Power catamarans tend to excel in several key areas. One is their effective use of interior space, not only to wow guests but also to provide one of the most comfortable cruising experiences on the water. Case in point: the new 50-footer from Aquila Boats.
Easily identified by their distinctive hullside windows, Aquila’s five outboard-powered Sport and Molokai models range from 28 to 47 feet length overall. They are in addition to four models of the inboard-powered Yacht line from 42 to 54 feet, and a Luxury 70-foot flagship. The 50 Yacht Power Catamaran is aimed at the owner-operator and charter markets, and is equally adept on a mooring at sunset in the British Virgin Islands as it is cruising the Great Loop.
The length overall is 52 feet, 6 inches, and the beam is 25 feet, 6 inches, giving the boat a length-to-beam ratio of nearly 2-to-1 and an interior footprint that feels much bigger than a 50-footer. Aquila’s design team took full advantage of that space, starting with nearly 7 feet of headroom throughout the salon. To port, there’s an L-shaped galley, access to the port hull, and a dining area with a U-shaped sofa that can seat eight to 10 people. Opposite are a double fridge, wine chiller, access to the starboard hull, and a double sofa.
Hull No. 1 sports the standard three-stateroom layout. The VIP and a utility room with laundry are in the port sponson. This en suite stateroom has an island queen berth that faces outboard for stunning views through the 26-by-55-inch hullside window. To starboard is the second VIP, also en suite, with equally large windows. The star of the show is the master stateroom. It’s a single-level, full-beam affair forward with an island king berth. The master also has a head with a separate shower, a walk-in closet, and 80 inches of headroom that carries far forward.
Owners also can choose a four-stateroom optional layout to maximize charter opportunities, over/under berths in lieu of the laundry room, a forepeak captain’s cabin with a head in the starboard hull, and an owner’s office with a desk in the master stateroom. For boaters who frequently encounter inclement weather, a full lower helm in the salon is also available.
On the main deck aft, a notable feature is Aquila’s tender davit. It’s hidden within the hardtop, and deploys horizontally to winch up the tender from its perch on the stern before extending aft over the water. Singlehanded operation is no problem, and it can handle up to 1,000 pounds. (An Aquila 14 Cat RIB sport console with a 40 hp Mercury outboard can be spec’d.) The walkways to the bow are 30 inches wide and secure thanks to a sturdy railing. At the bow, the sun pads stretch across virtually the entire space, while a Fusion sound system supplies the tunes.
For all the benefits of the power-cat design, one knock is usually in the looks department. To overcome that typically blocky side profile, Aquila raised the freeboard on the 50 and restyled the lines to match the angles of the hull and window lines, resulting in a sleeker and more attractive look. These boats are built using composites and resin-infused vinylester below the waterline and in the watertight bulkheads for strength and durability, along with considerable weight savings and enhanced overall performance.
Standard power is a pair of Volvo Penta D6 direct-drive engines rated at 380 hp each. Options include 480 hp Volvo Pentas or 550 hp Yanmars for even more underway oomph. Hull No. 1 has the 480 hp D6s, which gave us an easy cruising speed of 18 knots, burning 35 gallons per hour. That’s good for a range of 240 nautical miles between fuel stops with a 10 percent reserve. Adding the optional 232-gallon fuel tanks extends that range to 360 miles. Pushing the throttles to the stops yields a top hop of 21 knots at 3,370 rpm. Backing off to 5 knots produces a range of 1,970 miles for long-distance cruising.
The 50 Yacht is also an exceptionally quiet design. At the dock, we could barely tell the engines were idling from the flybridge helm, and at cruise, I recorded 70 decibels—normal conversation was no problem. Thanks to prop pockets in the hulls, draft is just 4 feet, 2 inches.
During our time on board off Clearwater, Florida, I found the 50 to be an exceptionally well-behaved vessel. Tight turns and figure-eights yielded virtually no outboard heeling. The helm is highly responsive, and close-quarters maneuvering is excellent with the props set far apart, even without using the optional bow thrusters. These are all qualities of a very well-designed power catamaran.
And while the calm sea conditions didn’t permit an assessment of the boat’s rough-water capabilities, I felt confident in its ability to handle anything snotty that should appear on the horizon.
The Aquila 50 occupies the sweet spot in the builder’s lineup: large enough to offer plenty of luxury and comfort at the dock or underway while economical to operate in a charter environment or by a cruising couple. It should be a winning combination.
Why Bulbous Bows?
The foam-cored bulbous bows forward on each hull sponson create lift and help ease the boat’s ride in rough seas. Bulbous bow designs also lengthen a vessel’s waterline for better fuel economy at displacement and semidisplacement speeds. These bows are molded separately from the hulls and can break away without compromising hull integrity in the event of a collision or grounding.
In the Lineup
The new Aquila 50 steps into the builder’s line to replace the highly successful and now-retired Aquila 48. It’s positioned between the Aquila 44 and the Aquila 54. Designed and built using feedback gathered from extensive research and owner input, the 50 maintains the distinctive and innovative yacht styling of the Aquila brand while incorporating elements of an exploratory aesthetic, which include a higher freeboard and updated lines and styling.
Eco Cruising
In a nod to eco-friendly cruising, the Aquila 50’s hardtop design is optimized for solar-panel integration, while the engine rooms are configured to support either standard combustion engines or an environmentally friendly hybrid engine package. The Aquila Hydro Glide Foil System is also an option for the 50 and is compatible with the Yanmar 550 hp engine package to achieve optimal performance. The system, designed by the French naval architect firm VPLP Design, increases lift and decreases drag at higher cruising speeds.
Builder Backdrop
Aquila Boats has more than 40 years of manufacturing experience, as well as collaborations with multiple award-winning firms and designers. The company’s line spans from 28 to 70 feet in length. The builder aims for class-leading innovation with each model it produces.
Take the next step: aquilaboats.com
