Salthouse 65

I am in New Zealand on Waitangi Day, the country's national day of celebration, just a few weeks short of the America's Cup. The waterways are abuzz with everything from superyachts to a pint-sized Optimist dinghy ducking under our bows.

Apparently the New Zealand marine industry is booming. In the last financial year alone, boating and wine exports went head-to-head with NZ$360 million each in export sales. If the rate of growth continues, boating will top NZ$1 billion in exports by 2005, say the experts.

All of which serves to introduce this story. A Kiwi boatbuilder in the thick of the action, Salthouse Marine Group, offered me its latest 65-footer, a boat bound for America, for a whirlwind tour of the Viaduct Basin, Waitemata Harbour and the Hauraki Gulf.

Parked on marinas and cruising about the picturesque passages of the North and South Islands are probably more Salthouse-built boats than any other Kiwi brand. In the space of a few hours, company patriarch Bob Salthouse points out Corsair 36 cruisers he built, a 100-plus footer he penned for a private client, and numerous motorboats including a new Salthouse 40 he designed for a local boatbuilder.

None look quite as refined as his latest 65. For its American owner, buying a semi-custom boat in Kiwi currency made dollars and sense. Yet the attraction of a Salthouse goes beyond buck-saving. Salthouse is a family boatbuilder with a great depth of knowledge and, obviously, a lot of pride in its workmanship.

Bob Salthouse designed his first boat, a timber bridgedeck motoryacht, in 1962. Since then, a lot of his boats have passed under Auckland Bridge, and most of them are still going strong. The latest boats are in for an especially long life; they are built to meet Lloyd's laminate survey.

SALTHOUSE TRADITIONS
At the factory, Bob shows me photos of the Cavalier 32 yachts he first started building in the 1970s ? he made 89 for NZ and 77 for Australia - and Corsair 36s, of which there are about 150 around Auckland's waterways.

The company has used balsa-cored composite methods from the early 1970s to the present day.

Bob's daughter Julie works on the management side of the business, while one of his three sons, Robert, recently returned home after competing in the Volvo Ocean Race as helmsman/trimmer with Team Tyco, no less.

Rob makes the point that the yachts in this round-the-world race are also fashioned from balsa-cored composite construction. Despite a torrid time at sea, none has broken up. Ditto Salthouse boats. During Rob's travels, Salthouse boats came out to greet him in Sydney, Hobart, Auckland and Annapolis.

BUILT TO LAST
In the 45,000sqft Auckland factory, five boats are on the go. Some 60 people, mostly employees, are on the floor working in electrical, joinery and glass departments. The dedicated upholstery shop is also busy, making handrail covers for a visiting superyacht.

The yard works to each client's personal needs using CAD to create a walk-through layout. The fibreglass is laid in a female mould in a humidity and temperature controlled shed.

Salthouse boats are handlaid with 5mm of glass on the running side of the pre-primed balsa core and 4mm on the inside. The six layers have polyester and vinylester resin on the outer skin to prevent osmosis.

Sub-floor framework, stringers and bearers fashioned from glass-encapsulated marine ply are added. The bridge is laid up and the interior begins. Some joinery is added to the hull before the deck is glued, bolted and glassed in place.

Then comes a lengthy period of general boatbuilding, with each semi-custom craft receiving special features. There is a new 60-footer, boat No. 61, at this stage in the factory. The saloon is getting the first ever hydraulic, push-button dinette table that retracts into the floor for extra entertaining room. Not far away is the flybridge for boat No. 62.

But the most impressive part of the factory is the joinery yard. Here stunning solid and veneered timber furniture is fashioned, sometimes over foam in order to save weight, and finished with a high-gloss two-pack in an adjoining room. The factory also works with a well-known local interior design company.

BOB'S LOT
Back to Bob Salthouse in his office, where he is surrounded by half models and historic photos and is doing what he has done for more than 45 years, since serving an apprenticeship with Colin Wild, a Kiwi boat designer and builder who was big in the 1930s.

On the drawing board, drawn freehand and later transposed to CAD files, is a revised version of the 65-footer I have come to see.

Due out later this year, it is wide-bodied with some nice flare up front and a pretty sheerline. It's designed to weigh in at 23,000kg with twin 1000hp motors as standard. The beam measures 5.45m (18ft), and the boat includes three cabins and three heads.

Bob prides himself on designing efficient boats. All Salthouse cruisers, currently ranging from 50-62ft, are taken from the same mould and stretched. They all have a warped plane hull with a full-length keel, a fine entry and a very flat run (6° of deadrise) aft.

Bob says there is a shift away from deep-vee hulls that need big motors. "There was a tendency to make heavy boats which need a lot of power, but which aren't any stronger ... a certain element of the dog chasing his tail," he says.

