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North Pacific Yachts 43 is a Value Leader in Pilothouse Yachts

Editor — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 15:55:27 +0000

North Pacific Yachts 43 Pilothouse at Annapolis Powerboat Show 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.

Dual Capstan Anchor Windlass Standard on North Pacific 43

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. See the rest of the options here.

Helm Aboard the North Pacific Yachts 43 Pilothouse

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.

Salon of North Pacific Yachts 43 Pilothouse

Electronic equipment represents about the only major group of items that need to be added to the standard equipment. The factory can install Raymarine equipment; other brands can be installed aftermarket. Trevor Brice, the president of NPY, says East Coast U.S. deliveries involve a higher delivery charge, but you will get the full attention of an NPY commissioning crew for your new yacht.

Here are a couple of extensive photo galleries of the NP 43 that you might like to peruse.

North Pacific Yachts 43 Galley 3

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North Pacific Yachts 43 Galley 3

North Pacific Yachts 43

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North Pacific Yachts 43

First North Pacific 38′ Sedan Delivered to North America

Editor — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 18:44:01 +0000

First North Pacific Yachts 38' Sedan Begins Sea Trials

North Pacific Yachts said it has delivered the first NP38 Sedan to a North American customer. The boat was on display at last week’s Seattle Boat Show after arriving on 16 January from the shipyard in China. We have the first photos of the NP38, both during initial sea trials in China and as she was being unloaded in Vancouver last month.

North Pacific Yachts CEO Trevor Brice said the company is pleased with how the first two boats turned out.

The NP38 exceeded our expectations; wider and longer than its predecessor we were able to add a lot of nice features. The NP38 will fit a niche market for people looking for a classic look with modern, quality construction at an affordable price. The market now offers either very high priced new Sedan style yachts or very old yachts on the used market. I think this will give people a good alternative.

The NP38 was derived from the classic CHB 34/36 trawler, but is 10 inches wider and 2 feet longer, which makes for wider walk-around decks, a 17-fot-long long salon and more space and privacy in the stateroom. There is also an option for a second stateroom.

The NP38 is powered by a single Cummins 230 QSB diesel, and will cruise economically (3 gph) at 8 knots, with a top speed of 10 knots. North Pacific includes many typically optional features as standard equipment on its yachts. The NP 38 Sedan is equipped with a bow thruster, 3000 watt inverter/charter, 160 amp alternator, diesel hydronic heating, dual Racor filters, oil change system, both sea and fresh-water washdowns, and anchor and windlass package.

The first hull was delivered to a buyer in Australia and this first North American hull has also been sold. Brice says he’s optimistic about more near-term sales, given the feedback from the Seattle Boat Show.

Incidentally, the NP28 “pocket trawler” will soon be available for Florida showings at the new home in Tampa for hull 2802. Contact NPY if you’re interested in seeing this affordable and trailerable cruiser.

You can see more images of the NP38′ Sedan and the other North Pacific Yachts trawlers at our Image Gallery Page for NPY here.

First Photos: North Pacific Yachts 28 Sea Trials

Editor — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 13:52:24 +0000

First Hull of New North Pacific Yachts 28 Line During Sea Trials -- Photo: Courtesy of North Pacific Yachts

The photos in this story are of the brand new North Pacific Yachts 28 as she takes to the water for the first time near her south China factory.

North Pacific Yachts 28 Pocket Trawler During Initial Sea Trials -- Photo: Courtesy of North Pacific Yachts

The launching and initial checkout took place last week and the project remains on schedule to ship hull #1 within the next few weeks.

North Pacific Yachts 28 Pocket Trawler During Initial Sea Trials -- Photo: Courtesy of North Pacific Yachts

OceanLines will have early performance numbers on the NPY28 shortly.

North Pacific Yachts 28 Pocket Trawler During Initial Sea Trials -- Photo: Courtesy of North Pacific Yachts

You can read a detailed article about the NPY28 here. All photos in this article are courtesy of Trevor Brice at North Pacific Yachts.

North Pacific Yachts 28 Pocket Trawler During Initial Sea Trials -- Photo: Courtesy of North Pacific Yachts

North Pacific Yachts 38′ Sedan Launched

Editor — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 20:37:13 +0000

Computer Rendering of the new North Pacific Yachts 38' Sedan

North Pacific Yachts confirmed to OceanLines today that, with the signing of a formal purchase order by the first customer, it has officially launched its NP 38′ Sedan yacht. Trevor Brice, who heads up NPY, said he hopes to be able to deliver the first hull by the end of this year. The 38′ Sedan marks the fourth model in the NP line; the others include the 28′, 39′, and 43′, all pilothouse models.

