Aquila 32 Sport Power Catamaran (2021-)

Brief Summary

The Aquila 32 Sport Catamaran is offered with twin outboards up to 600 hp total. She has a spacious cockpit and bow for entertaining and overnight accommodations for two. The 32 Sport Catamaran also has the handling and wave-taming ride we’ve experienced on larger Aquila models. Coming soon — hydrofoils.

Test Results

Specifications

Length Overall	32'4" 9.86 m
Beam	12'8" 3.85 m
Dry Weight	10,540 lbs. 4,780.86 kg
Tested Weight	11,937 lbs. 5,414.53 kg
Draft	1'10" 0.55 m
Bridge Clearance	9'7" 2.92 m
Person Capacity	22
Fuel Capacity	280 gallons 1,059.91 L
Water Capacity	29 gallons 109.78 L
Total Weight	11,937 lbs. 5,414.53 kg

Acceleration Times & Conditions

Time to Plane	6.5 seconds
0 to 30	11.6 seconds
Props	14.6x17p Enertia
Load	3 persons; 132 gal. fuel; 50 lbs. gear
Climate	89 deg.; 78 humid.; winds: 15-20; seas: 1

Engine Options

Tested Engine	2 x 300-hp Mercury Verados JPO
Std. Power	2 x 225-hp Mercury Verados JPO
Opt. Power	2 x 300-hp Mercury Verados JPO

Captain's Report

Captain's Report by Eric Colby

Mission Statement

Aquila designed the 32 Sport to be a more affordable entrée into the manufacturer’s family of cruising cats. She’s powered by twin outboards and is intended to appeal to day boaters who enjoy myriad activities on the water. Her fixed swim platform has a heavy-duty ladder that is among the most rugged we’ve seen and her cockpit and bow can entertain a crowd. Below, she has a cabin in one hull and a private head in the other.

Aquila 32 Sport Main Features

• Twin Mercury Outboards
• Ultra-Sturdy Boarding ladder
• Convertible Stern and Bow lounges
• Available joystick
• Separate Cabin and Head
• 5 kW Generator
• Hydrofoils coming

Aquila 32 Sport Features Inspection

The Bow

We’ll start in the bow and work our way aft. The 32 Sport Catamaran has an extra-large feel thanks to the boat’s 12’8” (3.85 m) beam. The walk-through is offset to starboard, creating a lounge to port that is 49” (124.6 cm) wide while the starboard side is 29” (73.66 cm). The seats are 13” (33.02 cm) off the deck and have flip-down armrests. A filler cushion for the bow comes standard. We noticed upgraded upholstery treatments in the bow and throughout the boat with two-tone colors, a diamond pattern on the backrest and quality stitching. Even the beverage holders are carbon fiber.

There’s deep storage beneath starboard seat-bottom cushion and forward on each side of the Quick windlass are two large lockers. There are also four 9” (22.86 cm) pull-up cleats in the bow, two on the side and two on the leading edge of the hull.

Aquila 32 Sport Main Deck

The opening between the windshield is 22” (55.88 cm) wide and because it’s fairly large, Aquila uses a securing latch to hold it in place instead of a magnetic catch. The lower half of the passageway closes with an air dam.

It’s a 6” (15.24 cm) step down to the cockpit deck. Before we enter the cockpit to port in the passageway is a galley with a sink beneath a removable cover. When the cover is removed, there’s a short post on the forward counter that the cover can be secured with. Aft, the electric grill can be operated off an inverter or the 5kW diesel generator. We like the positioning of the grill because the cook can work from the aft end, leaving the passageway open. There’s a refrigerator in the counter beneath the stove and a wastebasket is beneath the sink. A rail runs the length of the galley to help guests stay secure in bumpy conditions.

The Cabin. Immediately outboard of the galley is the 32 Power Catamaran’s cabin. Make sure the flip-down footrest for the port companion seat is up before opening the lower door. The cabin has 6’2” (1.87 m) of headroom and the berth measures 79” (200.66 cm) with an average width of 52” (132.08 cm). There are storage shelves to starboard and an opening port in the hullside plus an overhead hatch. The steps for this cabin are offset so enter right-foot first. The battery switches, CZ panel, air conditioning and 110-volt outlet are all within reach from the entryway without having to descend the stairs.

