Presently I am designing layouts and styling for 2 female moulded production cats we intend to start building in Asia for worldwide distribution. A 40 footer and a 55 footer. I'm very interested in hearing more from list members on their preferences for some important subjects. The first boats will be on spec for us to keep a while downunder and test that we have got it all right. Female moulded means we need to gather all ideas and consider carefully. 1. Master staterooms: The 55 footer layouts are nearly complete and before handing it over to the naval architect, I'm currently trying to decide which way to orient the island master berth, for-aft or athwartships or diagonal. My logic says athwartships will give a better sleep in rolly anchorages which I have experienced plenty of in the best remote areas. Example being the gorgeous Exuma's recently on Pacific Harmony. We had the benefit of having staterooms with either orientation and I find rolling head to feet while sleeping more comfortable than shoulder to shoulder. A diagonal master berth cancels out a lot of roll either way so head sea passagemaking is improved but really, most night passages we ended up aft of center in the boat anyway, sleeping in the saloon sofa which had the choice of either direction. Quality of sleep is essential to get right as the safety and enjoyment for all depends how rested everyone is. Lets here some more opinions. Our 40 foot design may not have the luxury of main level island berth master stateroom without the boat ending up looking like a houseboat come brick bunker due to tunnel clearance issues. My feeling is that external aesthetics and good tunnel clearance are still very important, especially when you want to re-sell for a good price. No one is attracted to a thumping ugly boat when a pretty one that rides well is available too. Some opinions here? While on the cabin subject, why do many people not want accommodation for visiting friends? We found the highlight of our long cruises was occasionally hosting good friends from home for a week at a time. It helps keep you from going troppo or the other half feeling homesick! You make plenty of acquaintances along the way but visits from lifelong friends or kids/grandkids back home on the long voyage must be essential too? Putting them in the saloon sofa just doesn't seem right. 2. Range and Speed: How much speed and range do people expect from their cats? The 40 footer for example, most designers would agree that an Atlantic crossing is pushing the limits of the fuel carrying capacity in 40 ft hulls. Do many people really expect to do that in a 40 footer or are they happy to leave that to the 50-60ft class? In the latter case is there merit in the 40 footers being faster planing boats? For example Ft Lauderdale to the Exuma's (200 miles) in 6-8 hours (25-30kts) in 4-6ft sea's on a planing foil assisted 40 footer is relatively easy and not that expensive on fuel compared with the dock fees in Chub Cay and Nassau along the way for slower passages. I have tried fast rough water on 40 foot foil assisted planing cats, it works fine. It takes the effort out of long passages to get to the farther away, less crowded cruising grounds and also allows shorter weather windows to get there. Once there, anchoring in 2-3ft of water (Jet Drives) must be a bonus in area's of stunning but shallow anchorages like the Bahamas. Overall range at these high speeds would still be 400-600 miles depending on tankage. Does the option to get away to remote places easily appeal to 40 ft buyers? Item 4 about fuel efficiency may be relevant here. 3. I have observed how many rough water rescue craft are being fitted with Jet Drives and they work the roughest bar crossings imaginable where running with white dumping rollers is everyday work. Rough water steerage and jets in Cats are proving to be very good together, despite old notions that were probably formed with inefficient monohulls with inexperienced drivers. Ferries are seeing they become quite efficient for 25 knot cruise speeds on the right hull shape and the huge bonus to cruisers, much shallower draft to go where no other boats can, lower maintenance and no sharp blades to chop off the fishing line when the big one goes under the boat! Parking on the beach gives a very quiet night sleep! What do prospective buyers think? 4. Ultimate fuel efficiency: How much does 10% of the annual fuel bill on a 40 ft cat actually cost in relation to the satellite TV system or internet on board etc when you have saved half your fuel bill by switching to a cat to begin with? From my experience, a lot of boating's un-necessary toys cost more than the fuel bill will ever be. There are many more effective ways to save oil. Convincing monohull owners to buy a cat is a good start! The diesel engine on cruising pleasure boats are tiny users of oil in relation to the worlds demands from industry to produce un-essential novelty gadgets and big boys toys, trucking them, marketing etc. Everything consumes oil at one stage, especially if it needs electricity. In the search for ultimate choice of fuel efficiency in our boats, do we blind ourselves from other great features of cat design along the way? I would really appreciate some wholesome debate as I form the options list and layouts for these new boats. Kind Regards, John Winter johnwinter@vodafone.net.nz www.winteryachts.com