Another new start for Helmsman

[rslifkin]

I made the mistake of locking her in the forward stateroom so she would not be underfoot as we pulled away from the dock.

Our usual trick is to keep the dog contained in the helm area, and let him drag a short leash around from his harness. Once I head for the helm, I take him with me and sit on the leash so he stays next to me and out of the way until the admiral is done with lines, fenders, etc. Same thing coming into the dock, I keep him next to me until I have to leave the helm (at which point he's still blocked from getting out onto the side decks and being in the way).

 

[Hydraulicjump]

Yep. In retrospect, that would have been the better option. When we started the engine we literally thought she was going to jump off the boat. One can only imagine what is going on in the peanut brain she has, but it surely had to do with something akin to “the beast below has awakened and I should get the hell out of here”. Good advice and we will use it next time we work on acclimating her. The other dog is a lump of goo and could care less as long as there is kibble twice a day.

 

[FWT]

For lower clearance areas, I've wondered what some of the Helmsmans would look like if you went the opposite route. Just shave the flybridge and arch off entirely, and leave the big roof open for dinghy storage, solar panels, radar mounting, etc. Of course if you keep a dinghy up there, you'd need to elevate the radar a bit to get above it, but without a flybridge you don't have to get it a full person-height off the deck.

Maybe something about that might appeal to some, but you don’t NEED more air draft reduction than you can get by lowering arch or mast. At least to do the Loop or other low bridges I’m familiar with.

 

[rslifkin]

Maybe something about that might appeal to some, but you don’t NEED more air draft reduction than you can get by lowering arch or mast. At least to do the Loop or other low bridges I’m familiar with.

True. I was thinking along the lines of lower air draft precluding any kind of significant weather protection up top, so I'd be less inclined to use the flybridge. At that point, extra space for solar panels, etc. might be more useful as long as you can open up enough doors / windows in the pilothouse for ventilation.

 

[FWT]

Got it. Point taken. So the specific alternative use of space and need for that would come into play.

To me the 38 as-is, is a design package that just works. The pieces of the design work together well. Where I am going with that is this: it has no side decks, with that space used in the cabin to provide unusual roominess for 38 LOD. But, side fenders get hung from upper rails, easily accessible. Mess with eliminating a fly bridge and you would likely move to eliminating upper rails. Now you have created a tough problem.

Your idea would work better on one of the sedan models recently announced, with side decks.

At that point I’d say you no longer have a 38 fly or sedan, but something else that shared the same hull.

 

[Phyrcooler]

I am curious.

Would a hardtop be hinged at the attachment to the arch? So that it could all pancake or scissor down as the arch is hinged down to lower the air draft?

Or does it become a fixed combo arch and hardtop, giving up the ability to lower it all?

That was my initial thought/question as well, as The Loop is in my bucket list. There’s “That bridge!” that limits one’s air draft to 19’ 6”. I really like a hard top vs. a canvas bimini. Better strength in a blow, not UV and wear susceptible, more space for solar. I’m sure some sort of pivoting system or way to reduce air draft could be worked out. However, on the flip side, I’m curious about the added weight up high, which contributes to greater roll. The other common issue I’ve noticed with quite a few hard tops is they tend to be designed/built ridiculously high - apparently to provide headroom for 7’+ boat owners! Once you add canvas and poly clears to the side, they contribute significantly to windage. Always trade-offs!

 

[NSM]

The initial renderings Scott sent me show 79” for the hard top. I’ll be fine, but my younger brother will be skimming the top. He’d have to duck under the arch too so not really a big deal.

And as a PNW and west coast kind of guy I don’t have to worry about air draft. If I do bring the boat east it will be on a ship to the Mediterranean. I’m thinking a year or two exploring the med would be great fun on this boat. And the hard top there would be a bonus.

 

[FWT]

Weight and windage. Both great points.

It occurs to me: I can’t wait until mine arrives and I can personally assess it all from experience on this boat.

?

 

[Two Truths]

So far, in the two years we have owned our H38, we haven’t used the FB that much, for all the reasons familiar to PNW cruisers. Having a comfy, warm, and dry place from which to drive the boat was one of the reasons we went from sail to power for the PNW. However, the times we did take advantage of the weather and drove from up top have been magical and memorable. You can take full advantage of the spectacular scenery and, just as important, we love the quiet. Having a FB was not on my list of must haves when we bought our Helmsman, but it would be now.

 

[Delta Riverat]

We love the fly bridge here in the Delta, changes the whole boat ride as you are now well above the levees and can see the miles and miles of rich farmlands all around.

