Shearwater: A Nordhavn 64

By Ted McDermott

The Nordhavn 64 moored at the Chicago Yacht Club’s Monroe Harbor is gleaming white, clean like the soles of tennis shoes fresh out of the box. But while it may look untouched, this immaculate vessel certainly has its sea legs.

since delivery just 21 months ago, in September of 2006, this yacht’s owners, Scott and Pam Marks, have voyaged all along the Atlantic seaboard, from Boston to Charleston, from Hilton Head to the Bahamas. And their most recent trip was perhaps the most impressive—it brought them all the way from Stuart, Florida, around Nova Scotia, through the St. Lawrence Seaway, across lakes Ontario, Erie, Huron and Michigan, and finally here, to rest just before Chicago’s jagged skyline.

These lengthy trips would be arduous on most vessels, but it’s hard to imagine traveling in greater comfort than that offered aboard this 64-foot-6-inch trawler. From stern to bow, from the flybridge to the pilothouse, it is loaded with amenities.

On the aft deck, where my tour begins, there is a spacious and shaded dining area for six. The salon is wide and open, with enormous windows letting light in to brighten the African cherry paneling and warm the space. Seating is L-shaped to port and straight to starboard. Before each is a custom-built hydraulic table. These can be used individually or connected together to create a single dining table.

The full-size galley, which looks out on the salon, is equipped with an electric stove, rather than the propane one that comes standard, as well as granite countertops, a Sub-Zero refrigerator with two freezer drawers and an 18-inch dishwasher, among much else.

From here, we head down a hallway that is a modification from the traditional layout. Though it doesn’t differ too radically from Nordhavn’s standard configuration for the 64, the Shearwater was built to fit the exact preference of its owners. In this case, the hallway was added for convenience. Rather than having to go upstairs to the pilothouse and then descend, passengers can simply head forward to reach a pair of identical staterooms, each with twin berths and ample storage, on either side of the hallway. At the bow, there’s a well-designed head that features a surprisingly comfortable shower, considering the space.

Though you’d never guess, Shearwater’s master stateroom is a little narrower than those on a standard 64 due to the presence of the hallway. With its king-size bed and private head, it offers the luxury that makes extended cruising practicable.

Down a few steps, there is a fourth stateroom that is occupied by Shearwater’s two-person crew. Aft of that is an engine room that’s about as roomy as the living quarters on some vessels. Housed here is the main 400 horsepower, keel-cooled Detroit Diesel engine, as well as an auxiliary 350 hp engine.

They are both sturdy, powerful, efficient engines, but they aren’t designed for high-speed cruising. The max speed of the main engine is nine knots; the auxiliary gets around five. And that’s just the way Scott Marks likes it. When he went looking for a new boat four years ago, he wasn’t seeking a flashy sport boat. He was looking for a stable and efficient ocean-going vessel.

“I had owned a series of boats—both sail and power,” he says. “They were all nice, but up to this point they had been planing hulls, so I knew what that was like. . . . I’m retired now, so I could do without 20 knots. Going a smooth and comfortable nine knots sounded good, so I decided to go with a trawler.”

He was attracted to the stability of trawlers’ full-displacement hulls, and he was attracted to Nordhavn, in particular, due to the company’s reputation for building top quality yachts. He got what he wanted: “It’s met my expectations,” he says succinctly.

After seeing the engine room, we head up to the pilothouse. Located amidships for minimal motion at sea, it has excellent, 360-degree visibility and a bevy of Furuno electronics, as well as a Weather Worx satellite service, cell phone and wireless systems and three satellite phone systems for offshore cruising. From there, we go up to the equally impressive flybridge, with its supplementary helm, pair of captain’s seats, roomy dining area and wide vantage.

Down from the flybridge and aft of the pilothouse, a pair of covered tenders—one 14 feet in length and the other nine feet long—wait until they are needed with a hydraulic crane’s 20-foot boom prepared to drop them in the water at a moment’s notice. Here, Scott Marks also points out Shearwater’s “flopper stoppers,” a pair of hydraulic stabilizers that resist roll when the vessel is at anchor.

