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Old 09-12-2021, 04:21 PM   #61
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Not to hijack this thread, but yeah, the overall build on their 43 is pretty nice. We were fishing around in the ceiling above the forward berth for a spring that had snapped off a light fixture (wifi inspection cameras are great for this). We both noted that even though the ceiling was hidden behind panels the undersize of the deck still had gelcoat finished surfaces. None of the usual raw side of fiberglass you might see in other boats.

What gets me about the 43 is the amount of space utilization on the boat. Three different seating areas capable of seating 6 adults comfortably.

Anyway, sorry for the sidetrack.
Agree, the 43 provides a lot of space for when we have our kids aboard. And when it’s just my wife and I it feels like a small house. The extra waterline and overall volume are also plusses when boating offshore so cal which can get snotty at times. I also run it solo fairly often as I am retired and my wife has another couple years to go, so she meets up with me at various points. I am currently on a 2 month trip, parked at an Island anchorage as I type this.
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Old 09-12-2021, 04:25 PM   #62
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Wifey B: No cameras? Can't imagine the last two years without webcams. Oh but you do have a camera on your phone.

Just curious as we've lived on cams both businesswise and personal wise during the pandemic, have you not communicated with others by cam at all? Not doctors or family?
I won't say never. But its been rare.

I do have an iphone. I might use the cam phone feature twice a year, when someone calls me that way. I do have it on a laptop I seldom use, because you can't find one without it. Yeah, I turn off Siri etc, but is that really off? I don't like it but there are limits of how crazy to get to avoid it.

I vastly prefer face to face, or phone. I have not been scared about the stuff of the past 2 years, and neither have pretty much everyone I know. But all is off topic here.
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Old 09-12-2021, 04:27 PM   #63
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We are getting the centerline cabinet stack counter in the faux granite material, and also the top of the cabinet next to the day head. Just a practicality judgement call.

I did ask for something I thought might be original and have to get it spec'ed out. But it's been done before. At the end of the island, a drop leaf to add counter space. That moves the cabinet door around to face the fridge.

You didn't mention swim platform staples. With your dingy back there you may not be getting them. I am. Dingy up top.

I am getting side access doors in the cockpit, but also amidships opposite the pilothouse doors. I want this boat to be user-friendly to singlehand so I want access options.

To that same point, I am getting not just stern thrusters, but a remote to use bow and stern thrusters. The remote is a cheap addition.

Towel bar handrails in the day head are not standard. I ordered it.

We are getting the ceasarstone on the centerline cabinet but not by the day head. I like the drop leaf. Will ask my wife about that. No staples, since a swim platform davit of some type. We have the doors by the PH for the same reason. Towel bars also. Will check on the remote. Thanks!
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Old 09-12-2021, 04:37 PM   #64
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I'm saying this one with a smile.

My wife is convinced she can find seating for the nook behind the island that will fit the two of us, so we can snuggle up together in a comfortable chair with a movie. I say no way can she find something big enough for us, but small enough for that spot. She is determined, so I'm not betting against it.

Either way, that's a purchase that comes after the boat is delivered
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Old 09-12-2021, 04:38 PM   #65
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Will you have a wifi hotspot on board? If so, which one? We also like to stream music and movies and the Alexa products are great.

I have been researching a network set up that integrates with the N2K network. I tentatively plan to use a Pepwave Max Transit Category 18 LTE router supplemented by a Peplink Mobility 7 in 1 Cellular and WiFi Antenna. Still researching but it appears to provide the opportunity for both cellular and wifi reception. There is also a Pepwave DUO router option that allows for two sim cards.

The nice thing about the Pepwave is that you can program it with a PC to place the reception choices in a hierarchal if you have limitations on the cellular.

All of the carriers have options but a little research is necessary to determine whether their Sims will work in the Peplink. Two websites have in depth discussions on this type of set up. Sea Bits and Panbo both offer possible solutions.

T Mobile now has the largest 5G network via their Sprint acquisition. It is really geographical question. Will change in different areas.
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Old 09-12-2021, 04:42 PM   #66
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I have been researching a network set up that integrates with the N2K network. I tentatively plan to use a Pepwave Max Transit Category 18 LTE router supplemented by a Peplink Mobility 7 in 1 Cellular and WiFi Antenna. Still researching but it appears to provide the opportunity for both cellular and wifi reception. There is also a Pepwave DUO router option that allows for two sim cards.

The nice thing about the Pepwave is that you can program it with a PC to place the reception choices in a hierarchal if you have limitations on the cellular.

All of the carriers have options but a little research is necessary to determine whether their Sims will work in the Peplink. Two websites have in depth discussions on this type of set up. Sea Bits and Panbo both offer possible solutions.

