Tortue 147

Our video: 

The catamaran on display, an ode to slow living, boasts a truly unique design and layout, with a nacelle reminiscent of a turtle shell, large stained-glass portholes, a suspended chart table seat, and a cabin layout reminiscent of a small mountain chalet. The same surprising atmosphere reigns at the after end of the boat, where a modest suspended balcony serves as a cockpit.

We’re obviously impressed by the diamond-shaped windows integrated into the floor of the nacelle, and we are hardly surprised by the presence of a beautiful plant, whose pot was designed during the construction process. The build was undertaken in Tunisia using semi-thick aluminum for optimal impact resistance.

The hull has two specific features: a bulbous bow is grafted onto each side to dampen pitching, and the stern is particularly sleek. Here again, the architects’ aim was to provide the most stable platform possible, including longitudinally. Two 1,200-liter (317-gallon) ballast tanks are also provided aft. Long keels and rudder skegs allow you to take the ground.

The conventional internal combustion engine has been supplemented by an electric propulsion system capable of propelling the Tortue over a distance of 12 nautical miles and providing efficient hydrogeneration when the catamaran is making way under sail.

Builder: Cataruga
Material: 8 to 10 mm aluminum
Length: 48’3” (14.7 m)
Beam: 25’9” (7.85 m)
Draft: 4’9” (1.45 m)
Displacement: 37,500 lbs (17 t)
Sail area: 1,076/1,507 sq ft (100/140 m²)
Motors: 2 x 57 HP and 2 x 10 kW
All-electric range: 2 hours at 6 knots

www.cataruga.com