Mid March means that it is Maine Boat builders show time. This year I am giving a talk on strip plank boat building but that is not until Sunday so I am writing this the day before having just got back from a boat test on the Back Cove 37. Rita and I have been casting around for new boat for some time and although I have been a sail boater all my life we are seriously looking for a power boat that we can spend a serious amount of time aboard. High up on our shortlist is the Back Cove 37. We both like the open plan and the galley up layout means that meals can be prepared underway with less chance of the cook feeling seasick that is often bought on by not being able to see out.
The drawing above shows the layout which is ideal for two couples but for most of the time Rita and I would use the boat just for us and we would have pleanty of room to spread out.
As someone who does all their own maintenance I love the way that almost the entire bridge deck opens up at the touch of a button allowing superb access to all the of the mechanical bits; this for me is one of the big plus points and I feel that Back Cove should make more of this. Even if you get someone else to do all the maintenance the mechanic will thank you for choosing this boat as he will not have to crawl into dark filled holes to change filters or do any other such jobs.
Three engine options are offered with this boat and the test model that we took out for a spin has the largest Cummins QSB 600hp engine which as you can see from this photo I took when I lifted up the cover has plenty of room to work around.
We went out for about an hour on the boat and although the air temperatures were in the low thirties we were toaty and warm inside the boat with the reverse cycle air conditioner keeping the cabin at a pleasant 70 degrees.
More pictures and performance figures will follow tomorrow after I down load the rest of my photos from my camera when I get back to my office.
Comments