Summer 2009: Pacific NorthWest Yard Tour...

From the air, you can see the northeast dock (upper left) lined with old and new Ocean Alexanders for their Roche Harbor Regatta.

On our return trip, we were lucky enough to catch a flight on 'Maggie', the last DeHavilland Beaver ever built, restored to her original glory by Kenmore Air. Equipped with a 450hp Pratt & Whitney radial engine, ear plugs are an option to consider. I preferred the melody of nine silos.

If you have any vocational student in you, you've probably heard somewhere along the line that old radials need Jed Clampett's oil reserve to keep nine cylinders happy. OK... I'll accept that. But nothing can prepare you for seeing the oil fill located in the cockpit! Note to newbies... don't add oil during flight, but keep it handy at each stop.

On Sunday, we made a run for the border and met with YF’s “OutMyWindow” for a guided tour of Vancouver, BC. We also got a much better understanding of his screen name. Outside his Window is one of the most magnificent, culturally diverse cities in the world... and you should see his view. Thank you OMW!

Monday morning started with a visit to Richmond Yachts. Originally, we planned to meet Ben Doderell, who was previously the Naval Architect for Hargrave. Ben's a member of YF and invited me to stop by during our trip. Unfortunately, he wasn't feeling well that day, so we met with Kieth Kiselback, the president of Richmond Yachts and took a tour of the yard.

This is one of the latest ladies from Richmond, although she looks a bit like a Walrus in this picture...

She's all caged-up now, but soon to be a debutant. This new 150' tri-deck will actually shed her scaffolding in time for FLIBS.

Here's a shot along the hull. Although it's still in the fairing process, this boat is actually much more complete than it looks. Much of the wiring and plumbing has been routed, sub-systems installed and the interior woodwork is taking shape.

For example, this shot of the 150's bridge shows some of the final interior trim pieces have been installed. At any given time, there are 100's of processes taking place. It's a puzzle of unfathomable proportion. Special thanks to Kieth Kiselback for taking time to give us a tour.

Our last stop was to spend time with an old friend, Jim Hawkins, the project manager and engineer behind Crescent/Queenship. Jim's one of the most knowledgeable people in boat building and he's teamed up with Lee Taubeneck, the new president of Crescent/Queenship, who was previously in charge of Westport’s Port Angeles facility and responsible for their 164’ project. Not just the boat, but implementation of entire facility! Lee gave us an extensive tour of something very new, very innovative and very exciting from Queenship. It has been kept under wraps for months and I'm proud that YF is the first to unveil this new boat... the Queenship 74' motoryacht. If you're looking for a boat in this size range, you MUST take a look at this boat!

The new Queenship 74' is loaded with ideas, but most importantly... access to them. This is a boat built by people who know boats. Not just building them, but living with them. Let's face it, on a boat... stuff happens. Often, it's not the fault of the builder, but the 100's of suppliers making components and parts that a builder incorporates. One day, those parts will need service. YF will do a full review in the near future, but here's a preview of Queenship's new "Meriweather"...

This boat has a nice mix of modern, but traditional elements that will appeal to a broad range of yachtsmen. It also has the expected features that have become a standard in this size. Walk-around covered decks, a fully covered aft deck, port/starboard access to the swim platform, aft engine room access, a large hard-top covered flybridge and an ergonomic layout conducive to living aboard, cruising or simple entertaining.

But living with a yacht is a different story. This is where the new Q74 stands out. It's all in the details, so let's get started. Why do we have to pass a line thru the hull to secure it? Answer... remove the hurdle.

And if we must have a line guide thru the hull, why not have it double as a cleat? Duh!

And while were on the bow, let's clean up the clutter and conceal the anchor behind a door that has thru-hull visibility...