With its twin 480 hp Yanmar diesels and plumb bow, the Krogen Express 52 has a 1,680-nautical-mile range at 8 knots. Double the pace, and range is 500 nm. The main-deck galley forward of the salon is well positioned to service the entire yacht. Mezzanine seating for three is abaft the skipper’s seat. 

Belowdecks is a forepeak master stateroom. A guest stateroom (or office) is abaft the master to starboard, with a portside head. The 52’s hull is solid fiberglass below the waterline. At press time, there was one Krogen Express 52 available at $2,395,000.

From the Archive

“The 15-foot, 11-inch beam carries far forward, and,  combined with the raised bow section, gives the 52 a spacious interior for the cruising couple. The forepeak master has great headroom and stowage. The cherry finish is light and airy, and the boat feels more like a summer cottage. Ports in the forward face of the coachroof are a nice touch, bringing in fresh air and light. The guest stateroom reveals the 52’s couple-cruiser mission.” 

— Yachting, April 2009

The post Krogen Express 52 For Sale appeared first on Yachting.

Top Trawlers 

The following 15 trawlers are all vessels we’ve written about. They are listed in no particular order.

• Nordhavn 96: Built for an owner who desired to self-sufficiently while cruising the world, literally.
• Beneteau Grand Trawler 62: This trawler can travel nonstop for 1,000 nautical miles.
• Kadey-Krogen 52: This twin-engine-capable, all-oceans trawler is a solid fit for voyaging cruising couples.
• Bering Yachts B76: The B76 is the builder’s first fully custom trawler in this size range.
• Ranger Tugs R-43 Command Bridge: This vessel is equally comfortable at a 7-knot stroll or an 18-knot jog.
• Beneteau 48 Swift Trawler: Based on the builder’s Swift Trawler 47, this yacht has a resin-infused fiberglass hull.
• Kadey-Krogen 50 Open: The 50 Open can cruise at 6 knots nonstop for 5,000 nautical miles.
• Outer Reef 620 Trident: It has a three-stateroom layout and optional 600 hp Cummins diesels.
• Grand Banks 60 Skylounge: This yacht is efficient across a variety of cruising speeds.
• Krogen Express 52: Headroom to spare, two staterooms, a chef-ready galley and long range define this trawler yacht.
• Grand Banks 85 Skylounge: Grand Banks’ V-warp hull form makes for a level running attitude, seakindliness and long range.
• Vicem Yachts 82 Classic: Construction is in cold-molded, strip-planked mahogany with epoxy.
• Outer Reef 610 Motoryacht: Power on this Outer Reef is a pair of 500 hp John Deere 6090 diesels.
• Nordhavn 59 Coastal Pilot: Did someone say this is a 20-knot Nordhavn?
• Marlow 58E: A high level of customization and admirable performance are at the heart of the Marlow 58E.

Nordhavn 96

The Nordhavn 96 is the yacht builder’s second-largest yacht its 17-model fleet, which ranges from 41 to 120 feet length overall. (There is a new 112 on the drawing table.) The builder says the N96 is based on its earlier 86-footer with a 10-foot cockpit extension, which increases both main-deck, skylounge and below-deck volume. The N96 we reviewed was built by an owner who previously had an 86-foot Nordhavn, but with his plans for extended cruises to remote destinations, the 96 was the right size for his voyaging plans. In fact, since the owner took delivery of the boat, it has been on a continuous circumnavigation.

Quick Specifications

Beneteau Grand Trawler 62

Beneteau’s Grand Trawler 62 has 1,000-plus-mile range and 20-knot speed with twin 730 hp i6 MAN diesels. The Grand Trawler 62 is the builder’s flagship in its Trawler series, which also includes the Swift Trawler 35, Swift Trawler 41 Sedan,  Swift Trawler 41 Fly and Swift Trawler 48. Small touches set the Beneteau Grand Trawler 62 apart. They include sea rails on all lockers to keep stowed food and gear in place, leather-wrapped interior handrails for security in a seaway, and leather drawer pulls like those found on larger yachts. Long-range cruising accommodations include a full-beam master stateroom aft, a forepeak VIP and twin-berth guest stateroom. A Quick X3 gyrostabilizer helps mitigate any potential rocking and rolling on rough days.