"I can't see why anyone needs to do any better than 20kt cruising speeds. Changes to motors mean we have more power and less weight, giving better performance and motion. Styling has tended to more curves and modern window lines, but I prefer more timeless designs that aren't too way-out," he says.

Bob says he always includes good bathrooms and galleys in his boats. And big advances in furnishings have helped him move from a flecked-paint finish through frontrunner to the now luxurious man-made suede liners.

On the engineering front, underwater exhausts head the developments. Bob first trialled them to try and avoid the black transom that some dirty-running diesel motors used to create. These days, he has managed to reduce noise levels down to about 70 decibels at cruise speed using his time-proven underwater exhaust system.

A 65 FOR CABO
Salthouse cruisers tend to find their way into the hands of people who know something about boats. One example we've seen in Australia is Kahala, the first Lloyd's survey compliant Salthouse, which has completed more than 15,000nm of trips from Sydney to NZ and around the Pacific in three years.

Don attributes the seaworthiness of his boats to the changeable weather that typically forms in Bass Strait and blows across the way.

"You have to have a good boat for around here. The wind can go from nothing on Saturday to 40kt on Sunday when you have to get back home for work on Monday," he says.

For Pete's Sake is bound for Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, as a gamefishing boat under the control of a local skipper. Its Australian-born American owner plans to take the boat on passages from San Francisco to Mexico when the fish are ripe for the catching.

With a pair of Cummins electronic QSM11 635hp motors, the same engines that have proven so trustworthy in Kahala, For Pete's Sake has a range well over 600nm at 18kt. Fuel capacity is 4200lt and there is a desalinator for endless drinking and showering water.

Like all Salthouse boats, this one (hull No. 59) has its own personality and build specifications to meet the exact needs of its owner/operator. I came across a lot of smart ideas during my time aboard, which included a night on the marina before setting out for the not-so-wilds of the Hauraki Gulf.

Among the standout features are an enclosed al fresco seating area with electric windows and air-conditioning designed to escape the Mexican heat, a walk-in tackle locker beside the aft cockpit dayhead, trick lighting with all-in-one switches/dimmers, courtesy lights in the wardrobes, and an aft galley that relates to the al fresco dinette and saloon.

Engineering is to survey standards and includes fuel and air shut-offs, a fire-fighting system and those Lloyd's laminates. The shafts are big 2.5in numbers. Full marks for the sink and workbench in the engineroom.

Up top are a fully enclosed flybridge and a second outdoor helm for reversing up on big fish or parking in a crowded marina.

TOUR OF DUTY
My tour began from the first few footsteps aboard. There is no boarding platform, but port and starboard sliding marlin doors and a neat reverse-angle transom and sprayrail for shunting the water out of the way when reversing up. You can do 12kt in reverse at sea if you want.

The hawsepipes are mounted in the transom, a detail I'm not convinced about, and the cleats for the aft warps are in sidepockets. There are four other sidepockets with full liners and waterproof seals given over to storage. I also found saltwater and freshwater deckwashes and a gurney attachment in the cockpit and on the foredeck.

Deck gear includes five rodholders, two pop-up cleats, waste and water fillers, port and starboard fuel fillers, padded coamings and a stainless steel rubrail. The cockpit has a moulded livebait tank/icebox with an aerator and pump to starboard, plus a moulded amenities centre comprising sink with hot/cold water and storage lockers for hardware to port.

Four clear-away rodholders are nearby so you can keep the cockpit uncluttered when fighting fish. Downlights, stainless steel grabrails, a good grade of non-skid and steps up to the sidedecks make moving around the boat safe at sea. Despite being relatively narrow, the Salthouse 65 has a useful amount of deck space for fishing and entertaining.

The high stainless steel bowrail isn't survey height, but it offers full support on your thighs as you walk along the flat sidedecks to the foredeck. All the rails about the boat are thicker diameter stainless steel than you will find on most boats.

A foredeck crane allows quick dispatch of the Zodiac Yachtline RIB, which has a 25hp four-stroke Yamaha outboard engine. Deck hatches are offset so you can open them with the RIB tied down.

The anchoring arrangement goes beyond the accepted standard to include a giant chain locker with deadeye and shelves for fenders, heavy-duty Muir windlass, wide stainless steel chain chafe protector, and double anchor rollers. The stainless steel plough anchor was held in place with a safety lanyard.

IN THE BILGES
Lift the floor hatches - fitted with gas struts, rubber seals and deep gutters that drain ambient water overboard - and you will find what makes this boat tick. Two hatches in the cockpit lead into a lazarette, with the rearmost one also revealing the boat's steering gear, a spare anchor held in a bracket, and room for storing things.

The mid-hatch also leads down to the stainless steel water tanks, forward fuel tank with sight gauge, black-water holding tank and batteries.

