Captain's Report

Contents of Report

• Overview

• Features Inspection

• Main Deck

• Accommodations

• Underway

• Observations

Overview

French manufacturer Fountaine Pajot packed three staterooms, two heads and four gathering areas into the MY 37, a boat with an LOA of 36’2” (11 m). Because the vessel is a power catamaran with a beam of 16’8” (5.1 m), the company can build in some serious living space.

Features Inspection

The Flybridge. Accessed from a ladder to starboard in the cockpit, the flybridge has an L-shaped lounge that wraps around a solid-wood pedestal-mounted table. A refrigerated drawer is under the end seat and forward there’s a small sun pad with storage underneath. A fiberglass hardtop protects passengers from the sun and is supported by 2 ½” (6.35 cm) powder-coated framework.

Moving forward, to port is a doublewide pad where sun worshippers can stretch out. Forward, there’s a wraparound windscreen that did a good job deflecting the onrushing air when we were running.

Flybridge Helm

To starboard, twin bucket seats with flip-up bolsters are at the upper helm station. Working across from the port side, there is a windlass control, a 10” (25.4 cm) Garmin chartplotter and a Garmin autopilot on the left side of the steering wheel, which is mounted to a fixed base. Ahead of the steering wheel is a properly positioned compass with analog-style fuel gauges and tachometers with integrated multi-function displays just below. To starboard are the engine stop and start and Volvo Penta EVC displays. What we didn’t see were accessory switches for items such as navigation lights. There’s plenty of space in the panel and they should be added to this station. They should be on the standard equipment list. To the right, the digital shift and throttle controls were comfortably positioned and down below were the VHF and wireless yacht controller.

The Bow. While we were on the upper deck, we got a good look out over the MY 37’s bow. The wide-open foredeck has three removable lounge cushions with ratcheting backrests that can be set in various reclined positions. There’s also a spacious storage compartment in this area to store the cushions. At the port bow there is another storage compartment that is, get this, 9’ (2.74 m) deep, with a watertight bulkhead just abaft. Access to the same compartment in the starboard hull is optional and not selected on our test boat. Forward, there are 12” (30.48 cm) cleats on each side of the bow with another in the center to secure the anchor rode. The delta plow anchor is deployed and retrieved via windlass.

Stern Passage. From the bow, it was easy to make our way aft to the MY 37’s swim platform on side passageways that were 23” (58.4 cm) wide. Fountaine Pajot could have taken advantage of the boat’s beam and pushed out the salon width farther, but that would have meant narrower passageways. Our test boat’s salon felt plenty wide and the passageways were easy to use. We also liked that there were properly placed grabrails on the inboard side of the passageway when we stepped down into the cockpit.

Swim Platform. Fountaine Pajot offers a hydraulically lowered swim platform as an option. Our test model had the fixed version that extended aft 4’10” (1.47 m) from the transom. It spans the full width of the boat’s beam to offer a platform for SCUBA, snorkel, and other activities.

The Cockpit. Steps on each side of the platform lead up to the MY 37’s cockpit, which has a forward-facing lounge and measures 5’6” (1.68 m) fore to aft and 15’1” (4.6 m) wide. There is a stainless-steel rail that creates a backrest for the bench-style seat and our test boat had customer installed rod holders integrated into the rail. Cushions attach to the rail so they won’t blow off when the boat is underway. We noticed that the boat’s deck is designed with recessed channels to remove water from the cockpit. Utility connections are on the stern to port.

Engine Compartments. With a catamaran, there are engines in each of the hulls so the boat has two compartments. To port, the ladder is on the same side as the hinges, which makes it awkward to enter. On the positive side in each compartment, there’s plenty of space to work around the 220-hp Volvo Penta D3 diesel inboards. Aft, there was easy access to the transmissions, propeller shafts, mufflers, fire suppression, and steering systems. The starboard side was identical, but it also contained the 7.5 kW generator.