Quick Specifications

Kadey-Krogen 52

The Kadey-Krogen 52 is the trawler-yacht builder’s smallest offering in its raised-pilothouse series, complete with a Portuguese Bridge. Owners can choose from either a two- or three-stateroom layout, and between a single-diesel engine or twin-diesel engines, for owners seeking redundancy. The standard engine is a 231 hp John Deere diesel. With the single-engine setup, draft is 5’5” and with twins it’s a shallower 4’6”. At 6 knots, range is an ocean-crossing 4,850 nautical miles. At 7 knots, it’s 3,300 nm. At 9 knots, it 1,700 nm. The builder states, “The entire Krogen 52 is built from only three molded pieces for maximized structural integrity. There are no additional secondary bonds or caulk joints that can inevitably cause issues. All deck and superstructures are cored and vacuum-bagged to maximize strength while minimizing weight.” Additionally, six longitudinal stringers enhance overall strength.

Quick Specifications

Bering Yachts B76

Lemanja is the first custom boat that Bering has built in this size range. The yacht is notable for its steel hull and aluminum superstructure, and for its 4,000-nautical-mile-plus range with its twin 404 hp Cummins QSL9 diesel engines. As rugged as the Bering 76 is built on the outside, it also offers homelike comforts in its skylounge inside, offering panoramic views out large windows surrounding the space. Sole-to-ceiling glass offers similar views in the open-plan salon. Accommodations are fox six guests in three staterooms with a master stateroom and two guest staterooms, plus crew accommodations. In addition to its traditional diesel engines, the B76 has a solar-rechargeable battery bank for hybrid propulsion.

Quick Specifications

Ranger Tugs R-43 Command Bridge

The Ranger Tugs R-43 Command Bridge is a long-distance cruiser with creature comforts. Our expert found the R-43 Command Bridge to be a solid candidate to cruise The Great Loop. We agree. Twin Volvo Penta IPS450 pod drives give the boat efficient low and high cruise speeds at 7 and 18 knots, respectively. For those that have work during their cruise, the R-43 Command bridge’s master stateroom is set up with an office with a desk. Long trips require extra stowage and a way to clean salty clothes, so on the R-43 Command Bridge there is a washer, dryer, auxiliary refrigerator/freezer and stowage under the dinette, which rises on electric rams. Voyagers who buy a R-43 Commander Bridge can opt for a Factory Delivery Experience, which is three days of instruction on Puget Sound, and includes in boat systems, handling and maintenance.

Quick Specifications

Beneteau Swift Trawler 48

The Beneteau Swift Trawler 48 has a 1,300-nautical-mile range at 8 knots, but can also speed away at 26 knots if the weather goes south in a hurry. Based on the builder’s 47-footer, the three-stateroom, two-head Swift Trawler 48 has a resin-infused fiberglass hull. Power is a pair of 425 hp Cummins diesels. The main-deck layout includes a galley aft setup, which is accessible to the cockpit. There, the seating and dining area can be fully enclosed, with tracks in place for side curtains. The helmsman is kept comfortable on long passages with a bolstered, pedestal bucket-style seat with a flip-up footrest. The Swift Trawler 48 we reviewed had upgraded 12-inch Raymarine HybridTouch displays (9-inch screens are standard).

Quick Specifications

Kadey-Krogen 50 Open

Designed for serious extended cruising, Kadey-Krogen Yachts 50 Open provides owners with amenities that will enhance those longer passages. The galley is fitted with a Sub-Zero refrigerator and freezer, a four-burner Wolf range, a microwave and an optional dishwasher. Unlike in many trawlers and their traditional pilothouse design, the galley is located on the same level as the helm and salon. Belowdecks is the master stateroom amidships with two hanging lockers, 12 cabinets, additional drawers for stowage and an en suite head, shower and two sinks. Forward of the master is an office. The 50 Open’s hull has soft chines and a curved after end, much like the characteristics of a sailboat built for cruising. The result is an efficient hull form that provides a gentle landing into troughs when the sea gets a temper. This trawler can cruise at 6 knots for 5,000 nautical miles; 7 knots for 3,000 nautical miles; 8 knots for 2,100 nautical miles; and 9 knots for 1,200 nautical miles.

Quick Specifications

Outer Reef 620 Trident

Outer Reef Yachts 620 Trident delivers a three-stateroom layout and optional 600 hp Cummins diesels that allow this vessel to approach a top hop of 21 knots. Cruising speed is a little over 16 knots, burning about 34 gallons of fuel per hour at 2,750 rpm. The amidships master stateroom has 6-foot-8-inch headroom, a walk-in closet and a shower enclosed in smoked glass. In the forepeak VIP stateroom, there are seven drawers, a hanging locker, a 31-inch Samsung TV and 7-foot headroom. The portside guest stateroom can convert to an office, too. The aft galley has a U-shape countertop, a three-burner electric cooktop, a Bosch microwave and a Vitrifrigo refrigerator and freezer. Cherry, walnut and oak are the available wood options.

