First Four TT35s Looking GOOD!

[Hamrow]

I met Mr. Fickett at a boat show; very interesting guy. Although we decided a GH didn't meet all our needs i still respect them and some of their unique characteristics, such as their impressive amount of living space.
I also spent many years in the aircraft industry and my first thought on this thread is that anytime you're building a new complex system, "over-budget and behind-schedule" tends to be the norm rather than the exception; just ask all those people waiting for their Tesla model 3
Anyway I think the TT35 is an interesting design and is generating a lot of excitement. I bet they will get their production going in due time...

 

[OldDan1943]

Here's a bit of information on the TT35 and a bunch of other information on the AIS

Great Harbour Trawlers <marketing@mirage-mfg.com>

 

[Benthic2]

Great Harbour Facebook page says it was on 3/1/2017.

ahhh...the joys of an internet forum. The point was that it was a long freaking time ago.....you want to quibble over a few days ?? Is the difference between 53 weeks and 57 weeks really that significant !?!?!?

 

[BandB]

Great Harbour Facebook page says it was on 3/1/2017.

From the website:

On February 1, TT35 Hull Number One was rigged and launched for preliminary sea trials​

Whether it's 12 months or 13 makes no difference to me.

 

[Donsan]

From the website:

On February 1, TT35 Hull Number One was rigged and launched for preliminary sea trials​

Whether it's 12 months or 13 makes no difference to me.

Actually meant 3/1/2018 but now I realize we are talking about 2 different events.

 

[Plane Nauti]

There used to be more info on here wrt the TT35 but I hear someone complained about it being marketed on TF or sales pitch here etc.

 

[FlyWright]

Why is it that people with much bigger and faster boats, who would never buy a TT35 anyway, even care?

Or who never bought any boat.

 

[FlyWright]

I don't care if they make a deadline or not. I do think they owe the public an explanation if they are doing national advertising, making it look they have a few hulls in service and out on the coast.
I wish them well! I also think a lot of that design criteria was influenced By the Late Phil Bolger on his "Advanced Fisherman project" design criteria. Original designs for
longer thinner hulls to be used by Gloucester fisherman for fuel savings. Several of the designs were outboard powered and looked just Like TT 35... built in the 1990s. See National Fisherman Sept 2004, and "Messing about in Boats" 2007 several issues. One was built and used in Gloucester as a day fishing boat but it never got any traction as a commercial venture. The family reemblance to TT35 is amazing. Just can't remember the name of the Gloucester boat, Jean something or other. Built in backyard of one of the local Fronteiro brothers..

What???? No pictures? Sounds like fake news to me.

 

[boathealer]

This thread is amazing to me. I don't understand how folks can have such a narrow field of view and think that everything in the world should conform only to that.

[OPINION]

GH is innovating. They have been innovating for 50 years. They are a very small operation that is hands on and are continuously challenging themselves. Design errors, budget shortfalls, labor shortages, supplier delays, all are accepted as the norm in these types of businesses. That's what innovators do.

I have spent 30+ years as an engineer/innovator in the tech industry, currently struggling just the same. Shareholders? Really? What's that? We often say we are "...slitting our throats on the leading edge of technology." LOL. Do you like all that nifty wireless stuff on your smartphone? Enjoy sending your chartplotter display to a bigscreen over WiFi? Thank me and a WHOLE LOT of other innovators.

You know those cool things you love about your high-volume production boat? They were likely dreamed up by innovators. That's the only way they could make their way into your boat. Someone else has already endured the engineering costs and belittlement by the rest of the industry to make it work.

You can keep buying your cookie-cutter boats with their perfectly-annotated CAD schematics and diagrams , each with 6-digit revision control, 50-page production processes, flashy marketing campaigns, massive internet and forum presence, delivered to you exactly when they said it would. Guess what? --- here's a secret ----- there will STILL be problems.

Me? I'll would gladly work with an innovator - who pays attention to detail, sticks his neck out to try something new, focuses on what matters to the buyer not just the bottom line, and end up with a great, personalized product, just the way I want it, with features and benefits that no one else ever dreamed of. Maybe I will have to wait a bit, and I won't see it plastered on every internet forum and facebook page, but that's OK.

Maybe I'm just different.

[/OPINION]

 

[Spottsville]

This thread is amazing to me. I don't understand how folks can have such a narrow field of view and think that everything in the world should conform only to that.



