#1301 Shadowboat Catamaran Charley

 

Launched early 2017, the 46m catamaran Charley was designed and built to fulfil the role of a shadowboat, supporting a large superyacht, carrying tenders, additional stores, back up crew etc.

 

Shadowboat duties can be demanding, particularly when needing to match the range, speed and seakeeping qualities of a much larger mothership. This had been identified by the client as an issue with the predecessor to Charley. A significant focus of design work therefore was placed on achieving excellent seakeeping and hull efficiency at a range of speeds to ensure that Charley is able to keep pace with the mothership.

 

Charley offers expansive deck space – not only to offer shaded outdoor lounging and entertaining areas, but also to carry the wide range of superyacht tenders and water toys that are required to accompany the mothership. The largest of these is the LOMOcean designed 12m catamaran Biit, which is stored, launched and retrieved via a large, custom built lifting platform at the transom of Charley.

Although designed primarily as a support vessel, Charley is still able to fully accommodate the owner and guests independently of the mothership and as such sees use as a standalone expedition boat for fishing, diving and exploring. The vessel boasts sleeping arrangements for up to thirty two guests and crew. Large living and dining spaces are supported by a full galley, with vast shaded outdoor spaces also on offer for outdoor entertaining and relaxing in the tropics.

 

The build was undertaken by Echo Yachts shipyard of Western Australia; the vacuum infusion techniques utilized on the composite foam sandwich construction making Charley the single biggest infused composite structure to be built in Australia.