ABM Field Test, October 2015 Presenting an unusual report involving several Noosa Cat 2400s Open Cabs in different situations, including an immaculate private, moored (on an air-berth) NC 2400 Open Cab, and a just launched, brand spanking new one on sea trials off Noosa. Resident catophile (PW) takes a deep breath, and tries hard to remain dispassionate and objective, but fails dismally on both counts. Again. “Testing” a Noosa Cat of any description is always (a) challenging and (b) very exciting. Most of them are fitted with powerful outboard engines to provide a high level of performance, and combined with the dynamics of a Noosa Cat, are the equal or better than almost any other rough water craft of this size in the world. That’s not just hyperbole, it’s just a plain fact. So the process of testing such craft even for a professional boating journalist, is always something we approach with some circumspection, not to say nervousness. This applies particularly to your correspondent, because the way history has panned out, I’ve had the opportunity of owning and operating a number of Noosa Cats (or their forebears, the Sharkcats) as well as a number of other competitive cats. Over a 40 year period, the writer has tested virtually all of the production cats made in Australia. (Continued Over on Page 47) Australian Boat Mags 45

Naas a CAT 2400 Open cab Because of the continuity of my career in this exacting field, the writer has ended up with more notches on his cat belt than anybody else, which is sort of pleasing, but brings with it a responsibility that is sometimes a bit overwhelming. You see, the problem is that most boat owners have no idea how good a properly set up cat can be, or the level of difference that exists between monohulls and catamarans. As a result, when they read my reports extolling the virues of another cat, and they’ve been reading such tests for many years, they naturally assume that my boating...

ngosa Cat 2400 Open Cab need to be re-assessed to ensure they remain relevant to the needs of current fisherman and boatowners. To share with you the historical perspective, it’s a bit like looking back on the development of Holden in Australia. These days, we would now consider models such as the EJ Holden, the HR, even the more modern 15 year old VN models, are passe by today’s exceptional car building standards. But at the time of their release, we thought they were the bee’s knees. I can very clearly remember the release of the EH 149’s - especially the “big” motor option, in the 179 variant....

Tracey Hennig’s excellent shot of the very latest Noosa Cat 2400 (Oct, 2015) coming in through the barred entrance to the Noosa River on Australia’s Sunshine Coast, north of Brisbane, Qld. No production mono of this length can match the Noosa Cat’s performance and handling in conditions like these, with such ease and safety. 50 Australian Boat Mags

Naas a CAT 2400 Open Cab (Continued from page 49 ..) the more the demand for the enclosed ‘wheelhouse’ increases, as the temperature cools and the conditions often worsen. One of the interesting furphies about rough water in Australia is that our northern waters contain most of the roughest bits of water. Well, obviously they do in cyclone season, but for day to day, all year round analysis, the most seriously rough water along the Australia coastline is usually found in the Tasman Sea between Australia and NZ, and arguably all the way down to Tasmania, around the Bass Strait and into the...

2400 Open Cabin proverbial hits the fan, they make sure you have genuine alternatives to get you back home. Beyond that, there are other issues too. It’s not the place or time to compare it specifically with the White Pointer monohull platey featured elsewhere in this magazine (which is, I hasten to add, available with twin outboard ‘systems’ too) but even our Kiwi colleagues would agree that the best monohull outboard powered platey is unlikely to have the stability approaching that found in a Noosa Cat 2400 of approximately the same length. Stability becomes crucial when you’re working in very...