Alexis de Boucaud tours a two-cabin, IPS-powered 42-foot power catamaran that's spent its whole life in the Florida Keys.
Filmed dockside in Fort Lauderdale, this walkthrough with Alexis de Boucaud of The Multihull Company introduces M/Y AFRICA 3, a 2008 Africat Marine 420 that has spent virtually its entire life in the Florida Keys. Originally sold to an American owner who kept her at Ocean Reef in Key Largo, she’s now with her second owners, a liveaboard couple who have invested meaningfully in the boat over the past year.
The headline numbers are appealing: roughly 700 hours on the twin Volvo IPS 500 pod drives, a freshly sandblasted and epoxy-barrier-coated bottom, and a brand-new 10-foot Highfield tender with a new Honda four-stroke on the davits. A dedicated crane lifts the dinghy from alongside onto the forward platform — a tidy, single-handed operation.
Flybridge and Cockpit
The flybridge is one of the boat’s most livable spaces. A full Isenglass enclosure with aft sunscreens surrounds fresh settee cushions, twin pilot seats with new covers, a small sink with running water, and a concealed fridge tucked beneath a cushion. A brand-new Raymarine plotter and full port/starboard engine displays flank the upper helm, making it a proper underway station as well as a cocktail lounge. Down at cockpit level, expansive seating and a dining table extend the entertaining space, while stainless-steel rails run the full perimeter — a nice touch of quality you notice underway.
Salon and Galley
Step inside and the visibility is exceptional, thanks to salon windows made of true safety glass rather than plexiglass — scratch-resistant and clearly built to last. The galley runs to starboard with a three-burner Force 10 stove and oven, two refrigerators around a small bar area, plus an icemaker and a separate prep zone. A lower inside helm with electronic Volvo throttle, plotter, and the 12- and 120-volt panels sits opposite.
A Two-Cabin Layout
AFRICA 3 is the less common two-cabin version of the 420. The starboard hull is a full owner’s suite with a centerline berth, overhead ventilation hatch, and a large ensuite with walk-in shower, bench, electric fresh-water head, and dual privacy doors. The port hull hosts a queen guest cabin aft with its own head, plus a separate forward walk-in shower (currently used for storage) and a washer-dryer. Two additional heads and vast hanging lockers and cupboards make long-term cruising or liveaboard use genuinely practical.
Alexis singles out the electrical installation for praise — cleanly executed South African workmanship, which he considers among the best in the industry. Combined with lightly-used veneers and liners still in excellent condition, this is a 17-year-old boat that presents much younger.
Market Context
The African Cats 420 Powercat rarely trades hands, which makes each available example noteworthy.
| Metric | Figure |
|---|---|
| Sold in last 24 months | 1 |
| Median time to sell | ~1,037 days |
| Active listings | 2 |
| Asking range | $389,000–$414,000 |
| Median asking | $401,500 |