Junior. During my ocean voyage, the cat definitely performed better with a touch of in-trim to button the bows down.

The hull is from Alan Wright and Angelo Lavranos, internationally recognised designers who have over 4000 vessels in the water from traileryachts to superyachts. In recent times, power catamarans have been the boom area of their NZ-based business.

Wright and Lavranos have designed more than 60 powercats in the 10-20m range and expect to design almost that many again in bigger sizes. These two have spent a lot of time perfecting what John Junior calls a "displaning hull".

The Signature 4000 Flybridge cat has bulbous forward sections and loads of flotation in flat aft sections. The hull reduces in volume about one-third of the way back from the bow, where most monohulls are at their widest.

The idea is to create fore and aft lift using minimal effort and power. The props are in semi-tunnels and have a flattish angle of attack for efficiency. The hull was perfected on some dozen or so aluminium and cold-moulded cats before this 40-footer came along, said John Junior.

Even the construction method used by the Kiwi company is a little different to your run-of-the-mill production yard. Epoxy and microballoons are used instead of bog to fair the hull. High Modulus, a company well known for its involvement with America's Cup yachts, designed the laminate specifications.

Carbon-fibre and kevlar feature in critical areas of the composite construction, giving strength and making weight savings. The boat hasn't revealed any structural problems as a result of its interstate sea trials.

While the modern and relatively lightweight materials don't translate to the quietest of rides at sea - especially at low speed when water shunts through the tunnel despite the presence of a wave-breaker ? the relatively light hull has the efficiency to win buyers.

CUSTOM CAT FINISH
Another attraction is that the finish is to customer specifications. This 40-footer has a cork cockpit sole, custom stainless steel work, intricate mouldings with moulded doors on the hatches, and generally clever use of available space.

The interior has a contemporary feel derived from steamed European beech and NZ rimu joinery, a mocha-coloured leather lounge, camel-toned carpets and Granicoat counters. The head is a fully moulded, easy-clean, white number.

Sexy black leather is used for bed trim, and brown Macrosuede covers the double mattresses, which could get sticky, as the man-made fibre doesn't breathe.

Otherwise, there is plenty to cheer about thanks to abundant natural light filtering through big saloon windows and a cool summer breeze blowing in through the opening portholes.

TROPICAL COCKPIT
Boats owned by serious cruising aficionados tend to have covered outdoor areas. The cockpit on the Signature 4000 Flybridge was a living area with protection from the elements and room to partake in watersports.

Offering direct access to the water, the boat's full-width boarding platform works like a balcony and makes the most of the wide 4.35m beam. There is a recessed swim ladder, room to tote a RIB on brackets and plenty of space to plonk a chair or towel.

Handrails and custom-made stainless steel protectors for the mooring lines look nice and solid. And the double transom doors to port and starboard prevent traffic jams.

The transom itself contained a moulded sink with a hot/cold handheld shower with a broken plastic nozzle. The lid over the sink folds back to create a cutting board with an overboard drain.

With full insect screens and shade from the optional flybridge extension, you could cruise a tropical river without fear of mozzies, midgies or sunstroke. At anchor in that tropical setting, the cockpit will be a comfortable place to fire up a rail-mounted barbie or bait the crab pots.

There are also hatches about the cockpit, some with dedicated rope holders, for stowing lines, others for connecting the shorepower, stowing paddles, gaffs and suchlike. Deck gear includes four rodholders, teak covering boards and a lockable fuel filler locker with a drain.

Naturally, refrigeration is a strong point of this cruising boat. A moulded 150lt icebox with 12V fridge unit was built in against the saloon bulkhead. A tackle locker is above it and alongside is a huge storage well running under the central moulded staircase to the flybridge.

The built-in storage well, which had a broken hinge on its lid, has been used as a bait tank in catamarans made for US markets. Here it carried the gas bottle and a fair pile of fishing junk. John Haines intends to convert it into an extra fridge/freezer on his own boat.

DOWN AND AROUND
Three moulded steps lead from the cockpit to the sidedecks, which are backed by bow and hand rails and, as with most cats, lead to a flat and functional foredeck. In fact, there is enough room up front for carrying six adults on calm-water cruises.

Twin pulpit seats on the bowrail provide an additional spot for couples to enjoy sundowners or wait with a baited line. You could also take on passengers over the bow or partake in some dolphin spotting. The boat also had twin anchor lockers up front, a Maxwell windlass, room to stow fenders and a saltwater washdown.

Back in the cockpit, four lockable floor hatches lift up to reveal the twin Volvo KAD44 EDC 260hp diesel engines. The shafts are 1.5in numbers spinning four-blade props through Volvo gearboxes with a 2.52:1 reduction.

Custom underwater exhausts and an inverter made for quiet operation. (There was no generator, but room for one.)

The fuel tanks run up the centreline above the tunnel. There are two tanks, one for dayboating duties and the other as backup for long-range cruising.

Day-to-day access to the Racor fuel filters, strainers and the front of the engines is nice and direct via waterproof doors at the aft end of the head and third cabin. There are four bulkheads and colour-coded plumbing.

UP WE GO
The bridge is reached via an excellent centrally located moulded staircase in the cockpit. Eight steps and you are there.

The bridge extension doubles as a great spot from which to muse and cruise. There are safety rails and two seats.