Stable, comfortable, efficient, powerful—these are the attributes that make Shearwater the kind of cruising vessel that is capable of bringing the Marks’ 1,150 nautical miles and excited to travel much further.

So, where is Shearwater heading next? For now, it is going to remain on Lake Michigan, taking off for short cruises throughout this summer. Over the winter it will be dry docked, and then, when the weather clears next spring, it will voyage out again for a long cruise around the Great Lakes. From there, it could go anywhere.

nordhavn.com

Coastal Cleanup

by Michele Capots

The sun is shining, the water is glistening: it’s a beautiful day on the lake. Or it is until you blow by a circle of trash floating in the water. Litter changes things, alters the scenery, especially for boaters who have a unique relationship with the water. Boaters see the debris up close and experience it first hand, and, thus, have a vested interest in the solution.

Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup provides a solution to the hazardous effects of trash in the water. It is the world’s largest volunteer event of its kind, and last year 378,000 volunteers in 76 countries removed six million pounds of trash. These efforts are vital to the health of our waterways.

Careless acts are affecting the health of our waterways and the ecosystems that rely on them. Trash in the ocean kills more than one million seabirds and 100,000 marine mammals and sea turtles each year through ingestion and entanglement. Reducing water pollution begins long before you step foot on the beach or dock.

A candy wrapper thrown on a city street in Lincoln, Nebraska that finds its way to a storm drain or river will ultimately reach the ocean. That’s why the International Coastal Cleanup is more than a one-day event—it’s a global movement. It’s a change in behavior that happens far inland. It’s the opportunity to make a difference in your own backyard and have a global impact at the same time.

The International Coastal Cleanup began 23 years ago with one woman walking along a Texas beach. Appalled by the amount of trash she saw, she orchestrated a beach cleanup. Within two hours, 2,800 Texans had removed 124 tons of trash from 122 miles of coastline. Since then, her vision has become a worldwide movement.

“Now more than ever, people are concerned about the environment and have an understanding of the increasing threats to our ocean,” said Laura Burton Capps, Senior Vice President for Government Affairs and Communications. “With that understanding is a hunger to be a part of the solution and contribute to a better future. Everyone has a personal responsibility to contribute to the ocean’s health. After all, trash doesn’t fall from the sky, it falls from our hands.”

Boaters, water enthusiasts, divers, parents, beachgoers, children, families—all are directly affected by trash. We notice it in the water, in parking lots, on city streets, and it’s harming our wildlife and polluting our ocean.

And it’s preventable.

Trash in the water is more than an eyesore; for boaters, it can be detrimental. For example, plastic bags floating in the water are dangerous if they enter the engine and cause it to overheat. On top of being an expensive repair, the boat will need to be towed. When the anchor gets caught in debris, it can be a nuisance for boaters; and jumping in for a swim is less attractive when you’re witnessing trash floating by. These experiences bring home first-hand the impact of our actions. The ocean is essential to the health of everything on the planet, including ourselves. It provides much of the air we breathe and absorbs over a third of the greenhouse gases we produce. Fundamentally, the ocean is the life support system for our planet.

But unless it is healthy and resilient, it can’t protect us. Abundant wildlife, protected ecosystems and sustainable fisheries are key to a strong web of life in the ocean. Harmful impacts are exacting a toll we can no longer afford to pay— overfishing, marine debris, pollutants, habitat destruction and global climate change. Two or more degrees of warming will devastate coastal communities, kill the world’s coral reefs and result in mass extinctions of marine organisms. Our ocean is sick. But there are things we can do both in our daily life and our boating life. Even the smallest strides make a world of difference.

The majority of trash in the ocean comes from land-based activities and careless behaviors. Following a few simple guidelines can go a long way.

• When you drop something, pick it up.
• At the grocery store, commit to reusable bags that are better for the environment.
• Recycle not just bottles and cans, but also newspapers, magazines, cereal boxes and other household items and electronics.
• When dining, ask for sustainable seafood options at restaurants and markets. Your voice may be the most valuable tool for improving conservation. Restaurant managers can help be a part of the solution by supporting responsible fishing.

