Blog No 3: Interior Design

Submitted by Russell Hunt on Fri, 01/21/2011 - 9:59am

 Buzzards Bay Blog No 3: Interior Design

-Buzzards Bay 34 Versus the Establishment -

Throughout my experiences conducting sea-trials, tests for boating journalists, and just all around acquainting
people with the Buzzards Bay 34, I’ve heard some assumptions being made about power catamarans. 
One such assumption is that catamarans do not have as much interior space as their similar size, mono- hull
cousins.  The cause of this assumption is simply that the catamaran has a tunnel running down the middle of the hull
and a mono-hull does not. Therefore, among vessels of similar length and beam, a mono-hull is assumed to have
a greater capacity for interior space, storage, and all around more comforts.  
Sounds like a good technical subject to explore. Here, we will compare the Buzzards Bay 34’s interior with
other mid-sized coastal cruisers.  In an attempt to compare apples to apples, the comparison is between boats
equipped with pilot houses because a pure express cruiser (a.k.a. Sea Ray Sundancer) would offer up too
different of a layout to compare.  Besides, we have learned from our internal marketing information that our
boats are not typically cross shopped with this style of vessel. 

So here are the comparison boats:
MJM 34
Tiara Sovran 35
Surfhunter 33
Buzzards Bay 34

The first major difference to be noted is the rectangular fore deck shape of the Buzzards Bay 34 compared to the mono hulls. 
This rectangular shape is common to all catamarans, and is the reason why among similar sized vessels,
the Buzzards Bay 34 has so much more on deck space.  The Buzzards Bay 34 is a very big 34 footer, and feels like it.  
The second characteristic I ask you to notice is the way the mono hulls proportion their space between pilot house space
and below deck space.  The mono hulls all have a greater focus on their below deck cabins, and the Buzzards Bay 34’s
interior space has been clearly focused in the pilot house.  There are three reasons why we gave the majority of space
in our layout to the pilot house at the expense of below deck space, and the reasons are important. 

1) The pilot house is the area you spend the most time in whether underway or at rest, so we wanted to make this space
as large as possible.
2) A catamaran’s tunnel places unique restrictions to the below deck layout that can be successfully achieved. 
Since a catamaran is not a mono-hull, a designer should not try to achieve a traditional mono hull layout in a catamaran. 
3) Generally speaking, the farther aft you are positioned in a boat traveling at speed, the less up and down motion
you will experience.  For this reason, most power boats are restricted in how far forward they can position their helm.  
The Buzzards Bay 34, which has a ride that is far superior to most mono hulls, is free to have the helm positioned
farther forward, without a negative impact on passenger comfort.  This is one reason why our pilot house is
much larger, it simply extends a lot farther forward than any mono-hull designs dare.

Here are the four boat's pilot house sizes, as measured in square feet. 
Surfhunter 33: 59 ft2
Tiara Sovran 35: 50.5 ft2
MJM 34: 67 ft2
Buzzards Bay 34: 109 ft2

The pilot house on the Buzzards Bay 34 is 115% larger than the Tiara 35, 84% larger than the Surfhunter 33,
and 62% larger than the MJM 34.  In fact, the Buzzards Bay 34 pilot house is 51% larger than that of an East Bay 39

As a result of this space, and with the desire to work within the confines of the catamaran configuration, not against them,
we gave the Buzzards Bay 34 a “great room” style pilot house.  Like the great room in a shore side home,
the pilot house of the Buzzards Bay combines the galley and lounge area in one shared space, up on deck. 
Traditional sailors might bemoan this decision, but our customers all tell us they much prefer to be cooking
and lounging up in the bright and airy pilot house, instead of down below.  There are many benefits of this design. 
The galley is never more than a few steps away, whether your reaching in from the cockpit for a cold one,
or your running at 20 knots and can safely (as co-pilot) reach the galley without having to negotiate a set of stairs underway. 
Having the helm, cockpit, galley and lounge - spaces you frequent most on a boat - all on the same level greatly reduces
the climbing of stairs making for a safer layout.  After all, we may not be as limber as we use to be, and this is something to think about. 

