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Napkins. They can catch mustard falling off your hot dog in a single swipe and clean a child's ice cream-covered face in no time. But they can also be the backbone of modern boatbuilding design (damn the CAD drawings!). At least in one case: an innovative, Downeast-inspired, 50-footer called Sea Blitz I recently tested, whose life began as a napkin drawing (in a bar, of course).
Designer Chris Hood of C.W. Hood Yachts and his friend and customer Geoffrey P. Noyes had talked about building Noyes his dreamboat for years. If the names Noyes and Hood sound familiar, it's probably because Noyes' grandfather owned Ticonderoga, the famously fast 72-foot ketch designed by L. Francis Herreshoff, and Chris Hood, who has made a name for himself building sleek, high-end dayboats, is the nephew of famed yachtsman Ted Hood.
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Sea Blitz started life as a 38-footer, but as Noyes reviewed his requirements (consuming several more napkins), she grew to 40, then 45, and eventually 50 feet. Why 50? Noyes believes that it's a good size for an owner-operator, noting that if he'd gone into the 60-foot-plus range, he might have needed a crew. And watching how Noyes piloted this red-hulled stunner through a tightly packed mooring field inside of Marblehead, Massachusetts' Salem Sound (thank you, trolling valves), it was obvious she is indeed easily handled by one or two people, her nimbleness aided by 32x34, four-blade Teignbridge wheels that are spaced far apart. And during my wheel time, I was also able to effortlessly turn and spin her on her length.
Her soft-touch maneuverability was equally pleasing at speed. Standard power-assisted Hynautic hydraulic steering allowed me to ease the 50 into turns, and I always felt in control, whether her optional 730-hp MAN diesel V-drives were moving Sea Blitz along at a moderate 28-mph cruise or taking off at 34 mph (WOT).
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The Hood 50 easily makes a 30-mph cruise on Salem Sound. |
There's a comfortable feeling at the helm of this boat. Part of this I attribute to the fact that you can see in all directions, as windows encircle the bridge deck and provide a panoramic view. In addition, her Doug Zurn-designed planing hull displayed moderate bow rise; trim angle never exceeded 4.5 degrees, so I was able to see every lobster pot (and there were lots of 'em).
Adding to the attractiveness of this cruiser's bridge-deck/saloon area is an abundance of wood. Satin-finished cherrywood bulkheads, a teak sole, and inlaid stained mahogany trim are employed liberally, and the joinerwork is pretty well executed. I did, however, note a few rough spots behind some of the 103 cabinet doors. Talk about stowage space.
Noyes is going to need that space when you consider how much he likes to cruise. As a matter of fact, when construction on Sea Blitz was completed at the yard in Gdansk, Poland, he embarked on a 300-mile shakedown cruise to Germany. He then put the boat on a transport ship to the United States, where he was reunited with her in Baltimore, and ran her up to her home in Marblehead. Don't expect too much growth on this boat's bottom. The plan is to cruise her to Florida by the time you read this and then do Christmas in the Bahamas.
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