The - BoatQueststatic.boatquest.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/... · Nobeltec Admiral navigation system. Because they are angled only slightly off horizontal, I had to stand to really

The

CR.EAT HAR.BOUR.'S NEW TR.AWLER.

FITS To A TEE

Story By BILL PARLATORE

I t w", , quiet, misty morning on the South Rj,c<' in Ed!("w""" Maryl",d, just two days aA:er the end of th e Annapolis powerboat show. Six of us were on the dock drinking coffee, getting ready For a first-light photo shoot that would capture Mirage's G reat Harbour 47 and N47 side by side. The hushed voices, relaxed smil es, and total absence of attitude reminded me of the kind of Folks I meet all the time cruising on boats like those mad e by Mirage Manufacturing. Real people who are not trying to impress anyone or themselves, but who simply enjoy life on the water on its many terms. I like such people immensely.

As the story goes, Gail and Tom Zavelson had the opportunity to help crew on a delivery of a Great Harbour 37 down to Florida fi'om Ohio. The couple loved the ride, especially how the boat handled rough water. Being longtime residents of Gainesville, Florida, the home of Mirage Manufacturing, they began bugging company owner Ken Fickett to create the N47. They liked the Great Harbour, but they Found it a bit small, and they wanted a second head. (The Great Harbour 47 was too much boat for them.)

March 2008 passagemal<er.com 81

1:1 Great Harbour N47

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Top left: Tall rails provide security around all side decks, and a slight overhang from the flybridge provides coverage when moving fore

and aft. Top right: The expansive foredeck includes chocks for on-deck storage of the dinghy, its lifting crane, and shorepower access

at the centerli ne. Above left: Tom and Gail Zavelson were very involved in some of the design details of the new N47 and would not

change a thing about the boat. Above right: The nav screens at the flybridge helm are not at the best angle for daylight viewing , but

this will be corrected in futu re models. Full redundancy of equipment makes this a popular place from wh ich to pilot the boat.

After our photo shoot, Tom steered the couple's N47, Gale Force, into the South River and ran her at 8 knots, with the twin Yanmars at 2400 rpm. The quiet ride on the flybridge gave me time to hear more about

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their plans and how this boat came into being. Unlike many of the couples who own Fickett's

trawlers, the Zavelsons didn't want a boat to live aboard full time. Instead, they hope to explore the

Bahamas in the spring and do some local cruising with the family from their home port of St. Augustine, Florida. Their son and daughter each have two children, and Gale Force is a decided social center for the family. Tom and Gail don't plan to be on the boat for more than three months at a time.

The project took a year to happen, and Tom said a lot of nice touches and features resulted from the close collaboration between his wife and Ken Fickett. An avid seamstress and quilter, Gail was happy to show us how she has made Gale Force fit her needs, interests, and personality. She loves the amount of space on the boat and finds it a suitable home for extended periods.

Both Tom and Gail commented that the gentle roll of the boat, unlike the snappy motion of so many trawlers, is very comfortable and predictable, so they never stow anything, except when heavy weather is ahead of them. That has a lot to do with designer Lou Codega's stable hull shape, which is much flatter than many of the ballasted displacement hulls out there.

Back at the dock, I walked around the boat, noting the many detail s that stood out: the 3-1I2-inch-thick rubrail that rings the hull , and the long foredeck and aft house that give the N47 her unique profil e. Five 12-inch-diameter ports are prominent on the forward section of the boat and provide excell ent light and ventilation below.

One can board the N47 three different ways, for ultimate fl exibility in various dock situations. A wraparound swim platform allows easy access from a fl oa ting dock or dinghy, as it is just 14 inches off the water. The platform is full beam and 36 inches deep, with a swim ladder mounted on the centerline. One steps up 18 inches fi'om the platform to the small aft cockpit.

A boarding gate just forward of the swim platform is 41 inches off the water and provides entry to the side deck. While the rubrail was probably not intended for this purpose, it is 26 inches off the water at this location, so one can easily use it as a step when getting on or off the boat at a floating dock.

For other dock/pier situations, there is another boarding gate on the foredeck. H ere, the deck is about 6 feet off the water. This variety of access options is ideal for real-world cruising. It is perfect for both Hal ifax and Marsh Harbour, Dana Point and Ketchikan.

The covered cockpit has 7 feet 8 inches of headroom, and the combination of foot-high bulwarks and largediameter railings around the boat gives some 37 inches of protection. T here is a large, oval Bomar hatch in the cockpit that leads into the rudder compartment, which is 36 inches deep. A nearly vettical ladder leads up to the flybridge and boat deck.

