I think I’m glad not to be a baby boomer and a boater. Too many temptations.
One would be the new raised pilothouse Northwest 42, one yacht –among many – that is focused on the affluent among the 70-plus million people who have retired or will be retiring over the next decade.
The first of the huge 42s (its overall length will be 45 feet 4 inches and its beam will be 15 feet 10 inches) is being built in Anacortes, Washington, a couple of miles from my home. I decided to ask Peter Whiting for a look. Peter is part of Northwest Trawlers, the builder, and he knew which unmarked industrial building near the waterfront houses Hull No. 1.
Construction is ongoing in several locations. We went to look at the hull and it so filled the building I thought we had stumbled by error on a really huge yacht under construction. But, we were in the right place. I think my 42GB would float inside the Northwest 42 hull.
The work schedule calls for launch in June. The composite fuel tank was on the factory floor being prepped for installation when we walked in. The Cummins QSL9 was in place on the engine stringers and wrapped in plastic to keep it free of construction dust. Water tanks were in the hull, but not installed. The gray and black water tanks were in place deep in the keel forward and workers has just finished glassing an aft watertight bulkhead to the hull. It looked like a huge amount of work was needed – and, according to Peter, it is under way at other sites.
Soon, interior components will be trucked over, dropped in place, the deck will go on, and then the pilothouse will top it off.
Originally, Northwest Trawlers planned the boat’s debut for PassageMaker Magazine’s TrawlerFest in Poulsbo in June. That’s not likely to happen. It’s not uncommon for engineering, design and construction issues to slow the launch of the first hull in a new line of cruisers. But the builders also decided to make some changes to fit her for cruising opportunities that were not envisioned when planning began.
The builder has decided to enter Hull No.1 in Fubar Odyssey 2007, a fleet cruise from San Diego to LaPaz, Mexico, in November. Then, the yacht will continue on to Costa Rico and through the Panama Canal to Ft. Lauderdale. One leg will be about 1,000 nautical miles and the boat’s fuel capacity is being increased from 600 gallons to 1,000 gallons to make that run. Additionally, crews will install air conditioning, a heating system, watermaker and a BAT get-home drive manufactured by Bayview Edison Industries, a partner with Northwest Yachts in ownership of Northwest Trawlers.
Essentially, Hull No. 1 is a prototype. The hull was popped from a temporary mold; after changes are made – if needed – a permanent mold will be manufactured for use on the next boats to be built. (And they are coming: Peter has orders in hand for four boats. He also has plans for a 52- and 62-foot versions and is seeking orders for them, as well.)
From an engineering view, this will be a sophisticated yacht. Designers used three-dimensional computer design programs. Plugs were made on a five axis CNC milling machine at Bayview Industries; many individual components also will be cut with the computer-controlled system. While many new fiberglass builders still follow traditional hand-laid techniques, the NW42 will be vacuum infused- a process that creates lighter, stronger fiberglass and a cleaner, healthier working environment because styrene and other gases are not released into the air. All components will be cored; as a result the boat – despite its size and bulk – will weigh a little more than 36,000 pounds. With ocean cruising in mind, she will also have stabilizers.
Kevlar is incorporated in the fiberglass in the bow and stem, to add strength for protection in a collision or grounding. And when the owner takes command he/she will find the ship’s manual on a CD.
The Northwest 42 has traditional, handsome raised-pilothouse styling. The large saloon (with galley) is aft. The pilothouse is forward of the saloon and up a couple of steps. Below, there’s a master stateroom forward and a guest stateroom with stacked bunks. There will be two heads and a utility area with full-sized stacked washer/dryer. Expected cruising speed will be 10 knots, with a top of about 15.
The yacht will be as “green” as possible, Peter says. Vacuum infusion is one example; another is a fuel system that will accommodate biodiesel.
If the slightest fraction of one per cent of all those boomers are interested in boating and have the $750,000+ needed to buy the NW 42, or similar craft, then the future of builders of smart, capable and sophisticated cruising yachts ought to be green as well.