The increasing popularity of power catamarans means more boaters are discovering the brand Horizon Power Catamarans, which has been building for this market for 37 years. Its latest model, the PC68, blends sea-kindly performance with a high level of luxury in a strong build.
Horizon Power Catamarans has done a lot to optimize the space that this yacht’s 24-foot-6-inch beam affords. The sheer size felt impressive when I boarded from either hull platform (they flank a high-low hydraulic platform) or via the side gates. The cockpit has a 9-foot-long high-gloss wood table that seats eight guests, with real estate to move around unimpeded. The wet bar here has a Corian countertop, a fridge and an ice maker. There is still plenty of room to get to the curved staircase to port, providing access with grab rails to the flybridge.
The salon is through a 6-foot-wide glass door with a stainless-steel frame. Inside is an average of 7-foot headroom, which feels like walking into an upscale club. To port is a sofa, accented by a custom wood-and-metal coffee table. Across from there is the low-profile, open galley with three stools at a center island for informal dining. The galley has Miele appliances, including a four-burner cooktop, a convection oven and a fridge, along with a dishwasher and a cooling drawer by Fisher & Paykel. Corian countertops wrap around the island for added panache.
Forward is the primary gathering spot, with a deep, soft, L-shaped sofa. It’s surrounded on three sides by windows. A custom coffee table houses dual ottomans. This area can also be set up as an on-deck master stateroom (see sidebar).
Dismiss the thinking that lower staterooms on a multihull yacht are small and constricted. Horizon Power Catamarans performed some design magic and created four spacious dwellings. In the starboard hull, the master stateroom has a private entrance with a walkaround king-size berth athwartships in the peak, giving the owner an exterior view via a frameless hullside window. The master’s en suite head has his-and-hers sinks and a shower stall. A vanity, cabinets and cedar-lined, full-height closets are included.
The en suite VIP stateroom in the port hull has a queen-size berth. Two additional en suite staterooms, each with twin berths, are in either hull.
Sizable entertaining space is on the flybridge. Most of this deck is open for rest and relaxation, with the helm to port. Twin Stidd helm seats allow for a companion to assist in navigation or take in the views underway. Three 22-inch Garmin multifunction displays show navigation data, camera feeds, engine specs and more, while individual displays for the MAN diesels are neatly laid out in the dash, along with switches, thruster joysticks and throttle controls. Helm air conditioning is via two outlets.
Two windshields are split by a pass-through electric door. Guests can also enjoy the ride from the forward benchseat to starboard. A filler cushion can be used to make this a lounge-pad area.
Abaft the flybridge helm are a tiered bar, three chairs, Corian countertops, cooler drawers, an ice maker and a wet bar. Across from there is a C-shaped settee for several guests with a fold-out wood table. The seating is a touch higher than I expected, but Horizon builds in a raised footrest to ensure folks are comfortable. The height adds to the visibility.
This space also has a sky lounge option with side windows and an after bulkhead, but the versatility of the open bridge with Sea Crylic curtains for the sides and aft provides the best of both worlds.
What is really exciting is the PC68’s Portuguese deck. Through the flybridge forward door are two L-shaped settees with high-low tables. Guests can easily transit from the flybridge without having to walk around the boat’s sides. Also, the tables lower and have fill-in cushions that convert them to sun pads and loungers. A portside staircase leads guests to the foredeck with pulpit seats at the bow. All these areas have railings up to 33 inches high, in stainless steel, for safety.
Aft on the flybridge is room for a 17-foot tender with a 1,750-pound-capacity crane. There’s also room for lounge chairs. A grill station is in one corner, and a day head with a shower is in the other.
“I’m very pleased with the way the 68 came out,” Richard Ford, Horizon Power Catamarans founder and CEO, says with a grin, adding that production will never be mass-scale because the company wants to ensure quality control and resale value. “We don’t build a lot of boats. We don’t want to.”
Quality, he adds, promotes reliability—so much so that he gives each owner his personal cell number. The commitment to quality is also evident everywhere on board the Horizon Power Catamarans 68.
On-Deck Master
As an option, the standard salon space forward can be ordered as a full-beam master stateroom with wraparound windows, a centerline king berth and an en suite head in the lower port hull. In this layout, the two twin-bunk guest staterooms belowdecks remain, as does the VIP, which is relocated to starboard.
Power Up
Powered by twin 850 hp MAN i6 diesel engines spinning five-blade Veem props, the PC68 cruises easily at 19.7 knots, burning 52 gallons per hour and offering a range of approximately 644 nautical miles based on the 1,500-gallon fuel capacity. At wide open and 2,400 rpm, this power cat hit 24.8 knots, burning 82 gph with a range of 514 nm. Pull back to 10 knots at 1,200 rpm for a 1,417 nm range at a miserly 12 gph.
Ride On
Multihull yachts ride differently than monohulls, often counteracting the sea’s motion for a smoother, more stable ride. On the PC68, sharp hull entries make head seas seem gentle, and a Humphree stabilization system with blades reduces roll. Horizon Power Catamarans uses SCRIMP construction for resin saturation that maximizes strength with an 111,112-pound displacement. And with a 5-foot-4-inch draft, the PC68 invites island cruising.
Take the next step: horizonpowercatamarans.com
