The Northwest Yachts brand has been around for quite awahule but when the pandem,ic hit and their facotrey in China closed, owner Peter Whiting, whi owns Seattle Yacht, moth-balled the line.
Following the pandemic, the boat market was strong and the opportunity arose for Whiting the re-launch Northwest and renew its offering. He turned to legendary trawler and motor yacht designer Steve Seaton who drew three models from 52 to 58 feet.
The 55 that was introduced at this year’s Seattle Boat Show. It is hull number one and makes a solid statement about where Whiting and Northwest are headed. That’s expedition-style, long haul cruising.
The three hulls all have 17-foot beams and similar layouts in the pilot houses which is up several steps from the salon and galley. The difference between the models is in the salons and flybridge spaces.
The 55 has a three-cabin, two-head accommodation plan with the master cabin aft, the VIP guest cabin forward and a twin cabin in between. But, owners can work with the builder to customize these spaces.
An interesting feature not seen on anything smaller than a mega yacht is the headed floors in the galley and heads. If you are headed to Alaska or Newfoundland, having warm feet will be a game-changing experience.
The 55 is powered by twin John Deere 330-horsepower diesels that will provide a cruising speed of eight knots and a top end of near 12. At cruising speed the range will be in the neighborhood of 1,000 miles.
Whiting turned to Endurance Yachts in Shanghai, Chjina to build the new Northwest line and they obviously know what they are doing. From the photos of hull number one, the joinery, details and finish work are all superior.
A ruggedly handsome go-anywhere yacht, the new Northwest 55 will make a splendid floating home that had adventure written all over it.