[OPINION]



GH is innovating. They have been innovating for 50 years. They are a very small operation that is hands on and are continuously challenging themselves. Design errors, budget shortfalls, labor shortages, supplier delays, all are accepted as the norm in these types of businesses. That's what innovators do.



I am an innovator in the tech industry, struggline just the same. Shareholders? Really? What's that?



You know those cool things you love about your high-volume production boat? They were likely dreamed up by innovators. That's the only way they could make their way into your boat. Someone else has already endured the engineering costs and belittlement by the rest of the industry to make it work.



You can keep buying your cookie-cutter boats with their perfectly-annotated CAD schematics and diagrams , each with 6-digit revision control, 50-page production processes, flashy marketing campaigns, massive internet and forum presence, delivered to you exactly when they said it would. Guess what? Oh, and here's a secret ----- there will STILL be problems.



Me? I'll would gladly work with an innovator - who pays attention to detail, sticks his neck out to try something new, focuses on what matters to the buyer not just the bottom line, and end up with a great, personalized product, just the way I want it, with features and benefits that no one else every dreamed of. Maybe I will have to wait a bit, and I won't see it plastered on every internet forum and facebook page, but that's OK.



Maybe I'm just different.



[/OPINION]

Well said! I would not say your different, just realistic!

 

[smitty477]

This thread is amazing to me. I don't understand how folks can have such a narrow field of view and think that everything in the world should conform only to that.

[OPINION]

GH is innovating. They have been innovating for 50 years. They are a very small operation that is hands on and are continuously challenging themselves. Design errors, budget shortfalls, labor shortages, supplier delays, all are accepted as the norm in these types of businesses. That's what innovators do.

I have spent 30+ years as an engineer/innovator in the tech industry, currently struggling just the same. Shareholders? Really? What's that? Like all that nifty wireless stuff on your smartphone? Like sending your chartplotter display to a bigscreen over WiFi? Thank me and a whole lot of other innovators.

You know those cool things you love about your high-volume production boat? They were likely dreamed up by innovators. That's the only way they could make their way into your boat. Someone else has already endured the engineering costs and belittlement by the rest of the industry to make it work.

You can keep buying your cookie-cutter boats with their perfectly-annotated CAD schematics and diagrams , each with 6-digit revision control, 50-page production processes, flashy marketing campaigns, massive internet and forum presence, delivered to you exactly when they said it would. Guess what? --- here's a secret ----- there will STILL be problems.

Me? I'll would gladly work with an innovator - who pays attention to detail, sticks his neck out to try something new, focuses on what matters to the buyer not just the bottom line, and end up with a great, personalized product, just the way I want it, with features and benefits that no one else ever dreamed of. Maybe I will have to wait a bit, and I won't see it plastered on every internet forum and facebook page, but that's OK.

Maybe I'm just different.

[/OPINION]

My thoughts are that the idea and design of their TT35 is really innovative and I really liked it hoping to pursue that direction.
Now I respect your strong thoughts about the boat and your desire to try something new so I hope your experience(s) purchasing a TT35 are all good ones.
IMHO I see a small company in business quite a long time that has issues making deadlines and supplying updated information. A family business which does not seem to have any higher level skills hired outside of the family - due to that and reading the website carefully I have decided to pass.

FWIW - many years back I started off as a engineer and have a number of innovations as well, I know what the deal is with new products and the problems reaching completion on business and personal projects outside the norm.
Good luck with your TT35 and please let us know when you have it and how the boat performs for you.

 

[boathealer]

My thoughts are that the idea and design of their TT35 is really innovative and I really liked it hoping to pursue that direction.
Now I respect your strong thoughts about the boat and your desire to try something new so I hope your experience(s) purchasing a TT35 are all good ones.
IMHO I see a small company in business quite a long time that has issues making deadlines and supplying updated information. A family business which does not seem to have any higher level skills hired outside of the family - due to that and reading the website carefully I have decided to pass.

FWIW - many years back I started off as a engineer and have a number of innovations as well, I know what the deal is with new products and the problems reaching completion on business and personal projects outside the norm.
Good luck with your TT35 and please let us know when you have it and how the boat performs for you.

Not buying a TT35, BTW - didn't mean to imply that. Just sharing my opinions.....