Quick Specifications

Grand Banks 60 Skylounge

It’s obvious after a quick peek inside the Grand Banks 60 Skylounge that the Grand Banks Yachts trademark external DNA is retained. The deck, cabin house and skylounge are all composed of infused carbon fiber, reducing weight aloft and creating a lower center of gravity. With twin 900 hp Volvo Penta D13 diesels, the 60 Skylounge can accelerate to 31 knots and cruise at about 25 knots. The 60 Skylounge can also travel up to 2,000 nautical miles at 10 knots on a 1,530-gallon fuel tank. Twin 1,000 hp Volvo Penta IPS1200s are also available.

Quick Specifications

Krogen Express 52

The Krogen Express 52 runs on twin 440 hp Yanmar diesels and can cruise at 8 knots for 1,680 nautical miles or at 16 knots for 500 nautical miles. Top hop:  22 knots. In the interior, Krogen Express has outfitted the 52 with a master stateroom and a guest stateroom. The former has a queen island berth, more than 7-foot headroom, hanging lockers and smaller cubbies to port and to starboard, and an en suite head with a molded fiberglass shower stall with a seat, a VacuFlush toilet and a granite countertop. A power lift elevates the berth and grants access to more stowage underneath. The Krogen Express 52’s salon has a 26-inch HD LED TV and a home-theater system, leather Stressless chairs to port and a built-in, L-shape settee to starboard. The galley boasts granite countertops, a three-burner Force 10 propane range with an oven, a refrigerator, a GE microwave oven, a deep Elkay sink and a pullout sprayer faucet. There is a Buff Ultraleather Stidd helm seat for extra comfort during long runs.

Quick Specifications

Grand Banks 85 Skylounge

The Grand Banks 85 Skylounge comes in at more than 87 feet length overall and displaces 108,000 pounds, with a 22-plus-foot beam and an air draft of just under 26 feet. Owners can choose either a three- or four-stateroom layout. The standard motors are twin 1,000 hp Volvo Penta IPS diesels, twin 1,300 hp MAN straight-shaft diesels are optional. With the larger engines, owners can also choose an optional stern thruster, in addition to the standard bow thruster. With the IPS diesels, top speed is 26.5 knots and fuel burn is 100 gallons per hour, resulting in a range of 699 nautical miles. At a 21-knot cruise speed, fuel consumption drops to 57 gph, and range climbs to 972 nm. At a 9-knot jog, fuel burn falls to 9 gph, and the Grand Banks 85 Skylounge can cruise nonstop for about 2,500 nautical miles.

Quick Specifications

Vicem 82 Classic Flybridge

The Vicem 82 Classic is a flybridge model built in cold-molded mahogany, which creates a stout hull form with reduced weight. The yacht is notable for its timeless Downeast lines and strong joiner work. For cruising enthusiasts, the Classic 82 Flybridge is powered with twin 900 hp Volvo Penta D13 diesels. The yacht has a top-end speed of 17.8 knots, and the cruising speed is 15 knots. At 9 knots, and considering a 10-percent fuel reserve, range is reportedly 1,100 nautical miles.  Accommodations three en-suite-equipped staterooms. The master stateroom is full-beam and amidships with a king-size berth is on centerline. The starboard-side guest stateroom and a forepeak VIP each have queen-size berths.

Quick Specifications

Outer Reef 610 Motoryacht

Built for an enthusiastic cruising couple after a three-year boat search, the Outer Reef Yachts 610 Motoryacht (part of the builder’s Classic series), was customized with a fore-and-aft berth in the owners’ stateroom (as in, not athwartships), and berths rather than bunks in the smaller of two guest staterooms. This Outer Reef 610 was designed to be used as a liveaboard vessel, so the salon is not set up for dining (there are tables in the pilothouse, on the aft deck and on the bridge). A pair of swivel chairs in the salon face the built-in couch and the pop-up TV to port. The 610 is built with hand-laid fiberglass, PVC coring above the waterline, resin infusion and a vinylester barrier coat against osmosis. Power is twin 500 hp John Deere 6090 diesels turning ZF transmissions. The 610 tops out at about 13.5 knots with full tanks and 21 people aboard. The engines burn 20 gph at 1,800 rpm for 11 knots at 45 percent engine load. Those numbers should allow it to cross oceans without shortening engine life.

