I spooled up the 46's standard 710-hp Caterpillar C12 diesel inboards and pushed the single-lever Cat controls forward 'cause it was time to fly. The smooth throttle movement was only rivaled by the easy rise of the 46's solid-fiberglass planing hull, whose lines come courtesy of New Zealand's Crowther Design. The vessel came up on plane before she reached 1500 rpm and quickly accelerated across Smokehouse Bay off Marco Island, Florida, to an average top speed of 40 mph while burning only 72.8 gph. (That averages out to about 12 gph less at WOT than several similar-size monohulls I've tested.) The speed and fuel efficiency were immediate clues of why Black Pearl's founder, Mark Brunsvold, opted for a twin-hull boat. "I had a 65 [sportfisherman], but I didn't like burning 130 gph to go fishing," he told me. That's understandable, as this fishing-fanatic-turned-boatbuilder, who originally intended to build a boat for just himself, added that he enjoys extended fishing expeditions that keep him and his crew a couple hundred miles from shore. With 680 gallons of fuel available on the 46 and a fuel burn of only 46 gph at her respectable 34.8 mph cruise speed, this boat is mostly about range and ability.