2024
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Tiny Boat Triumphs
Annie Means | PassageMaker | November 2024
For most mariners, the opportunity to buy a dream boat is a rare privilege. Few are so fortunate, and even fewer manage to do so by cold-calling an expired ad they spotted four years earlier. Jon Kandell, however, had luck on his side.
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Understated Elegance
Jeff Moser | PassageMaker | November 2024
Tendrils of fog swirled above Lopez Sound like serpent tails, pushed hither and yon by the wind that, at 8 a.m., was already gusting to 20 knots. I sat transfixed by the stark contrast of colors on display in the Rosario Strait—the expanse of evergreens on the surrounding islands ran right to the steep, rocky shores that disappeared into midnight blue waters dotted with whitecaps.
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North Pacific 590 Skylounge
Peter A. Robson | Pacific Yachting | October 2024
The Port of Everett Marina is the largest public marina on the West Coast of North America, and it boasts 2,300 permanent boat slips and an additional 5,000 feet of guest moorage. One of the most impressive vessels here is the North Pacific 590 Skylounge. This new model, built by Surrey, BC-based North Pacific Yachts, stands out as the largest and most ambitious yacht offered by the company to date.
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Classic With A Twist
John Wooldridge | Soundings | July 2024
Trevor Brice founded North Pacific Yachts in 2003, and the company’s first boat—a 42-foot pilothouse called the NP42 and later renamed the NP43—was debuted in 2004. It was well-received and found a loyal fan base among committed cruisers. Ten years and 60 hulls later, the NP43 was replaced with a new model: the North Pacific 45 Pilothouse.
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2023
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The Right Balance
Kim Kaven | Soundings | Summer 2023
Scott and Jane Young wanted to go farther, but at first, they couldn’t quite figure out how to get there. After they sold their business in 2016, the longtime boaters thought about putting some serious miles under their keel. They’d seen a TV show about great train rides, including one up to Alaska, which inspired them to check out the option of chartering a boat in that region.
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A Touch of Modern
Kenny Wooten | Passagemaker | August 2023
Who says the NP45 from British Columbia’s North Pacific Yachts has outlived its usefulness? Answer: no one. Twenty hulls of the venerable pilothouse cruising yacht have been built since the model’s introduction in 2014 and they’re still rolling out of the shed.
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2022
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Strong, Stable, Stunning, Sleek: North Pacific Yachts’ Newest Pilothouse Ticks All The Boxes This Fall.
Randy Woods | Northwest Yachting | October 2022
The profile of North Pacific’s new 49’ Euro Pilothouse, with its slight forward rake and sturdy fiberglass hull, is the epitome of a classic, strong, stable trawler. A peek inside, however, reveals many elegant touches and luxury amenities giving it the feeling of a much larger vessel.
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Adapting a Yacht for Accessibility and Long-Distance Cruising
Marianne Scott | Canadian Yachting | February 2022
After arriving at Sidney’s Cedar Grove Marina, I asked a boater if he could point me to the yacht Wolastoq, which seemed hidden in a sea of boats. “Sure,” he pointed, “she’s over there, the nicest boat in the marina.” Indeed, Wolastoq is a well-proportioned, roomy, good-looking yacht. I was welcomed aboard by owners Scott and Jane Young, who’d just returned from a five-month journey exploring BC’s coastline. They’d hoped to travel to Alaska’s Glacier Bay National Park, but Covid restrictions kept them south of the U.S. border.
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2021
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NORTH PACIFIC 49 EURO PILOTHOUSE: This contemporary refresh on an 8-year-old design feels more like an entirely new model.
Simon Murray | Power & Motoryacht | October 2021
Trevor Brice, the 40-year-old owner of North Pacific Yachts, isn’t crazy about the “trawler” designation that is sometimes associated with his coastal cruisers. “I’ve dropped the word trawler. I try not to use it at all,” he tells me. His reticence isn’t surprising. Let’s be real: In 2021, the category could use a public relations makeover. Trawlers tend to conjure images of slow-moving, salty as the day is long, full-displacement vessels. Plenty of boaters still wear that lifestyle choice as a badge of honor, but the latest in North Pacific’s line of contemporary semi-displacement vessels, the 49 Euro Pilothouse, is certainly not that. So, what is it? Says Brice, “It’s not a motoryacht because you’re not cruising at 20 knots, but it’s not a trawler because that conjures up this image of an older person’s boat.”
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NORTH PACIFIC 49 EURO PILOTHOUSE: European styling transforms this proven 49-foot trawler
Peter Robson | Pacific Yachting | September 2021
With its line of traditional, fulldisplacement, long-distance pilothouse trawlers, North Pacific Yachts is a genuine British Columbia success story. Founded in 2004, the company has produced more than 150 Asia-built vessels from 38 to 59 feet (11.6 to 18 metres). The secret to their success is simple: Practical and well-thought-out designs and layouts, high-quality construction and finishing, low maintenance exteriors and a very competitive price point.
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Going Modern: North Pacific Yachts creates a more contemporary version of its 49-foot trawler
Pim Van Hemmen | Soundings | September 2021
How Rick Ginsburg and Mary Silverstein of Fort Myers, Florida, ended up with North Pacific’s latest trawler model is a long story, but a short version goes like this: Rick learns to boat in his native Ohio where he cruises Lake Erie on multiple Carvers. Mary boats with a fisherman father in Alaska. They meet in California, marry, move to Florida, and buy a new 2015 28-foot center console with twin 250-hp outboards. Mary hates the boat because it’s too fast, too uncomfortable, and too exposed. Their Maltese poodle Maddie Sue hates it even more and expresses her displeasure by throwing up on it. Within six months, they sell the center console. They look at a lot of trawlers and buy a new 2016 North Pacific 49 Pilothouse and take it to the Keys, the Bahamas and around the Great Loop. They love the trawler life. So, in December 2020, Rick and Mary take delivery of a new, contemporary-style North Pacific 49 Euro Pilothouse and in April 2021 head for Maine.