North Pacific Yachts 38' Sedan Single Stateroom Layout

The first 38′ Sedan will be delivered with the standard single stateroom, although a second stateroom is an option. The single-level deckhouse allows for good, 360 degree visibility. The salon measures 16′ long and features teak joinery. The sidewalks alongside the house are protected by overhangs and bulwarks. The boat features a standard flybridge and like all North Pacific Yachts includes a long list of standard equipment that would typically be optional on other brands.

North Pacific Yachts 38' Sedan Two Stateroom Optional Layout

The LOA of the hull is 40′, with a 12′ – 7″ beam and 4′ – 5″ draft. The 38′ Sedan will carry 350 gallons of fuel and 200 gallons of water. The standard engine is a Cummins QSB-230 and the boat has a standard bow thruster, 3000 Watt inverter/charger, a hydronic heating system, oil changer, dual Racor fuel filters, raw and freshwater washdowns and windlass and anchor.

North Pacific Yachts Logo

The NP 38′ Sedan, with all the equipment described above, is priced at $269,000 (U.S.). OceanLines will have more coverage of the new 38′ Sedan from North Pacific in upcoming articles. If you’d like more information on the new yacht, you can download the brochure here or visit the North Pacific Yachts website.

First Photos: North Pacific Yachts 28-01 Hull Released from Mold

Editor — Wed, 27 May 2009 18:31:19 +0000

OceanLines is pleased to bring you the first photos of hull #1 of the North Pacific Yachts 28 Pilothouse trawler just after its release from the mold. These pictures, aside from documenting the continuing progress of the first of this new model for NPY, also show some of the interesting design details of the boat.

Starboard Quarter Photo of new North Pacific Yachts 28 Pilothouse Trawler -- Photo: North Pacific Yachts

In the picture above you get a good sense of the general lines of the NPY 28, with its gracefully sweeping sheer, mirrored by the molded rubrail. You also get a nice view here of the full-length keel and the shoe for the rudder. The prop on this boat will be fully protected from damage during minor groundings. The tall transom will keep following seas outside of the cockpit.

Port Quarter Photo of First Hull for North Pacific Yachts 28 Pilothouse Line -- Photo: North Pacific Yachts

In the second picture, we see the port side of the hull, with what looks to be a very smooth finish. You can see some of the molded “planking” surface detail in this view, too, that will contribute to the traditional look of this pocket trawler.

Port Bow Photo of First Hull for New North Pacific Yachts 28 Pilothouse Trawler -- Photo: North Pacific Yachts

The third photo gives a good look at the stem and fine entry of the bow. You can see that the sharp vee of the forward hull transitions to fairly flat sections aft, which will enable the higher-end speeds the 28 will be capable of. The hard chine runs the full length of the hull and will contribute both to roll dampening and turning performance.

Port Overhead Photo of Hull Interior of New North Pacific Yachts 28 Pilothouse -- Photo: North Pacific Yachts

Port Bow Overhead Photo of Hull Bulkheads for New North Pacific Yachts 28 Pilothouse Trawler -- Photo: North Pacific Yachts

In the last two photos, the interior bulkheads are easily visible at the beginning of the interior finishing process. This begins to give the viewer a sense of the space of interior compartments. According to North Pacific Yachts, the boat is still on schedule for delivery to North America late this summer. Competition in this pocket trawler market will heat up considerably when it does, given the remarkable pricing on this boat (see earlier OceanLines article on the NPY 28 here).

North Pacific 28 “Pocket Trawler” in Production

Editor — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 17:12:25 +0000

Some new photos for you this week of the North Pacific Yachts 28 in production at the factory in China. There is a lot of interest in this boat; since we first wrote about it here on OceanLines, it has become our most-read story. In the photos below you can see the hull and superstructure molds as they’re being worked on and you’ll get a good sense of what the boat is going to look like. We still expect to see it here in the U.S. later this summer. Given the overall interest in the market in “pocket trawlers,” and readers’ fascination with this particular boat, it seems likely this one will have some success.

North Pacific Yacht 28 Hull and Deckhouse Construction Photo

In the next photo you get a good look at the shape of the pilothouse.

Photo of North Pacific Yachts 28 Pilothouse in Construction

And one more view of the deckhouse:

Quarter View of North Pacific Yachts 28 Pilothouse in Construction

North Pacific 28′ is an Affordable Pocket Trawler

Editor — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 19:21:02 +0000

North Pacific Yachts 28 Pilothouse Rendering

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.

