Clipper Hudson Bay 50

Since former local Clipper agent Darren Berry bought the China-based business in 2002, with partner Mark Campion, established themselves on site, and appointed international dealers, the traditional trawlers have enjoyed a renewed following. More than 100 Clippers have past through dealers to boaters in the UK, USA, Singapore, Hong Kong, Europe and New Zealand in five years.

Even in the ensuing financial crisis, the timeless trawler market has proven resilient. People with time on their hands don’t mind going slow. The fact the boats are bought in US dollars helps pricing. Meanwhile, the second-hand market remains strong. Look on BoatPoint and Boatsales and the old 30s and 34s abound. Yet boats from the much-improved and more recent Cordova range are hard to find.

Since Australian ownership, and especially in recent years, there has been a marked lift in fit and finish thanks to our own people handling quality control, specifying parts for local conditions, and improving the standard specification. What occurred, in effect, was a repositioning of Clipper before prospective buyers.

The new Clipper class is enjoying a high profile and following among a younger demographic. Indeed, it’s against this backdrop that the new Hudson Bay 50, the first foray into the sedan guise, hopes to further disseminate the appeal of the marque.

While we have a soft spot for frugal trawlers, this new sedan takes the brand to the next level of fun, fit and fashion. There’s something of the sportyacht about it and, in a seamless way, it pulls off a clever blend of old and new.

Among the keen competitors are Alaska boats, also made in China. There isn’t a direct sparring partner but there are models either side of the Hudson Bay 50. An Alaska 46 Sedan, one rung down the ladder, was selling for about $830,000 with a pair of 480hp Cummins (test coming soon).

One league above, the Alaska 54 is considerably more expensive at about $1.4 million with Cummins 670hp engines and a few goodies.

In the more modern league, a Riviera 5000 Sport Yacht will cost you $1.25-$1.3 million with 600hp Cummins and Zeus pod drives. With the same engines, the Belize 52 from Taiwan weighs in about $1.5 million with options.

Last but not least, the Mustang 50 by Maritimo is perhaps the sharpest competition pricewise. It’s selling for about $1.15 million with Volvo Penta IPS 600s. But it’s a very different and contemporary boat. And you should way up the inclusions.

While the Hudson Bay 50 fills a niche on price, it’s made even more appealing by the options. Besides the upgraded Cummins QSC 600hp diesel common-rail engines, the boat had upgraded 17.5kVa Onan genset, remote docking device, extended hydraulic swim platform and dinghy dispatch.

There was an electric sunroof with Oceanair blind and sliding insect screen, saloon blinds, Sunbrella dinghy and windscreen covers, teak capping rail (oiled not high-gloss in future), stainless steel pantograph watertight side helm door, Bose surround sound system with DVD player, upgraded AV systems, and Simrad NSS 12in touch-screen electronics package.

These options upped the test-boat price to $1,199,555, yet the loaded Hudson Bay 50 still competes effectively with anything else out there. In fact, quite by design, the contemporary and edgy interior, we feel Riviera has a bona fide competitor for its popular 5000 SY.

That said, there are still traditional cues by way of (African) teak or Afromosia joinery, upright foredeck cabin lines, stainless steel fairleads and traditional deck fittings, the sedan hardtop, and the teak-capped gunwales. The seasoning is just right to pleasure a broad palate.

The deep, hydraulic-lift boarding platform, with 400kg capacity and impressive stainless-steel engineering, carried a Clipper-branded 330 hypalon RIB tender (five-year warranty), with matching teak side decks, side console and 30hp Evinrude E-Tec outboard. Launching the tender was a five minute job and so impressive you’re bound to gain an audience at the anchorage.

Press a button and the centre section of the boarding platform (carrying the tender) lifts skyward revealing a central integrated ladder for easy access to the suspended RIB and its tie downs. At the same time, the fixed sections of the platform mean you still have good access from the cockpit.

Submerged, you can then launch your RIB and, once free, splash about with glee. That part of the platform underwater also gives some baffling or stabilising effect — not that the rock-solid handbuilt GRP Hudson Bay 50 hull needs it — while, minus the tender, the raised swim platform wills you to dive in with a half pike and twist.

The transom has gates either side of a central storage unit, designed to hold the tender chocks, whose inner edge is formed into a three-person lounge. A small drinks table extends with the addition of a second pedestal to create a lunch setting under the optional Euro awning (fitted locally).

Meanwhile, the built-in amenities centre was designed for local gourmands. You get a teppanyaki plate, Miele hot-rock barbie (for that charred flavour), U-line fridge and icemaker, and solid counter/servery. A Fusion sound system caters to the party outdoors, while a separate Bose Lifestyle system is indoors.

Existing Clipper owners will welcome the walkaround side decks, high stainless-steel bow rail, and flat foredeck space upon which you can plonk beanbags. The all-in-one fairleads and cleats are tried-and-tested, while the high-gloss teak rail caps, oiled in future, add a salty touch.

The anchor locker is so big you can stow fenders inside and full marks for the gas strut that prevents the lid banging your head or breaking a finger. A trusty Muir winch sits proud of the deck, the clean up aided by a saltwater deck wash, and there’s a requisite hot/cold freshwater shower at the transom.

The rounded bow profile, modern hull shape, and mast on the extended hardtop, where you can tote kayaks and suchlike, add to the look. Out of sight. Storage exists in the lazarette, where we found a 2000W inverter, galvanic isolators, hydraulics for the swim platform, and a couple of batteries. Fuse panels and major breakers are all very neatly labelled and executed.

