My question is where do they come up with the prices on these (and other)
boats? dual Yamaha's are about $36k. Where is the hull and boat worth
$139k? Or is this NZ dollars? Same question on the Abaco Scout, $117k list
with same engines. I looked at the Pro Sports ProCat 2860 WA. With dual
1.7L Mercruiser diesels is only about $117k plus accessories. The NZ29 can
not be $55k better. Looked at the boat as a week long cruiser and the cabin
is just not big enough.
Bill

I'm not familiar with the Pro Sports Pro Cat, so it would be impossible to
offer an informed impression.

While the Black Cat isn't a large boat, it is slightly different in proportion
(better or not would be in the eye of the beholder) than some direct
competitors.

For example, we motored past a competing catamaran as we went down the fairway.
The differences in the two boats were visually apparent to even the most casual
observer. The NZ29 has more freeboard, and the profile of the hull is
different. The competing boat has port and starboard hulls (I believe the
correct, but hoeplessly obscure term for a cat hull is "ama") that maintain a
fairly constant angle between the deck and the waterline.
The NZ 29 hulls "flare" above the waterline, increasing buoyancy more rapidly
as either
hull become submerged. The flare also results in additional interior room
within the
hulls.

The NZ29 has more freeboard than the directly competing boat. Most people will
find full standing headroom in either hull, when entering the starboard
"stateroom" of using the portside head.

If your gripe is interior room, you certainly have a point.....although
compared to a 29' express cruiser the Black Cat will stack up
somewhat competitively. There's a genuine double bunk (extends into the space
between the hulls under the foredeck) and two *big* single berths. The main
cabin is
of course a lot wider than on a monohull.
Galley and dinette are comparably sized to most boats in the 26-29 foot range.

The real value of this boat is in its ride, handling, and performance rather
than the interior cabin volume. If a buyer wasn't interested in those
particular aspects, they would certainly make a different choice for the same
money, or less.


I guess the trap that it would be easy for most of us to step into when
comparing catamarans would be to begin by assuming that since they are
catamarans they must all be directly comparable in materials, fit, and finish
and that the major variable is going to be price alone. There's no reason that
would be true on a catamaran any more so than a monohull.

Boat value is a very subjective concept.
99.9% of the people who look at any new boat at a boat show, etc, will walk
away convinced it's either not affordable, overpriced, or both. The boat
dealers are looking for that 0.1%.

When I do these reviews, I generally don't get into direct comparisons between
the review boat and competitors. Several reasons, including the fact that most
of the comparisons people make between boats *are* subjective. Much of what I
write about a boat is subjective, as well. One opinion is almost never more
"correct" than another. If the article works as it is intended, the readers are
at least slightly better informed about the boat, get a general sense of how it
performs, and can draw their own preliminary conclusions- as you have done. :-)

(BTW, suggested retail on a Black Cat NZ29 with the "standard" engine package-
((150HP IIRC)), no RayMarine electronics, etc etc etc, is under $140,000. The
boat can be built as a diesel I/O as well. You'd never see 50+ mph with either
of those configurations, but if speed isn't that important to a buyer the
builder does offer some lower cost alternatives)