 

[Spottsville]

When we were looking for our trawler we listed the features we wanted and defined the type of boating we wanted to do and started looking at boats. We read the forums and went to boat shows. We came across GH and we're intrigued. Unfortunately in reading one forums a thread was very negative but we came to realize the person that was so negative was just a troll and had never been on a GH and even thought the boats were steel... One poster said no they are fiberglass and the negative person still wanted to argue they were steel. Finally the poster trying to correct the wrong info pointed out he should know....he was the owner of Mirage (the builder).

Anyone serious about buying should tour the factory in Gainesville and spend time on one of their boats. We chartered an N37 and then a N47 each for a week. We then knew the quality and feel of the boat and after talking to the builder (also the Broker) we jumped in and are three years later now and glad we did ( after 100s of hours cruising).

Pictures and websites are one thing, having ones butt in the seat is better! IMHO

 

[Donsan]

Not buying a TT35, BTW - didn't mean to imply that. Just sharing my opinions.....

This is the real problem. No one buying a TT35 is keeping TF informed. So we have a lot of opinions and little real knowledge of what is going on.

 

[boathealer]

This is the real problem. No one buying a TT35 is keeping TF informed. So we have a lot of opinions and little real knowledge of what is going on.

I have at least some knowledge, as I have been to Mirage and spent time with and talking to Ken, including walking through a TT35 under construction.

 

[smitty477]

Not buying a TT35, BTW - didn't mean to imply that. Just sharing my opinions.....

OK - fair enough. What unusual and innovative boats or other products have you purchased?
In my case I have purchased one really unusual boat, home manufactured 2 cars, and 'atypically' repowered a few cars and trucks as some examples only.

 

[OldDan1943]

It would be nice to walk the boat.
I have an opinion but, I really should walk it.
Pictures can only give you a general overview.

 

[boathealer]

OK - fair enough. What unusual and innovative boats or other products have you purchased?
In my case I have purchased one really unusual boat, home manufactured 2 cars, and 'atypically' repowered a few cars and trucks as some examples only.

Early Gemini Catamaran, and a Nimble Kodiak (completely gutted and restored it from a bare hull due to flooding prior to purchase). Both of which were VERY similar boat manufacturers. Will likely be buying an N37.

 

[Scratchnsaw]

I don't care if they make a deadline or not. I do think they owe the public an explanation if they are doing national advertising, making it look they have a few hulls in service and out on the coast.
I wish them well! I also think a lot of that design criteria was influenced By the Late Phil Bolger on his "Advanced Fisherman project" design criteria. Original designs for
longer thinner hulls to be used by Gloucester fisherman for fuel savings. Several of the designs were outboard powered and looked just Like TT 35... built in the 1990s. See National Fisherman Sept 2004, and "Messing about in Boats" 2007 several issues. One was built and used in Gloucester as a day fishing boat but it never got any traction as a commercial venture. The family reemblance to TT35 is amazing. Just can't remember the name of the Gloucester boat, Jean something or other. Built in backyard of one of the local Fronteiro brothers..

Man are you opening up a keg of worms, talking about that Bolger and lady friend's venture into that commercial venture for "sustainable fishing and fisheries".

If it is true that the factory is open to give dingbatters a tour, I may find some time to inspect them closer . Its surely an interesting design. But I am surprised that the forum gets little feedback as the boats hit the water.

 

[smitty477]

Early Gemini Catamaran, and a Nimble Kodiak (completely gutted and restored it from a bare hull due to flooding prior to purchase). Both of which were VERY similar boat manufacturers. Will likely be buying an N37.

Both very nice boats for sure.
Gemini's are pretty common around here where we are in the NE, there are no less than 3 just in Northport harbor. I would look at the N37 has been produced for over a dozen years allowing most of the 'bugs' to be worked out and performance expectations to be well known.
Nice boats but certainly not cutting edge or risky innovative purchase.

 

[boathealer]

Nice boats but certainly not cutting edge or risky innovative purchase.

Depends on your definition of "risky" and "innovative". I think they certainly are (won't get into it here.....).

 

[smitty477]

Depends on your definition of "risky" and "innovative". I think they certainly are (won't get into it here.....).

So you will be purchasing new with some options and new features?
Kinda like somewhat near this definition?....


"Me? I'll would gladly work with an innovator - who pays attention to detail, sticks his neck out to try something new, focuses on what matters to the buyer not just the bottom line, and end up with a great, personalized product, just the way I want it, with features and benefits that no one else ever dreamed of. Maybe I will have to wait a bit, and I won't see it plastered on every internet forum and facebook page, but that's OK."

 

[sunchaser]

This is the real problem. No one buying a TT35 is keeping TF informed. So we have a lot of opinions and little real knowledge of what is going on.

