Room to Roam


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Mid-20 knot speed, long range and volume to spare help define the ILIAD Catamarans’ 53F. By Marilyn DeMartini.

The ILIAD Catamarans 53F is a flybridge version of the 53-foot sedan and electric models the builder offers. This is the smallest length overall in IILIAD’s range, which extends to 75 feet, but the 53F’s additional flybridge deck and 25-foot beam allow for the kind of guest spaces and customizations that luxury catamaran owners have come to expect.

Up top, the 53F’s helm is on centerline, with a bench seat and an adjacent lounge for guests. Abaft that is space for more loungers,
or a bar with a Kenyon grill, sink, refrigerator and stowage, all enclosed in cabinetry. The flybridge is open aft for freestanding
lounges, chairs or an optional winch for a second tender—in addition to the 1,000-pound tender that can stow on the hydraulic
swim platform. In fact, beyond the superstructure, almost any customization is possible.

The first 53F, sold to a Miami resident, has a three-stateroom layout for family cruises in the islands. The ensuite owner’s stateroom fills the starboard hull and has a privacy door, oversize queen berth, hanging closets, a vanity/desk and a lounge. Ensuite guest spaces are in the portside hull: one stateroom with a double berth and an adjacent single berth, ideal for a child, and another stateroom with twin berths.

A washer-dryer is tucked into a cabinet near the guest staterooms. There’s enough space in the bow to add optional crew quarters, though most US buyers will be owner-operators. Decor can also be personalized. The 53F I was aboard had light wood and upholstery, textured bulkheads with Ultra-leather inserts, stainless-steel hardware trim, and cream-colored carpeting in the salon. There is nearly 360 degrees of glass for an open-air sensibility. and electric blinds for privacy.

It’s one step up to the lounge and protected lower helm, which has a bench seat. (Captain’s chairs are optional.) The center window
opens out, facilitating communication with guests or crew on the bow. The dash is ergonomically raised, with two Raymarine or
Garmin screens, a bow thruster, a Fusion sound system, SeaStar hydraulic steering and Mercury VesselView. Sliding stainless-steel doors lead out to the aft deck, which has a Flexiteek sole, a U-shaped cooking station to port, and a teak dining table for six. Forward at the bow, there’s another guest relaxation area, this one with a C-shaped sun pad with backrests. This space can be shaded.

Twin 440 hp Yanmar or Volvo Penta engines are available. This hull had twin 550 hp Cummins diesels, which reportedly produce a top speed of 24 knots, with a cruise speed of 6 to 8 knots for a 2,500-nautical-mile range with less than a 0.5 mpg fuel burn. The fuel tanks hold 924 gallons and are centrally positioned to provide balance. Hydrotab interceptors trim and control the power cat, while Victron 24-volt lithium house batteries are standard to power hotel loads overnight with recharging via 1,600 watts of solar panels. A 17.5 kW Onan generator provides additional power when needed.

For long-range cruising, the 53F has a 211-gallon freshwater capacity, a watermaker, 66-gallon gray- and blackwater tanks, as well as 65,000 Btu air conditioning for tropical conditions. ILIAD Catamarans launched its first yacht in 2019. The company continues to learn and grow, with the 53F serving as a great example of how far cruising power-cat design has come.

ILIAD 53F