While on the water, boaters can make a few simple adjustments to help the health of our waters.

• Minimize the amount of disposables you take out with you. For example, instead of five packets of cookies, provide one packet in a plastic container. It is best to look for reusable packaging.
• Have onboard a sturdy trash can with a lid that’s fastened to the boat.
• Make it a rule that nothing—not even peach pits, apple cores or banana peels—goes overboard. It’s not fish food.
• Use a separate container for all of your recyclables, plastic bottles, cans, etc.

They may seem minor, but these actions contribute to the health of the ocean.

A unique component to the Cleanup is data collection, which helps identify the behaviors that cause our pollution problem in the first place. Volunteers comb the beaches and waterways while filling in a data card, recording every piece of trash collected. This information is then sent back to the Ocean Conservancy, where it is used to produce an annual report that includes data available nowhere else.

The 2007 report showed that 57 percent of all trash was from shoreline recreational activities, 33 percent was from smoking-related activities, two percent was from dumping and less than one percent was from medical and personal hygiene activities.

This report serves as a snapshot of one day, one moment in time. It is a valuable tool when educating the public about the hazardous effects of trash in the ocean and can also be used to educate business, industry and government officials.

“This has been a longstanding situation that has made an impact on marine debris,” said Susan Shingledecker, Director of Environmental Programs, BoatUS Foundation. “The International Coastal Cleanup has a network around the world for boaters to plug into. The International Coastal Cleanup can only benefit and grow from boater involvement.”

This year’s International Coastal Cleanup will be held throughout the world on Saturday, September 20. To register, visit coastalcleanup.org.

Alpena's Advenshore

By Thomas Ludens

When you cruise toward Alpena, as you come along the northeast coast of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula and traverse the clear, cold waters of Lake Huron, you are not simply approaching a quaint town of some 12,000 people. You are passing over 160 shipwrecks and a veritable cross-section of maritime history.

That’s because when you cruise to Alpena, you can’t help but cross the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary. This 448-square-mile preserve is framed by the northern and southern edges of Alpena County, and its headquarters is right in the heart of town.

The Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center is an indispensable stop for any visiting boater. Housed in the former finishing plant of the Fletcher Paper Company, it is a great place to find out about all the shipwrecks your boat just passed over and to discover this area’s varied boating history. Known for extreme weather, treacherous waters and dense fog, this part of Lake Huron has claimed more than 200 ships over the centuries.

Since 1679, when LaSalle’s Griffon passed by Thunder Bay, countless ships have traversed the coast off of Alpena on their way to outposts at Mackinaw, Sault Ste. Marie, Green Bay and elsewhere. Due to its strategic location along shipping lanes, and because the bay and nearby islands provided shelter for vessels during inclement weather, virtually all types of vessels employed on the open lakes regularly passed along this important trade route.

The sanctuary and center contain examples of nearly all of these. From wooden schooners to early steel-hulled steamers, as well as several unusual vessel types besides, the collection reflects a long history of transitions in ship architecture and construction.

The center’s newest exhibit, Exploring the Shipwreck Century, puts Thunder Bay’s crowded lake floor on display. Special features include a floor to ceiling mural depicting a stormy Thunder Bay and a replica of the back section of the Cornelia B. Windiate, a schooner that sank in 1871 and now lies on the bottom of Lake Huron.

However, the shipwrecks are only one part of Alpena’s rich maritime history: equally important, and more accessible, are the lighthouses that dot the area shoreline.

To show off these beautiful and historical structures, Alpena hosts the annual Great Lakes Lighthouse Festival. The four-day event includes all kinds of activities and events. There are aerial, car and, of course, boat tours. There are performers, vendors, preservation groups, artists, authors and onlookers all in attendance. But though the event is centralized in Alpena, the “lights are on” from Tawas Point Lighthouse to Mackinac Bridge. So, if you time it right, you can cruise to or from Alpena from either the north or the south and follow the lights—and the festival—into town.

This year, the festival begins on Thursday, October 9, and ends on Sunday, October 12. The hub of the many activities is the Thunder Bay Recreation Center, which is located a bit north of downtown. A welcome party there will kick off the festival on opening night, and 75 vendor and exhibitor booths will be set up in the building throughout the weekend.

The number of events, tours and activities offered in this single four-day span is staggering. Helicopter tours, a provisional museum, an auction, presentations and concerts—this is a small sample of all that will be on hand. With so much, the festival draws visitors from all over and raises hundreds of thousands of dollars for lighthouse groups.

Whether or not your Alpena visit coincides with the festival, the lighthouses are worth seeing. You can do so from your own vessel, but the Middle Island Light Station Tours offer an excellent opportunity to get an up-close, guided look. These narrated three- to four-hour tours include a short boat ride, a nature walk, a viewing of restoration efforts and photo opportunities. Volunteers and visitors depart at 10:00 a.m. Saturdays and Sundays from May through October, weather permitting.

But while it does offer a wealth of historical-educational opportunities, Alpena is not some staid living-history museum. By car, it is centrally located on Michigan’s Sunrise Side Coastal Highway, a 200-mile stretch of US 23 that is graced with scenic views, undeveloped wild lands, spacious beaches and recreation areas for hiking, biking, cross-country skiing and snowmobiling. By boat, it offers an idyllic anchorage in a vibrant town on a stretch of sparsely populated shoreline.

Arriving here, you will likely want to moor your vessel at Alpena’s Municipal Marina, a warm and friendly port located on Thunder Bay. A full-service marina, it offers a maintenance/repair facility, a marina store, pump-out, gasoline and diesel. Transient slips can accomodate boats up to 60-plus feet in length, and the rate is approximately a dollar per foot. From June 1 through the Labor Day weekend, dockhands are available seven days a week from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Since the marina is located in Alpena’s Downtown District, it is only a short distance away from stores and restaurants.

Nestled between the shores of Lake Huron and the Thunder Bay River, the historic downtown contains some 200 businesses. On North 2nd Avenue, there’s Jerry & Mary’s Antiques and Collectibles, which offers everything from bear traps to more mundane fishing lures. On Chisholm Street, there is Cobblestone Bike and Vac, which sells unicycles and scooters too, and Take 5 Deli, which mostly sells sandwiches. Riverfest, which focuses on the area’s lumbering heritage, is held along the riverfront each summer; and Michigan Brown Trout Festival comes to the harbor itself.

This may be a small sample of Alpena’s downtown offerings, but it’s indicative of the quirky and charming diversity on hand. The retail, dining and entertainment options are great for a town this size, and more than ample for a visit.

Also downtown and very near the harbor, Bay View Park’s Fine Arts Shell hosts events throughout the summer. Between City Band Concerts, the True North Radio “Concerts in the Park” series and the Thunder Bay Arts Council Summer Concerts in the Park series, there are at least two performances each week, all summer long. The park also has basketball and tennis courts and play and picnic areas, making it a good place to stretch out after you’ve moored.
Just down the shore from there, you’ll find the life guard-supervised Starlite Beach. Farther down from that, you’ll come to Mich-E-Kewis Park. It has many standard park amenities—a swimming beach, volleyball courts, horseshoe pits—and it also has something a little less common: an area specifically designated for kite flying.

And north of downtown, on Johnson Street, the Besser Museum houses everything from a Picasso and a planetarium inside to a historic bank, church and school outside. With its eclectic collection of art, history and science objects and exhibits, it can satisfy a diversity of visitor interests.

If you come to Alpena without your boat, there are still plenty of opportunities to get out on the water. Canoes and kayaks can be rented and taken on a trail of shallow shipwrecks. Charter boats, both for angling and scuba diving, are easy to find—as are both the fish and the shipwrecks in this part of Lake Huron.

Onshore and off, above the waterline and well below, Alpena offers the opportunity for all kind of adventures—and as many accommodations.

alpenacvb.com

Campion Goes Green

by Thomas Ludens

If you were going to sum up boating in a single word, you could do worse than “independence.” Isn’t that what getting out on the water is all about? You leave the dock, and you leave the world behind. You start up your engine and head off to where there are no obligations, no responsibilities and, for an afternoon or a weekend, no worries.

Campion too could be summed up by the same word—only their independence is far less carefree than that of their users. The company is Canada’s largest independent boatbuilder, and it’s one of the world’s most ambitious.

They offer more than 37 high-tech models and 48 high-performance variations. They have express cruisers and runabouts, as well as luxury sport utility vessels. They offer sterndrives, outboards, sport cabins, bowriders and closed decks.

Without all of the red tape and overhead that can bog down a larger company, Campion remains agile. As a result, when customers (and potential customers) speak, Campion doesn’t just listen—they respond. Campion has the freedom to design and deliver the kinds of boats buyers want. What Campion boaters want, it seems, is value.

Of course, value means more than choice. It also means quality, which you’ll find in both obvious and hidden ways on every Campion boat. It means performance, which is impressive in every respect. It means style, which is simple and elegant on each of Campion’s many models. It means affordability, which Campion boats are known for. And it means innovation.

Campion is constantly pushing the limits, exploring new technologies and investing in research that will result in boats that are evermore exciting and satisfying to drive. This year, the 2009 model year, Campion is celebrating its 35th anniversary by pushing to the forefront of “green” boating technology.

With fuel prices as high as they are, boaters have been asking for greater fuel efficiency and alternatives that will allow them to continue cruising. Campion, from their beautiful home in Kelowna, British Columbia, has been listening. Their answer is the launch of their 2009 lineup.
The launch of these boats represents a bold step forward for Campion and some exciting new options for boaters.

Bio-Resin
Not long ago, Ashland Composite Polymers began looking for a boat manufacturer that would try using a newly formulated bio-based resin on their vessels. Ashland had invented ENVIREZ, and their first resin, ENVIREZ 1807 was formulated with soybean oil and corn-derived ethanol. That product was introduced to the market in 2003, when John Deere Corporation began using the resin in side-body panels for their farm equipment. New formulations by Ashland then expanded the uses for ENVIREZ resins, allowing their use in many applications.

When the company wanted to find a marine use for their product, they came to Campion. Excited at the opportunity, Campion picked two models that would serve as prototypes for testing application of ENVIREZ. The boats, Campion’s Chase 550 and 600, were made using ENVIREZ L 86300 T-22 bio-based resin in their hulls, liners and decks.

Typically, resins are made from polyester, epoxy or vinylester. This new bio resin contains 13 percent soybean oil and 12 percent corn ethanol, and is designed to provide high elongation and toughness properties that deliver the impact- and crack-resistant attributes desired by boaters. In addition to using ENVIREZ resin, Campion Boats also used Ashland’s LE series white gelcoat (WG-LE-2644) and the MP-series gelcoat for colors.

Recently, Campion tested two high-performance pleasure crafts produced with this technology. The results—both for the boats and the resin—were impressive.

“We are very excited to see ENVIREZ resin being used in these beautifully-designed speed boats,” said Jud Smith, vice president, Ashland Performance Materials, and general manager, Ashland Composite Polymers. “It’s extremely rewarding to see the efforts from Ashland’s research and development and the leadership at Campion Boats coming together to successfully field test this new ENVIREZ resin formulation.”

“First off,” said Brock Elliott, general manager of Campion Boats, “Campion was absolutely delighted to have been asked and ultimately chosen by Ashland to assist them with their research and development of this very intriguing new technology. Campion is always on the lookout for the best possible products available for constructing our high quality boats. As we see it, partnering with the Ashland team to develop the two test boats, the Chase 550 and Chase 600 models, has truly helped both Ashland and Campion to fully understand the characteristics and application processes of this new bio-resin.”

“Most importantly, we saw this as a ‘real world’ situation to prove the science behind the bio-resin and to give it an endorsement beyond the ‘lab’ tests. We strongly feel Campion can, and has, helped Ashland with moving this bio-resin product and project forward,” added Elliott.

822 Explorer
Last year, Campion introduced the new 822 Explorer. It came equipped with a full Alaska package that entailed a completely enclosed cabin, and it was powered by twin 250 Yamahas. A sturdy 30-foot vessel, it was meant to appeal to anglers who wanted added safety, protection and comfort. The boat was a hit. It was rugged in bad weather. It provided a safe working platform for tough fights with fish. It had a spacious mid cabin that was comfortable for family outings and extended runs.

Not only that, but the 822 Explorer also was an explosive vessel. Multiple tests showed a top speed of 54.8 mph at the high elevation of 1,132 feet at the company’s Kelowna facility. Comparable 30-foot mid-cabin cruisers typically peak in the mid-40s.

This big boost in speed gave Campion an idea: why not give buyers the option to drop down the engine size? The thinking was that users could still achieve the speed of the competition, while significantly reducing both fuel consumption and purchase price. So, in 2009, the 822 will be offered with a single Yamaha 350, as well as the standard twin 250s.

Equipped with a bimini hardtop for the first time ever, Campion expects that the single 350 horsepower engine will conserve fuel without compromising speed. A well-designed hull is integral to achieving that aim.

As Elliott says, “In our opinion, because of the high cost of gasoline, the days of the triple and quad outboard engines are limited, and the challenge is for boat builders to come up with a more fuel-efficient hull design that will work with less power.”

And Campion has such a hull design: the APEX. The product of relentless testing, this award-winning design technology actually expands the high-pressure zones on a V-bottom boat for faster planing and a more stable platform at high speeds. The source of the hull’s simultaneous strength and lightness is the Kevlar that’s laminated into the keel of the hull. When combined with the integrated fiberglass stringer system, you get a boat with a smooth, quick and efficient ride.

The 822 isn’t the first model Campion has experimented with to find ways of reducing engine power and improving efficiency. Tinkering with the Allante 825 model already has shown excellent results.

Typically, the 825 Allante sells in North America with the big block 496 V8 power of either 375 hp or 425 hp Merc or Volvo engines and in Europe with a Volvo diesel engine. One of Campion’s Australian dealers, however, has enjoyed great success selling this model with the Volvo 5.7 GXi Duo Prop. They have sold about five of these so far this year, and customer satisfaction has been high. According to reports, the boat performs extremely well with the modification, and the cost, with the smaller engine and reduced fuel consumption, is lower.

With such attention paid to reducing fuel consumption and maintaining performance, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Campion overlooked some of the attention to detail onboard. Fortunately, that isn’t the case.

The 822 is part of the Explorer Sport Utility line, and as such it’s built for the hardcore angler. From the toe rails that provide firm footing to the pad on the edge of the coaming, the design makes fishing from this boat safe and comfortable. The aft deck is uncluttered. Storage for fish, including an aerated bait tank, and room for equipment, including rods and gaffs, are well integrated throughout.

Built for even the worst conditions, there’s a non-skid deck surface, a wheelhouse that’s enclosed by a weatherproof door to block the elements and heavy-duty grab rails that line the ceiling and bulkheads. Then when you descend into the cabin, you find an aft queen size bed, a head with a shower, a settee that converts into a V-berth and a small galley area.

Twenty-Foot Outboard
Also newly introduced for 2009 are two brand new 20-foot outboards. (These are so new, in fact, that Campion doesn’t yet have photos available of them. Hence, the renderings shown to the right.) With these models, Campion is trying to fill a niche they think is just waiting to be filled: the 20-foot outboard bowrider.

“As we see it,” says Elliott, “the cost of inboard/outboard power is going to only increase with new regulations demanding catalytic converters to improve emissions. Also, many consumers do prefer outboards over I/Os.”

With that in mind, the company will unveil a 20-foot Allante equipped with a 175 hp Evinrude E-TEC and a Chase version with a 250 hp Evinrude E-TEC. Campion is also developing sport cabin versions in both the Allante and Chase models.

From top to bottom, Campion is rethinking how they design and build their boats. Not only are their vessels going green, but Campion’s factory also has gone lean. By reducing waste and increasing recycling, Campion is saving tens of thousands of dollars each year.

There’s a lot of talk and worry about fuel cost and environmental sustainability. But Campion, with its range of environmentally responsible innovations, is taking action. This independent company may have a lot of freedom, but it is also taking on a lot of responsibility.

campionboats.com