Okay, so let me tell you about my time messing around with one of those World Cat boats, the 28-foot one. It wasn’t like I woke up one day and just had to have a catamaran. Nah, it started way simpler.
I’d been out on my buddy’s monohull, maybe a 25-footer, decent boat, you know? But man, we hit some chop coming back into the bay, nothing crazy, but we were bouncing all over. Stuff flying, drinks spilling, the usual. Then this catamaran, looked like a World Cat, just cruised past us, smooth as anything. Hardly rocking. That kinda stuck in my head. Stability, right? Seemed like a big deal suddenly.
So, I started poking around. Heard the name World Cat thrown about quite a bit. People kept saying they ride different, better in rougher water. I was skeptical, honestly. Two hulls always looked kinda weird to me. But that image of it cutting through the chop stayed with me. I eventually tracked down a marina where they had a few, including a 28-footer.
Getting a Feel for It
First time I actually stepped onto the 28, the thing that hit me was how solid it felt tied to the dock. Didn’t rock much when I stepped aboard. That was different. Then I walked around. Man, the space! Felt way bigger than a 28-foot monohull. The beam, you know, how wide it is, carries almost all the way forward. Lots of room to move around, which is great when you’ve got a few people onboard.
I checked out the layout. Seating seemed decent, lots of storage spots which I always look for. Twin engines on the back, looked powerful enough. I fiddled with the hatches, looked in the compartments, just trying to get a sense of the build. Seemed pretty solid, nothing felt flimsy.
Taking it Out
Alright, the real test was getting it on the water. I managed to arrange a sea trial. Starting those twin engines up, they sounded good. Pulling away from the dock felt a bit different, maneuvering with two props, but I got the hang of it quick. It pivots pretty neatly.
Once we got out of the no-wake zone, I pushed the throttles forward. It got up on plane smoothly, no huge bow rise blocking the view. And yeah, that stability thing? It’s real. We went over some boat wakes, a little bit of wind chop, and it just sliced through it. Much less pounding than I was used to. It wasn’t like riding on glass, don’t get me wrong, but the difference was obvious. Less jarring, more comfortable.
I tried some turns. It leans outward a bit in a hard turn, which feels weird at first if you’re used to monohulls leaning in. But it felt controlled, predictable. Didn’t feel like it was going to trip or anything sketchy. Just different. Cruising around, it felt capable. That 28-foot size seemed like a good balance – big enough to handle some open water, but not so huge it’s a nightmare to dock.
My Takeaways
So, after spending some real time on it, here’s what stuck with me:
- The ride comfort is legit. Especially if you deal with choppy water regularly. Big difference.
- Space and stability at rest are great. Feels bigger than its length suggests, and it’s nice not rocking all over the place at anchor or the dock.
- Handling is different, but easy to learn. Docking with twins is nice once you get it. The turning feel is just something you adapt to.
- It felt pretty well put together. Solid hardware, decent finish.
Look, it wasn’t some magical unicorn boat. It’s still a boat, things can break, and catamarans have their own quirks. But that experience definitely changed my mind about twin hulls. Seeing how it handled that chop compared to what I was used to… yeah, it made a believer out of me for certain conditions. It just felt like a practical, comfortable platform for being out on the water, especially if you don’t like getting beat up by waves.