Main Deck

The Galley. Entry to the MY 37’s salon is via a full-height sliding glass door that opens in three sections. The galley is aft to port and it comes standard with twin stainless-steel sinks and a propane stove, the tank for which stores in a compartment on the transom. A microwave is an available option. For a boat of this size, the galley has good storage capacity, including overhead cabinets, a large locker underneath, and even in-deck storage compartments. Large side windows provide good views of the outdoors and a small sliding section opens to let in fresh air from both sides.

The Dinette. Across from the galley to starboard, the dinette has an L-shaped lounge around a solid-wood table on a fixed pedestal. Owners can opt for a smaller table on an adjustable base. Outboard of the lounge is the main electrical panel and there’s a smaller opening section of the window inside the larger one. In the salon sole, there were numerous hatches that opened storage compartments and access points. At the leading edge of the dinette, we found two refrigerator drawers and down the stairs to starboard was a smaller refrigerator.

Lower Helm. On the MY 37, Fountaine Pajot makes the lower helm station an option. If it’s not ordered, an aft-facing lounge comes standard. Our test captain wondered why the two-person forward-facing bench helm seat didn’t have a convertible backrest. It’s a good suggestion. The helm itself is nearly identical to the upper station, except that it’s positioned to port with the controls outboard, the gauges above the steering wheel and the electronics to starboard of the wheel. Like the upper station, the lower one had no accessory switches so powering up lights will have to be done at the main panel in the dinette.

Accommodations

Master Stateroom. To port of the helm is entry to the master cabin, which has a berth that measures 6’4” long by 4’9” wide (1.93 m x 1.75 m). Because of the depth of the hulls, there’s more than 6’3” (1.91 m) of headroom. There’s a hullside window with an opening port. Storage is provided at the bottom of the entry stairs in a full height hanging locker. Forward of the cabin is a head with a separate shower. A single hatch closes off the entry to the head and cabin area.

Guest Cabins. To starboard of the helm, stairs lead down to fore and aft cabins with a shared head in between. Opposite the head door is a refrigerator that provides added cold storage. The forward cabin has a single berth, a hullside window with an opening port and an overhead hatch. As we saw throughout the boat, there’s good storage space, including lockers under the berth and in the deck. The aft cabin has a double berth, a larger hullside window and another opening port. The storage is similar, including space under the berth. The head has the same separate shower stall and because of its location, it will be used as the day head as well.

Underway. It’s rare that we get the chance to run a boat in rough and calm conditions, but we were lucky enough to get just that with the MY 37. We had a stretch of protected water to record performance numbers and then we headed offshore in 20 to 25-knot winds and rolling swells. Let’s start with the numbers.

Performance. We tested the MY 37 with twin 220-hp Volvo Penta diesel inboards turning straight shafts. At 4050 rpm, we reached our top speed of 21.5 knots. We found our best cruise at 3200 rpm and 15.9 knots, where we saw a combined fuel flow rate of 11.8 gph, which translated into 1.4 nmpg and a range of 385 nautical miles, while holding 10% of the boat’s 316-gallon (1,200 L) fuel capacity in reserve.

Handling and Ride. In 3’ (.91 m) swells, the boat acquitted herself well, slicing through the waves without rattling or pounding. The ride was also relatively dry thanks to the spray rails on each side of the hulls. This added buoyancy and deflected water to keep it off the decks. Even when we stopped and put the boat beam to the seas, she remained stable and felt comfortable. In head seas, she climbed up and over the waves and, like most cats, when we increased the power, the ride smoothed out. Bigger waves would produce the sneeze effect with trapped air blowing the spray out the front of the tunnel between the hulls. Naturally, following seas were the most comfortable.

Construction. Fountaine Pajot builds the boat with resin-transfer injection and infusion techniques. All internal components are built with composite materials and the combination of advanced processes and materials results in reduced weight, added strength, and boats that are environmentally friendly.

Observations

The Fountaine Pajot MY 37 puts a lot into an undersized package. It satisfies the needs of cruisers who want to extend their range without moving up to a larger vessel. For the American market, we’d like to see a few items, such as accessory switches at the helm, a horn, and a microwave oven, added to the standard-equipment list. Otherwise, she’s a well-rounded power catamaran ready to take on the next adventure.

Standard and Optional Features