North
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For years, John Brice and his family have
cruised the waters of British Columbia
in a variety of powerboats, enjoying
every moment afloat in one of the
world’s premier cruising areas. But
every now and then, they thought boating could
be better.
It would be nice, John and his kids believed, if
they could barbecue in the cockpit without getting
soaked by summer showers that sweep along the
Inside Passage. Something else they came to crave
was space for the moments of privacy everyone
needs occasionally.
And what about a generous saloon with a dining
table and a lounging area? And, they thought, we’d like a galley that functions well but doesn’t divorce
the cook from guests.
It would be good, also, to be able to service pumps
and valves without crawling deep into the bilge or
into compartments not designed for human
occupancy. The wiring should not be a mystery and
the total yacht package should remain simple, the
Brices concluded.
“We’ve had boats for 25 years,” Brice says. “We
started at 28 feet and moved on up to 44. But it was
always a compromise, and we were always saying
we wished we had this or that.”
Five years ago, they began talking about a boat
that would work best for them, and perhaps for
others. They traded ideas and dreamed about spaces.
About three years ago, the conversation turned
serious, and John and his son Trevor, a university
student, began drawing lines to scale and thinking
about where things should go, how big certain
spaces needed to be, and where to find storage.
Once, they chalked the lines of the boat they had in
mind (actual size) on the asphalt of a parking lot.
“It was in the space behind our office,” Brice
recalls. “We had put the lines on paper, but I
wondered if we would be able to move around. So, I
said let’s draw it out, mark in a sofa, put in a chair, to
see how it feels.”
It felt right. “Everything was practical, easy and
simple,” he thought after walking between the chalk
lines. “It was not too complicated.”
The next step was to see a naval architect, who
used computer programs to determine the center of
gravity and to check the accuracy of Brice’s
calculations. As a result, the floor level was changed
and the keel was made heavier.
For years, John Brice has visited China every
couple of months to buy merchandise to import to
Canada and the United States for resale in major
discount stores. It’s a highly competitive business,
but Brice has succeeded by keeping costs, especially
his overhead, low. It’s a trait he wants to introduce
to building and marketing yachts.
It was natural that he’d use his China connections
to link up with a boatbuilder that had years of
experience in yacht production in Asia. He invested in
and formed a joint venture with Ningbo FuHai FRP
Boat Manufacturing Company near Shanghai, itself a
joint venture between Ningbo Safe Boat Building
Company and the Oriental China Investment
Company, owned by Ernest Lee, a founder of
Taiwan-based CHB. The principals have been
building boats in Taiwan and China for 30 years.
The boat they launched a year ago is a raisedpilothouse
trawler called North Pacific 42.
Calling on his business experiences, Brice is
marketing the yacht from his import offices in
Surrey, British Columbia, at what he calls “an
unbeatable factory-direct price.” Trevor gave up
plans to become a commercial pilot to take charge
of sales and promotion.
Because of his low overhead and the reduced cost
of building in China, where boatbuilders earn a
fraction of what counterparts are paid in Taiwan and
the United States, Brice is delivering what he
considers a good deal: A 42-footer fully equipped,
except for electronics and dinghy, for $299,000.
THE FIRST GLIMPSE
The bonus in going to look at the North Pacific 42
was that the boat was moored on Granville Island, in
the heart of Vancouver, British Columbia. It is,
inarguably, one of the most beautiful cities and a
delight to visit.
All white gelcoat and stainless steel on the
exterior, the 42 glistened in Canadian sunshine as
Trevor Brice led us from the island’s market area and
down a ramp into the moorage.
Like any other boat, she reflects compromise. The
NP42 has no side decks, the absence of which
provides generous space inside the house. She does
have an outside route from bow to stern—up steps at
the pilothouse doors, across the bridge and boat deck
The hull is solid,
handlaid fiberglass. The
deckhouse is foam cored.
Everything is done by
hand, without vacuum
bagging or infusion
processes.
It’s a pleasant shock,
stepping from the
contemporary glass-andstainless
exterior into the
saloon, which is yacht
traditional, with softly
finished teak woods and
veneer. The Chinese
builders are skilled
craftsmen: All teak joints
are tight and true, and
the finish is clear and free
of glitches. A few panels
have exposed screwheads
so that they may be
removed to reveal cable
raceways, but the screws
are unobtrusive and
perfectly flush.
Inside, it’s obvious the Brices got the space they
wanted. A table and seats are to port, and an
L-shaped settee is to starboard. The saloon is 11 feet
wide and more than 11 feet long.
The galley is forward and to port. Although it’s
U-shaped, there is space in the galley for a cook and
a helper. There are no cabinets hanging from the
overhead, giving galley workers unlimited visibility
and protecting them from head bumps.
