'decadence' catamaran resembles a rocket ship on water boosted by inflatable wing sails

‘Decadence’ catamaran by Andy Waugh

Yacht designer Andy Waugh was inspired by the visual elements and technological advancements of the car and airplane designs in the 1920s. Drawing from this influence, his Decadence catamaran concept resembles a luxurious, minimalist spaceship but only grander and tailored to the sea. The water vehicle uses a special hull design called SWATH, or small waterplane area twin hull, which is like a catamaran with submerged, teardrop hulls attached to a central body. Andy Waugh’s design reduces the rocking and rolling motion of the watercraft compared to a regular yacht by making it more stable, enabling comfortable and safe cruising.

The ‘Decadence’ yacht is 80 meters long and 30 meters wide, making it quite spacious. Andy Waugh says that the SWATH design allows for unique interior layouts and spaces. For example, the owner’s suite could be very large with a width of 20 meters, a length of 30 meters, and a ceiling height of 3 meters. Each deck also has areas that can be closed off from the outside, giving the owner privacy and protection from the weather. The crew areas and technical spaces are located in the submerged hulls, leaving more space in the main body of the catamaran for guests. Hidden inside the cylindrical hulls, the pilot can deploy inflatable wing sails to maximize the catamaran’s lift-to-drag ratio.

images courtesy of Andy Waugh

can ‘decadence’ be harbored on ports?

Designing ‘Decadence’ comes with design challenges. One of them is that its wide size can make it difficult to harbor it in ports. However, Andy Waugh says that the ‘Decadence’ catamaran addresses this issue in a few ways. With the increased stability of the yacht, it is possible that it might not need to often seek shelter from bad weather. It might wobble on the sea, but it can balance itself, enough to prevent its entire watercraft to sink deep into the water and never float back to the surface.

‘Decadence’ catamaran also includes space for two 14-meter chase-boat tenders, which can be deployed and used as luxury shuttles to shore. These tenders have different features, like an open deck or a fully enclosed cabin, and provide more comfort and capacity than regular limo tenders. Andy Waugh plans to incorporate a new propulsion system for ‘Decadence’ along with its sleek, cylindrical hulls to reduce its energy consumption by about 30 percent, resulting in less frequent refueling.

the water vehicle uses a special hull design called SWATH, or small waterplane area twin hull