Takacat Lite 3.4m & 9.9hp Lehr engine

£1,699 & £1,999 (package price £ 3,649)

Last year, I spent a couple of weeks testing a brilliant little catamaran tender that ran off a gas-powered 5hp Lehr engine. The only criticism I had was that the 5hp engine chewed through the little camping-style gas canisters in no time at all and with no way of telling how much was left in them, they often ran dry without warning. Determined to redress my findings, the UK dealer insisted I try the new-improved Takacat Lite with a clever open transom and a 10hp Lehr engine fitted with a much bigger remote gas tank similar to those used for small gas BBQS.

In fairness, the bigger gas tank lasted the whole week with plenty left over, even after a couple of trips from Poole harbour to Studland and back. The 10hp engine pushed the speed up from around 13 knots to a maximum of 16.5 knots, making this a really fun little boat for young teenagers to cut their teeth on. The only downside is the considerable extra weight of the engine and subsequent strength needed to lift and start it. The good news is that the new stainless-steel transom means you can also fit a pair of Takacat’s optional Quick Release Wheels (£180) which clip into place allowing you to pull it up a slipway or beach with the engine still attached, but can also be reversed and clipped up out of the way to prevent unnecessary drag. If I’m being picky, the bow could do with a padded rope bridle or carrying handle to make it easier for one person to pull along on its wheels, and the stainless-steel transom tubes did tend to slip forward in their retaining sockets when tugging on the engine’s starter handle. Still, a neat,