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Nordhavn 75 EYF Launching This Week

oceanlines — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 04:01:12 +0000

First Nordhavn 75 EYF is Rolled Out of Factory Prior to Launch

Pacific Asian Enterprises said it is launching its new Nordhavn 75 Expedition Yacht Fisher (EYF) this week at the company’s new factory in Xiamen, China. Nordhavn 7501 is shown in these photographs moving out of the South Coast Marine facility in preparation for launching.

First Nordhavn 75 EYF is Prepared for Launch

Initial launch will be followed by tank testing and sea trials and the company expects both 7501 and 7502 to be on a ship leaving China Dec. 20 for the States. PAE is determined to get the first 75 EYF ready in time to debut at the Miami Boat Show next February.

You can read more about the 75 EYF here and here.

Kadey-Krogen to Offer New 64′ Expedition Trawler

oceanlines — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 05:00:12 +0000

Kadey-Krogen is Preparing to Launch New 64

OceanLines has learned that Kadey-Krogen is in discussions with potential launch customers for a new 64′ Expedition Trawler that would become the new queen of the Kadey-Krogen fleet. Company Vice President Larry Polster showed OceanLines plans for the new long-range cruiser while we were onboard the company’s Krogen 58 at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show recently. The design can accommodate from two to four staterooms with from three to four heads. This flexibility should appeal to both the solo cruising couple and adventurous families, and while there is room for ample crew quarters, it has been expressly designed for a couple to handle by themselves.

The new 64 Expedition will cruise for 3,000 miles at a speed of 9 knots and when slowed to 8 knots, can comfortably extend that to 4,300 miles. The boat will feature new common-rail 6.8L diesels from John Deere, although Kadey-Krogen hasn’t yet decided whether to go wtih the M1 or M2 duty ratings. John Deere has not yet released details of the engines. Providing electrical power will be dual generators, likely 25kW and 12kW. The cooling requirements will be handled with at least 5 zones of chilled-water air conditioning. The engine room will accommodate six-footers handily and the standard outfitting is premium. Fuel polishing, oil exchange, fire suppresion, stabilizers, hydraulic bow thruster — all are standard.

The layout will be traditional Kadey-Krogen with the wide saloon and galley co-located on the main deck. The galley will feature premium appointments, including a four-burner Viking range, full-size Jennair refrigerator, a super-quiet Miele dishwasher, microwave/convection oven and trashcompactor. One first for Kadey-Krogen will be the separate dining room to starboard, opposite the galley.

Outside, the starboard walkway provides access from the aft deck to the foredeck, which is roomy enough to store a 17-foot Boston Whaler, as depicted in the artist’s rendering above. The hull of the 64 has three keels like the 55′ Expedition. Each of the skegs to port and starboard is counter-faired to impart a rotation to the water flowing past it into the propeller but opposite to the prop rotation. Krogen says this innovation will result in greater fuel efficiency compared to standard skeg designs.

The hull is designed to keep passagemakers safe in the toughest conditions. Kadey-Krogen is using an aramid fiber knitted into a fabric called Twaron, similar to the familiar Kevlar brand, and the same type used to make body armor. It will be incorporated in the areas where collision or grounding impact might be of concern. There is a collision bulkhead forward and watertight bulkheads throughout the length of the hull, characteristic of much bigger, formally classed ocean-going vessels.

Although a firm price hasn’t been set, the first buyers of the new 64′ Expedition will undoubtedly be getting a good deal in return for partnering with Kadey-Krogen on the launch of the new boat. To illustrate the effect, Polster noted that the first customers for the Krogen 44, launched just 4 years ago, have less invested in their fully outfitted boats than just the base price of the same boat today.