Of course the weather helps too -

 

[Hydraulicjump]

Have to admit, when we had our Ranger Tugs 29CB and kept it in San Francisco, our trips in the summer into the Delta were made magic by driving from the command bridge. That and cocktail hour at anchor. Nothing beats easy access to the top of your boat so you can be "king of all you survey". But especially in the Delta because you see how vast the "islands" are, even though many are 25' below sea level.

But I have found over the years that the flybridge v no-flybridge debate in the PNW to be right up there with batteries, toilet systems, Starlink v cell, two v one engine, paper charts v electronic, power v sail (motor boats with sticks I call them because they never seem to have a sail up), anchors (!!!), davits, snubbers, electric v propane stoves, dinghies, generator v solar panels, etc. etc. etc. Each to his own choice and none of them are wrong.

We love our Helmsman flybridge. Even the dog who is learning to handle the boat loves to run up one set of stairs to the flybridge and down the other stairs to do laps on the deck. Can't do that on many other boats. I am so looking forward to the next season--the warm one--when we make full use of that asset.

 

[Helmsman]

Funny isn’t it? Sitting here just enjoying the boat. 75 degrees, came down planning to do more than I did. Just completely at ease. Nice evening.

 

[Doug_Snider]

We just got back from a shakedown cruise with our yacht club. It was great experience and our first official cruise with the new 38E. We managed to get the ceramic coating done and StarLink working just a few days before departure. I consider the ceramic coating drool-proofing. We had a steady stream of club members wanting to see the boat.

I just got back from a bike ride. Another biker flagged me down just to tell me how much he liked our boat. It’s a small community.

Everything on the boat worked perfectly except for the weather. When we arrived in Anacortes, the wind was howling even though we had left in time to miss the worst of it. Our docking was evidently the least eventful one of the day. We and the boat are getting comfortable with each other. When we got back to the home dock, we really didn’t want to leave the boat.

To make it perfect, yesterday was clear and calm and had we an official christening.

We’re hoping to see many of our TF friends next month in Port Townsend for the Helmsman Trawlers Rendezvous.

 

[Hydraulicjump]

“ Everything on the boat worked perfectly except for the weather. ”

Yep, summer, fall, winter and disappointment. Hoping for the best for the rendezvous in Port Townsend.

We may make a leisurely trip up there and anchor out overnight at Port Gamble and get a good hike in. Looking forward to seeing that gorgeous new boat of yours. Love that color.

Jeff

 

[Helmsman]

Doug (and others),

In post 1373, you mentioned you were going with swim step davits. Have you pick out what you plan to use? I am trying to figure out what will work best back there. It would seem it might be necessary to have the dinghy higher than I thought I would need to have it to keep it out of the wake.

Thanks for any advice you can provide!

 

[chanprr]

VersaChok moveable davits

I will have davits made by VersaChok. They will be useful when anchored for a few days to store the dinghy out of the water overnight. The davits can be moved to the flybridge cockpit cover when underway.

 

[Helmsman]

I will have davits made by VersaChok. They will be useful when anchored for a few days to store the dinghy out of the water overnight. The davits can be moved to the flybridge cockpit cover when underway.

Thanks! I don't have the capability (nor the desire) to put the dinghy up top.

What I found when under way was the wake "climbs" just behind the swim platform, particularly at higher speeds. I plan to measure the height of the wake versus what the height of the dinghy would be if I use the Nautley Dinghy Ramps roll ons that I already have. I anticipate the pontoon of the dinghy hanging over the edge will get hit by that wake.

If that is the case, the Atkins & Hoyle, or Forespar Nova Davits may be in play.

It would be interesting to see any solutions for the 38E already in place on the swim platform.

 

[Doug_Snider]

Doug (and others),

In post 1373, you mentioned you were going with swim step davits. Have you pick out what you plan to use? I am trying to figure out what will work best back there. It would seem it might be necessary to have the dinghy higher than I thought I would need to have it to keep it out of the wake.

Thanks for any advice you can provide!

Sorry I didn’t respond sooner. We are currently cruising in the Adriatic Sea. We’re not on our Helmsman but on a cruise liner. Internet is sporadic.

We went with Weaver snap davits, the removable kind. They keep the dinghy several inches above the swim step. They are two different heights to keep the dinghy level when raised. They were installed just before we left so we haven’t actually used them yet. Our first outing will be to the rendezvous, two days after we return from Europe.

 

[Helmsman]

Sorry I didn’t respond sooner. We are currently cruising in the Adriatic Sea. We’re not on our Helmsman but on a cruise liner. Internet is sporadic.

