(As Originally Published on Mad Mariner)

ANACORTES, WA – Directly inspired by the working boats of the Northwest, Nordic Tugs – and its popular NT-37 model – have become a sort of icon for the trawler lifestyle. There may be other brands and boats that are better known, or some that better exemplify “fast-trawler” capabilities. But there is just something about a tug that draws a crowd at the dock.

Not long ago I was among that crowd, joining Nordic Tugs President Jim Cress on a skip through the various straits and passes of the San Juan Islands near here. It was easy to see the appeal.

Nordic Tugs generally – and the NT-37 in particular – are fast becoming cult boats, driven by a company that creates highly-functional cruising vessels with distinctive style. There are hundreds of Nordic Tugs in service, and the first boat ever built – an NT-26 called BeeBee – is still on the water. The first 37 was delivered in 1998 and hull number 200 will be shipped in late June.
They are not cheap. A new 37, fully outfitted, costs about $500,000, though there are certainly more expensive boats in this class and used models can shave up to 40 percent off that price, depending on the vintage. But that money buys a stridently economical craft – still capable of 18 knots – that is fitted with hand-crafted teak throughout and all the tools necessary for long-term cruising.

A typical NT-37 package includes a full Raymarine electronics suite, a Steelhead 600# davit and a teak and holly sole throughout. It includes diesel heat (air conditioning in warmer climates), as well as a choice of propane or electric stove and a choice of generators from Onan or Northern Lights. Models with the optional flybridge cost more.

One thing that cannot be bought is the level of support available in the Nordic Tugs community. Many owners belong to regional owners associations, which are far more active than many others. One rendezvous here last year drew roughly 75 tugs. (more…)

Two marine species made the Arizona State University’s annual “Top 10″ list of lifeforms discovered or identified during the past year.  The “ornate sleeper ray,” Electrolux addisoni, a new genus and species, is the largest known member of the electric ray family Narkidae.  A new species of the dangerous box jellyfish genus Malo, Malo kingi, was named after an American tourist, Robert King, who apparently died after being stung by the species while swimming off northern Queensland, Australia.

The Top 10 list is part of the annual State of Observed Species (SOS) Report, issued by ASU in partnership with the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature, the International Plant Names Index, and Thompson Scientific.  ASU describes the SOS as a “report card on the status of our knowledge of earth’s species, summarizing the number of species newly described in the most recent year for which complete data are available.”  The SOS 2008 (PDF Format) was released on 23 May 2008 and reports on the discovery of 16,969 new species.

Copyright © 2008 Thomas M. Tripp

Pacific Asian Enterprises reported that it has delivered the first of its current flagship model, the Nordhavn 86. Cari Ali was just delivered to an undisclosed owner in Dana Point, California and is currently undergoing a shakedown cruise.

The N86 is truly a massive boat (ship?).  At nearly 400,000 pounds of displacement, the N86 will carry opulence to the farthest corners of the globe.  According to PAE, an N86 could leave the East Coast of the U.S., pass the Axores, push on through to Gibraltar into the Mediterranean, and travel up the coast of Spain to the Balearics and then go on to Italy. “If you watch your fuel management, you could arrive using less than the total fuel capacity of 7,000 gallons, said Dan Streech, PAE president.

As one might expect, everything on this boat is big — from the twin MTU Series 60 engines, spinning 48-inch propellers through 3.43-to-1 reduction gears, to the 20-swuare-foot stabilizers and 50 HP bow and stern thrusters.

PAE had a new, 21-acre South Coast China shipyard purpose-built for the N86 program and the boat was designed to be easily certified to ABS +A1 Yachting Service rating for the hull and AMS rating for machinery and installation as an option.

The N86 features its master stateroom forward on the main deck.  The guest staterooms are below, with one each to port, starboard and on centerline, each also with its own head.  Crew quarters are aft.  The list of standard equipment goes on and on, leaving a prospective owner to have to choose only electronics and tenders to complete the outfitting. 

Copyright © 2008 Thomas M. Tripp