North Pacific Yachts 49' Euro Pilothouse (2021-)

Brief Summary

The North Pacific Yachts 49 Euro Pilothouse takes all the elements that make the NP49 a proven long-range cruiser and enhances them with fixtures, upholstery and wood treatments that give her a more modern upscale feel.

Test Results

Specifications

Length Overall	52' 15.85 m
Beam	15'4" 4.67 m
Dry Weight	62,831 lbs. 28,499.66 kg
Tested Weight	66,781 lbs. 30,291.35 kg
Draft	4'10" 1.47 m
Bridge Clearance	21' 6.4 m
Fuel Capacity	920 gallons 3,482.58 L
Water Capacity	200 gallons 757 L
Total Weight	66,781 lbs. 30,291.35 kg

Acceleration Times & Conditions

Props	32” Hung Shen
Load	4 persons; 50% fuel; 25% water; 50 lbs. gear
Climate	86 deg.; 68 humid.; winds: 5-10; seas: 0

Engine Options

Tested Engine	1 x 600-hp Cummins QSC 8.3L
Std. Power	1 x 355-hp Cummins QSB 6.7L Diesel Engine

Captain's Report

Report by Eric Colby. Photos by Jim Raycroft

Mission Statement

North Pacific’s 49 Euro Pilothouse is the first in the company’s new Euro series. The idea behind the new line is to take all the features that make a great long-range trawler and combine them with upscale appliances and materials plus a more open plan to give the yacht a more contemporary feel.

North Pacific Yachts 49 Euro Pilothouse Features

• Stidd Helm Seats
• Single Cummins diesel engine
• Bow thruster
• Generator
• Amidships Master Stateroom
• 3-Stateroom Layout Available
• Flying Bridge with lounge and boat deck

North Pacific Yachts 49 Euro Pilothouse Features Inspection

The Flying Bridge. We’ll start at the top and work our way down. The flying bridge is accessible from stairs on the side decks and from an in-deck hatch and removable ladder. The aft section on our test boat was taken up by a crane and RIB tender. Forward there is a smaller lounge with a wraparound backrest to port. Opposite is an L-shaped lounge that wraps around a fiberglass table that mounts on two high-low stanchions. The deck in this area is covered in Flexi-Teak.

The upper helm is on a platform elevated 9” (22.86 cm) off the deck. The dash has a single 12” (30.48 cm) Garmin multifunction display in the center and the compass is in line with the steering wheel. In the flat just aft of the MFD is a set of analog gauges, which keeps things straightforward. Side panels are angled toward the center for improved visibility. There are controls for the Garmin Autopilot and in the port side of the vertical section is the VHF radio. The thruster toggles and shift/throttle are to the right of the stainless-steel six-spoke destroyer style wheel. Farther outboard to the right are the accessory switches. The captain and a co-pilot travel in a doublewide 38” (96.52 cm) Stidd helm seat with folding arm and footrests and a recline function.

The Bow. Access to the 49 Euro Pilothouse’s bow area is via stairs outboard of the pilothouse on each side. The side decks rise at a slight incline as we walked forward and the rails are 3’ (.91 m) tall, far exceeding the 2’ (.61 m) called for by the American Boat and Yacht Council standards. Forward, there’s a two-person lounge with a fold-down backrest. For ground tackle, our test boat had a stout stainless-steel Sampson post abaft the Maxwell windlass with a 2,500-lb. (1,133.98 kg) capacity. There is a snubber line and foot controls on each side. The 49 Euro Pilothouse comes standard with 280’ (85.34 m) of 3/8” (.95 cm) G4 high-test galvanized anchor rode and a Rocna 88-lb. (40 kg) anchor that deploys over a pulpit. There are chocks for docklines on each side and hatches on both sides of the windlass access the rode locker.

The Stern. Working our way aft, the 49 Euro Pilothouse has a 28” (71.12 cm) deep, full-beam swim platform that is also finished in Flexi-Teak. There are two staple rails that are easily removed and the reboarding ladder is in its own compartment in the center of the platform. Frosted glass gates framed in stainless steel provide access to the aft deck and the stainless-steel threshold plates are among the heaviest-duty we’ve seen. It’s a 10” (25.4 cm) step up from the swim platform. A shorepower cord is in a locker in the starboard passageway and the hatch is appropriately notched to let the cord pass through when closed.

