SPRING 2002 NEWSLETTER.RETURN TO CONTENTS
Welcome to Seawork 2002. This year we are exhibiting our new Interceptor 42. At last year’s show we were only able to give brief details about our new flagship. Here we are this year with the second 42 built, ‘Predator III’, The first already working hard in commercial use and a third on order. She has been a resounding success for us, completely living up to all expectations.
The first of class Interceptor 42 was ‘True Light’ built for Martin Oliver of Galway. Martin ordered his boat way back in 2000 when she was only a drawing on paper and a vision in my head. She was delivered to him in January this year. We sea trailed her extensively in some very heavy weather, notable in a force 9 off Roches point lighthouse, where we had a video made of her that amply demonstrated her abilities.
(A copy of this Video is available as well as a shortened version which can be seen on our CD Rom promotional video, here at the show).
‘True Light’ was fitted with twin Caterpillar 3126 engines rated at 300hp giving her a 24kts max speed. Designed from the outset to have tremendous inherent stability, stability that was needed in order for her to receive a Class 6 passenger boat licence for 40 persons!
Martin undertook his homeward
voyage aboard ‘True Light’ during some particularly nasty
weather in February. During his passage from Dingle to Galway he
encountered mountainous seas off the Blasket Islands on Ireland’s exposed
Atlantic coast. The seas in this area are some of the most dangerous in all
Ireland where strong currents and shoal water combine to create some vicious
seas. On completion of his journey
Martin said “Off the Blaskets in force 7-8,
we had massive waves the
size of double story houses . The
boat handled magnificently in a huge following sea, running at a 15kts cruise we
were often surfing on the crests at up to 26kts, the boat was always in complete
control, needing no more than half a turn of the wheel to stay on course”.
Asked what she was like in head seas he replied “Very
soft on herself, never slamming and unbelievably dry with very little spray
hitting the screen”
Arriving in Galway she attracted huge attention with her graceful attractive lines, proving a working boat doesn’t have to be ugly.
PREDATOR III – The Ultimate Interceptor
In April we launched ‘Predator III’ probably the ultimate expression of Style, performance and seakeeping. She was designed for dual roles of offshore cruising and big game angling, but in this guise is suitable for many commercial applications be it survey work, patrol or Class 6 passenger craft, she is equally capable of it all.
She was sailed across from her home port of Cork in Ireland
prior to the show. During the voyage her abilities were tested in the NW force
5, occasionally 6 conditions encountered. One of the delivery skippers present
commented “We had a following sea all the way
and I was amazed at how well she handled it, her directional stability was so
good we were able to leave her on autopilot, I was watching to see when she
would get upset but she never did”. Furthermore
she proved amazingly economical, with her single 450hp Cat running at 2100rpm
for 15.5kts, she completed the 146 mile crossing in 9 hrs and used only
100 gallons!
PUT THROUGH HER PACES IN WEYMOUTH
Whilst
waiting to be taken to the Seawork show she spent a week in Weymouth and was put
through her paces by some of the UK’s top skippers. Chris Caines, a previous
owner of an Interceptor 38 took several skippers out in conditions that
represented the edge of their operational envelope and ran her through the
Portland race, certainly the nastiest stretch of water in the Channel. All
aboard were very impressed with comments like-
“Lovely
boat, good ride in iffy weather, nice to have lots of room for anglers &
divers”
Pat Carlin (Skippered Offshore
105 / Aquastar 43 / Bullet 38)
“Being
capable of 18kts into the Portland tidal race impressed me with her seakeeping
qualities”
Richard English (Skippered
Offshore 105 / Portland 12m)
“Comfortable, smooth,
easily driven, a very dry sea boat, can’t wait to go & see the charter
version.”
Peter Russell (Boatbuilder/Engineering
consultant. Skipper Starfish 8)
“This latest boat from
Frank Kowalski’s Irish yard is the culmination of years of development &
hard work. The 42 is going to be hard to beat for durability and good value”
Chris Caines skippered Offshore
105 / Interceptor 3
TWO PART BUILDS DELIVERED.
Two part completed 38’s hull and superstructure mouldings were supplied to France and Ireland.
FIRST
38 FOR THE WEST COAST.
The “Carmel Olivia” an Interceptor 38, was supplied to Billy Hart of Galway for charter angling. Fitted with a single Caterpillar 3126 rated at 420 hp she achieved 23kts. She has a few innovative features such as her external toilet accessed from the aft deck, a real boon for anglers. Finished in Galway’s colours, a deep maroon, she was most striking.
ANOTHER
INTERCEPTOR TO THE CHANNEL ISLANDS.
THESEUS II was supplied
earlier this year to Dave Nuth from Jersey in the Channel Islands. Fitted with a
huge Scania DI12 428hp engine she’s a real beast. Dave operates her in
seemingly any weather, phoning me last time in a force 7 mid channel. He thinks
the boat has fantastic seakeeping saying “When
we were bringing her home from Weymouth we could see the surf over the Shambles
bank, I said lets see how she handles this, with the sea on our transom quarter
she just shrugged off each wave, rising to the next, and all
whilst on Autopilot!”
With her distinctive sharks mouth
she’s sure to turn heads wherever she goes.
38’S PROVING POPULAR!
Our smaller interceptor 33 is being developed further with a new short, commercial wheelhouse with f/wd sloping windows and offset to one side, giving a safe bulwarked walkway and maximum cabin width. The aft deck has been raised increasing freeboard and allowing flush engine installations. This version should prove very popular for netting and potting, where a large clear aft cockpit with only minimal accommodation is required