The cabinet arrangement is another compromise.
If dishes can’t be stored overhead, they must go on
shelves beneath the countertop, and that means
there’s less space for other galley storage. However,
the NP42 has generous storage throughout the boat,
under seats and steps, for cans and cartons and
other galley stuff.
FuHai will do some custom work at no added
cost. The saloon settee can be replaced with casual
chairs, for example. We found space for a microwave
and even a dishwasher, and Trevor thought both
were possible changes.
The sole is finished with teak and holly
throughout the boat.
Centerline steps lead from the saloon to the head
and two staterooms below. To port is the guest
room, for which buyers may choose a twin bed, stacked bunks or an office arrangement.
The head, with a separate enclosed shower, is to
starboard.
A walkaround double berth with storage beneath is
forward. There’s a hanging locker to starboard. A
good choice would be to substitute another locker for
the vanity on the port side.
Lifting hatch covers in the forward companionway
sole reveals pumps, plumbing and other gear often
scattered about the bilge.
ONE OF A KIND?
The demo 42 has a pair of Cummins C series
engines, each rated at 220hp. However, the Brices
now market a single-engine boat as the fleet
standard with the 370hp Cummins recommended.
Smaller engines are available, as are some Yanmar
models.
With a single engine and a bow thruster, the boat
costs less. Having only one engine costs less to operate and is quieter. The twin version will do more
than 14 knots and cruises easily at 10. With a single,
expect to cruise at 9 or 10 and to see a top speed of
about 13. At 8 knots, the single will burn about 5gph,
the builders estimate. Ten knots will cost you about
8gph, they say.
To satisfy his demand for simplicity, John specified
mechanically controlled Cummins
engines. He also ordered Morse
mechanical transmission and throttle
controls for helm stations.
Six hatches in the saloon open to
the engine room. Only two need be
opened for oil checks and routine
maintenance. Opening others puts all
equipment and systems within easy
reach.
The hatches are wood, with a
teak-and-holly surface, and they’re
heavy. They are not hinged, so
owners must remember to lay
them flat on the sole before going
below. The temptation is to simply
lean them against something, but
even a small swell could tip them
over.
Even with twin engines, there’s
good space belowdecks for routine
work and for related equipment—a furnace, an
inverter, extra batteries and a generator, for
example. Wiring and electrical panels are on the
forward bulkhead. There are battery-disconnect
switches in the engine room and, importantly, in
the pilothouse.
Wiring and plumbing runs are identified, although
the paper tag attached to a water-heater hose may
not survive. A single Racor fuel filter serves each
engine.
As the boat is delivered, she has a light AC load.
Expecting that buyers eventually will add 120VAC
systems (for coffeemakers, microwave ovens,
toasters, hair dryers, TV/VCR, for example), the
NP42 is equipped with a 2,500-watt inverter. There
are AC outlets throughout the demo boat, and
Trevor Brice promised more on subsequent yachts.
The NP42 single-engine boat carries 500 gallons of
fuel in two tanks and 400 of water in three tanks. All
tanks are stainless steel.
With a wide choice of single engines, and with the
performance of a lone 370 nearly matching that of a
pair of 220s, it’s likely few twin-engine boats will be
built.
DEFINING “WELL EQUIPPED”
The Brices say the NP42 comes equipped for use,
except for electronics and a dinghy. Let’s look at
what “well equipped” means.
Although the dinghy is an extra-cost, postpurchase
item, the 1,100-pound-capacity, low-profile
davit comes with the basic package.
Also on the standard equipment
list are a generator (a 5kW
Northern Lights or a 7.5kW
Westerbeke); a bow thruster; a
diesel-fired, forced-air furnace (or
reverse-cycle heating/cooling); trim
tabs; a VacuFlush toilet; a windlass;
a 45-pound anchor and 300 feet of
chain; a seawater washdown at the
bow; marble or Corian countertops;
a hinged radar arch; and screens on
opening windows. The selection of
electronics is subjective and
personal, and the Brices believe it’s
best left to boat owners.
At one time, commissioning a
new boat was a lengthy process in
which most of that equipment was
acquired and installed at the
owner’s cost after delivery.
Commissioning often delayed the
owner’s first cruise for weeks or months and
increased costs significantly.
Now, however, there’s a growing trend toward
delivering a turnkey yacht, one almost ready for sea
on delivery. Other builders also are including ground
tackle, heating and/or cooling equipment, washdown
systems, generators and other gear in the basic boat
package. North Pacific is meeting that competition
and taking it one step further by agreeing to install
owner-supplied electronics at no extra cost.
The builder offers another incentive: It will pay
the airfare to China for one person to visit the
assembly line as his/her boat nears completion.
(Hotel and meals are not included.)
