Pilot House Sailboat? Nauticat - Episode 137 - Lady K Sailing 

I did buy a Nauticat 32 she is not a Motorsailer she is a Pilothouse sailboat with a full sail plan and a fin keel. I really love this boat. Nauticat are built for the North Sea so they are built strong. And beautiful. I have owned 15 sailboats and this is the best one.

I looked and looked at a lot of boats and ended up buying a 1985 Nauticat 44. Our "older" age and the pilot house sold us on it. I had looked at 40 some foot Beneteaus, Morgans, Pearsons, etc., but when I walked onto the Nauticat it felt like twice the boat of those "standard" sailboats. The pilot house and the 3 steps down to the main salon area didn't give the "cave" feel of a classic sailboat. The sliding side doors and the large pilot house windows get criticized as not being as sea worthy as a companionway entrance, but those sliding doors are awesome. They let a great cross breeze through the pilot house and make you feel outside, while being completely inside. And having a 360 degree view from a heated or air-conditioned pilot house is damn nice... After being on the Nauticat, I couldn't stand the notion of being in "the cave" of a sailboat with a companionway. Unfortunately I'm going to say it sail's like a pig, but if you've got light winds, you just use the motor. You can get a big light wind sail and still move in light winds, but let's face it, an 18 ton long keel boat won't compete with a racer/cruiser. So you do need to embrace the fact that this is a motor-sailer and not a racer/cruiser. The older Nauticats have a low RPM Ford-Lehman motors that can go 20,000 hours before a rebuild is recommended, and the thing can go through a few rebuilds. Their basically old tractor motors that have a virtually infinite life to them if you take care of them. No electronics or turbo on them mean they don't get the fuel economy of a modern diesel, but it also means you have a chance of fixing it in the remotest corners of the world. If the "brain box" of a modern diesel stops working, you're not motoring anywhere until you get a new one.

You made some good points🙂. As a Nauticat 38 owner I can come up with a few more. The most important is that Nauticats were made in Finland, and even though they are all around the world they were made with the Nordic climate in mind. I live in northern Norway, and try to use the boat year round. With only a few months of nice weather, and a lot of cold, wet days these boats are amazing and add so many useful boat days to a year compared to a normal sail boat. They are incredibly well built, encapsulated ballast, skeg hung rudder, heavy displacement boats with a very high degree of craftsmanship. As you say, there are better sailers out there. But there are differences, the 33 is maybe the most limited of the range, the 44 is better. The 38 we have has a longer fin keel and sails quite ok. We can’t sail as close to the wind as normal boats but on a reach she does quite ok🙂. The weight also means that we need about 5 m/s or 10 knots to get anywhere. Every boat is a compromise, but for what they are meant to do, few can do better. In the world of motorsailers, Nauticats generally are known to be among the best sailers. My channel “stefanesai” has a few videos of our boat sailing for those interested.

A Russian family The Klochkovs with their two daughters (minors!) has visited Antarctica (and rounded Horn twice) with such a boat. So it's really a boat to go anywhere.

I owned a Nauticat 44 for 20 years and race it with a handi cap of 180 and a 145 down wind rating . I've done Two races from San Francisco to Hawaii, all under sail - 15 days 2120 miles one way. The boat is a reaching machine, faster under sail than motor on a reach, the downside is pointing to weather, figure 60 degree off true wind angle is as high as you can get and still make 6 knots of boat speed.

SHHH.... don’t tell people about the Nauticats... I haven’t bought one yet! They make the most sense to me!! Great video.

As a Pacific Northwest guy, you know, in the rain 9 months of the year...a pilothouse is extremely appealing.

As a wanna'be sailor, and it will happen, "I'm determined". I've enjoyed your informative videos. Thanks brother.

Nauticat's are great PNW boats. They are great if you have a spouse that gets motion sick if they can't see the horizon. They are also wonderful if you are traveling to a place with a view. The woodwork in the boat is amazing and the craftsmanship. Can't say enough about the brand.

In the area of Finland where the boats where built there is a true need of boats like the Nauticat. There is a big archipelago to boat in. Many sailing and boat clubs buy or rent places where You are not allowed to build any houses, but can build small docks and saunas. People often go on Friday after work, often motoring some 20 Nm, to spend the weekend on the islands. On Sunday afternoon many boats come back by sails, enjoying the “last minutes” before a week at work. Check out the map of the area around Turku, Finland.

A builder producing a product that people want. Mind Blown

Great piece about Motorsailers. Need another talking about different styles and manufacturers.

Thank You for this I’ve loved these boats for years especially the older 44.