Here are the preliminary specifications for the Krogen 64′ Expedition:

Length on Deck: 64′ – 0″
LOA 67′ – 5″ (including swim platform)
LOA 70′ – 4″ (including swim platform and pulpit)
LWL 62′ – 2″
Beam (molded) 20′ – 6″
Draft at Keel 5′ – 6″ (half load)
Displacement 167,000 lbs (approx.)
Fuel 3,000 gallons
Water 550 gallons
Black Water 175 gallons
Gray Water 175 gallons
Top Speed 11 knots (est.)
Range at 9 knots 3,000 miles (est.)
Main Engines (2) John Deere
Reduction Gears Twin Disc
Ballast 12,000 lbs. (approx.)

Luhrs Marine Group to Consolidate in New Jersey

oceanlines — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 18:07:37 +0000

The Luhrs Marine Group announced today that it will be relocating Mainship Corporation and Luhrs Corporation operations from St. Augustine, Florida, to the group’s existing Millville, New Jersey, production facility, where the Silverton and Ovation brands are built.

The announcement, made by company founders John and Warren Luhrs, incuded notice of the closing of the St. Augustine plant and immediate transfer of tooling to Millville. Production in Millville of the Mainship and Luhrs lines will commence in January of 2009, the company said.

The company also said that design, engineering, manufacturing and support responsibilities for the Power Boat Division will be centralized in Millville. Hunter Marine, the Group’s fifth company, which manufactures sailboats in Alachua, Florida, as well as Luhrs Marine Limited in the U.K., will continue operations at their current locations.

Warren Luhrs said, “We had been studying the benefits to our product lines, our present and future boat owners, and to our employee ownership by combining production, product support, sales and marketing responsibilities that have, historically, been autonomous. John [Luhrs] and I – together with Rick Cerami, Chief Executive Officer of Luhrs Marine Group and our General Managers – concluded that our companies will be significantly strengthened by the centralization of design, engineering, manufacturing, parts fabrication, purchasing, and customer service at our Millvilleplant. The decelerated economy, in combination with our previous planning, has enabled us to implement our relocation and centralization planning and become a stronger group of boat-manufacturing companies.”

In a press statement, the company said it anticipated “enormous efficiencies” as a result of the centralization, “notably in design, engineering and in purchasing,” but did not quantify those in financial terms.

Forty years ago, in December 1969, the Luhrs brothers acquired Silverton Sea Skiffs – a Toms River, NJ, powerboat builder. The brothers’ “roots,” in actuality, extend much farther back in boatbuilding: to the 1930’s, when their father, Henry Luhrs, began producing wooden sea skiffs in the coastal town of Morgan, New Jersey.

“We didn’t intend that this first major step in the LuhrsGroup’s ‘Plan for the Future’ would coincide with the 40th anniversary of the Group’s beginnings in New Jersey,” John Luhrs said. “But we think our father would be pleased.”

Jim Cress, CEO of Nordic Tugs, Dead at 62

oceanlines — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 17:12:11 +0000

The late Jim Cress, seen here in early 2008 while piloting the N-37

Jim Cress, the affable president and CEO of Nordic Tugs, died Saturday, October 18 of injuries received in a motorcycle accident. His death was announced by the company this week.

Born on May 13, 1946 in Chicago, Ill., 62-year-old Cress joined Nordic Tugs in 1989 as sales manager. He left the company in 1993 to start SkipperCress Yacht Sales, Nordic Tugs’ northwest dealer. Always passionate about Nordic Tugs, Cress and a small group of investors purchased the company on Dec. 13, 1996, and he has served as the company’s president/CEO for a majority of the past 12 years.

Cress enjoyed boating, motorcycles and sprint cars, but his main passion in life was his family. He leaves behind family members including his wife Stephanie, three sons, Jeff, Allen and Steven, along with three grandchildren, plus many friends and coworkers whose lives he touched.

A memorial service is scheduled for Sat., Oct. 25, 2008, at 2:00 pm at Christ the King Community Church in Mount Vernon, Wash. In lieu of flowers, the Cress family requests that memorials be made to a favorite charity in Jim Cress’s name.

