78 July 2018

t was one of those perfect spring days as we transited the Ballard Locks in Seattle headed for TrawlerFest in Bremerton, a distance of 17 miles. The sun was shining, the sky was deep blue and the winds were light. Skippering their new Kadey-Krogen 50 Open for the first time were owners Jackie and Mike Schmidt. Also aboard were this reviewer, Tucker West (Kadey-Krogen’s vice president of sales) and Norris Comer from Northwest Yachting.

At almost 53 feet overall (16.1 metres), the 50 Open proved comfortable to operate as we descended from Lake Union to Puget Sound despite the sometimes-turbulent waters of the locks. The easy manoeuverability was largely due to twin

An innovative layout for this full-displacement, go-anywhere pilothouse trawler

By Peter A. roBson

Kadey-Krogen 50 open

I125-horsepower John Deere diesels, proportional hydrau-lic bow and stern thrusters and external wing helm sta-tions that provide excellent visibility over the side.

Kadey-Krogen was founded in 1977 by Art Kadey, a marine engineer, and naval architect James Krogen. The company has since built more than 620 expedition-style trawlers in 15 models from 36 to 58 feet and, for the past 25 years, at the same yard (Asia Harbor Yacht Builders) in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Asia Harbor, through two generations of owner-ship by the Lin family, builds

exclusively for Kadey-Krogen, which gives the construc-tion process a great deal of consistency.

The first 50 Open was introduced at the Miami Boat Show in early 2018. It was built for Kadey-Krogen vice president Larry Polster and his wife Janet. The Schmidt’s was the second and was to make its West Coast debut at TrawlerFest. The couple had recently sold their home and were planning to live aboard full time after the show.

On BOard p Ower

July 2018 79

Design AnD ConstruC-tion The external styling of the 50 Open is classic Kadey-Krogen, with a full-displace-ment hull, fine entry and trademark wineglass stern (to track better than a conven-tional stern in following seas). The most significant change is the interior layout. Instead of the traditional pilothouse design, with a separate “up” pilothouse reached via a set of stairs from the saloon, the 50 Open’s pilothouse is only a single step up from the saloon and open to the saloon and galley. By removing that separation and opening the pilothouse to the saloon and galley, the designers have created a much more social environment. However, a retractable partition can be raised electrically to isolate the pilothouse when running at night or whenever separa-tion is called for.

on DeCk Beefy and tough come to mind when boarding the Kadey-Krogen 50 from any of the four heavy bul-wark doors or via the swim platform and transom door. The teak-soled decks are rock solid, the fibreglass is thick, ripple free and all hardware is well sized. The test boat had no other exposed woodwork (though teak caprails are optional), which reduces maintenance significantly. One unusual, but welcome, feature was the double cleats on the side decks. They are located above and below the hawse pipes that pass through the bulwarks. This makes it possible to tie fenders and dock lines on separate cleats.

The cabin is asymmetrical—offset to port—which allows for a wide covered walkway to starboard with a weather door to keep wind and seas out of the cockpit. There are no side decks to port. The inside of the cockpit and side deck are finished with molded plank lines and they serve

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1. the helm console features two massive 22-inch Garmin touch screens, digital engine readouts and the usual navigation and ship’s control systems. 2. the double cleats on the side decks make it possible to tie fenders and dock lines on separate cleats. 3. Docking controls. 4. the queen bed is rectangular instead of tapered and this gives more shoulder room. 5. there is 6.5 feet of headroom in the engine compartment. 6. the galley appliances are all full size.

to nicely break up the plain white fibreglass.

Two sturdy doors lead from the Portuguese bridge to the foredeck and there is a comfy settee between the two. A heavy-duty, water-tight, Freeman Marine hatch seals the anchor locker—a ship-like feature seldom seen on other yachts.

A stairway provides access

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to the flybridge from the pilothouse. The flybridge is positioned slightly further forward than other Kadey-Krogens, which likely helps with forward visibility. The test boat was fitted with a hardtop over the helm area, which is a smart option in our climate. The dinghy deck features a hydraulic davit and room for a 13-foot dinghy. Two helm seats face the console and an L-shaped settee with a table has room to seat about eight people. Aft of the settee is a summer kitchen with propane grill, sink and room for an icemaker. One unique feature requested by the Schmidt’s are pop-up LED lights ar-ranged around the flybridge.

sAloon AnD Pilothouse The saloon is accessed from the cockpit through a heavy

sliding door. Two large, frame-less, bonded windows provide good visibility while electric blinds provide privacy. The interior is finished in dark cherry woodwork throughout, including the cabin sole, and this gives the feel of a really warm ship. The plush dark brown upholstery for the L-shaped settee was fabricated locally to Jackie’s specifica-tions. The folding hi-low din-ing/coffee table in the saloon converts to a fourth berth.

The galley incorporates many of Jackie’s personal touches, including custom Cambria (quartz) countertops, tile backsplash and recessed Kohler ceramic farmers sink. Instead of the cherry plank flooring used elsewhere, Jackie chose tile for the galley floor and this nicely breaks up the area between the saloon

and pilothouse. All the ap-pliances are full (house) size, including a Wolf propane range with exhaust fan and convection microwave above, Sub Zero fridge/freezer and Bosch dishwasher. One smart feature is an appliance garage. This square “box” is normally flush with the galley coun-tertop, but with the flick of a switch, it rises up about a foot and is perfect for bread stor-age, a toaster, coffee maker or what have you.