Moving to the aft deck, there’s 74 sq. ft. (6.87 sq. m) of gathering area and like the swim platform, it’s covered in the faux teak decking. There’s a lounge across the stern abaft a table with two folding leafs and heavy-duty posts. It’s under the protection of the extended flying bridge that is 7’2” (2.18 m) off the deck. Doors in the bulwarks on each side facilitate dockside boarding.

North Pacific 49 Euro Pilothouse Main Deck

The Galley

Part of the Euro designation is a sliding glass door that’s at least 10’ (3.05 m) wide and creates a 4’ (1.22 m) wide opening to provide a more spacious environment. The opening can be filled with a bug screen or privacy shade and we applaud North Pacific for making the door open from either side.

Also part of the Euro package was moving the galley to the main deck and aft, just inside the door. It’s positioned to port and starts with a spice rack and has plenty of open counter space, which is important on a boat that’s going to be at sea for longer times. There’s a single-basin stainless-steel sink connected to a 75-gph (283.91-lph) water maker and the counter is made from Meganite acrylic. It has an induction cooktop with a convection microwave below. Normally the countertop would have a fiddle rail, but the owner of our test boat requested that it be removed. Another custom item added to our test boat was a pop-up coffee garage in the forward port corner of the galley. Opposite to starboard is a full-sized stainless-steel refrigerator. The galley has a plethora of storage options including a pull-out pantry below the counter.

The Salon. On the front corner of the galley counter is a dedicated bar with a refrigerator-style light that illuminates when the door is opened, as to all the lockers in the galley. Just ahead of the galley to port is a small salon area with a recliner to port and an L-shaped lounge forward of a table that has fold-in leafs. All the upholstery is interior-grade Ultraleather. A 50” (127 cm) TV pops up from the chest of drawers to starboard. To ensure that guests can hear the TV, all the window shades are contained in a frame so they don’t bang when the boat is running in rough seas.

Raised Pilothouse

Five stairs lead up to the 49 Euro Pilothouse’s bridge deck. The forward-raked windshield is another Euro-package exclusive. Aft, there’s an L-shaped lounge on a raised platform abaft an expandable table with a folding leaf. An owner can get the boat with a high-low pedestal so the table can be lowered to create a berth for the off-watch. Just aft, the electrical distribution panel is in convenient reach.

The helm has a 38” (96.52 cm) wide Stidd seat with folding armrests and footrests. Forward the vertical section of the dash has two 12” (30.48 cm) Garmin multifunction displays flanking the Garmin autopilot and VesselView screen for the Cummins diesel engine. There’s also a weather display, Seakeeper control and analog gauges for fuel and water level. On the flat working left to right are the progressive Side Power toggles for the thrusters, windlass and windshield wiper controls, the compass, bilge pump switches, trim tab and remote controls for the windlass, VHF and spotlight. There’s also a tablet as a backup to the main controls. Overhead, working right to left are the inverter control, another VHF radio, the generator panel, battery switches, the screen for the boat’s camera system, the water maker and a separate control for the three 150-watt solar panels on the hardtop. Doors on each side of the pilothouse open to lead to the side decks.

North Pacific 49 Euro Pilothouse Accommodations

 

 

Our test boat came standard with a two-stateroom/two-head layout but North Pacific Yachts also offers a three-stateroom layout. 

The Master. Stairs to port of the helm lead belowdecks. The master stateroom is positioned amidships with a centrally positioned 60” x 80” (152.4 cm x 203.2 cm) queen berth. Hullside windows on each side have opening ports. There are cedar-lined hanging lockers on each side and the washer and dryer are located in dedicated lockers. The 32” (81.28 cm) TV is on the forward bulkhead.

The VIP. The VIP cabin is forward in the bow and has 7’ (2.13 m) of headroom. To make it easy to shop for linens, the berth is the same size as in the master. In addition to the hullside windows with opening ports. Of course, alongside the conventional outlets in the headboard, there are USB plugs as well.

