Windelo 54 Sailing Catamaran Test, Boat Tour and Walkaround

[@noone-ld7pt]

Damn, this is a paradigm shift for cats. The forward cockpit is just sensational!

[@katamaranscom]

The new design upgrade is really slick!

[@Themarriedbachelor]

I have seen a lot of boats in the last year. This one is my favorite with the windows WOW! Your constantly reminded your on the water with those windows. It’s not flashy, just meat and potatoes. But those views are going to set the bar for all others to fallow. That corner window in the corner that’s award winning.

[@katamaranscom]

Those windows are proving pretty popular

[@andrewbooth1420]

Love the clean design and simplicity of this boat.

[@jasonbath9568]

Coor, those wrap around windows in the cabins ! Wow

[@katamaranscom]

Difficult to get up in the morning when the view's good

[@poerava]

Wait. No regen propellers??? The windows on this boat are insanely beautiful and well designed. The windows at bed level are superb! Wow.

[@katamaranscom]

@@poerava yes, you can charge the batteries with the props when you are sailing. You'll lose about 1 knot of speed

[@poerava]

@@katamaranscom Oh ok. Excellent Thank you

[@JayBr61]

Great walk-through. Beautiful yacht.

[@katamaranscom]

Many thks, and yes, agree

[@vorda400]

When I first saw a windelo catamaran with a cockpit inside, that was it Beautiful boat good layout great ideas Maybe I'm a little skeptical about the electric drive, but I believe that everything works as it should and there is still room to add additional solar panels

[@katamaranscom]

There is an option for more solar on the decks forward, plus this owner went for one sun lounger up top. Thanks for the feedback

[@leos8720]

The world best catamaran... congratulations

[@katamaranscom]

I'll pass that on, they're going to love that feedback!

[@GermanGreetings]

Apparition ! Vive la France.

[@barryholiday8998]

They have found a sweet spot in the market. Most performance cats are much more $ and several have a sail drive for some reason. The fact that Windelo went with shaft drive says a lot about their commitment to safety. I like that they have dagger boards and it’s great to see they are on the inner part of the hull.

[@katamaranscom]

Yes, I think they are well ahead of the game on the eco front and are doing the basics well too, as you say

[@jamielancaster01]

I guess you’ve never slept under a shaft drive engine or tried working on an engine that’s under a bed. There are many good reason why people like sail drives. Not saying one is better than the other.

[@barryholiday8998]

@@jamielancaster01 they are not Diesel engines and they aren’t accessed from under the bed.

[@timtravelnomad]

OceanVolt says claims shaft drives are much less efficient at hydrogeneration.. so interesting choice in an electric boat..

[@barryholiday8998]

@@timtravelnomad sail drives are a disqualification for any boat except maybe a day sailer imo

[@daivietnguyen7289]

Love this cat from Windelo !!! ❤️❤️❤️

[@enderdragoon]

Love the forward cockpit. Similar to the HH52 and other forward designs but key difference here is being able to manage most of the lines in a well enclosed area. Dry is comfortable, comfortable is rested, rested is safer. I would like to see more swept back windows so she can shrug off breaking waves better, those vertical panels with eyebrows are brutal for dissipating hydraulic force and contribute to windage. The garage door is novel and nice in good conditions but trades a lot of structural strength for it. I'm sure the coach roof wont go anywhere but a breaking wave over the stern would blast apart that garage door, or over the beam would take the large sliding windows off their tracks. I love the overall mission of this design though, hybrid, shaft drive, dagger boards, forward cockpit, sustainable materials... just want to see a little more sensibility for heavy weather vs luxury at anchor.

[@katamaranscom]

Great feedback, I will pass that on to Windelo. They are updating the design this year with a sleeker look which I am looking forward to seeing. The upside of those vertical windows is the protection from the sun when it is at its highest. These boats are now building up the miles crossing oceans so they are getting good feedback on some pretty rough conditions. The big positive for me is the safety aspect of having everyone together in one space, reefing from the forward cockpit etc

[@enderdragoon]

​@@katamaranscom I agree, this is an overall iteration of improved safety for cruising blue water vessels. I would take this forward cockpit design with its vertical panes and eyebrows over most every other cat in production out there as I believe a well enclosed and safe helm is the most important aspect of any liveaboard cat design. I do recognize its a freak chance to get a breaking wave over the deck that would test this design but it happens often enough that I believe the tradeoff would be worth making. If the panels were even 30 degrees swept back and eyebrows that could ablate or external shades that would be good. They have the single piece coach roof without a raised helm that plagues so many designs that they're very close to an exceptional design overall. That single piece coach roof means a wall of water could pass over the ship without imparting energy between panels. In the event of having to use a parachute anchor to ride out force 11+ storms the bow would get "pulled" through wave crests. I love the idea of just planning to avoid storms and building for what life will be like 99% of the time, but nature will eventually ask her how she's going to handle that 1% chance event. Thanks for the feedback, looking forward to seeing what else Windelo has in their roadmap, they're an upper echelon builder in my book.