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Tested: North Pacific 49 Euro Pilothouse
Simon Murray | POWER & MOTORYACHT | August 2021
Trevor Brice, the 40-year-old owner of North Pacific Yachts, isn’t crazy about the “trawler” designation that is sometimes associated with his coastal cruisers. “I’ve dropped the word trawler. I try not to use it at all,” he tells me. His reticence isn’t surprising. Let’s be real: In 2021, the category could use a public relations makeover. Trawlers tend to conjure images of slow-moving, salty as the day is long, full-displacement vessels. Plenty of boaters still wear that lifestyle choice as a badge of honor, but the latest in North Pacific’s line of contemporary semi-displacement vessels, the 49 Euro Pilothouse is certainly not that. So, what is it? Says Brice, “It’s not a motoryacht because you’re not cruising at 20 knots, but it’s not a trawler because that conjures up this image of an older person’s boat.”
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Modern Love
Andrew Parkinson | Passagemaker | April 2021
It was not your typical day cruise on Florida’s Pine Island Sound. A frigid, 30-knot northwest blow lashed us from above, while angry seas boiled us from below with a confused chop and sloppy rollers. There was no lee to be had during our three-hour leg up the Intracoastal Waterway from Fort Myers to Captiva, nor did any other boats care to join us out there. On a normal January day, this route would have been littered with day cruisers, but today it was just us against Mother Nature. And boy, was she pissed.
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2018
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North Pacific 44 Review
Peter A. Robson | Pacific Yachting | October 2018
It was a blustery gray day as we motored out into 15-plus knots of wind and a two-foot chop in Bellingham Bay. At the helm of the North Pacific 44 Sedan was company founder Trevor Brice. BC-based North Pacific Yachts was founded in 2004 and to date has produced more than 120 trawler-style, China-built yachts from 38 to 59 feet. The success of North Pacific is largely due to their practical and well-thought-out designs and layouts, an abundance of traditional teak in their interiors, high quality construction and finishing and their competitive price point.
The 44 Sedan uses the same proven, planked-look fibreglass hull as the company’s 45-footer. The superstructure, however, is all new. Instead of the company’s trademark raised pilothouse, the deckhouse resembles that of a traditional “Europa-style” trawler with covered side decks and a single-level saloon/helm area.
The hull is constructed from solid hand-laid fibreglass, while the decks and house incorporate honeycomb coring. All interior floors are supported by aluminum frames for added rigidity. Where reinforcing is required, such as around the pulpit, window frames and cleats, marine plywood is glassed in instead of honeycomb coring. The hull deck joint is a standard shoebox fit bonded with fibreglass mat and epoxy.
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Flagship 2.0
Peter A. Robson | PassageMaker | October 2018
It’s not often that I get to sea trial a new yacht that has already been put through its paces, but that was certainly the case with the North Pacific 45 I tested earlier this year. It had just returned from a three-month shakedown cruise from Seattle, Washington, to Glacier Bay, Alaska. During that time, owners Patti and Andrew Atkins had racked up 4,000 miles and 500 hours on their single diesel—without any significant issues.
To be perfectly honest, I don’t usually like to sea trial yachts when the owners are aboard. Owners are likely to object (perhaps rightly) to a reviewer running their precious possession at full throttle, making abrupt maneuvers, and so on. However, in this case, who better to come along than the people with the most experience aboard this particular yacht?
The Atkins are no strangers to boating. They spent nearly seven years circumnavigating the globe on a sailboat and owned and operated a full-service boatyard and marina in Ontario, Canada. Their previous yacht was a North Pacific 43, so for them to choose a North Pacific 45 after researching all the other offerings on the market meant that the boat checked all the boxes.
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2017
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North Pacific 44' Sedan Sea Trial
Roger McAfee | Sea Magazine | November 2017
Testing a North Pacific yacht is a difficult task for any marine writer. The boats have been designed and built for comfortable, safe and economical coastal cruising on any of the world’s oceans, but they are most at home in the Pacific Northwest and southeast Alaska. It’s very difficult, even for a “cranky” boat tester, to find something major that needs improvement.
North Pacific’s new 44 Sedan is a single-engine coastal cruising trawler, a vessel type rapidly growing in popularity as sailors move to power. For owners, a nice benefit to trawlers’ increased popularity is that it helps keep resale value up.
The North Pacific 44 Sedan is impressive at the dock. It has a big, husky look, yet the molded-in plank lines give the hull texture and elegance. The fiberglass work is bright and shiny without haze or print-through.
With a main-deck interior that’s all on the same level — the head and accommodations are down and forward — the 44 is a sedan cruiser. The helm station is forward and to starboard in the deckhouse, and from that location the skipper can easily see the entire 22 feet of the deckhouse and into the aft cockpit.
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Sound Passage
Brian K. Lind | PassageMaker | November/December 2017
During this year’s Bremerton TrawlerFest I got the full tour of the new North Pacific 44 Sedan from company owner, Trevor Brice. This was the U.S. debut for the new model that would soon be delivered to her new home in Bellingham, Washington. As the show closed Trevor suggested we take it out for a spin in Sinclair Inlet. The new owner hadn’t even had a chance to take her out yet, but my twinge of guilt subsided as we eased out of Bremerton’s marina and I throttled up the single Cummins diesel.
The owner, 87-year-old Walter Corbin, wasn’t exactly a new face to Trevor when he ordered the first hull in the new 44 series; Walt has already been cruising on a North Pacific 38 Sedan for a year. What’s more, he is no stranger to boat building, having owned, bought, and sold over half a dozen boats during his life. Walt’s story may sound familiar: a former sailor who wanted a more comfortable and drier cruising platform.