I don't see many 33' trawlers especially ones with deep water capabilities, some look like a trawler but have a powerboat hull. Sailboats either are racers or cruisers or some combination making them less of either. Problem is that most cruisers get into situations generally involving scheduling that they have to go in spite of unfavorable winds or no wind, cruising sailboats tend to be engined to get into port, not long term continuous motoring for which you really need an industrial rated engine in a serviceable engine bay. Note too that cruising sailboats tend to 'grow' an ever larger 'dodger' to stay dry in the cockpit and the realization that skin cancer is not a joke and you need protection from the sun. Pilot house sailboats are of course popular in northern latitudes where even at peak of season it might be a little too cool out there.

Great explanation of the history of a great boat builder.

I find it quite intriguing how most Long Keel Yachts set up to face anything under both Engine and Sail become motorsailor's . Myself i had an old classic Mahogany on Oak Hillyard, you will find them all over the world , again classed as a motorsailor, yet i could cover average distance same as most modern day cruisers , the nice thing was when i had to punch a sea, ok i had redesigned the sail plan etc the boat used to hit her waterline length speed under both sail & engine. I had a center cockpit i decided to put half a pilot house on covering 3/4 of the cockpit leaving the back end open and access in and out of the cockpit. The comfort i used to cruise in was second to none in comparison to modern day sailing yachts, i was more than happy taking a few hours more to reach my destination, and consider anyone that wants to get there quicker than I, didnt like sailing 😂

I've been a sailor for over 50 years. I would much prefer to sail, but physical issues now prevent me. So I sold my Catalina and bought a trawler. :-(. But I love her! Sailing in NorCal, I can stay warm inside when it is 40 temp and 8ft seas outside, burn ~1.5 GPH at 7 knots, and go from SF to San Diego and back w/o refueling. or San Diego to Cabo if I carry a few jerry cans. Comfortable full size berths for 4-5, 2 heads w/full showers, I and my crew are happy campers. Oh, and I still have some sail if the Ford Lehman craps out. Also carry the dink w/15HP OB that can go into the water in 15 minutes as tow if need be.

Nice to see you spending time with your daughter

Oh man, that stuffing box sound like a chore AND the boat is in the water. 😳😳. Props to you.

The smaller ones seem well adapted to a solo cruiser/island hopper with the occasional company-- 1 person doesn't have to single hand the sails if the weather looks like a problem and the fuel tanks don't, and the ketch rig looks relatively easy to manage.

That S&S you showed...beautiful lines, especially that bald clipper bow. To me, the most graceful of all the bows.

I took a motorsailer from Puerto Rico to Puerto Plata to Bahamas (visited several Islands) to Bimini to Florida .... sails plus engine running at 900 RPM consumed only 75 galons of Diesel .... speed 6 to 7 knots.

Our eclipse 33 isn't a motor sailer but it has an inside helm in the deck saloon

Hey dude. Great explanation. Gotta love motor sailing. Good luck with the jobs.

The rudder had to be addressed, I am sure you will work thru it , good Lady K is back in the water

Cute cameo from another K that sails! 🤙🏻

I have one,longkeel,sailing is not great,the finkeel versions off the 33 are better sailers....but the advantages are nummerous,lots off space,cosy deckhouse where you can see everething as at sea or in harbour in case of bad weather! No more submarinefeeling as on normal sailingboats. Big gangways with again lots of space,big railings for safety. Extremely strong build boats,no odd noises when in heavy weather as in modern sailinyaachts! Steering in and outside,strong motors! The possibility to navigate all european channels ithout masts,shallow draft! But,if you buy the older ones,carefull survye needed with the woodwork..... Restoration is possible but think before you begin,the amount of hours is massive,and the cost fairly high,the wood is mahogany and teak......

im just glad you put it in

I bought a Celestial 49 pilothouse cutter, the sail plan is huge and it has an 88HP Yanma8r giving it 6kts at 7litres per hour. She will als8o sail at 9kts if you want to do the work but at 22tons she is a heavy girl

Those Nauticat are awesome looking.

Great for live aboard tiny homes also good for heavy weather

Nicely summarized. I'm in.

I had a Colvic 32 motor sailer very strong and stable in rough sea and fully enclosed Whehouse

WOW! I would like to hear and see the 43 and 44 Naudicats.

I've been seriously looking for 'bout a year and deciding on a Nauticat 40'-44', PRE-S&S.

Once you've had a boat with one , you won't go back to an open cockpit. When sailing it is always ,Too hot, Too cold or wet.

