Review: Horizon Yacht's PC-58 Catamaran

Horizon PC-58 Power Catamaran
When Two Hulls Are Better Then One

by YF Publisher Carl Camper​

A noteworthy leap ahead in yacht design, Horizon's PC-58 is a Cat whose time has come. While YF is not in the habit of outright praise given the many fine yachts reviewed here from top notch worldacclaimed yards, on this rare occasion, a superb out of the ordinary build emerges, sporting that rare combination of performance, style, ergonomics and efficiency. Here we present a yacht that “Has It All”, Horizon’s outstanding PC58 Power Catamaran, designed by Lavranos Marine Design and styled by Winchester Design Group; a new boat checking nearly every box on a very discerning list.
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The owner of hull #1 is an avid fisherman who has owned approximately 20 yachts. This is a gentleman who knew exactly what he wanted. He and his wife enjoy entertaining and large outdoor spaces, putting them at one with their surroundings. Among stability and efficiency mandates, one of the reasons he chose the PC-58 was for its Bahamas friendly draft. Because the couple like to fish and prepare their own catch, emphasis was placed on a larger-than-average, commercial grade galley with expansive granite countertops. This added some weight to this build, with minimal penalty to draft. Because of this, hull #1 came in at 41 tons, but hull #2 will only be 36 tons.

The PC-58 boasts an impressive yachting concept: catamaran stability with lower accommodations comparable to a monohull of the same length. Built in Horizon's yard in Taiwan, this powercat is solid fiberglass below the waterline with keels on each sponson to protect the running gear. Her twin-hull design utilizes high-density DIVINYCELL® foam above the waterline, sporting a white gel-coat finish that is virtually flawless even over large expanses of compound curves. If you're seriously in the market for a catamaran, there's quite a bit more to this marvel and YF takes pride in presenting the unique attributes of the PC-58.

The PC-58 marks Horizon’s first foray into multi-hull manufacturing. Among countless models and a diversified product line that recently includes trawlers, this outstanding model is Horizon’s latest advance in cruising comfort and livability. For actual living and cruising space, the PC-58 easily slips into a comfort class with larger conventional designs including passagemakers boasting LOA of 70’-80’, yet she displays the cruise efficiency of a smaller craft.

The entire hull stucture is constructed under high vacuum pressure utilizing a patented SCRIMP® process. In this overhead zoom shot, we note her unusual but considerable length to beam - a mere two inches shy of 60’ yet flaunting a swashbuckling twin-beam of 24’6”! Also, note another PC-58 advantage: her sponson configuration achieves efficiency in addition to a better than average ride quality. This efficient sea kindliness is due to the subsurface hull being narrower with a reduced length/displacement ratio. Above the waterline, her voluminous sponsons provide very livable guest accommodations. A 4’5” shallow draft beckons for easy saltwater exploring or leisurely island investigations where a 64KG Delta anchor breaks cover and deploys for probable extended stays at off-chart island getaways.

A view from above emphasizes the remarkable beam for a 58’ yacht. Up top, her flybridge hardtop sports two banks of photovoltaic panels to offset hotel load. Just aft, communication domes pair-up to help this cat find her way home, or even astray. Powered by twin Cummins QSM11 705HP engines, the PC-58 cruises comfortably at 18 knots, burning a mere 40 gallons per hour. Sprinting from a storm, she'll top 25 knots, but the tanks will empty at the rate of 70 GPH. Backing off to passagemaking speeds, she loafs along at 9.6 knots, sipping 6.3 gallons an hour at 900 RPM. For the ultimate fuel economy, a 7 knot cruise sips 3 gallons per hour. Stability and efficiency!

Truly a striking catamaran design; the beam view portrays one of the best profiles we’ve seen on a cat with a progressive sheer line providing excellent freeboard, which in turn provides the kind of tunnel clearance that makes her more capable than most vessels her size. A remarkable ocean performer, she’s also nimble in tight quarters. Surprisingly, the PC-58 has the ride of a large, well built mono-hull. In a 2’-3’ wind chop, there was no discernible pounding, only the slap of an occasional wave up inside the tunnel. But even this wasn't enough to register more than 84 decibels inside the main stateroom, which is located forward of the salon on the main deck, an area most prone to noise from wave interaction. Otherwise, we recorded an average of 72 decibels underway from most every point inside the boat.

In addition to the stability platform, the wide beam of the PC-58 enables a flybridge hard top that seemingly spans the Horizon (pun intended). Draped in Eisenglass, it’s a self contained, air-conditioned biosphere completely unaffected by the elements. This is one of the few flybridge boats that negates the need for a lower helm. Access to the main deck is via the smoked glass sliding hatch to starboard or the aft deck exterior staircase to port.

The Dinette is aft of the helm and is easily within conversation range. For lounging or alfresco dining, this area provides comfortable seating around a teak table mounted on adjustable stainless pedestals. Further aft, an 800 lb. hydraulic crane stands ready to launch and retrieve an inflatable tender.