[@snafufubar]

Agree. Would like a firmer front in bad weather than a plastic tie down.

[@LoanwordEggcorn]

@@enderdragoon A couple counterpoints: most people cruise downwind, so the windage from the salon can be less of an issue. Sweeping back the windows increases the solar load on the interior.

[@Mars21681]

I'm looking at this thinking what other customizations can this boat be outfitted with, it's fantastic looking and great design ideas. how would the selden smf system integrate, how about completely outfitting both foresails with electric furling systems as well. push button, forward and central command center.. think she could be called the enterprise feeling like picard on a spaceship.

[@katamaranscom]

Great feedback, I will pass that onto the Windelo team

[@EdwardTilley]

I really want to see what this looks like in heavy seas. Its all fun and games until a wall of green water washes over the roof and perhaps also into the cabin. How dry is that great front sailing position in the s-h-i-t?

[@KANALOAWWP19]

Very good! French designed galley but no wine storage? Ha ha ha ha ha

[@sprotte2011]

You don't have to like the white - it's just a matter of taste. What I consider a no-go, however, is the creaking. A new boat shouldn't make that kind of noise when you walk. How loud does it get when the sea is rough?

[@katamaranscom]

I might have had a big lunch.....

[@sprotte2011]

@@katamaranscom 😄

[@DDouble3]

The forward helm has for sure a lot of advantages - just wondering when single handed how you can control "backward" docking into a marina? Guess you'll need crew to guide you?

[@katamaranscom]

Coming in alongside I would throw and secure the forward line first - a short step up from the forward cockpit - pretty easy. Backing into a Med berth single handed would be trickier, you are right, certainly more difficult than aft helms. In windy conditions I would probably just go in bow first and then spin her around when it calmed down, or I would first secure a forward line to the yacht upwind (in the case of backing in) if there is one to limit movement backwards. Then slow in reverse, walk back, throw the aft lines.. I have only seen these docked with crew, that said, the visibility aft is good with the twin helms, it's just the distance you need to cover to throw the lines if you were coming in by yourself, so you make a valid point.

[@snafufubar]

On the Nautistyles review it was said there are cameras fitted for the rear view.

[@cpenn458]

Interesting boat. Forward cockpit is an intriguing design. Curious how you keep water out when raising anchor.

[@katamaranscom]

Do you mean off the chain into the forward cockpit? I didn't notice any problems there as the chain runs back from the bow

[@cpenn458]

@@katamaranscom Yes. I don't think the chain would be completely dry by the time it was wrapping around the windlass

[@katamaranscom]

@@cpenn458 I guess you may get some moisture into the cockpit before the chain heads down to the chain locker (I can see a tiny bit of mud in the video at 14:30). On the other hand, you have great access to the windlass....

[@amitchakraborty1757]

What happens when you hit a reef and get a hole on your port bow in the remote South Pacific? This ain’t no fibreglass boat!

[@katamaranscom]

@@amitchakraborty1757 If you need to make any emergency repairs on a round-the-world sailing trip, basalt fiber is fully compatible with fiberglass.

[@munchgo2834]

😊👍👍

[@katamaranscom]

🤩🤩

[@cobiemcallister4]

Does it move around in the wind with the anchor out ?

[@katamaranscom]

Sits well with a bridle on

[@adrianrubi5012]

Orca proof rudders?

[@katamaranscom]

I don't think they are claiming that on their specs. It does come with 2 rudders and an emergency tiller though......

[@tomitomi1344]

😮

[@aldrindelacruz6198]

I don't understand why he doesn't seem to shot long r wider view before he took a zoom on certain areas there r some areas that u can't really imagine what it looks like, there r times that he took short coverage in other items r too much near to his cam, the boat is pretty good looking but the blogger!? I don't know, he seemed to be a beginners

[@katamaranscom]

OK, noted, thks for the feedback

[@jamielancaster01]

Who carries a dinghy on a 54 foot catamaran that only has a 15 hp motor???🎃

[@cobiemcallister4]

Me haha

[@nomenestomen3452]

Ugly but that is just my opinion. Also the garage doors scream for moisture on board.

[@katamaranscom]

I'd say it looks 'muscly' IMO but those vertical windows really open up the space inside

[@russellbrander7588]

Cheap plastic finish.

[@tomitomi1344]

😮