Kevlacat Flycaster?

Anmyone besides me seen the new Kevlacat Flycaster featured in the photo on page 79 of the latest Club marine magazine?

If I could get my darn scanner to work - i'd flash up a photo - but I'm havin trubble...

Best I can see it looks like the unltimate bream machine, bout 16 or 17 feet long, front casting deck with pedestal seat, side console and raised rear casting platform with i think a 60 horse Honda 4 stroke on a brackett out back.

Havent seen this model on the Kevlacat home page yet so obviously it's something new...

White it may just be a cat (hard to tell from the photo - you can't see under the bow it's a rear quarter shot) it could equally be some soirta tunnel tri hull configuration too!!!

Maybe someone else canscan the pic - it sure looks interesting...

Kevla would have to be say 1/3 lighter than the equivalent glass FRP hull - and stronger than steel...

It's just got untimate bream boat written all over it....

Looks very much like the old Boston whaler 17 fter hull to me...a lot of similarities...

Could be a serious contender to the local Hound dog maybe?

Hope one of you can track it odwn - maybe someone should email Kevlacat for all the details and specifications (cost?) etc...

Just a thought!

Cheers!

[fatman]

Trouty,
Modern Fishing, July 2003, Warren Steptoe had an artical on the Kevlacat Flycast.
They don't give out too much in the way of specs, but the boat is basically a re-tooled Suncoaster from a few years ago. They have a trihedral hull (same as a Whaler hull) and the test boat had a 90HP Honda strapped to a pod on the back. It has raised front and rear casting decks and a lot of effort has been made for the safe storage of fully rigged fly rods. There has also been much effort to make th 'boat snag' proof against errant fly lines in the way of flush mounted hinges, locks catches ect........
The Suncoasters were about 5.1 metres long and were rated at 90 HP. Would make a top bream tournament boat.
hopes this helps

FATMAN

Your info is spot on..

Kevla have just sent me a full specs sheet and heaps of close up photo's of th elayout etc etc ...ecept they are al embedded into a Acrobat reader PDF file.

If I could figure out how to extract them I would post em up here for all to see (any tips?).

Cost is around the mid 35 K which is on a par with it's only serious competitor the hound dog built in leeman WA, while the Western Craft whalers a good 10 K cheaper!.

It does indeed take a 90 Hp 4Stroke, which should make it get up n boogie...

Has all sorts of things you can get with it - like T top - Forward bow mount for electric troller..lockable storeage for fly rods and so on..


Looks to me like it will be a ball tearer - I belive F & B magazine are doing an article on a recent project boat Kevla had built for them....so maybe keep an eye out for that article.

I guess I could forward the PDF file of photo's and speci's to anyone interested.

Cheers!

[jimi]

Hey Trouty, I'd be interested in seeing the specs for that. I've seen small snippets on the web here and there about this boat, but never much info.

When it comes time to upgrade, I'll be looking for a boat that can do more that just breaming. I want to be able to do a bit of inshore flyfishing and some up north work as well. This sounds pretty close to ideal.

Do you reckon it will ride ok in a bit of chop?

Cheers
James

Thats a tough questioon to answer - the photo in Club Marine Magazine seems to be taken in pretty calm water...

I always worry about shipping water over the bow with these tri hulls that have low freeboard...if you get into nasty short period chop over say 2 ft or so..

Now maybe the KC would ride up over it - but without actually testing it - who knows for 100% sure?

(The specis say it can be supplied with a front bow rail and spray curtains as an accessory)

I was just talking to Bro In Law FLash about what a great article a 3 way tri hull shootout would make between the Western Craft Whaler - the Hound Dog and the Kevla Cat Fly Caster.

I mean pretty hard to get the 3 boats together in one place at the one time, similarly equipped with same OB's etc to get a "fair" shootout type test....

Just from "LOOKING" at the respective photo's, I "think" my preference for freeboard reasons (as far as potential for dry ride in nasty chop) would be:-

1. Hound Dog
2. Kevlacat
3. Western Craft Whaler

Now - thats not very scientific at all - just what i reckon based on 3 different lots of photo's of each..

From my enquiries...the prices are around about

1. Hound Dog ~ $35K
2. KevlaCat Fly Caster ~ $35K
3 Western Craft Whaler ~ $25K

Would the potentially better ride, handling etc of the Hound Dog or Kevlacat Fly Caster be WORTH the extra 10 grand than the local Western Craft Whaler?.. I mean 10 grand buys a LOT of fancy electronics & fuel etc...soooo

Without actually testing them - what i reckon is just hearsay anyway...