John Brice recommends buyers make the trip three
or four weeks before completion. All gear and
systems are complete at that time and are easily
viewed because paneling has not been installed.
Although the boat structure is Chinese, its
components are international in origin and found on
many better-known yachts: Vetus, Cummins,
Yanmar, Northern Lights, Westerbeke, VacuFlush,
American Standard, CQR, Norcold, Princess, Morse,
Espar, Hynautic, Racor, Nidacore.
PERSONAL EXPERIENCES
Don and Celia Paxton of Port
Orchard, Washington, bought the
second North Pacific 42 off the
production line. Experienced boaters,
they liked the size and layout. “The
price got us,” he says.
“We had been looking for something
to live aboard,” Don recalls. “We walked
aboard and Celia said, ‘This is the
layout we’ve been looking for.’”
The Paxtons asked for an additional
hanging locker in the master stateroom
and for more drawers. They were
included in the basic price.
They considered converting the guest
stateroom to an office, but did not
because they believe the stateroom
configuration offers more space and
storage. The builder added a chest of drawers and
extra shelving within the base price, Don reports.
Don planned to install the boat electronics. He’s
done that work before on other boats.
In the months before the boat was to be delivered,
the Paxtons put their house on the market and
arranged for storage for items they will keep but
that won’t fit on the boat. This will be their first
adventure living aboard.
“My brother has been doing it [on a 35-foot
Nordhavn] and has been having a great time. He
encouraged us to do it and showed us that it can
be done,” Don says.
Their cruising goal is Southeast Alaska.
THE SEA TRIAL
Trevor Brice did a masterful job in maneuvering
the North Pacific 42 from its crowded moorage into
the open harbor. Twin engines simplified the task,
but a single with a bow thruster would have done
equally well.
John and I trailed behind in a 19-foot, outboardpowered
runabout, taking pictures of the 42 under
way. The NP42 slashed through some large wakes
and chop generated by a northwest wind of 10 to
15 knots, but took little spray on her windshield.
Farther out, we encountered swells rolling in from
the Strait of Georgia. The 42 held steady, even as
Trevor turned to catch the seas on the beam.
Later, I scrambled aboard and Trevor gave me the
wheel. I had been concerned that putting a raised
pilothouse atop a stretched hull might have made
the boat tender. But the additional 1,600 pounds of
ballast in the keel and the attention to engineering details seem to have created a stable yacht.
I turned back toward the Strait of Georgia and
found that the boat rose and fell with the gentle
swells but did not roll significantly. In both easy and
moderate turns at 10 knots, she turned as if riding a
track. At hard over, there was only the slightest
suggestion of heel.
The rear pilothouse window in new boats should
be welcomed. The demo boat does not have that
window, forcing the helmsman to go to the doors
for a look astern.
The Hynautic hydraulic steering was responsive
and prompt. Even better, it made me feel I was
really steering a boat, not just spinning a wheel.
On the demo model, engine room gauges were
directly ahead of the wheel. My bias says they
should be overhead or off to the side, because they
do not demand constant attention. Navigational
gear—radar and plotters, for example—should be in
that precious space just ahead of the helm. Trevor
said that could be arranged and indicated that they
had been considering putting an integrated
electronics package at the helm in a yacht that’s
being prepared for boat show appearances.
Despite this emphasis on electronic navigation,
the NP42 has sufficient helm space to display paper
charts, and drawers for storage of folded charts.
We did not have a decibel meter aboard, but
the noise level in the pilothouse did not interfere
with normal conversation. In the saloon, above
the engine room, diesel noise made chatting
difficult when the twin 220s were running at 2000
rpm. A single engine should be quieter, but additional acoustical insulation would be good.
THIS BOAT WORKS
The Brices have built the boat they wanted.
My boating experience matches John’s—decades
cruising the Inside Passage—and it’s apparent he got
the formula right. There is cockpit protection, the
interior spaces are generous, the pilothouse offers the
visibility needed when cruising waters littered with
drift logs or ice (and speeds of 8 to 10 knots are right for those cruising conditions), and the styling is
traditional, with a little zip.
Although John describes the North Pacific 42 as
“the perfect West Coast boat,” it would be a delight
on any coastal passage, anywhere.
For Trevor and John, the challenge is to make their
factory-direct, low-overhead sales program work.
They are excited by the potential and undeterred by
competition from other China-built boats.
“The reception we’ve had has been absolutely
amazing,” John says. “We have had a really good
reaction from many people.”
Reprinted with permission. Copyright 2004 © Dominion Enterprises (888.487.2953) www.passagemaker.com
You are reading the text-only copy of this article. To access the article as it appeared in PassageMaker Magazine, please log in to purchase and download the PDF version of this article.