We went with Weaver snap davits, the removable kind. They keep the dinghy several inches above the swim step. They are two different heights to keep the dinghy level when raised. They were installed just before we left so we haven’t actually used them yet. Our first outing will be to the rendezvous, two days after we return from Europe.

Thanks Doug. Enjoy the trip.

 

[FWT]

Folks were posting often back in the day of making so many decisions.

Now that folks have their boats, silence. Busy using them! Good.

But how about some reports about the boats now that you are using them?

 

[Hydraulicjump]

Well, one way to get your fill is to jump on a plane to Seattle next Thursday and join us at the Rendezvous in Port Townsend. Not to sound like a travel agent, but this remains our favorite town in the PNW. It is a wonderful laid back place. We stop in a couple of times every year.

I think we are up to 19 boats at this point, all pulling in on Friday and hanging out until Sunday. There will be a walk-through of the boats, checking out the Helmsman Hacks (see other string) and general swapping of knowledge and experience. That and making new friends in the PNW with similar boats.

THAT would give you your Helmsman fix in a pretty nice location as well.

Jeff

 

[Doug_Snider]

At the moment we are not able to enjoy our new Helmsman 38E. We are in Alba Bella’s namesake city, Alba, Italy. We are having a lot of fun showing our friends photos of the boat and persuading them to come visit us. Two days after we return home, we will be off to the rendezvous.

Since bringing the boat home, we have been very pleased with the decisions we made during the long buiid process. We took part in a yacht club shakedown cruise during which we did a proper christening ceremony. We had a constant parade of visitors wanting to see the boat. All were very favorably impressed.

We installed StarLink during commissioning and have an Arlo security camera installed. We haven’t had any security issues but it’s hard to resist taking an occasional peek at the boat.

On our voyage from Seattle, we experienced some rough water the first day and beautiful calm seas the second. We were very pleased with the way the boat handled. We had an engine problem on the first leg that was a little frightening. A few days ago we were able to watch and listen to Van and the Cummins rep on the security camera doing a very lengthy and thorough checkout. The problem has been resolved.

The Victron Remote app has also been very reassuring as it lets us know the state of the electrical system while we are thousands of miles away.

During the narrow window we had between bringing the boat home and leaving for Europe, we managed to get it ceramic coated and the new dinghy installed.

Not having the boat with us, we have been imagining what it would be like to cruise the Mediterranean and Adriatic seas that we crossed on our cruise from Rome to Venice. If there’s a Helmsman available to charter in these waters, that might be our next trip.

We’ll see you in Port Townsend.

 

[TrawlerGreg]

Our 38 Pilothouse (hull #60) is coming along w/ expected delivery in Jan/Feb '24... like others, patiently (and excitedly) waiting.

Alison and I are heading to the Rendezvous this Thursday (flying from out East where we live along Long Island Sound). So excited to see the Helmsmans out there and get tips, ideas on outfitting the final elements. Hopefully we can get out on the water too

We just received our first weekly report, complete with pictures of the deck and hull layup.

With our cruising plans we opted for the Northern Lights generator, icemaker (my wife loves ice!), additional house battery, Splendide washer dryer and Blue Water watermaker. We went with additional options like additional anchor rode, reverso oil change and others.. can share out complete list during another post.

Just found a home for our trawler (named We Are!) on the Long Island Sound in a really nice yacht club with plans to explore all along the New England waters, North/South Fork of Long Island then head south to Florida/Keys/Bahamas during the winter months.

So happy to have found this board, and we are (no pun intended) so excited to head out to Port Townshead next week to meet you all..

Excitedly waiting for our 38Pilothouse,

Greg and Alison

 

[Helmsman]

Our 38 Pilothouse (hull #60) is coming along w/ expected delivery in Jan/Feb '24... like others, patiently (and excitedly) waiting.

Alison and I are heading to the Rendezvous this Thursday (flying from out East where we live along Long Island Sound). So excited to see the Helmsmans out there and get tips, ideas on outfitting the final elements. Hopefully we can get out on the water too

We just received our first weekly report, complete with pictures of the deck and hull layup.

With our cruising plans we opted for the Northern Lights generator, icemaker (my wife loves ice!), additional house battery, Splendide washer dryer and Blue Water watermaker. We went with additional options like additional anchor rode, reverso oil change and others.. can share out complete list during another post.

Just found a home for our trawler (named We Are!) on the Long Island Sound in a really nice yacht club with plans to explore all along the New England waters, North/South Fork of Long Island then head south to Florida/Keys/Bahamas during the winter months.

