Has Chris-Craft produced the ideal boat?

by Bob Wonders on 21 Oct 2010 It’s marketed as the Catalina 29 Sun Tender, and no less a person than the President of the Chris-Craft Corporation, Steve Heese has labelled it 'the ideal boat for Sydney Harbour.'

Now I’m what might be termed an old Sydney Harbour ‘knockabout’, have probably spend more time on that fabulous harbour, 'where 1000 ships of the line could ride safely at anchor' than most people.

I can also tell you this – Steve Heese may well be American born and bred, but he lived in Sydney for more than 10-years, was a member of the Middle Harbour Yacht Club and has nothing but the fondest memories of that great waterway.

A few months back I was in Sarasota, Florida, Chris-Craft’s hometown, for the official launch of the company’s 2011 model range and it was there that Steve was quick to point out the Catalina 29 Sun Tender, anointing it as 'the ideal boat for Sydney Harbour.'

I have no doubt that Premier Marine’s (Australia’s authorised Chris-Craft dealer) dealer principal, Steve Hannes, being on the shores of Sydney Harbour at Rose Bay, would concur.

So let’s take a close-up look at this quite stylish and spacious rig.

At first glance, the Catalina 29 Sun Tender presents as a large, centre console runabout, but in reality it’s much more than that.

Space aboard this boat is really quite incredible, describing it as ‘spacious’ does not do it justice.

The self-bailing cockpit offers the opportunity for sunbathing, fishing, cruising and a very clever option is a unique bimini-style to called a ‘Sport Top’ by the manufacturer which provides excellent protection.

Seating can be configured to suit, with vast sun pads forward, dual seating at the cleverly designed console and lounge seating aft.

And speaking of clever – lift up a lounge just forward of the centre console and there’s the quite roomy head complete dockside pump out, wash basin, overhead lighting and stainless hand-held shower.

Storage abounds, too, throughout the boat with cavernous bins beneath seats allowing for all manner of gear to be stowed safely out of the way.

As far as build integrity goes, the Chris-Craft credo is ‘first class, all the way.’

The Catalina 29 Sun Tender meets American Boat and Yacht Council (ABYC) and US Coast Guard standards.

All vital fittings are installed through-hull and comprise marine grade stainless steel.

Both hull and deck rate as ‘foam filled’ for added safety and buoyancy and within the construction of the deep vee, flared bow hull utilises integrated structural liners.

Attention to detail is evident throughout, with only the best stainless steel components, international standard navigation lights, bilge pumps with high-water emergency and vacuum infused hatches.

Entertainment on board comes from a top-of-the-range Kenwood sound system with water resistant speakers.

Although the Catalina 29 Sun Tender is a very comprehensively fitted boat, Chris-Craft offers a stunning array of options enabling a buyer to customise their purchase to suit.

Raymarine electronics, teak cockpit flooring, underwater lighting, remote control windlass, bow docking lights and a custom cockpit cover are among the options listed.

On top of that, Chris-Craft offers an almost bewildering array of colour schemes for the hull (10 in all) and two options for the interior upholstery.

I was able to get at the control of this beauty in a high speed ‘gallop’ across Sarasota Bay and it proved to be a boat with beautifully handling characteristics.

This particular rig sported dual Mercury Verado outboard engines, each pumping out 250 hp and giving the Catalina 29 Sun Tender a wide open throttle reading of 47.7 knots (55mph) at a shade over 6000rpm.

Thanks to its 833-litre fuel tankage, the Catalina 29 Sun Tender can cover nearly 400 nautical miles at a very handy cruise speed of 28 knots (33mph), so Sydney Harbour boaters can easily contemplate a run north to Broken Bay or south to Port Hacking, no problems at all.

Yamaha’s F-250 four-stroke engines are also available and would I imagine return very similar figures.

As you have probably guessed from its model designation, the Catalina 29 Sun Tender is 8.9-metres (29’ 5') in length with a very stable (and roomy) 3.1-metre (10’ 2') beam.

It tips the scales (dry weight, with engines) at 3547kg (7820lbs), carries 833-litres of fuel and 31-litres of fresh water.

And I think Steve Heese hit the nail squarely on the head when he labelled this boat as 'the ideal boat for Sydney Harbour.'

For further information contact Premier Marine, Rose Bay, Sydney, telephone (02) 9328-0999.