Great Harbour N47 1:1

Top: The climb up to the flybridge is steep because the narrow

aft deck prevents the ladder from angling out. Above: The

fabulous fl ybridge, protected by a large bimini , is an ideal

place to be while cruising or relax ing at anchor.

Side decks are wide and uncluttered, and it is easy to move around the boat, under way or at the dock. Three steps up from the side decks take one to the huge foredeck, a prominent feature of this boat. Extending 27 feet from the bow to the raked forward windows, the

March 2008 passagemal<er.com 83


anchors on separate chain rodes. There is a washdown fitting next to the bow platform, just inboard of the holding tank's waste pumpout fitting.

There are two 20-inch square Bomar hatches on the foredeck, and at the aft end of the deck are two large storage lockers and the 50-amp shorepower connection, more or less in the center of the boat. I noted freshwater washdown at both ends of the trawler.

I'm not a big fan of vertical ladders, but I'm not sure there's an alternative for reaching the large flybridge, which spreads out over the boat deck. Once up there, one finds a relaxed atmosphere, with long settees port and starboard, a folding table, and two centerliJle Todd helm chairs. The helm console on Gale Force has two repeater Argonaut G6 15 sunlight-readable displays for the boat's Nobeltec Admiral navigation system. Because they are angled only slightly off horizontal, I had to stand to really see them. This will be changed on subsequent boats. (Tom and Gail use a wireless mouse to operate the Nobeltec application on the flybridge, while the lower helm has a touch screen.)

Visibiljty fi'om the upper helm is outstanding, and it is confidence inspiring to view th e fOlward end of the boat £i'om so far back. For whatever reason, the spatial relationship is much more intuitive from this location than it is from a more forward bridge, where most of the boat is behind you.

Top: The partside chart table supplies plenty of space to layout charts and

guides, and there 's secure storage below the window for gear. Above: A

large settee in the pilothouse is surrounded by windows and offers a fantastic

With antennas fold ed down, Tom told me he can pass under bridges that offer 18 feet of clearance. The arch over th e flybridge can be removed if necessary, but Tom has never had to do that in his East Coast travels. A 29-inch-high rail borders the boat deck, which will certainly be th e social center when anchored. With a big bimini overhead, the world looks pretty good fi'om here.

I do wonder how feasible it would be to work in some kind of dumbwaiter to raised view of one's surroundings.

foredeck is 14 feet at its widest point. It is an enormous area where one could keep a fltll-size tender, supported by a crane to lift it over the tall railing.

The bow is 7-112 feet off the water, and Gale Force has a Maxwell 1500 to handle the Fortress FX-55 and plow

84 passagemaker.com March 2008

transport food and drinks fi'om inside the boat to theflybridge, something to think about on any boat with ladder access. On the N47, it is almost an 8-foot reach up the ladder to th e boat deck. Given the large volume of this hull and interior, I bet builder Ken Fickett could probably make it happen.


A television lowers from overhead and easily stows out of the way. The equipment at the lower helm is identical to that on the

flybridge , but with 0 touch screen. A starboard side door and a ll-around vis ibil ity make piloting from below an easy task.

A HOME-WORTHY INTERIOR To enter the saloon, one steps up a foot from the

cockpit or through the helm door off the starboard side deck. Gale Force's cozy saloon, just shy of a 10-foot square, consists of a 6-foot-2-inch settee to starboard with storage underneath, and a raised, L-shaped settee on the port side. The boat is trimmed in varnished mahogany.

The raised seating offers excellent visibility and is a delightfi..il design element. I can just imagine the "Wow!" factor as sailors who are not used to such "one with the world" openness step aboard.

Forward of the settees is the lower helm, with a fo lddown seat and a chart table across on the port side. On Gale Force, the fl at-panel, touch-screen navigation displays are part of the boat's partial NMEA 2000 network using Maretron products. The helm panel cleverl y opens out to display all helm wiring.

In my mind, the fit and finish of the helm and chart table shows an interior treatment found on boats from

the 1920s and '30s, yet thoroughly contemporary: Ernest Hemingway meets modern navigator. It is a nice balance.

A 20-inch television swings down fi'om a mahogany box between the helm and the chart table. With the screen tucked back up in the box, visibility from the lower helm is good.

I like the five steps down to the forward living spaces, under the long foredeck. There is a secure handrail to assist in descending, and, with size 13 feet, I did not find the need to turn around or take the steps sideways, as I do on so many boats.

The spacious galley is on the starboard side, with a large dinette opposite. The galley measures 9 feet 8 inches at its longest point, and 6 feet 5 inches wide from the centerline counter outboard to the side of the hull.