Quick Specifications

Nordhavn 59 Coastal Pilot

Nordhavn has long been known for its stout circumnavigation-capable craft, and the Nordhavn 59 Coastal Pilot carries on the the tradition of a beefy build with addition of…speed. Twenty-knots-plus, actually. Twin 715 hp Cummins diesel inboards and a new semidisplacement hull form are said to be key to the performance equation. The Nordhavn 59CP has a 777-nautical-mile range at a 9.3-knot cruise, and a 255-nm range at its 20.3-knot top-end. Construction is a solid fiberglass hull bottom supported by full-length longitudinal stringers and a series of transversal supports for added backbone. High freeboard should keep the decks dry in a seaway, while rails keep the crew secure during transits. Nordhavn says the 59CP has a “CE category A unlimited offshore rating, ensuring the vessel has the seakeeping and strength capabilities to take on most serious coastal cruises up to 1,000 miles.”

Quick Specifications

Marlow Yachts 58E

Following on the successful Marlow 57, the Marlow 58E was started from scratch on a blank sheet of paper. The essence of the 58E is that it has better performance and more internal and external volume than her predecessor. The centerline length grew 10 inches over the 57, but the waterline length increased 16 inches and the beam widened 4 inches. If you were to examine the two boats out of the water, you would see more bell-shaped forward sections making for a soft impact with the vee’d portion. Power options start with twin 575 hp Caterpillar C9 diesels, but the 58E we got aboard had beefier twin 1,015 hp Caterpillar C18 diesels. Top speed: 27.9 knots. At 8 knots, the Marlow 58E can cruise nonstop for 1,400 nautical miles.

Quick Specifications

Frequently Asked Questions:

What is a trawler yacht?

A true trawler typically has a full-displacement hull form and robust construction to handle open-water operation, and it’s designed to operate self-sufficiently for long periods of time. They are slow-cruising vessels, but over the years, hybrid yachts called fast trawlers have emerged to offer displacement-speed operation as well as the ability to run at planing speeds when desired.

What is a full-displacement hull form?

A displacement-hull form is known is for its rounded nature and deep draft. Full-displacement vessels do not plane on the water, but rather push through the water. This hull design makes displacement-hull vessels incredibly seakindly, but it also makes them relatively slow (think 5, 6, 7, 8 knots) when compared to semidisplacement- and planning-hull designs.

Is a long-range cruiser the same as a trawler?

While all trawlers are certainly long-range cruisers, not all long-range cruisers are trawlers. True trawlers will have full-displacement hull designs and not all long-range cruisers have them.

The post Top 15 Trawlers for 2023 appeared first on Yachting.

Rick and Lesley Chanin had always been sailing people, cruising the Bahamas in the summers on their Lagoon 400 catamaran and their home waters around Key Largo, Florida, on their Nonsuch 36.

But after reading the book The Great Loop Experience—From Concept to Completion, the duo decided to tack. Rick knew just the boat he wanted for this exciting new chapter: Resolute, a Krogen Express 52 he’d been eyeing at the Ocean Reef Yacht Club for two years. In 2019, the Chanins sold their catamaran, purchased Resolute, and pointed its bow north for adventures along the Intracoastal Waterway and Northeast coast—something Rick never thought he’d do.

“To me, a trawler was something that signified you were too old to continue sailing and you needed something simpler,” he says. But as a fast trawler, Resolute could cruise at 16 to 18 knots, and it had beautiful lines.

“I’m hesitant every time Rick says he wants a new boat,” Lesley says. “But the Resolute was gorgeous all around. The interior is classic, really chic. It has an amazing amount of storage for a boat that size. The kitchen is set up so you can really cook in it. It’s very comfortable to be in, and it was immaculate. When we told people it was a 10-year-old boat, no one believed us.”

Rick especially appreciated Krogen’s lifetime concierge service, the boat’s full-height, walk-in engine room and the flybridge. “Being a sailor, I wanted to be outside and have wind on my face,” he says. On his return from a shakedown cruise to the Abacos in June 2019, he took the wheel on the flybridge, opened up the throttle, and shot across the open water at the boat’s top-end speed. “I had never experienced anything like that when sailing,” Rick says. “It was great.”

Lesley is passionate about history, and the Chanins’ logbook reflects it. Resolute started its 2019 Northeast sojourn at Safe Harbor Stirling in Greenport, New York, where a friend updated the marine electronics. As the couple cruised along Long Island Sound, Lesley relished stopping at historic sites—especially Mystic Harbor—along the coast of her native Connecticut as well as in Rhode Island and Massachusetts.

They docked for a week at Constitution Marina in the Charlestown neighborhood of Boston. “It was a short walk to the North End, where Paul Revere’s famous [Old] North Church is located and the Freedom Trail begins,” she says. They liked the location so much that they returned to the same marina after a week along Maine’s coast.

