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| Featured Customer - Security on the Seas |
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When Tom Wadsworth and his wife, Sandy, set out to find a yacht design that would give them comfort and security on the open blue, the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, couple looked to the same tried-and-true hull that's won the favor of North Atlantic commercial fishermen for generations.
"My wife has no use for tippy and fast," relates Tom. "Those are two very bad words. Our top priority was to find a hull that would be extremely seaworthy and very safe."
That quest would lead them to the Mai Pehn Rai, a wide, heavy 15-meter (50 ft.) commercial lobster-boat hull that would be built into a luxury yacht by LeBlanc Brothers Boat Building in Wedgeport, Nova Scotia. There, brothers Neil, Leo, and Kevin design what they believe is the perfect hull for anyone venturing out into the North Atlantic.
"We built 75 hulls before we came up with one that suited us," relates Neil. "So we made a new mold, and Tom's hull is number 79. We know it will take all of the wind out there," says Neil of the hard-chine, full-displacement hull. "When the fishing fleet leaves the wharf, most of our hulls end up being the first ones out there because they don't pound on the water. They are very seaworthy."
Wanting the assurance of an extremely reliable diesel engine, the Wadsworths looked to Neil for his recommendation. His preference? The same proven engine that powers countless commercial and recreational vessels, not only in the Northeast, but also around the globe: John Deere.
"It's a single-engine boat, and it's too big to paddle or row," muses Tom. "So dependability was at the top of our list. In all candor, Neil picked the engine. He knows the product, and I've had no problems with the engine."
That engine is a PowerTech 6125AFM purchased from Eastcoast Power System in Truro, Nova Scotia. The John Deere engine distributor performed the installation, marrying the 339-kW (455 hp) engine to a ZF transmission with a 2.5:1 gear ratio and a 4-blade, 32x28-inch (81x71 cm) propeller.
With fuel economy being more important than speed, the Wadsworths are satisfied with the speed and performance of the 45-metric ton (100,000 lb.) vessel under full load. Cruising 7
knots at 1100 rpm, the engine consumes 11 liters per hour (3 gph). "That's the sweet spot for this engine," says Tom. "We don't expect to get much more speed because you shove around so much water."
With 4,531 liters (1200 gal.) of fuel onboard, Tom estimates that the Mai Pehn Rai will have a 3,218-kilometer (2,000 mi.) range. And that will more than likely lead this couple out of the Chesapeake Bay.
"I'm very in favor of green water, white sand, and 85 degrees of the Bahamas," says Tom. "For us, the Mai Pehn Rai is just a floating condominium that will allow us to crank up the engine and cruise to someplace new."
Engine: John Deere PowerTech 6125AFM75 — 339 kW (455 hp) @ 2000 rpm, 6-cylinder, 12.5L, seawater-aftercooled marine diesel engine. Marine builder: LeBlanc Boat Builders Wedgeport, Nova Scotia, Canada (902) 663-2927 Distributor: Eastcoast Power Systems, Truro, Nova Scotia, Canada (506) 444-0353 www.eastcoastpowersystems.com
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