Neat Flats Cat

[Tommy]

Here's a short video on a 21' flats cat built near Tampa, FL, called the Intruder Cat built by Dream Boats Inc. Looks like a great boat to me. Anyone have any experience with this rig? (I hope I posted it correctly)

Tommy


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[Bruce]

Bad and misleading advertising in my opinion for that boat.

Unless your gonna run it with an air cooled engine, that shallow water pass has the engine running on its skeg, water pickup way above any water and the prop half in half out of the water.

1/2 dozen passes like that and you'll be calling Sea Tow to bring you home after the impeller shredded.

[algillen]

Not sure about the boat you posted, but I had a ride on this boat back in June... the owner said it would do about 90 mph ... to myself I mostly laughed that off as wishful thinking, but the next morning when we were doing 65 knots and he was only at 3/4 throttle, I quickly became a believer. Boat handled remakably well. Cruised around looking at some properties running 40-50 knots from spot to spot. Quite an experience.


http://www.flyfishcarolina.com/charterstours.html

[Tommy]

Bruce,

Agreed; if someone planned to operate in inches-deep water, then they'd better get a hydra-foil. Did you see all the sand they were eating?

I think they were trying to show an extreme example of how the engine on a jack-plate cranked high between the cat sponsons allows for operation in the skinniest water. I like the idea of being able to operate safely in knee-deep water (16-20 inches), but also not be wary of getting caught in nasty seas. Running the boat over a two inch shoal, and also running it to Bermuda in their promo film makes me think it would be a decent flats/inshore boat. I run from Morehead City to Ocracoke Island by way of Core Sound and Pamlico Sound on a regular basis (58 miles), and I run in plenty of 2' depth in Core Cound and also see 4'+ seas in the Pamlico.

Tommy

[DRIFTER31]

Funny how people always think they are in an 8ft sea and when you look at the video its plain to see that they were in a 4 ft sea at best. In an 8 ft sea the waves would have been tallet than the t-top and they werent even higher than the engine. I would bet he wouldnt dare to stay on plain in an 8ft sea in the gulf of mexico,s close chop. Its a great flats boat but its sad to see that these guys advertise falsely and can give false confidence to rookies who could easily loose their life,s trying that boat in open sea,s. Troy