Two small steps (to meet CE standards) lead into the saloon, where the portside awning window flips open to reveal the aft galley, and a sliding saloon door extends the living spaces.

"We tried to take outdoor access and living to the next level. The idea was to build a boat with a sportyacht layout," Brett Thurley, the national Clipper agent, told BoatPoint. “This is the boat I’d have if I were getting a boat."

Teak flooring, solid square-edged Caesarstone counters with shell fleck, joinery without fiddles, rebates or louvers, handle-less drawers and ducted air-con give the Hudson Bay 50 a fresh look. Yet the U-shaped galley doesn’t bow to fashion alone.

There’s a useful Isotherm bench-height fridge with half-width vertical freezer, Miele four-burner cooktop and combination oven, twin sinks and storage in various drawers and surround lockers. Although a production boat, Clipper will work with customers to fit more fridge/freezer space, washer/dryer and so on.

A two-person lounge opposite the galley lets you watch proceedings, while the television above can be viewed reasonably well from the substantial raised U-shaped dinette for six that converts to a double bed. This big portside seating arrangement, which really maximises the views, doubles as co-pilot seating.

The excellent helm seat hail from Marine Tech in Victoria, while the switch panels are your standard toggle-type from BEP Marine in NZ. A small touch, but typical of the Hudson Bay, was thick Perspex cover over the AC/DC control panel. It was beefed up so you don’t get a flimsy feel when attending to the electrics.

Last but not least, ventilation streams indoors via the sunroof and, moreover, the side-opening helm door, plus the opening saloon door and awning window.

Accommodation is forward, down a companionway that could do with a handrail, in either two or three cabin, plus two bathroom, layouts. With the former, you get a bigger aft stateroom and central helm station with offset companionway.

We had the three-cabin model, central companionway, with forward stateroom and island berth, cedar-lined hanging space, surround lockers and drawers. Yet the portside aft guest stateroom, with double bed abutting triple panorama windows, fights for your attention. No slap, better views.

The third cabin to port has twin single berths that will suit kiddies. Opening portlights in call cabins, TVs, and rugs in the companionway are among the other nice touches. The bathrooms have dedicated showers with rain-style roses (order that watermaker), mirrored ceilings, freshwater Tecma heads, square porcelain sinks, extractor fans and hatches and, get this, travertine flooring. Tres chic. The Hudson Bay 50 has a decent 196 litre holding tank and good underfloor access to the plumbing.

Adding to the look are textured matching Warwick fabrics from bed head to cockpit lounge, solid teak architraves, and bright or mood night lighting as pictured alongside.

Engineering is another highpoint. There was an abundance of room between the Cummins straight-six QSC 8.3M 600hp engines, which are popular coupled to Zeus pod drives, in this instance spinning four-blade props on shafts through ZF boxes.

All sides of the Onan generator were also accessible, the sea strainers for the three engines had glass inspection bowls, the coolant bottles were up high where you can easily monitor them, there were Racor fuel filters, Reverso oil changer and Phase 3 charger (not a personal favourite).

The fuel is forward on the fulcrum in an FRP tank, while water is carried in wing tanks also with sight gauges. In-situ engine start-stop buttons permit remote servicing, DC fans help with ventilation, while the big stainless steel and soft engine mounts contributed to noticeably low vibration levels. A gas/water splitter on the generator adds to the refinement at rest. Hushed.

While the hull has vacuum-bagged sides, cored decks and superstructure, the running surface to the chines is solid glass. I think its fair to say Clipper doesn’t concern itself with weight savings. The Hudson Bay 50 feels like a tank at sea and at rest, where it sits unmoved by crew happenings.

With a full 1892 litres of fuel and 567 litres of water, the trim tabs at about half setting, the loaded boat never wallowed on its way to planing speed. We’re told the hull has an extremely flat run aft, which no doubt assist longitudinal lift.

While displacement mode at eight knots and 26 litres/hour gives a 524 nautical mile range, the Hudson Bay 50 is more of a fast getaway luxury weekender or entertainer for a younger crew.

To this end, the boat happily maintains a continuous fast cruise of 22 knots at 2800rpm for 160 litres/hour and a range of about 234 nautical miles. Smooth cruise of 19.7 knots at 2530rpm returns similar cruising range figures. Or try 16.8 knots for 116 litres/hour for a range of 247 nautical miles.

A top speed of 24.7 knots was reached, averaged with and before tidal runs (don’t ask fuel burn), while heavy-weather cruising comes in at 14.6 knots, where the boat maintains plane.

The Hudson Bay 50 still pushes a fair bit of water, but it seems to be aft of the windscreen. Views were clear standing at the helm but I felt the carbon-look helm pod stole too much of the view while seated. Either a high-low pedestal base is needed or the pod needs to be lowered and integrated with the dash. Offshore, I like to look around and scan the ocean without interference.

That said, the overriding feeling of solidity makes you feel pretty unstoppable.

Performance exceeded that of any other Clipper we’ve driven before. This, along with the sport-yacht layout geared to entertaining, and the more contemporary fit and finish, will engender the Hudson Bay 50 to a whole new boating clique.

Tooling is already under way for a Hudson Bay 54, a Hudson Bay 47 is on the drawing board, while three Clipper 45s, two 52s, one 48 and another Hudson Bay 50 are in build. Buyers have voted with their feet… An evolving success story in otherwise trying times.