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When the sun is out, the sky is clear, and the wind is up, there's no place better than the Northwest. It was on such a perfect day in August that we joined Dan Krier of Marine Servicenter in Anacortes to test sail the Nauticat 42.
Approaching the boat on the dock, the first thing you notice is a more modern look to the NC 42. Gone are the high, vertical windows in the wood pilothouse, and the canoe stern. Instead, there is a more sylish house, and a modern, stair-stepped transom. We manuevered easily out of the dock and headed out into Guemes Channel. This NC 42 had a roller furling main in the Selden mast which made it very easy to be sailing in just a few minutes. I must say, just as roller furling jibs have become commonplace for short handed cruising, the furling mains will soon become just as common. The amount of sail area and performance you loose without a roach and battens is more than made up for by the ease with which one can be instantly sailing or, for that matter, not sailing. We unrolled the 135% jib and began beating up the channel. As the wind fluctuated between 10-15 knots, our speed was about 5.5- 6.2 knots. The boat heeled slightly at first, settled in, and remained rock steady throughout the changes in wind. The rig on the NC 42 is huge, so the sails seem larger for their percentage. The two large Harken primary winches were two-speed electric, which easily handled the load. One thing I had never seen before was that the primary on the port side wound counter clockwise. On most all the winches in the world the lines wind clockwise. The rationale for this winch being set up "backward" was so the line came off the drum at a better angle to the lead block. This is true, but frankly, after all of us had wound it "wrong" at least once, we decided it was more trouble than it was worth. The Nauticat 42 is designed as a motorsailer and so trades off some performance for comfort. At 14.5 tons, or about 29,000 pounds, the boat has a very solid and easy motion. Some large powerboat wakes barely affected the boat as our momentum carried us smoothly through. The cockpit consists of bench seats, a longer one on the starboard size and a shorter one behind the helmsman's seat on port. The seats themselves are contoured and are confortable but don't lend themselves to cushions. There is a short combing for the back with a padded rail up top for more support. The stern pulpit has seats in both corners for additional seating. You have to remember this boat is made to sail in the North Sea so sunning space isn't a priority. However, if you need a place to bask, the foredeck is the place. It is huge. You could hold a dance on the foredeck. Decending four stairs takes you into the pilothouse. It consists of a horseshoe settee on the port side and a very nice, wrap-around nav station on the starboard side. You are practically surrounded by glass with large windows at eye level for fantastic visibility, not to mention it is very light. Usually there is an inside wheel at the nav station but this boat's owner decided to "fly by wire", using his autopilot as his second wheel. Going down the starboard side takes you into the aft stateroom. This is one case where the term "stateroom" really applies. With the raised aft deck, there is plenty of headroom, and the reverse transom results in a very spacious area, housing very nice cabinetry, a full length hanging locker, dressing table and a large double berth. There is lots of light from five openable windows. The aft head, accessible from the stateroom, is probably the largest bathroom I've every seen on a boat. The floors are mosaic tiles. Rather than just a place to stick a sink and a shower, its sheer size makes the bathroom activities more like at home than on a boat. Going forward from the pilothouse, you step down to the galley area. This boat has it on the starboard side, with Corian¨ counters all around. It is a very nice work space where the cook can prepare culinary delights without being bothered by anyone wanting to go forward. Across from the galley is a "breakfast nook", a two person area for more intimate dining or just a cup of coffee. Or, as my son Erik said, "That's where the kids can eat. The foreward cabin features three berths; one V-berth and one upper berth There is generous stowage beneath the bunks and another full length hanging locker across from the foreward head. Dorade vents and an opening hatch provide ventilation and light. With all the different areas in the boat it feels quite homey, with almost all the surfaces made up of varnished teak faced marine plywood. The floorboards are of teak-faced plywood with light wood striping. The floor in the pilothouse is carpeted. Although certain interior layouts are suggested, owners have a pretty open hand in choosing what they want. In the boat we sailed, for instance, the owner had the backs of the settees inclined another 15¡ for more comfort. In fact, Siltala Yachts, who builds the Nauticats, insists that their customers visit them in Finland to make sure every detail is to the customer's specifications. After a delightful sail, we rolled up the sails and headed back to the dock. The Yanmar 110 horse diesel is mounted under the floor, making the Nauticat 42 very quiet under power. The throttle/gear shift has a "dead slow" setting on both forward and reverse gears which allows you to go slowly but still keep enough way on for manueverability. The Nauticat 42 is meant to be a commodious yacht, and as that she certainly fills the bill. As with all Nauticats, her high decks give her more freeboard than usually seen on sailboats, but that same freeboard allows for ample headroom and added space below. The boat can be taylored to owner's wishes and set up for their style of cruising. And, even on our not-so-perfect days in the Northwest, the pilothouse will keep everyone dry and comfortable, making the Nauticat 42 truly a year-round cruiser. Thanks to Marine Servicenter and Dan Krier for taking us sailing. ... on to page two specifications and more photographs |