There comes a time in an aging yachtie’s life when billowing sails, stiff breezes and flying spray aren’t quite as alluring as before. Blame it on creaking bones, fading strength, a dodgy ticker – whatever. Power launches become very appealing. Best to switch discreetly and with dignity.
As a lifelong sailor I’d always sniffed disdainfully at my powered friends in their smelly, noisy, vibrating launches, even when they disappeared over the horizon
as we tacked for the fifth time in two miles. I tried not to think of them enjoying a G&T at anchor while we laboured on stoically.
My ‘lightbulb’ conversion happened a few months ago when I selected a 44’ Aquila power cat for a 10-day charter in the Caribbean’s British Virgin Islands (BVIs). Having visited many times before, it’s a destination I know well. I’ve always chartered yachts, and mainly cats.
But with advancing years, sailing takes its toll – the tacking and gybing, the hoisting/stowing of deep-roach mainsails, reefing in a shrieking squall, wrestling with uncooperative lazy jacks. Challenges that are magnified if crew members (friends) are non-sailors.
A power boat – a power cat particularly – is so much easier, faster and spacious and, to be truthful, a lot more fun. It helps that modern diesels are quieter, smoother, more fuel efficient and a lot less smelly than their 20th century predecessors. And there’s an added bonus: twin engines make manoeuvring and berthing a breeze – even in a breeze.
I’m not alone in this betrayal. The sail-to-power cat transition, I discovered, is also resonating with the Caribbean charter fraternity. The BVI archipelago (about 60 islands, isles and cays) is often touted as a ‘sailor’s paradise’ – and indeed, lying in the NE trade wind belt, it is a wonderful sailing destination. But – probably because of the charter market’s maturing demographic – the sailing proposition has changed. Power cats suddenly have a significant presence.
When I last visited (20 years ago), very few power cats were available for charter. Today, all the mainstream charter companies have sizeable sections of their fleets dedicated to power cats. The company I used – MarineMax – runs power cats exclusively. All are Aquilas.
Its fleet (about 40 vessels, but expanding) ranges from the three-cabin 423 (42’ LOA) to the five-cabin 545 (54’ LOA). Built by China’s Hangzhou Sino Eagle Yacht Company, Aquilas are luxurious and well-finished, equipped with all the mod-cons and, most importantly, very easy to operate.
Our vessel – White Pearl – was a three-cabin/three-bathroom Aquila 443 (44’ LOA). Powered by twin 300hp D4 Volvos, she was perfect for our party of three couples. Accommodation features a cabin/ensuite in each hull, with a master cabin upfront straddling the hulls. Its ensuite is in the port hull, and a lounge/study/office (complete with desk) in the starboard hull.
MarineMax is based at Nanny Cay, an inlet on the eastern side of Tortola (the main island and commercial hub of the BVIs). Tortola’s conveniently situated in the middle of the archipelago.
Set the autopilot
While age is arguably the dominant driver in the charter market’s sail-to-power shift, other factors contribute to the cats’ growing popularity.
Obviously speed, space and stability are appealing (especially for non-sailors). BVI cruising involves easy, eyeball navigation, and being able to aim directly at your destination – and be taken there on autopilot – simplifies life considerably.
To put this in perspective, it’s perhaps useful to sketch the wind issues sailors face in the BVIs. The islands – each with multiple anchorages – are all relatively close together and fit into an area of about 30 square nautical miles. The archipelago lies on a SW-NE axis. The prevailing wind is ENE – and it’s often fresh. Motor-sailing yachts abound…
For many yachties starting off in Tortola, the best way to avoid a tacking vacation is to spend the first day getting as far north-east as possible (the northern bays of Virgin Gorda) and then meander downwind (SSW) to various islands over the rest of the charter period. This strategy doesn’t eliminate beating and tacking altogether, but there’s less of it. It does, however, tend to dictate the itinerary.
A power cat changes this equation completely.
For a start, the autopilot takes you to your destination in a straight line, and at a decent clip. At 2,000rpm the Aquila 443 cruises sedately at 10 knots, the Volvos hardly raising wa sweat. She can go a lot faster. Aquilas have underwater bulbs at the bows. These extend the waterline length for improved efficiency/performance, and the added buoyancy helps to counteract any ‘porpoising’.
Fast, efficient cruising equates to a much more flexible itinerary and the freedom to visit more islands and anchorages. Crucially – and this is a significant consideration in peak season when thousands of vessels are cruising the BVIs – superior speed also means better access to mooring balls.
Mooring balls
Moorings are now a feature in most of the popular anchorages – and many charter companies prefer you to use them. In previous years everyone anchored. ‘Anchor rage’ wasn’t uncommon.