With fu ll-size, top-name appliances, from a GE refrigerator/ freezer to a Kenyon electric stove top, Fisher & Paykel dishwasher, GE convection oven, and Broan trash compactor, the galley seems more of a

March 2008 passagemaker.com 85


The lower helm station unhinges to reveal all of the wiring

and connections for the helm electronics. This panel provides easy access to all main electronics cables.

shore-based kitchen than a compact boat galley. All Great Harbour boats share this lovely feature.

There are lots of cabinets and storage spaces all over the galley, and throughout the boat for that matter. Headroom is 6 feet 2 inches to 6 feet 4 inches in all of the living areas. The large dinette is perfect for meals, of course, but also for checking email, paying bills, or reading a book on a rainy day. There are storage drawers under each settee, and a large pantry stands aft of the dinette.

Moving forward, one finds an office/ guest stateroom on the port side, a space that can be configured to fit a variety of owner needs. It is 8 feet 6 inches long by 6 feet 2 inches wide. The pullout berth on Gale Force easily transforms into a queen.

Another nice touch on the N47 is the presence of numerous 120VAC outlets that are conveniently


located around the boat. The builder is very much in tune with the realities of today and the many electrical products cruisers bring aboard.

The guest head is roomy, bright, and fully functional. The counter has a nice extension-a touch Gail had the builder add.

Now, given the amount of space I saw elsewhere on the boat, I was expecting a nice master stateroom. But the master cabin on this trawler is over the top. Step through the cabin door, and one finds a SO-inch-Iong dressing table with a sink and an opening top with lights and cosmetics storage. The facing cabinets provide a wall of mirrors. I've lamented the lack of proper dressing and cosmetic areas for women on many boats over the years. Providing these amenities is good design and makes perfect sense, and the N47 obliges. As they say: happy wife, happy life. On this boat, camping is not on the agenda, nor is balancing on a toilet while drying one's hair in a cramped head.

Forward of this "cosmetics assembly area," the cabin opens up to the full beam of the hull, with a queen berth on the centerline surrounded by lockers, drawers, and cabinets. There's a desk for a small office, with space for a computer, printer, and peripherals, and additional storage behind. Everywhere I looked, I saw places to put, store, and hide things.

The master head is large, roughly a 4-1I2-foot square, and there is a separate stand-up shower. The large ports and overhead hatch, combined with the light interior and mahogany trim, make for a nice blend of contemporary appointments.

A couple could easily live aboard this boat full time, even if Tom and Gail don't choose to.

STAND-UP ENGINE ROOM Back in the dinette/ gal ley area, on the bulkhead aft

of the great pantry is a 22-by-S8-inch door into the engine room. I didn't need to contort myself at all while climbing into this Holy Place. Once inside, I found standing headroom, up to 7 feet at the center.

The two Yanmar 4JH4-TE diesel engines, each rated at 7Shp, have complete access on all sides. The space between mounts is about 4 feet, so there is room to bring in a chair to sit and check fluids, stare at equipment, or read a book when one is in the doghouse.

A handy workbench is molded into the port side of the hull, with lots of space for oil, parts, fi lters, and tools. The bench even has a vise. ice.

Gale Force has a MasPower MP13M genset, which is also situated for good access. The VacuFlush pumps are in the engine room, so the heads are very quiet.

There is a 6-inch square sea chest in the aft end of

.. I Great Harbour N47 ..

Top left : A short sta irway with wide steps leads from the pilothouse to the ga lley and lower sa loon, a cozy area of the N47.

Top ri ght: The large dining table and settees allow Tom and Ga il to enterta in many guests at once; cabinets behind the settee open

to reveal mass ive pantry storage. Above: The U-shaped ga lley is fully equipped w ith modern appliances you might find in any land

based kitchen. There's plenty of counter space to cook up a storm, and a drawer-style dishwasher makes cleanup a breeze.

the engine room, and Tom told me it is the only hole in th e boat. The sea chest feeds raw water to the generator, air conditioning, watermaker, and both engines. In some 3,000 miles of travel, Tom has only seen one blade of grass in the chest, a testament to the qualities that make a sea chest worthwhile.

H owever, there is no way to shut off this sea chest. But Fickett states that with Nida-Core coring used throughout the boat from the rub rail up and no ballast, there is enough reserve buoyancy to keep the trawler afl oat, making it unsinkable.

The N47's engine room measures more than 7 feet


long and 15 feet wide. It is a lovely space, and everything can be seen, touched, and maintained. It is one of the roomiest engine compartments I've seen on a boat under 50 feet.


Top left: A hydraulic hatch opens for access to the cavernous

aft lazarette. A small light under the hatch switches on easily

to illuminate the space. Left: Storage shelves in the lazarette

give the Zavelsons plenty of room to store bins of spares, toys

for their grandchildren , decorations for holidays spent aboard,

and more . Above and inset: The port guest stateroom serves

as Gail 's sewing room and has two single berths for when the

grandchildren are on board . Alternate layouts are available.

