Installing fin stabilizers on ND46

[Hornloaded]

We are looking at buying a 1994 N46. Is adding fin stabilizers a big deal on these boats?

 

[Crusty Chief]

Nothing that 60K cant solve.

Cheers

 

[healhustler]

What kind of cruising do you have in mind. If blue water, perhaps some stout paravanes would work for you. The boat is a good fit for them.

 

[Keysdisease]

Perhaps a Seakeeper would be a better option:

www.seakeeper.com

 

[caltexflanc]

We are looking at buying a 1994 N46. Is adding fin stabilizers a big deal on these boats?

Give Nordhavn a call, they will know exactly what is involved.

 

[Hornloaded]

I thought of calling them right after posting this. I’ve looked at all options and fins are the best fit for us. The boat comes with paravanes, but the admiral wants the top deck cleared off for a place to hang out.

 

[N4061]

There was a newer N46 that spent most of its life in Long Beach, CA then in San Diego. I was aboard soon after the new owner installed NIAD active fin stabilizers and was surprised how tight the fit was even after cutting away some non structural cabinet. I would definitely investigate this prior to signing up and check with PAE in Dana Point.

John T
N4050, N4061, N3522 - Former Owners
Helmsman38E - Current Owner

 

[Cruzer]

I've been doing quite a bit of research as we are upgrading the stabilization on OLOH imminently. Along the way I looked into Humphree's fin system and was quite impressed with what I learned about it. Their customer service/attentiveness has been impressive as we have explored their offerings. I agree that Nordhavn should obviously be the first call and it would be interesting to see if they have any experience with Humphree. It is a 24 volt system with no hydraulics and therefore much more self-contained than a hydraulic system. One consideration I had never thought of on a Nordhavn or any single screw boat with traditional fin stabilizers is that there is typically no redundancy for the hydraulics should you lose your main engine. A friend just had a backup system engineered for his N47 which is why this came to mind.

 

[gsholz]

I'd never get rid of already installed flopper stoppers. They help with rolling in anchorages as well which most fins cannot. They only slow you down or increase fuel consumption when you use them, vs fins always do. Having a fin ripped off by rocks or a log/deadhead is a guaranteed bad time. The shafts don't always break where they are supposed to. And then there is the seal maintenance every two years.

How do paravane booms infringe on the upper deck?

 

[N4061]

Stabilizers

I've been doing quite a bit of research as we are upgrading the stabilization on OLOH imminently. Along the way I looked into Humphree's fin system and was quite impressed with what I learned about it. Their customer service/attentiveness has been impressive as we have explored their offerings. I agree that Nordhavn should obviously be the first call and it would be interesting to see if they have any experience with Humphree. It is a 24 volt system with no hydraulics and therefore much more self-contained than a hydraulic system. One consideration I had never thought of on a Nordhavn or any single screw boat with traditional fin stabilizers is that there is typically no redundancy for the hydraulics should you lose your main engine. A friend just had a backup system engineered for his N47 which is why this came to mind.

Thanks for your post. I have not heard of Humphree's and believe Trac also offers a 24V system today. With gyros making a good run in the recreational boating market the proven system providers need to step up their game which they are. It's all good for us consumers.

John T.

 

[Ken E.]

Nothing that 60K cant solve.

John, You were considering stabilizers for your Selene when we saw you last summer. Curious if you bit the bullet and installed them. They would certainly make your trip down the coast to Mexico more enjoyable.

 

[Bigsfish]

I have fins I think the Gryo is a great application if you have the room.

 

[IRENE]

In addition to calling Nordhavn, you may wish to call ABT Trac in Rohnert Park, CA. They have a 6-year service interval (seals), and exceptional customer service. I just attended their class last week, and it was a positive experience. We have these on our boat, and they were installed prior to our purchase.

As far as removing paravanes is concerned, I am aware of a 40 and 43 that have removed them. You may wish to consider, 1. having them as a back-up to the active stabilizers, 2. impact on resale value, and 3. what added deck space will result. We have no lost deck space due to the paravanes and associated gear. Reportedly, there is some benefit to using both in particularly harsh conditions. I do not have direct experience using both in those conditions, but we did want a boat with this redundancy.

Best Wishes

 

[Crusty Chief]

John, You were considering stabilizers for your Selene when we saw you last summer. Curious if you bit the bullet and installed them. They would certainly make your trip down the coast to Mexico more enjoyable.

Not to many “Qualified yards” down here in Portland and it will require a major job to incorporate on Pairadice. ABT was our stabilizer that we were heading to.

Yards up North like PhilBrooks and yards in the Seattle area are very busy during the Summer Months and this job was estimated to take 5-6 weeksl, never could seem to fit it in. So we put it off.

If we had Paravanes allready installed we would not remove them, they are a proven system. The fin stabs do take up a ton of room in the engine room and we would have to relocate several systems to make it work.

I would also recommend to OP to consider how you plan to use the boat. If you really think your gonna be exposed to “Open Water”, of any distance, maybe the Active system is a consideration. In 3 years of cruising the PNW, only a few times would stabilizers made the ride more enjoyable. They seem to work more effectively on beam seas, no so much when on the bow or following seas.

And we tend to get rather picky on the weather. Light beam seas no problem, short duration and we stay put and wait. This may change as we head south next year.

Now if we allready had an Active system installed I may have a different opinion, but since Ive never been on a boat with active stabilizers in heavy seas I have no reference. That is unless I dont take into consideration 1100 ft Aircraft Carriers, but even those will roll pretty good in the right seas. Not to mention loosing sight of the smaller boys behind ya, those guys are tough!

Cheers