Table of contents for May/June 2019 in PassageMaker

In the early ’70s, John Carbone commissioned a boat to be designed by naval architect Edwin Monk Jr. and built by Miller Boatworks on Washington State’s Bainbridge Island. But Carbone never got to enjoy the 67-foot yacht. In 1978, Carbone—an organized crime boss based in Tacoma, Washington—ended up in federal prison on racketeering charges after his gang burned down several local taverns and topless bars in a turf war. But this isn’t a story about gangsters of the Pacific Northwest; rather, it’s one of a unique boat design and how two sisterships ended up being built instead of one. The first was Carbone’s boat. After he was sentenced to prison, Carbone left the boatyard with a half-finished build that he’d agreed to pay $400,000 (roughly $1.5 million today) to have…

Few locations along the Inside Passage offer the combination of splendor, protection and solitude as Khutze Inlet. A fjord surrounded by nearly 4,000-foot peaks, the inlet is one of several fingers that branch off Graham Reach, the southern end of Princess Royal Channel, and stretch inland toward British Columbia’s Coast Mountains. This section of the mountain range was first “discovered” by Western explorers when Captain George Vancouver charted these waters in the late 18th century aboard his ships, Discovery and Chatham. Khutze Inlet—one of many such fjords along the north-central B.C. coastline—is a six-mile-long protected waterway that serves as the delta for the East Khutze River. In the spring, snowpack runoff cascades down in waterfalls with icy clarity while bears, still groggy from a season of hibernation, patrol the flat,…

With 10 grandkids, we spend a lot of time watching animated features. One of our favorites is Cars, a tale set in a forgotten town along old Route 66. In one scene, the sheriff is berating Mater, the bumpkin tow truck in charge of the impound yard, asking, “What did I tell you about talking to the prisoners?” Mater replies sheepishly, “To not to.” It can be that way with do-it-yourself refits, too. Sometimes it’s best “to not to,” especially when an actual tow truck—or three—might figure into the equation. Ernie, my neighbor along a protected stretch of South Florida waterfront, was the ultimate DIY boat owner. He owned a 28-footer with a cabin forward, an open aft deck and a single diesel inboard. When the time came to swap…

BRIAN K. LIND Our own deputy managing editor Brian Lind spent a decade working in the marine trades and cruising the Salish Sea before joining Passagemaker. He enjoys storytelling in a variety of capacities, from the written word to video production. He resides in Seattle, Washington, with his wife and 18-month-old son, who he “can’t wait to teach about the magic of boating.” page 58 PHIL FRIEDMAN A marine industry consultant, a yacht builder and a yachting writer, Friedman is also an unrepentant rag-bagger and a 7-year liveaboard cruising veteran. As president and CEO of Palmer Johnson Yachts, Friedman developed and built two dozen megayachts between 30 and 60 meters in length. He’s currently supervising the start-up of two new trawler-yacht lines in China. Whenever he gets the chance, he…

The concept came from Doug Zurn of Zurn Yacht Design, who worked with a prospective owner with a thirst for open-ocean cruising. The result, far as we can tell, is a 60-foot trendsetter that presents three staterooms and five heads in a reimagined layout that raises the bar for catamaran design. If a main-deck master on a 60-foot cruising yacht isn’t inventive enough, the designer’s focus on the overall cruising experience should make the Zurn 60 Powercat sing to seasoned voyagers and millennials alike. The creative positioning of living quarters, intended to emphasize convenience and spectacular views, also allows for narrow hulls, which means not only increased cruising efficiency and performance but also an islands-friendly draft of less than 4 feet. The yacht’s radical configuration begins with the main deck,…

Like legends passed down from generation to generation, every boat has a story, if only the right people stick around to tell it or a detailed ship’s log is preserved. Even then, the tale will often twist with time. There are inevitable gaps, which turn to hyperbole, with facts getting bent like planks across a ship’s frame. Most of this account comes third-or even fourth-hand. But as far as we know, this is the story of Josephine. Sam Devlin, a Northwest designer and boatbuilder covered frequently in these pages over the decades, knew I wanted to get closer to Josephine, his 84-year-old salmon troller, which he acquired in 1999. He called me to see if I could help him move her—and a Surf Runner 25, one of his original designs—back…

To those of us who spend a lot of time on boats, it seems perfectly normal to keep a plunger in the dinghy or to carry around rescue tape and a voltmeter everywhere we go. We are primed and ready to fix anything without the need for some expensive chandlery or expert. And we’re darn proud of it. If someone snickers at the duct tape holding the sunglasses around my neck, that someone has clearly never lost a pair of sunglasses overboard. Living aboard—and now cruising the world—has taught me and my husband to value our resourcefulness. We’ve amassed a decent collection of “boat hacks” over the years. Here are a few of our favorites. A small garden chemical sprayer is a handy gizmo to have on board. There aren’t…

Pulling off a successful refit can be a gratifying experience. A refit project gives you the opportunity to select the equipment you want and to become acquainted with the installations. You have the chance put your personal stamp on the boat’s aesthetics, from hull color to interior décor. And, for most of us, bringing a tired boat back to life can be rewarding. To pull it off, however, you need a clear understanding of the challenges and a solid game plan. The Refit Triangle It might sound like the Bermuda Triangle—and a boat entering a refit faces similar unknowns—but the “refit triangle” references a different set of issues. A successful refit must balance three components: time, quality and cost. The tighter your financial constraints, the more flexible you need to…

The yacht refit sector of the shipyard industry is booming. In a world where most manufactured items are treated as disposable, nothing burns brighter than the hope of a yacht owner or new buyer who wants to spend a fraction of what a brand-new boat would cost yet end up with something just as good… or better. New builds have traditionally been the celebrity darlings of the yachting world—even though many of us in the industry have known for years that repair and refit work is actually more profitable with a consistently higher return on investment. Back in the early 2000s, when I was running a major refit yard in the Savannah area, our refit work alone generated, on average, annual gross revenue equivalent to $30 million today. Just as…

PORT LUDLOW MARINA, Latitude 47. 55.30’, Longitude 122 41.10’, welcomes you to the pristine shores of The Resort at Port Ludlow where guests and residents enjoy the best of waterfront resort activities and living. With 300-slips and accommodating vessels up to 200, the marina is perfect for a yacht club cruise, rendezvous, or getaway. Port Ludlow hosts an annual Boat-In outdoor movie and will welcome the Tall Ships Hawaiian Chieftain and Lady Washington May 31 to June 5, 2019. Below are some of the amenities that you’ll find at the Marina and Resort. 1. BOUTIQUE INN. Steps away from the marina sits a beautiful 37 room boutique waterfront Inn. For a unique experience, travel by seaplane to and from Seattle, just a 15 minute flight. 2. THE FIRESIDE. Waterfront dining,…

LOA: 55ft. Beam: 20ft. 8in. Draft: 4ft. 6in. Speed: 9.5 knots/7.5 knots (max./cruising) Builder: Johnson Yachts Price: $1,280,000 Listing URL: teddibearboat.com Bill Mark, Denison Yacht Sales Location: Seattle, WA Phone: (360) 981-3965 When a 55-foot boat has a helicopter on the top deck, it’s hard not to lead with that. It’s also difficult not to fixate on the 1,270 square feet of living space and “full-size galley” (read: home kitchen), not to mention the fireplace, hot tub and washer/dryer. But the unique design of this custom build goes well beyond her rare liveaboard luxuries (“regular-size” furniture and appliances) and head-turning accessory vehicles, which have included a VW Golf and a 15-foot Stabicraft tender stowed on the foredeck. Billed on the owners’ website as “a Jay Benford small ship,” Teddi Bear…