In addition, there is a utility room just aft of the engine room, accessed fi'om a hatch in the saloon floor, and down four molded steps. This 5-foot-long, 15-plus-foot-wide mega-lazarette is an ideal space to store all sorts of gear, from fo lding chairs to dive tanks to Christmas decorations. It also might be the ideal location for the house batteries, if the boat's designers, Lou Cod ega and Ken Fickett, were to approve the shift in weight. Batteries like cool air, not engine room heat.

Glancing through the stuff in Gale Force's utility room, I found a bread machine, buckets, rugs, shade screens, extra PFDs for fami ly visits, fishing gear, and lots more. And it was not full.

~.

Top: The moster sta teroom is enormous and features his and hers drawers and hanging closets on ei ther side of the queen berth .

To the left (not pictured) is Tom's onboa rd office , with a desk and computers. Above: Another wonderful feature of the master

cabin is the van ity and separate sink area that Gail helped create for the boat. A complete head wi th a full standing shower is

to starboard . Inset: The dressing table opens to reveal a lighted van ity and storage for cosmetics-defini tely female fri end ly.


a Great Harbour N47

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1195635

Top left: A workbench, complete with tool drawers and a vise, sits just inside the engine room door. Top right: Also just inside

the door is one of the two 75hp Yanmar engines . Good lighting and excellent headroom make thi s a clean and conven ient

space for servicing engines and other machinery. Above left: A sea chest allows water to run to the des ignated systems and

is the only hole in the boat. Above right : On the forward bulkhead of the engine room one find s all of the filters and plumbing

for the ship's fuel delivery and maintenance systems.

IT WORKS At a cruising speed of 8.2 knots, the full-displacement

N47 is quiet. I measured sound levels that would impress most people: 74dBA in the saloon, 75dBA in the galley, and just 67dBA in the master stateroom.

With a base price of $619,000, this is a lot of boat for the money, and she's made in this country, in Gainesvill e, Florida. Tom and Gail added that to make the N47 really complete-with all the toys and bells, as on Gale Force-expect to push that number


" (; Oi -.: d':

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GREAT HARBOUR N47 LOA

LWL

BEAM

DRAFT

DISPLACEMENT

BRIDGE CLEARANCE

ENGINE

GENERATOR

FUEL

WATER

HOLDING TANK

GRAY WATER

MAXIMUM SPEED

CRUISE SPEED

RANGE AT CRUISE SPEED

DESIGNER

BUILDER

BASE PRICE

•

46' 10"

46' 1"

lS'10"

2' 10"

71 ,000 lb.

11' 6"

(14' 6" with flybridge)

Twin 7Shp Yanmars

13kW MasPower

1,000 U.S. gal.

600 U.S. gal .

200 U.S. gal .

None

9.1 knots

8.2 knots

3,000nm

(3 ,900nm with optional

tankage)

Lou Codega

Mirage Manufacturing

$619,000

For more information: Great Harbour Trawlers

3001 NE 20th Way Gainesville, FL 32609

greatharbourtrawlers.com

Courtesy Great Harbour Trawlers

a bit past $700,000. But I still think it is a lot of boat for the price.

With a draft ofless than 3 feet, the N47 seems a good choice for the Caribbean and Bahamas. Best of all, owners still have a big-boat interior designed to let them live in style. Again, there's no camping on this boat.

The Zavelsons really enjoy their N47 and invite others to check her out. Their list of complaints is pretty short, as they were so deeply involved in the


The first N47, Gale Force, rests peacefully off the South River

in Maryland, ready for a cruise down to Florida.

project from the beginning. It sure sounds like they enjoyed building the boat with Fickett and his crew.

Like most of Mirage's customers, Tom and Gail are happily living the dream, low key and without a lot of fanfare. And that is the point of these boats, which leave off the fancy brightwork and keep the systems simple, with household appliances and a hull that's designed to be stable without fins and other stabilizing equipment.

Which points to one piece of gear Tom and Gail wish they had aboard Gale Force: a Klingon cloaking device. Wherever they go, people on the dock want to know all about the boat. Where is she from? Where is she going? Can they tour the inside? It is relentless.

While they occasionally love showing off their Great Harbour trawler, the couple sometimes longs to simply ease into a slip and not stir up a fuss.

Yeah, like Brad Pitt going unnoticed in an elevator. Dream on. ~


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The - BoatQueststatic.boatquest.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/... · Nobeltec Admiral navigation system. Because they are angled only slightly off horizontal, I had to stand to really