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New (to the West Coast) boat line
Some very nice people in Seattle are introducing a boat at next week's Lake
Union show. I was invited aboard today, and it seems well turned out and conceived. These folks are becoming well known for importing brokerage yachts from Hong Kong, Australia, etc.....(and if you don't mind a long distance purchase and the freight expense, there seem to be a few eye-poppin' deals available). The Bruckmann Blue Star 36.6 Express Cruiser is the first Blue Star boat ever delivered to the Pacific Coast. 26 of the smaller 29.9's and 6 of the 36.6 have been delivered on the east coast since the trademark was estabished, just under 18 months ago. Unlike the E Coast boats, the boats sold out west will all have a bulkhead between the helm and the cockpit. Lines are similar to the lobster boat or "picnic boat" genre, with a higher than expected cabin top above the bridge deck. There is no "day boat" claustrophobia, as there are large windows and generous headroom. LOA is 36'6", beam is 13'2", displacement is 18,000 pounds. With twin 370HP Yanmar turbo diesels, the boat is supposed to be capable of 35 knots. I'll be doing an actual test on the boat in October. The Bruckmann family name is closely associated with high quality yacht construction. CEO Mark Bruckmann's father founded C&C sailboats. At just over 400 "boat bucks", the Bruckmann Blue Star isn't a bargain-basement special, but the quick, cursory exam I gave the boat today suggests that there is indeed some serious integrity and content to help justify the price. With the higher cabin top, aft bridgedeck bulkhead, and light open interior compartments the Bruckmann is different from stereotypical vessels of generally similar style. It will be ineresting to see how the public reacts to this boat at next week's show, but I suspect they may have a winner. There's probably a photo at www.IMMservice.com |
New (to the West Coast) boat line
That's a very pretty boat (to me).
Too bad the pic of it underway is when it's sucking the flag backwards, must be a big vacuum. Wonder if you're getting a diesel smell in the cockpit? I love the steps up to the side decks, the walkaround looks easy to accomplish. The layout looks perfect for the way we seem to do boating, living mostly in the cockpit area. I have a few questions for you if you get the chance: It appears as if there is no mid cabin, if not what is under that huge cockpit? Can the "open air" galley be closed up and remain functional? Does that make it hard to get down the companionway? No genset, heat or air? Would love to read a review of this for drooling purposes. |
New (to the West Coast) boat line
I have a few questions for you if you get the chance:
It appears as if there is no mid cabin, if not what is under that huge cockpit? A lazarette, and access to the stuffing boxes. Three teak hatches form the majority of the deck in the cockpit, so access is excellent. This is one of the areas I always check when first looking at a boat. You can get a quick but usually accurate first impression of the integrity of materials chosen and the professionalism (or not) of the build crew. Bruckmann looks pretty good. Can the "open air" galley be closed up and remain functional? Does that make it hard to get down the companionway? The boat in Seattle is laid out with the galley forward and below the bridgedeck. Some of it extends under the foredeck. Many of the windows in the superstructure are designed to be easily removed or opened almost entirely, and this could be what the literature means if it refers to an "open air" galley- an opening well above the galley work level. There is not likely to be much wind blowing through the galley, even uderway, but I can't say for sure until I get a chance to take a run in the boat. Probably in October. No genset, heat or air? We have some very deluxe boats in the NW without air conditioning. But most boats have heat. Because we don't have a pressing need for AC, we typically use diesel forced air or hydronic heat and our boats don't have the monster gen sets routinely found on the E coast. With a propane galley stove, a good battery bank, an inverter, and a willingness to remember that it's a boat, (not a hotel), it's not extremely unusual to boat in the NW without a genset of any kind. Would love to read a review of this for drooling purposes. |
New (to the West Coast) boat line
We have some very deluxe boats in the NW without air conditioning. But
most boats have heat. Because we don't have a pressing need for AC, we typically use diesel forced air or hydronic heat and our boats don't have the monster gen sets routinely found on the E coast. With a propane galley stove, a good battery bank, an inverter, and a willingness to remember that it's a boat, (not a hotel), it's not extremely unusual to boat in the NW without a genset of any kind. Ahh. I noticed the gel cells and the propane in the specs. I was going to mention that the battery banks looked quite thorough and well thought out. I was envious. From what I see I'm only seeing propane on the houseboats out here where the tanks can be stored on top of the house or otherwise outside somewhere. Everyone I know has electric stoves. Would love to have propane on my boat but a huge concern with the heavy gas, maybe I just have to learn more but it gives me the willys. Again out here it seems AC is the bigger thing if you're looking for installed upgrades. A space heater seems to do the trick if it's cool but to get the edge off a 35 degree Celsius night a blast of AC is the right prescription. Maybe it's an East/West coast thing. |
New (to the West Coast) boat line
Maybe it's an East/West coast thing.
It is! Some of our local builders actually have models that they refer to, often just internally, as the E Coast or W Coast package. The E Coast packages accent AC, so they typically use reverse cycle heating and cooling and need big AC generators. The W Coast boats almost never use AC, at least not north of some point in CA, and it's not uncommon to see new boats selling for $1mm or more around here without any AC at all. |
New (to the West Coast) boat line
The E Coast packages accent AC, so they typically use reverse cycle
heating and cooling and need big AC generators. Well now there's something I would never have known, isn't that interesting. Now are the West coast people from tougher stock or are they not getting those muggy mid/high 30s nights? (I think that's around 95F). Do you know if there are any other typical differences between West and East coast boats? |
New (to the West Coast) boat line
Paul wrote:
The E Coast packages accent AC, so they typically use reverse cycle heating and cooling and need big AC generators. Well now there's something I would never have known, isn't that interesting. Now are the West coast people from tougher stock or are they not getting those muggy mid/high 30s nights? (I think that's around 95F). Do you know if there are any other typical differences between West and East coast boats? There are a *lot* more aluminum pleasure and recreational fishing boats on the West Coast in the 20-50' range -- * * * email sent to will *never* get to me. |
New (to the West Coast) boat line
Now are the West coast people from tougher stock or are they not getting
those muggy mid/high 30s nights? (I think that's around 95F). In Pacific NW waters, we seldom see temperatures in the mid 90's, even in the middle of the day. A "hot" day around here is a temperature in the 80's. In 2003, we set a record for consecutive hot days; this is the first summer we have seen 50 or more consecutive days where the temperature rose above 70 degrees. I always run my diesel heater, (for at least a few minutes first thing on a chilly morning), several times in July and August. Opening a few cabin doors and windows brings in cool, sweet, ocean air on our rare muggy days, extremely preferable to running a gen set big enough to power 4-6 heat pumps. :-) And no, we're not tougher stock. Ask anybody who comes here in the summer from the central or eastern part of the country. When the temperature hits 85-90 degrees, most locals are bitching about the "heat"! It's always cooler down by or on the water. Conversely, it seldom freezes hereabouts. We often go an entire winter with *no* snow at all, but typically we'll get 2-3 dustings of a few inches. A major snowfall here is 18-24". Our rugged natives cannot deal with snow. At all. Schools and some government offices close when snow falls and sticks. Our normally horrific traffic becomes totally unworkable, since nobody gets any practice driving in the stuff and there's an accident every several blocks. (This has become worse since people started buying SUV's. They charge down icy side streets at 35-40 mph, the dumbcluck drivers completely assured by TV commercials etc that they don't need to modify their normal driving techniques because they have "four wheel drive"!) |
New (to the West Coast) boat line
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