Bold gelcoat colors have long been a staple of high-performance powerboat builds out West, so a molten-orange catamaran with a color-matched interior isn’t unusual. But the latest DCB Performance Boats M33R Widebody catamaran, hull No. 15 going to a buyer in the Tacoma, Wash., area, is proof positive that warm colors are alive and very, very well.
They’re also particularly welcome this time of year.
Yesterday’s test session of the newest DCB M33R catamaran produced a top speed of 120-plus mph.
As it does with all of its boats, the team at the El Cajon, Calif., company used its Vacuum Infused Resin process to lay up the foam-cored, partial carbon-fiber 33-footer. The catamaran’s six-seat, 50/50 Alcantara and CoolTouch vinyl interior is color-matched to its Phase II gelcoat package, right down to the orange stitching on the black leather-wrapped Isotta Fanete steering wheel and the painted orange handles for its digital throttles and shifters from Mercury.
“We have built 15 M33Rs so far,” said Jeff Johnson, the president of DCB. “Hull No. 16 is in the mold and we currently have orders for two more.”
Enjoy more images of the 33-footer in the slideshow above
A Little Backstory
The meticulous custom boat builder introduced the M33R in 2018 and its hull was based off the company’s popular, sterndrive-engine-powered M35 Widebody model. But its bottom was substantially modified for outboard applications.
DCB added the full-tunnel M37R Widebody catamaran two years later and has delivered 17 so far. Johnston said the choice between the two often boils down to several key factors such as length as it applies to storage capacity, width for trailering, docking and launching, price and—of course—performance.
“A well-equipped M33R is around $500,000 whereas a well-equipped M37R is around $675,000,” Johnston explained. “The M33R handles terrific, but the M37R is obviously a superior running boat given its length, its beam width and the true tunnel.
“So it’s more of just ‘What fits your needs?’ when a buyer decides between the M33R and M37R,” he added.
The 33-footer is ready for delivery to its Washington-based owner.
Powered by Mercury Racing 450R outboard engines mounted on brackets from Shaun Torrente Racing, the cat tops out at 120-plus mph, according DCB’s Tony Chiaramonte.
“I ran it yesterday—I think it’s the best outboard-engine-powered, center-pod-hull catamaran on the market,” he said. “It ran excellent and we got it to 122 mph with three people, 100 gallons of fuel and 35-inch-pitch cleaver props on the lower units.
“For overall use, we’re propping and delivering it with 34-inch-pitch cleavers,” he added. “But it still ran 118 mph with those yesterday.”
Chiaramonte and company haven’t yet delivered the boat to its owner. But when they do, it will arrive on a triple-axle Extreme trailer with custom 18-inch Fuel Krank wheels.
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