One thing I CAN say - is that FLash has been VERY surprised about the high standard of service he's recieved from Westernncraft since he posted his comments here about his initial impressions a couple week safter delivery of his new boat.

They seem to be bending over backwards to do the right thing by him, and I suspect he will post a thread to that effect about how well they are now looking after him, when he gets his boat back this week and uses it this comming long weekend down here, if it all comes up to his expectation.

A three way shootout would be an article I'd give my left ball to write on those three hulls because I think theres a LOT of people potentially interested in such craft and to now have 3 to choose from...well thats just a bonus.

Like I said, i suspect that choice could slip out to 4 to choose from if the new model alloy prototype just built by local Naval architect Phil Curran measures up to fit into this same useage bracket...with any luck i'll get a look and a test ride in the next week or two...it's supposed to be some new secret air entrapement tunnel hull is the nearest to a description i could get out of Phil...he keeps this stuff under tight wraps usually ...until he's had a chance to test it thoroughly himself first...

The choices just get better every year - dont they?

Cheers!

[Choppy]

Trouty,

Are there sites on the net where you can view any of these trihull boats? They sound very interesting.

The only experience i have ever had with a trihull was a mates Aussie Whaler, for the boat depth and lenght (4.1m) it handled very well, and it also hammered with a 50hp yamaha on the back.

The boat was quite heavy - which i'm sure assisted to its handling characteristics in the harbour.

Hound Dog details here:-

http://www.redbackweb.com.au/hounddog/index.html

Western Craft Whaler details HERE

http://www.boatlandwa.com

And if you want the PDF file for the Kevlacat tri hull fly fisher with full photo's & specifications etc - give me your email and I'll send it to you...

(If anyone could tell me how to save a photo out of a pdf file as a jpg - I'd upload photo's of all three for comparisons sake here in this thread!).

Cheers!

[Traveller]

trouty,

I would appreciated it if u can email me the info to gnanda@os.com.au.... Thanks...

I've been looking at the Kevlacat for a while. I didn't know that they make something that small... I've been looking at their Series 2400 Offshore..

Just forwarded the email. It's a biggee and came up with an Msimn error message after it had been sent. Let me know if you recieve it - i don't want to send multiple copies unless the first one never go thru...

Cheers!

[Robert B]

Trouty could you email me the PDF. I will extract the pics and place them on the forum

Just about to send email now.

Don't know how you will extract the photo's as JPG's to post here I gave up trying to find a way. My hats off to you if you can do it.

I look forward to seeing it up here for all to see. Thanks again!

Cheers!

[Robert B]

I use the full Acorbat not just the reader. It allows me to import it into Adobe indesign then its broken into each of the PDF's seperate components. Anyway It will be up tonight when i get home from work.

Cheers,
Rob

That makes sense Rob, your right I only have acrobat reader.

Email is sent, let me know if you get it OK.

For some reason my darn email program Outlook express 6 sometimes comes up with a msimn error message saying it has performed an illegal operation and will be shut down - and although the modem etc sends the email - it stays in my outbox - some sort of a clash between the nortons virus scanning software and the outlook express I think.

Anyway, no doubt you'll have the email by now - but next time I fire up the puter after shutting down this time - the email will be sent again - this time without the error message and it will shift to my sent folder.

I hate puters - they NEVER work like they are sposed to.:mad:

So if you get a second copy - my apologies!

Oh yeah - you might wanna go back and delete your email addy from the forum board lest a web spider collects it and forwards it onto one of thos mass mailing lists and you get inundated with spam emails. ;)

It's usually a good idea to include some obvious phrase within your email addy if you want to post it publicly on bulltin boards/ forums that the intended recipient can just remove - while the web spiders collect the incorrect one and forward something to the mass mailing lists which doesn't work!. ;)

Many folks include the words "NoSpam" within their addy when posting it publicly for that reason. so RobNoSpam@Nevada.com might save a lot of unwanted furure spam email traffic maybe.

Just a suggestion.

Cheers!

[Robert B]

Yer good point re: my addy. Just had a hell of a time getting rid of some stubborn spyware over the weekend. Its getting ridiculous all the spam, virus and spyware these days. Well I did get both your emails but opened them at work and didn’t take them home. It will have to wait till tomorrow or if you send it again tonight. Sorry guys I'm always in a hurry to get home and forget about anything else :(

Rob

Do you have a different home email address than the above one or can you open from either location?

