Design and Construction
What separates the Gunboat 66 from most cruising cats is its uncompromising composite pedigree: these are all-carbon cruising cats, and practically everything, even the dinghy davits, is built of carbon fiber. The hulls and deck are vacuum bagged, post-cured in an oven, and built of epoxy with foam and Nomex honeycomb core materials; the core is thermo-molded into shape before lamination and sheathed in carbon. The lay-up itself uses a wet-preg process where carbon cloth runs through an epoxy bath and high-pressure rollers, and the deck joint is laminated and post-cured with no evident flange, creating a monocoque hull and deck structure. Bulkheads and structural members are tabbed with epoxy and carbon, then vacuum bagged. Safety is engineered in as well: sacrificial false bows, collision bulkheads in the bow and stern, and several independent watertight bilge areas provide further security in the event of impact. Gunboat does not like to move structural bulkheads, but nearly everything else is fair game for customization, and the standard joinery of African Sapele veneer over a Brazilian Mahogany cabin sole keeps the interior airy and modern.
Rig and Handling
The Marstrom rig is carbon, and all standing rigging is either carbon or unidirectional Aramid, with daggerboards and cassette-style rudders also in carbon. The deck layout is clean and configured for efficient sail handling, aided by a self-tacking jib track for easy upwind work and free-flying headsails — Solent, storm jib, screecher, asymmetric spinnaker — that furl on their luffs. Because the 66 generates her own apparent breeze, the entire sail wardrobe is flat-cut. A lifting daggerboard in each hull facilitates close-winded performance and good VMG, and in flat water the boat tacks effortlessly through 95 degrees. Retractable rudders and the daggerboards let the 66 explore skinny-water haunts, and test sailors found her easily handled by a shorthanded crew. Under power, the twin Volvo Penta D2-55 sail drives pushed the test boat to 8.5 knots on one engine and 9.5 with both, while an autopilot steers the boat at high speed during a weeklong Hawaiian cruise. Chisel-like bows make short work of all seas, and the tops of each hull are slightly rounded for quick water drainage and ergonomic hiking during races.
Accommodations
The Gunboat 66 is the only one with fully enclosed bridge deck saloons, and stepping inside, the sweeping 360-degree view is the first thing that strikes you. The primary helm station sits inside next to the nav station, with large windows letting in ample sunlight and generous headroom of 6 feet 5 inches throughout. The standard layout calls for four queen-sized cabins, each with an ensuite head and shower, plus dedicated crew quarters with their own ensuite; berths measure 6 feet 7 inches by 5 feet in the forward and aft cabins. A large settee with a folding dinette, forward-looking nav and helm, and a spacious galley define the saloon, and the accommodation plan is fully customizable. Multiple doors lead to a forward working cockpit and aft cockpit to enhance airflow, while each cabin is ventilated through portholes and hatches and stowage is plentiful. At anchor the boat becomes the ultimate party platform, with a spacious covered aft cockpit, dual swimming ladders, Spectra nets, and privacy for three or four couples.
Known Issues and Ownership Notes
The documented record of defects on the Gunboat 66 is thin; the principal recorded caveat is simply that she is expensive. Otherwise, the structural and systems reporting from the review period emphasizes walk-in engine room access with walk-around clearance for maintenance, and the builder’s reluctance to shift structural bulkheads — a constraint owners must respect during any refit. The composite construction and monocoque joint suggest low ongoing structural worry, but the carbon-everything ethos means repairs are specialist work.
The Verdict
The Gunboat 66 is a singular fusion of race-bred carbon engineering and livable bridge-deck cruising, built for owners who want 300-mile days without surrendering enclosed-salon comfort or shorthanded control. She is not a boat for the casual budget, but as an all-carbon cat with serious offshore range she occupies a narrow, deliberate niche.
Pros
- All-carbon hull, deck, rig, and davits with monocoque vacuum-bagged joint
- Fully enclosed bridge-deck saloon with 360-degree visibility and inside helm
- Easily shorthanded; tacks through 95 degrees and sails 300+ miles per day
- Skinny-water capability via retractable rudders and lifting daggerboards
- Four ensuite queen cabins plus crew quarters; customizable accommodation
Cons
- Expensive
- Structural bulkheads not movable by builder — limits radical refit
- Carbon-everything construction implies specialist, costly repairs