I remember a few years back when PDQ Catamarans, a builder of the then successful PDQ 34 came out
with a larger vessel, the PDQ 41.  The significant and unique feature of this design was the on deck master stateroom,
located in the back half of the pilot house.  This feature dominated the whole design.   PDQ marketed this concept based on,
among other things, that it would lessen the amount of times you had to use the stairs.  I never understood this. 
The stateroom is the least frequented space on a boat.  And the boat had a galley down design.  The lower helm was
not great, but the flying bridge was very roomy and well laid out. It was obvious that it was intended to be the primary helm,
so there’s more stairs.  If you really want to reduce the need to use the stairs, put the head up on deck. 
If it would not compromise pilot house visibility and privacy so much, we would love to put a really nice head up on deck in the pilot house. 
That would be something, wouldn’t it?

To keep this comparison fair and balanced (I’m an avid Bill O’Reilly viewer) we should discuss what we have lost below decks. 
As already mentioned, we don’t have a galley down, and the others do.  For those who prefer a galley down,
obviously this is a loss, no way around that.  What about the effectiveness and size of the galleys? 
Let’s compare based on counter space, available storage, and standard appliances. 
Counter Space Surface Area
Buzzards Bay 34: 10 ft2
MJM 34z: 9.5 ft2
Surfhunter 33: 8 ft2
Tiara Sovran 35: 12 ft2
Available Storage
This is an estimate only, as it is difficult to measure via scale drawings and pictures
exactly how much storage space is contained in the galley unit of the comparison boats. 

Buzzards Bay 34: 26 ft3
MJM 34z: 13 ft3
Surfhunter 33: 17.5 ft3
Tiara Sovran 35: 20ft3

Standard Appliances
Buzzards Bay 34: separate fridge and freezer, 2 burner stove, microwave
MJM 34z: appliances optional
Surfhunter 33: combination fridge / freezer, 1 burner stove, microwave
Tiara Sovran 35: combination fridge / freezer, 2 burner stove, microwave

From this comparison, you can clearly see the galley up design of the Buzzards Bay 34
does not suffer in any way.  In practice, our galley design is one of the most effective in this size range. 

Another obvious difference between our pilot house centric design and the more traditional layouts of the comparison boats
is our lack of a lounge below decks.  Again, for us it’s a matter of working with the catamaran configuration, not against it. 
Our customers like having their living room up in the pilot house, where there is plenty of light and air. 
Our customers do not go boating to be inside, and they tell us our bright and airy pilot house design makes them
feel like they are outside, participating with the environment, even when they are just lounging around. 

For this design, what do you give up?  Well, for one thing, the comparison boats are forced to have two lounges,
one below decks, and one in the pilot house, for even on these boats with their more traditional layout, the majority
of time spent is still in the pilot house.  We have already shown how much larger our pilot house is than the comparison boats,
62% larger than the next biggest pilot house.  So we have one very big living room, versus two smaller ones. 
Not quite a question of which is better, but certainly a personal decision, as no amount of calculation is
going to decide this. We highly believe in a pilot house centric approach when it comes to cruising.  

 Now, let’s talk staterooms.  Surely this is an easy win for the mono-hulls, considering the Buzzards Bay 34 has the tunnel protruding
into the living space.
The following is a stateroom comparison of all 4 vessels based on three important criteria: comfort, privacy, and storage.

Comfort:  Among the four boats, only the Buzzards Bay and Tiara have normal beds, the others have V-berths that convert to beds. 
A one piece mattress is simply more comfortable than a v-berth made up of many cushions with all their seams.
The V-berths require a custom foam pad be laid down in order to experience any real comfort.  Just one more thing you have to do
when you make the bed and put it away.  Both the Buzzards Bay and Tiara are listed as having queen berths, but the Buzzards Bay
has a rectangle design, with the width consistent from shoulder to feet.  The Tiara has what is called a “coffin” style mattress,
where the foot of the mattress is significantly tapered, reducing room.  This may not be an issue if you are small, but I'm 6' / 225 lbs,
and for me its an issue.   

Privacy:  This is an easy one.  The Buzzards Bay 34 is the only one of this comparison group to have a private stateroom. 
All the others have either the stateroom as part of the below decks space (Surfhunter and Tiara) or the bed is the lounge and
must be converted before sleeping (MJM). 

Storage:  Again, this calculation is not done with a great deal of accuracy.  Here is our best estimation.
The amount that the v-hull shape cuts into the available storage could be significant.
Buzzards Bay 34: 34 ft3
MJM 34z: 38 ft3
Surfhunter 33: 35 ft3
Tiara Sovran 35: 59 ft3

The Tiara seems to be the clear cut winner here, with 59 ft3 to our 34 ft3, the MJM’s 38 ft3, and the Surfhunter’s 35 ft3. 

