Project: California Cat Getting Groomed in North Carolina

Well-known and widely respected in West Coast custom high-performance powerboat circles, Howard Custom Boats isn’t a name you hear often on the East Coast. But a project happening at Boat Repairs Plus in Denver, N.C., could help the Valencia, Calif.-based go-fast catamaran and V-bottom builder gain a little name recognition far from home.

A few months ago, Boat Repairs Plus owner Bob Shutter, his son, Chad, and staff member Chris Uzzolina, visited the Howard facility, and they left with one of the builder’s 28 SCS catamarans in tow. But the big difference between the 28-footer they hauled back to North Carolina and most of the cats that leave the Howard shop was that this one had no engine or interior. It was a completely bare hull.

For a quick look at the unfinished Howard 28 SCS cat at Boat Repairs Plus, check out the slideshow above.

According to Uzzolina, the team at Boat Repairs Plus will outfit the cat with an Ilmor Marine 625 engine remapped to produce 640 hp connected to a Teague Custom Marine Platinum drive.

“It’s going to be Bob’s personal boat,” he said. “It’s ‘rough-rigged’ right now and getting ready for paint. It doesn’t even have seats or interior—we’re going to do all that. And it will have a complete Wet Sound marine audio system because Boat Repairs Plus is a Wet Sound dealer.

“There were a lot of bare 28-foot catamaran hulls Bob could have bought, but not many at an affordable price,” he added. “The Howard cat was reasonable, and the guys at Howard were just awesome. They were really cool to work with.”

Editor’s Note: Speedonthewater.com will report on this build as it progresses.

Related stories
Skater 28 Made New—A Family Affair
Howard Completes Wild 28 SCS Catamaran
Howard Custom Boats 28 SDS Nearing Completion