Maine Cat of Bremen, Maine, is pleased to announce that its Maine Cat 41 model has been certified by the U.S. Coast Guard as an inspected “T-Boat” for commercial day-charter service. The Maine Cat 41 has been certified to carry 18 paying passengers and two crew for service on “exposed” routes. This certification enables Maine Cat to build or slightly modify existing Maine Cat 41s to work as inspected commercial vessels under Title 46 CFR – Subchapter T, Parts 175-185 USCG regulations. The president of Maine Cat, Dick Vermeulen, states, “Building a high-quality product has made this certification easier than we expected. With this approval, we’ve generated an expanding new market and guaranteed our recreational Maine Cat 41 owners a higher resale value, a win-win situation for both Maine Cat and our customers.”
The Maine Cat 41 is a unique catamaran providing lightweight composite construction, superior visibility, and outstanding performance. Its 5,200-pound payload capacity and shoal draft of 2 feet 6 inches make a perfect fit for exciting day-charter service. Fitted with a 735-square-foot screacher, the Maine Cat 41 has safely sailed at over 17 knots with almost no angle of heel. The Maine Cat 41 includes a simple self-tacking jib and a boom height above 7 feet to allow passengers total access to all deck areas.
Maine Cat launched its first “T-Boat” certified vessel in November 2005. The company currently has a second “T-Boat” under construction for launch on May 15, 2006. Maine Cat encourages all interested parties to visit its Bremen facility or charter a Maine Cat 41 to experience firsthand the outstanding qualities of this new design. For more information, contact Maine Cat (888-832-2287, www.mecat.com and e-mail mecat@gwi.net).
