Spotted this... perfect livaboard long range cruiser which isn't a Nordhavn?

You can just imaging the initial conversation with the designer....

I need:

An open fireplace
A hot tub
A car deck (for a VW Golf)
Space for a 15 foot tender
13,000nm range

Did I mention the helicopter landing pad?

Oh, and it's got to be under 17m!
And cross the Pacific from south to north
 
These Florida Bay Coasters were designed by Jay Benford -
http://www.benford.us/index.html?coasters/

He has always been rather secretive re offering info on his website, unlike others - he wants you to buy a copy of the book of plans instead to get more info.

Although the Florida Bay Coasters people have apparently gone out of business, their website is still being run, apparently by the owners of one of the boats -
http://floridabaycoasters.com/

Here is some more info re Teddi Bear shown in Firefly James' original link -
http://floridabaycoasters.com/55-coaster/

If you fancy something similar but smaller, and in fibreglass, these Great Harbour trawlers in the USA look rather neat -
http://www.greatharbourtrawlers.com
 
So she was built in Auckland from an American design? But she didn’t sail from NZ on her own bottom.
I still love her, monkey print wallpaper and fluffy loo seat and all. The only thing I would change is her external color, that shade of green doesn’t quite suit in the photos, but perhaps it does in the flesh.
 
I'll ask the builder.
Thanks D, but according to the webpage which Banjansailor linked in the meantime it seems that she was shipped from NZ to BC (Canada).
And tbh, that speaks to the owner's credit, with all due respect for the boat and her builder... :rolleyes:

Anyway, it would have been interesting to visit the yard during my stay in NZ - possibly together, if you know them.
Oh, well. Next time, maybe! :D
 
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These Florida Bay Coasters were designed by Jay Benford -
http://www.benford.us/index.html?coasters/

He has always been rather secretive re offering info on his website, unlike others - he wants you to buy a copy of the book of plans instead to get more info.

Although the Florida Bay Coasters people have apparently gone out of business, their website is still being run, apparently by the owners of one of the boats -
http://floridabaycoasters.com/

Here is some more info re Teddi Bear shown in Firefly James' original link -
http://floridabaycoasters.com/55-coaster/

If you fancy something similar but smaller, and in fibreglass, these Great Harbour trawlers in the USA look rather neat -
http://www.greatharbourtrawlers.com

Thanks for the links M, interesting reading. There is something appealing about these no nonsense, utilitarian looking vessels.
 
I've not looked at the ad yet (certainly going to) but I'm very interested to be able to see photos of a boat I've liked the idea of for years - there's a shrunk-down set of study plans in the Jay Benford catalogue in my downstairs loo :)

She's not really an ocean-going boat though, at least according to the designer - he says "While conceived as a coastwise cruiser, she could make Great Lakes crossings or transits to the Bahamas in reasonable weather."

One of the designs in the family is fitted with a pair of "spuds", like small pontoon pilings that can be winched up and down through the bottom of the boat. Mr Benford suggests sticking one into the bottom to pivot round for a tight turn, or both to hold the boat in place when mooring :)

Pete
 
She's not really an ocean-going boat though, at least according to the designer - he says "While conceived as a coastwise cruiser, she could make Great Lakes crossings or transits to the Bahamas in reasonable weather."
Exactly. I have only looked at a few pictures but there is nothing about the boat that shouts "offshore" to me. Great lake machine if the style grabs you but I'd prefer a full complement of side decks :D
 
I thought it was just me thinking it looked like a Mississippi paddle boat without the paddle.

Anyone for shooting craps on the spittoon deck?

Chacon a son gout, as they say in the bayous, of course.
 
Boxey but the Americans do comfy interiors better than newer UK and European designs that are flat minimalist boring and not home from home anymore.
 
The 13,500 mile range is a bit of a headline grabber but to see that you need to be doing 4.8 knots. At 5.8 knots the distance pretty much halves.

At 8.1 knots you're down to under 3,000 miles.

Henry :)
 
To me it looks like a boat suited to the US intercoastal or the North west Sounds, I have no experience of displacement hulls (apart from offshore angling) but surely with such a shallow draught and all that top hamper its really is going to roll in a beam sea albeit a 20ft beam.
The freeboard also looks very low are Nordhavens a similar set up?
 
Nope, VERY different, in many ways.

Ref. "albeit 20ft beam", don't fall in the trap of believing that a wider beam per se stops the boat from rolling.
It can make the hull more stable, but very stable hulls can still roll like pigs, and are much harder to stabilize.
Think of a catamaran, which can't be stabilized but depending on sea conditions can roll frantically, like there's no tomorrow.
In this sense, it's understandable that they didn't install stabs - they should have been way oversized (in proportion to the boat length) to be effective...
 
Nope, VERY different, in many ways.

Ref. "albeit 20ft beam", don't fall in the trap of believing that a wider beam per se stops the boat from rolling.
It can make the hull more stable, but very stable hulls can still roll like pigs, and are much harder to stabilize.
Think of a catamaran, which can't be stabilized but depending on sea conditions can roll frantically, like there's no tomorrow.
In this sense, it's understandable that they didn't install stabs - they should have been way oversized (in proportion to the boat length) to be effective...

The older 46' Nordhaven had low topsides running midships aft, and the way they coped with potential lack of seaworthiness in severe beam seas was to install storm shutters to the saloon side windows.
Regarding the vessel roll, surely on this design style a pair of heavy duty paravanes wouldn't look too much out of place, mounted forward of the flight deck.
 
Nope, VERY different, in many ways.

Ref. "albeit 20ft beam", don't fall in the trap of believing that a wider beam per se stops the boat from rolling.
It can make the hull more stable, but very stable hulls can still roll like pigs, and are much harder to stabilize.
Think of a catamaran, which can't be stabilized but depending on sea conditions can roll frantically, like there's no tomorrow.
In this sense, it's understandable that they didn't install stabs - they should have been way oversized (in proportion to the boat length) to be effective...
Exactly. Being v stable generally means that you roll more in beam seas, not that you roll less. Often misunderstood.

The 20 foot beam on this baby basically will make her roll like a pig and be unstabilisable. Good luck with that. She is a lake boat.
 
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...but surely with such a shallow draught and all that top hamper its really is going to roll in a beam sea albeit a 20ft beam.
You say "albeit" as if the wide beam resists rolling in a beam sea. To reiterate my point above, it's the opposite. The wide beam will cause the rolling in a beam sea not resist it. Far more important factor than the top hamper. (The top hamper will slow down the natural roll period btw).
 
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