Greetings from Port Hadlock

[Northsea34]

I joined the forum back in the fall of '23 just before purchasing our '78 North Sea (CHB) tri-cabin, and have been gleaning great advice since. North Sea (also her name, given by the PO) has been under cover in Seattle most of her life, so is in remarkably good condition for an old gal.

I'll skip right to my question/idea, then fill in some details for anyone who wants to keep reading. While many of these boats have flybridge biminis, I've yet to see a picture of one with a cover over the aft cabin, either integrated or separate from the flybridge bimini. A friend made an aft cover that basically lays flat and hangs over the sides (with clear plastic windows) that can be walked on. But I'm envisioning a bimini top over the aft cabin that mounts to the side rails, the width of the boat over the side decks, tall enough to walk under between ladders, but maybe foldable/collapsible while underway. It would also be nice to have removeable sides and back for off-season protection. Has anyone seen anything like this or made something that provides some protection from the elements for the aft cabin and decks?

The forward and side decks, and both upper decks are in great shape, no leaking thanks to all those decades in covered slips which isn't an option in our Hadlock or Port Townsend marinas. The aft deck has some buckling, but not bad enough to rip out and replace (yet). There is a good cover for the flybridge that is quick and easy to put on and take off. I copied my friend's aft cabin cover with just a poly tarp (lots of holes and slits around the uprights) reinforced with Zip tape, an effective but short term winter solution. I plan to do the same thing with some better material at some point. We also made a "tent" out of good material that uses the lowered mast as a ridge pole (see picture attached). This worked great for a winter cover, but it is a bit of a hassle to take off and put on when we want to head out on day trips.

My wife and I are less than a month away from retirement and looking forward to cruising the Salish Sea and beyond. We hired our friend, Cody Patterson, to upgrade our entire electrical system this past winter, and he's currently installing a new windlass for us. I highly recommend him for any marine systems upgrades in the Port Townsend region. soundmaintenanceinc.com

This is a friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful community, and I'm looking forward to hearing your ideas and input.

Dave & Michele

 

[Bmarler]

I’ve got a dock neighbor with a similar boat, and he’s got an aft canvas that covers most of the aft cabin, but doesn’t go out to the rails. It just has your typical Bimini style top. There’s a connector piece to join it to the fly bridge top too, should that be necessary.

 

[Comodave]

Welcome aboard.

 

[JackConnick]

I’ve got a dock neighbor with a similar boat, and he’s got an aft canvas that covers most of the aft cabin, but doesn’t go out to the rails. It just has your typical Bimini style top. There’s a connector piece to join it to the fly bridge top too, should that be necessary.

I don't think you'd want it out to the rails as it's going to block access. I agree, a S/S frame would be better.

 

[Northsea34]

Thanks, Guru. If you have a chance to snap a pic of your neighbor's boat I'd appreciate it.

 

[Bmarler]

Thanks, Guru. If you have a chance to snap a pic of your neighbor's boat I'd appreciate it.

I’m away for a few days, but will try to remember when I get back.

 

[klee wyck]

Welcome to Port Hadlock! When I get out of the yard, I will be out at the end of ‘B’ on the end tie. Power cat named DOMINO. Stop by some time to say hello.

 

[Northsea34]

Will do. I'm in a patio slip at the end of E dock.

 

[hollywood8118]

Welcome to Hadlock, I have kept our boat there for 10+ years, but just sold ours this week. Great place, unless it's raining and then the long walk is less than pleasant. I'm going to miss the convenience of the 5 minute commute from home to the boat vs the 10 hr commute to our new boat.
Hollywood

Will do. I'm in a patio slip at the end of E dock.

 

[Northsea34]

Yep, we love Hadlock marina. Had our previous boat there for several years. Only 7 minute drive for us! Where's your new boat?

 

[Moonfish]

Welcome aboard! Cody is a good guy, very well connected in our community, too.

I don't see why you couldn't (given enough money to throw at it) have a cover manufactured for the aft section of your boat that goes out to the rails. Our aft deck and side decks are covered to the rails, albeit with substantial built-in supports. With the right engineering you could do something similar with a stainless framework. I would think that you might want it retractable to some degree, though. Or at least have the canvas portion easy to remove in the case of a bad blow.

 

[Northsea34]

Thanks for your input, Moonfish. I'm already thinking more along the lines of a larger aft tent with a boom for the ridge pole, mounted high enough on the mast to allow the canvas to drape over the top of the ladder rails so it doesn't have to be full of holes. The problem then would be to divert rain water draining off the sloped flybridge cover. Maybe a gutter mounted under the overhang on the rear of the house? Obviously it can't stay up while underway, but it'd be easier and quicker to throw up then the system I've been using.

 

[Bmarler]

Here’s the dock neighbor I was referring to. He basically has a full enclosure, or used to anyway. The aft side curtains are missing, and the flybridge top has been furled for a while. The aft cabin top is up in this picture. The next bow forward is the connector (furled) between the flybridge top and the aft cabin top. Most forward bow is the furled flybridge top.
He has everything mounted on top of the railings on the aft cabin and bridge as you can see.

 

[Northsea34]

Thanks for the picture. My idea isn't seeming too feasible so I'll keep scheming on cover solutions.

 

[StarBright]

Dave & Michele - I believe I know your boat... When I went to UW back in 1977-80, I lived in a trailer on a RV sales lot owned by Carl North called North Country RV. Carl bought a brand new 34' Taiwan trawler which by coincidence was a North Sea in about 1978. Me being an RV mechanic I got to do some of the maintenance and then installed a genset during my time there. And Carl being the great guy that he was, took me along up to Campbell River/River's Inlet for 10 days of fishing when I graduated in 1980.

With all those North's in the names it has to be the same wonderful boat. That was my first taste of the Salish Sea, 48 years ago, and I have fond memories of riding the flybridge (no bimini then) in the worst/best weather ever.

 

[Northsea34]

Thanks for that little piece of early history. It does seem likely it's the same trawler since, as far as I know, it was located in Seattle until I purchased her. And my Google searches don't come up with any other "North Sea" tri-cabins like this one, although there are plenty of identical Marine Traders. (My surveyor was convinced it was a Marine Trader, and he's probably right, despite the little name plaques inside like the attached photo).

Here's another fun small world story. When we were thinking of purchasing, the owner gave us a big stack of notebooks and binders full of receipts, manuals, repair notes, and some hand written travel logs going back to the '80s to look through. While perusing I kept coming across the last name Foley on a lot of the paperwork, including the logs describing cruising with family to the San Juans and around Puget Sound. Just out of curiosity, I sent a text to a former colleague with the same last name, whose family is from Seattle, along with a picture of the boat, asking if she perchance knew these Foleys. She called me immediately, and was delighted to inform me that, indeed it was the same trawler her husband's parents owned throughout the '90s and early '00s, and that her kids had spent summers growing up cruising with grandma and grampa Foley.

Back in those days the boat's name was Jo Jo II. Do you have any recollection of what Carl North named her?

 

[StarBright]

If I remember correctly, and it has been awhile, it was definitely a North Sea Trawler and he named it North Country. It most likely came out of the Marine Trader factory with a different name/tag/brand just as your surveyor surmised. I'll be cruising to Port Townsend and San Juans in July so will try to get a look at it when we go by - got some good memories of a North Sea Trawler and I don't believe there are many out there...so yours is probably it and a great boat it is.

 

[Northsea34]

That's fun to hear, thanks. Let me know when you're cruising through and I'll let you know if we'll be around. Where's your home port?