The Head. Opposite the galley to starboard, the head has the same headroom as the cabin. It’s a wet head with a toilet, sink and Corian counters. We’d like to see a clip for securing the pull-up faucet for showering. An air conditioning duct and opening port help rid the area of steam and/or odors.

The Helm. Moving aft, the helm is to starboard and has space for a 12” (30.48 cm) Raymarine multifunction display. A Mercury VesselView screen is under the compass and there’s a Fusion stereo on the flat. Illuminating accessory switches are to the left of the tilt steering wheel and the digital shift and throttle controls are to the right just abaft the joystick. Capt. Steve would like to see the joystick moved to the port side of the helm so he could stand in the center passageway and have 360-degree visibility while docking.

The helm seat is 45” (114.3 cm) wide and has individual flip-up bolsters. The companion seat to port has a convertible backrest, a flip bolster and the aforementioned folding footrest.

The Cockpit

The 32 Sport Catamaran’s cockpit is, in a word, huge for a boat of this size with seating for 12, an expandable table that doubles in size and an insulated cooler beneath the starboard bottom cushion. There’s plentiful storage, including in the port-side backrest. Headroom beneath the standard fiberglass hardtop is 6’8” (2.03 m) and it includes two forward skylights, LED lighting and speakers. An optional SureShade retractable awning that extends over the aft section is an available option.

The Stern. The bulk of the 32 Sport’s versatility is found in her stern. Three stainless-steel-framed gates close off the passageways between and outboard of the aft lounges. As we saw in the bow, the aft walkway is offset. With its moveable backrest, the 48”(121.92 cm)-wide port seat can convert to a chaise lounge or be laid flat. The starboard seat is 38” (96.52 cm) wide. Remove the gates and lift up the seats to access two extra-large equipment rooms under the deck. We could access the bilge, freshwater, A/C and trim pumps, fuel filters, generator and batteries.

The center passageway extends aft between the twin Mercury outboards and opens to reveal a seriously overbuilt re-boarding ladder. With the ladder deployed, close the hatch and there’s an open walkway from the platform to the cockpit. We noted four optional rod holders on the stern, plus two more 9” (22.86 cm) cleats at the stern but at amidships there were only small fender cleats.

Aquila 32 Sport Catamaran Performance

The Numbers. The 32 Sport Catamaran measures 32’4” (9.85 m) overall and she draws 1’10” (.55 m). Aquila says she has a fully loaded displacement of 16,640 lbs. (7,548 kg). The base boat comes with twin 225-hp Mercury Verado outboards and we tested her with twin 300-hp Mercurys.

She’s designed with spray rails on the inboard sides of the tunnel and a wave deflector to prevent the sneeze effect. Our test boat had stainless-steel keel guards screwed to the bottom and Aquila tells us it is engineering some hydrofoils for the 32 Sport Catamaran, but they weren’t ready for us to test. Keep an eye out for an updated review with the foils.

With the twin 300-hp Mercury outboards spinning 14.6” x 17” (37.08 x 43.18 cm) Enertia stainless-steel propellers to 5800 rpm, we hit a top speed of 44.8 mph. Best cruise came at 3000 rpm where she ran 16.3 mph and burned 12.9 gph. That translated to 1.3 mpg and a range of 319 statute miles. She planed in 6.5 seconds and ran through 20 mph in 7.4 seconds, 30 in 11.4 and 40 in 19.7.

Test conditions offered up calm conditions and our test boat handled flawlessly. The hulls’ sharp entries sliced through chop with ease and we could do nothing to upend the 32 Sport Catamaran’s good manners.

Observations

There’s aren’t many boxes that the Aquila 32 Sport Catamaran doesn’t check for an outboard-powered day boat. There were a couple spots where Capt. Steve would have preferred lift and lock latches to twist-and-lock style and he would like to see the fire extinguisher re-located from its current spot alongside the driver’s leg.

But those were mild points and at the end of the sea trial, Steve even came up with a new acronym, saying “MILDA, Man I Love to Drive Aquila.” So if anyone is looking to get into a good-sized outboard-powered day cat, keep that in mind.