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Comparison
is an essential tool of good descriptive writing. Nouns and adjectives
are valuable in their own right, but for helping a reader paint a picture
of what you’re trying to describe, nothing beats a metaphor. But
what do you do if there really isn’t anything to compare your subject
to? How do you describe something that’s unique, like an Alaskan
sunset or the taste of fresh pesto?
That’s
the challenge in writing about the Sunseeker Predator 95. Really, there
is no other boat like it in the world, not even another Sunseeker. Think
I’m exaggerating? Name another vessel that weighs 150,000 pounds,
is powered by three 2,000-hp diesels each turning a surface-piercing Arneson
ASD 15 drive, has the accommodations of a large Manhattan penthouse and
the sensual look of a Ferrari, and tops out at 47.3 knots. Oh, and also
handles like a 35-foot sportboat.
You
can dismiss some of this by saying the 95 simply has more of everything,
but the Predator isn’t just an exercise in excess; she’s also
a technical knockout. The triple-engine version (there is also a two-engine,
V-drive model that reportedly does “only” 35 knots) has a
remarkable electronic engine control system that makes manhandling those
three DDC-MTU V-16s mere child’s play. Twin Mathers electronic controls
operate the outboard engines, while a separate panel controls the centerline
motor. When the center diesel is engaged in “follower mode,”
it is automatically electronically synchronized with the slower of the
outboard engines. (You can also use this panel to separately control the
center engine in forward and reverse to 80 percent of its maximum power.)
When the centerline engine is shut down, you can easily cruise the 95
on two engines or maneuver her at slow speed by working the outboard props
as you would a regular inboard. Disengaging the center engine is crucial
when docking, because with all three engines on line, the 95 idles at
10 knots. Standard 30-hp bow and stern thrusters controlled by a single
four-position joystick ease docking, and when you finally succumb to the
desire for speed, you need only activate the center engine via the panel,
and you’re now controlling all three engines from those two Mathers
controls.
The
swim platform is nearly as impressive as the engine control system. Of
course it moves vertically to make it easy to launch one of the two tenders
(one on the platform, the other in the garage) or assist getting swimmers
in and out of the water. But because it also covers the Arneson drives,
when the platform is lowered for launching, three check valves in the
Arneson’s trim system automatically open, allowing the drives to
decline to provide sufficient clearance. Conversely, when the engines
reach 1000 rpm, the platform—with tender, if necessary—inclines
to keep it from being inundated by prop wash as the drives are trimmed
up for maximum performance. A safety override ensures that the engines
will not start if the platform is down.
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Sunseeker 95 Predator continued > Page
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