After a summer of 38 ownership, Walt’s biggest complaint wasn’t about the boat at all, it was that he hadn’t used her enough. Between owning and managing an orchard, a saw mill, and a wood kiln, it left little time to get out on the water. Despite his busy schedule, he still managed to make it up to Princess Louisa this summer as well as cruise around the San Juan Islands where he lives. I must admit, at 87, Walt Corbin puts plenty of people to shame with how hard he works and plays in his retirement.
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Point-to-Point
Bob Arrington | PassageMaker | April 2017
During this year’s Bremerton TrawlerFest I got the full tour of the new North Pacific 44 Sedan from company owner, Trevor Brice. This was the U.S. debut for the new model that would soon be delivered to her new home in Bellingham, Washington. As the show closed Trevor suggested we take it out for a spin in Sinclair Inlet. The new owner hadn’t even had a chance to take her out yet, but my twinge of guilt subsided as we eased out of Bremerton’s marina and I throttled up the single Cummins diesel.
The owner, 87-year-old Walter Corbin, wasn’t exactly a new face to Trevor when he ordered the first hull in the new 44 series; Walt has already been cruising on a North Pacific 38 Sedan for a year. What’s more, he is no stranger to boat building, having owned, bought, and sold over half a dozen boats during his life. Walt’s story may sound familiar: a former sailor who wanted a more comfortable and drier cruising platform.
After a summer of 38 ownership, Walt’s biggest complaint wasn’t about the boat at all, it was that he hadn’t used her enough. Between owning and managing an orchard, a saw mill, and a wood kiln, it left little time to get out on the water. Despite his busy schedule, he still managed to make it up to Princess Louisa this summer as well as cruise around the San Juan Islands where he lives. I must admit, at 87, Walt Corbin puts plenty of people to shame with how hard he works and plays in his retirement.
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2016
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North Pacific 45': A Truly Sensible Trawler
Neil Rabinowitz | YachtWorld | December 2016
Nothing fancy here, but every detail of this new cruising vessel lines up nicely.
It’s a common story, but uncommonly followed by a success story: a father and son go cruising and decide they can design a better boat. They lounge on the aft deck while anchored in a quiet cove and toss about ideas for their “perfect boat” solutions for the sensible trawler. Everyone thinks they could create a better trawler; the difference is this father knows manufacturing, and has a mastery of tooling while the son, with 20 years of family boating experience, knows which common sense features will make a difference.
Twelve years later, after launching nearly 100 yachts, the “under the radar” North Pacific Yachts company of John and Trevor Brice, is still gaining momentum with a range of 38- to 59-foot designs constructed in China, where father John Brice has been a long-time manufacturer.
The latest North Pacific 45 is typically practical. It replaces the 43-foot model (after more than 60 were delivered) and features a single diesel for fuel economy, a full-beam saloon for a roomy interior, a full length tracking keel that helps protect the prop in log-strewn waters, a classic pilothouse layout for great cruising visibility, and a hard-top for all-weather comfort topside. The 45 also has a covered aft deck and high stainless rails for safe passage-making and the classic hull plank grooves to give it a traditional profile.
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On Board Power: North Pacific 45'
Peter A. Robson | Pacific Yachting | October 2016
During this year’s Bremerton TrawlerFest I got the full tour of the new North Pacific 44 Sedan from company owner, Trevor Brice. This was the U.S. debut for the new model that would soon be delivered to her new home in Bellingham, Washington. As the show closed Trevor suggested we take it out for a spin in Sinclair Inlet. The new owner hadn’t even had a chance to take her out yet, but my twinge of guilt subsided as we eased out of Bremerton’s marina and I throttled up the single Cummins diesel.
The owner, 87-year-old Walter Corbin, wasn’t exactly a new face to Trevor when he ordered the first hull in the new 44 series; Walt has already been cruising on a North Pacific 38 Sedan for a year. What’s more, he is no stranger to boat building, having owned, bought, and sold over half a dozen boats during his life. Walt’s story may sound familiar: a former sailor who wanted a more comfortable and drier cruising platform.
After a summer of 38 ownership, Walt’s biggest complaint wasn’t about the boat at all, it was that he hadn’t used her enough. Between owning and managing an orchard, a saw mill, and a wood kiln, it left little time to get out on the water. Despite his busy schedule, he still managed to make it up to Princess Louisa this summer as well as cruise around the San Juan Islands where he lives. I must admit, at 87, Walt Corbin puts plenty of people to shame with how hard he works and plays in his retirement.
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2015
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North Pacific 45' Pilothouse: Boat Review
Duart Snow | Waggoner Cruising Guide | September 2015
Among the most notable recent success stories in the Northwest boat industry is that of North Pacific Yachts of Delta, British Columbia. In just over a decade, the company has delivered about 110 trawler-cruisers to owners on the East and West Coasts and built a reputation for providing excellent livability, finish and value at competitive prices.
What stands out most about North Pacific’s boats – especially for the experienced cruiser – is the fact they feel like they have been designed by and for folks who actually cruise, live and work on their boats. They emphasize features like living space, storage, systems and mechanical access, and quality finishes and fittings. Details like these add up in boats that just feel sensible, workable…and right.
In fact, NPY’s story begins with a search for the “right” boat. Looking for the “perfect” wide-bodied pilothouse trawler, with a generous saloon, two staterooms and easy systems access, North Pacific’s Trevor Brice and his father John found nothing in the market at an affordable price. So they started drafting their ideal boat for construction in China, where John has well established business connections.
