Northern Marine, the storied builder of high-end expedition yachts, is back, with a new owner, and it’s now finishing a 57 Raised Pilothouse cruiser in its yard in Anacortes, Washington.
Northern Marine was started in 1995, at first building strong commercial vessels and then earning a reputation for its robust, world-circling cruising boats. It had a lineup of models from 57 to 100 feet.
But then the 2008 recession hit, and a few years later the yard suffered a major blow when a new boat capsized in an accident during its launching, resulting in a video that went viral around the world.
The financial problems mounted, until Seattle Yachts, with offices in the Pacific Northwest, Southern California, and South Florida, bought the Northern Marine brand, the yard and the tooling a year ago.
The 57 is the first boat to be built under the new ownership. Meant to be operated by a couple, the new pilothouse cruiser will be powered by a single John Deere 325-hp diesel. It also will have two 17kW generators, and an emergency get-home drive powered by one of them that will deliver a 5-knot speed.
A seachest also is being built into the 57, providing seawater in one place for eight different systems through the boat. It has a clear Lexan cover on top, above the waterline, for easy inspection and cleaning. The basic advantage of a large seachest is that different through-hulls don’t have to be drilled throughout the boat for each water intake.
The 57 is built for serious cruising, with a seaworthy design and solid construction. The hull and superstructure are made with advanced resin-infused technology.
The boat’s high bulwarks forward deflect spray for a dry ride. A keel, bulbous bow and hydraulic fin stabilizers are meant to provide a comfortable ride.
The salon has large side windows, and a settee that coverts to a dining area, next to a fully-equipped galley. The pilothouse offers a panoramic forward view, and it has a pilot berth for long cruises.
The aft deck is covered for protection from the weather, and has a built-in entertainment center. The side decks provide easy access around the boat for docking and line-handling. Read more:
