Nauticats are built by Nauticat Yachts Oy in Finland. The yard is situated 40 kilometers from the city of Turku in Southwest Finland. The company has been building yachts over 45 years and today both administration and production facilities are concentrated to Riihikoski.
The yard began in late 1950´s when they molded their first small fiberglass boats. In 1966 they were asked by some local sailors to build a comfortable 10-meter motorsailer with a proper pilothouse. The Nauticat 33 was born and the designer of this yacht was the Finnish engineer W.Aarnipalo. The general hull form was nothing exceptionally new, it closely resembled sturdy Nordic designs often seen battling their way across a stormy Baltic or bedecked with flowers and good cheer during celebrations under the midnight sun.
As the popularity of the Nauticat 33 soared and the company grew, a demand for larger boats was the natural result. The Nauticat 44 & 36 both designed by W.Aarnipalo later accompanied the Nauticat 33. At the beginning of the 1980´s the Nauticat 52 was launched. It was the largest yacht to date built by the yard, and the 52 was later replaced by the Nauticat 521 and this exceptional offshore yacht got smaller sisters called 43 and 40. All three yachts came from the drawing board of Sparkman & Stephens. At the end of 1986 the yard launched its own design that became successful overnight, the Nauticat 35. The boat started a totally new era at the yard, since all yachts starting with the 35 have been designed by Kaj Gustafsson.
In 1997 they modified the "Grand old Lady" the Nauticat 33, that had gone through significant modifications since her birth at the end of the 60´s. The boat got a totally new hull and deck and was renamed Nauticat 331. This yacht is offered with two new keel versions 1,48 m or 1,65 m draft. She is rigged as a truly classics should be, as a ketch. The 331 has a legendary reputation to sustain and this yacht offers superior comfort and handling in the category-traditional motorsailers.
Construction of the Nauticat 33 exemplifies the excellent quality of European craftsmen. Most Nauticat 33 hulls are solid fiberglass; although, until hull number 500 (about 1978) the deck and superstructure were wooden. Some models were constructed with a cored fiberglass composite deck and cabin structure, but most are solid fiberglass.
Auxiliary power was originally provided by Perkins, Lehman,Volvo, and Yanmar engines ranging from 85 to 110 horsepower. The “bullet proof” Lehman SP90 is found in most of the Nauticat 33s that have found their way to the United States. Any of these engines will push this l7, 000-pound boat to hull speed without working very hard and with plenty of power left for refrigeration compressors and other needs. Engine access is good below the pilothouse cabin sole. Fuel capacity is 160 gallons, giving the Nauticat 33 a good cruising range under power at a little more than seven knots.
The Nauticat 33 was offered in three interior layouts, A, B and C. The standard layout, A, has two single berths in the aft stateroom and a single forward head. B has a double bed in the aft cabin, and a second head in the aft stateroom. The seating in the wheelhouse and main saloon is also slightly different. Layout C is often referred to as the live aboard configuration. The aft stateroom is configured much like in layout B. The forward head includes a standalone shower that eliminates the main saloon. Therefore, the pilothouse seating is configured to replace the main saloon, however at the expense of the port wheelhouse door.
Although the majority of Nauticat 33s were sold in Europe, a considerable number have found their way to North America. Model years represented in the U.S. are normally years when there was a favorable exchange rate for the dollar.
Source information:
Nauticat Yachts Oy, http://www.nauticat.com/
SpinSheet, August 2005, Used Boat Marketplace, with Jack Hornor
Additional Information:
http://www.nauticat.com/
http://www.nauticatusa.com/
