Skater Ready For First 588 Catamaran Build
Skater Powerboats has finished the hull mold for its new 588 catamaran. All that remains for the Douglas, Mich., company is to complete the platform surrounding the mold, which Skater principal Peter Hledin started building five years ago, and the builder can start laying up the first model.
With the hull mold completed, Skater is ready to build its first 588 model catamaran. Photos copyright speedonthewater.com.
The 13-foot-wide cat will have have a 55-foot running surface that includes a 78-inch tunnel. Hledin built the plug for the mold himself by hand in his rare “free” moments, hence the time it took to complete the project.
“We didn’t want to talk about it much or advertise it until we were ready to build a boat,” said Tony Cutsuries, the company’s national sales manager. “Now we are.”
Per Skater custom, each deck will built by hand and will vary depending on buyer preferences.
Hledin built the plug for the 588 by hand. Now it’s being taken apart and demolished.
With twin engines, the boat will weigh in at 14,000 to 15,000 pounds. Though Cutsuries said he expects twin Mercury Racing 1550/1350 engines to be standard power for the cat, the company will offer it in a four-engine configuration.
“Pete thinks it will run 140 to 150 mph with twin engines in 1350 mode,” Cutsuries said. “That’s more than respectable for what is going to be a really big boat—the largest in the Skater line.”
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