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- IN THIS ISSUE #120 BROADCAST 11/14/05
- • Idlewild transits the Northwest Passage
- • Mirage introduces N47 deckhouse trawler
- • Mirage unveils CruisePro trawler training
- • Weather router Walt Hack dies at 59
- • Roving reporters wanted
- • Salty Southeast Cruiser's Net starts
- • See better in the dark the multi-camera way
- • Southwest Florida Yachts survives Wilma
- • How Mirage sees N37 design history
- • Request your FREE trial copy of Power Cruising
- • How to reach us
Idlewild is stranded on an ice floe near the Tasmania Islands in the Arctic, drifting at the will of Mother Nature for 24 hours. Photo by Canadian Coast Guard.
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- IDLEWILD TRANSITS THE NORTHWEST PASSAGE
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- Idlewild has succeeded in making the treacherous Northwest Passage across North America--the first trawler yacht to accomplish the feat.
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- That's not the only reason she'll likely be known as the Incredible Idlewild before her voyage ends. Already, the label Crazy Canucks is perfectly appropriate.
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- Skippered by Ben Gray, 66, a bison rancher from Alberta, the 57-foot George Buehler custom design was one of eight boats attempting the passage this year. Only four boats made it, and Idlewild was the only one to succeed without being towed.
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- Since the men of the historic Franklin expedition died on the barren ice 150 years ago, only about 25 yachts have made the passage, almost all of them sailboats.
For Gray, the Northwest Passage was only one chapter in an ongoing adventure that he hopes will conclude in a successful circumnavigation of the world. (At press time, Idlewild was in the Canary Islands after calling at Greenland and the Azores since leaving the Arctic in late September.)-
- If he is successful, Gray will be the first to circumnavigate--under sail or power--starting inland and using portages!
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- Gray's adventure on the high seas actually started 2,100 nautical miles from the ocean, near Grande Prairie, Alberta, where he owned a buffalo ranch until he sold it to finance construction of Idlewild and the circumnavigation. Prior to ranching for 15 years, Gray worked the oil patch for three decades.
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- Departing on May 24, Idlewild followed the Peace River system--where twice the 15-ton boat had to be portaged--to Great Slave Lake and then rode the Mackenzie River to the Beaufort Sea and Arctic Ocean.
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- Idlewild had eight wheels temporarily welded on for the portages, 10 miles on the Peace River around the Vermillion Chutes and 13 miles on the Slave River.
 - Before Idlewild was pushed onto the ice, the 57-foot trawler yacht was packed in well
and good. Photo by Kevin Gray from on board the CCGS Sir Wilfrid Laurier.
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ABOARD IDLEWILD, IT'S A FAMILY AFFAIR
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- During the Northwest Passage, the Stetson-topped Gray's two sons, Brad, 38, and Kevin, 35, served as crew, together with family friends. Among the crew for the 1,100-mile Mackenzie were four grandchildren aged five to eight years.
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 - With an ever-present Stetson on his head, Ben Gray, is shown with sons Brad and Kevin who sailed with him through the Northwest Passage.
- The narrow and shallow yacht designed by George Buehler and built by Reyse Marine in Surrey, British Columbia.
- Here are the particulars:
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- LOA: 57'
- LWL: 54' 8"
- Beam: 11'
- BWL: 10'
- Draft at DWL: 3' 6"
- Displacement: 30,248 lb
Finding a route through pack ice is a daunting task, with the ice grinding loudly against the aluminum hull. Photo by Troy Fimrite.
- Near the conclusion of the Northwest Passage, Idlewild did follow a Canadian Coast Guard ice breaker through a difficult stretch of ice. Earlier during the 51-day transit, when Idlewild was beached like an aluminum whale on a large ice floe, she accepted assistance from another CGG vessel to get back into the arctic water.
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- The assistance was neither requested or necessary, Gray wrote on his website, but he was grateful for it:
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- "We had based our plan of going into the ice on sound information of ice conditions, how the ice was changing and a favorable weather forecast. In hindsight ,we think there was a good likelihood of making it through unassisted, but it would have been foolhardy to turn down the offer of help."
A folding chair on top of the wheelhouse is the best vantage point for Troy Fimrite to watch for open water ahead of Idlewild. Photo by Ben Gray.-
- http://www.idlewildexpedition.ca/
- http://dieselducks.com/Idelwild.html
- http://www.athropolis.com/links/nwpass.htm
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- For the record, if Ben Gray's circumnavigation succeeds, Idlewild will not be the first power yacht to circumnavigate the world via the Northwest Passage. That honor belongs to David Scott Cowper with Mabel E. Holland, a 42-foot converted lifeboat, who circumnavigated via the Northwest Passage in 1986-1990--singlehanded. Scott Cowper had
- already become the first singlehanded circumnavigator under power in 1984-85 with the same boat.
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- As background information on the Idlewild Expedition, here is the first post to Passagemaking Under Power List: Click here.
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 - After clearing the Northwest Passage, Idlewild encounters one of many icebergs sailing in Baffin Bay. Photo by Kevin Gray from on board the tender Sidekick.
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MIRAGE INTRODUCES N47 DECKHOUSE TRAWLER
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- Although the new Great Harbour N47 is ocean-capable, according to its builder, Mirage Manufacturing recommends shipping rather than cruising across the Atlantic.
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- Mirage will begin building its first Great Harbour N47 trawler in January. The impetus to create an N47 was twofold: feedback from boat shows and market trends. Mirage has already sold three N47s at a base price of $525,000.
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- "We've had many people at the boat shows saying they were wowed by the N37, but they needed more living space. At the same time, the high end of the market continues to be very healthy. As a business decision, the N47 makes good sense," said Ken Fickett, company president. "We also felt that the esthetic of the N47 was one that would appeal to sailors looking to make the switch."
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- The 47-foot trawler yacht is the fourth iteration of the Great Harbour series, all of which share a form-stable hull designed by naval architect Lou Codega. While it is common among workboats, the Codega hull is unique in the recreational market.
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- Mirage Manufacturing of Gainesville, Florida, launched its first trawler, a Great Harbour 37, in 1997, followed by the Great Harbour 47 in March 2001. Both featured a raised pilothouse. By way of contrast, the N47 is a deckhouse trawler, a longer version of the Great Harbour N37, first launched in October 2001.
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- With its 1,000-gallon fuel tank, the N47 will be the first Great Harbour trawler with trans-Atlantic capability. The biggest chunk of open water in an Atlantic crossing is the 1,900 miles separating Bermuda from the Azores. The N47 will be able to negotiate the passage with more than 100 gallons in reserve, the company says.
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- "While the N47 is ocean-capable, we would not recommend that anyone drive across the Atlantic," Fickett said. "It's just too inexpensive to ship an N47 to, say, Barcelona, Spain. The $14,000 shipping is hardly much more than the price of fuel, insurance and wear and tear for an Atlantic crossing, especiallywith today's fuel costs. The last thing you want to do is buy 1,000 gallons of fuel in Bermuda."
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- Fickett said that while Mirage's earlier trawlers were not marketed for their ocean capabilities, they were indeed versatile enough to make significant bluewater passages. For example, the N37 holds the niche record of being the smallest twin-engine powerboat to make the crossing from California to Hawaii after having been fitted with additional fuel tankage.
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- "In fact, we've never bought into the notion that bluewater ability in and of itself makes for a 'safer' vessel," Fickett said. "Our philosophy is that a vessel is safest when it's being used for its designed purpose. It just so happens that the N37 and N47 are highly versatile due to a hull design that is fine for both ocean passages but, with 3-foot draft, for gunkholing as well. But for those who persist in equating bluewater ability with overall safety, the N47 should offer a measure of comfort."
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- LET'S TAKE A TOUR OF THE NEWEST GREAT HARBOUR
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The N47 can be built configured with either two or three staterooms and two heads, one ensuite to the master. Both the master and the second stateroom will feature standard queen-size berths, lending an equivalency to the accommodations that would be ideal for two-couple chartering. The third stateroom can be eliminated in favor of a dinette that seats eight.
Depending on the owner's choice for down below, the deckhouse can feature either a portside dinette or an L-shaped settee, along with a settee to starboard. Other deckhouse features include a forward-facing seat at the chart table, a fold-up helmsman's seat and a drop down television/entertaiment center in a cabinet built into the ceiling.
Back down below, the N47 will feature the same galley as the N37 with its wrap-around counter/breakfast bar, 23-cubic foot refrigerator-freezer, convection microwave oven, glass stovetop and optional trash compactor. Washer and dryer are standard.
Another outstanding feature is the walk-in engine room, which boasts more than 6 feet of headroom throughout. This is also true of the bosuns locker, a storage space that measures about 7- by 14- by 6-feet high. Part of the reason for this generous headroom is the fact that the GH47's deckhouse is a foot higher than that of the N37 to maintain forward sight lines with the increased LOA.
The 10 feet added to the N37 to create the N47 are forward of the deckhouse. The additional foredeck allows for a traditional opening skylight or for placement of a large tender. Otherwise the deckhouse roof can support a RIB of up to 600 pounds, along with an optional flybridge with full controls.
Other deck features include two gear lockers, a swim platform with ladder, 1 5/8 inch-thick aluminum rails and aggressive non-skid. The vessel's beefy rubber rubrail can be used tactically against pilings to maneuver into or out of a slip.
The vessel is powered by twin 75-hp Yanmar diesels to provide redundancy, low-speed maneuverability and reserve horsepower for an 8.2-knot cruise. Besides the 1,000 gallons of fuel, the N47 carries 500 gallons of water and 200 gallons of waste, all in integral fiberglass tanks.
In the realm of electronics, a number of options are available including Mirage Manufacturing's own innovative PC-based glass helm system, which combines touch screens with Nobeltec navigational software and WxWorx, a real-time forecasting service.
