PassageMaker September 2020

There’s an old saying I’ve learned to embrace over the years: Your attitude determines your direction. I first heard those five words strung together by my middle school science teacher, Mr. Meehan. They rang hollow for me then, as they would for any 11-year-old with anything but the periodic table on his mind. But as I got older and life’s great challenges presented themselves, from career-juggling to kid-raising, Mr. Meehan’s well-intended guidance finally took root. The boating addict in me contends that Jimmy Buffett said it better in his hit song Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes: “I was hungry and went out for a bite; Ran into a chum with a bottle of rum, and we wound up drinkin’ all night.” Remember when life was that simple? Remember inviting friends on board…

NEW BOATS NEW OFFERINGS FROM NORTH PACIFIC YACHTS North Pacific Yachts has announced additional versions of two popular models, both hitting the water this fall. There will now be traditional and Euro versions of the NP49 Pilothouse, and traditional and wide-body versions of the NP44 Sedan. The NP49 Pilothouse Euro will have more modern exterior and interior styling. The original two- or three-stateroom layouts are available, or owners can choose a new amidships master design with large hull windows and a forward VIP. The Euro version also has a contemporary salon with an aft galley, larger opening glass doors, larger windows throughout the boat, and a larger cockpit with integrated seating. A new twin-engine option reportedly delivers up to 21 knots, or the original engine package is still available, providing efficiency with a…

“Why are you sleeping outside?” asked She Who Must Be Obeyed. “I’m not.” “OK, let me rephrase. Why are you lying on your back on the pool chaise at midnight?” “I’m looking at the stars.” She made one of her patented snorting sounds and disappeared back inside, leaving me alone with a black sky pierced with zillions of stars. I love the stars. My dad was a B-24 navigator during World War II, and so evenings on our boat were often about the stars: “There’s Orion, there’s Sirius, there’s the Big Dipper, follow its edge to Polaris, the North Star.” But to me, the stars are more than just my father’s love. Stars are a part of yachting life. As the sun sets when you’re far off shore, it’s always a quiet pleasure to see the…

Until recently, digital switching has only been available on new, higher-end boats. Today, quite a few systems are on the market for used boats, with more coming. This means that even if you’re not getting a new boat, you can still get a new digital-switching system. Digital switching is a networked way of replacing conventional DC mechanical circuit breakers and switches. The digital systems are programmable, offering the benefits of automation. They also reduce weight, and place the boat’s switching into a weather-sealed, highly reliable package. With traditional DC switching and power distribution, there’s a centralized electrical panel with large cables from the boat’s batteries. For each circuit, there is a wiring run from the panel to the point of use. On my boat, this means loads like the freshwater pump, located…

Apparently, it all started with olive oil. In the 4th century B.C., the principle behind screw threads came into use for pressing the oil out of olives. Two millennia later, we have far more options. Every boat owner eventually runs into choices between fine and coarse threads; self-tapping and wood screws; and lock washers and lock nuts. Sometimes, we need a compound to make sure we can take it apart later. Sometimes, we want a compound to make sure it won’t come apart later. Let’s look at the numerous options so that you will be prepared the next time you need to hold it together. SCREWS Screws work well for noncritical fastening situations, such as attaching trim, securing a Bimini frame, or installing a flag socket. If you are depending on the installation for safety…

I first became acquainted with Beneteau Swift Trawlers as part of a three-person crew that cruised the 47-foot model nearly 400 miles, most in the open Pacific. From a 22-knot cruise in flat seas just outside Seattle to a confident 10 knots blasting through 10- to 12-foot head seas, the Swift Trawler handled with aplomb. The 41 is the sixth iteration of Beneteau’s semi-displacement line—more than 1,500 Swift Trawlers have been built in 10 years—and falls in the middle of the series, which includes vessels from 30 to 50 feet. Slated to replace the 44, the 41 retains what makes the line a winner: a hybrid hull that returns economical fuel consumption from displacement to planing speeds, and an asymmetrical layout with a wider starboard side deck that’s accessed aft or…