Cheers!

[Robert B]

Same one will do

Cheers

[Robert B]

Having problems with files sizes, so i will just have to post the pictures.

[Robert B]

(Prop Pleasure Cats International Pty Ltd & Posco No1 Trading As Kevlacat Power Boats Australia)
(ABN NO 32 214 802 308)
12 Main Drive Phone 07 5493 3799
Warana QLD 4575 Fax 07 5493 3168
Po Box 234 Inter Ph 61754933799
Buddina QLD 4575 Inter Fax 61754933168
Australia E-mail ohn@kevlacat.com.au


5.1 METRE FLYCASTER
CUSTOMER PRICE LIST

EFFECTIVE: 1st January 2004 This model is constructed f rom a moulded GRP Hull and Deck. The floor liner is constructed of GRP coated ply timber floor with a non-skidf inish(carpet optional). All under f loor is fully sealed and flocoated. This vessel is extremely strong, using our traditional GRP layup. Use of the highest quality polyester resins provides the owner with a long lasting investment with excellent re-sale value. All of our models come with a structural five-year hull warranty. (Private use only)

SPECIFICATIONS

Moulded Length 5.18 Metres
L.O.A. Including Engine 5.6 Metres Beam Moulded 2.16 Metres Draught 0.35 Metres Height on Trailer Without Canopy 2.01 Metres Recommended HP 70 HP Maximum HP 90 HP Overall Length on Trailer 6.7 Metres


ALL PRICES AND SPECIFICAT IONS ARE EX-FACTORY AND ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT FURTHER NOT ICE.
-1

Cruise speed of 22 – 24 knots with 90 hp Honda four stroke outboard

Great stability all the way around the boat including the bow.
-2


Easy release and retrieval from Belco trailer. (side guide posts also optional)

Forward post seat is removable. Rear post se at is option al. Electri c motor m oun t for bow is also option al.
-3

Significant storage is available in the forward and rear com partments. Rear compartments are key locking.

Recessed storage of Epirb and fire extinguisher. Esky under forward seat in console. Live bait tank under passenger seat.
-4

Electric engine mount available for bow.

Locka ble storage for assembled fly rods.
-5


Forwa rd storage compartments for bait caster storage.
-6 -7
5.1 METRE FLYCASTER by Kevlacat Specifications Effective………. 1 January 2003
FEATURES -GENERAL Flycaster 5.1 metre
Deck Hardware (quality fitted) STD
Anchor Locker and Hatch STD
1 x 105 li tre Stainl ess Steel Fuel Tank STD
Large storage areas under forward casti ng deck STD
Esky under seat in console STD
Radio/Storage box in console STD
Electric bilge pump STD
Battery Compartment STD
Live bait tank under passenger seat STD
Non-skid to Cockpit Flooring STD
Rod Holders x 4 STD
3 drawertackle locker STD
Galvanised Steel, single axle trailer (braked) STD
AVAILABLE OP TIONS Price
Cockpit Lighting $ 95.00
T-top Canopy fixed with S/Steel Supports & 5 rod rocket launcher ( suitable for centre consol e only ) $ 1,750.00
Stai nl ess Steel Bow Rail $ 1,200.00
Bow rai l spray curtai n $ 650.00
FEATURES - M ECHANICAL/ELECTRICAL
Hydraulic Steering STD
Sport Steering Wheel STD
Compass Fitted STD
6 Gang Ci rcui t Breaker/Switch Panel ST D Controls as supplied with engine STD STD
ST D Instrum ents as supplied with engine STD
Electrical System to include Quality Wiring & STD
Components,
Navigation lights & isolator switching STD
Fuel Fil ter STD
1 x 70 HP 4 stroke Honda Outboard M otor STD
Fire Extinguisher Recessed STD
E.P.I.R.B. Recessed STD
ELECTRICAL OPTIONS Price
Moulded fibreglass m ount for Electric Bow Thruster $ 475.00
27 M EG Radi o wi th speaker $ 360.00
Stereo G.M .E.( with CD player ) and speakers $ 320.00
Electronics: Depth Sounder & G.P.S. POA
VHF Radi o G.M.E. GX548 wi th speaker $ 560.00

[Robert B]

:)

[Robert B]

:D

[Robert B]

:rolleyes:

[Robert B]

:cool: