Another new start for Helmsman

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NSM said:
... working towards a 1kw solar set...
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NSM how are you thinking of getting 1kw of solar on your boat? How many panels and how might you arrange them?

We are looking at 3 x 225w panels on the pilot house but haven't come up with how to add more.

Rick
 
Nancy and Rick said:
NSM how are you thinking of getting 1kw of solar on your boat? How many panels and how might you arrange them?

We are looking at 3 x 225w panels on the pilot house but haven't come up with how to add more.

Rick
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I have a 225 panel on my ranger tug and it’s not that big. I asked them to check into three larger panels. I haven’t measured yet but I suspect a 300 or 350 watt panel is available that will fit the space. Haven’t solved it yet but I think we’ll get close.
 
Helmsman said:
Well, the boat is progressing with the finish on the interior moving along. As most folks know, the progress on all boat builds has been slowed with the supply chain issues, so we now expect that the boat will arrive later in the year. Here are some snapshots of the boat as of a week ago or so. The finishes are beginning to take on the well known quality of the Helmsman products!

One of the areas we needed to decide on a couple of months ago was the AC electrical capacity on the boat. We settled on the two 30 amp feeds, which is standard, as opposed to a 50 amp feed. That will provide 7,200 watts of power as opposed to the 12,000 watts a 50 amp would provide. With no 220 volt appliances, we went with the 30 amp in order to get the two Victron shore power isolators, which is also standard. This will provide some protection from the trips people are experiencing due to the upgrades to elci breakers at pedestals.

While there are 50 amp isolators available, they are much heavier and bulkier. I had the same setup on a previous boat, and it wasn't much of an issue. Power management is always a variable on a boat.
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Beautiful! Thank you for sharing can’t wait to see ours at that stage!
 
Helmsman said:
Thank you, Nick. Scott suggested it when we were trying to decide. We really like it. The lighter gray should hold up well against the sun.
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We went back and forth between Kingston Grey and Pastel Blue. It's very hard to pick a color for a boat just from tiny little pictures or color samples on the internet. An image on a screen can't capture what it really looks like in person.

We went with the Pastel Blue, though still think the Kingston Grey will, as you said, hold up better against the sun. Wish we could have seen boats in those colors in person.
 
Nick14 said:
We went back and forth between Kingston Grey and Pastel Blue. It's very hard to pick a color for a boat just from tiny little pictures or color samples on the internet. An image on a screen can't capture what it really looks like in person.

We went with the Pastel Blue, though still think the Kingston Grey will, as you said, hold up better against the sun. Wish we could have seen boats in those colors in person.
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I really like the pastel blue. If I were considering a decision today, I think I would do the stripe like the 43 in the boat test video. It just seems to really set it off. But, we are happy with what we went with.
 
Grey will be great camoflage in the fog. I remember about 30 years ago, grey became popular with some sailboat manufacturers. Now when I see one they look very dated. Dark colors are harder to maintain, but may increase resale 10 years from now. Nobody knows for sure, just an opinion.
 
backinblue said:
Grey will be great camoflage in the fog. I remember about 30 years ago, grey became popular with some sailboat manufacturers. Now when I see one they look very dated. Dark colors are harder to maintain, but may increase resale 10 years from now. Nobody knows for sure, just an opinion.
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The deck and superstructure is white.

One of the caveats about darker colors is that gel coats are much tougher to maintain. I have that problem on a run about we own. Our experience with that boat has caused us to steer away from darker colors on boats.

I suppose it is an eye if the beholder thing.
 
Helmsman said:
The deck and superstructure is white.

One of the caveats about darker colors is that gel coats are much tougher to maintain. I have that problem on a run about we own. Our experience with that boat has caused us to steer away from darker colors on boats.

I suppose it is an eye if the beholder thing.
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backinblue said:
Grey will be great camoflage in the fog. I remember about 30 years ago, grey became popular with some sailboat manufacturers. Now when I see one they look very dated. Dark colors are harder to maintain, but may increase resale 10 years from now. Nobody knows for sure, just an opinion.
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I love the look of classic Navy Blue or Forest Green for a hull. We've owned several of both. I've experienced first-hand just how fast they fade and need to be painted.

Despite being beyond obsessive-compulsive, and waxing the hull 3 or 4 times a year (yes, every other month), I've never been able to get more than 4 years out of a dark gelcoat hull before it faded to the point that I thought it needed to be painted (or a deep compounding that was only a very temporary band-aid).