TF exposure is very small in the boating community. To expect a builder to communicate with a group of critics who have no intention of buying their products is not productive.

The list of experts and builders in this business who've stuck with TF is very short. There are reasons, as shown in this thread.

 

[JLD]

Or who never bought any boat.

LOL, just because we might not have a boat listed in our signature doesn't mean we have never bought a boat.

It could mean that we don't have a trawler and/or don't want to share the info with the world.

Personally, I am on my third boat, a trailerable sailboat. In the past, however, had a 29' sailboat.

Will sell my trailerable boat and likely buy a trawler in next 18 months.

Not sure why the opinion of any other member of the forum, if provided in a civil way, should mean any less than any else's opinion.

Jim

 

[boathealer]

So you will be purchasing new with some options and new features?

No, some of the risky "innovations" I was referring to (I guess I am going into them anyway) were/are, IN MY OPINION, putting low-maintenance-cost 54hp engines in a 50,000lb boat, all full-size household appliances in the galley (incl. a 23cuft fridge), a non-traditional unsinkable hull design with less than 3ft of draft, hull thickness below the waterline of 1-1/2-2" of solid glass, fishtail rudder profiles, a massive 5ftx16ftx5ft "basement" for storage of just about anything, etc. all crammed into a 37ft easily lived aboard form factor.

Thanks for the engagement. I'll stop with my opinions now.....

 

[Scratchnsaw]

TF exposure is very small in the boating community. To expect a builder to communicate with a group of critics who have no intention of buying their products is not productive.

The list of experts and builders in this business who've stuck with TF is very short. There are reasons, as shown in this thread.

There are tons of lurkers to any and all forums. This includes this one too, gaining information that may work to their fancies. This happens in the one off market, with numerous small shop operations of a half dozen or so workers. So there are advantages to providing input to even the most snobbish outlets, where well known pedigree hulls fits right along with their snobby owners.

But there are potential boat owners that like the small operations, where they can customize a hull to fit their tastes and requirements in a possible layout. This is not for the mass audience and you see that with the small amount of boats that's produced every year. But this does not make the boats inferior though.

 

[MurrayM]

TF exposure is very small in the boating community. To expect a builder to communicate with a group of critics who have no intention of buying their products is not productive.

The list of experts and builders in this business who've stuck with TF is very short. There are reasons, as shown in this thread.

Yup. My attention as a builder would be towards past and serious potential owners. It would be a monumental waste of time to try and educate through online forums where some people are fully entrenched behind immovable dogma walls, and the same issues get debated ad nauseam.

 

[smitty477]

No, some of the risky "innovations" I was referring to (I guess I am going into them anyway) were/are, IN MY OPINION, putting low-maintenance-cost 54hp engines in a 50,000lb boat, all full-size household appliances in the galley (incl. a 23cuft fridge), a non-traditional unsinkable hull design with less than 3ft of draft, hull thickness below the waterline of 1-1/2-2" of solid glass, fishtail rudder profiles, a massive 5ftx16ftx5ft "basement" for storage of just about anything, etc. all crammed into a 37ft easily lived aboard form factor.

Thanks for the engagement. I'll stop with my opinions now.....

I think your approach is excellent.....
- avoid the risk of unknown delivery dates by purchasing used
- you have a well known existing boat/hull to sea trail
- you can secure the known boats performance yourself

I have owned a Yanmar diesel so perhaps you want to check on the thoughts or your powers maintenance. FWIW - I believe the hull on that model is well above the thickness you describe. Similar to many 80's types of all fiberglass hulls.

 

[smitty477]

TF exposure is very small in the boating community. To expect a builder to communicate with a group of critics who have no intention of buying their products is not productive.

The list of experts and builders in this business who've stuck with TF is very short. There are reasons, as shown in this thread.

FWIW - we would have the TT35 on our very short list of interested boats for purchase within a year or less - it seemed to meet our new search criteria very well. We have owned over a dozen larger powerboats in the past and just recently sold 2 larger ones that were also advertised here on TF.
Now with changing needs/wants this new concept was one that really interested us.
I cannot speak for anyone else but that is the case with us anyway.

 

[Fletcher500]

Yup. My attention as a builder would be towards past and serious potential owners. It would be a monumental waste of time to try and educate through online forums where some people are fully entrenched behind immovable dogma walls, and the same issues get debated ad nauseam.

Copy that.