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the Boat

Meet svKarma - Excess13 Catamaran

Honestly, we never thought we would own one boat, much less a second... but after we listed Karma(1) for sale and then realized we still wanted to be on the water - we researched and toured almost every catamaran on the market. The Excess13 drew us in with its sleek appearance but it was the sea trial at the boat show that almost immediately sealed the deal.

Now, several months and 3000nm in (after 7years and 24,500nm on a Bali4.0) - we are 100% sold on the design and performance of this boat. There is zero doubt in our mind that it is the best performance catamaran under $1M (even though we aren't worthy of that performance DNA).



SPECS

  • 2025 Excess13 Catamaran
  • LOA: 13m
  • BOA: 7.25m
  • Draft: 1.49m
  • Mast Clearance: 20.15m
  • Dry Weight: 10600kg (before we load our personal belongings on)
  • Max Load Displacement: 15oookg

SAILS

The wind is our fuel and the sails are our primary engine. 

  • Squaretop Mainsail (pulse line) - 78m2
  • Genoa - 44m2
  • Parasailor - m2

    *we desperately hope to add a Code0 sail - but finances have not yet allowed

ENGINES

While we prefer not to use them other than pulling in and out of a pass/anchorage, they are nice to have when needed

  • 2x Yanmar 3JH40 Diesel Engines

SOLAR/ELECTRICAL

One of the primary beauties of a boat (at least a catamaran) over a van - plenty of room solar! We are entirely self sufficient from solar alone (even with lots of device usage and tons of fridge space).

  • Rigid Panels (davits) - 3x 425w bifacial panels (1275w )
  • Flexible panels (roof) - 4x 365w walkable CIGS panels ( 1460w)
  • Total of 2735w
  • Lithium Batteries - 4x 460ah (1840ah)

WATER

We are also completely self-sustained when it comes to water onboard thank to a reverse osmosis (RO) water system.

  • Aquabase Fiji Comfort Watermaker - 105L/h

Rain Catchment System –
Massive upgrade and something we always wanted/fought with on our last boat - this time well designed directly into the roof. Bring on the rain!

GROUND TACKLE

  • Primary Anchor
    • Rocna Vulcan 33
    • 100+ Meters of chain rode
  • Secondary / Stern Anchor

COMMUNICATION EQUIPMENT

Marriage Savers (wireless headsets)–
Probably the most important purchase for the boat... and I'm pretty sure we've sold dozens for the company over the years as other couples watch us anchor (while whispering softly to each other from opposite ends of the boat - rather than shouting at the top of their lungs over the wind).
Especially in moments of stress/anxiety (of which there are plenty out here), these are solid gold.

Starlink –
Most always we use the “Mobile Global” plan, but when offshore, we have to switch over the “Offshore Data” plan which costs $2 per gig used (but no other option when were offshore crossing an ocean). We don't like to admit it, but this is a complete game-changer for any nomad!

GPS Tracking Map – We also use the Predict Wind for our Tracking Map, which tracks our boat while we island hop. We share posts while we’re on passage and people logged into the map can follow our progress. We also share with our virtual "Good Karma Crew" so that our community can follow along in real-time.


TENDER

  • 3D Tender Ultimate 3.2M Hypalon– We are NOT easy on our tender as it's not only our "daily driver" but also our adventure rig, fishing machine and tour boat. For us, the daily driver is more of offroad SUV, and the 3D Tender has should perform admirably for the abuse we intend to throw at it.
  • Mercury 20hp Outboard (electric start)

TOYS/GEAR

This is after all a choice to live/adventure on the water, and for us - the adventure is more about exploring the destination than the sail to get there - which can often come down to gear.adventure gear.
Being that we we also live in a very small/tight space and need to be self-contained - we are uber picky about what makes the cut and is allowed onboard, so we have dedicated gear guides for each of the following:

  • Snorkel/Freedive Equipment
  • Scuba/Dive
  • Fishing/Spearfishing
  • Photos/Videos
  • Remote work

This list will continue to grow. We have been discussing adding inflatable SUPs and/or foil boards in the near future.
In most cases our list of "toys" is limited by cash available... especially since the Excess13 has massive amounts of storage including spaces reserved for toys.
As we look at having more people onboard we are also considering "moving the line" toward more toys/enjoyment and less minimalist.

PROTECTION AND SAFETY

Of course we have an inflatable life raft, ePirb, PLB3+AIS, offshore life jackets, jack lines, throwable, life raft, ditch kit/go bag and so on.  We’ll update our safety gear as we continue to build out this page.

  • Fenders
  • Docklines