News & blog

By: Chris Murray In 1592, a Greek ship captain, Juan de Fuca, sailing under a Spanish flag, cruised up the coast of what is now Washington State and made the first right turn into a large strait that would one day bear his name. The good captain was followed by other explorers including George Vancouver, who was assigned with charting the Pacific Northwest for Britain and is today memorialized for his efforts by a Canadian city and island, among other geographical features. It is in the spirit of these great explorers that I tell the following tale. As a dealer for Offshore Yachts, I had traveled to the Northwest several times a year. Work trips for the most part mean, fly in, meet a client, sea trial, survey or work a boat show, then fly home ASAP to take care of the girls and give Mom a break.  I’ve always wanted to explore, but with two little girls at home, I knew that wasn’t in the cards. This summer would be different. I’d just delivered a new Offshore 54′ to a great client in Port Ludlow who I needed to visit, and I had a 62′ listing in Anacortes that I wanted to inspect. The girls were off from school and summer activities didn’t start for two weeks so like Capt. Vancouver, I pulled out a map and began planning. My wife, Kristi, couldn’t start the trip with us so for the first four days it was just Dad and the two girls, Reagan, eleven, and Finley, eight. In true Dad fashion, there were no rules. We stayed up until midnight running around Seattle the first night to see all we could. The next few days were a mix of work and play. I met a client in Seattle to list his beautiful Offshore 54′ (27-Pilothouse-3008134/Seattle/WA/United-States#.WPo3AoWcHD4), then we were off to Edmonds, Port Townsend to check out Fort Worden (and act out a few scenes from “An Officer and a Gentleman”). Afterward, we met with the owners of the new 54′, Dave and Susan Holt, and they took us to a hidden treasure, “The Blue Moose,” for a delightful lunch. Then it was berry picking and clamming. They are an amazing couple, living life to its fullest! Following lunch at Gig Harbor, we trekked back to Sea Tac to get Mom. Once Kristi arrived the adventure turned north to Bellingham to visit another great couple that had built an Offshore 54′ some years before, Dan & Nonie Brown. They couldn’t have been more inviting and gracious inviting us to stay in their home, teaching the girls how to play pool, and taking us to a fantastic dinner at Dirty Dan’s in Bellingham. The owner of Dirty Dan’s is a friend of the Browns and let the girls create their own desserts. The chocolate sundae with bacon was a particular favorite. My eight year old was thrilled when told that they might put it on the menu. The plan for next few days was to ferry to Victoria, drive to Sidney, tour an Offshore 80′, and meet with new boat clients. Unfortunately, as often happens with plans that involve kids, exhaustion and a bout of car sickness grounded us in Anacortes for a day and closed the window on the Canadian portion of the trip. We did however make it to San Juan Island for some touring and another wonderful dinner with the Browns at Roche Harbor. We boarded our flight for home tired and a little sad but loaded with a bunch of great stories. We might not have been the first adventurers to explore the Northwest, and there’s no risk of Vancouver changing its name to Murray, but one of us had a dessert named for her, so that’s saying something. And unlike the original explorers, we endured no outbreaks of scurvy, didn’t eat a single piece of hardtack, and no one spent the night in a storm-tossed crow’s nest.

Last month I had the privilege of meeting one of our clients, Garry Hubbard, and his new-build consultant and representative, Phil Friedman, in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. The purpose of the trip was to complete the final inspections and performance sea trials of Garry’s new 80 Pilothouse. We have always urged our clients to visit their boat while in production, but few actually make the trek. I want to share with you what an adventure it can be and how fun it is to add this experience to the building process. Let me start with the obvious first hurdle to overcome. IT’S A LONG WAY AND A LONG FLIGHT! Suffice it to say that flying business class helps ease the burden. I fly “Premium Economy Class”. It is not my own private cocoon but pretty comfy. That’s not me in the photo! There are ways to enjoy it. Snoozing, watching all the movies you’ve missed over the past six months, or read an entire novel. I like to blend of all three and the wonderful in-flight meals. My China Air flight left LAX at midnight, so I had a 1AM dinner, watched a movie, and then snoozed for about 6 hours. Not bad. two more movies – breakfast – and the next thing I know I am in Taiwan. One of the fringe benefits (thankfully) is that our project manager, Jeff McDowell, and/or our Q.C. expert, Alan Hsu, is always there to greet me at the airport. No driving in Taiwan (pretty crazy) and no worries about fumbling my Mandarin. I am good at saying Xie Xie (shay shay) thank you, and ni hao (knee how) hello. The good news – that’s all the mandarin you’ll need, along with many nods and smiles. But if you like to be in control and think that driving is something you would like to try in Taiwan. I suggest Taiwan’s the most popular mode of transportation – the scooter. Don’t forget to bring your phone. It seems she had an important call, you might as well. If you go this route, please wear shoes. DAY 1) I arrived a day earlier than Garry and Phil in order to meet with Jeff “Mack” and Alan. The day started with a review of P.O.s for two 76’s also in production and familiarizing myself with the itinerary for the sea trial and inspections. We met in Offshore Yachts offices on the premises of Kha Shing (the builder) and then headed out to inspect 76033 and various parts in the wood shop. Pictured is Alan Hsu (Q.C.), Susan Chen (Technical drawings), and Jeff “Mack” McDowell (Project Manager). 