T Mobile now has the largest 5G network via their Sprint acquisition. It is really geographical question. Will change in different areas.
Everything you just said is pure Greek to me.

But you just volunteered to vet whatever I get, when the time comes. The pay for the engagement is free food and booze aboard, but you have to come east to collect it.
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Old 09-12-2021, 04:48 PM   #67
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You are going Furuno, I'm thinking Simrad. Its hard to find differences between the brands. All are pretty good from what I see. But Simrad seems to do the best with auto-routing in the autopilot. Not a big deal, but it is a point of differentiation. Also, I am kinda persuading myself on the value of forward looking sonar. That puts you with either Garmin or Simrad, and the Simrad version seems to be cleaner to read. I have yet to find the right dealer in the Kent Island / Annapolis area to work with and may just go with Scott's guy. When the time comes make final choices I really want to pick the brains of the right professional, and I just can't find that yet.

I am attending four days of workshops given by NMEA a week from now. The workshops focus on NMEA standards and electronics installations. I am working on the layout and will ask them to look it over for suggestions. I installed a new set up on the previous boat. Will probably do almost all of it myself on this boat. That area of boating is a hobby of mine. That, of course, does not make me a professional, by any stretch. Maretron has a layout tool that can be used to develop a base plan.
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Old 09-12-2021, 04:49 PM   #68
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Everything you just said is pure Greek to me.

But you just volunteered to vet whatever I get, when the time comes. The pay for the engagement is free food and booze aboard, but you have to come east to collect it.

That sounds like a deal!
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Old 09-13-2021, 12:40 PM   #69
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Modern version of Taiwanese trash

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I was notified last week that construction had begun on our Helmsman 38E.

The decision to go with Helmsman was one which occurred after a lot of study, a viewing of a Beneteau Swift Trawler 35, a visit to Seattle, and then La Conner to look at American Tugs, another well made boat. We also had multiple discussions with other owners of the three boats. (I thought it was funny that I ended up selecting a boat that has the same name as my handle here).

My boating history dates back to high school growing up on the lakes in NE Tennessee, and when our kids were in high school we owned pontoon boats and a Bryant run about (which we still use on the Tennessee).

After retirement on the Tennessee River, we bought our first larger boat, a Carver 33 SS which was actually 38'9" and later renamed the 35 SS, and then the 37 SS. We owned that boat for four years and sold it last year. We found that the boat was a great lake/river boat for us. We enjoyed it tremendously. Many great trips on that boat, and learned the systems and the right way to manage a larger boat.

But I tired of dealing with two engines, trannys, shafts, and props and since it was a 2006 (and a boat!), the inevitable fixes that would pop up from time to time. I guess it is partially my nature, but I would always do the repair on both engines. Pretty tight down below for an older big guy. I was also a little concerned about having gas engines.

The current state of the local marine service and repair outfits was also a continuing source of irritation for me. I repeatedly would have "the best marina", "the best mechanic", or the "best electrician" on the river provide a repair, and then have to go back and re-do the work myself. Four different repair events costing thousands of dollars at three different locations all involved significant rework after months of waiting on my "slot" at their location. One marina had six different issues to be addressed. One repair (replacement of a horn - hard to reach and advised by Carver not to put weight on the area around the windshield) was completed correctly, albeit the shoe prints on the area around the windshield showed that my caution about the windshield was ignored. The other five fixes had to be reworked. (One was a potentially dangerous electrical issue that was "fixed" in a way that made it more dangerous. I figured it out after a couple of months of study on boat electrical systems.)


Another consideration for us was that we would like to take the boat south to the gulf, and perhaps further. We liked the idea of a trawler, with its typically greater range, a diesel engine, and an inside helm, without giving up the fly bridge. We knew that a single engine and a greater range might cost us some speed, but after thinking through it, we decided that wasn't as big an issue as we thought it might be.

Our first visit was to look at a 6 month old Swift Trawler 35. At the time, we liked the idea of the speeds it would reach, and thought the layout looked good in pictures. Our visit was a little bit of a disappointment. The salon was much too narrow for us. One of the door handles fell off in my hand, and the floors were pieced and creaked when we walked through. I immediately had visions of the work needed to keep the boat in good shape. In discussions with a couple of owners, (very happy with their boats), they both mentioned that they had each had gel coat repairs in a couple of spots. Per one discussion, Beneteau evidently has a couple of people traveling the country fixing those. Beautiful boat, but just not for us and our use case.

