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When
Jan Van De Pas, Neptunus’ director of operations, told me he’d
piloted the Rock Harbor 42 in seas as high as 20 feet, I concluded, “Here
is a man who stands—on good sea legs—behind his product.”
I had already noted many impressive features on this thoughtfully designed
long-range cruiser. Now I was really intrigued.
I sat
scores of wheel watches in all kinds of weather during 10 years of commercial
fishing on the North Pacific off Kodiak Island, Alaska. But the watches
I remember best—and most ruefully—were those that started
fair and turned foul. For some reason, whenever the Pacific decided to
break its back on my watch, I took it personally. Standing bandy-legged
between moments of zero gravity, I’d wear an expression as grim
and resentful as Ahab’s.
So why
was I disappointed to learn that time constraints necessitated testing
the Rock Harbor 42 in the sheltered waters of Chesapeake Bay? Well, perverse
as it may seem, and despite all the nail biting, there is something satisfying
in being in a little weather on a boat you know can take it. From what
I’ve learned about the 42, she seems like just such a craft.
According
to Neptunus, her construction surpasses the European Community’s
rigorous CE A-ocean rating for Force 8 winds (39 to 46 mph on the Beaufort
Scale) and 13-foot seas. While these standards take into account hatches,
ports, fuel tanks, steering systems, and more, particular consideration
is given to structural strength. The 42’s fiberglass hull is reinforced
with Twaron, a chemical fiber with an energy-absorption capacity higher
than that of Kevlar.
Neptunus
compares the stability of the beamy (nearly 14 feet) 42 to that of a lifeboat.
According to Van De Pas, tank testing of a scale model at the University
of Southampton in England showed that even if a broadside wave heels the
boat over as much as 85 degrees, she will still right herself. In fact,
Van De Pas maintains, her righting lever is so high that as long as she
stays watertight, she will correct even after a 180-degree roll.
Do I
really believe that in pursuit of pleasure a significant number of boaters
will ever encounter such conditions? Certainly not. But it is my opinion
that an able craft—because of the peace of mind she provides—brings
greater pleasure even in fair weather.
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Rock Harbor 42 continued > Page 1, 2,
3, 4, 5
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