La Bella Cherie
Custom catamaran motor yacht combines speed and comfort
In mid-2020 Dongara Marine was approached by a private buyer seeking a bespoke leisure vessel. Working closely with the clients and Southerly Designs, we developed a liveaboard vessel concept tailored to the specific requirements, which included high speed for quick transits to favoured cruising grounds.
This client focus and custom design and build capability led to a contract being signed within weeks of the initial approach. To incorporate the owner’s evolving requirements and specific preferences, we continued to evolve the detailed design and fitout throughout the build, which was completed in December 2022.
For cruising with family and friends, the 25 metre long catamaran motor yacht has two guest cabins and a shared bathroom in each hull plus a large, full width owner’s suite with ensuite on main deck level. These cabins provide sleeping for 10 persons in queen and king sized beds.
The remainder of the main deck is fitted out for a combination of indoor and outdoor dining and recreation. Transom platforms and a lifting tender storage / swim platform between the hulls provide easy access to and from the water for the full range of water sports. The upper deck also provides guests with a spa.
Waterjet propulsion was selected to enable the owners to achieve the high speeds they desired. Maximum loaded speed on trials was 35 knots, with economical loaded cruise speed of approximately 30 knots. Fuel tankage has been maximised to enable long range (approximately 800 nautical miles) and extended duration cruising.
The waterjets also enable the vessel’s draft to be just over one metre, greatly expanding the range of locations that can be safely navigated and allowing for anchoring close to the shoreline for beach and other land excursions.
Dongara Marine combined its skills and experience in both aluminium and high-tech composite materials for the vessel’s construction, all of which was completed in-house. As with recent pilot boats and commercial fishing vessels, the hulls and main deck are fabricated from aluminium while the superstructure are composites; in this case a full carbon fibre reinforced main deck cabin and fully enclosed flybridge.
While primarily intended and equipped for leisure use, the liveaboard catamaran was designed, built, and surveyed to AMSA NSCV requirements.
“’Fast & comfortable’ were the design details afforded to Dongara Marine prior to the build of La Bella Cherie and our expectations have been exceeded! La Bella Cherie eats the miles at what feels like a standstill and the engineering and craftmanship far surpass our original objective of comfort! La Bella Cherie is a thing of beauty from her gorgeous external lines to her interior splendour.”
Owner - La Bella Cherie