Their trip home to Florida along the Intracoastal Waterway included a stop at Shallowbag Bay Marina in Manteo, North Carolina, so they could visit nearby Roanoke Island, site of the famous “Lost Colony.” They also docked for several weeks at Georgetown, Maryland, so they could explore the Eastern Shore. “The area is rich in colonial history, with homes dating back to the early 1700s,” Lesley says.

For the 2020 cruising season, they anchored at Nantucket and Hyannis in Massachusetts and took advantage of all that Cape Cod has to offer. “I’ve never been anywhere that the colonial architecture has been so well-preserved and in such abundance,” Lesley says.

The birth of their first grandchild in June 2021 kept them closer to home for the season. The Chanins rented a slip on Marco Island, Florida. They cruised Everglades National Park and the state’s west coast, checking out such “Old Florida” spots as Everglades City for its stone crabs and its history. Their first mates were on board for the ride: Tige, their standard poodle, and Dublin, their son’s “newfypoo,” which is a cross between a Newfoundland and a poodle. “The dogs love the boat,” Lesley says. “They stand on top of the stern on dolphin patrol for hours at a time.”

For 2022, the Chanins intend to explore the Down East Loop—a concept sparked by the Great Loop book that launched this rewarding new chapter of their cruising lives. The Down East Loop can include spots as far south as the Statue of Liberty in New York and as far north as the St. Lawrence River and Nova Scotia in Canada.

“It is still on our bucket list to complete the entire Great Loop,” Rick says of the course that covers the US East Coast, Erie Canal, Mississippi River and Gulf of Mexico, and that’s a bucket-list cruise for many boaters. “We’re excited to do so aboard the Resolute.”

The post The Cruising Life on a Krogen Express appeared first on Yachting.

At 8 knots, the Krogen Express 52 can travel about 1,680 nautical miles without refueling. At 16 knots, she makes about 500 nautical miles. The 52 is based on an earlier 49-footer. Seventeen Krogen Express 52s have been built since 2003.

“The salty-looking, low-profile yacht was designed by James Krogen for serious cruising. The flat chine of the semi-displacement hull provides excellent stability, and the boat will begin to plane on the aft chines when enough power is applied, giving a cruise speed of 20 knots.”

Yachting, 2009

Notable features: The vessel’s proud, plumb bow is an effective sea slicer and adds to her stately profile. Her fiberglass hull is reinforced with Kevlar at the stem and on the bottom. The Krogen Express 52 is a recommended boat if you are looking for a good long-range trawler.

Belowdecks: There is a forepeak master with an island queen berth and en suite head. A second stateroom and/or office is abaft to starboard, with a second head to port.

Availability: At press time, four Krogen Express 52 yachts were on the brokerage market, ranging from $579,000 to $899,900.

The post The Cruising Life: Krogen Express 52 appeared first on Yachting.

The post Krogen Express 52 appeared first on Yachting.

Den Helder, Netherlands: Surprise

Aarhus, Denmark: Emergency

Skagen, Denmark: Total awe

Oslo, Norway: Land Cruise

What the heck are we doing? That’s the question people ask when they’re about to bungee jump or adopt triplets. It also crept into my mind as Wendy and I idled out of the harbor at Burnham-on-Crouch along England’s east coast. Our destination: Oslo, Norway, over the North Sea and a little out of our comfort zone. A trip of about 650 nautical miles, one way, but more than three times that distance when factoring our scenic return cruise back. Perhaps a ­casual distance for some adventurers, but for us it would be our longest trip ever on Amusant (French for amusement, which honestly didn’t quite seem fitting at this point).

Understand, we were still relatively new to open-water cruising. We bought our 52-foot Krogen Express after having only a few years’ experience in a 20-foot runabout with navigation lights that only worked occasionally. Yet that little boat inspired us to talk about the idea of retiring, buying a bigger boat and cruising around Europe for 10 years.

One hurdle was Europe itself. It was a new continent for us, with different languages and different boating protocols. (During a shakedown cruise around the north coast of France, we were scolded by a lock attendant, which was doubly embarrassing because I couldn’t understand a word he said, only that he wasn’t happy.) As we headed away from the U.K., the questions kept coming.

Did we bring enough milk? Would we be able to find more Ben & Jerry’s? Is the North Sea friendlier than a French lock attendant?

The answer to that last question came immediately. A few miles out we had to change our plans.

“These waves are beating us up,” I said into the empty salt air around us. Wendy and I had both seen the marine forecast that morning, and 5-foot seas were not in it.

“We have to divert,” I said.