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Sea Trial: North Pacific 45' Pilothouse
Roger McAfee | Sea Magazine | June 2015
One of North Pacific Yachts’ most successful vessels was its 43-footer, the boat that started it all for the builder, with more than 63 sold since its introduction in 2004. In fact, 13 were sold in the first four months, making it the second most successful new boat launch in the Pacific Northwest. The most successful was the Nordic Tug 26 in 1980.
When North Pacific decided to build bigger boats, it contacted the owners of the 43 to find out what they would like to see in a larger vessel. That research led to the development of the NP45 and NP49.
The 43 owners told the builder they would like to see more interior space and a styling change. Trevor Brice, North Pacific’s CEO, gave them what they wanted. The 45 — the same length overall as the 43 — is longer on the waterline and carries more beam. Those two changes really make a difference in interior living space..
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2014
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On Board Power
Peter A. Robson | Pacific Yachting | September 2014
North Pacific Yachts was founded in 2004 by father and son team John and Trevor Brice in an attempt to build the perfect cruiser. Over the past decade, the company, under Trevor’s leadership, has overseen the production of more than 100 single-engine, China-built trawlers from 28 feet to its new flagship, the 49-foot NP49 Pilothouse. Over the years, North Pacifics have earned a reputation for their quality construction and excellent value.
DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION. The most noticeable departure between the NP49 and previous North Pacifics is the move from aft sloping pilothouse windows to forward sloping windows, which in this reviewer’s eyes, makes for a much beefier and more well-proportioned design. This is part of the next generation look for North Pacific. The stepped sheer line is another attractive departure.
The new hull mold features many of the attributes that make the North Pacific line solid, seaworthy and comfortable long distance semi-displacement cruisers. The fuel-efficient hard chine bottom helps reduce roll in a seaway. The full keel makes it easier to maintain a steady course and serves to protect the propeller and the large barn-door rudder log and grounding damage.
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Sea Trial - North Pacific 49' Pilothouse
Roger McAfee | Sea Magazine | May 2014
Since North Pacific Yachts splashed its first boat 10 years ago, it has delivered more than 100 vessels. All have been well-built, sturdy, tough, single-engine trawlers that provide great value. With the new North Pacific 49 Pilothouse, the builder has upped its game — a lot.
EXPECTED (AND UNEXPECTED) FINDS. The new North Pacific has a great “dock presence.” As I approached the vessel, down a long dock, it stood out among all the other boats even though a number of the other boats were longer. As I got closer to the vessel, I noted North Pacific had continued its traditional hull style treatment: molded-in plank lines. It’s a styling feature that adds an element of elegance to the new vessel. The fiberglass work was excellent. It was fair and without gel-coat haze or print through, which is not surprising considering the factory that does North Pacific’s glass work has produced thousands of boats over the years and become very good at it.
A quick glance at the upper works of the NP49 reveals another upscale feature. All the window framing is highly polished stainless steel rather than the aluminum framing used in the other vessels in the North Pacific line. The upgrade adds to window-frame strength and is visually appealing to many boaters. A quick rubdown every once in a while with a good stainless polish will keep the frames looking great for a long time.
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Next Gen
Larry O'Keefe | PassageMaker | May/June 2014
On the 10th anniversary of the founding of North Pacific Yachts, at the Seattle Boat Show, the builder's CEO Trevor Brice introduced me to the North Pacific 49, representing the "next generation" of design and build quality for the Vancouver, British Columbia company. What started as a father-son partnership to build their own cruising yacht has turned into a successful builder of more than 100 boats, ranging in size from 28 to 52 feet.
We arranged for a sea trial as the NP49 was being moved from the show up to Everett. I met the captain, a North Pacific owner himself, on the frosty docks of Lake Union. The day was beautiful, clear, no wind, but cold, with the temperature in the low 30. Maneuvering off the dock was simple - cast off the lines, a few taps on the thrusters, and we were off. As we motored out through the ship canal from Lake Union, I was immediately struck by how quiet the boat was.
The pilothouse is really well designed for operating the boat. Access to controls is very good, and visibility is terrific, whether one is standing or sitting. Maneuvering through the large lock at the Hiram Chittenden locks was also quite easy. I noticed, when paying out line as we descended, that the hawsepipe was small for a 49-footer. I’d like to see larger ones on a boat of this size.
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North Pacific 42' Pilothouse
Steve Knauth | BoatQuest.com | 2013
The North Pacific 42 Pilothouse adds shelter for the helmsman to a roomy layout and ends up with a versatile cruising package.
Mike and Lois Fannon used to sit on their houseboat listening to visiting cruisers talk about doing the Great Loop. At one point a few years ago, they looked at each other and said, “We should do this.”
Now they’re on their way. The Germantown, Tennessee, couple cast off from nearby Grand Harbor Marina early in the spring to begin their own three-year Great Loop odyssey. It’s a far cry from Mike Fannon’s early boating days, fishing in the High Sierras from a 12-foot aluminum skiff. “We’re very excited,” says Fannon, 65, who retired last winter from Hilton Worldwide.
The wanderlust may have begun 14 years ago, when the couple bought the houseboat, a 42-foot Gibson. They owned it for 11 years, going out on weekends, making trips up and down the Tennessee River. “We would anchor out in the coves, tie up with other boats, and have a good time,” he says.
For the Great Loop, however, they knew they needed a different boat. “We went to the Fort Lauderdale [boat] show and Trawler Fest, and we decided we liked the pilothouse trawlers,” Fannon says. “When the weather’s bad, you can stay inside.”
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2013
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North Pacific 38' Sedan - Comfort, Convenience, Economy For The Long Haul
Duart Snow | Canadian Yachting West | May 2013
In trawler circles, the term "honest boat" qualifies as high praise. It describes a vessel that is straightforward, well thought-out, easy and economical for owners to run and maintain, ready for adventure with minimal fuss. On the West Coast, where the cruising adventure really begins only when civilization, mechanics and fuel docks disappear in your wake, honest boats that sip fuel and offer their crews few unwelcome surprises are preferred long-haul cruisers.
