MTI At 25—Aqua-Mania Carries The Turbine Torch

Frightfully expensive and a bit too complicated for the average go-fast powerboat owner to operate, turbine engine-powered catamarans and V-bottoms are undeniable crowd-pleasers. Whether they own boats or have never been on the water, people are fascinated by them.

They’re also rare because nothing about them is practical. If you doubt that for a moment, quickly name three or four turbine engine-powered performance-boats still on the water.

Your best shot of seeing Aqua-Mania, a 52-foot MTI catamaran, on the water is during the 1,000 Islands Charity Poker Run, set for July 13-15 this year, in Clayton, N.Y. Photos by Pete Boden copyright Shoot 2 Thrill Pix.

Chances are you’ll eventually come up with Aqua-Mania, a 52-foot MTI catamaran powered by twin T53 turbine engines, each of which produce approximately 1,800 hp. The canopied cat takes its name the full service powerboat dealership in based in Alexandria Bay, N.Y..

Originally intended for endurance runs when it was completed in 2015, the 52-footer was rigged at the dealership and was the brainchild of Aqua-Mania’s Greg Rosen and Rick Merola. During one of its early test runs in 2015, the boat reportedly joined the 200-mph club with a 201-mph blast.

Not long after it was completed in 2015, Aqua-Mania joined the 200-mph club.

The cat boasts a striking paintjob from Mark Morris at Visual Imagination in Peculiar, Mo., and is a showpiece for the dealership. Participants in the annual 1,000 Islands Charity Poker Run have a good chance of seeing it in action each year—or at the very least on display—as Aqua-Mania is the event’s presenting sponsor.

And on a related note, registration for the fifth annual event benefitting Make-A-Wish of Central New York as well as local charities in Clayton and Alexandria Bay is still open.