Most of the mooring balls are available on a first-come-first-serve basis (some can be reserved via a phone app). You pay
a nominal fee to use them, but the peace of mind offered by
a robust mooring (especially in deep anchorages) – makes it well worth the money.
If you get to an anchorage a little before the crowds arrive in the late afternoon, your chances of finding a mooring improve considerably. Anchoring is still permitted in most (not all) of the bays, but you tend to be relegated to their perimeters where you’re more likely to be exposed to wind/swell.
Some bays now carry National Park status (to protect the environment) and anchoring is forbidden. Mooring balls are the only option – and even then, only for a limited time. The Baths at Virgin Gorda is a good example.
One of the most popular anchorages in the BVIs, it’s
a wonderful setting featuring crisp white beaches and warm, azure water – and dominated by a collection of massive granite boulders piled haphazardly atop one another.
Because of its protected status and popularity, you may only use the moorings for a few hours at a time – and you’re not allowed to stay overnight. To avoid queuing it helps to arrive early.
An electric boat
To dampen the guilt and mental trauma involved in switching from sail to power, it’s helpful to charter a vessel that’s easy to operate.
I’ve reviewed various Aquilas for this magazine over the years and the marque’s latest models are a significant step up from their predecessors. As with her fleet sisters, White Pearl (a 2022 model) is designed for simple operation, cleverly aligning the vessel’s systems with conventional ‘home living’.
The main adjustment is getting your head around the electrical infrastructure. Where battery-conservation is part of every sailor’s DNA, as an all-electric boat (no LPG) the Aquila 443 demands a completely different mindset.
Toilets, kettle, hot water cylinder, toaster, Wi-Fi/internet, pop-up TV, induction hob and flybridge grill, fridge/freezer, microwave, water maker, dinghy davit hoist and air-conditioning – it’s all electric. In the stifling Caribbean heat, air-conditioning is fundamental. Nights are very unpleasant without it.
A four-way electrical system provides the power: a 12-volts DC network; a 5,000-watt inverter supplying 110-volts AC; a 110-volts AC genset; and a 110-volts AC shore power umbilical. This arrangement relies extensively on the genset, and you need to run it all night. Not only for keeping the batteries perky and all systems ‘alive’, but also to keep you alive and cool.
Charterers are reliant on the genset because in the BVIs there is very little access to shore power or water. Where Mediterranean charter boats tend to moor stern-on every night (with ready access to shore power and water), this is rarely an option in the BVIs. You’re largely independent.
Charter boats overnight in bays, tethered to mooring balls or anchored, and take the dinghy to beach bars/restaurants. There are a few marinas in the BVIs with shore power and water, but they’re the exception. Lying in secluded, starlit anchorages is what makes BVI cruising special.
We ran the 8.5kW Kohler genset all night – not only for batteries and air-conditioning, but also for water. The Aquila 443 has two water tanks (2 x 340 litres) – insufficient for six people on a 10-day charter. You need to replenish them with the Spectra water maker (at night, while the genset’s running). It works a treat, the Spectra cutting out automatically once the tanks are full.
Yes, the genset uses a little diesel (consumption is modest). It draws fuel from the starboard tank which is a little emptier than the port tank when you fill up at the end of the charter. And yes, you’re aware of the genset’s vibration – but tucked into the aft section of the starboard engine room it’s muted and barely discernable.
Entertaining
I’m sure I’m not the first to label the Aquila 443 a ‘party boat’, but her space/layout invites the description. With multiple entertainment areas the sense of relaxed, uncomplicated cruising is infectious.
These include the large foredeck (with convenient, step-access to the flybridge), the lounge immediately behind the helm station, and a spacious aft cockpit that integrates so well with the galley.
The panoramic view from the flybridge helm (the only helm) is particularly helpful for easing your way through a crowded anchorage and picking up a mooring ball. Open to the foredeck, communication between skipper and foredeck crew is clear. Very few expletives are required.
Both lounges – one behind the helm and one at the aft end of the cockpit – feature tables that can be lowered to create large ‘beds’ with fill-in cushions. Both are wonderful areas for quaffing wine/beer and debating the mysteries of the US political system. A large, tilt-up window integrates the galley with the aft cockpit – so the chef can contribute perspective (and snacks) to the conversation.
Inevitably, the BVIs have changed over 20 years. With their distinctive West Indian culture, the islands are as wonderful as ever, but the charter options are far more diverse. This is particularly pleasing following the horrific devastation Hurricane Irma (2017) left in her wake. A remarkable ‘bounce-back’.
I too, have changed. Older, slower, and hopefully wiser.
And I’ll quietly admit that slipping over the horizon in a power cat with a happy crew – a G&T but a few minutes away – is highly recommended.