When I stepped aboard the North Pacific 38 Island Harmony on a sunny afternoon last fall, I realized almost immediately that this was an honest boat. Almost everything about it made sense for extended cruising, crew comfort and convenience, and ease of care for the hands-on owner. It's worth noting that Island Harmony is owner Guy Campbell's second NP yacht - he traded up from a 34-footer after owning a Grand Banks 32, perhaps the original "honest boat."
Island Harmony was my introduction to the work of North Pacific Yachts of Delta, BC, a local success story. In less than a decade, NPY has sold more than 100 of their single-screw trawlers from 28 to 43', most here in the Northwest. Built in a factory in Ningbo, China, near Shanghai, the boats are well suited to their market niche: straightforward, economical, impressively finished and moderately priced.
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2012
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Efficient and Reliable North Pacific 39
Robert M. Lane | PassageMaker | April 2012
Oak Harbor On Whidbey Island in northwest Washington state is shallow and much of it goes dry on a low tide. The only way out for boaters is a narrow, but well-marked channel that leads into saratoga Passage.
Usually, there’s no problem in safely following the channel to deep water. But on a recent outing aboard a new north Pacific 39, a brisk southeast wind was jamming against an ebb current and generating a continuous rank of hard-spanking seas. I feared we were in for a bad time because turning away from the wind would put us in shallow water and holding to our course would bring a bashing.
Before we passed the outermost red marker, the Noth Pacific had shown she wasn't the least bit intimidated by 2- and 3-foot seas; it seemed almost like fun as we ran bow-on into sharply breaking waves that were challenging, but well short of being dangerous. The worst part, truly, was a near-tropical downpour that fogged the view ahead.
The gently flared bow turned away most of the seas, but occasionally one broke high and sailed overhead on the wind, drenching the boat from bow to stern. The 39 took them neatly, without pounding or laboring. The boat was light on fuel and had no ballast in the bilge, but she handled as if she were both heavier and deeper.
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2011
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North Pacific 43 - The Culmination of an Ever Growing DIY Project
Roger McAfee | Sea Magazine | October 2011
When Trevor Brice wanted a family cruising boat for Pacific Northwest waters, he couldn’t find one that suited him. His requirements weren’t exotic — a stout vessel of about 42 feet that could operate efficiently at displacement speeds and that offered good value.
So he and his father decided to “do it themselves,” but not in the backyard, as many people do. Trevor’s research indicated that a number of potential boaters were looking for the same type of vessel, so he decided to go into the boat-building and sales business — and North Pacific Yachts was born. North Pacific owns all of the designs and the tooling for its boats but took advantage of Trevor’s father’s ongoing commercial dealings in China to have the boats built there.
The first vessel, a 42-foot trawler, was introduced at the 2004 Vancouver International Boat Show. I examined hull number 1 in detail then, and I jumped at the chance to test hull number 55, the most recent edition of the original trawler. By the time you read this, hull number 61 will have been pulled from the mold and be in the fitting-out process.
The new boat is actually a 43-footer, with the addition of a longer and wider swim step. Other than that, the hull and interior layout are very similar to the original.
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North Pacific Yachts NP28 – Establishing New Traditions
Steve Reeves | CompactYachts.com | May 2011
North Pacific Yachts has not been around a long time by yachting standards, but they’ve certainly made their mark in the yachting business since the company’s inception in 2004. The NP43, the yacht they started with, is still the largest model, and the far-sighted company has grown the North Pacific Yachts fleet by introducing three smaller models, the smallest of which falls in our size category and has established itself as a leader. The NP28 gives the owner everything he looks for in a trawler yacht, plus one big bonus... it’s trailerable.
It was so successful, in fact, that Nordic Tug decided to bring back its legendary NT26 (26 foot) model, and it’s not hard to imagine why yacht owners are flocking to purchase this boat with its classic lines, raised pilothouse, and diesel propulsion system. It’s the dream yacht, really. Large enough to be comfortable on long trips and small enough to be trailerable (without a permit) to your launching point. And, it can be kept on land, on its trailer, bypassing expensive berthing fees, higher insurance premiums and costs associated with the boat being in the water full-time.
The NP28 holds true to the concepts that North Pacific puts into all yachts: (1) easy access to all machinery and equipment, (2) a low-maintenance exterior (3) a warm, nicely-finished interior, (4) a thoughtful, well-planned layout with ample creature-comforts and a few creative innovations, and (5) a long and rather generous list of standard equipment, much of which is optional on other yachts.
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On Board Power
Peter A. Robson | Pacific Yachting | May 2011
I've got to confess, I'm a huge fan of "Europa-style" trawlers and when Trevor Brice's North Pacific 38 was introduced a few years back, I couldn't wait to get aboard and put it through its paces. And while Grand Banks was the first to introduce this style of trawler, North Pacific has managed to produce a single-engine-only version that looks great yet costs only a fraction of similarly styled trawlers.
DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION. The semi-displacement hull design is based on the well-proven and seaworthy North Pacific 39 and 43. The 38 comes from an entirely new mold and, like all North Pacific yachts, it is built in China. The full-length keel has a shoe between the back end of the keel and the rudder that fully protects the prop - an important feature in our log-strewn waters. The hull is solid hand-laid fiberglass with an average thickness of 1 inch below the waterline and a half inch up to the caprail. Vinlyester resin is used on the outer two layers of the hull and an epoxy barrier coat is applied below the waterline. The decks and house are constructed using are Nida-cored fiberglass except in a few areas where extra structural support is needed. In this case marine plywood is used as the core. The full-length hollow stringers are built using a separate mold and incorporate crosswise structural members along their length. The stringers are then glassed to the hull. The hull/deck join is formed by fitting the deck mold inside the hull (sort of reverse shoebox joint), and then screwed and epoxied.