76033 – Custom console to accommodate some large screens. Off to Kaohsiung Harbor – near the fishing fleet for lunch and some delicious sushi.  And then on to Garry’s 80 Pilothouse, which is already in the water at the Harbor. The Taiwanese government is very supportive of the Yacht building industry and has provided manufacturers with this pier and a lift for testing purposes. Another great thing is that Kha Shing was awarded the contract to operate the lift and control the scheduling for all of the builders. What does that mean?? It means we go first!! John Kung (Deputy GM – Sales & Marketing Manager) After a cursory visit to the boat, the effects of my long journey hit home. Take me to the hotel! A beautiful view of the Love River, an early dinner, and lights out. Day 2)The next morning, Mack and Alan picked me up at the hotel and we were off to the Taiwanese version of Starbucks on the street corner for a kick start. (Lots of Starbucks there, not to worry) Afterwords, more of the same for us on P.O. review for the 76s at Kha Shing. In the afternoon, we were set for a mini trial of the 80 as CAT and ABT technicians made a few final adjustments. This was exciting for me, as we were going to run the ABT “at rest” stabilizers. New technologies that make yachting even easier and more comfortable never seem to stop coming. More importantly, the “at rest” system is of great import for Garry’s wife. This is Offshore’s first install of the system, and the key requirement to run the system is that you must have a generator running. While in Kaohsiung Harbor, we shut down the mains and tested the system. My concern was with fin and motor noise and whether the cost/benefit ratio be met. The results on both counts. We still had to check the efficacy the following day in open water, but the pretest was a success. One less concern.. PULLING OUT FOR PRE TRIAL AND “AT REST” ADJUSTMENTS – EXCITING – NAVIGATING WITH THIS SUBMERSIBLE SHIP WAS TOO. WISH YOU COULD SEE SCALE IN PIC. THIS SHIP IS MASSIVE. Off to dinner with Alan for Japanese cuisine. Bueno! From there, we went to Kaohsiung Airport to pick up a somewhat bleary eyed Garry arriving from Dallas. Phil arrived shortly thereafter. We arranged to have a breakfast meeting. Nothing wrong with the breakfast buffet – you can have good ole bacon and eggs or an omelet, or one of many Asian styles. I am usually good for three plates worth. Not concerned about dieting in Taiwan. Hotel view for Garry pretty awesome! Day 3) Garry seemed to have plenty of sleep, but I think the anticipation of seeing his new nautical beauty in the flesh, as it were, provided most of his energy. Off to the dock we went for our 9:00 AM sea trial in the Taiwan Strait. As we drove up the street, seeing the boat in the distance you could feel the excitement. What a great thing to share. Garry seeing his 40 year dream becoming a reality. With each step, his grin just kept growing, and  I’m thinking, “How cool is this?” That moment made the long trip worth it! We went aboard, and we were not alone.   Technicians from CAT, ABT, etc… were all around us, maybe 20 plus people. After a few minutes of Garry taking in his gorgeous new boat, we pushed off the dock into the bustling Kaohsiung Harbor.  This is fascinating, as I am reminded that the movement of containers, heavy lift ships, and all the activity and commerce in international ports is what makes the world go round. After much preparation of paperwork, a manifest of each crew member, passports, etc., the Coast Guard was the required first stop on the itinerary so they could greenlight us for the sea trial. It was my understanding that the authorities would board and check all IDs. The firing range for the military is on the premises and was very active with the staccato of gunfire, so I am thinking – let’s do whatever they ask.  The officer in charge approached the dock, taking in the twenty or so crew in their company green shirts, and seemed to be weighing whether to check IDs or go back to the office for his morning coffee and donut. The coffee must be good, because with a wave of his hand we were off to the Taiwan Strait for our test. Phil Friedman (new-build consultant), John Kung, and myself Conditions were great for a real test. About 15 knots of wind, a bit of chop and a mixed-up 3 to 5’ sea. We put her through the paces. CAT required tests at certain RPM intervals and ran at each for about three to four minutes, both down swell and heading into it. We topped out at just over 20 knots and easily achieved our performance parameters. Garry and Phil were delighted by the lack of vibration or noise, not one door rattle or drawer squeaking and all the joints, gaps edges, corners and sole flooring were meticulously fitted. Remember they are no “soft” furnishings yet so, no padding or carpet, no blinds or curtains, bedding