The pilothouse was fitted with a single helm seat and a traditional L-shaped raised settee with hi-low table. It can fold down and become a berth for the off-watch person when underway. The only part of the layout I didn’t like was the tight squeeze between the helm seat and the table.

The almost full-width

82 July 2018

helm console features two massive 22-inch Garmin touch screens, digital engine readouts and the usual naviga-tion and ship’s control systems. Attest-ing to the ship-like character of the 50 Open are heavy, Diamond Sea Glaze Dutch doors to the Portuguese bridge. These have multiple dogs to assure they are watertight. It’s also handy to be able to open the top half of the door for ventilation. Outside, on the out-board sides of the Portuguese bridge are duplicate engine controls, which offer very good visibility over the side and are a great help when docking.

ACCommoDAtion The accommoda-tion area is accessed from a staircase from the pilothouse. The Schmidt’s chose the three-stateroom version, with the master in the bow and double berths to either side of the hallway. The foyer/hallway has a separate full-size washer and dryer and at the aft end, access to the engine room via a watertight door. A two-stateroom layout is optional, with an amidships master queen and a guest suite for-ward, each with their own ensuite.

The forward master in the test boat was trimmed out in horizontal cherry planking which adds warmth. Its queen bed is rectangular instead of the usual tapered head and this offers more shoulder room. Two overhead hatches bring in light as do two rect-angular opening ports. There’s also a proper closet to starboard with two doors with ample hanging room and shelving. There are drawers almost everywhere and no shortage of room for clothes.

The two guest cabins have double-size athwartship beds and opening ports. These cabins will be used by the Schmidt’s two college-age sons when on breaks. Each cabin has its own hanging locker and shares a head with separate shower.

engine AnD systems Kadey-Kro-gen has been using John Deere diesels for over 20 years and exclusively for the past 15. The company claims they have only replaced one engine in all those years, and that is pretty impres-sive testament. The test boat’s twin 125-horsepower John Deere diesels (4045 series, M2 rated) were connected

to ZF transmissions, two-inch shafts, dripless seals and 28-inch, four-blade props. Each shaft has a skeg to protect its propeller. Standard power is a single 230-horsepower John Deere diesel. With the single engine instal-lations, a “get-home” system can be fitted. This operates via a hydraulic power take off from the generator and turns the main prop.

For those who like to do their own maintenance, there’s 6.5 feet of head-room in the gleaming white engine room (which can be accessed from forward or aft) and plenty of room to move around the engines. All plumb-ing and wiring is cleanly laid out as are all other components. Although built in Taiwan, all systems use US sourced components, which makes them easy to deal with for warranty work and to obtain parts.

ABT hydraulics are used to power the 15-horsepower proportional thrusters, the windlass and the Stabili-zation at Rest system (ABT-Trac-Star), which has actuators and fins (with winglets) larger than normal to make it easier to remain on an even keel

t h e s p e c s

loA16.12 m / 52' 9"

lWl13.72 m / 45'

Beam5.31 m / 17' 5"

Draft1.4 m / 4' 6"

Disp (half load)30,844 kg / 68,000 lbs

Fuel4,469 L / 1,240 UsG

Water1,515 L / 400 UsG

holding 454 L / 120 UsG

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while anchored. Auxiliary power was from a 16 kW Northern Lights genera-tor. Hurricane hydronic heating was wisely installed to supplement the reverse cycle air conditioning system.

unDerWAy We made the trip from the Ballard Locks to Bremerton at a leisurely pace. At a cruising speed of 7.25 knots, and fully loaded, we sipped 4.2 US gallons (16 litres) per hour. This translates to a very fuel-efficient 1.73 miles per gallon (0.45 miles per litre). At this speed, the range of the 50 Open would be about 2,000 miles. Wide open throttle brought our speed up to 9.8 knots while burning 15 gallons (56.8 litres) per hour, this cuts the range down considerably, but owners will seldom run at wide open throttle for extended periods. While no speedster, acceleration was surprisingly good. The steering was 3.5 to four turns, lock to lock, though this can be adjusted for fewer turns.

Thanks to the raised pilothouse, visibility over the bow is excellent. Visibility aft and to the sides was also good, though this was made easier by the aft-facing pan and tilt cockpit camera, which was displayed on one of the Garmin flat screens. We ran most of the way with the stabilizers turned on, and although the seas were calm, they kept us on an even keel when we went through large ship wakes.

ConCluDing remArks Kadey-Krogen trawlers are more like small ships than conventional yachts—and this is a good thing for those travel-ling on long voyages with the potential for some seriously adverse weather. While eight or nine knots isn’t fast, the 50 Open is fuel efficient and can boast an impressive range. With full size appliances and a well-equipped galley with tons of storage, there’s enough room for food, clothing and gear for extended cruising. The open layout is a real bonus when it comes to socializing, or when a cruising couple wants to be able to communicate with each other while at sea. As a semi-custom builder, costs can vary significantly depend-ing on options. Base price, however, is US $1,549,000. Add approximately US $70,000 for shipping to the West Coast plus import duty to Canada.

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