The Heads. The 49 Euro Pilothouse has two heads that are basically equipped the same. They have meganite counters and mosaic tiles on the backsplash and in the separate shower stalls. Throughout our test boat, we saw access for maintenance. The stainless-steel plugs on the raised platform for the toilet unscrew and the whole part can be removed to access the plumbing. There’s another hatch outboard of the toilet for additional access.

The Engine Room. Three hatches in the salon deck can be removed and the aluminum cross members in the framework can also come out if the engine needs to be replaced. There’s 3’4” (1.02 m) of vertical clearance and access all the way around the single Cummins diesel that is installed with stainless-steel mounts and through-bolts with backing nuts. To maintain the fuel system, the boat has dual Racor filters with a crossover valve so one can be replaced while the other continues to work. Alongside the engine is a Dometic chilled-water system that’s an upgrade over the standard air conditioning. The fuel tank has a sight gauge and forward are an oil-changing system, the transmission and the 16-kW generator. The house batteries and engine-start battery are in their own boxes.

Aft, a deck hatch accesses the lazarette, where we found the stern thruster, the Seakeeper 9 positioned on the centerline and the Glendinning cord reel to starboard. Two small freezers increase capacity and to port is the water maker. Something welcome but not always seen on a boat in this size were two stops for the rudder posts.

North Pacific 49 Euro Pilothouse Performance

The Numbers. The 49 Euro Pilothouse measures 52’ (15.85 m) long overall with a 15’4” (4.67 m) beam and a draft of 4’10” (1.47 m). She carries 920 gallons (3,483 liters) of fuel and 250 gallons of fresh water. With an empty weight of 62,831 lbs. (28,499.66 kg), four people, 460 gallons (1,741.29 liters) of diesel and 50 gallons (189.27 liters) of water on board, we had an as-tested weight of 66,781 lbs. (30,291.35 kg). The owner of our test boat upgraded to a 600-hp Cummins QSC 8.3L inboard and the extra oomph pushed her to 11.3 knots at 2850 rpm turning a 32” (81.28 cm) Hung Shen propeller.

But that’s not a speed this boat’s going to see much of. She’s a long-range cruiser and we recorded best cruise at 1500 rpm, recording 7.3 knots and total gph of 4.0. That translated to 1.8 nmpg and a range of 1,521 nautical miles with 10 percent of the boat’s total fuel capacity held in reserve. It’s worth noting that we tested in water that was an average of 5’ (1.52 m) deep so there could have been bottom suction holding back our test boat. 

The builder reports a top speed of 14.5 knots with this engine in deeper water.  For the twin option available, they report a top speed of 21 knots.

Handling. In calm conditions, the 49 Euro Pilothouse turned smoothly, coming around 180 degrees in 20 seconds and two boat lengths. Around the docks, the progressive thrusters put the captain in total control. She’s responsive to the helm, even at lower speeds so all it takes to get her moving is a nudge into gear.   

Construction. North Pacific builds the trawler with a solid fiberglass bottom that includes vinylester resin. An epoxy barrier is used below the waterline. Internally, the stringers are made in a separate mold and then fiberglassed into the hull in a grid design. The superstructure is fiberglass cored with closed-cell foam. Rigid PVC foam is used for coring in specific areas including beneath the upper helm seat. The deck connects to the hull in a shoebox-style joint and the two are epoxied and fiberglassed together around the perimeter.   

Observations

The driving force behind the Euro version of the North Pacific 49 Pilothouse is to make sure the company remains competitive in the marketplace, especially to the younger, more affluent buyer who wants a more open feel. Many of the boats coming into the long-range-cruising market from Italy, Poland and other countries are offering an alternative to traditional trawlers and North Pacific knew it needed to step up.

For those whom the country of origin for the onboard accessories is important, the manufacturer buys all the components for the boat in the United States and Europe and loads them into two 40’ (12.19 m) shipping containers. They are then sent to the yard in Ningbo, China, where the boat is constructed. Appliances are known commodities that make it easier to get them serviced when necessary.