New Flag

02/03/2024

A pleasant day in 2014. Tops'l schooner Californian. ' A while since I posted this page, I thought it might liven things up!

09/27/2016

08/31/2016

When preparing for snorkeling with 5-6 people aboard, diving with 4 , landing a fish, or simply hanging out aboard while others move around you, unobstructed decks are a huge benefit. The 2016 14x7's new steering position foot well (previously a semi jockey seat configuration) offers an unobstructed movement across the vessel. This, when combined with the new foredeck footwell, offers full radial movement about the steering position and is comparable to the benefits of a center console vessel, .....and all in a 14ft package.

10/16/2015

The shallow forefoot of the 14x7's bows enable the vessel to get as close to dry ground on a beach as possible. In this picture, you can see the bow is high and dry. with the motor protected and slightly raised between the armas (or hulls). The 14x7 was reversed off from this position with ease. Additionally, with the twin bows both touching the sand the vessel is stabilized and maintains a position perpendicular to the shore. This means dry feet for passengers, easy loading, and superior control.

09/10/2015

Let’s talk about Minimal Vessel Periphery Cushion Envelope, (MPE) for short, and its application to the 14x7. This means the 14x7’s design is optimized to provide the most usable deck space in the smallest dimensional envelope while providing ample cushioning around its edges.

The 14x7’s bow is fitted with replaceable, UV resistant PVC, rub rail that provides high impact protection where it is needed most, and 14” diameter inflatable tubes, of UV resistant 1100 DTX Hypalon fabric, providing excellent soft cushion protection for side mooring against your mother ship, swim step or raft-up buddies hull.

Over-bow dock access is extremely easy especially when combined with a folding high handrail (not shown), boarding the 14x7 is almost like stepping onto an adjacent dock. Side entry from the water can be achieved by agile swimmers without using the fitted aft boarding ladder.

This principal makes the vessel more accessible from the water, dock, beach or swim-step by minimizing the obstacles presented by large inflatable tubes, in other words, the 14x7 it is as much like a non-Inflatable vessel as possible while maintaining the advantages of a RIB. Another way to look at it is you get “more boat and less air!”

09/10/2015

I want to extend a special thank you to all the people that came to experience the 14x7Cat Prototype working out in her element this summer on Catalina Island. I want to express my gratitude for all the enthusiasm you shared, product development is more than numbers and performance, it is a whole lot of fun too.

09/10/2015

Running Isthmus to Avalon in tidal chop.

09/06/2015

Here is the 14x7 Cat being towed at 7-7.5 knots behind a 44' sailboat ,along with a picture of the towing rig, (5/16" floating red spectra with a 1/2" triple braid bridle for spring). The spectra is 110ft long, so having a designated bag (pre-loved in this case) was a plus, a shackle joint to the bridle made for easy separation. I chose a bow shackle to keep weight down, a snap shackle of the same rating was significantly heavier and tended to sink faster, and a float to compensate started to make the whole arrangement a bit to fancy to bag up.

Here we are headed SE to San Diego en-route from Catalina Island and hoping for some big following seas to see how things handled, and to put the self-draining decks to the test,.... we got fairly typical swell conditions, mixed swell west 2-4 ft at 6 seconds, S 2 ft @ 13 seconds, and fairly unusual wind 10-15 SW. Typically conditions between the coast and Catalina Island are fair and swells are predictable.

Handling and tracking were excellent and we discovered, with surprise, that towing a small drogue behind the 14x7 leveled out the trim and actually reduced the overall drag while eliminating any tendency to surf or skid. A major thumbs up!

See video also.

09/06/2015

Towing the 14x7 @ 7- 7.5 knots. more details to follow...