Innholdsfortegnelse for April 2023 i PassageMaker

Emerging U.K. boatbuilder Archipelago has designed a vessel that combines the rugged, dependable qualities of a commercial boat with the comforts of a luxury yacht. Meet the Archipelago 47, which splashed at last year’s Southampton International Boat Show. The all-aluminum, twin-hulled Archipelago 47 is built for just about everything you can throw at her. With a reported maximum range of 3,000 nautical miles at displacement speed and a cruising speed of 25 knots, she’s designed to cross the ocean or enjoy day tripping when your schedule demands less time on the water. The interior is said to be extremely well-insulated, and the bows are particularly stout, with large aluminum shells made for plowing through small ice fields—just in case points north are your calling. For the last decade, the boat’s…

I thought it would be easy to remove the dead starter on the star-board engine. But when I crawled to the outboard flank, I saw rust covering the engine’s yellow paint. I looked around some more; the hull side air vent drain was clogged. Saltwater spray that should have gone overboard instead had helped the rust to set up shop. The boat owner told me he never explored the outboard sides of the engines because he saw no reason to do so. He was lucky: The starter came out without too much effort, and I was able to install the rebuilt starter as well as unclog the vent drain. But the lesson is one for all boat owners to remember: It’s important that you always provide natural ventilation aboard any…

Your hull surveyor is the person with the largest influence on the outcome of your trawler transaction. It is imperative that you hire the best surveyor available and that your search to identify that person is given priority treatment as soon as you are ready to write up an offer. Some buyers treat the hiring of their hull surveyor as an after-thought. This is a mistake. The logistics of contract signing, deposit, haulout yard and travel require coordinated planning. If you wait too long—or if you get sidetracked with other priorities—you may have to settle on whichever surveyor is left instead of whichever surveyor is best. To avoid this problem, we advise clients to block off the survey and haulout dates before they even submit an offer. Having those dates…

Rain spat on our boat. Again. Six weeks into our two-month expedition up the coast of British Columbia, we were used to weather like this. It was an especially rainy summer along the Inside Passage, but I didn’t mind it at all. Since moving from Washington state to Los Angeles, I yearned for gloomy days. Aboard By All Means, a North Pacific 28, rainy days meant piling our stuff in the V-berth and sitting around the convertible queen berth in the galley with pillows and comforters. We would play card games and dominoes and read aloud from local books that we found at odd little dockside libraries that dot the coast. Our crew—Uhane Johnson, Annie Means, Emery Hansell and I—took advantage of our few sunny days by exploring the land…

Going to sea has always been a dream. The very thought of warm breezes and sun, spray and freedom gets us through the work-week and sustains us through icy winters. But boats are more than just pipe dreams: they can be our deliverance. Let me tell you how two men showed me very specific examples of this escape. My wife and I were Med-moored to a quay in the harbor of Hydra, deep in the Greek Isles, on a charter. Nearby was a small sloop, and we soon met the young man we thought to be the owner. It turned out the boat was his father’s, and he had come to take him home. Over ouzo one evening, we listened to his plan. His father was nearing 80, and the…

Macaroni and cheese is possibly the world’s best comfort food. If your only encounter with it has been by way of a box, then this recipe could change your life and anyone else you serve a meal. Using a blend of three cheeses and topped with a delectable sourdough bread sauce, it’s a treat all will enjoy. (serves 6) FOR THE TOPPING 2 slices good white bread, preferably sourdough, crusts removed, cut into ¼- to ½-inch pieces (variation: substitute 2 cups Panko bread crumbs)1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated3 TB Parmesan cheese, grated1 tsp dried parsley or basil2 TB butter, melted FOR MAC AND CHEESE 1 cup elbow macaroni6 TB butter3 TB all-purpose flour2 cups 2-percent milk½ cup heavy cream2 tsp ground mustard2 tsp Worcestershire sauce¼ tsp ground nutmeg¾ tsp…

My family and I were up at our Puget Sound beach place onCamano Island in the dead of winter. I needed a moment of serenity after a niece’s birthday party left me reeling. The water was flat, so I dropped the 12-foot aluminum boat in the water for a solo cruise south along the shoreline. At first, the cruise was going well. I made my way south toward the head of the island, where there are no shoreside beach cabins because of the high bluff. I then backtracked toward home. Suddenly, I came upon an adult male standing on the beach, waving his arms. His jeans and winter flannel shirt were soaking wet—not ideal, given that the air temperature was in the high 40s. Then, I noticed a second man…

For years, Rob Langdon wanted to build a recreational trawler for his family. As the owner of MMS Ship Repair & Dry Dock in the United Kingdom, he envisioned a vessel inspired by the many commercial ships the yard had built, repaired and converted for nearly four decades. Langdon and the crew drew up plans for Hull No. 1 of the MMS 55 series and began construction. Kind of. “This is something I have been planning for a good few years,” he says, adding that the boat was built during spare time at the yard. Sea Ranger splashed last year. She’s based in a marina in Scotland, where her traditional, trawler-style lines and striking blue hull stand out. She has a high freeboard with a flared bow that rises from…

For the past few years, I have tried to show the readers of Passagemaker an alternative to run-of-the-mill production boat designs. I hope that I have been successful, as I have thoroughly enjoyed bringing my designs to this audience. But it is time to pass the baton. This will be my last design column, at least for a while. While I am sad, I still have this one last opportunity to bend a few words and a sketch some simple lines, to stimulate thought and perhaps perspective about boat design in general. Many years back—when boats were drawn on the drafting table, and before email allowed instant feedback—Jack Bell was a customer of mine at Devlin Designing Boatbuilders. He wanted a new boat for his home waters in Connecticut. Prior…

WAVE PERIOD The time required for the wave crest at Point A to reach Point B WAVE FREQUENCY The number of wave crests passing Point A each second Boaters love waves, at least when we’re talking about the friendly gesture we give to each other when passing. But that other kind of wave, the one that makes the boat rock and roll? Maybe not so much. Like them or not, waves are a fact of boating, and every boat and every boater has a different tolerance for them. My first rule for handling our boat in any significant waves is to try not to. When we’re planning a trip, the forecasted wave heights are a critical part of that planning. If we’re uncertain about a forecast, or if the predicted…

I am often struck by how many of us can run overnight in the ocean for two days with less stress than we feel coming to a dock. Nothing strikes fear in our hearts like a stiff wind or current when we are coming back to a crowded marina. Keeping control as we slow down and start maneuvering amid the docks and boats (and watchful eyes) requires a great deal of practice or, perhaps, a secret weapon: the thruster. Boats have propellers and rudders aft, allowing some measure of control over the stern. Adding a bow thruster can greatly enhance close-quarters maneuvering by adding lateral control of the bow. Skippers of single-engine boats can learn to use prop walk and the rudder to help pull the stern closer to the…

Have you noticed how many trawler owners started out as sailors? Everyone’s story is unique, but there are a few common threads. Many sailors eventually find that they, their partner or both want a bit more comfort and space than even the best cruising sailboats offer. Handling sails and heavily loaded lines becomes more challenging as we age. A trawler’s comfort, safety and ease combine for an attractive alternative. Many sailors start the transition by fully enclosing the cockpit of their sailboats. Eventually, they realize they’re spending more time motoring than sailing, and they succumb to the siren’s song of a comfortable trawler with all the amenities of home, including big windows that offer a front-row seat to the beauty that surrounds us while cruising. I still love sailing, and kept…