This week at the Annapolis Powerboat Show Washington state builder Aspen Power Cats is introducing their all new 44-foot, C128 outboard-powered cruising cat. The company’s new flagship, with rakish good looks, defines what can be created in a 44-foot, flybridge cat.
Aspen’s patented, award-winning designs are built on the asymmetrical proa hull configuration, with the starboard hull being full size and the port hull being narrower. This combination provides for a very stable ride while cutting fuel consumption significantly.
With twin Suzuki 300-horsepower outboards with stainless steel, three-blade, counter rotating props, the C128 will have a cruising speed of 20 knots and a top end of 30 knots. Mounted well aft, engine noise will be be minimal.
Fuel efficiency will see the C128 burning about a gallon-per mile at 16 knots and that in turn will give it a 270-mile range. Back it down to 14 knots and the range increases proportionately.
Using the new design’s full 13-foot, 11-inch beam, the living spaces on the main deck and cockpit and on the flybridge are spacious and the fit and finish are truly elegant. The saloon has the galley along the port side and a dinette that will seat four comfortably. The lower helm forward has twin bucket seats.
The C128 has three sleeping cabins and two heads with separate shower stalls. The master cabin is equipped with a king size bed –something never seen on a 44-footer—while the guest cabin as a full queen size berth. A third cabin has twin bunks and will no doubt be a storage cabin as well.
There is something appealing about these proa-style power cats. They are handsome to look at, engineered impeccably, and innovative in all aspects of the design and build. If you are at the Annapolis Powerboat Show or later this month at the Ft. Lauderdale International Boat Show, check out the Aspen display and climb aboard their new C128 flagship.