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The Pirates' Cruise
Tony Cook, S | Canadian Yachting | January 2011
P/C Don Mercer, Vancouver Squadron, and his wife Susan had sailed their brand-new 40-foot North Pacific sedan trawler over to Nanaimo from False Creek, looking forward to taking part in the Nanaimo student cruise. They, and many other boaters, were disappointed when the cruise was cancelled due to the threat of heavy weather.
On Sunday morning, though, Susan suggested a harbour cruise, and she soon had John and Doreen Hinksman and my wife Annie and me, hastily jumping aboard.
The "harbour cruise" soon became "just a peek outside" to see what conditions were like. Don is very proud of his boat's handling, with its four-and-a-half foot displacement, and Simbuyo took the rather lumpy conditions beyond Protection Island in her stride. Nothing ventured, then, but to pull out the student cruise materials, much to John's delight, since he had spent some hours preparing for this back in Toronto, and to start work conning the way.
Down Northumberland Strait we motored, transiting Dodd Narrows against a stiff current. Conditions deteriorated in the Stuart Channel with heavy rain and increasing wave height. Our skipper concentrated on quartering the waves, and Simbuyo easily handled the rough water. As we made the turn into Ruxton Passage, we took the waves beam-on, while the crew leapt about, securing loose objects which threatened to become airborne. It was comforting to hear that Simbuyo will recover, theoretically, from a 105 degree roll.
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2010
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North Pacific Yachts 43 Is a Value Leader in Pilothouse Yachts
Tom Tripp | OceanLines.biz | November 2010
When I first wrote about the North Pacific Yachts 43 Pilothouse in March of 2009, I thought the model represented a good value for families looking for a roomier vessel to cruise on with the kids. On seeing the boat again at this year’s Annapolis Powerboat Show, I’d like to expand that view to mark the 43 as one of the best values around for anyone looking to cruise coastal waters on a yacht roomy enough to spend a summer aboard. I took the photos you see here at Annapolis and there’s a link below to some more expansive photo galleries of the boat.
An enormous amount of first-rate equipment is standard on the NP 43; everything from the 5kW Northern Lights generator to Racor filters for engines and gennies. The boat comes with a single Cummins 230 QSB, but will take up to a single Cummins 435 QSB or twin Cummins 380 QSB engines. Frankly, the standard engine will drive the boat nicely in the 8.5 knot range, topping out around 10 knots. If you are in a warmer climate, you’ll want to install A/C and upsize the genny to a 9kW Northern Lights model.
With a base price of $399K, you are getting a boat that is well-made, with a lot of normally optional equipment standard. The beautiful teak interior is standard. All you really need to do is add the appropriate climate-control capabilities if you will be in extremely hot or cold locales. The boat has a standard Espar D5LC diesel forced-air furnace for heat, and two 16K BTU air conditioning/heat units good for everywhere north and south of say, 30 degrees of latitude.s
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An Affordable Trawler That Will Suit Long-Term Cruisers and Weekenders
Roger McAfee | Sea Magazine | May 2010
When British Columbia's North Pacific Yachts began producing boats six years ago, its plan was to develop a line of stoutly built, well-priced pilothouse trawlers. With the introduction of North Pacific`s 28-foot trailerable trawler last year, the builder hit its target. But the company knew it wasn't done.
In the last six years, company staff has talked to hundreds of boaters. "We found that many boaters wanted a boat with the salon, galley and helm on the same level and the more wide-open interior that general arrangement provides," said Trevor Brice, North Pacific's owner. "We also found the same boaters wanted covered, walk-around sidedecks. In short, they wanted a traditional sedan trawler, and our new 38-footer is the result of those conversations."
Brice is quick to point out that North Pacific did not invent this type of trawler. He gives full credit to the CHB sedans of a few decades ago. The North Pacific 38 Sedan is 10 inches wider and 2 feet longer than the older CHBs.
DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION. North Pacific's 38-footer follows the traditional sedan trawler design: modified-V hull, large deckhouse and standard command bridge. The proportions of the design elements are well balanced, giving the vessel a crisp, unified appearance - nothing looks like an add-on.
The transom treatment - a molded-in swim grid and a reverse-angle hull side shape - is different than traditional sedans. Boarding older sedans over a solid transom was often an adventure. North Pacific's transom door, accessed from the swim grid with solid, convenient handrails, solves that problem elegantly, and it produces a modern-looking aft end in the process.
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Small Talk: North Pacific Yachts Offers Big Ideas in an Affordable Trawler
Peter A. Robson | Pacific Yachting | January 2010
It was 2 p.m. on a brilliant blue September day in the Pacific Northwest as I made the turn out of Saratoga Passage, heading for the big, bending curve that would lead us around the easternmost coast of Whidbey Island and into Skagit Bay. I was at the helm of a new North Pacific 28—hull number one, in fact—bound for the buoys that would lead us into Swinomish Channel.
The afternoon sun slanting in the portside windows of the saloon and pilothouse had warmed the interior nicely, leading my wife, Peggy, to stretch out on the settee for a languorous nap. I planned to wake her soon, as we approached La Conner, to discuss whether to tie up there for the night or press on to Anacortes. As it turned out, we chose Anacortes and had a nice stroll down Commercial Avenue for dinner. La Conner would have to wait for another cruise.
We had passed a busy morning, boarding the NP 28 early in her slip at Shilshole Bay Marina, stowing supplies and food in short order, and finally getting under way around 8 a.m. for Peggy’s very first Pacific Northwest cruise. Over the next five hours, thanksto a window of wonderfully clear weather, we soaked up the beauty of the water and the landscape surrounding Puget Sound.
