53

Year : 1992/2018

Style : Cutter rigged Pilothouse ketch*

Builder : Puddister Trading Co Ltd., St John's, NL

Professionally built as a Canadian Coast Guard Certified passenger vessel

New hull plating in 2018 by AF Theriault, Meteghan River, NS

Length : 56' (63' overall)

Beam : 16' 7"

Draft : 9'

Construction : steel

Passenger compliment : Canadian Coast Guard Certified for 46 passengers and 3 crew

Power : 215 HP, 6 cyl diesel Isuzu

Auxiliary power : 8 Kw 120/240V Kubota diesel...new 2018

Fuel capacity : 500 gal

Fresh water capacity : 500 gal

Electronics and navigation

Radar

VHF radio

2 depth sounders

2 chart plotters

6" Ritchie compass

Dual steering stations

Amenities

Galley with 240V electric glass cook top

120V hot water heater

Double undermount solid surface sinks

2 heads, one forward and one aft

Private stateroom forward port

3 V-births forward

Aft stateroom is seating and storage/lifejackets.....can be reconfigured to master stateroom or 2 double staterooms

50 + adult key-hole life vests

10 child key-hole life vests

60 + various sized PFD life preservers

 

Recent work

In the spring of 2016 it was discovered that the hull had been seriously damaged by galvanic corrosion (commonly called electrolysis) and deemed unfit to sail. After a year of waiting to get into a boatyard capable of doing the necessary repairs, work began on July 17/17 at  A. F. Theriault & Son Ltd in Meteghan River, Nova Scotia, a leader in steel boat building and repair in Atlantic Canada and beyond.

It was determined by an ultrasonic thickness test that nearly all of the below water plating had been damaged to some extent and work began to remove and replace all the steel plating on the hull from the keel up to the second chine (all of the below water hull area) and a select few other areas that need  to be replaced. The original plating was 3/16" and the new plating that was installed is 1/4". This added about 1200 lbs to the weight of the boat or 1.3% increase. Original weight - 95,000 lbs

The vessel was repaired to meet standards as required to meet Canadian Coast Guard / Transport Canada Marine Safety Certification as a passenger vessel.

This repair is essentially a new hull and will give this vessel many years of service either as a passenger vessel or as a pleasure vessel.

Current work

2018/19

Complete refurbishment (in progress, incomplete) of the galley and pilothouse - Herreshoff style.

New solid surface countertops with double undermount sinks

New Mess seating and solid surface table (in progress, incomplete)

New seating/lounge area in pilothouse

New electronic galvanic corrosion monitoring system

Decks and bulwarks were spot sand blasted to bring any areas showing rust corrosion to bright metal, sealed with a marine rust converter/primer, faired, an additional coat of epoxy primer and top painted. (Needs attention)

New 316 stainless steel rails/lifelines and bow pulpit (to be installed)

New 316 stainless steel jib winch pedestals (to be installed)

The recent work (2018) at AF Theriault and Sons was $240,000 CD. The new rails and interior renovations were another $25,000 to $30,000.

 

* Note regarding the builders plans and this vessel

This vessel was built from modified Roberts 53G plans. The original plans were for a 53' on deck length with a reverse stern. The builder opted for a traditional stern which added 3' for a 56' on deck length.

The accompanying diagrams show a reverse stern as was the original design.

The other modification from the original builders plans are the bulwarks. Original plans called for a toe rail, whereas the builder opted for 6" bulwarks rising to 12" at the bow which gives the vessel different lines when viewed from the side....more up-sweep toward the bow.