# Sea Cat??



## Wakerider1424 (Nov 25, 2007)

We are looking at a 1996 Sea Cat. It is 25.5 ft long with twin 150 yami's. I heard they sneeze alot..but that is ok i guess. It is a cuddy. The motors are 2 stroke but he said amazingly he gets 2.5 mpg. So no worries about that..any responses to experiences or anything like that is highly appreciated! We are just looking for a bigger Cat!


----------



## manintheboat (Jun 1, 2004)

I would be skeptical about the 2.5 mpg in real world conditions. I have a 23' sport cat, which is identical to sea cat with twin Johnson 115 and I get around 1.5 mpg at cruise.


----------



## flymost (Nov 6, 2006)

I would as well. I have a 25' World Cat with the same motors. In ideal conditions and a light load I can get 2.1, but I average about 1.6-1.8. Your cuddy will keep the sneeze away, but is heavy. Have you taken her on a test ride? If you have your top speed will give you a good idea of your MPG on those motors. I top out at 45MPH with 17" props. In order to get 2.5 MPG out of those motors I would estimate that you would need about a 50+MPH top speed. You can check the Yamaha/Honda/Suzuki websites to get a good idea what twin 150's will burn in IDEAL conditions.


----------



## fishingreg (Feb 11, 2008)

I too would be skeptical about the 2.5 mpg. Other than that, look it over good for any stress cracks. Since the engines cost more to replace than the hull, I would have a shop give you at a minimum a compression check and basic overall check. Good luck, moving up in size is a good feeling!


----------



## POC Transplant (Feb 26, 2008)

Are the motors HPDI? If so, that milage may not be out of the question.


----------



## CoastalOutfitters (Aug 20, 2004)

wet test see for yourself ? you offer to buy the fuel

may be a cheap lesson learned


----------



## Captn C (May 21, 2004)

JWT has a 23 SeaCat with 2007 140 zukis and he is getting a bit over 2NMPG at 20 knots. They are just out of the break in period so I guess it could get a bit better.

Both of the times I have run his boat the "sneeze" was not bad, but it was pretty calm. I think most cats do to some degree, but I am not sure if SeaCat is any worse. I've a run a Glacier Bay serveral times and they get a bunch of "sneeze" in your face, but it was rough on a couple of those trips. 

Put some spray curtains on it and don't worry about the "sneeze".

I'm not a fan of the cats, but they a ton of fishing room.


----------



## Snap Draggin (Nov 11, 2007)

I would not buy into the 2.5MPG thing either. More like 1.5 -1.7 would be believable. I have also mentioned on other threads a marine surveyor for the hull. That is the best piece of advice I can give. Also make sure to have your mechanic do a compression test and lower unit inspection of both motors. You will pay up front, but both parties might find something the average person cannot.


----------



## hookemtim (Aug 27, 2007)

We are running twin 225 two strokes on a 25' Mako and we are not even close to your mpg....in fact, we are getting right at half of that.


----------



## SnappD (Oct 8, 2004)

I have a '97 SL5 Cuddy with 200 yamaha hpdi's. I would bet the only time you'll get well over 2 is at 25mph or less. I get 1.9mpg @ 26 knots and 1.8mpg @ 29 knots. I wouldn't worry about sneeze being an issue. I would consider the seacat as being way drier than average and is the number one reason I bought mine.


----------



## budnik18 (Aug 24, 2006)

We had a 25 seacat cuddy for about ten years with twin yam 130's it got about 1.6 to 2.0. i think you will be better with those 150's that thing is like moving a barge. smooth ride it just took for ever to get any where. we also put about 20 powerheads on it. great boat just get the heads checked


----------



## Top Kat (Mar 9, 2008)

I'm running a 25' Pro Kat with 135 Opi's and at best i get 1.5 to 1.8 MPG @ cruise 25 to 30 Kts and a top speed of 38 kts running 19 pitch Viper ported props. I also spent alot of time on a 25' Sea Cat with 150 Mercs in rough and smooth water the ride is very good you will like it the sneeze is not bad also like mentioned above get it checked out by a mechanic..


