Santa Barbara whale watcher puts a quadra-jet cat to work - Marine Propulsion - Condor Cruises - Brief Article - Statistical Data Included

Diesel Progress North American Edition, August, 2002 by Mark Clevenger

In March, Condor Cruises replaced its 10-knot passenger boat with a sleek and fast new catamaran and thereby shaved a few hours off its trip to the vicinity of Southern California's Channel Islands to watch whales. With four Detroit Diesel Series 60 DDEC engines rated 740 bhp at 2300 rpm matched with Hamilton 362 waterjets, the 75 ft. by 26.5 ft. vessel will cruise at 28 knots with a full complement of three crewmen and 149 passengers aboard.

However, as the owner of Condor Cruises, Capt. Fred Benko, pointed out, the vessel actually made 43.7 knots during trials out of builder All American Marine's yard in Bellingham, Wash. The builder coined the term "quadrajet" to describe the vessel; engines are paired in compact engine spaces which are accessed through deck hatches.

The Condor Express is another of a series of vessels built under license from Teknicraft Designs. Teknicraft is headed by Nic de Waal and is headquartered in Birkenhead, Auckland, New Zealand. The boat is fitted with hydrofoils and while this provides a smoother ride for passengers, overall effect of the foils and special hull lines are proving to reduce wake wash as well.

Matt Mullett, CEO of All American, said that Ken Fox and Associates of Seattle conducted an "empirical wake wash test" on the Condor Express. According to Fox, these measurements showed that the vessel has exceptionally low wash characteristics both in height and energy At frill speed of 39 knots, the boat has a lower wash energy than any vessel of l49-passenger capacity that consulting firm has tested to date.

"At full speed, the wash height is less than 7.8 in and 28 percent below the threshold established by Washington State Ferries for Rich Passage," Fox said. The ferry authority has a court ordered slowdown along this passage, which is a major route to Seattle, because of claims of property damage to owners of water front homes. Wake damage has been a major obstacle to operation of catamarans in many areas of the U.S.

Keys to efficient operation of the Teknicraft catamarans lie in a complex series of design elements. A symmetrical bow ensures directional stability in short swells and following seas. Asymmetrical midsections and aft sections ensure a smooth ride. General midships geometry reduces vertical acceleration forces, according to Mullet.

Hydrodynamic lift is produced by the hydrofoil affixed midships between hulls. Mullett said that a wide and deep tunnel between hulls allows free passage of wind-produced waves.

All American Marine is now building a 61 ft. catamaran that will be used as a research boat at the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary.

The Condor Express has a draft of 3.3 ft. It displaces 118,200 lb. at full load. Gross tonnage is listed at 95.6 tons with the net tonnage figured at 76.2 tons. A Nor Pro 20 kW Isuzu diesel generator is used for auxiliary power. Fuel capacity is 2000 gal. Potable water tankage is listed at 150 gal.

Mathers provided engine controls. Drive lines are from Driveline Services, Inc. The steering system employs Hamilton and Jastrum components. Oberdorfer Pump, Inc. supplied the fire pump system, with a Kunkle relief valve.

In addition to serving both tourists and scientists interested in watching the blue and gray whales that course seasonally off the California coast, the boat will also be used for dinner cruises and other charters, including marine education for local school children. Its advanced audio/visual system, with high definition plasma screens mounted in the main cabin, can even display live footage being recorded by divers underwater, Mullett explained.