August 18, 2026
The Aquila 28 Molokai Cuddy: A Dry Helm on an Offshore Cat
The Aquila 28 Molokai Cuddy puts an enclosed forward cuddy and a glassed-in helm on the same 30'9" offshore catamaran hull as the open 28 Mo…
Read the articleAquila 28 Molokai Cuddy
Expert Review, Technical Specifications & Market Analysis
The Essentials
| Feature | Specifications |
|---|---|
| Overall Length | 30'9" |
| Beam | 9'9" |
| Draft | 1'1" |
| Displacement | 6,166 lbs |
| Engines | Twin Mercury (2 x 150 HP) |
| Fuel Capacity | 150 gal |
| Water Capacity | 10.6 gal |
| Cabins / Heads | 0 Cabins / 0 Heads |
Source: Spec & Photos courtesy of Aquila. Specs verified by Tony Smith, USCG 100 Ton Master, on August 18, 2026.
The forecast turns and the trip is still on. The 28 Molokai Cuddy puts a glassed-in helm and a sheltered forward cabin on Aquila's smallest offshore catamaran hull.
Part of the Aquila Molokai series — see how owners step up through the lineup.
Quick Verdict
- An enclosed forward cuddy and a glassed-in helm on the same 30'9" hull as the open 28 Molokai: fiberglass hardtop, laminated glass windshield, lightly tinted side windows that slide open
- The cuddy is shelter, not a cabin — a cushioned bunk across the forward end with storage beneath, a hinged floor sized for a porta-potti, an overhead light and a fuse panel; there is no enclosed head and no galley
- The working deck is intact aft of it: a drop-in transom door, two 94-gallon insulated fish boxes on diaphragm pumps, under-gunwale shelf storage both sides, six transom rod holders and gunwales drilled for four more per side
- Twin Mercury 150s standard with twin Mercury 225s offered; Aquila publishes no engine model designation and no speed or range figure on any rig
- The hardtop and cuddy structure do not move the published weight — Aquila prints the same 6,166 lb light displacement as the open boat, and the same CE ratings: B for 8 offshore, C for 12 coastal, D for 14 inland
Our Take
The Cuddy is the 28 I would buy if the boat has to earn its keep. Below the rubrail it is identical to the open 28 Molokai — 30'9" overall, 9'9" of beam, 1'1" of draft with the motors up, the same 150 gallons of fuel in two aluminum tanks, the same twin Mercury 150s standard with 225s optional. Across Aquila's own published data the two boats separate on exactly one line: fresh water, 16 gallons on the open boat against 10.6 here, and on the Cuddy that tank is listed as an option. Everything you are actually choosing between sits above the deck.
What you get for it is a glassed-in helm — laminated glass windshield, fiberglass hardtop, tinted side windows that slide open — and an enclosed forward cuddy in place of the walkaround bow. If you leave the dock before sunrise, run shoulder seasons, or carry paying passengers, that is what decides how many days a year you go. It is a narrow argument and a good one.
Be honest about what the cuddy is, because the photography flatters it. It holds a bunk with a cushion across the front, storage underneath, an overhead light, and a hinged floor sized for a porta-potti. There is no enclosed head, no galley, and nothing you would call a stateroom — Aquila's sheet reads zero cabins and zero heads for this boat, exactly as it does for the open one. You are also giving up the bow walkaround and the split bow seating that make the open 28 such a good family platform. If the crowd matters more than the weather, buy the open boat. If the weather is what cancels your trips, buy this one, and specify the fresh water tank rather than assuming it is fitted.
Official Aquila Premiere: Inside the Aquila 28 Molokai Cuddy
Video courtesy of Aquila.
Aquila 28 Molokai Cuddy Photo Gallery
Photos courtesy of Aquila.
Aquila 28 Molokai Cuddy Overview
The Cuddy is the sheltered version of Aquila's 28 Molokai. The hull is identical — 30'9" overall with the outboards down, 9'9" of beam, 1'1" of draft with the motors up, 6,166 lb light with twin 150s — and the sheet lists the same 150 gallons of fuel in two aluminum tanks.
What changes sits above the deck: a fiberglass hardtop over a laminated glass windshield, lightly tinted side windows that slide open, and an enclosed forward cuddy in place of the open bow. Fresh water is a 10.6-gallon tank, which Aquila lists as optional.
Performance & Handling
Aquila publishes no top speed, no cruise speed and no range for the Cuddy, so those rows stay empty. Figures quoted elsewhere for this hull come from a boat rigged with 200 hp outboards, which Aquila does not list as an option.
Standard propulsion is twin Mercury 150s with twin 225s offered. The cuddy structure and hardtop do not move the published weight: Aquila prints the same 6,166 lb light displacement for both boats.
Interior & Accommodations
The cuddy is shelter, not a cruising cabin. A bunk with a cushion runs across its forward end with storage beneath, a hinged floor makes room for a porta-potti, and an overhead light and a reset fuse panel are the extent of the fit-out. There is no enclosed head, no galley and no berth you would call a stateroom.
Aft of it the deck is work surface. A drop-in door sits centrally in the transom, two 94-gallon insulated fish boxes discharge overboard through diaphragm pumps, there is under-gunwale shelf storage on both sides, six stainless rod holders in the transom, and gunwales drilled to take four more per side.
Market Position
The Cuddy and the open 28 Molokai are the same boat below the rubrail. Aquila's own published data separates them on exactly one line — fresh water, 16 gallons against 10.6 — and on the Cuddy that tank is optional. Choosing between them is a layout decision, not a performance one.
Against center consoles of the same length the pitch is unchanged: beam, tunnel clearance and deck area at 150 hp a side. Against its own open sibling, the Cuddy trades the walkaround bow and the split bow seating for a dry helm and somewhere to get out of the weather.
Who the 28 Molokai Cuddy Is For
Buy the Cuddy if you run in shoulder seasons, leave the dock before sunrise, or work the boat — guiding, diving, running passengers — and a glassed-in helm changes how many days you actually go.
Choose the open 28 Molokai if the bow walkaround and the forward seating matter more than shelter. Step up to the 36 Molokai when the mission calls for more boat.
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