Maybe others are luckier than I've been, or live in cloudy climates (like the PNW) where a dark hull might last longer. The only way I could imagine a dark hull lasting 10 years was if it was painted at some point along the way. The cost of a good paint job might outweigh any potential increase in resale value.
 
You bring up a good point about paint. Seems like most dark hulls today are painted not gelcoat. Does Helmsman not paint because of the added cost or is it an option?
 
The inside work is moving along on the boat. The finishes are rounding into place. The attached pictures show the amount of storage space in the galley and the forward part of the salon. That was a big issue for us on our former boat, a 2006 Carver. We really like the amount of storage available. One thing my wife brought up was where to place a galley trash can. Would like to hear what others have done.



One thing we debated was closing up the forward berth "magazine racks" above the bed, and instead making them cabinets. Still not sure whether we made the right decision there and certainly something for folks buying one of these boats to consider. I never ran it by the folks at Helmsman but seems like it would work.



Anyway, the boat seems to be coming together more quickly now. Perhaps the supply chain issues are easing now.
 

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We plan to put two slim cans (one for trash and one for recycling) under the sinks in the galley.
 
We too went with the owners cabin layout, as shown in the montage video.

I looked at every variation pic and video out there, but came to the conclusion Helmsman nailed it with that layout.

For me a part of the equation is being visually open vs closed and cramped looking. That's a tricky balance in a forward cabin that can quick feel closed in.

You are ahead of me (again) on trash can location. I just figured we would find cans that would fit under the sink, but have given it no more thought than that.

Its looking good. You have to be feeling good about this.
 
FWT said:
We too went with the owners cabin layout, as shown in the montage video.

I looked at every variation pic and video out there, but came to the conclusion Helmsman nailed it with that layout.

For me a part of the equation is being visually open vs closed and cramped looking. That's a tricky balance in a forward cabin that can quick feel closed in.

You are ahead of me (again) on trash can location. I just figured we would find cans that would fit under the sink, but have given it no more thought than that.

Its looking good. You have to be feeling good about this.
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Yes, we are. We have bought our electronics and have them stored. Still need to get on a 38e and measure some things, so that we can make some final purchases and have everything we need to finish outfitting the boat.

Adding cabinets there would not be worth much space with the hull angle. Probably would not be too useful.

It has been a tough year for producing anything. I appreciate the amount of work with all the workarounds it takes to get a project completed. My background was in the supply chain area. I am hearing that the issues that industry is dealing with in that area are improving slowly, but improving.
 
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Helmsman 38 / Mariner 37 Day head question

New question and hopefully this will hit all Helmsman 38 and Mariner 37 owners.
So our boats come with this nice day head which also includes an engine room hatch. Does anyone use it? I have never opened it since buying the boat. I always use the floor hatches in the pilot house.
Also the area above the engine hatch has a mirror on the wall but this whole area at the back of the "day head" is pretty much a waste of space. Has anyone gotten creative and put in shelves or a cupboard?
Have any of the new boat owners had this discussion with Scott?
Any thoughts. thanks
Barrie
 
Barrie said:
New question and hopefully this will hit all Helmsman 38 and Mariner 37 owners.
So our boats come with this nice day head which also includes an engine room hatch. Does anyone use it? I have never opened it since buying the boat. I always use the floor hatches in the pilot house.
Also the area above the engine hatch has a mirror on the wall but this whole area at the back of the "day head" is pretty much a waste of space. Has anyone gotten creative and put in shelves or a cupboard?
Have any of the new boat owners had this discussion with Scott?
Any thoughts. thanks
Barrie
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Barrie, if a 38e owner wants a Splendide washer/dryer combo, that is generally where people put them. We opted not to, but will keep that space available for a couple of years until we determine whether we want to add one. I have seen the Splendide put in the bilge under the salon also.

I am not sure yet how we will use that engine room access door. We will almost certainly use the space for temporary storage to begin with. I am also looking forward to comments from others as to how they will use it. Have attached a picture of a Splendide in that opening.
 

