Contract Signed / New Build Underway

N4061 said:

The day head wall is on the port side of the engine which prevents easy access and something I wish we could change but will have to live with. Fortunately all fills and accessories on the starboard side and in easy reach.

John

Click to expand...

Any opportunity to put an access hatch through the wall in the head to facilitate access to the port side of the motor for repairs? I believe the Diesel Ducks were designed with a large hatch in the galley wall to access the motor. There's ALWAYS stuff to access on both sides of the motor - and you'll be glad when maintenance or repairs arise, even if you're just paying the labor.

makobuilders said:

When I proudly owned my 65 footer, standing on the flybridge, I felt like captain of a 100ft motor yacht. But honestly I understand what you guys are saying as it was very detached and after awhile I yearned to be on those "little" 30ft cruisers who were down at the water, fishing 12 inches off the water and feeling the spray in their faces. Of course, since I'm one of the world's most God-awful fishermen, maybe it wasn't such an issue anyway???

Click to expand...

Nice looking boat! Huckins, Mainship, Trumpy?

Burger.

Steel hull, teak decks, wood house.... the worst of all worlds, haha!

makobuilders said:

Burger.

Steel hull, teak decks, wood house.... the worst of all worlds, haha!

Click to expand...

Thanks - I should have included that builder - couldn't bring it to mind.

Windows on forward cabin are tell tale. :lol:


What year - Late 50's early 60's??

makobuilders said:

Burger.

Steel hull, teak decks, wood house.... the worst of all worlds, haha!

Click to expand...

And absolutely some of the most beautifully finished boats on the water. We chartered a Burger for a week once, the MY Top Times. Before that I was impressed with Burger at a distance. Seeing their work close up, you couldn't help but being more impressed. The finish work was impeccable. All the workmanship was beautiful. I would love to see them revive their recreational boat business.

Greg Marshall did some updated designs for them a few years ago and they did more on their own. However, they've yet to sell any of them.

She's 1956 with engines that were 10 years older than that! She cruised under her various owners from Wisconsin to Hawaii to Australia and back. Grand ole lady that has been recently revived and is now in the active charter market under a new and dedicated owner.

Engine Access

Phyrcooler said:

Any opportunity to put an access hatch through the wall in the head to facilitate access to the port side of the motor for repairs? I believe the Diesel Ducks were designed with a large hatch in the galley wall to access the motor. There's ALWAYS stuff to access on both sides of the motor - and you'll be glad when maintenance or repairs arise, even if you're just paying the labor.

Click to expand...

Your recommendation is something we actually explored early on in our discussions with Scott then I let go. It would be a simple modification but would disrupt the solid wall sound proofing on the port side. Nothing that couldn't be addressed. I need to revisit this now that I'm thinking about this (sorry Scott).

John

Nice Boat

makobuilders said:

When I proudly owned my 65 footer, standing on the flybridge, I felt like captain of a 100ft motor yacht. But honestly I understand what you guys are saying as it was very detached and after awhile I yearned to be on those "little" 30ft cruisers who were down at the water, fishing 12 inches off the water and feeling the spray in their faces. Of course, since I'm one of the world's most God-awful fishermen, maybe it wasn't such an issue anyway???

Click to expand...

Wow, very nice boat with beautiful classic lines. A eye catcher anywhere she goes.

John

makobuilders said:

She's 1956 with engines that were 10 years older than that! She cruised under her various owners from Wisconsin to Hawaii to Australia and back. Grand ole lady that has been recently revived and is now in the active charter market under a new and dedicated owner.

Click to expand...

???? - Rebuilds that were placed into boat after originals went out... or... 10 year old (not previously used) originals that were installed at build?

H38e

Well it appears to be official in that the new Helmsman 38 "E" has been launched by Scott & Lisa at Waterline Boats. If you look up Helmsman Trawlers online you will see the line up of all boats including an artist rendering of the new H38" E". While our boat will be the first hull designated as the "E" it will include a few custom changes not part of "E".

A few enhancements buyers will receive on the " E" include the new straighter PH roof and extended aft deck roof. These significant enhancements resulted in significant investment by the yard in new tooling.

Anyone interested to learning more about the new "E" should contact Scott directly.

John

Very nice!

2016 Helmsman Trawlers 38E Pilothouse Power Boat For Sale - www.yachtworld.com

Art said:

???? - Rebuilds that were placed into boat after originals went out... or... 10 year old (not previously used) originals that were installed at build?

Click to expand...

Aluminum block 6-71's gensets from a WW2 minesweeper. Naturally aspirated. Rebuilt them myself. I think they will run for another 70 years!

makobuilders said:

Aluminum block 6-71's gensets from a WW2 minesweeper. Naturally aspirated. Rebuilt them myself. I think they will run for another 70 years!

Click to expand...

Best diesel plants I've hear of yet... nice going! But, you don't own the 1956 Burger any more - do you? If not, current owner must love ya!!

