By Eric Colby
Despite the fact that the company did not have a display at the 2017 Miami International Boat Show, Pilini Marine had a good week during the event, taking a number of orders for its new 34XCS Catamaran powered by twin Mercury Racing Verado 400R outboards.
“I’ve had many loyal customers over the years who are looking forward to something new,” Pilini explained. “Several manufacturers have boats in the same size range. We’re building just as good of a product, but we’re priced substantially lower because we keep our overhead under control.”
Throughout his 20-plus year history of building performance catamarans, Pilini’s designs have always been known for their space and rough-water ability. He will rig the 34XCS with CMC 5” setback brackets for fine-tuning and the boat will have 8”-wide gunwales so crewmembers can make their way forward easily to tend to docklines or to grab a card during a poker run.
“If you’re going to a poker run and you have to send someone to the bow to get a card, they can go out there safely,” said Pilini.
All 34XCS models will have an interior finished by Stephen Miles Design. Additionally, to make it easier to access the stern, there is a molded fiberglass stair system between the center bucket seats (the boat has four individual aft bucket seats). Pilini Marine orders the boats with Mercury’s steering and wiring systems, which makes it easier to rig the boat thanks to the engine manufacturer’s plug and play system.
At the helm, there are two high-backed bucket seats. The dash can have analog gauges or Garmin and Mercury Racing VesselView screens. The steering wheel can be on the port or starboard side.
“We offer several different dashes dependent on how the person wants it set up,” said Pilini.
In addition to the catamaran, Pilini Marine will continue to offer its 15SS runabout, the Clearview 15’ glass-bottom skiff and high-performance center consoles ranging from 24’ to 35’. The company’s website is being re-configured so check frequently for a re-launch.
