New Boats | Aquila 44

A longtime staple of the charter boat industry, power catamarans are now becoming a common sight in cruising grounds worldwide as boaters discover their seemingly limitless onboard space and stability, often combined with exceptional fuel efficiency.

Sailing cats have always attracted a dedicated niche who favour their speedy passagemaking and generous beam within a given length, so it was only a matter of time before the motor yacht crowd caught on.

Catamaran specialist Multihull Central is right on top of this trend and an impressive new range by Aquila seems sure to find fans locally.

The Aquila powercat collection is manufactured in China by the Sino Eagle Group and offers three sizes – 38ft (11.6m), 44ft (13.3m) and 48ft (14.6m).

The mid-sized Aquila 44 squeezes an incredible volume of living space into its 13.32m length, helped in no small part by an expansive 6.5m beam.

As well as a full-beam master cabin forward, the Aquila 44 easily accommodates four more guests in two amidships cabins, each with en suite and wide portlights for enjoying the view.

The master cabin fitout even includes an L-shaped lounge and bookshelf – not bad for a 44-footer.

Upstairs in the light-filled saloon, there are more wide windows to watch the world slip by, with a dining area on port that links to the open plan galley and nav station.

A dishwasher and plenty of storage will help to make a liveaboard vacations a breeze.

The aft deck has more lounge seating shaded by the hardtop, and on port, a flip-up hopper window links a pair of bar stools to the galley for an al fresco serving area, and this also works to open up the entertaining flow between the Aquila’s indoor and outdoor zones.

However, it seems likely that the upper deck will prove most popular.

The flybridge helm is covered by another solid hardtop (essential for Australian conditions) and Aquila has created a very social area here, with a sunpad seat on starboard and a helm bench for the skipper and friends, all of this just forward of a flybridge dining area.

A barbecue, fridge and wet bar make this a top spot for meals at anchor, where guests can enjoy unobstructed views in every direction.

A folding table also makes for an easy transition between cocktail hour and dinner time.

Anchoring and docking are made simple (and safer) by providing direct access via steps from the flybridge to the bow, and there is acres of space for the sun worshippers up forward.

At the stern, steps descend to water-level for easy access to the ocean, ensuring every inch of the Aquila 44 is designed for maximum holiday enjoyment.

AQUILA 44 SPECIFICATIONS

MATERIAL GRP

TYPE Power catamaran

LENGTH 13.32m

BEAM 6.56m

DRAFT 0.82m

WEIGHT 15,900kg

PEOPLE (NIGHT) 6

FUEL 1100lt

WATER 780lt

ENGINE 2x Volvo D4 225hp