Interior Configuration of the North Pacific Yachts 28 Pilothouse

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.”

You can optionally upgrade the toilet to a Tecma unit from the standard manual flush and you can add a 3 kW genny. The propane stove, however, and a 20 lb. tank and locker are standard so you don’t need electricity to cook with. You can save $3K by deleting the Espar diesel furnace, but odds are you would do that to add $4K worth of reverse-cycle air conditioning and then you’ll want that genny.

Initial performance estimates indicate the boat should be capable of speeds up to 14 knots. Fuel burn at 6 knots will be about 1 GPH, while at 12 knots it should be somewhere around 6 GPH. With its 100 gallon fuel tanks, the NP28 has a theoretical range of 600 NM. Even at top speed, it will have a range well above 200 NM. Either way, that’s anywhere from a couple, to several days of comfortable cruising without worrying about refueling. There is also 40 gallons of fresh water aboard and the 160 amp alternator on the engine will charge even a huge house battery bank in short order.

With its 8-foot, six-inch beam, the NP28 is truly trailerable. While it’s not a show-stopper for some folks, boats like the Nordic Tugs 26, at 9-feet, six inches, do require a special trailering permit in nearly all U.S. states. According to Brice North Pacific has identified a number of trailer manufacturers who can supply a suitable trailer, but has not specified a vendor because of the wide variation in personal preferences for trailer features.

In short, the NP28 looks like it’s going to provide some real competition to similar-sized boats in the Nordic Tugs, Ranger Tugs and other “pocket trawler” makers’ lines.

North Pacific Yachts 43′ Pilothouse Offers Value, Practicality

Editor — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 19:31:07 +0000

North Pacific Yachts 43

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.

The 43′ Pillothouse

The North Pacific 43′ Pilothouse is a stout fiberglass trawler built on the original CHB 38 hull, which John had located in China. The Brices enlisted a naval architect to turn their notional general arrangement into construction drawings and CAD files and to ensure the seaworthiness and stability characteristics. The overriding philosophy of the design is that if a system can break or has to be maintained or repaired, it should be easily accessible. Access panels are everywhere on the 43′, with things like wiring both numbered and color-coded for simplicity in troubleshooting, and hinged electrical panels.

The hull features three layers of Micron Extra outside of two coats of Micron Epoxy. The two outer layers of composite are laid up with vinylester resin for blister-proofing and the rest of the schedule includes hand-laid layers of cloth, matting and roving. At and below the waterline, the hull is at least one inch thick and approximately one-half inch above the waterline. The deck is also hand-laid and features Nida-Core for stiffness and lightweight construction.

Have a look at the 43′ Pilothouse photo galleries at the bottom of this article.

The value proposition of North Pacific Yachts comes from the remarkably low prices of its boats — a direct result of experienced, lower cost Chinese shipbuilding and, probably more importantly, a nearly zero-overhead sales and marketing operation. There are no commissions-based sales people; no expensive boat show displays and exhibits, and only extremely well-focused advertising. The company maintains a commissioning and service company in Oak Harbor, Washington, from where it delivers its West Coast boats. A delivery to the East Coast of the U. S. is approximately $12,000 extra, but North Pacific will fly its commissioning crew to the boat at no extra cost, according to Trevor Brice. He said an East Coast boat, with its typical air conditioning and reverse-cycle heating, takes significantly less time to commission than a West Coast boat, which normally will require installation of a full-blown diesel heating system.

Another part of the value proposition is that the boats come very well equipped with a generator, bow thruster, diesel forced air heat, 3000W inverter/charger, Vacuflush toilet, windlass and anchor package, fresh/sea water wash down, and much more (see Specifications). Customers usually need to add only electronics. All the equipment is purchased in Los Angeles — brand-name North American and European equipment for easy service and repair. The NP43 cruises comfortably at 8- 10 knots, produced by the yacht’s single 230 hp Cummins diesel engine (twins available).

So what does it cost? Try $369,000, delivered to Seattle. Any way you slice it, that’s an amazing price point for a boat built like this and with that level of equipment. Of course, you need to try one on for size. But at that price, you can afford to fly to Seattle to get aboard one. With more than 50 delivered now, you can also find them on the East Coast. Check in with NPY to connect with a current owner through the North Pacific Yachts Owners group.

The company has other models available, including a 28-foot boat that is a true (8.5′ beam) trailerable, and a 39′ pilothouse that sells for $299,000. OceanLines will have a feature on the 28′ shortly, which some might find an attractive alternative to the Nordic Tugs 26 and other small pilothouse trawlers.