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North Pacific 28: A Cozy, Economical and Very Well-Priced Trailerable Trawler
Peter A. Robson | Pacific Yachting | January 2010
B.C.-based North Pacific Yachts has come up with another winner. Its new cozy, tug-like 28-foot trawler comes on the heels of the company's larger NP 39 and 43 pilothouse trawlers and the 38 Europa-styled sedan. North Pacific Yachts was founded by 28-year-old Trevor Brice in 2004 and has since chalked up an impressive sales record by offering excellent value for size for the company's China-built line.
The new 28 was developed after Brice saw concept drawings of the Trailer Trawler 28 by Karl Stambaugh of Chesapeake Marine Design in a 2007 issue of Passagemaker magazine. Trevor loved the design and believed it would help fill a niche in the growing market for small, trailerable trawlers. He contacted Stambaugh and the first China-built North Pacific 28 hull was delivered this fall.
HULL AND DESIGN. The 28's styling, with aft cockpit, boxy saloon, raised pilothouse and trunk cabin forward, is similar to the popular Ranger 29 and Nordic Tug 26 trawlers, and will likely appeal to the same customer base. However, the forward-slant of the back end of the saloon and pilothouse windows gives it a striking, distinctive appearance.
The original Stambaugh design called for a full displacement hull with a top speed of 8 knots. Brice had the hull design modified slightly to make it a semi-displacement hull with a top speed of 10 knots.
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2009
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North Pacific 28 Pilothouse: Trailer Ready and Pocket Perfect
Sea Magazine | November 2009
The North Pacific 28 pilothouse is the perfect pocket trawler; large enough to be spacious and comfortable during extended trips, but small enough to trailer without a permit. Designed by Karl Stambaugh, the NP28 Pilothouse fits well with the already established North Pacific fleet yet meets a growing demand for this type of boat.
The third boat in the North Pacific lineup, the North Pacific 28 Pilothouse comes standard with a single 130 hp Cummins QSD diesel, bow thruster, windlass with anchor, chain and rope rode, raw-water washdown, teak and holly sole, and hand-rubbed teak paneling and cabinetry. All the sliding windows have screens and curtains for added privacy.
The layout is open with lots of windows, allowing natural light to flow throughout the space. The salon is 7 feet long and designed to impart the feeling of a much larger yacht.
Designed to comfortably sleep four, the North Pacific 28 Pilothouse has two bunks in the forward stateroom that can easily convert to one large bed with an insert; the pilothouse helm seats convert to one bed and the settee in the salon also converts to a bed.
The galley is equipped with a propane stove and 20-pound tank and locker, so electricity is not necessary to cook. In addition, almost all of the equipment installation and wiring is done after the interior is complete (except for the final varnishing) to ensure that everything runs properly and can be accessed easily. Throughout the North Pacific 28 Pilothouse there are several access hatches, removable panels and velcroed headliners.
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North Pacific Yachts 28 Ready for Sea Trials
Tom Tripp | OceanLines.biz | August 2009
The new North Pacific Yachts 28 pocket trawler will splash for the first time and begin its builder’s sea trials as early as this week, according to Trevor Brice, company president. New photos from the factory show the boat undergoing final installation of trim and finish pieces before clean-up and launch. In the photo above you can see the overall lines of the boat, with the sheer mirrored by the rubrail.
A number of key design features are evident in these photos. In the photo immediately above, you can see the significant room on top of the deckhouse available for storing kayaks, a small dinghy or other cruising gear and toys. The aft cockpit, with its transom-centered door is also visible here, as is the open hatch to the lazarette.
In this view, you can see the tall transom, rudder and keel of the NPY 28. Note the hawse holes for ease of line handling.
The photo above shows a nice overhead view of the entire boat. Features visible in this shot include the forward cabin overhead hatchway (temporary hatchcover in place), sliding pilothouse doors, forward railings and anchor pulpit. Harder to see but key for inland waterway cruisers is the folding antenna mast, here show folded down as it would be to minimize air draft.
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North Pacific 39: A Great Value for the Money
Tom Tripp | OceanLines.biz | March 2009
Here at OceanLines we get an enormous number of visitors looking for information about some of the smaller trawlers out there; boats like the Ranger Tugs 25 and 29, the Nordic Tugs 26 and some of the other "pocket tugs." The North Pacific Yachts 28' Pilothouse is another example of these cozy cruisers, but one that won't melt your wallet and might be just the thing if you need a truly trailerable vacation boat. The hull of NP28-01 is in the mold now and is scheduled for delivery to Seattle in August. It should make its first public appearance at the Seattle Boat Show.
The NP28 is the third boat in the North Pacific lineup and it carries on the company’s philosophy of providing maximum value for the dollar. Built from a new hull design by Karl Stambaugh at an experienced yard in China and well equipped right off the delivery ship, a new 28' will run you about $165,000. The only thing you need to add to that base configuration is electronics. The boat comes standard with a single 130 HP Cummins QSD diesel, bow thruster, windlass with anchor, chain and rope rode, raw water washdown, teak and holly floor and hand-rubbed teak paneling and cabinetry. All the sliding windows have screens and curtains are even provided.
DThe boat has two bunks forward, a convertible in the pilothouse, and one in the salon. According to North Pacific CEO Trevor Brice, "The NP28 seems to appeal to a much more broad customer range (than the larger trawlers). We’ve had people who are looking at the NP28 as their only boat and others who own larger yachts but want the flexibility to enjoy cruising elsewhere when it is off-season where their larger boat is located."