----------



## Snap Draggin (Nov 11, 2007)

I just went to their site. It appears as if they only hold 110 gallons of gas. That to me is not enough for an offshore boat. Especially one with 2 stroke motors. You might want to look with soemthing that holds more gas IMO. Pro Kat, Glacier Bay and World Cat have more capacity.


----------



## JOKERSWILD (May 21, 2004)

I run a Sea Cat SL 25 mine is a 97 and still like it. It does sneeze alot but it feels good during the summertime but the cc should not be botherd with it with the windshield. Mine holds 130 gals with a 50 in the console. If you got questions send me a PM and I will answer any questions best I can. Although I start my offshore hitch today and I will be gone 20 days leave a ph# and I will get back with you.

Now that I am old with kids I rather have that cabin than the open console 

2.5 mpg.....what on the trailer while flushing the motors :slimer: 

Joker


----------



## SnappD (Oct 8, 2004)

Question for all you Seacat/Worldcat Owners-- What speed do you normally run out into a head sea in our normal 2-3 foot tightly-spaced chop in the Gulf--not on slick calm days? Are you running 30knots all the time or really only running 30knots on slick calm days?

My experience has been that the Seacat will run into a headsea in comfort up to 4's at 25mph but less comfortable at 30mph due to launching on rogue waves. A following sea you can run whatever speed you want.


----------



## manintheboat (Jun 1, 2004)

I run about 25 mph in 3' seas. Any more and I am launching. My boat is a tad shorter than yours though.


----------



## Wakerider1424 (Nov 25, 2007)

Snap Draggin said:


> I just went to their site. It appears as if they only hold 110 gallons of gas. That to me is not enough for an offshore boat. Especially one with 2 stroke motors. You might want to look with soemthing that holds more gas IMO. Pro Kat, Glacier Bay and World Cat have more capacity.


On there site they don't have the Cuddy 26' Sea Cat..


----------



## Fishwhacker (Aug 13, 2006)

Seacat quit production and folded in '97 and became Worldcat with some change in design in '98. The seacat that you're looking up was started much later by part of the original team and only manufactures the 18 and 22.


----------



## CLVL (Aug 17, 2005)

*Seacat History*

Wakerider - This is what I know of the Seacat's history. The 25 SeaCat goes back to a hull design which was used in Hawaii and the south Pacific for about 20 years. It was first manufacturer as a 24' Manta 1987 or '88, designed by Larry Potter, and built by his company Ocean Technology in Ocean Springs, MS. The 24 Manta was the first cat I ever fished from in the Biloxi Wildlife area east of New Orleans with guide Gary Taylor (Gary is still there today, Orvis-certified guide so you fly fishermen can find him by going to Orvis's site). The hull of the Manta is identical to 93-mid96 SeaCats and is designed to plane. The main differences from the original MantaCat are that the liner and transom are different between the two. The Manta was a 3 piece boat - hull, deck, and cap - while the Seacat is a 2 piece boat - hull and inner liner. Otherwise the pre '96 Seacat and the Manta look like twins from the rub rail down. The shear line is constant and low enough that at trolling speeds, the bow can be stuffed and water easily taken. I bought hull #1 of a 19' cat Otech made off the 24' Manta mold called the Kahala, and owned this boat for 10 years.

In 1992, North American Fiberglass bought the Manta design, hired Potter for a while, and developed the 25 SeaCat model based on the same hull. The original planing hulls start at the bow with a sharp entry and vary continuously to a low angle V at the transom. The area near the corners become flat planing surfaces and meet a 90 degree hard chine on each side of the sponson. Before the sale, Potter was designing a 21' cat with a new sponson shape - now referred to as "semi-displacement"- renamed the boat "SeaCat", and made a handful which were composite, no wood, boats before the sale to NAF (guide Gary Taylor has, if it survived Katrina, hull #2 which I've fished from several times). The SL1 came out as this hull except marine plywood was in place of the foam cores which made the boat heavier, and in my opinion, not ride as well. NAF needed to get the 25 in production so it came out as the SL5 Seacat planing hull in 1993. In mid 1996 the hull and transom of the SL5 was redesigned to the "semi-displacement" hull, and the 23 (SL3) was added to the line-up (also semi-displacement). The redesigned hulls are rounded with small chines and the bottom resembles a U. The chines were raised and got smaller in an effort to make the boat sneeze less and throw less water. Another part of the redesign was to raise the transom to allow for more power (up to 300 HP total). This supposedly gave the boat a "better" ride to the already smooth-riding hulls, although sacrificed fuel efficiency and speed vs. the planing hull. The shear line remained the same though in the Seacat. 

