Hi all,

I'm new to the list...cruised for years in monohull in NW waters,
including to/from SE Alaska.  Cats are scarce around here, but a
buddy in Juneau bought a 30' aluminum cat that is an outstanding sea
boat.  I've got 2 foot-itis and am considering both the PDQ 34 and
the new FP Highland 35.  I know relatively little about either
company's reputation for quality, durability, ease of maintenance,
etc.  Any experience that will assist in my decision-making is
appreciated.  My orientation is toward solid construction and
long-term value, i.e. if I was buying monohull, it would not be
Bayliner or similar; more likely Nordic Tug or Nordhavn.  Thanks.

Peter Arneil
Bellingham, WA

My limited experience with FP is in line with Michael's.  I've chartered 2 different FP sailing cats, the 35 and the 46.  Both had marginal fit and finish and performed rather poorly.  I talked to the manager of the charter base in French Polynesia where we chartered the 46 and he as much said the the FP where cheap boats for the charter trade.

I'm reminded of David Pascoe's rants (http://www.yachtsurvey.com/) against cheap boats that are designed to be dockside condos not designed for realistic sea conditions or to last beyond the first owner (~ average 2 years).

Michael Kaye mlkdesign@yahoo.com wrote: To Undecided;
I own a 2005 Maryland 37 from Fountaine Pajot
and have had the boat now for over six months and the
factory has proven to be totally uncooperative in
taking care of warranty work. The workmanship of the
boat leaves an awfull lot to be desired. This boat
seems to fit the charter industry well but as far as
an individual owner living aboard I am very unhappy
with the product and would not recommend purchasing a
boat for your own use from this company.
Michael Kaye AKA Mr. Unhappy

My wife and I decided to forsake a visit to the International Boat Show at
Southampton and check-out several boats at the much smaller Grand Pavois at
la Rochelle. Of particular interest among these were three powercats; the
Fountaine-Pajot Highland 35 Trawler Cat and two from Excitecat, the 810 and
the new 1010. My impressions follow.

The big Cumberland 44 and the enormous Eleuthera 60 dominated the catamarans
and made all the others look like toys but we were heading for the smallest.
I had previously read the account by Ian Vale of Soundcats, on his journey
from Connecticut to Key West in the Excitecat 810. It was, perhaps, smaller
than my wife and I wanted but definitely worth a look with the promise of
the larger 1010 if this was the case.

We boarded the 810 from the pontoon and immediately felt comfortable in the
large cockpit leading into the saloon. A representative of the French
Atlantic coast dealers said to make ourselves at home - but someone had
beaten us to it. The galley sink was full of dirty coffee cups and cutlery
and the Starboard cabin berth still had bedding which had obviously been
slept in the previous night. Not impressed.

We tried to ignore the "lived in" look of the boat when a young lady arrived
and started unpacking and loading the lockers with groceries. We felt that
we were intruding and after a quick walk-through we left.

My memory is of a small but comfortable boat with a lower helm designed for
a one-legged dwarf. I am not as slim as I used to be (who is) but sitting at
the helm with my feet in the recess halfway between the wheel and the deck
with my right knee forced against the throttle quadrant was uncomfortable
even at rest. I felt off-balance and in any seaway it would be unacceptable.
We were not able to take this boat to sea but see
http://soundcats.com/EXCITECAT810Multihulls.pdf

The saloon is well proportioned within the overall dimensions; a dinette
with galley opposite.  The cabins tolerable for a cat and the heads useable.
The flying bridge and cockpit were the high points of this boat but still
smaller than we would be comfortable with so we popped next door to the
1010.

The 1010 on display was the prototype hull No.1. Its larger dimensions were
immediately apparent and the whole boat "breathed" easily. The cockpit is
vast and we judged that it would easily take our teak steamers (loungers)
and a table and a couple of chairs. The saloon, basically the same layout as
the 810, was fitted out to a much higher standard from what I could see. I
couldn't see everything as 4 or five men were sitting in the dinette looking
at a laptop displaying something which appeared to mesmerise them. They
ignored us completely. That's OK but we thought we were intruding on a
private meeting and therefore felt slightly intimidated.

The double beds had not been slept in but, no surprise, they had the
universal properties that all cabins in the hulls of catamarans have.
Box-like with high beds. A step is provided and I'm sure practice will make
the ascent easier. I really don't know if there are any alternatives when
trying to put a double bed into a narrow hull.
The port cabin was fitted a useful hand basin in a tidy cabinet and the
optional 2nd WC. I didn't even try to see if I would fit in there, if I got
into the compartment I may have to be sold with the boat. Useable for
children or others under 4ft but this space (without the WC) is ideal for
hanging clothes and storage. The heads compartment is a good size and well
fitted out.

The flying bridge is lovely with really nice stainless steel work and bimini
(or is it a T top?). The helm positions are both comfortable.

Returning to the saloon we gave our attention to the galley which on this
boat was devoid of breakfast debris. One of the men abandoned the meeting
and approached us and asked if we had any questions. My wife commented that
the galley had little preparation surface but he seemed to regard this
remark as beneath contempt (I don't think Spanish men do much cooking),
looked at me and again asked if I had any questions. I said that I did not
like the instrument layout at the lower helm, could it be modified? He said
" If I say so. We like it, perhaps you will get used to it".

Now without getting into a discussion about the generally appalling
ergonomics found on boats compared with the sensible instrument layouts
found on aircraft this was the wrong answer at the wrong time. This man is a
senior executive at Excitecats but knew nothing about customer relations.
The two boats we had seen were not staffed or presented in a way to
encourage visitors, one or two of whom may well become customers. I accept
that there may have been misunderstandings caused by language although his
English was excellent. The "lived in" atmosphere of the 810 and the
"boardroom" on the 1010 made the whole experience totally negative. These
may be fine boats but we struck them off our short list after that
experience.

BTW The rather strange location of the steering compass at the lower helm is
not as silly as it looks. It is large and clear, easily seen from the helm
position and is as far away from any magnetic influence as possible.

Don't be put off Excitecats based on my experience. That was down to people
rather than the boats. The 1010 will be a lovely boat for sure.

Regards
Roger Bingham
France

Highland 35 follows.