As far as stateroom design, I think we edge out the number two Tiara as a result of our more home like mattress design
and greater privacy.  The Tiara does offer greater storage in the berth area, but it is still just an extension of their living room area. 
Only the Buzzards Bay 34 actually has a separate, private cabin for the master.  On a cruising boat, this is pretty significant. 
Do you really want to go cruising on a yacht without a bedroom? Or how about having a quiet place to nap on a busy summer afternoon,
away from the rest of the party.  Grand children anyone?

The other two lag far behind, and it is obvious the stateroom just wasn’t high on the list of design priorities.

I think the stateroom on the Buzzards Bay 34 surprises many people.  For all of the focus on the space above decks,
there are certainly no tradeoffs being made in the stateroom.  Folks who believe a catamaran just can’t offer a
comfortable stateroom should really have a look at what we were able to do with the Buzzards Bay 34.  
One of our marketing guys’s said, “this stateroom will make you want to downsize”. 

No comparison of yacht interiors can be conducted without looking at the heads. 
Here’s how they stack up.
Buzzards Bay34: 7’L x 3’W
MJM 34z: 4’L x 4’W
Surfhunter 33: 4’L x 3.8’W
Tiara Sovran 35: 5.5’L x 4’W  
The Buzzards Bay 34 and Tiara 35 both have a similar volume of head space, and both have separate shower stalls. 
Neither the Surfhunter nor the MJM have separate shower stalls.                 
I would have to call it a tie between the Buzzards Bay and Tiara for head supremacy. 
Both are big for this size range, and having a separate shower stall is really significant for the cruiser I think. 

One last area to discuss is additional storage.  We gave the Buzzards Bay 34 lots of interior storage, in addition to the areas
previously analyzed.  Among the largest storage areas is found under the lounge in the pilot house. 
Instead of the normal “settee shuffel”, of clearing off the table so you can put the cushions there, so you can lift the storage lids,
so you can access the storage, we designed a one piece hatch that rises on gas charged cylinders with cushions in place,
giving you unrestricted access to your stored goods.  There is about 30 cubic feet of storage inside. 
More storage is to be found in the port and starboard companionways (stair wells).  Taking the dead space under the side decks, 
this conveniently located storage areas works great as a pantry (port side just ahead of the galley), and library (starboard side,
just ahead of the lounge).  Total storage volume here is about 18 cubic feet.  The final “bonus” storage area is pretty significant. 
Lift the starboard companionway stairs on a Buzzards Bay 34 and get ready for a surprise.  The hull is a wide open space,
about 5 feet long, nearly 3 feet wide, and about 2.5 feet tall, for a total of 37.5 cubic feet of storage.  Perfect for golf clubs, tools, spares,
even hard side luggage. 
   
To continue our fair and balanced reporting, we should look at the comparison vessels to see what bonus areas exist. 
The only standout item for the comparison boats has to be Tiara’s “media room”.  It’s a bit like an open aft cabin,
set up with couches that can convert to a bed.  I thought Tiara did a good job with this space, as a dedicated aft cabin is
not used very much, this set-up being more versatile.

Up above in the comparison vessel’s pilot house spaces only the Surfhunter and MJM have additional storage under their settees. 
I would approximate the additional storage to be about 48 cubic feet on the MJM, and 35 cubic feet in the Surfhunter. 

I hope you have found this comparison illuminating.  When it comes to interior accommodations,
a power catamaran can compare very well when analyzed along same size mono-hulls.  In nearly every comparison,
the Buzzards Bay 34 was at or near the top of this group.  When you take into account that it is also among the most fuel efficient,
has the highest stability, and offers the softest ride, while being able to float in less than 2 feet of water.....well what isn't there to like?

In a well done catamaran you can have your cake and eat it too.  This is what we mean when we say Buzzards Bay is “Beyond Ordinary Limits”.  

I hope you have enjoyed this edition of our Buzzards Bay Blog.  Please call or e-mail me with any comments or questions.  



Sincerely,
Russell Hunt, President
Buzzards Bay Cats and
Multihull Development, Inc.
T: 1-800-882-7083
M: 508-759-4111
E: info@BuzzardsBayCats.com
 
Our mailing address is:
Buzzards Bay Cats
PO Box 583
Buzzards Bay, MA 02532
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