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North Pacific 28' Is an Affordable Pocket Trawler
Tom Tripp | OceanLines.biz | March 2009
Here at OceanLines we get an enormous number of visitors looking for information about some of the smaller trawlers out there; boats like the Ranger Tugs 25 and 29, the Nordic Tugs 26 and some of the other "pocket tugs." The North Pacific Yachts 28' Pilothouse is another example of these cozy cruisers, but one that won't melt your wallet and might be just the thing if you need a truly trailerable vacation boat. The hull of NP28-01 is in the mold now and is scheduled for delivery to Seattle in August. It should make its first public appearance at the Seattle Boat Show.
The NP28 is the third boat in the North Pacific lineup and it carries on the company’s philosophy of providing maximum value for the dollar. Built from a new hull design by Karl Stambaugh at an experienced yard in China and well equipped right off the delivery ship, a new 28' will run you about $165,000. The only thing you need to add to that base configuration is electronics. The boat comes standard with a single 130 HP Cummins QSD diesel, bow thruster, windlass with anchor, chain and rope rode, raw water washdown, teak and holly floor and hand-rubbed teak paneling and cabinetry. All the sliding windows have screens and curtains are even provided.
The boat has two bunks forward, a convertible in the pilothouse, and one in the salon. According to North Pacific CEO Trevor Brice, "The NP28 seems to appeal to a much more broad customer range (than the larger trawlers). We’ve had people who are looking at the NP28 as their only boat and others who own larger yachts but want the flexibility to enjoy cruising elsewhere when it is off-season where their larger boat is located."
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North Pacific Yachts 43' Pilothouse Offers Value, Practicality
Tom Tripp | OceanLines.biz | March 2009
The debut model of Vancouver, British Columbia-based North Pacific Yachts, the 43′ Pilothouse, represents both a tremendous value proposition with its price far below comparable competitive boats, and a model of practicality, as a design that began with a family project to “fix” what was wrong with then-available boats. The company is run, practically single-handedly by Trevor Brice, a pilot, boater and entrepreneur, who together with his family, set out to design a pilothouse cruiser that would really work for them. What they ended up with is a boat that sets a new standard for return on investment. Here’s how it got that way.
THE COMPANY. Trevor Brice is the 27-year-old son of John Brice, China trade expert and entrepreneur from Vancouver, British Columbia. After finishing his commercial pilot training, Trevor decided that, as much as he loved flying, it wasn’t the right career choice. Coincidentally, he and his father had been doodling a design for a new cruising boat for their family. One of the Brices’ pet peeves was how so many of the available boats seemed to be designed by people who didn’t have to use them or maintain them. A specific bee in the Brice bonnet came from the fact that many of the typical boat’s systems were simply inaccessible and hard to work on. They knew they wanted a pilothouse design for the extra visibility, and a full-beam salon and covered aft deck so the inside spaces would be as comfortable and inviting as the exterior when the weather turned sour.
While imagining their “ideal” boat, the Brices planned-in complete access to all systems, including wiring and plumbing. At some point, the family “fun project” turned more serious and they began looking for a builder. Trevor was looking for a new career path at the time and he discussed building not only the family’s new boat but starting a company to do so, and to continue selling a new line of cruisers designed around that theory of practicality. John Brice eventually agreed to put up the seed money for the company and to use his experience in Asia to find the right builder. His only conditions to Trevor: “Don’t lose too much money and don’t sell the demo boat!” The first turned out to be easy to do; the second he failed.
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2007
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Yachting's Wunderkind
Carol-Ann Giroday | Pacific Yachting | April 2007
Trevor Brice has made quite a name for himself as one of the youngest and most promising yacht builders on the West Coast. Since founding his company, North Pacific Yachts, in 2004, the 25-year-old has already developed an impressive yacht sales record with his first model, the 42 North Pacific Pilothouse.
With the help of his father, Brice designed, built and marketed the first yacht in early 2004. A couple of months later, he made his first sale. By the end of the year, he'd sold hull #8, and by the end of 2005, hull #26. The successful entrepreneur currently has orders up to hull #36.
"People I meet have typically travelled several hours, and often spent several thousands of dollars to meet with me and view the boats," says Brice. "The part I get the biggest kick out of is when they actually see me for the first time. They usually have a surprised look on their faces, and it can take about 15 minutes for them to get over the shock of meeting me before they realize I know what I'm talking about."
Yet of the 25 new owners who attended the first annual rendezvous for North Pacific in 2006, all said they were impressed with Brice's trustworthiness and integrity. "He's a man of his word," said one enthusiastic boat owner. And all agreed that he consistently provides a high level of customer service and has a comprehensive knowledge of his boat, its capabilities and equipment.
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2004
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North Pacific 42: Built in China for Boating in the Pacific Northwest
Peter Vassilopoulos | Pacific Yachting | June 2004
I was told that the North Pacific 42 was created specifically for the conditions in the Pacific Northwest. I was curious to see just how this trawler-type vessel - built in China - had achieved this goal. Soon after the boat was launched in Vancouver, I watched from the breakwater at the Vancouver Maritime Museum as Trevor Brice ran it out of False Creek into a stiff northwest breeze. With a three-foot sea running in English Bay, it was impressive to watch spray being flung over the bow and wheelhouse. Of course, it's not always quite so comfortable for those aboard under such conditions, so I stepped up from the precariously undulating dock at the museum's marina, and joined Brice at the helm.
UNDERWAY. We turned out of the breakwater and into the seas, taking spray across the lofty windshield. As a pilothouse design, this is a relatively tall boat for its 42' length. However, I immediately found it was stable and did not roll much, even in bea, sees.
From the first moments aboard, I felt securely isolated from the tumbling waves. I took the controls and ran the boat harder into the seas, trimming it with the large Bennett trim tabs so that the bow rose to meet the swell. This diminished the spray, allowing us to turn off the wipers. But despite the elevated bow, exposing more of the hull bottom to the seas, the ride remained soft and robust. The boat felt smooth and solid - virtually no vibrations and no pounding. The high position of the helm provided good visibility across the bow.
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