So happy to have found this board, and we are (no pun intended) so excited to head out to Port Townshead next week to meet you all..

Excitedly waiting for our 38Pilothouse,

Greg and Alison

Congratulations! You have made a great choice with your boat and the Helmsman team.

 

[FWT]

"Well, one way to get your fill is to jump on a plane to Seattle next Thursday and join us at the Rendezvous in Port Townsend."

Sadly, that's not in the cards for us this year. The rest of life has its own demands. And, the pain and suffering involved in airline travel these days is considerable. Its an easy thing for you folks on the west coast, especially in the PNW area. Maybe next year.

 

[Hydraulicjump]

I get that life--and the pain and suffering of air travel--gets in the way. Eventually, given how few of these boats are out there, we all will meet up. I hope to be on the way to southeast Alaska for next year's rendezvous if life does not get in the way.



I personally love the emerging idea of shipping a Helmsman to Europe for cruising.



Greg and Alison (We Are!), it will be great to see you and to participate in your excitement over your boat. And if we are at the family house in Martha's Vineyard next summer when you make your way there, let us know. You can borrow the car to mess around on the island. I recommend inner Tashmoo Pond as a very quiet anchorage.



Happy Mother's Day to the Helmsman Clan. Without mothers we would all be, in the words of Dr. Suess, a wasn't.


Jeff

 

[Nick14]

And, the pain and suffering involved in airline travel these days is considerable.

I couldn't agree more with that!

When I was working, I routinely flew 250,000-500,000 miles a year. A couple of years I flew over 1 million miles. One year I flew 2 million miles. About 10 million total air miles in my working career (at least according to my frequent flier programs). That's about the distance to the moon, and back. 20 times.

With the combination of aging and increasing creakiness, and significantly increased discomfort on planes (smaller seat pitch, more crowded flights, TSA and other pleasantries), it's become downright torturous. The pandemic gave a good reason for avoiding flying. I'm not eager to put myself back on a plane that often any more. There are easier ways of causing myself pain and discomfort.

At this age (and physical state of aging), for me there now has to be a damned good reason why I would contort myself onto a plane again.

 

[Tom-Jill-Lilly]

EmBark Blessing Ceremony

Last week King Neptune, the God of the Sea and the controller of wind and storms, arrived at Roche Harbor to bless EmBark.

One of our neighbors dressed in costume and read a speech about following the traditions of the sea and that good luck is had by drinking a toast to King Neptune. We then had to repeat after him, “To the Sea, to the Sailors of old, to EmBark”. Then I poured champagne over the bow and Jill laid a daffodil on the bow to symbolize the safe return to port.

Then he said that “We come together today to bless EmBark and to ask to sailors of old and the God of the Sea to help EmBark through the passages at sea and to ensure her crew is safely returned to port”.

It was a fun way to share EmBark with all of our friends and family and who knows maybe bring some good luck too.

We will see you out there on the high seas!

Jill, Tom and Lilly.

 

[chanprr]

Last week King Neptune, the God of the Sea and the controller of wind and storms, arrived at Roche Harbor to bless EmBark.

One of our neighbors dressed in costume and read a speech about following the traditions of the sea and that good luck is had by drinking a toast to King Neptune. We then had to repeat after him, “To the Sea, to the Sailors of old, to EmBark”. Then I poured champagne over the bow and Jill laid a daffodil on the bow to symbolize the safe return to port.

Then he said that “We come together today to bless EmBark and to ask to sailors of old and the God of the Sea to help EmBark through the passages at sea and to ensure her crew is safely returned to port”.

It was a fun way to share EmBark with all of our friends and family and who knows maybe bring some good luck too.

We will see you out there on the high seas!

Jill, Tom and Lilly.

Congratulations! Well done!

 

[Helmsman]

Last week King Neptune, the God of the Sea and the controller of wind and storms, arrived at Roche Harbor to bless EmBark.

One of our neighbors dressed in costume and read a speech about following the traditions of the sea and that good luck is had by drinking a toast to King Neptune. We then had to repeat after him, “To the Sea, to the Sailors of old, to EmBark”. Then I poured champagne over the bow and Jill laid a daffodil on the bow to symbolize the safe return to port.

Then he said that “We come together today to bless EmBark and to ask to sailors of old and the God of the Sea to help EmBark through the passages at sea and to ensure her crew is safely returned to port”.

It was a fun way to share EmBark with all of our friends and family and who knows maybe bring some good luck too.

We will see you out there on the high seas!

Jill, Tom and Lilly.

Well, Tom, now I know why we had to weave through tornados and floods on our first trip in the Mishy Jean!