Beneath the al fresco area are two additional fuel tanks, giving 4200lt of capacity all up. The boat has external fuel and engine-vent shut-offs along with a stainless steel lined underfloor fridge/freezer big enough to store a year's loads of fish or legs of Kiwi lamb.

Forward but still under the al fresco area is a separate utility room with grey-water tank, battery box and, get this, a separate Miele washer and dryer.

All carpets are cut to fit and hemmed. They are easily rolled back for access to the said hatches.

The engines are reached via the internal lift-up stairwell at the for'ard end of the saloon. This is a traditional arrangement on many boats, but one that Salthouse is working on improving.

Once you scuttle through, there is a world of room around the Cummins motors and loads of space left over for the sink and workstation.

Stainless steel framework around the motors, 24V and 240V lighting, ducted wiring and plumbing, a hose connection, and white gelcoat help with maintenance. Fresh air pours inside via vents and for really hot climes there is a 24V extractor fan to help the motors breathe.

There are double fuel filters on the motors, big sea strainers on the centreline, a serious 17kVA Onan generator with its own fuel system, and suspended stainless steel elbows to reduce wet exhaust vibration.

Lots of insulation also makes this an exceptionally quiet boat. An engineroom monitor/camera linked to the Furuno 10in screen lets you see the motors running from the bridge.

The engineroom also houses a hot-water service, eutectic unit and dual heavy-duty waterpumps. An Onga waterpump system with a wandering hose lets you pump out its five different bulkheads. A desalinator and two air-conditioning units and genset are all easy to reach. The motors can be removed from the boat in about 10 hours and replaced in eight hours, says Bob.

BRIDGE STATION
A moulded stairwell leads from the saloon to the fully enclosed flybridge, which is air-conditioned and vented via opening picture windows, two rooftop hatches and a tremendous sliding aft door. Headroom is about 2m.

There is a four/five person L-shaped lounge to port and a three-person lounge forward. The timber storage cupboard that split the lounges could easily be fitted with a bar fridge. There is also scope to create a pull-out bed for the skipper.

A big storage unit with lots of cupboards is mounted to starboard. All flat teak cabinet tops have a hard-wearing satin coat, fiddle rails and stainless steel containment rails. There are also glass and bottle holders in handy locations.

The excellent adjustable leather helm chairs are an in-house design with built-in lumbar support. Ahead of the navigator are a chart holder and flexible light. The boat's big windows and excellent views help while navigating. Best spot for watching the passing parade is near an opening side window.

The captain rides amidships before a moulded centre-console that accommodates a lot of electronics. The two 10in Furuno screens are linked to radar, chartplotter, sounder and engineroom camera, and there's a 27MHz VHF radio (and a US satellite radio in a nearby cabinet).

The Cummins QSM11 engines come with analogue gauges and electronic displays relaying engine functions, fuel consumption and more. The switch panels and CD player are within reach, along with the sturdy stainless steel steering wheel, bowthruster joystick and dual Hynautic controls (specified by the owners; you, too, will probably long for single electronic levers).

A wonderful bit of work, the two-stage sliding aft door leads out to an aft balcony with L-shaped lounges for six guests. This is another top spot for views in agreeable weather.

There is also a second driving station on the aft bridge that overlooks the cockpit. It has a leaning post and is designed for serious fishing.

LIVING AREAS
Australians and Kiwis will prefer an al fresco area that is just that, a casual lounge and dining area that opens back to the cockpit. Concerned about the oppressive heat in Mexico, the owner added a rear bulkhead and air-conditioning outlets.

The seating area still comprises a U-shaped lounge big enough for six people around a beautiful burr elm table. With electric windows down, you could open the al fresco seating up to the cockpit and also forward to the galley, which is located aft of the saloon like a lot of Kiwi boats.

Opposite the indoor/outdoor area is a separate fully moulded head with shower, sink, electric loo and extractor fan. Beside this is a walk-in tackle closet. All areas have trick single-action light switches that double as dimmers. And the entire al fresco area is finished in white gelcoat for easy cleaning.

HOOKED ON COOKING
Indoors the Salthouse 65 has a more refined feel. The finish is superb and something other Antipodean boatbuilders might like to use as a yardstick.

The grain-matched teak glows beneath a wonderful two-pack clear coat. Camel-coloured leathers, straw-coloured carpet, white headliners and buff man-made suede create a timeless and sophisticated atmosphere. The fitted bedding, which plays on various shades of blue and brown, is also first rate.

Designed for use at sea and in the harbour, the boat's U-shaped galley to port provides support. There is a useful amount of moulded Trezzini counterspace for preparing meals, twin square sinks with a Grohe faucet with spray nozzle, and a dedicated filtered drinking-water tap.

Cooks will warm to the four-burner Miele ceramic hotplate recessed into the counter so pots or the kettle can't tip over. Other features include a matching Miele oven with a stainless facia under the counter and a Samsung microwave in a dedicated overhead cabinet.

