What advantages do the Takacat catamaran inflatables have over conventional mono hulls?
- Less drag
- Faster planing
- Lighter weight
- Shallower draft
- Less hp required
Stability
Takacat inflatable
catamarans utilise large diameter tubes along with a wide beam to create an incredibly
stable platform that is unequalled by any similar-sized mono hull boat.
Safety
With a raised floor design, these unique catamarans utilise self draining decks. This in turn eliminates the possibility of holding water that can cause capsizing if swamped. This feature also provides a dry deck and no added weight caused by trapped water.
The Takacat Freedom comprises of 6 inflatable safety compartments and has a fibreglass foam filled core deck.
Takacat Explorer comprises of 4 inflatable safety compartments and has a fibreglass foam filled core deck.
The Takacat Lite comprises of 4 inflatable safety chambers in the main tubes and has an extra inflatable safety chamber in the form of an air-deck floor.
The Takacat Sport comprises of 3 inflatable safety chambers.
The ability to hold no water and the excellent stability of these craft
make swamping and capsizing extremely difficult and make your time on
the water safe and enjoyable. Therefore, a Takacat is your best and safest choice considering that nearly all the NZ boating fatalities that occur in boats under 6m involve swamping or capsizing.
Boat launching and retieval?
Takacats are light in weight for their size and are well ballanced both on land and water. The extremely shallow draft makes them easy to get afloat and be launched in difficult locations where similar-sized mono hulls and larger boats would find it hard or impossible to launch or retrieve.
Boat ramps can be dangerous and damaging both to your boat and to the person holding it. Since Takacats are light and stable they are easy to manage at the boat ramp as well. If a Takacat hits the ramp there is no damage as the inflatable tubes absorb the impact whereas a fibreglass or aluminium boat will smash and crash and potentially have damage and weakening of the hull.
We suggest you research your launch area, prepare yourself and your crew and take your time to get ready. For surf conditions, try to keep the bow pointing into braking waves when going out and when coming back in sit on the back of a wave for a safe landing.
Do you have distributors?
For the New Zealand market we choose to sell direct to our valued customers. Internationaly we have limited distributors however if there is no distributor or reseller in you area or country please contact us as we are happy to deal direct with you. Contact us at sales@takacat.com .
Are Takacats available internationally?
Yes, we do sell internationally. Please feel free to contact us today and request an international quote. International customers can buy direct from Takacat.com. Our portabile series, the Takacat Lite and Takacat Sport can be air freighted world wide while the Takacat Explorer and Takacat Freedom due to size will need to be shipped. Contact us for a quote today! sales@takacat.com.
Where are Takacat inflatables designed and made?
Takacat is a New Zealand designed, developed an tested range of versatile inflatable catamaran boats, custom-built in China using quality components from around the world.
How should I transport my Takacat?
If you would like a quote on a trailer please don’t hesitate to contact us and likewise if you need to discuss trailer options or require measurements. Contact us on sales@takacat.com.
The Lite and Sport Series both offer true portability and easy set-up. They can be fully deflated and will fit into most cars, wagons, etc. They can be easily transported either inflated or deflated on roof racks. They can be easily stored on boat decks and duckboards because of the shape and lightness and they also take up little space when stowed away for storage. For boats of their size and performance they are hard to beat.
If I need to make a warranty claim how do you service this?
If you think you have a legitimate warranty claim simply e-mail sales@takacat.com. Supply your details along with a description and photo of the fault.
Once we have received this information we will then decide the best way to fix the fault while causing you the least possible hassle. This could involve Takacat working with a local repair shop to solve any fault that may have occurred.
Since
you are dealing direct with the company that designs and produces the Takacat inflatables, we will be able to assist you in getting back on the water as
quickly as possible.
There are a few key questions to ask you when it comes to making the decision of buying a PVC or Hypalon inflatable boat.
If you want the best boat that will last the longest then Hypalon is the superior material, no question.
For commercial and heavy users as well as customers in extreme conditions and climates we do recommend buying Hypalon. You can expect to get 10 - 15+ years from your Hypalon tubes and with both with the Freedom and Explorer series the boats can be retubed after this time so they are just like new once again.
From a price point, PVC is hard to beat. If your usage of the boat is only a few months of the year and you look after it and don’t leave it uncovered in the elements then the extra price of the Hypalon is hard to justify. You can expect to get between 5 - 10+ years out of your PVC tubes and with both the Freedom and Explorer series the boats can be retubed.
Hypalon (Neoprene fabric) offers the best UV and abrasion resistance (also resistant against chemicals as well as high temperatures), colour stability and air-tightness in addition to great suppleness and high adhesion values in order to enhance workmanship. The fabric is sanded and prepared prior to a cold glueing technique being used. This creates a very strong bond that will last as long as the fabric itself.
PVC (Polyurethane fabric) offers a cost-effective entry into the benefits of inflatable technologies and design. The bonding methods of Hypalon and PVC differ with PVC having the ability to be heat-welded or glued. Due to problems associated with heat-welding such as cracked, brittle and hard to repair seams we have chosen to use a glueing system (chemical/molecular bond). Both welded and glued tubes can only be glued to their hulls or transom. PVC is very easy and cost-effective to repair compared to Hypalon and is a good all round choice.
What is the difference between the Takacat Freedom & Explorer series?
The Freedom series is our high performance series. It has an additional inflatable under-tube that runs parallel with the main tubes. At the bow this tube shapes into a sharp V that slices through choppy seas. These additional under-tubes also help create airlift to enhance top-end performance and provide precision-tracing and tight cornering. Either side of these under-tubes are open cells that create a double ballast system. The Takacat Freedom is a fantastic all-round sea boat and is now available in 4.6m.
The Explorer series which is now available in 4.1m & 4.6m has no additional under-tube. Its shallow draft and low maintenance along with ease of use and versatility make the Explorer a very popular choice. It's a slightly livelier ride than that of the Freedom series with a very quick take-off. It's more of a slide when turning rather than the precision tracing of the Freedom. It provides a lower centre of gravity when under power and still benefits from the airlift that creates a smooth ride. The Explorer series is ideal for beach launching.
Both series are very capable in rough, moderate and smooth sea and lake conditions with the Freedom series being the best performer in choppy and unpredictable seas.
If you have any further questions please dont hesiate to e-mail us at sales@takacat.com