In 1998 North American Fiberglass merged with LeisureCat and changed their name to International Class Catamarans (which later became World Class Catamarans - manufacturers of the World Cat.) World Class borrowed the "semi-displacement" hull from the redesigned SeaCat to incorporate it into their new World Cat. At this point, the shear line was changed giving the World Cat a higher bow, and I think better aesthetic lines. World Class sold the assets (molds) of SeaCat to Sport-Craft who made the Sport-Cat in 21, 23, and 25 lengths. The Sport-Cat is practically identical to the post 95 SeaCats. Thus, both the WorldCat, Sport-Cat, and '96-'98 SeaCats have identical (at the waterline) "semi-displacement" hulls. If you search Boat Trader, you can often see the two different designs of the SeaCat, a Sport-Cat, and many, many World Cats. The Leader cat came out in ~2000, and was designed off the semi-displacement 21' design - the tunnel height was raised 3", the boat lengthened to 22', and the shear line raised for a high bow. I think Leader was in business for a couple years, and then changed ownership in 2003 or 04 with the new company calling itself "Seacat" again. They now make 18', 20' and 22' models. The original Manta planing hulls were effectively designed out of the current production boats. The most similar production planing cat hull is the ProKat. I believe that the ProKat 26 started life as the 25 OceanStar as PK purchased the OceanStar molds after OceanStar went out of business. The OceanStars were a wet riding boat - its been a long time and PK may have improved this attribute (I know that above the rub rail the PK is a different boat). I've never ridden the 26 ProKat so can't comment.

If you want to see illustrations of these hull types, manintheboat and I have posted some pics. Also lots of other info on Seacat if you search.

I've got a 25' Renaissance Prowler (planing cat) with 150 DI Evinrudes turning 19" Viper props and running 49 mph at WOT. I am seeing ~2.1 mpg at 35-40 mph. As my boat is probably 1000# lighter than a 25 Seacat w/cuddy, I do not believe you can expect 2.5 mpg from 150 Yamaha 2 strokes.


----------



## JWT (Jun 28, 2004)

*Fuel Economy*

As CaptnC said, I get a tad over 2 NMPG with a 23 Seacat CC with 2008 140 Suzuki's under 22 knots (Lowrance LMF-400 NMEA 2000 Fuel Management System). I can cruise up to 26-28 knots running a tad under 2 NMPG, top speed is 40 knots, but at 6100 rpm it is gulping it down. My 23 has an over all length of 24 foot, so around 16-18" shorter than the 25 footer, all else is the same (holds two 62 gallon tanks). I'm sure the weight is within a couple hundred pounds of the 25. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that the efficiency of my '08 140 Suzuki's probably can't be beat.

-Weston


----------



## boatpaint (May 21, 2004)

*Seacat*

I have the 25 Extended Range with twin 100 gl tanks. Loved the boat - had to sell it when I moved to Chicago.

A couple of things I learned:

1. Check out the fuel tanks. The mounting on mine were pitiful - screwed down to the sponson and supported overhead with a 2x4. They were actually loose in under the deck when I got the boat. I had them re-mounted in a more secure fashion.

2. Look for corrosion on the tanks - no room for the tanks to breathe the way they originally mounted them in the sponsons. Mine stayed wet most of the time.

3. Check the glass in the bow area/anchor locker. Mine had some structural damage that needed to be repaired.

I got about 1.8 with twin 150 Suzukis fully loaded with 200gl fuel and four people. Good ride.

Enjoy the boat.


