Design and Construction
The revised version grafted a stern platform that lengthens the cockpit and a superstructure onto the transom that keeps foot traffic moving fluidly around the seating area anchor. That same grafted stern structure meets the sea directly when the boat rears up in a steep chop. Built as a solid-fiberglass catamaran, the 475 has a 25-foot beam, 4-foot draft, and a single 50-horsepower Volvo Penta MD 22L diesel.
Rig and Handling
The modified 475 adopted a rigid bimini that incorporates the mainsail sheet. The trade-off is sightline: from the winch dedicated to mainsail adjustment, the sail itself is no longer visible anchor, so trim changes must be judged by feel or crew call rather than direct view.
Accommodations
The revised exterior table was completely redesigned and improved conviviality on deck anchor. With 210 gallons of water and 110 gallons of diesel carried, the 475 was sized for extended stays aboard.
Known Issues
Two faults trace to the modified version's aft redesign. The stern superstructure tends to strike the sea when the boat pitches up in sharper chop anchor, and the mainsail is invisible from its trimming winch. Both are artifacts of the later modification, not the original hull.
The Verdict
The Nautitech 475 is a charter-bred catamaran whose hull outlasted its own deck redesign onto later models. The revised version opened cockpit space but paid with a slamming transom and lost trim sightline.
Pros
- Hull design reused on the 47 and 482, evidence of a sound underwater shape
- Redesigned exterior table and stern platform improve cockpit conviviality and flow
- Rigid bimini integrates mainsheet for sheltered helm control
Cons
- Modified-version stern superstructure slams the sea when the boat rears in steep chop
- Mainsail invisible from its dedicated trimming winch on the modified version
