Northshore 460 Custom

Picture this. Your Australian-made 46ft yacht has finally rolled off the factory floor with a customised interior. There's the ash and teak joinery, the rattan facias on the cupboards, the Sheridan linen and the royal-blue upholstery with gold flecks.

It had you worried but, by god, it's even better than you imagined. To prove as much, your four closest friends, who have taken time off work to share this christening with you, scamper about approvingly.

You can hear them claiming the beds, talking about card nights and planning trips away to distant places. And everyone giggles excitedly as the sails are unfurled. There's a brisk early-morning westerly fanning the harbour, as the sun breaks through the cloud and ferries muscle their way to Circular Quay.

As you cruise into the harbour, the yacht catches the breeze, heels over and slices through the ferry wake. Your new yacht looks impressive, but just as impressive is the fact that it sails really well - and easily.

It's this moment, a defining moment in your short time as a yacht owner, when you wonder whether life gets any better. Well, this feeling was overwhelming a few weeks back.

You see, during the maiden test of the Northshore 46 Custom, there wasn't another yacht to be seen. We had the harbour to ourselves, with all the room to swing a new yacht in any direction. How often can you claim that in an Olympic city?

THE AUSTRALIAN WAY

Northshore yachts, true survivors in the local yacht-building industry, are made on the NSW central coast by a team of 20-odd hard-working employees.

Although the yachts' hulls date back more than a decade, they still do most things right. Indeed, you could take the 'why change if it ain't broke' line here.

Designed by Hank Kauffman, the 46 juggles space and comfort with performance and seaworthiness. And now it is available as a new custom model that's fitted out and finished off to satisfy individual tastes. The 46 Custom on test was built to survey. If it finds its way to the Whitsundays, as it may well do, it will make a rather luxurious charter yacht... and a long-lasting one.

The hull is made from balsa sandwich, with a foam-sandwich deck and vinylester resin and isothalic gelcoat in the tie layer.

Like most good yacht builders, Sydney Yachting Centre backs its Northshore yachts with a five-year warranty. It's now exploring export markets which is a smart idea, with Australia's depreciating dollar.

And, as the 46 can be built to suit individual tastes, with the factory willing to incorporate layout changes, it should appeal to more local buyers as well.

INTERIOR COMFORTS
Without exception this was the best-finished Northshore yacht I've seen. In fact, I didn't surface from a tour of its interior until we were halfway across the heads.

Only a good yacht interior can do that - keep you down below that is - and inspire you to consider a life at sea. The companionway from the cockpit is wide and has handrails that are well positioned. But it's not until you touch down on the ash and teak floor, and take in the big saloon unfolding before you, that you begin to get immersed in this yacht.

The interior, predominantly wood lined, comes to life as light filters in through the boat's 21 hatches and bounces off the white headliner. The natural light means there are no dark recesses and you almost feel compelled to explore all the cabins, brushing past the joinery and sampling the comforts along the way.

AN ELEGANT THEME
The cabin in the bow has a double berth. Although forepeak cabins mightn't be the most comfortable place to rest, this one would be a first choice when you're swinging on the anchor or back at the marina.

The walls are teak-lined, with just the occasional patch of fawn-coloured front-runner, and the bed is covered with a smart blue-and-gold leaf bedspread.

There is a hanging locker (with two other handy lockers nearby) and a mirror. This elegant theme ran throughout the yacht.

The guest (or kids') cabin on the starboard side was similarly well finished. It has bunk beds, while the smart touch is the drop-down upper bunk, which means this area doubles as a dressing room.

Opposite is the first of the bathrooms. It has a mirror covering nearly the entire wall, with wooden edging following a moulded vanity. There is a recessed wash basin, pull-out shower and Lectra-San loo, more teak lining, and chromed fittings. It is clean and easy-to-clean.

Amidships, just aft of the keel-stepped mast, is the yacht's living area. There's a saloon, navigation station, day head and a giant galley which Ian Hewitson would adore.

Because the cabin top is raised, there's full headroom for a six-footer and a welcome sense of space in the saloon. Through-traffic bound for the forward two cabins or head will find it easygoing - not that you'd want to leave the saloon. The walls are teak-lined and the ash and teak floor is really quite dazzling. A big framed painting, rattan facias on neat little storage cupboards, royal-blue upholstery and scatter cushions all help to create a picture of nautical elegance.

A GLORIOUS GALLEY
Located on the starboard side of the saloon is a galley big enough to feed a Sydney-to-Hobart crew (though you can't lock into it when at sea). There are lots of formica benchtops and a wealth of built-in facilities.

These include twin sinks, a 12V fridge, freezer, and recessed rubbish bin, cooking equipment (including a microwave and two-burner gas stove and oven) and dedicated cupboards for the crockery.

There's also a five-drawer stack for cutlery and cooking utensils and dedicated holds for pots and pans and cleaning gear. But for this would-be chef, the spice rack and numerous wine racks dotted about the interior draw get the biggest nods of approval.

There's also plenty of space to park yourself during dinner on a U-shaped lounge that can seat eight on the sliding bench.

The dinette is a masterpiece of wood-working skill - it's apparently worth $5000. The ash wood and teak edging has to be seen to be fully appreciated. Much effort has been made to ensure the wood grains flow towards the centrepiece. It's great card table material.

A nav station runs off the aft end of the settee and there's a dayhead opposite. Finally, there are two aft cabins, each surprisingly roomy, which could sleep a couple or be used as sea berths.

Engine access to the 50hp freshwater-cooled Yanmar is done by lifting out the companionway stairs.

SUN WORSHIPPER
Designed for sunny Aussie conditions, the Northshore 46 has a commodious cockpit. The transom has reasonable boarding platforms and there is a transom shower for washing away salt.

Within arm's reach of the helm are an icebox and a locker for the gas bottle. Aside from the binnacle for the wheel, the cockpit has two big long moulded seats where you can pack in six salty guests. Oh, and there are pushpit seats - the best seats in the house - as well.

Leaving the cockpit, the passage forward is relatively easy along flat decks, past the halyards running proud of the deck, and around the shrouds. The traveller is then upon the coachhouse and out of the way.

As this boat was built for survey, there is an additional life line. Deck gear includes a Lewmar electric anchor winch, self-tailing genoa and halyard winches, a roller furling headsail and quite powerful sails cut by the boys at Norths.

The mainsail is easily dropped and controlled by lazy jacks. The masthead rig with twin-spreaders is from Allyacht Spars, and there is a solid boom vang as standard.

Drawing 1.73m - you will have no problem anchoring in world-heritage listed Lord Howe Island's lagoon - the Northshore 46 has a shield keel rather than a deep fin-bulb.

MAKING A MARK
Performance is good and with a big over-lapping headsail, the yacht points well. Close-hauled, we darted across ferry channels, criss-crossing the harbour. With a balanced helm, the boat speed was around 7kt in a 12kt breeze.

As much an ocean racing and cruising yacht as a twilight racer, the Northshore 46 has made its mark here. A 46 has just returned from sailing around the Pacific and across to Samoa.

Another called Freestyle, run out of Middle Harbour Yacht Club, does all the major ocean races each year, including Lord Howe.

A hand-made yacht with a long life, the new Northshore 46 Custom is well worth a look.