FAQ
Questions buyers ask
The questions owners actually ask before they commit to an aluminium catamaran — about the contract, the metal, the foil, the batteries and getting the boat home. Where the honest answer is “it is in your contract”, we say so.
Buying a new build
Who exactly am I contracting with?
Stingray Yachts Ltd, an EU company with a public company number. You contract with the yard directly, not through an intermediary.
How are payments made, and how is my money protected?
Payments are staged against build milestones written into the contract. How each payment is protected — for example title to the hull and materials passing to you as they are paid for — is set out in writing before you sign, and before any money moves.
Can my own surveyor sign off each stage before I pay the next one?
Yes. Your surveyor is welcome at every milestone. Independently of that, every seam is signed off by an independent inspector.
Why do you ask for my passport, source of funds and company structure?
Every yacht sale in the EU falls under anti-money-laundering law. The checks are the same for every buyer, they are a legal duty rather than suspicion, and the documents are used for that purpose only.
Aluminium
How big is the risk of electrolysis and stray current in a crowded marina?
It is managed by design: fittings of other metals are isolated from the hull, the hull carries sacrificial anodes, and the bonding and earthing scheme is engineered. A galvanic isolator on the shore-power line protects you from a neighbour’s faulty wiring, and a yearly hull-potential reading takes five minutes.
Is it noisy? Does water drum on the hull?
Drumming comes from thin, distorted panels. Our plating is stiff and comes off the jig smooth, without filler, and the hull is insulated.
Does an aluminium hull sweat inside?
The insulation is closed-cell and sealed, so no water is trapped against the metal. Trapped wet insulation is the classic cause of corrosion on badly built aluminium boats, which is exactly why we avoid it.
Will the deck burn bare feet in August, or be slippery when wet?
Walking areas are covered with non-slip synthetic teak or cork, which stays cool and grips when wet. Bare aluminium is where you don’t walk.
Unpainted? Won’t it look grey and scruffy?
Brushed marine aluminium is a deliberate finish: nothing to chip, blister or repaint. If you prefer paint, it is an option, now or later.
Isn’t copper antifouling forbidden on aluminium?
Yes, and we never use it. The bottom gets copper-free antifouling over an epoxy primer.
Can the welds crack from fatigue on a fast boat?
The structure is designed to the ISO 12215 scantling standard for its speed and design category, welded by qualified welders to approved procedures and inspected seam by seam.
If I damage it in Greece or the Caribbean, can it be repaired?
Yes. Aluminium welders work in every serious yacht port — one of the reasons work boats and expedition yachts are built in aluminium.
Will a surveyor or an insurer know what to do with aluminium?
Yes. Surveyors check aluminium with ultrasonic thickness gauging and hull-potential readings as standard practice, and insurers cover aluminium yachts routinely.
Catamaran practicalities
Will marinas charge me double?
Many marinas charge a catamaran more than a monohull of the same length, often around one and a half times. What you pay for is beam, not length — we can check specific marinas for you.
Can a normal yard haul it out?
STINGFIN 6 goes on a road trailer. GERRIS, at 3.45 m beam, fits most travel lifts. SWALLOW, at 7.60 m beam, needs a wide travel lift or a crane, which every large Mediterranean yard has.
Does it slam in a short, steep chop?
The hulls have deep-vee sections and a veed tunnel roof to soften entry, and on the foil-assisted models the foil damps pitching at speed. Any boat will slam if it is driven hard into the wrong sea, and we would rather say so.
Can I get home on one engine?
SWALLOW and GERRIS have two engines in two hulls with independent systems, so yes. STINGFIN 6 has a single outboard on the centreline.
Are the fuel and range figures measured?
They are design calculations and are stated as such. They are confirmed on sea trials.
The hydrofoil
What happens if I hit a log, a pallet or a fishing net?
The foil is mounted on breakaway bolts that are designed to shear on a hard impact before the load reaches the hull, and the mounting is isolated from the hull.
If the foil is damaged, can I still get home?
Yes. The hulls plane on their own; the foil is an efficiency device, not what keeps the boat up. You come home on the hulls and replace the foil and its bolts.
Is it safe for an inexperienced driver?
SWALLOW and GERRIS are foil-assisted, not fully foiling: the foil carries part of the weight while the hulls stay in the water, so there is no sudden drop off the foil.
Can I go into shallow water or put it on a beach?
The foil sits within the boat’s draught, but beaching is not recommended for any foil-assisted boat. Ask us for the draught of the model you are considering.
Hybrid and batteries
What battery chemistry do you use?
Where a hybrid drive or a large battery bank is specified, it is lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) from cells certified for marine use, with a battery management system. NMC chemistry is never used.
How long does the battery bank last?
LiFePO4 is rated for thousands of cycles — typically well over a decade of normal yacht use.
Is there a diesel backup if the batteries run flat?
Yes. Every Stingray hybrid keeps diesel generation on board.
Will the generator annoy everyone at anchor?
The generator is sound-shielded, and the battery bank runs the night silently with the generator off.
Buying from Bulgaria
Why Bulgaria? Is the quality the same as a Dutch, French or Italian yard?
The same EU rules, the same CE certification through a notified body, European materials and a European workforce. The difference is cost, not standard.
Which law applies to the contract?
The governing law and the way disputes are resolved are set in the contract. Bulgaria is in the EU, so EU law applies throughout.
If I have a warranty claim in the Med or in Florida, who fixes it?
Engines, electronics and systems are covered by their manufacturers’ own international service networks. The warranty for the boat itself is set out in your contract.
How does the boat get out of the Black Sea?
On her own keel through the Bosphorus, or loaded onto a ship in Burgas for any port in the world. Boats are sold EXW or FOB Burgas.
230 V or US 120 V / 60 Hz?
Both. Boats are built to EU 230 V / 50 Hz as standard; 120 V / 60 Hz for the US is available on request.
What CE category, and under which flag can I register?
Each model carries its own CE design category — published on its model page — and can be registered under the flag you choose.
Questions nobody expects
What happens when lightning strikes an aluminium boat?
The hull conducts the strike to the water far better than fibreglass, so the structure is safer, but electronics can still be hit. Surge protection and manual back-ups for the essentials are the answer, as on any yacht.
Can it go through the French canals?
The Freycinet canals take boats up to 5.05 m beam and 1.8 m draught. SWALLOW does not fit. GERRIS fits by beam, with her air draught confirmed for each boat with the mast folded. STINGFIN 6 fits easily — and can travel by road.
Can I put it on a road trailer?
STINGFIN 6, yes: her 2.44 m beam is inside the 2.55 m EU road limit, so no permit is needed. GERRIS needs an oversize permit. SWALLOW travels by ship.
We have a dog and a cat. Is the boat pet-friendly?
SWALLOW has galley, saloon and cockpit on one level with flush thresholds; STINGFIN 6 has a flush deck with no sills from bow to transom. Non-slip decking throughout.
Is there step-free access for a wheelchair?
SWALLOW’s galley, saloon and cockpit are on one level with flush thresholds. Boarding and cabins are reviewed with you for the individual case.
Is it safe for toddlers?
Rail height and safety netting can be specified for a family. Netting helps, but on any boat the rule stays the same: a lifejacket and an adult within reach.
Will the boat smell?
Holding-tank odour comes from the wrong hose and poor venting. Odour-barrier hoses and filtered vents are specified from the start.
Is it a good fishing platform?
STINGFIN 6 has a fishing package option and a flush working deck; GERRIS has a clean aft cockpit with rod holders. The fishing kit is specified with you.
Didn’t find your question?
Write to the yard and a person on the team will answer.