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We put an apartment size washer in the space in front of the small access door, and the day head became a laundry area. Strong curtain rods were temporarily installed and used to hang clothing for drying overnight while we slept. Worked out perfect on our Alaska cruise.
 
chanprr said:
We put an apartment size washer in the space in front of the small access door, and the day head became a laundry area. Strong curtain rods were temporarily installed and used to hang clothing for drying overnight while we slept. Worked out perfect on our Alaska cruise.
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Interesting! How did you plumb it?
 
Attached the water hose feed for the washer to the end of the hand spigot after removing the strainer. The fittings for connecting the inlet hose and the hand spigot are available at any large hardware store. The waste water tube was looped and put in the sink, attached to the handle of the spigot . It looks a bit messy but works fine. When finished washing, disconnect and hang the hose ends in the washer. I estimated that the shortest wash cycle used less than 6 gallons of fresh water and clothes were very clean. The washer was a RCA apt model bought at Lowe’s. Sorry I never took a photo of the setup in the day head.
 
chanprr said:
Attached the water hose feed for the washer to the end of the hand spigot after removing the strainer. The fittings for connecting the inlet hose and the hand spigot are available at any large hardware store. The waste water tube was looped and put in the sink, attached to the handle of the spigot . It looks a bit messy but works fine. When finished washing, disconnect and hang the hose ends in the washer. I estimated that the shortest wash cycle used less than 6 gallons of fresh water and clothes were very clean. The washer was a RCA apt model bought at Lowe’s. Sorry I never took a photo of the setup in the day head.
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Thanks. Seems like a good short term solution
 
Its partially off topic, but partially on topic, so I'll throw this out there.

I have wondered about a very different layout of the salon, that I did not pursue much in my own mind or at all with Helmsman. We have all seen galley layouts on other boats that are against the bulkhead separating the salon from the pilothouse. In this case that would be to port side. This can't be done on a H38 / H48 because of the dayhead. So, I was wondering if giving up the dayhead entirely was worth it? That would enlarge the engine room below. The space where the fridge sits now should be able to accomodate a stacking washer and dryer. I would think there would significant additional space opened up for recliners and the like. The entire idea hinges on the importance of the dayhead, and use of the convertible settee as berths. Since the H43 has a second cabin, its an idea that may be more appropriate for that boat than the H38.

For what its worth.
 
FWT said:
Its partially off topic, but partially on topic, so I'll throw this out there.

I have wondered about a very different layout of the salon, that I did not pursue much in my own mind or at all with Helmsman. We have all seen galley layouts on other boats that are against the bulkhead separating the salon from the pilothouse. In this case that would be to port side. This can't be done on a H38 / H48 because of the dayhead. So, I was wondering if giving up the dayhead entirely was worth it? That would enlarge the engine room below. The space where the fridge sits now should be able to accomodate a stacking washer and dryer. I would think there would significant additional space opened up for recliners and the like. The entire idea hinges on the importance of the dayhead, and use of the convertible settee as berths. Since the H43 has a second cabin, its an idea that may be more appropriate for that boat than the H38.

For what its worth.
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A variation of that is what John (N4061) did. However he moved the galley to port, and put his W/D where the fridge normally is. That resulted in his fridge being a smaller cu ft version, which would be a no go for me. However, he wanted to keep the engine room access door.

Giving up the day head would provide room for a kitchen design against the wall, but the narrow space available along the port side where the day head is would not be very conducive to adding appliances there, except for perhaps a 9.0 cu ft fridge tucked back there. That would provide more space within the engine room.
 
Yep. Aware John did that which is the source of the idea. A single undercounter fridge isn't enough for me either.

But this pic of a Selene 45 is more what I had in mind. Which again I doubt would fit well in a H38. H43 maybe. But a different thing where the dayhead has value is backup. If one goes out you have another.

S45-Galley-01.jpg
 
FWT said:
Yep. Aware John did that which is the source of the idea. A single undercounter fridge isn't enough for me either.

But this pic of a Selene 45 is more what I had in mind. Which again I doubt would fit well in a H38. H43 maybe. But a different thing where the dayhead has value is backup. If one goes out you have another.
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Couldn’t you achieve the same by increasing the length of the “island” that juts out into the salon on a 38E, and perhaps making the U formed by the fridge and the island a little “skinnier” without eliminating the day head?
 
I didn't go anywhere with the idea because it had plenty of downsides.

But the idea was to get a washer-dryer into the salon area. So where?