Tinted clear side curtains and headroom beneath a hardtop help add to comfort. A lounge to port can accommodate up to four people.

Storage exists under the bases for lifejackets, and there is plenty of room out the back or on the foredeck for the liferaft.

The skipper gets a swivel bucket seat to starboard before a moulded dash with carbon-fibre facia.

Sensibly, there was room to flush mount a 10in colour screen, autopilot, Clarion CD stacker, VHF marine radio and remote control for the spotlight.

Volvo engines gauges, handy switch panels and a Momo tilt sports wheel complete the dash. Down the right side of the helm chair, the fuel gauge, throttles, trim tabs and ignitions switches fall to hand.

The EDC controls make for fingertip driving and, being a cat with the motors spread wide apart, there is no need for a bowthruster. You can turn the boat on its length by opposing forward and reverse gears. Easy as that.

INDOOR LIVING
An offset door to port leads into a typically roomy cat saloon. Behind a glass door is the 12V battery management system with isolators, breakers and controls for the inverter, which feeds the microwave oven and an LCD television rigged casually on the tabletop.

The television had an infra-red repeater so you could display the Furuno Navnet GPS plotter, radar and depthsounder screens while you are cruising. The boat's 12V switch panel is nearby; so are a grog locker, storage holds, drawers, and a CD player.

A taupe-coloured U-shaped leather lounge to starboard can seat six people if you pull up a loose chair. The timber table with fiddle rails is a feature. The boat's picture windows are big and slide open for fresh air but, hopefully, don't leak at sea.

While there is no air-conditioning (hence no generator), the boat's opening hatches, aft door, portholes and saloon windows keep the air circulating. Importantly, you can create cross-flow ventilation behind the windscreen where the full-width galley is located.

The chef will be down a step from the saloon, but is able to enjoy the views and converse with guests. There are two 240V outlets, a reasonable amount of pantry space and pot and appliance storage. Moulded Granicoat counters include a recessed sink.

Amenities range from a quaint cottage-style four-burner gas stove and oven with stainless splashback to a top-loading yacht-style fridge/freezer. The counter facing back to the dinette also had a microwave - perfect for heat-and-serve cooking - and a separate 12V fridge from which to pour drinks.

DEEP DOWN CABINS
As with all cats of this size, you step down either side of the saloon into the port and starboard hulls. The boat had a third crew or kids' cabin with bunks on the starboard side, though I believe a better layout is a two cabin/two head boat.

With two bathrooms you can create a dayhead for entertaining and an ensuite for guests. A third alternate, which might appeal to serious cruising types, converts the kids' cabin into a workshop and storeroom.

Both port and starboard cabins are private because a tunnel separates them. The layout of the cabins is similar: each has an elevated double bed with reading lights beside a big wall with room to swing a painting.

Storage exists under the beds, in full-length hanging lockers, smaller secondary lockers and cupboards. Each cabin has an opening hatch (insect screen optional) and opening port lights.

While there isn't a huge amount of floor space, there is room to move past the beds and dress in the mornings with the door closed. Each cabin also has 1.95m headroom. There was a fair bit of gear hanging about after the holidays, which added to the lived-in feeling.

The one and only head to port is formed from two half mouldings that fit together for easy cleaning. The beech door has a double-toothed catch to stop rattles and is mirror-backed. The loo is a luxury Lectra/San number.

There is a small moulded sink, a dunny-roll holder, an opening port light and an extractor fan, standing room and a moulded seat under the shower. But the standard chrome-plated bathroom fittings were pitted and unfit for marine environment.

While there is accommodation for six people in twin hulls, the cat will be most comfortable sleeping a cruising couple or family of four. By day, however, the broad decks lend themselves to entertaining a crowd, scenic cruises and fishing or diving trips.

CRUISING CAT
With the Furuno Navnet system interfaced to the autopilot, this boat was a cinch to drive. All you have to do is select a location on screen with the cursor, and then press "Go To" on the GPS and "Nav" on the pilot. Add a radar and a watch and safe hands-free passagemaking is as easy as that.

The boat is deceptively fast - it slips almost imperceptibly to planing speeds, attained while in semi-displacement mode. The superchargers on the Volvos give low-end acceleration, while the turbos take care of the top end.

Into a 1m headsea with no in-trim, the cat thumped a bit. But once I buttoned the bow down, which might sound the wrong thing to do, the hull rode much better. Quartering the boat feels smooth and characteristically cat-like.

The optimum cruising revs of 3200rpm returned 19kt for 62lt/h and 3500rpm gave 21.7kt for 72lt/h (load of one-third fuel and 11 people aboard). Allowing 5% of the 1300lt capacity in reserve, as Signature does in its supplied figures, the theoretical cruising range is more than 370nm at these speeds. Full speed ahead is 24.3kt.

The cat reverses well, a trait that might endear it to gamefishers, and in forward gear it offers good views from the bridge. While it's a big-ticket item, the boat gives the impression it will be around for many years to come.

Borrowing something from contemporary yachting design, employing cutting-edge materials and the latest boatbuilding methods, the Signature 4000 Flybridge is a thoroughly modern approach to cruising.

If both John Haines and fuel prices keep heading north, the two will have struck a winner. No longer fringe craft for eccentrics, powercats like the Signature 4000 Flybridge could be the way of the big-boating future.