Hi Art, I think we've pretty much hijacked N4061's great thread. In any case, I don't own it anymore and personally I prefer cast iron blocks. However, think of the incredible scrap value in all that aluminum!

makobuilders said:

Hi Art, I think we've pretty much hijacked N4061's great thread. In any case, I don't own it anymore and personally I prefer cast iron blocks. However, think of the incredible scrap value in all that aluminum!

Click to expand...

Correct - Unthinking... Sorry John - Please forgive! - Over n' Out Art

Status Report

I had the opportunity this evening to talk with Scott and get caught up with his trip to the yard. He reconfirmed final touches are being made to the new deck / salon / PH plug from which the mold will be built then the layup. This combined with a slightly taller hull is making for a near new boat (my opinion). He still needs to confirm shipment to San Diego instead of Long Beach is available and will keep us advised. He believes the yard fully understands our latest changes to the salon / galley and we should see revised blue prints in a few weeks. Interest for the H38E (new designation) continue to keep him busy as word is getting out (I think I mentioned previously this would occur) and people are starting to see the value this boat offers.

Not sure if I mentioned new boats are also receiving enhanced sound proofing by way of a new composite floor. I really need to develop and post a list of the changes the H38E offer since I'm already loosing track myself.

As if we haven't made enough changes we asked about a fix table up on the fly bridge like the H43 (but smaller) and waiting to hear what Scott thinks. It seems like every week we think of "one more" item we missed even after years of planning. Things are getting exciting .

John

What is that acoustic composite floor that you mention, how is it built up?

John, now that you have some new pictures and an update, what's your assessment of the remaining schedule? Will the boat ship by the end of April?

Floors

makobuilders said:

What is that acoustic composite floor that you mention, how is it built up?

Click to expand...

If memory serves me correctly Scott is enhancing the sound proofing by adding a layer of rubber and cork to the wood and teak floors. I believe this type of approach has been proven by other builders on larger high end boats.

Since this will be additive to the existing floor structure (no change to the E/R sound proofing) it can only help what is already a well insulated boat.

John

Delivery Schedule

twistedtree said:

John, now that you have some new pictures and an update, what's your assessment of the remaining schedule? Will the boat ship by the end of April?

Click to expand...

With the contract signed in November Scott had counted December as month one and May for completion. This makes sense since the first few weeks are tied up with contract stuff and ordering materials. The yard is still holding to a May completion but to be honest I told Scott that with the all new deck mold, PH roof and all the other changes we have made he shouldn't push the yard for us. It is more important to get things right versus meeting a promise date. At this point I'm assuming end of May completion then shipment to San Diego. Scott is working to change shipment to SD (was Long Beach) which would eliminate many logistic issues for Mary and I.

We have a few major milestones which we will track but again, getting the first new boat right is most important.

John

It is exciting/absorbing watching one's boat being created. Enjoy!

Day Head - A Nice Surprise

Just when you think you have a good grasp on all the standard equipment that comes with a boat you get a surprise. In this specific case I received a pleasant surprise when discussing the second day head off the salon. We were talking about the feasibility of adding a small engine access panel to the starboard side wall when Scott mentioned the day head also includes a shower thus concern of water leakage. I responded by saying "shower" what shower. Scott went on to explain the one piece molded compartment is designed with a drain and hand held shower nozzle built into the sink. This provides for a very clean look I thought and great idea. I thought the shower would be an option and didn't the see the need for it, but now thinking this does add functionality to the boat in case we ever had a guest spend the night in the salon. A nice surprise which didn't require us to spend more money.

John

John - I'm so pleased to see/hear your new-boat coming along so well. I follow every post!


In 1970 when I worked for Maine Coast Ship builders (building FRP and full-on wood boats - 27' to 40' FRP - up to 65' wood)... the truly amazing boat-building items were learning from master shipwrights while they constructed good ol' woodies. FRP was on a production line and not too interesting. Wooden boat building is interesting!


Not that I'm saying anything bad about FRP boat construction. IMO well constructed and planned out FRP by far and away out places wood as a great material to build boats from. But - wood-boat building in very interesting... as well as time consuming.

N4061 said:

I thought the shower would be an option and didn't the see the need for it, but now thinking this does add functionality to the boat in case we ever had a guest spend the night in the salon. A nice surprise which didn't require us to spend more money.

John

Click to expand...

Wifey B: That's cool. We've been known to have people sleep in the salon.

Art-not to hijack John's fascinating thread, but my first wife's uncle built shrimpboats, 80-85', in Holden Beach, NC for over 50 years, through the early 1980's. I used to go down and watch those guys and it would just amaze me. No plans, they just laid down a keel and started building. To this day I can recall watching an old craftsman planing hull planks by hand. He would lay the plan on horses next to where it would go, eyeball the angles and the turn of the hull from the bow, take the plane and plane a sifting bevel on the edges and then put it in place. And damned if it did not fit almost perfectly the first try. A lost art now.