All the drawers - and there are lots of them - have dovetailed glued joints. There are loads of cupboards for storing everything from sauces to crockery. A trick pull-out knife, spice racks and a trash compactor are details that appeal.

Opposite, a moulded staircase leads to the flybridge, and a big fridge and separate freezer have grain-matched teak-topped doors, with a recessed icemaker. The AC/DC control panels are nearby.

In the saloon are loads more lockers, including one storing the hardware for the central vacuum system.

PARTY IN THE SALOON
The Salthouse 65 is a long but comparatively narrow boat. That may be why it has such a sweet ride. It also explains why there is less room in the saloon and bathrooms compared to some full-beam boats, which on the other hand don't ride as well.

The saloon has an L-shaped caramel leather lounge to port, which can seat four people or allow one to lounge. Because the owners specified a wetbar with a bottle and glass locker, an icemaker and more drawers opposite, this is the only lounge in the saloon. The lounge/dinette aft is therefore a vital inclusion.

Under the windscreen behind teak roller doors is a storage area to port that harbours a television as a temporary measure. A dedicated winerack will fill this spot and no doubt carry some Kiwi bottles.

Opposite, behind another teak roller door, is the boat's dedicated entertainment centre with Sony TV/DVD/VCR and sound system.

TRIPLE CABINS
Three steps lead from the saloon into the accommodation area under the foredeck. I chose the VIP guest cabin to port with twin single beds for my night afloat. And a sound night's sleep it was except for head-butting the tallboy between the beds - which is usually a lowboy.

Other details in the guest cabin include decorative timber handrails and shelves around the walls and a lined hanging locker with a light that comes on when you open the door. Double-toothed catches prevent door rattles when underway, and fresh air via a hatch, a porthole and air-conditioning is available.

Thanks to the separate bathroom in the al fresco area, the guest ensuite doesn't need to double as a dayhead. There isn't a separate shower stall, but the sliding circular perspex door is easy to roll closed. You also get an electric loo, a small vanity and mirror-backed cupboard, extractor fan, air-conditioning outlet and groovy Grohe fittings.

The second guest cabin to starboard has bunks, but even the narrower upper mattress is adult-length. A smooth, handcrafted teak bunk frame, man-made suede wall liners, four drawers, an air-conditioning outlet, a porthole, a hatch and a mirror add to the comfort.

Despite a fine entry, the master cabin is roomy. With the door closed you get a small foyer area. The ensuite mirrors the guest bathroom, but the owners win out in the sleeping arrangement, with a big island double bed with an innerspring mattress.

There are twin hanging lockers, three big drawers under the bed, four more drawers each side of the bed and a shelf with a separate television set. The chic bedding, high-gloss teak joinery surrounds, man-made suede liners, mirror and lighting create a warm and inviting cabin. Maybe next time.

JUST CRUISING
Bob Salthouse proved a dab hand about the marina. A touch of bowthruster and reversed throttles had us turning sharply from our berth, but just one motor was needed to idle towards the harbour. There the boat eased onto the plane almost imperceptibly, deriving lift from the flat-run aft. It is also an exceedingly smooth and quiet boat.

The boat can plane at low speeds - 15kt at 1700rpm and 18kt at 1900rpm - for dealing with heavy weather. But on Waitangi Day, Waitemata Harbour and the Hauraki Gulf were as smooth as a Kiwi's bottom.

Continuous cruise of 21kt at 1900rpm will see you burn 150lt/h (130lt/h according to factory figures) on both motors. Leaving 10% in reserve, the theoretical cruise range is about 530nm over 24 hours. Pull the throttles back to 1530rpm and 15kt and you will burn 90lt/h on both engines for a range of 630nm across almost two days.

Though you don't get the true sensation of speed in the fully enclosed flybridge, the 65 is no slouch. Fast cruising is 24.6kt at 2130rpm for 196lt/h, while at full noise we recorded 27.3kt at 2300rpm using 244lt/h.

Despite the calm conditions, I can state that the Salthouse 60 is a solidly built boat with serious long-range cruising qualities. And it backs up like a real gamefishing boat, lifting above the stern wave thanks to an angled transom.

We cruised past volcanic Rangitoto Island and the neighbouring alluvial Motutapu Island before dropping anchor at Islington Bay. Much of the time, Bob steered with his toes on the stainless steel wheel.

I chuckled quietly on discovering just how hard it is to prise Bob away from the wheel. A real enthusiast, the old salt once clocked up 1500nm in a year of boating, i.e. almost 2nm per day. These days, his comfortable cruising boats let him pack what used to be a weeklong trip into a weekend.

While Bob has no intentions of retiring, two more generations of Salthouse boaties mean the future looks good. Aged six and 11, Rob's children followed him around the world in the Volvo Ocean Race and are already right into sailing.