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- MIRAGE UNVEILS CRUISEPRO TRAWLER TRAINING
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Coinciding with the advent of the N47, is Mirage Manufacturing's announcement of its CruisePro trawler training program. This program, included in the price of a new Great Harbour, evaluates each customer's skills and provides individualized training in areas where needed from boathandling to maintenance.
"There's a hole in the process of helping people transition into trawlers from smaller power and sailboats, and we feel that CruisePro fills this void. We've been hearing about the need for such a program for years, so why not be the first boatbuilder to incorporate that kind of service into boatbuying?" Fickett asked.
A Great Harbour N47 with cruising options, including genset, air conditioning, extended batteries, the glass helm navigational system, bow thruster, fuel polishing and oil transfer systems, would go out the door for under $600,000. The optional flybridge would cost an additional $30,000.
http://www.mirage-mfg.com/html/trawlers.html
tel: 352-377-4146
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- WEATHER ROUTER WALT HACK DIES AT 59
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- Hack founded Ocean Marine Navigation Inc. in 1994, offering weather routing services to a rapidly growing client list made up almost entirely of large motor yachts.
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- One of his first yachting customers was Bruce Kessler, who completed a circumnavigation aboard the Delta 70 Zopilote in the early 1990s. In frequent communications on Kessler's round-the-world trip, the two became good friends. "I always had complete confidence in Walt Hack's forecasts," Kessler said. "He routed me over tens of thousands of ocean miles, and repeatedly he steered us around and away from bad weather. Walt was a gentle genius and a great mentor."
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- Always personable and low key, over the years Walt was the professional weather router for many organized events, including the Nordhavn Atlantic Rally which saw 18 motor yachts and over 100 people cross the North Atlantic in 2004.
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- An associate, Bob Jones, will continue to offer professional weather routing services and manage the operational side of OMNI. Jones was Walt Hack's stand-in and assistant for more than six years.
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- mailto:ocmarnav@aol.com
- tel: 908-322-1215
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- ROVING REPORTERS WANTED
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- If you have a passion for trawlers and trawlering and can write, please send us 250 words about your most memorable boating experience. We're expanding our editorial team.
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- mailto:editorial@trawlersandtrawlering.com
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- SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISER'S NET STARTS
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Claiborne Young is starting The Salty Southeast Cruiser's Net on his Watermark Publishing website. Here's how he explains the service:
"For the first time (at least that we know of), cruisers plying the waters of the Southeastern U.S. will have a real-time webnet where they may post all the cruising news that results from their travels. Now, if you find, for instance, that flashing daybeacon #4 near the Atlantic Beach, NC Bridge is missing, you can simply send an e-mail to <opcom@cruisingguide.com>, and within 24 hours, this data will appear on the Salty Southeast Cruiser's Net."
- http://www.cruisingguide.com
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- SEE BETTER IN THE DARK THE MULTI-CAMERA WAY
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Safety and security at sea depend in part on the ability to detect, observe and identify activity and objects in many weather and light conditions. Todeliver images in the widest range of situations, ision systems utilizing multiple-camera technology offer the best solution. Night Vision Technologies makes systems for larger yachts and ships but the technology is of interest to all mariners.
http://www.nvti-usa.com
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- SOUTHWEST FLORIDA YACHTS SURVIVES WILMA
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- Barb Hansen of Southwest Florida Yachts reports nthat charters and training continue uninterrupted in Fort Myers, Florida:
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- "Although our base of operations at Marinatown Marina in N. Fort Myers was in the zone of hurricane winds, our sturdy fleet survived all that Wilma could fling at us."
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- http://www.swfyachts.com
- tel: 800-262-7939
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- HOW MIRAGE SEES N37 DESIGN HISTORY
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- Mirage Manufacturing of Gainesville, Florida, builder of Great Harbour trawlers, has taken issue with a report in Trawler News #119 under the headline "No Stopping Trane as Island Pilot Launches." Click here.
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- According to company president Ken Fickett, company the article "mischaracterizes" Reuben Trane's role in the development of the Great Harbour N37 full-displacement trawler, particularly the part in which Trane is quoted calling the N37 "my last full displacement design." Trane also said Great Harbour trawlers was a brand that he "brought to market."
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- Fickett said Trane's seven-year relationship with Mirage was primarily as a commissioned salesperson. "Reuben did some interior design and styling details, but the majority of the boat's design was a collaboration between myself and Lou Codega, one of the finest naval architects working in the United States today," Fickett said. "As far as 'bringing to market,' Mirage has been building boats in the same location since 1971, building thousands of sailboats and sportfish boats before launching the Great Harbour line, and we've done this without bankruptcy, merger or buyout. Reuben was a salesman and did some marketing, as you would expect in a small company, but I think it would be more accurate to say that Mirage Manufacturing brought the N37 to market."
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- As to the merits of the Island Pilot concept, Fickett said he was content to let the market decide that question. "Reuben worked for us for seven years, and we wish him luck in his new venture. We feel that history will regard the N37 as one of the great boat designs of its time, and we want to ensure that the record of the N37's design and development is truthful and clear."
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- http://www.mirage-mfg.com/
- http://www.islandpilot.com/
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- HOW TO REACH US
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