All too often, boatbuilders are forced to make compromises. Sure, you can have high-end luxury and innovative features, but only if you give up the option to customize the interior space.
“We made a very conscious decision to do things differently with the Two Oceans 555,” says Dave Jirikovic. “This power catamaran has an edge over all the others in the industry. You get the luxury and innovation that customers demand, but also the ability to customize. Two Oceans Marine Manufacturing’s custom build mentality affords the customer what they want within the constraints of the spatial shell we are working within.”
Jirikovic is the HMY Yachts brand manager for the Two Oceans 555 Power Catamaran, which is the first model the company is offering for sale from South Africa’s Two Oceans Marine. The “triple five,” as the boat is known, is a power catamaran of a higher order than what many people think of when they hear the word “catamaran.”
The Two Oceans 555 has a customizable décor, a choice of layouts, multiple power options, smart systems for quieter cruising, U.S.-industry standard components for ease of service, the volume of a 70-foot monohull—and, yes, properly separated shower and toilet stalls. It’s the kind of powercat that discerning boaters have been demanding, boaters who know how creature comforts look and feel aboard top-brand monohull powerboats.
“Demand is changing,” says Tim Derrico, director of sales for HMY Yachts. “And the amount of real estate you get is enormous.”
The Two Oceans 555 can be ordered with a three-stateroom, three-head layout, or with different variations on a four-stateroom, four-head layout.
In the Owner’s Version, there are three staterooms. The entire starboard hull is the master, while the portside hull houses two additional staterooms—one forward for guests, and one aft for crew.
The On-Deck Master version has four staterooms and four heads, with the master on the main level and two guest staterooms in the starboard hull. The portside hull has a crew stateroom aft.
In the Open Plan version, there are also four staterooms, but they are positioned with two staterooms in each hull (the portside aft stateroom again for crew). The main level becomes an even bigger entertaining space that includes an open galley and long bar. This is the version that’s expected to be popular among owners who plan to offer the powercat for charter. As of December 2023, it was the most frequently ordered version among the 14 hulls of the Two Oceans 555 that HMY Yachts had sold.
Beyond choosing the layout, owners can customize the interiors with various wood veneers, fabrics and more. Bulkheads can’t be moved, Jirikovic says, “but within the box, you can do a lot.” As an example, he cites Hull No. 3, which arrived in the United States in December: “This build alone had 116 change orders added.”
Importantly, he adds, installations are all done at the Two Oceans Marine shipyard in South Africa. Parts and components from U.S.-friendly suppliers are shipped there so the boats arrive on U.S. shores ready for use, instead of needing further fit-out.
“Anything and everything that anybody would want, the boat’s ready to run. Put fuel in it and go,” Jirikovic says. “This a massive departure from industry norms where owners have come to expect losing a month of cruising time upon the boat’s arrival, and an expense of $40,000 to $60,000 to commission a new build, to actually make it operable. We wanted to eliminate this headache for the customer, and we did.”
Another thing that HMY Yachts worked on with Two Oceans Marine was ensuring that the Two Oceans 555 is built for serious cruising. The powercat is certified CE Class A for ocean use. Crossing the Gulf Stream to explore the Bahamas or Caribbean islands can be part of an owner’s plans, and the powercat’s class-leading draft of 3 feet, 6 inches will allow anchoring just about anywhere. Protective keels shield the running gear in case the water below the boat gets too skinny.
Owners can easily expect a top speed in the upper-20-knot range, Jirikovic says. This powercat’s design—combined with custom conical Humphree Interceptor tabs and exclusive tunnel design by Teignbridge Ltd.—lifts the after section to ease the vessel’s motion.
“If you look at other boats in this segment, they’re stern-heavy when underway,” he says. “They look like they’re struggling to get up to speed. The Two Oceans 555 runs nearly flat underway, at about 1.5 degrees of upward angle at cruise. The high-speed performance numbers showcase the engineering involved. The 555’s design gives you the speed you want, but also dynamic efficiency at low speed.”
Power plants are by Cummins—with the ability to get parts and service pretty much anywhere—and all electrical systems are by Victron Energy, an industry-leading Dutch company that focuses on electric power. The Two Oceans 555 with the optional Off-Grid Package includes a bank of Victron Energy lithium-iron-phosphate batteries that provide over 50 kW of storage. That setup, along with efficient 48-volt wiring and systems, means the boat can be at anchor while using lights, air conditioning, refrigeration and more, but without the need for a traditional, noisy generator.
Instead of that traditional generator, the Two Oceans 555 with the optional Off-Grid Package has a 9 kW Integrel Solutions PTO generator on each engine. It requires zero maintenance, and it recharges the batteries at a speed comparable to an electric vehicle’s super-charger. (It’s way faster than plugging into a standard outlet.)
And, with the addition of solar panels, Jirikovic says, another 6 kW or 7 kW of power can be generated in silence. “You’re pretty much at net-zero or even net-positive in terms of daytime energy use,” he says, “even running all the air conditioners on the boat.”
Boaters who are new to these systems can take comfort in the Victron Energy user interface, which displays all the information needed to make sense of what’s happening.
“You can monitor the Victron network on the dedicated boat system screen, on your phone, at the helm via the Garmin plotters, or if you’re connected to Wi-Fi, so you can manage the system remotely,” Jirikovic says. “The system does the math for you in real time. There’s a countdown timer so you know exactly how to manage your loads to the maximum and create a sustainable grid.”
He adds that the improvements to the overall cruising experience are impressive: “If you’re like me and you’ve been on boats all your life, you’re used to exhaust smells and equipment noises all night. The 555 with the Off-Grid package is a total departure from those historical norms.”
In a nutshell, Derrico adds, the Two Oceans 555 is designed, built and outfitted for boaters who know how cruising in comfort should feel, and who want it all in a powercat.
“The Two Oceans 555 is a boat for the person who really wants to use it,” Derrico says. “It’s for going exploring.”
Take the next step: Learn more about the Two Oceans 555 at hmy.com