Our original plan was to go around the Frisian Islands and make Cuxhaven, Germany. But the weather persuaded us to cross the narrow southern end of the sea and port in Den Helder, Netherlands.

It was an early lesson about adapting on the fly. And what happened next was nothing short of amazing.

it never would have happened had the satellites not been looking down upon us. At the dock in Den Helder, ready to take our lines, were two Dutch friends, Hans and Thea. They’re also Krogen Express owners and had been following our progress and our game change in live time on marinetraffic.com. We had instant dinner companions far from home. And we had help.

During dinner Hans could sense my misgivings about conditions between here and Cuxhaven.

“We’ll take the canals,” Hans said.

He said “we,” as in he’d come with me. We’d leave when the canals opened in the morning. (Wendy and Thea would take a car and meet us in Cuxhaven.)

I found out it’s a long slog through the locks and canals in the Netherlands, and that was before we were caught by double red lights in the middle of nowhere. The long slog got longer.

After finally reuniting with Wendy and saying goodbye to Hans and Thea, we marched onward, up the 61-mile Kiel Canal, along the fringe of the Baltic Sea and, two nights later, into Flensburg, Germany. We noticed later that when we mentioned Flensburg anywhere in Germany, people would smile a guilty smile. Turns out, this town on Germany’s northern border is home to the computer database for all driving violations in the country, and every German knows it — and is probably in it.

Part of the fun of cruising through Europe is the crossing of borders. It’s like coming to a new state while driving through North America, except here you enter new countries and different cultures. So, when we crossed into Denmark and came to its second-­largest city of Aarhus, it was immediately clear that we weren’t in Germany, or anywhere near Rhode Island, anymore.

we found marselisborg marina in Aarhus, no problem; but the way Danes view boats here presented a big problem for us. Maneuvering in the marina almost necessitated a helicopter and boat sling. The dead-end fairways are tight. They’re built for 32- to 40-foot sailboats, and even those owners have to push off pilings to turn around.

I wish maneuvering had been our worst issue.

At the dock I flipped the breaker for our macerator pump to empty the black-water tank. Nothing. Our 100-gallon tank was full. The marina pump-out wasn’t available. The macerator wasn’t working. Suddenly, no one wanted to speak English.

Down the dock I saw a man with the name “Kim” on his shirt. A repairman. He spoke perfect English, even when the subject was our black-water problem. A short time later we had a new high-speed Jabsco and a fresh … mood for our next leg to Skagen.

Who would have guessed that one of the most beautiful beaches we’ve ever seen would be found at a latitude farther north than Nova Scotia? Here, at the tip of the Jutland Peninsula, the Baltic Sea and North Sea push sand into the shape of a humongous arrowhead. It must be a welcoming landmark, because in town we mingled with Swedes and Norwegians who’d traveled for miles to take advantage of low prices on fish, wine and salami. Unfortunately, we found no deals on ice cream.

Worse, we started to pay closer attention to time. So instead of cruising the west coast of Norway and visiting its charming, once-in-a-lifetime villages, we hustled Amusant up a fjord to the castles and waterfalls of Oslo, our northernmost point. It would all be downhill from there.

The Bohuslän coast of Sweden is unlike anything I’ve seen, and not necessarily in a good way. Imagine a handful of pebbles and a handful of golf balls in a pie tin. Only the silver part at the bottom of the tin is safe. That’s what navigating this water along Bohuslän is like — a quagmire of hull-crunching obstacles. Needless to say, the auto­pilot was off. My eyeballs were on.

When we finally reached obstacle-free water and picked up the pace, we decided to make up time by running right by more of those interesting coastal villages on the route so we could reach Copenhagen — a decision that, in hindsight, was a mistake. We took a break in Copenhagen. In fact, we returned to Newport for two months. And during the respite I thought of all the things we might have done differently. Visiting the smaller towns. Bringing more ice cream. But mostly I missed being on Amusant.

She was our home.

When we returned to copenhagen we moved the boat to another side of the city, Nyhavn, so we could be in the heart of the action — and enjoy it for a while. Here the streets are lined with cafes and, hallelujah, gourmet stores for provisioning. Full of culture and food stocks, we left Copenhagen one morning at 4. I’m not quite sure what happened. Maybe I was too relaxed from the good times in Nyhavn, or maybe I was back in “rush” mode. I typically check our route on the chart plotter and take a look at Google Earth. This time I didn’t. If I had, we wouldn’t have gone aground at 16 knots.

A rescue boat pulled us out of that mess, one of two big ones that occurred on our way to ­London. The other came after a long, tense trip across an angry North Sea, on the small island of ­Helgoland. Exhausted, I started filling Amusant with diesel. After about three minutes I realized what I was doing — delivering fuel into one of the water tanks.

