The Annapolis boat
show time is a wonderful time for boat testing. Thus it was with the PDQ
36 catamaran I hitched a ride on for several demo sails last
year.
Getting into our allocated slip meant
traversing a long channel that was only inches wider than the boat.
Spinning on the twin 9.9 horsepower Yamaha outboard engines and backing to
the dock impressed our attentive audience at a nearby
restaurant.
After Annapolis, three PDQs sailed
to Florida, and through the winter we had additional opportunities to
cruise together in southern waters. I found that the PDQ has above average
windward ability for a cruising catamaran without centerboards or daggerboards. I could find little
to criticize about tacking ability. However, the bimini top and the
sloping foredeck slightly hamper the sail
handling.
Aesthetics of the PDQ 36 are good
with a sloped foredeck design, center divided trampoline and moderately
low profile cabin top.
The cat carries a
three-cabin layout with two equal cabins with double beds on the
bridgedeck forward of the saloon. These cabins have exceptional headroom
height because of the sloped deck. The third cabin-in the port stern-is
available with a choice of a wide single or bunk beds.
The galley-down design
is situated on the port side with the navigation area on starboard. The
galley is large and spacious with an exceptional amount of counter space.
The refrigerator is at eye level. The vessel has an exceptional head
area with a stall shower and smoked acrylic shower door. The facilities
equal those found ashore except for the standard marine toilet. Holding tanks and "Y" valves
are standard equipment.
The boat has a
combination rub rail/toe rail of perforated aluminum, a handy place to
secure child nets, fenders, snatch blocks, and other gear. There are
anchor lockers on each hull foredeck and there is sufficient room to mount
a windlass if required with bow rollers on the bow of each hull
appropriate for anchor storage. Cleats are correctly sized.
The rig is
a masthead sloop with single upper shrouds, twin backstays and double
lowers. The headstay is attached to a bridle. This arrangement negates the
need for an extensive trussed forward crossbeam. There are no
spreaders.
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The sloping foredeck concept is not one that I
particularly favor in that it makes it difficult and in some cases
potentially dangerous to walk on. This sloped deck feature is
moderated somewhat in the PDQ 36 by having reasonable side decks and a
very workable foredeck and trampoline area. The slope also limits the use of the deck as a sundeck, but mostly
it eliminates one of the primary catamaran attractions--the seated
eye-level, forward-facing
windows.
With wind speeds in the five to
10-knot range, the PDQ 36 would achieve close to wind speed anytime
the wind was forward of the beam. Jibing was routine catamaran jibing with
little, if any, special attention and no special equipment
needed.
There was only occasional mild
bridgedeck slapping despite the occasional high waves or powerboat wakes
(which really are much worse). Equipment such as tracks and winches were well laid out and easy to
operate. All equipment met my test for a Class 4 cruising/racing
catamaran.
The outboard engine arrangement in
the cockpit under the bench seats is a practical and convenient way to
mount the engines. The history of using these engines has been mostly
satisfactory. The engines and fuel are outside the boat where there is
neither excess danger nor odor.
This contrasts to inboard-mounted diesel
engines located under bunks that have the affinity for being two more
family members whom you must hear, smell, and deal with their latent heat.
In addition, you must get under the bunks for routine inspection and
maintenance on the diesels, and there is the added risk of having
through-hull fittings for water intake, exhaust and the shaft
logs.
Carrying a spare outboard engine is less
expensive, has less weight and makes repairs or an engine swap
easy.
First introduced in the late 1980s, I
have had many opportunities to survey the PDQ 36 in various states of
repair (and disrepair) and to observe cruisers using the boats in their natural element.
From my observations this is a remarkably trouble-free boat. Later models
offered additional accessories such as the LRC (Long Range Cruiser) with
twin diesels, and there is a new cockpit arrangement that has a continuous
bench seat across the stern. There is also an option for a hardtop over
the cockpit.
All things considered, the PDQ 36
is a soundly constructed, reasonably laid out, moderately priced choice in
a cruising catamaran.
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