Voodoo
Voodoo is a very satisfying project. THe boat is based on St. John, US Virgin Islands.The clients needed a high end power catamaran to offer day trips within the US Virgin Islands and to the British Virgin Islands. She is USCG certified to carry up to 49 passengers. At 55 feet, she is one of the largest power catamarans to use outboard engines. Originally equipped with OXE 200 Horsepower diesel, she was recently re-powered with the latest OXE 300 horsepower diesel outboards. To get the power to the water the propellers are custom designed Sharrow propellers. During sea trials the boat achieved 22 knots with the original 200 Hp outboards.
The diesel outboards make sense for several good reasons. First is the greater safety compared to a petrol outboard. The diesel engines run at a lower RPM and have more torque at a lower RPM, which helps with slow speed maneuvering. The greater range is another benefit, on a boat used daily the fuel savings will quickly pay for the greater initial cost of the engines. The delivery from Wanchese, North Carolina to a ship in Savannah, Georgia was in three legs. The longest leg of 208 miles was from Morehead City, North Carolina to Charleston, South Carolina. We completed in 12 hours and used a total of 206 gallons of fuel. The engines ran very well the entire time.
Originally the plan was to do a clean slate design. Early in the process a half finished Gunboat 55 hull was located. The clients purchased it and the conversion from sailing cat to power cat began. The hull shape was modified aft to support the engine weight and for the different requirements of a power cat. The foredeck was extended and a bow ladder for swimming and beach boarding was incorporated into the design. The cabin superstructure and flying bridge are very well laid out for passenger flow and safety with multiple hand rails throughout. The finish is to a very high level. Construction was completed at Croswait Composites in Wanchese, NC.