I have a good friend who has a Nauticat 38 ketch, and I have sailed/cruised a lot on this boat. As described the good points are that they are tough, well built, comfortable down below, and in lousy weather yes you can steer from inside. The downsides, they are somewhat slow, are affected by wind shear and so with the sails up they do heel quite steeply. The other thing I don’t like about them is that they are complicated and being a cutter rigged ketch with narrow sides around the pilot house getting around the boat is difficult, sheets and blocks everywhere to trip over. Also, when steering from outside you are very exposed to the elements as there is no dodger. So, while they offer great accomodation though slightly oddly laid out., they are as with ,any boats a compromise. Would I buy one if I could afford one (they are expensive), no. They are not the kind of boat I would want.

I just watched your 30th episode. I hope you ended up enjoying my hometown of Savannah Ga.

Stuffing box stuff is called Packing. Best way to get the packing out to replace or add a ring without dropping the rudder shaft and/or while in the water is to braze a cork screw onto a thin stainless rod. Twist the corkscrew in and pull. Usually several times. This technique works especially well if the boat isn"t being hauled out. When putting in more then one band of packing, make sure the beginnings and ends are staggered. great channel even from a canadian. LOL Said by a new englander.

I am a huge huge fan of the Nauticats. I was blown away by the 33 when I first came across it, such a wonderful use of space. A 44 in good condition is a treasure. If I were designing one for myself I would go for 44 twin, much smaller engine, sloop design with folding props and a lifting keel with grounding plate like my Southerly. I love the Nordic design and would preserve all of those features. The other controversial thing is that I would have it built in ferro cement, for a whole lot of reasons. I just might sketch that up to tease myself with till I die. So thanks for covering this, its got me all excited. Another subject dear to my heart you might explore one day is in-boat workshops. Mine is shaping up very well and it gives me huge pleasure. Happy to send photos if you’re interested.

I’d like to see you tour us thru a 40-ish length Nauticat.

I had to paus the vid no banna no orange lol what a cute Kallie lol

Wow I am about to purchase my first boat and have been thinking why not a motor sailboat and did not know they exist. Thanks

You sold me on this boat....

There is a spectrum of Motor sailor designs we could roughly call 30/70, 50/50, and 70/30 depending on whether the design leans toward powerboat or sailboat hull form and ballast ratio, and how efficient it is intended to be under sail, or power. A motor sailor need not be a massive behemoth, or massively powered.

Another informative episode. I was hoping you would've done Gulf Star by now. We start our Home/Yacht hunt this Friday! I really like the pricing of them and the skeg hung rudder.

been a while i am waiting you talk about my favorit boat :)

Interesting video. I've seen listings for Nauticats while boat shopping but I never actually looked at one. Maybe I should have. However, I would like to add a mention of the physics of motorsailing, a subject which been neglected in the literature. Sailing in Chesapeake Bay I had lots of time without enough wind to make even a racing boat go. I did experiments as well as analysis (I'm a naval architect with degrees in aerodynamics). The short rigs of motorsailers don't make any sense to me. When you don't have enough wind, if you fire up the diesel and give it enough throttle for 3 knots, the sails will collapse and luff uselessly. Head off far enough to fill the sails and your boatspeed might jump to 3.5 knots (it will feel fast) but you'll cover twice as much distance as if you headed straight down the rhumb line. Therefore, motorsailing is (or can be) a very scientific activity, where your eye is glued to the speedometer and tacking angle gauge (or masthead indicator) most of the time. At some point of low windspeed, you ignore the sails and head straight for your next waypoint, and at some point of high windspeed you can shut the engine off. (I used 3 knots under sail alone as that point). The criteria are yours to develop. But the effect on boat design has been poorly interpreted. If you make a vector diagram of apparent wind against wind angle for, say, 5 knots of true wind, you'll find that as soon as you add engine power the apparent wind will become less favorable, requiring you to head off, if it's forward of the beam. If it's aft of the beam, your boat speed under power subtracts from the apparent wind so your sails will be practically useless. That's why I think a motorsailer should have high aspect sails in either catboat, sloop, or ketch rig, and no specialized downwind sails. On the other hand, the keel will almost never stall out because you're giving it relative water flow using the engine, so the lift coefficient won't be as big as for a pure sailboat. So, the keel can be low area as well as moderate in span for lighter draft. OK that's my soapbox for today.

I love these boats, but the only thing I would change is the doors!

Sirius 40 DS ? Deck salon seems to be a good compromise.

There is no way you will ever find me on a trawler. I am 86 and just sailed a 27/ft boat from San Diego to Honolulu.. I may however look into a Nauticat.

Wow, the blue eyes run in your family.

Pilot houses are like second main salons.

Love the nauticat. Would take one any day over a marine trader trawler any day.

thankk you

what would you recommend if a person looking for a liveaboard but sailing once a while around the world ?