“Jim was passionate about Nordic Tugs, and this came through in all aspects of his lengthy career with the company,” stated Nordic Tugs founder Jerry Husted, who retired in Dec. 2007. “He was a lively person – always exuberant, but at the same time showing a great deal of humility, and this combination of traits matured into amazing leadership qualities. Jim was a fun guy to be around, and I’m proud to have been associated with him in the boat business. He will be sorely missed by all of us.”

Stabbert Maritime Completes M/Y Devotion Refit

oceanlines — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 21:48:33 +0000

: Photo: Stabbert Maritime, M/Y Devotion After Refit by Stabbert Maritime

Stabbert Maritime Group recently completed a dramatic refit of the 143-foot M/Y Devotion (ex-Marjorie Morningstar). Late in 2007, a fire in the guest quarters of the ship caused extensive smoke damage to the vessel. Stabbert, which has a business philosophy of developing unrecognized value in yacht and ship projects, bought the yacht and began a complete refit. Dan Stabbert, president of Stabbert Maritime, said, “We are able to look past current conditions and see what few in the industry are able to: a vessel’s hidden potential.”

Photo: Stabbert Maritime, Before and after photos of M/Y Devotion

The vessel was literally stripped and rebuilt from the keel up. All systems were either replaced or refurbished and a dramatic new interior was designed for her. A sixth stateroom and a full-beam sky lounge were added to the layout. The interiors feature Brazilian hardwoods and Italian marble.

Among the new systems installed were electronic lighting controls, zero-speed stabilizers, a sewage treatment plant and new, high-efficiency generators. A number of regulatory upgrades were accomplished as well, including MCA compliance, U.S. Flag renewal, Loadline determination and the addition of U.S. Coastwise Privileges (good explanation of Coastwise transportation law here).

Photo: Stabbert Maritime, M/Y Devotion now sports a sleek, state-of-the-art wheelhouse

Devotion, a Fexas and Bannenberg design, also sports a new dark blue hull, which nicely highlights the lines of her white superstructure. Stabbert has completed several refits and complete conversions over the past 10 years. You can see a piece I wrote about Stabbert for Mad Mariner here.

Photo: Stabbert Maritime, Warmly decorated salon aboard M/Y Devotion

Imagine cruising aboard Devotion, enjoying a stunning sunset somewhere along the Inside Passage and retiring to the salon pictured here, with a nice fire in the fireplace and a glass of your favorite single-malt Scotch Whisky. Devotion is in the charter fleet already. Contact Stabbert directly or your local charter agent for more information about booking her.

Navagear on PLB vs. SPOT: Differences?

oceanlines — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 16:56:42 +0000

SPOT Satellite Messenger Device

Tim Flanagan, managing editor at my of my favorite blogs, Navagear, has a post today that addresses the question some boaters have about the new SPOT Messenger; namely, whether it’s any different from a personal locator beacon (PLB). The answer of course, is ‘yes’ it is quite different.

Tim points to a nice piece in the USCG 13th District blog that goes into detail about the differences. There is no question that SPOT is a great new tool for many outdoor folks, including boaters, but please don’t consider it a replacement for a reliable, working PLB. Yes, it HAS saved lives, but the system has limitations as a PLB-replacement.

You can read Tim’s post here and have a look at the SPOT Messenger service here.

New Grand Banks Aleutian 72 SC Announced

oceanlines — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 04:01:40 +0000

Grand Banks has announced a new version of its 72 pilothouse motoryacht series, to be known as the 72 SC. The main difference between the SC and the original 72 RP is the aft cockpit on the new yacht is all on the main deck level, creating a large single space ahead of the transom for entertaining, dining and outdoor activities. The 72 RP had a lower cockpit which featured stairs up to the main deck level.

Grand Banks is also offering the new 72 SC with an optional fourth stateroom. The new model also sports a waterline more than two feet longer than the RP — from 64′ – 5″ to 66′ – 11″, with a 19,000-pound increase in displacement, to 120,000 pounds.

