Spotlight: Scimitar 1010

Crowd pleaser

Powered catamarans, like the Scimitar 1010, hold a special place in the Australian recreational boating scene with versatility that many monohulls just cannot match.

As Bryan Bradford, managing director of Queensland's Scimitar Marine, puts it the Scimitar 1010 ticks the boxes of long-range cruising, liveaboard, fishing, daytripper, and even commercial craft.

"It does everything very well," said Bradford, "and while you may find more fishing-oriented vessels, for example, the Scimitar can be optioned up purely for game fishing with extras such as livebait and killtanks, rodholders, downriggers and so on."

The Scimitar 1010 made its debut in 1997 and became an instant hit winning that year's Australian Cruiser of the Year Award.

Since then, Scimitar Marine, which is based in the Brisbane suburb of Aquatic Paradise on Moreton Bay, has built 58 Scimitar 1010s for varying applications including commercial use from the tropics down the coast to Sydney, Melbourne, and even Hobart.

"There is one in America and another in the Solomon Islands too," said Bradford, who says his company is averaging six to seven builds a year with a peak annual construction of eight boats.

Scimitar Marine claims its 1010 offers improved fuel and performance efficiencies from lighter construction materials and modern building techniques in the advanced-design twin hull. Draft of less than a metre takes the cat to shallow destinations, plus there's prop protection from full-length keel hulls that allow for safe beaching.

FUEL MISER
From the outset, Scimitar has aimed for fuel efficiency in the 1010 design, and this aspect has now become a high-priority in many consumers' new-boat purchases. Thus, this cat is ahead of the times.

The 1010 uses less than 25 per cent of the fuel consumed by many planning hulls of similar size, Bradford explains, with the efficiency achieved by reducing drag using a fine-entry laminar-flow hull that produces a very low internal compression wave between the hulls.

A popular engine choice for the Scimitar 1010 has been twin 125hp Yanmar diesels, which have a combined fuel flow of 22 to 25 litres per hour at ideal cruising speeds of around 16 to 17kts. Yet the displacement hulled cat still turns in a top speed of around 25kts with larger engines if needs be.

On the accommodation front, there's plenty more to embrace. Headroom is a highlight throughout the 1010 with two-metre tall people able to move around freely in the two double-cabins.

The Scimitar 1010 has three living areas: the cockpit, saloon and flybridge. With a broad beam of five metres and an overall length of 11m, space is wherever you tread. And the outdoor head is a great feature when entertaining.

The cockpit and flybridge can each accommodate 10 people, pursuant to local waterways laws, while eight can sit around the dinette in the saloon, opposite the galley with oven, griller, cooktop, double-bowl stainless steel sink and fridge/freezer.

The Scimitar 1010 has a base price of $473,000 but Bradford says most people spend in the mid to high-$500,000 range with modern electronics and larger engine packages. Options include flatscreen TVs, microwave, additional cupboards and larger fridge/freezers.

For more information, phone:
(07) 3822 4477; 0414 578 564,
fax (07) 3822 4477
or visit www.scimitarmarine.com.au

Photos: Scimitar Marine