John swapped the kitchen over to port, while the latest variants kept it to starboard with a very long run of cabinets. I suppose one could use that undercounter space with some number of drawer unit fridge and freezer units.

But like I say, it wasn't an idea I went anywhere with.
 
FWT said:
I didn't go anywhere with the idea because it had plenty of downsides.

But the idea was to get a washer-dryer into the salon area. So where?

John swapped the kitchen over to port, while the latest variants kept it to starboard with a very long run of cabinets. I suppose one could use that undercounter space with some number of drawer unit fridge and freezer units.

But like I say, it wasn't an idea I went anywhere with.
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I got you. Just thinking through the idea.
 
FWT said:
Its partially off topic, but partially on topic, so I'll throw this out there.

I have wondered about a very different layout of the salon, that I did not pursue much in my own mind or at all with Helmsman. We have all seen galley layouts on other boats that are against the bulkhead separating the salon from the pilothouse. In this case that would be to port side. This can't be done on a H38 / H48 because of the dayhead. So, I was wondering if giving up the dayhead entirely was worth it? That would enlarge the engine room below. The space where the fridge sits now should be able to accomodate a stacking washer and dryer. I would think there would significant additional space opened up for recliners and the like. The entire idea hinges on the importance of the dayhead, and use of the convertible settee as berths. Since the H43 has a second cabin, its an idea that may be more appropriate for that boat than the H38.

For what its worth.
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I was looking at the 46 layout images on the Helmsman web site. The layout is similar to what you described and is worth a look.

The link is below for those that haven’t visited the site.

https://www.helmsmantrawlers.com/helmsman-trawlers/46-pilothouse/
 
Our 46 is under construction with a completion date of May 2023. She will be hull #1. We opted for the alternate lower deck design. The large second stateroom will be an office/craft room, with additional storage. Scott and Van were instrumental in planning the new build. Today, our 2020 38E was sold with their generous help as brokers. Our 38E is Alaska proven. We completed the cruise earlier this summer, a round trip of 2711 nautical miles in 72 days. Plan to go back to BC and SE Alaska in 2024 in the 46. Beautiful country, endless anchorages, and abundant wildlife. Let me say again, Waterline is a top class outfit. You couldn't wish for more expert and experienced boaters and brokers. On top of that, their 38E's are extremely well designed, well built, with exceptional quality, fit and finish. Our 46 will be the same.
 
chanprr said:
Our 46 is under construction with a completion date of May 2023. She will be hull #1. We opted for the alternate lower deck design. The large second stateroom will be an office/craft room, with additional storage. Scott and Van were instrumental in planning the new build. Today, our 2020 38E was sold with their generous help as brokers. Our 38E is Alaska proven. We completed the cruise earlier this summer, a round trip of 2711 nautical miles in 72 days. Plan to go back to BC and SE Alaska in 2024 in the 46. Beautiful country, endless anchorages, and abundant wildlife. Let me say again, Waterline is a top class outfit. You couldn't wish for more expert and experienced boaters and brokers. On top of that, their 38E's are extremely well designed, well built, with exceptional quality, fit and finish. Our 46 will be the same.
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Congratulations! That's going to be one helluva boat.
 
chanprr said:
Our 46 is under construction with a completion date of May 2023. She will be hull #1. We opted for the alternate lower deck design. The large second stateroom will be an office/craft room, with additional storage. Scott and Van were instrumental in planning the new build. Today, our 2020 38E was sold with their generous help as brokers. Our 38E is Alaska proven. We completed the cruise earlier this summer, a round trip of 2711 nautical miles in 72 days. Plan to go back to BC and SE Alaska in 2024 in the 46. Beautiful country, endless anchorages, and abundant wildlife. Let me say again, Waterline is a top class outfit. You couldn't wish for more expert and experienced boaters and brokers. On top of that, their 38E's are extremely well designed, well built, with exceptional quality, fit and finish. Our 46 will be the same.
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Congratulations on your 46! Exciting. The renderings on the Helmsman website look fantastic. It looks like an awesome trawler. I like your choice of the office setup. I really like the galley layout, too.

I am not familiar with boating in the PNW. What is the season for traveling to Alaska?

When you get a chance, if you haven’t already, check out the 43 at Boattest.com . In the video you will see one with a gray stripe that I think looks really good. What are you doing for the exterior colors? Will it have a hard top? The rendering looks like a hard top, so I wondered about that.
 
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