Back to John's new Helmsman. Like Art, I really am enjoing John's experience with this new boat!

Wood Boats

THD said:

Art-not to hijack John's fascinating thread, but my first wife's uncle built shrimpboats, 80-85', in Holden Beach, NC for over 50 years, through the early 1980's. I used to go down and watch those guys and it would just amaze me. No plans, they just laid down a keel and started building. To this day I can recall watching an old craftsman planing hull planks by hand. He would lay the plan on horses next to where it would go, eyeball the angles and the turn of the hull from the bow, take the plane and plane a sifting bevel on the edges and then put it in place. And damned if it did not fit almost perfectly the first try. A lost art now.

Back to John's new Helmsman. Like Art, I really am enjoing John's experience with this new boat!

Click to expand...

No worries talking about other boats especially hand crafted wooden boats. To be honest I still have "attending a wooden boat building school in Main on my bucket list". As is mentioned early on, I appreciate most all styles and types of boats. I'm a big fan of the art and craftsmanship that goes into boat building and hope the remaining few remain in business and pass on their talents to the next generation.

John

Today was a good day

A few readers may recall the title of this post, it is a phrase I have used in other posts prior as I closed out a story or event. The reason for the phase is to remind myself just how important every day is and to try find something special with each and every day. While some days may be harder then others to identify that one special moment worth remembering I do try. Funny thing is that identifying what made a good day was easier when we spent time aboard. It usually was something as simple as sitting out on the aft deck with Maria and Daisy sipping on a Margarita, listening to music, watching the boats sail by before the sun set. Life doesn't get much better than this.

When you add in the rough patch we went through a few years ago any day with good health is a good day but how quickly we can forget how important ones health is and start to take it for granted. Not good!

Today we drove Mary's new car to San Diego (100 miles each way) for a day by the water. We stopped in at Sunroad Marina and spoke with the new manager about a slip for the new boat. The office assistant remembered us from the last two boats and asked about N4061 which recently departed to Mexico. Despite being at 90%+ capacity the manager told us not to worry, we will have a slip when the boat arrives. Even if its not our favorite slip he will take care of us and move a boat if he needs too. I guess having a few Nordhavn's followed with another new trawler carries a little weight when it comes to finding a slip.

After walking around the marina and talking about old times we picked up a few sandwiches and had lunch on the bay. We visited the old church in Point Loma we attended when we were in SD and listened to a tour guide who just happened to be talking about the history of the church. Built in 1933 and funded mostly by Portuguese fisherman the church became a beacon of light for them and other boaters in the early years. Pretty interesting I thought.

After a few hours enjoying the cool weather and sunshine we returned home, dropped off Daisy and went out for dinner and couple of margaritas before returning home and watching the X-Factor UK finals (we like music) which Mary recorded from the original showing.

Today was a good day!

John

We like music, too! We're Voice fans.

Sounds like a great day!

I seem to remember a privacy curtain in the salon that gives guests visual privacy on the port side while still retaining unencumbered access to the day head. It seemed like a great setup for a single stateroom vessel with occasional overnight guests.

Bow Railings

While bow railings play an important safety role on any boat they can also influence the boats appearance. I don't need to go into specifics on just how important they are since everyone on TF has likely had at least once experience where a railing kept them from falling overboard. One observation I had about the H38PH was the height and length of the bow railings. While the height was actually perfect for safety I felt they caused the forward deck to look a little short or stubby.

Realizing this was not something we could do much to change I was determined to come up with something. At first I suggested we reduce the railing height by about 6 inches and lengthen the railings past the anchor. My thought was it would provide a sleeker look (sleeker equaling longer) for the forward deck while also allowing for the operator to step out and over the anchor without bending outward and over, a nice safety touch when retrieving the anchor. Keeping safety as a priority Scott pushed back on lower the railing (but would accommodate us on a one off modification) while being on the fence with the extension. I agreed safety is more important then appearance and to leave the height as designed but to extend the railing over the anchor for both safety and appearance (a nice win/win). Needless to say I was pleasantly surprised when Scott advised a few weeks later he was going to make the bow railing extension over the anchor standard on all new boats starting with ours. I believe the combination of the new PH roof line combined with the extended railings will greatly enhance the appearance of the boat providing a slightly sleeker / longer look up front. This is just another example of how Scott works with customers, always will to listen, discuss the pro's & con's and accommodate owners.

Another relative simple / low cost enhancement which future buyers will likely never notice was incorporated but will appreciate when launching / retrieving the anchor.

John

We made a rail decision at the risk of appearance as well. Actually the builder did computer mock ups and then did some with real rails, just not installed. We wanted 6 more inches and as it turned out it's exactly what the next larger boat in the line had. In our minds, safety always trumps appearance.