It was like a hammer over my head. The attendant assured me no one on the island could deal with my mess. The trip was over.

As a last resort, I shut off the one water tank loaded with 60 gallons of diesel (there are two 150-­gallon water tanks) and hoped Wendy hadn’t used any water in the interim. Then, I turned on the faucet. Clean water. We could still do this.

The rest of the way was disaster-free, leaving us to discover cultural tidbits like the legendary nature of Lubeck, Germany’s city gates, and the fact that most people in Amsterdam don’t pull their blinds at night. We learned it’s OK to slow down and glance, but not to stop and stare. That’s the opposite of the lesson we learned from cruising more than 2,000 nautical miles: It’s better to take the time to stop and stare at every opportunity, because a passing glance will only make you wish you’d slowed down for more.

The post Heading Over & Out appeared first on Yachting.

The post Explore the Krogen Express 52 appeared first on Yachting.

I was just glad to be aboard Daystar, a Krogen Express 52. A distinct chill was in the air and the sky was clear with just a few wispy cirrus clouds when photographer John Bildahl and I arrived at the dock. I had been trying to make arrangements to get myself-and Bildahl, of course-to be part of the delivery crew to take Daystar south from the Chesapeake to Hilton Head. But my travel calendar and that of the boat had not jibed well enough to secure a berth for me. Until now.

Turned out Bob Louden, director of sales and yacht services for Krogen Express along with his wife Machelle, and their 12-year-old daughter Amanda, would be taking Daystar south, leaving from Solomons Island, Maryland. I would be along for the ride until New Bern, North Carolina. The Loudens would push on to Hilton Head.

I didn’t need to sweat that wind. The Krogen Express is an excellent sea boat that made the chop of the Chesapeake little more than an afterthought. The trip was going as expected, with some winddriven spray across the port bow. But we were right on schedule: The boat hummed along at a rock-steady 14 knots.

With all of us comfortably seated within the confines of our spacious wheelhouse, we talked about boats, family, friends, boats, travel and food, pop culture, politics, and, of course, boats. By the time we pulled into Portsmouth’s Tidewater Marina just after sunset, this delivery crew had become a tight group.

While Louden topped off the tanks, Machelle, Amanda, Bildahl, and I got the salt off Daystar, and squared away the salon, galley, and wheelhouse.

Krogen Express is owned and operated by John and Betsy Tegtmeyer. Their business philosophy is refreshing and simple: Don’t try to figure out how to build the most boats, but build the best boat. And when it comes to a coastal cruiser for a couple, the KE 52 is tough to beat.

“It’s the evolution of what we thought was already a good boat but we could make it a little better,” said John Tegtmeyer, of the KE 52 in relation to the company’s previous boat, a 49-footer. “When we purchased the company in 2001, we had our personal opinions. And we interviewed and chatted with all the folks who had purchased the 49 and just asked for their feedback of what they liked about the boat and what they thought could be made better. We incorporated their feedback and our ideas and came out with the 52.” The KE 52 first appeared in the 2003 model year.

The salty-looking, low-profile yacht was designed by James Krogen for serious cruising. The flat chine of the semi-displacement hull provides excellent stability and the boat will begin to plane on the aft chines when enough power is applied, giving a cruise speed of 20 knots. If you want to poke your nose out and run down the coast all night, pull her back to 9 knots for an extended range of approximately 1,870 nautical miles.

The 15-foot, 11-inch beam carries far forward, and, combined with the raised bow section, gives the 52 a spacious interior for the cruising couple. The forepeak master has great headroom and stowage. The cherry finish is light and airy and the boat feels more like a summer cottage. Ports in the forward face of the coachroof are a nice touch, bringing in fresh air and light. The guest stateroom reveals the 52’s couple-cruiser mission. When guests are not on board, it serves as a den, complete with desk and a settee. It’s nice to have more than one social area on any cruising boat. When there is a large party, like with our gang, there is a convertible L-settee, and a Pullman berth. A dayhead is opposite and in the passageway.

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The salon and galley are on the same level and the cockpit affords a great seating area. The stand-up engineroom allows for easy access for all critical maintenance areas and systems.

With dinner plans ashore, we left the boat for a leisurely stroll to the historic square-mile district known as Olde Towne. Colonel William Crawford dedicated the four corners of High and Court streets for a church, a market, a courthouse, and a jail on February 27, 1752.

