A Classic is a Classic, is a Classic
The Grand Banks 42' trawler (albeit one model is called "Classic"), is truly classic in both boat design and functionality.
Pepper Holmes et al
The Grand Banks 42' trawler (albeit one model is called "Classic"), is truly classic in both boat design and functionality. In 1965, American Marine Ltd. launched the first Grand Banks 42. Its design was similar to a commercial fishing vessel with a well-proportioned semi-displacement hull, a tall bow and sturdy bulwarks. This layout changed little over its 40 year production run for good reason; people loved this sturdy reliable diesel cruiser! Engine rooms could house twin Ford Lehman, Caterpillar, Cummins, John Deere and others as workhorses. Various floor plans have been incorporated, but the twin cabin arrangement of one forward and one aft, separated by the galley and salon has remained constant. The teak joinery and teak parquet floors were a trademark. Grand Banks did change construction from wood to fiberglass in 1973. They then modified the hull design by widening the beam 6 inches, and the length by 8 inches resulting in a substantial increase in internal space. Despite the high resale value, the company decided to stop production of the 42 due to the market demand for speed which required yet bigger engines. This alteration pushed the hull design beyond its original parameters. In all, 1560 GB 42s were delivered when production came to an end. A plaque in Hull #1560 sums up the remarkable ride of this classic vessel. "It is good to have an end to journey toward, but it is the journey that matters in the end."
Numerous articles or testimonials have appeared and been published about this classic boat. One appeared in the Chesapeake Bay Grand Banks Owners Association Fall/Winter Newsletter reflecting the sentiment of being close to this boat and pride in ownership.
It's Not Just a Boat:
Pepper HolmesThe next time you are looking at your bill for recent boat work or storage, take time to consider what your vessel represents, before you explode.
Tell me another luxury item that can tickle all your senses or allow you such wonderful armchair reverie. We owners are fun loving people that believe in our dreams. While cruising we stockpile memories that only get better with time.
Has coffee ever smelled and tasted as good as it does on the bridge; or, where have you experienced such peace as you have at your favorite anchorage? Is it possible that colors are more intense, reds seem redder, blues seem bluer when we are aboard. Snuggling into bed on a cool night is like crawling into a wooly mitten and the sound of water lapping against the freeboard enhances our sleep with a sweet cadence.
Where have you been challenged as you have on your boat? I'm not just suggesting the last time, with adrenaline raging, you docked 20 tons of fiberglass into a questionable slip, while an angry storm was breathing down your transom. What about the storage of all the essential items that assure the cruise aboard your "Water Winnebago" is comfortable, now that's a stretch of your imagination!
Get real, all of you who claim a boat is just a hole in the water to pour money into; allow yourself to accept she does have a heartbeat. You have felt it, as she put her bow down and plowed against the current, bound to complete the days' journey. Water crashing at your windows, wipers cranking, items in your cupboards screaming to fly out, that wonderful vessel has provided sanctuary and the sound of the engine's cycle has been the reassuring rhythm we needed. Like a family member, we know when she is feeling well, and we also know the sound of her failing, which requires a visit to the bowels of the engine room (the Holy Place) to identify the infection that has invaded her space.
Don't be afraid to confess she has a personality (they refer to a boat by "she" for a reason). Have you ever docked and been onboard when someone has passed your boat and made a comment that made you want to pull the cork from their dinghy? "Nice boat, but not seaworthy" or, "I hear they are comfortable but just not fast enough for me." I tell myself they are just jealous.
Like most woman, myself included, when I think I look good, I walk a little taller and smile a little more. I like to believe when our boat looks good she runs better, of course we have just put countless hours into her maintenance. She seems to "strut her stuff" when dressed with flags, and I know she loves to be in the company of other GB's. My captain and I love to share our cosmetic as well as maintenance ideas and are the first in line to view someone else's creativity and innovation.
Do you find yourself straining your neck to identify the pennants or burgees flying on our masts, looking for a club member that will make you, at the very least, a "blood brother"? Isn't it a hoot to unexpectedly encounter some cruising buddies along the way! It may be years since you have last shared a glass of wine and your conversation continues as if you were together just yesterday. We are a fraternity of passionate serious boat owners, anxious to explore, and eager to share.
"Rosetta" is a boat, our boat, but she is so much more. She is the drug in which we escape from the mundane, experience our dreams, dare our abilities and just "Cool Out". She is our therapy!
In tribute to this unmatched success of a remarkable participant in the world of pleasure craft, another member of the Chesapeake Bay Grand Bank Owners Association, Aime Lerner (M/V Lady M), penned the following:
Ode to the 42
|
I think that I shall never view The boat which had shock and awe But teak it had and to this day The boat had all the class, the look The way the boat has been designed |
We know they'll fit, but they'll make it rough Stow it in the V birth and close the door The initial boat was made of wood We knew maintenance would not be good. So glass came next, so easy, so nice The bridge, the helm, the engine room But when it comes to the perfect boat |
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February 2007
Dickerson Harbor
3831 Trappe Landing Road
Trappe, MD 21673
410-822-8556
dickerson@oya.com