A half-dozen years ago, after a decade in the boatbuilding industry, Kevin Barker set off on his own with the goal of building the “ultimate bay boat.”
He drew on the expertise of world-renowned naval architect Michael Peters, a specialist in designing high-speed boats with style, performance and quality.
They settled upon Peters’ Stepped-Vee Ventilated Tunnel for a pair of single-hull boats: the 26 Calibogue, a premium fly-fishing specialist, and the 26 Open, a big-water fishing machine built on the Calibogue hull with similar performance and draft, but without the casting decks.
Now comes a third boat, a big catamaran.
All Barker boats are built-to-order, no two alike. The Barker Boatworks staff of 28, based in Sarasota, Florida, proudly “overbuild” each with yacht-quality fit-and-finish and rigging.
Barker 40 HPC
Everything about the new Barker 40 HPC—High Performance Cat—is big: more than 40 feet of twin-hulled boat, powered by quad 300 hp Mercury Verados but capable of carrying 450Rs, fed by 670-gallons of fuel, with another 100 gallons optional.
And what it does with all that bigness! With the four 450s, it tops out at 85 mph, and the boat cruises at 40 to 60 mph.
The 40 HPC, like Barker’s previous boats, is designed by Michael Peters Yacht Design, which has claimed 20 Class One World Championships on cat hulls from 39 to 43 feet.
The new boat features three-abreast custom seating and a leaning post with rear and side tackle centers, beneath an extra large hardtop bearing 15 rocket-launcher rod holders, lights, outriggers and antennas.
Lockable storage for up to 20 rods will please the 26 percent of offshore CC survey respondents who want that security. Dual side dive doors make people and fish passage easy.
Within the transom are 16 Gemlux rod holders—rod holders, in fact, seem to be everywhere—16 are standard on either side of the front lounge seating.
Only the elite 4 percent of survey respondents need three livewells, and Barker designed the 40 HPC to please them, with two 50-gallon transom tanks fed by a Hooker Sea Chest, and two more 50-gallon wells optional within the deck.
Two sets of Frigid Rigid fish boxes, 785-and 544-quarts will keep ice for days. An additional 532-quart insulated storage/fish box is located under the forward lounge seat.
Survey Says: On Target
- Tons of rod holders, livewells, fish boxes
- Flexibility of build-to-order
- Kevlar and carbon-fiber construction makes for a solid hull and a soft ride
Observations
- Asymmetrical cat design is easy to pilot and heels well into turns
Brand Says
- Best is the standard
- Barker employees have a passion for building high-quality boats
Reader Response
- “The highest-quality boats with the utmost attention to detail and customer service”
specs
LOA: 40′4″
Beam: 11′10″
Fuel Capacity: 640 gal.
Dry Weight: 15,000 lb. plus power
Max HP: 1,800