The streets are lined with homes such as 320 Court, built around 1790 and considered to be the oldest in the city still in its original state. At 315 Court, we found a classic revivalstyle house that was occupied by Union General Benjamin “Spoons” Butler during the Civil War. He acquired the nickname after the mysterious disappearance of fine flatware whenever he “inspected” some of the local homes.

And at Washington and North Streets, there is a monument to Commandant Richard Dale who, after being captured no less than five times during the Revolutionary War, managed to escape every time. He was also first lieutenant under John Paul Jones aboard the Bonhomme Richard.

We had our fill of history, now it was time to satisfy other appetites: We dropped into Roger Brown’s place on High Street right opposite the dazzlingly neon-lit, art deco-designed Commodore Theater. As the tasty chicken-wing and rib-bone piles grew higher, we lifted our glasses many times in friendly toasts.

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We strolled back through the now-empty streets of Olde Towne and to the marina and Daystar. The ladies were given the forepeak master while I had the roomy starboard stateroom. Louden was able to stretch his six-foot, two-inch-plus frame quite comfortably across the elevated wheelhouse watch berth abaft the helm. And Bildahl happily took the cushy salon settee.

As dawn came in a cloudless sky, we had 79 miles to cover to reach Manteo, North Carolina, and our berth at the Waterfront Marina. We had our choice of the bridge helm or the well-designed pilothouse. Often I only think of a pilothouse as an option when the weather turns cold. On our cruise, it certainly provided the perfect perch until the rising sun chased away the morning chill. But there are many of us that want to watch the amount of time we spend in the sun as well. The pilothouse has excellent lines of sight and enough room for a full array of electronics and paper charts. A watch berth aft keeps your mate within earshot while running long night legs.

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We idled through the glass-calm waters, past the red-lighted marker “R36” indicating Mile “0”-the official beginning of the ICW. I gave it a well-deserved bottoms-up with a glass of orange juice. Off to starboard I could see the Portsmouth Naval Hospital, its hallways rumored to be haunted.

The ICW would wind its way for the next ten miles or so until we got to Great Bridge Lock, there to enter into the Albemarle and Chesapeake Canal before traversing the North Landing River. We would then cross Currituck Sound and into the tannin-tinted waters of North Carolina on our way to Albemarle Sound. The dark-tea color is courtesy of decaying leaves and branches from the cypress and juniper trees that line the waterway.

I had put in my wheel time, and with the sun shining and the wind almost nil, I now sat in a comfortable chair in the cockpit and took it all in. I could just see the top of the port bow wake as it swept past amidships and flattened out where I sat, the landscape passing me by. We slowed down and exchanged greetings with a northbound boat, a dog on her foredeck.

I could also see into the salon as Machelle and Amanda worked at a 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzle that now took up most of the teak table there. A pair of cereal boxes was still on the galley counter, evidence of our earlier breakfast. Amanda’s school backpack sat on a chair holding the books she would need to continue working on a project due when she returned from the break. Bildahl and Louden were in the wheelhouse and I would join them shortly.

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But not right now. We were passing Corolla, the most northern town on the Outer Banks. Then it would be Duck, Southern Shores, Kitty Hawk, Kill Devil Hills, and Nags Head. I wanted to savor the moment just a bit longer; of the sun and the way it reflected silver and gold and the intermingling smell of the land and the sea.

We made Manteo with plenty of daylight to spare. As we washed down Daystar, Bildahl headed ashore to take advantage of the spectacular late afternoon light. The town of Manteo sits on the eastern side of Roanoke Island with Wanchese at the southerly end. It takes up less than two square miles and all the shops and restaurants are within walking distance from the waterfront. We all went our separate ways and met up for dinner at Ortega’Z on Sir Walter Raleigh Street.

Our final day aboard Daystar began with a spectacular sunrise. We had some 108 miles to cover before docking at New Bern’s Sheraton Grand Marina and after getting the morning dew off the windows we were underway. The smell of breakfast, of freshly brewed coffee and bacon, fried eggs, and toast filled the interior as Machelle and Bildahl whipped up a true mariner’s feast.

Perfect running conditions awaited as we left Croatan Sound and entered Pamlico Sound and motored past the southerly Outer Banks, on our way to arrive at New Bern at about three in the afternoon. As we crossed the southern end of Pamlico Sound beneath a cloudless sky, the Outer Banks became a broken line of smudges.

As I looked at the chart plotter I noticed Gum Thicket Creek to our east and Brown Creek to the west. We began to pick up some southbound traffic, a pair of trawlers and six sailboats, as we entered the Neuse River. We would pass the town of Oriental on our way to New Bern, where our travel schedules would diverge once again.

Krogen Express, (866) 457-6436; www.krogenexpress.com

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