Then we noticed the discussion group for Helmsman on this forum. The comments in regards to Scott Helker and the quality of the boats really struck a chord with us. We looked at the 38E and I was hooked immediately. (TVA has enacted a regulation that since 1999, dock owners are limited to a thousand square feet for their docks. That limits the footprint and knocked out anything over the 38E size for us.) My wife was a little more reserved, and wanted to visit one.

While we scheduled a trip out to Seattle to talk with Scott and Gary, I had some good conversations with a couple of owners. What struck me with the owners was their positive comments in regards to the quality and handling of the boat. With my history of the marine repair history at the home port, I really wanted a "simple" good quality boat. Once we were able to visit Seattle, talk with Scott, Gary, and Van, and two owners graciously allowed us to visit a 38E and a 43, my wife's reservations disappeared and we made the decision to purchase. The visit to American Tug in La Connor was also great! They build very nice, high quality boats. We like the lines of the Helmsman more though, and we really like the personal touch that Scott brings to the table. The ability to put custom touches on the boat was also very important to us. I will discuss the options we went with in the next post I make, if folks would like to hear them.
My view of these boats are that they are modern versions of the Taiwanese trawler. 4 to 5 decades later they’ve made some modern updates to that boat instead of being built in Taiwan they’re built in China . They gotten rid of the exterior teak and the screw down decks , otherwise are essentially the same boat. Early to mid 70s those boats cost about $50,000 . Now same boat is 500,000 with a single engine to keep cost down I’d much prefer a single anyways . It shows the value of dollar you could buy house for $50,000 , now that is $500,000, I guess the modern dollar is worth $.10 to a 1975 dollar , those Taiwanese trawlers have given me a lot of joy over the last four decades, I hope your new boat do the same for you . although I have to draw the line on discussing window treatments next thing you know your boat will be featured in the Martha Stewart living magazine
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Old 09-13-2021, 01:11 PM   #70
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My view of these boats are that they are modern versions of the Taiwanese trawler. 4 to 5 decades later they’ve made some modern updates to that boat instead of being built in Taiwan they’re built in China . They gotten rid of the exterior teak and the screw down decks , otherwise are essentially the same boat. Early to mid 70s those boats cost about $50,000 . Now same boat is 500,000 with a single engine to keep cost down I’d much prefer a single anyways . It shows the value of dollar you could buy house for $50,000 , now that is $500,000, I guess the modern dollar is worth $.10 to a 1975 dollar , those Taiwanese trawlers have given me a lot of joy over the last four decades, I hope your new boat do the same for you . although I have to draw the line on discussing window treatments next thing you know your boat will be featured in the Martha Stewart living magazine

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Old 09-13-2021, 01:17 PM   #71
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I was hoping for Architectural Digest personally! ��
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Old 09-13-2021, 02:21 PM   #72
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I purchased my 2018 H38E in February of this year. The boat was configured by the previous owners almost perfectly for my needs (they had taken it to Alaska), but I did make four changes to date. The first was adding solar. The boat came with a 1000AH house bank, and did not have a genset although it was pre-plumbed for one. I prefered to try solar first, and installed two 225 watt rigid panels, and so far they have more than covered my daily electrical needs at anchor. (There are times I don't even bother to plug in at marinas.) I am delighted to be able to get by without a genset. But note that this is in the PNW (no AC), that I have hydronic heating and a propane stove, and that my experience to date has been during the sunny summer months. Still, I have room for more solar on the pilot-house top should I need it, so I don't foresee a genset in my future.

The second change was adding a backup camera, as I intend to be single-handing a fair bit. But even with crew on board, I quickly came to appreciate the rear camera, especially in marinas with narrow fairways.
The third change was adding a robust (read: ear shattering) Buell duplex airhorn. I thought the standard (rather wimpy) horn might be ineffectual in situations when you really need to announce your presence or get someone's attention.
The last change was swapping out the Mantus M1 65# anchor that I inherited with the boat for a Vulcan 55#. (The reasons can be found on another thread.)
The one thing I would have done differently had I commissioned the boat was to take one of the two shore-power connectors and move it from the transom to the front of the boat (I believe Scott positions it near the starboard pilothouse door), which would make it much easier to plug in while docked bow first. (I think this is particularly useful on a boat without full side-decks.)

I love the boat, and feel fortunate to be able to count on Scott for advice and counsel.
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Old 09-13-2021, 02:54 PM   #73
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I purchased my 2018 H38E in February of this year.

The second change was adding a backup camera, as I intend to be single-handing a fair bit. But even with crew on board, I quickly came to appreciate the rear camera, especially in marinas with narrow fairways.