The boatdeck extension at the aft of the flybridge means more room for a larger tender, as well as more shade and protection from the elements for folks in the extended cockpit. The changes should be welcome to cruisers. The new model is expected to debut in 2009. The builder also released a small series of 3-D renderings of the helm, salon, VIP and guest staterooms, which are in the galley below.

First Nordhavn 56 Motorsailer Launched

oceanlines — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 04:34:05 +0000

Pacific Asian Enterprises reported last week that it has launched hull #1 of the new 56 Motorsailer line at the Ta Shing Yachts shipyard. Work on the first example of the new model began in late July of 2007. Present at the splashing were Ta Shing President Tim Juan, Nordhavn Chief Designer Jeff Leishman, Project Manager Pete Eunson, and the boat’s prospective owner John Felton.

Sea trials have begun in the An Ping harbor and PAE said it expects the boat will be shipped late this month to Dana Point, California, at which it will receive its sail rig and final outfitting. In the gallery below are the first photos release of the launch of the Nordhavn 56-01 motorsailer. You can read about the boat’s specifications and design elements here.

First Photos of the new American Tugs 49 Yacht

oceanlines — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 16:21:54 +0000

New American Tugs 49 During Sea Trials

Visitors to the Lake Union (Seattle) Boats Afloat Show, which begins tomorrow and runs through this weekend, will be able to see the brand-new American Tugs 49, which was launched just last week in Anacortes. OceanLines readers, however, can get a sneak peek at her in the photo gallery below, courtesy of our friends at American Tugs. The shots you see here were taken during initial sea trials and during the transit from Anacortes, on Fidalgo Island in the San Juans, down to Seattle for the boat show. The new AT-49 is docked at the northwest corner of Chandler’s Crabhouse for Seattleites attending the show.

If you go, send us some pictures and we’ll get them up here. We also want to hear from those of you who visit both the new AT-49 and the new Nordic Tugs 49. Let us know what you think; leave a comment here about those two boats or anything else you see this weekend.

Thanks to American Tugs for the photos.

Couple Celebrates Third Circumnavigation

oceanlines — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 04:01:36 +0000

Heidi and Wolfgang Hass and Nordhavn company employees yesterday celebrated the second circumnavigation in their Nordhavn 46 Kanaloa, and their third overall, in a party at the company’s Dana Point, California headquarters. The couple arrived in Dana Point last week to complete the latest global tour, a three-year expedition.

Photo Courtesy P.A.E. -- Nordhavn 46 Kanaloa Anchored During Recent Circumnavigation

The Hass’s N46 has accumulated 4,839 hours on its Lugger main engine and put 33,567 NM under the keel while visiting favorite destinations like the northern territory of Australia and the Archipelago of Chago in the middle of the Indian Ocean. They had departed from California in 2003, just one year after their first circumnavigation on Kanaloa. Prior to becoming Nordhavn owners, the Hasses circumnavigated aboard their 38-foot Van Dam sailboat.

The Hasses say the only significant mechanical failure endured while at sea was the failure of the starboard paravane boom, which snapped off while the boat was in Mozambique. Shifting winds, strong currents and choppy waves caused the fish to jump putting undue stress on the paravane. The boom was later repaired “island style”, but still held up fine, said Heidi. “It did a great job all the way to South Africa in an 18-foot swell from the southwest and 12-foot seas from the northwest.” The couple says the latest voyage was the best because of their dog, named Zulu, who forced them to be more social at their many ports of call.

Photo Courtesy P.A.E. -- Heidi and Wolfgang Hass Complete Third Global Circuit, Second Aboard Their Nordhavn 46 Kanaloa

The couple plans to spend several months in Dana Point, while Kanaloa is given a tune-up and while they visit with friends. But next year they plan to head back to their favorite cruising grounds — the South Pacific. They say their plans afterward may include stops in Shanhai, China, to visit an old friend.