or seating to deaden any untoward sounds. The boat was tracking down swell extremely well, and I was anxious for the opportunity to assess the “at rest” system. We had an opportunity to do so on a pause after a following sea trek. We put her in the trough, and by turning off the ABT stabilizers got her rolling pretty good, I got my video ready and the captain engaged the system. After about three rolls, the brains of the system figured out the rolling moment and made its adjustments to curb it. The boat settled in nicely with minimal roll and you could visually see it even on camera. Garry was very pleased, as this would make for a “Happy wife, and happy life”. We also enjoyed the moment that Garry tested his Kahlenberg horns. They work!! For the second test, all were pre-warned and we had our fingers in the ears to protect the drums. For the final test, we dropped the hooks, set both, and retrieved them. All OK. Garry was so happy with his yacht that he made sure he shook hands with the entire working trial team. After about three hours on the water, we were back at the pier, just in time to have a fun lunch. If you ever visit, Alan is great at ordering the local fare. He chooses items that are exotic enough that folks from the States aren’t likely to have seen or tasted before, but not so exotic that they we won’t try it. That evening, Wendy, the administrative assistant, arranged for an amazing dinner at the Ambassador Hotel. We had Peking Duck, which must be pre-ordered. The chef brings it to the table and carves it up masterfully. First taste, crispy duck skin with a thin, sugared lemon wedge on top – marvelous. A great way to start the meal, and it just continued on and on with delicious flavors through eight plus courses. In the end, about 90% of Alan’s selections were really good. Only one dish the entire trip caught me off guard – I liked it and was preparing for a second bite – until Alan told me what it was. No Mas!! Bu Hau!! (no good) If you make the trip, I’ll tell you what it was after your first taste!! We celebrated that evening with Garry authorizing his acceptance of vessel. A great day!! Day 4) An unexpected bit of excitement was in store for us on this day. We headed back down to the boat to review a few more details. We test fitted a template of the new yacht’s name, “Let it Bee,” on the transom and talked about commissioning activities coming up in Fort Lauderdale. After yet another great tasting lunch in a street corner restaurant (wonderful vegetables in a terrific broth) we were back to the boat again. She was coming out of the water to be made ready for shipment in the next couple of days. We were able to witness the lift as she was loaded (sitting in her purpose built cradle) onto the flat bed. Her transport ship was scheduled to arrive in a couple of days and she would be trucked to the ship and loaded for her trip to Port Everglades. Great fun and a good way to cap it all off. I headed back home that night. Garry and Phil stayed a few more days, and headed off to the southern coast of Taiwan to get out of the big city, and witness some of the beautiful beaches and coastline resorts. I have never had the privilege of doing this, but plan on carving out a day or two on the next trip to do so. All in all, this is quite an adventure. Keep in mind you could visit other areas of Taiwan like a previous client did, Or; say “Hello” to your boat and head off to Hong Kong or Bali. Sounds pretty good to me, and certainly a trip worth considering. If it’s me and my boat, I would be all in!! John OlsonPresident

By: Rojo Lomeli As the commissioning manager for new Offshores, I periodically visit our shipyard in Taiwan to survey the progress of our yachts as they are being built. Such was the case this last month when I got an extended preview of our latest 80’ motoryacht, hull# 80032. Such visits give me a jump start on each craft’s commissioning requirements prior to its arrival in the United States. Offshore Yachts does have a full-time quality control manager on site at the shipyard, however, it never hurts to have another set of eyes assessing the situation from Offshore West’s POV. Generally, though, my responsibilities really begin when a new build arrives here in the US and the commissioning process is set in motion. Each commission project begins with my checklist. I walk through every section of the boat, bow to stern and top to bottom, confirming that each and every system works properly: engines, stabilizers, mechanicals, electronics, utilities, lights, faucets, and hundreds of other items smaller in scale but still very important. Visiting Taiwan is always an adventure. Experiencing how another very different culture lives and works, their customs, trying new and for me exotic foods. And of course, it’s always good to see Alan (our QC manager), Wendy (administrative assistant), and many factory personnel with whom I’ve worked closely over the years. After 31 years with Offshore West, it is a matter of great pride to be part of a close-knit team that puts quality first and works together to ensure that each new Offshore meets or exceeds the highest standard of quality. I’m always pleased to visit our Taiwan shipyard and see all the latest designs, materials, and construction techniques take the form of a wonderful new yacht. And now, it’s on to the final stage of the new build process – commissioning (this time in Florida).

