Cruising in the Pacific Northwest

[DeepFrz]

There are also lots of Norhavns cruising in the PNW and many that make the Seattle area to Alaska run each year. Single engine full displacement with a get home engine is one up on a sailboat when there is no wind..

People on the BC coast call sailboats "stickboats" because there is so little wind there in the summer so they mostly end up powering.

[eyschulman]

If you have the $ and don't mind bulky high freeboard boats the Nordhavens,selenes, Kady Krogens and the like make fair northwest boats. I believe they are best suited for the long legs of cruising. However much of the southern portion of the inland waters calls for short hops and very tight marinas and for that type of use there are a great number of more suitable types. Not that I would not want to own a Nordhaven but I just have trouble paying that large a premium for a boat that would not match in design and purpose the use it is put to.

[eyschulman]

Hey there is nothing wrong with a stick boat in BC just make sure you have a good motor and three blade feathering prop.

[Capt Phil]

i must agree with Mark424 on his recommendation for a DeFever. I owned a DeFever 54 which I purchased in Bainbridge Island a number of years ago, cruised as far as Johnston Straits north of Desolation and eventually cruised down to San Diego where we lived aboard for about 4 years. As I spent my formative years towing logs and commercial fishing on the BC coast as far north as Alaska and delivered boats as far south as Costa Rica, I was rather picky about the kind of power vessel I wanted. Forty years of sailing and living aboard sailboats was great but the creature comforts of an all weather, sound, power boat capable of passage making seduced me into the DeFever. I was not disappointed and can highly recommend them. FBG is of course preferable to wood maintenance wise but if the vessel has been well cared for and you are prepared to spend the extra time, an old woodie is a dream to live aboard and very seakindly. The shallower draft of a power boat compared to a sailboat is an advantage in the PNW allowing a broader range of gunkholing in areas where tide is an issue. We had CAT D-330's that pushed us along at about 7.5 knots and twins made close maneuvering a breeze. I would strongly recommend stabilizers if you plan any off shore excursions south or north to Prince Rupert and beyond or along the west coast of Vancouver Island, particularly outside of the summer months. I met Art DeFever when he visited us aboard in San Diego and he gave us a great history of the boat design and build which he had over seen in Japan before the yard moved to Tiawan. Good luck in your search... cheers, Capt Phil

[mark j]

You might also want to look in the Hamptons or the Symbols....Both Raised pilothouses, but lots less money than the Nordhavns or KK. Hampton's come standard stabilized, but they start in the 55 ft. Great boat...worth a look. I had a 50 Symbol and I can attest that was a good boat too. If you run them slow, they do pretty well on economy, but if you need to outrun a storm you can do that too. If I were to buy another pilothouse..hampton would be the one.

[Dudette]

We are going to upgrade in next 5 to 10 years when we retire. We need to figure out what our plans for cruising are - coastal vs ocean.

For the PNW and coastal cruising looking at:

Fathom Yatches (love the layout)
American Tug 365 or 395 (more roomy than Nordic Tug)

If we want to travel the world, looking at:

Nordhavn 40.

Currents are strong here in the PNW and unavoidable. 7 knots is a bit slow and while I follow the currents I wouldn't want it dictating my schedule.

[John_Greenough]

I may be a bit late in getting into this thread but the boats you are considering are the top of the dollar chain depending on age. I do not agree with the need to have a semi displacement hull if your are thinking trawler. A boat in the PNW capable of 7 to 8 KN is fine but as earlier stated you have to watch the tides and currents. If you do so there will be no problem. As for the TUGs they have their lovers but the lack of sideboards and easy access to the dock have steered me away from this group.

In the lower end of the dollar spectrum look at the Grand banks 42, GB 36 in fiberglass, the Monk 36 , possibly the Island Gypsy but give the CHB crowd a wide berth because of deck core and cabin problems.

For the record I Cruise the PNW in a Monk 36 which easily does 7.5kn at 2GPH on normal water.

Tight Lines

[Capt Phil]

I hesitate to knock any particular vessel because the test marketing prior to introducing it on a reasonably broad scale leads them to put them in to production. So somebody out there likes it! However, any prospective buyer needs to evaluate the type of cruising they plan on doing. if you are going to be away from civilization for weeks at a time, and venture into offshore passagemaking, this will dictate an entirely different type of vessel and equipment than if you prefer to spend weekends and the odd week gunkholing through the San Juans and Gulf Islands where fuel and provisions are readily available. A friend of mine had a Navigator 56 which was a great boat for him to live aboard, take the odd trip from San Diego up to Catalina or down to Ensenada if the weather was fine. Very comfortable, easy to handle but not the type of boat I would want in a blow. Unfortunately, with twin Volvos and 750 gallon fuel capacity, the range away from a fuel dock was limited. It suited him perfectly, though. Previous comments about hull speed in areas of extreme tidal flow are right on. If you are limited due to power constraints or hull configuration, just take that into account and you'll be fine. My DeFever, with a cruise of 7.5 and max of 9 knots was more than adequate for the PNW however I grew up there and had the advantage of local knowledge... good luck with your search for the perfect PNW boat... Capt Phil

[Bill Lee]

I cruise exclusively in the PNW and started a thread on Selene vs. Nordhavn. My current boat (a Silverton 42) happily cruises at 22-26 knots all day long. My current needs require speed and I love not having to look up tide tables as I can rip accross everything (even Seymour Narrows at full ebb). Speed is nice but the OP wants a trawler full displacement boat - nothing wrong with that. Nothing wrong with waiting for the 'right current'. Nothing wrong with owning a passagemaking boat even if you're only coastal cruising. Nordhavn's retain their value as good as any brand. Grand Bank's do so as well. Just about any boat referred to in this thread will do the trick. I understand that there have been QC issues with Selene's. Despite Selene's being my #2 choice (originally), I think I'll stay away from them. Cheers,
Bill

[Capt Phil]

Hi Bill... I recall the day they blew up Ripple Rock that used to be in the middle of Seymour Narrows. That rock claimed many boats large and small over the years! Stay Safe!... cheers, Capt Phil

[hummingway]

Originally Posted by Bill Lee

My current boat (a Silverton 42) happily cruises at 22-26 knots all day long.

Wow, you can thumb your nose at the ferries as you blow by them! Hey ... was it your wake that knocked the wind out of my sails last week?

[Bill Lee]

We always skirt sailboats and smaller craft. Our wake can be significant (I better be getting something for my gph). Quite frankly, If I only wanted to go as far North as the Broughtons and and as far South as the San Juans - I wouldn't need anything more than what I have. If ripple rock were still at Seymour I don't think I'd rip through there - the reputation AND statistics scare me. I happen to love the Nordy's. If you have time AND money - that's the direction I'd go. Cheers,
Bill