Excellent stability makes it easy to break out burgers. On the day of our sea trial, not a single thing rattled on this boat, except the grille cover, which obviously wasn’t manufactured by Horizon. Not to worry, the owner was onboard and had already installed a fix… a hand towel between the cover and the grille returned us to a rattle-free ride. Opposite of the offset granite countertop is a prep sink, fridge and cutting board cover for the sink.

Look up in this picture. See the suction cups holding the Eisenglass back? The cups can be positioned anywhere, depending on the amount of drape needed, then removed leaving a clean ceiling. The epitome of KISS! Not shown is a zippered insert running across the top of this Eisenglass panel, just large enough to channel a little air inside the flybridge when the weather turns inclimate. Directly above the skipper is a sunroof hatch for access or air.

This close-up presents the Captain’s and Mate’s seating up top, up front. The helm station features fully adjustable chairs with foot pedestals and flip-up arm rests. Seating position is perfect for long passages or docking maneuvers. On that note, a Naiad 38 hp bow thruster adds confidence, but may not be needed. In our test, the PC-58 spun on a dime without thrusters. If you've ever operated a cat, you know why. Given the beam of this boat and the drives being separated into independent hulls, she generates great leverage into maneuvering/spinning to make that perfect entrance.

The PC-58's fully enclosed instrument panel presents every modern advance in navigation, including 2x Garmin 7215 GPSmap 15” touch screen chart plotters flanking a stacked pair of Smartcraft VesselView displays. To port are a pair of Garmin GMI-10 Displays measuring speed and heading, Bilge Pump and Blower Switches, a Sea-Fire switch, and a Fusion MS-IP600 marine radio that conceals your iPod player. At the ready are the essentials; a Raymarine Autopilot, VHF, a Mercury Engine Start/Stop switches, throttles/gears and thruster joystick all within inches of the wheel. A perfect panel! And should the mate be digitally challenged, a 5” compass stands ready to monitor the course.

This shot of the aft staircase illustrates a rather tight turning radius, but only for the first passage. Actually, it is perfectly designed with strong hand rails and non-slip teak steps. By any standard, Horizon's stainless work is excellent. Weld joints are ground and finished to a degree that mirrors a molded piece.

Note the capacious aft-deck, easily matching a 100-foot yacht in square foot partying space, but there's more here than meets the eye. Behind every panel, every crevice... storage abounds! From hanging lockers to rod storage, seating bins to live wells, this boat is a Hide & Seek playground. Behind the open-air seating for eight is a live well/ice chest built into the aft-deck floor. Underneath the seat-in-the-sun are three sets of sub-seating storage bins, all made light by gas struts. Forward and not shown in the picture (see DETAILS following review) is a near full stand-up hanging locker located under the stairwell. Opposite the entrance to the main salon is a brief, but well-equipped wetbar.

Polished stainless steel safety gates with Horizon’s logo flank each side of this cat, leading down to the swim platform. On either swim platform (remember, this is a cat so the platforms are separated), there is ample space to deploy dive equipment or fight a fish, albeit from a standing position. Easy access is provided both starboard and larboard for entry and return, which can't be said about the hawse pipe and cleat. While this looks like a neat & tidy, double-duty idea, we can't help but wonder what challenges this may present.

A close-up photo of the swim platform steps showcase a fresh water wash-down compartment built into the stern coaming, complete with shampoo and conditioner on the inside of the door panel. This is only one of many well-thought out compartments and features that not only add long term livability and convenience, but add value.

Speaking of compartments, a set of auxiliary controls are compactly housed at the base of the aftdeck staircase. Given this ship's beam, quite handy when backing down a slip. Throttles/gears to right, joystick to left and engine start/stop are all close at hand, which will come in handy when trying to pass a line through that cleat/hawse pipe combo.

Horizon’s excellent design sense continues inside the PC58 with rich, masculine tones. Dark woods, coupled with deep brown upholstery and a slice of beige carpet, give this flat-at-sea a warm, homey feel. The owners of hull #1 opted for a gargantuan galley that gives two chefs a wide berth for cooking on the hook. The salon space is adequate for escaping the elements or winding a down a day of cruising, but ultimately it plays a back-up role to outdoor festivities where deck space is plentiful. The two-tiered, two-material counter doubles as a backsplash with bar stools that are easily stowed when it’s time to go. Not seen in this image, but located to starboard aft is a commercial grade, stainless fridge that should easily provision the cruising couple for a month. Forward is the master stateroom on the same level!

Looking aft in the salon, the PC-58's rich colors and accents come to life when natural light comes in. Prior to our sea trial, we had a large group of people inside the salon for a briefing and the space was more than adequate for everyone to move about. Seven foot ceilings added a greater sense of space. Supporting this space is a stainless framed, glass electric door. From a personal perspective, this is quite possibly the most livable boat I've ever been aboard, sub-70 feet.

Ah, the Work Station; business is never far from the successful person's mind. Still not to be forgotten in the glorious swim of things, this laptop friendly desk is also a dedicated charting and communications center. Perched atop the station's console, a 42" flat screen displays a running shot of the PC-58. Not sure how savvy the AV installer was, but that 42' screen could easily double as the laptop's big screen too.