Thanks for the videos…my favorite was your history of the Pearson Triton which I have. I also loved your Erie Canal passage segments. That easy listening jazzy background music made the trip experience fun to watch. Can you share the source of that music? Thanks in advance.

Hidy hi sailor !! I’m considering buying a nauticat 33, any advice or warnings you want to give me? It’s moored in Malaysia and I’m in Sydney, Australia. The boat reportedly is in good condition with the exception of a starting issue with the engine which apparently runs well then, the the sails are old and sun effected. It’s a 1987 model, so obviously it’s not going to be “as new”. I have the budget to buy new sails and some mechanical work. I’m not after a performance yacht, I’m 55 and have plenty time, so slow, SAFE and steady is my motto. Any advice would be muchly appreciated. Cheers, Michael

What are some recommended motorsailers?

Love this boat :) But yeah older :)

In the Bahamas, pilot houses are not that important. In colder climates they are. It’s that simple.

Hi! Thank you so much for share your research. Nauticat is one of my possible options to sail south of chile. A house pilot in that conditions is very convenient. I would like to know your opinion about the Nauticat series 35 37 which are low house p. and one mast. Thank you cheers from Argentina!

If it was for me Id change the rig to junk rig (easy to single hand with & to increase the sail area) and reduce the use of fuel on long passages.

I’ve been waiting for you to talk about this one.

If you use heat on it make sure you have a jug of ice water to cool it heat it cool it heat it cool it and pick away at the packing make sure you get it all out

I just bought a Nauticat 321 She is a great boat. She is a pilothouse sailboat not a motorsailer.

galley in pilothouse is awsome - bruce rogers

You sold me on a big Nauticat schooner if I could afford it.

Wow, the blue eye gene is strong!

An episode on Oyster? Keel loss killed the company only to be returned to life recently. Bringing hull construction in house and validating quality.

Couldn't you just replace the masts and rigging to accomodate larger sails?

Isn't it true that since all sailing vessels are required to have motors installed? Doesn't that make "motor sailor" ubiquitous?

Nauticat 321?

A dream come true Amel or a yacht like your just a few thing. Need to be 20 years younger and a Lot richer;) But I’m happy sleep good when it rainy storming

There are a lot of people with sailboats that would be better off with a motor sailor. My wife and kids to start! Unfortunate for them I love our C&C 33! 😜🤣

A great boat for people who love stairs!

could you sale one solo?

Looking at a Neptune 33, anyone any advice?

I'm gonna need to find another, richer partner for my retired couple team.

Looks like a real bitch to back-up and manuever within a crowded marina, especially the 44 and it's full keel. I think I'd want a bow thruster?

Hello, I would like to know if anyone can help me with their experience? I am looking at pilothouse sailboats, for comfort and protection mostly, and to sail long distances for quite a long time. The latest Nauticats, 351-37-385, years 2002 onwards, experts say they were designed for more efficient sailing. Does anyone know if this is really the case? There is little information on this comparison in the blogs. 2 to 3 knots difference can be very important. They say there are noticeable differences in performance between the old ones and these ones. If anyone knows, I will be very grateful if you can help me with this information. Greetings and thanks for this video. Very interesting channel.✌️💥⛵️

Number one drawback is Diesel fuel is expensive and theses boats will use a lot of it.

Little girl has her dad’s eyes

Interesting...but for old people..if they don't manage well sail and motor in every weather conditions...its time to stay on the ground..😂👋⛵️🇨🇭

I'm not a boat person or even a water person but I watch many sailing videos I do wonder why some sail boats today have fillers out in the open yes on a beautiful day it is great but dirty weather you are out in the weather it doesn't make cents to me

Love the idea of an inside steering station but it would have to be done better than this. These aren't attractive enough and I doubt if they are good sailers. Seen a couple in real and actually one was one of the first larger boats we looked at. Didn't make my heart sing and my first boat was a demon under sail so I couldn't bring myself to get into one.

🙂👍🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

Were one available and me being a bit younger with a fat wallet...Yeah, I'd go for a thirty something motor sail semi with in mast roller furling in a heartbeat !!

Every RU-vid channel these days is asking for money, I watch about 40 channels and can’t afford to give everyone money. I wish RU-vid would up their pay for views for all involved.

I think a deck saloon achieves 90% of what a pilothouse does, without much of the weight, CoG, and windage penalty.

You talk so much nonsense in your movies. Think even you know so much about sailboats. Essentially. Is there little you know. Sitting in your small apartment is a specialist in sailing. What if you buy a boat yourself? Sailing a little maybe ...