----------



## manintheboat (Jun 1, 2004)

JWT said:


> As CaptnC said, I get a tad over 2 NMPG with a 23 Seacat CC with 2008 140 Suzuki's under 22 knots (Lowrance LMF-400 NMEA 2000 Fuel Management System). I can cruise up to 26-28 knots running a tad under 2 NMPG, top speed is 40 knots, but at 6100 rpm it is gulping it down. My 23 has an over all length of 24 foot, so around 16-18" shorter than the 25 footer, all else is the same (holds two 62 gallon tanks). I'm sure the weight is within a couple hundred pounds of the 25. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that the efficiency of my '08 140 Suzuki's probably can't be beat.
> 
> -Weston


how many rpms are you turning at 22 knots?


----------



## Captn C (May 21, 2004)

Seems it was about 4200rpm.

I'll double check JTW his brain is younger and remembers better! See I thought his engines were 07's!


----------



## manintheboat (Jun 1, 2004)

Thanks. My boat is the exact same hull, except I carry 200 gallons of fuel instead of 120. It is on the market right now, but I am going to pull it off of the market. If I keep it, I will repower in a year or so and Suzuki 140 is my first choice. I am very interested in this setup.


----------



## tcm1234 (Jun 29, 2007)

*MOTORS R THEY E-TECHS 150S*



CLVL said:


> Wakerider - This is what I know of the Seacat's history. The 25 SeaCat goes back to a hull design which was used in Hawaii and the south Pacific for about 20 years. It was first manufacturer as a 24' Manta 1987 or '88, designed by Larry Potter, and built by his company Ocean Technology in Ocean Springs, MS. The 24 Manta was the first cat I ever fished from in the Biloxi Wildlife area east of New Orleans with guide Gary Taylor (Gary is still there today, Orvis-certified guide so you fly fishermen can find him by going to Orvis's site). The hull of the Manta is identical to 93-mid96 SeaCats and is designed to plane. The main differences from the original MantaCat are that the liner and transom are different between the two. The Manta was a 3 piece boat - hull, deck, and cap - while the Seacat is a 2 piece boat - hull and inner liner. Otherwise the pre '96 Seacat and the Manta look like twins from the rub rail down. The shear line is constant and low enough that at trolling speeds, the bow can be stuffed and water easily taken. I bought hull #1 of a 19' cat Otech made off the 24' Manta mold called the Kahala, and owned this boat for 10 years.
> 
> In 1992, North American Fiberglass bought the Manta design, hired Potter for a while, and developed the 25 SeaCat model based on the same hull. The original planing hulls start at the bow with a sharp entry and vary continuously to a low angle V at the transom. The area near the corners become flat planing surfaces and meet a 90 degree hard chine on each side of the sponson. Before the sale, Potter was designing a 21' cat with a new sponson shape - now referred to as "semi-displacement"- renamed the boat "SeaCat", and made a handful which were composite, no wood, boats before the sale to NAF (guide Gary Taylor has, if it survived Katrina, hull #2 which I've fished from several times). The SL1 came out as this hull except marine plywood was in place of the foam cores which made the boat heavier, and in my opinion, not ride as well. NAF needed to get the 25 in production so it came out as the SL5 Seacat planing hull in 1993. In mid 1996 the hull and transom of the SL5 was redesigned to the "semi-displacement" hull, and the 23 (SL3) was added to the line-up (also semi-displacement). The redesigned hulls are rounded with small chines and the bottom resembles a U. The chines were raised and got smaller in an effort to make the boat sneeze less and throw less water. Another part of the redesign was to raise the transom to allow for more power (up to 300 HP total). This supposedly gave the boat a "better" ride to the already smooth-riding hulls, although sacrificed fuel efficiency and speed vs. the planing hull. The shear line remained the same though in the Seacat.
> 
> ...


 MOTORS R THEY E-TECHS 150S


----------



## tcm1234 (Jun 29, 2007)

HOW DID U PUT 200 =ON IT IM LOOKING 4 MOTORS RIGHT NOW BUT MAX IS 300 TOTAL MAX ON MY SL25C 96 SEA CAT


----------



## CLVL (Aug 17, 2005)

tcm1234 said:


> MOTORS R THEY E-TECHS 150S


No, 2003 150 Bombardier DIs (pre-Etec, ficht injection). Total = 300 hp.


----------