Jeff supervises and installs electronics for Sea Wide Marine in Newport Beach, CA. Sea Wide frequently works closely with Offshore West in the commissioning of our new boats. During the last week of June, I had the privilege of joining Michael Kaplan aboard North Star II, his Offshore 62 Flushdeck. We traveled the length of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, cruising from Sidney to Port Hardy. His new captain, Dewey Jack, was also aboard. North Star II was sold and commissioned in the spring of 2008. She was then immediately shipped to Ft. Lauderdale, where she spent 12 months exploring the East Coast, cruising to Maine and back.In April of 2009, Michael shipped her to Sidney, BC. Originally, he had wanted the new Furuno NavNet 3D equipment (full-time 3D chart rendering and instant, seamless chart handling with no lag or loading time), but it was not going to be available in time to meet the departure date for Florida, so he installed a single Navnet vx2 system. After the boat arrived in Sidney, we removed the vx2 system and installed a dual NavNet 3D package (for those readers who like tech talk, this package included both 12kW and 6 kW digital radars, dual processors, dual GPS antennas, a digital fish finder, and Sirius satellite weather, all part of an integrated network utilizing Ethernet technology and interfaced to both his AIS system and computer). Then, to bring them up to speed on the operation of the new systems, Michael invited me to accompany him and Captain Dewey on their BC voyage. I jumped at the opportunity. Not only would I get to see some of the most beautiful scenery in the world, but I would be seeing it on a very comfortable, spacious, and beautifully equipped Offshore (and I should know about the “beautifully equipped” part). The most memorable event of our first day underway was near Lasqueti Island on the northern end of the Strait of Georgia. A Navy skiff came alongside asking us to make a 90 degree turn to the left and travel 2 miles before continuing on our original course. In the distance we could see several Navy vessels. The largest was a destroyer from which we could see a tow line. We surmised they must be conducting some type of towed array sonar tests. No argument, we turned. We overnighted in April Point because we intended to transit through the Seymour Narrows on a slack tide at 7 AM the following morning. We awoke to a somewhat daunting solid fog and basically zero visibility. Due to currents of up to 15 knots, everyone, even commercial traffic, tries to transit on a slack tide. Needless to say, between the zero visibility and the generous serving of local traffic, our attention to the radars, AIS, and chart plotters was unwavering. Michael, who was at the helm, and I both have aviation in our backgrounds. After we were clear of the narrows, I commented that he was now IFR (Instrument Flight Rules) certified. Having had our eyes glued to the monitors for the last hour, we all had a good laugh. Of course, the fog then burned off almost immediately, and rest of the day was absolutely gorgeous as we made our way to Port McNeill. You just plain have to see this region with your own eyes to appreciate the awesome scenery. You are traveling through fjords with cliffs and forest on each side. Every turn brings something new, and you’re afraid to leave the helm in fear of missing something. The other thing that’s really neat is that it’s all basically protected from the open ocean weather. You can travel for days without getting any saltwater on the windshield. That evening, we anchored out at Port McNeill. Our last day underway took us to Port Hardy, which has a lot of commercial fishing boats and a couple canneries. These are resilient, hardy folks, so the name is appropriate. And, if you want to see bald eagles, this is the place for it as they are everywhere. For me, Port Hardy was the end of the line. I wish I could have continued on, but it was time to get back to that little thing called a job. Since I left her, North Star II has traveled as far north as Juneau (her home port) and Glacier Bay and is now making her way to Marina Del Rey, CA, where she will spend the winter before heading south on her next voyage. It has been an epic first adventure, and as Michael said, “After 5000 miles on the East Coast and a summer in Alaska, North Star II is performing better the ever.” The Northwest really is a great cruising area, and I would highly recommend it to anyone. If you haven’t been there before, it’s easy to be intimidated by the navigation, currents, weather, etc., but with a little planning, there is nothing to be afraid of. Take your time, watch your charts, and have fun. We saw five or six other Offshores on the trip, which only reinforced my belief that Offshore owners use their boats as much or more than any other group of owners. I personally enjoyed the navigation. It was great experience to be able to see and use all of the electronics I install in a “real world” situation. To say the least, it was a very different experience than navigating a test run to Catalina. I certainly look forward to having another such opportunity and would again like to thank Michael for being such a fun and gracious host.

