Northman is a brand from a Polish builder that has been making boats for the European market for a couple of decades but has not had a real presence in North America. They now have a dealer in Miami Beach, Florida, Performance Yachts, that will elevate the brand’s visibility.
That’s a good thing since Northman builds high quality boats, both power and sail, that combine thoughtful designs with fine yacht construction. The new Northman 1300 is their latest trawler-style family cruise and has a lot going for it.
At 42 feet overall the new design packs a ton of social spaces into a fairly compact package. The flybridge has the helm and a wrap-around lounge seat for sunning or entertaining. The foredeck has a wide sun bed with fold-up back rests.
The cockpit is the main social area with a nearly full beam bench seat, a built-in grill and sink and an outdoor fridge. The wide swim platform offers a large enough space for sunning, swimming and playing with water toys.
The salon is fairly compact with the galley aft that has a raised counter abutting the cockpit that will be useful as a bar or for serving those eating in the cockpit. The dinette will seat four and has full water views. The dinette table can be lowered to create a double berth.
The master cabin is in the forepeak and is fitted with a walk-around double berth and plenty of storage. The guest cabins are tucked under the salon and have low double berths. The cabins share the head and shower.
The 1300 has a number of power packages including a hybrid diesel-electric system. With traditional diesels, the boat will have a top speed of 22 knots. In cruise mode the builder says it will have a range of 2,500 nautical miles.
The 1300 has a salty neo-trawler look to it with a slightly reverse curved sheer and a nearly plumb bow that sports an attractive flair. This is a fine couple’s cruiser that would be a perfect for a Great Loop adventure.
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