The one thing I would have done differently had I commissioned the boat was to take one of the two shore-power connectors and move it from the transom to the front of the boat (I believe Scott positions it near the starboard pilothouse door), which would make it much easier to plug in while docked bow first. (I think this is particularly useful on a boat without full side-decks.)

I love the boat, and feel fortunate to be able to count on Scott for advice and counsel.

Which camera did you install? Did you put it underneath the roof in the cockpit or out on the back of the fly bridge?



I can see where the 30 amp connection at the pilot house would make sense with bow in docking.
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Old 09-13-2021, 02:55 PM   #74
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I was hoping for Architectural Digest personally! ��

Here you go.

https://www.dezeen.com/2021/06/10/ch...ds-architects/


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Old 09-13-2021, 03:21 PM   #75
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Another new start for Helmsman

Congratulations from Eastern Canada to both new Helmsman owners. We are 5 months into owning our 14 year old Mariner 37 PH and love it. Everyone thinks it is a new boat as it is well built and has that "won't go out of style" look. Be prepared for lots of complements.
Things we did so far is to remove the electric cook top and install propane and install two large solar panels (700W) on the PH roof. Also installed 900 Ah of designated house batteries. This freed up the three existing batteries so one is designated for engine start and the other two for bow and stern thruster. ( I use the stern thruster more than the bow).
The only thing I don't like is the dropdown dish holder built into the ceiling. Would be better with a proper cupboard above the "L" shaped sink. Oh' well.
We come out for the winter in 3 weeks and look forward to next spring.
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Old 09-13-2021, 03:34 PM   #76
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Originally Posted by Two Truths View Post
I purchased my 2018 H38E in February of this year. The boat was configured by the previous owners almost perfectly for my needs (they had taken it to Alaska), but I did make four changes to date. The first was adding solar. The boat came with a 1000AH house bank, and did not have a genset although it was pre-plumbed for one. I prefered to try solar first, and installed two 225 watt rigid panels, and so far they have more than covered my daily electrical needs at anchor. (There are times I don't even bother to plug in at marinas.) I am delighted to be able to get by without a genset. But note that this is in the PNW (no AC), that I have hydronic heating and a propane stove, and that my experience to date has been during the sunny summer months. Still, I have room for more solar on the pilot-house top should I need it, so I don't foresee a genset in my future.

The second change was adding a backup camera, as I intend to be single-handing a fair bit. But even with crew on board, I quickly came to appreciate the rear camera, especially in marinas with narrow fairways.
The third change was adding a robust (read: ear shattering) Buell duplex airhorn. I thought the standard (rather wimpy) horn might be ineffectual in situations when you really need to announce your presence or get someone's attention.
The last change was swapping out the Mantus M1 65# anchor that I inherited with the boat for a Vulcan 55#. (The reasons can be found on another thread.)
The one thing I would have done differently had I commissioned the boat was to take one of the two shore-power connectors and move it from the transom to the front of the boat (I believe Scott positions it near the starboard pilothouse door), which would make it much easier to plug in while docked bow first. (I think this is particularly useful on a boat without full side-decks.)

I love the boat, and feel fortunate to be able to count on Scott for advice and counsel.
Thank you for your great advice. especially the solar panels remarks!
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Old 09-13-2021, 03:42 PM   #77
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If your thinking of solar on the PH roof, i had to remove the port/starboard running lights that were there and put them on each side of the PH cabin. I don't know if the Helmsman 38 still have them in this spot like my Mariner 37.
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Old 09-13-2021, 03:43 PM   #78
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sorry second picture is not my boat
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Old 09-13-2021, 03:44 PM   #79
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If your thinking of solar on the PH roof, i had to remove the port/starboard running lights that were there and put them on each side of the PH cabin. I don't know if the Helmsman 38 still have them in this spot like my Mariner 37.

Barrie,



The running lights are on top as you show in your second picture.



Thanks.
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Old 09-13-2021, 03:47 PM   #80
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Congratulations from Eastern Canada to both new Helmsman owners. We are 5 months into owning our 14 year old Mariner 37 PH and love it. Everyone thinks it is a new boat as it is well built and has that "won't go out of style" look. Be prepared for lots of complements.
Things we did so far is to remove the electric cook top and install propane and install two large solar panels (700W) on the PH roof. Also installed 900 Ah of designated house batteries. This freed up the three existing batteries so one is designated for engine start and the other two for bow and stern thruster. ( I use the stern thruster more than the bow).
The only thing I don't like is the dropdown dish holder built into the ceiling. Would be better with a proper cupboard above the "L" shaped sink. Oh' well.
We come out for the winter in 3 weeks and look forward to next spring.

Thank you. I like the color scheme on your boat. I would assume you don't have a gennie?
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