Trim tabs consist of two hinged stainless steel planes mounted at the transom of the boat. By angling the tabs downward at speed, water pushes up on the trim planes providing lift to the stern and reducing bow rise, which gets your boat out of the hole and on plane quickly. Proper use of tabs may also increase speed, ease fuel burn, and correct for uneven weight distribution, among other things. To keep your tabs working properly, it’s important to retract the planes to the up position after using you boat. Leaving them in the down position allows a variety of sea life to take up residence on the exposed shafts. When the tabs are eventually raised, the rough little calcium houses these sea creatures like to build scrape past the o-ring seal at the opening of the cylinder body. In time the o-ring is sufficiently roughed up to lose its seal, and the cylinder begins to leak hydraulic fluid. There’s another problem with leaving the tabs in a downward position. If you forget they’re down and accelerate sharply in reverse, the tab blades take a lot of pressure from the opposite direction they’re designed for. The result can be that the blades snap off. Not a disaster, but you’d rather it didn’t happen.

Describing a cruise with one of our Offshore owners, Jeff Kohlhaas of Sea Wide Marine reminds us of something we knew but need to be reminded of now and then. In a separate article included in this issue, Jeff writes about the substantial number of cruising Offshores he saw during a recent voyage in the Pacific Northwest: “We saw five or six other Offshores on the trip, which only reinforced my belief that Offshore owners use their boats as much or more than any other group of owners.” Let’s put that statement into perspective. Offshore is a limited run, semi-custom manufacturer. Relative to the production of many other boat builders, there just aren’t that many Offshores in existence. To date, none of our model lines have ever exceeded 100 boats. Our most recently completed Offshore, a 62 Pilothouse now commissioning here in Newport Beach, is only hull number 96. And the 62 is one of our older and most popular models. So, despite our modest numbers, despite the exclusivity of the Offshore owners club, you see them out there, cruising, all the time. Why? Because Offshore owners are avid cruisers who love their boats. Love being on them, love using them, love the ride smoothness, love sharing them with friends and family, and, we have to say, love their safety and dependability. And that’s why so many of our owners are two- and even three-time Offshore owners. It’s also why we’ve done pretty well in this latest economic unpleasantness. Brokerage sales of Offshores have been good throughout the last two years, and right now, we have the new, aforementioned 62 undergoing commissioning, and a new sold 64 on its way soon. Another sold 64 was recently delivered and is now cruising. Interest is strong, we continue to market our new and used boats vigorously, our new office in Florida is in the black, and today’s prices are often in the bargain zone. On the subject of bargain prices, talk to us about the deals we’re currently offering on our two new, in-stock Offshores ─ a 76 Pilothouse (hull# 76028) and a 64 Voyager (hull# 64002). The combined discounts and allowances are impressive to say the least. And, as an added enticement, we a currently doing a partial interior décor on #64002, which includes main deck carpet, seat cushions, throw pillows, and roman shade window treatments. The installation is being done by Argonautica, the design firm currently doing the interior of Billy Joel’s latest yacht (so we feel we are in good hands). We are also represented at a lot more boat shows than we used to be. Partly this is due to the opening of our Florida office, partly it’s due to the expansion of our authorized sales area from West Coast to the Solar System (excepting Australia), and partly it’s due to our belief that it’s just a good idea from a marketing, visibility standpoint. On this topic, the Lido Boat Show here in Newport Beach is coming up soon: September 24 to 27. Be there or be square. Still, there are a few concessions to the less than stellar health of the economy. This year, in honor of the new normal of reduced expectations, we are having a somewhat downsized, pre-shrunk owner get-together. This year, what would ordinarily be referred to as our annual Offshore Rendezvous will be our first (and hopefully last) annual Offshore BBQ. The emphasis will be on fun, frolic, food, and the Offshore family out on the beach at Catalina Island (September 17). It won’t be an extravaganza, but we are sure the fun quotient will come in at its usual elevated level. We hope you enjoy this latest issue of Offshore Currents. We’ve been sending it out biannually for over ten years now, and it’s always a pleasure to bring it to you.

This year our traditional Offshore Owners Rendezvous was transformed into the  Offshore Owners BBQ, an adaptation to the current state of the economy. Event expense levels were pre-shrunk, but the fun level remained at its usual voluminous size. The BBQ was held at the Catalina Island Isthmus (Two Harbors) in mid September and there was a plethora of good company, good food, and good laughs,  So, if you’re an owner, and you couldn’t make it, clear your calendar for next  year’s event (we’re hoping to return to a full fledged Rendezvous by then).  As always, it’ll be the best ever!