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FAQ Page
I go micro cruising in the Islands on a 20’ boat. Once I load the
family, camping gear and dog bed, there’s no room for the skipper,
much less the dinghy. Can I tow my Advanced Cat?
Yes!. The boats come with D-rings on the outside of the bows to
attach a towing bridle. Make certain the bridle is not long enough
to pass under the boat and catch in the prop. Add a float and the
tow line will be less likely to foul your prop. Many long time
cruisers add a second, lighter tow line right to the main bow
eye/handle, and leave it two feet longer, as a secondary in case the
primary tow line parts.
Please note, you may not notice your Advanced Cat while underway;
not only do they track straight, but due to their
catamaran design,
they produce significantly less drag than comparable mono-hulled
dinghies
I have a 44 ft Trawler, and want to keep my tender on the aft fly
bridge deck.
I have a crane; how do I lift my Advanced Cat onto
deck?
 The best way to hoist the boat onto deck is with a harness. Place
some bow eyes through the transom near the motor (these are
stainless U-bolts available at any marine supply center). Make
certain to seal any hole made in the transom with 3M 4200 or other
marine sealant. Water migration into the transom plywood is very
bad. For the bow one can run a strap through the outer bow eyes and
under the bow. I prefer a piece of webbing, though any line will do.
Make a harness out of webbing or line that terminates in a loop near
the transom. It often takes some adjustment to get the right lifting
position above the center of gravity, and it varies depending on
what motor is installed.
One of the features that make Advanced Inflatables great as deck
stowed tenders is their flat bottoms. They sit flat and stable on
deck, and are self bailing.
Who races Advanced Sport boats, and where can I find out more about
them?
There are a number of racing organizations, the APBA (American
PowerBoat Association) has a class designated as Super Light Tunnel
Hull, which the Advanced Sports (Xtreme) have raced in.
http://apba-racing.com/Categories/pi/index.html
There’s a trim tab on the back of my Advanced Cat, and it’s in the
way of my motor. Can I remove it, or adjust it in some way?
You are looking at and describing what we call the spray shield. In
the early years, when Advanced Cats were Xtreme, these weren’t
usually present. As we matured, they became prevalent. In our
tireless effort to improve the Advanced Cat, and make it the safest,
most efficient and driest dinghy afloat, we added the spray shield.
The concept behind the spray shield is much like a squeegee . It
works by deflecting water to stop it from migrating up the front of
your motor shaft and entering your vessel. This problem affects
almost all high speed boats with short shaft motors, and because of
the air pressure experienced in the Advanced Cat tunnel on plane is
particularly vicious to owners of Advanced Cats.
There are three components to this simple device. There is a
mounting bracket, a 90 degree stainless plate with a notch for the
motor, which is screwed to the transom. There’s a rubber “squeegee”,
which butts against the front of the motor. The cap plate, which
sandwiches the whole thing together, with the help of four stainless
bolts.
This is not a trim tab, as it is 4-6 inches clear of the water at
cruise. If improperly installed, or with some motors, this tab
actually feeds disturbed water (mixed with spray/air) to the
propeller, causing ventilation. If this occurs, move the spray
shield up, so that the lower screws are in the upper holes on the
transom. Make certain you are sealing all holes in the transom with
3M 4200, or other marine grade caulk/adhesive. Holes in the transom
are bad, unsealed holes are the worst. Any hole that’s not in use
should be filled with sealant, and then screwed with a marine grade
stainless fastener.
How do you ever get the boat back in the box? I’ve tried everything,
and it only scrunches up to about half again the size it was when
new.
Here at the warehouse, we use a leprechaun. Although a cantankerous
handful when drunk, the little guy can restore a boat to its
original packing faster then you can say “thank me lucky charms”.
Just keep the Whiskey locked up tight!
Actually, the secret to putting an inflatable boat away in the least
possible space is deflating the tubes in a single plane. We
accomplish this most easily by using an electric pump, these
inflators are also deflators. While sucking the air out of the boat,
we hold the tube section up by the lifeline, encouraging it to form
a flat vertical section. Once the entire boat is deflated this way,
one can fold the sides in and roll from the bow to the transom. It
takes some practice, and is hard work, but once mastered is easily
reproduced.
What’s the smallest motor that works on your boats?
We have a number of owners using electric trolling motors on their
Advanced Inflatables. Although this precludes planing (at least with
current electric technology), they are silent, pretty quick and a
very pleasant ride. The electric power choice seems ideal for use in
a marina, or for local trips from a houseboat or lakefront home. The
range is limited by battery capacity.
I often use a 5hp Nissan outboard for demo purposes, properly
trimmed the little motor will get me on plane, and with some extra
effort (lunging), we can get on plane with myself, Ichabod (80lb
Lab) and 75lb. daughter on board. This is minimal power, and large
waves, sharp turns or heavy wind can knock me off plane and relegate
the vessel to hull speed.
8hp is a common choice on the smaller boats (XL-300 and 330) and is
reported by some to work well, though 9.9 is probably the smallest
I’d recommend. Some of this has to do with what kind of load the
boat will be carrying. Lighter folks have better luck with smaller
motors.
Can the 11' handle a 50hp motor?
The 11' (SP-330) is rated for 25 HP, which pushes it along quite
nicely. Honestly, I can't imagine 50hp on the 11' (SP-330), as I've
scared myself in that boat with a 20hp engine and some decent
waves. Another issue, of course, there's no warranty and one is on
their own for liability with an over-powered boat. My answer would
have to be no, the 11’ (SP-330) won’t handle 50hp.
What are you planning to do with the boat? Occasionally we’ve seen
racers put high horsepower engines on these boats, but only for
sanctioned racing events, and with full acknowledgment of the risk
to themselves and others. These guys (and gals) wear special Kevlar
suits, helmets and extra flotation, as well as having trained
themselves to see problems developing and know how to react,
instantly.
These are very efficient craft, and work well with small power
plants. I would be concerned not only about your terminal velocity,
but also the balance and stability, with so much weight aft. Another
peril might be the lateral stability of such a short coupled vehicle
at the speeds one would likely attain with so much power. Although
our vessels are very stable, with a wide stance, they are not
designed to handle super-sonic shock waves, or warp speed anomalies
in the time space continuum.
We recently sent a 14’ sport (SP-420) to a new dealer. He ordered a
40hp motor, but decided to try the boat right away with a 15hp
engine he had in stock. Much to his surprise, the boat worked well
with 15hp, and impressed him with the speed and maneuverability. To
my knowledge, he is still using the 15hp on a 14’ sport.
We own a 40 -foot sailboat and plan to circumnavigate soon. We love
the idea of speed and load carrying ability that the Advanced Cats
give. What would be the best size and type of floor for us.?
Since you need all the space you have, the answer depends on where
you stow it. If the boat must roll and fit in a lazarette, the
XL-300A with its air floor might just fit (30X15x25 when rolled). If
you want the boat ready and inflated then maybe the aluminum
floored XL-300 or 330 lashed to the bow.
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