The journey will be aboard our motor vessel Now or Never. Now or Never is a 1995 Carver 440 ACMY (aft cabin motor yacht). Overall she is 48′ long with a beam of 15′. We purchased her in the fall of 2017 in Mississippi after leaving an AGLCA (America’s Great Loop Cruiser’s Association) rendezvous and traveling the path less taken on our way home. David likes to say, we stopped for a cheese burger and left with a boat! We saw her when we were walking the docks and luckily got to view her immediately. Little did we know that in less than a week she would be ours.
Now or Never has all the comforts of home, albeit a very compact home. She will be our full time home for the better part of two years. There are four levels. She has two staterooms, two heads (or bathrooms), a salon, galley, a fly bridge with our helm, and an aft deck or what we like to call, the back porch, where we spend the majority of our awake, non cruising hours.
The salon features a sectional sofa with storage, a small recliner, high-low table for additional dining space and a television.
The master state room has a walkaround queen bed and head with walk in shower. It also has built in lockers and drawers for storage. The guest berth is a v-berth double with one locker and one cabinet and a head and walk in shower.
The galley is equipped with a full size refrigerator, oven, cooktop, microwave/convection oven, toaster oven, and built in coffee maker. A dinette is immediately across from the galley and a washer and dryer are also on board.
The sundeck features a dining table and chairs, 2nd television, small drink refrigerator, along with an ice maker and water dispenser. The Now or Never had four televisions when purchased however two of those have been removed and the space repurposed to better fit the mission of an extended cruise boat. Three air conditioning units keep the vessel cool.
Now or Never is powered with twin 6BTA 370 horsepower Cummins diesel engines. A nod to our hometown, Columbus, Indiana, the world headquarters for Cummins Inc.
We have learned that there is no such thing as “the perfect” boat for the loop. Each boat has its advantages and disadvantages. Loopers usually have one of two different styles of boats. One is a motor yacht which is likely a planing hull. The other basic option is that of a trawler which is likely to have a displacement hull design. I’m sure some would argue with my purposely short descriptions but for the purpose of this story a motor yacht is designed for higher speeds, entertainment, and short cruises whereas a trawler is designed for longer term accommodations, slower travel speeds, and typically more economical operations.
We would have been quite happy with a trawler in fact that is what we were shopping for when we bought the Now or Never. The Now or Never was designed as and carries a Motor Yacht designation. We have somewhat morphed the boat into a combination of both since we are using it as if it were a trawler design. We are glad to have the large engines although we realize that there are associated down sides to that. Some of the changes have included an ultra violet water purification system, increased reserve battery power, style changes in furnishings, and even a larger galley sink that holds more than just a few wine glasses!
For those of us geeks who want to know all the details read below.
Let me start with my “desk” for the journey.
The navigation equipment includes twin Garmin GPSmap 7612xsv chart plotters. These chart plotters are the heart of the systems and almost everything can be controlled and or monitored on them. A Garmin 4000 Watt 24xHD radar unit provides “eyes” especially when bad weather or darkness prevails. A low light camera monitors the back of the vessel when backing into a dock. This is very handy as almost every night there is a new dock to back into. There are four GPS units on board providing redundant systems that also support the glonass satellites for increased satellite selection options.
This photo was shot while waiting to go up the Barkley Lock. The iPad adds a lot of versatility including the addition of Aqua Map and Navionics charting programs as well as an expanded access to Active Captain and Waterway Guide.
As shown below a “Digital Yacht” brand Class B transducer shares Now or Never’s location, speed, direction and status to other vessels which enhances safety. All equipped vessels in the area will be alerted when we in the area and when and if we are on a collision course. This is very handy because on narrow passages such as a river or channel or even a busy harbor you can determine how you are going to react to each situation and know their name to hail them on the radio. In the photos below you can see the tow boat Steven E Furlong traveling down the Cumberland River. At the time of these photos we were in our dock located up the small creek that you see at the top of of the waterway. We are 7/10ths of a mile away and behind a wall of trees yet we can know of his presence. The other associated screens show his identifying information, his size (big 42 meters long by 11 meters wide) that he is .7 miles away and approaching our general area. He is traveling 4.4 mph and that since I am tied to a dock and not moving that he will be 446′ away from me when he passes in 9 minutes and 2 seconds. An alarm will sound and his icon on the screen will turn to bright red when he comes within 2500′ of me. Pretty handy huh?
Technology is everywhere nowadays including boats. A recently updated autopilot allows me to touch a location on the touchscreen chart plotter and the autopilot in conjunction with the chart plotter determines a route to take that has water that is always deeper than we need and then will steer the boat along that route. A Garmin GHC-20 panel provides control to the Garmin Reactor 40 autopilot as well as a handheld wireless remote control that allows the helmsman to control the vessel from anywhere on the boat. Just like a video game, you can pick up the remote and just point it in the direction where you want to go!
Two VHF radios, one of which is a Garmin with a remote mic and active speaker system and the other a Raymarine provide simultaneous, but independent, monitoring of the normal navigational frequencies as well as provide weather information. A third handheld unit allows remote use and/or use in the dinghy. (All I have to do is determine where I last left it)
A Glendinning engine synchronizer maintains identical engine speeds using only one control. A Vetus 24V bow thruster aids close quarters maneuvering when necessary.
The ground tackle includes a Maxwell 1500 windlass, a 45# Vulcan anchor and about 150’ of chain. A Fortress FX-37 and additional lines are stored for additional holding in unusual or storm conditions.
When away from shore power, auxiliary electrical power comes from multiple sources. A 3000-watt Victron Multiplus Inverter/Charger provides silent full sine wave electricity from the battery bank. A second much smaller inverter provides power for the entertainment systems on board. Each engine is outfitted with 100-amp alternators to charge the battery system when moving. In the alternative, a Westerbeke 9KW diesel generator provides electricity and recharges all of the boat’s batteries if needed. Provisions are in place should we decide to add solar power panels if the need should arise.
The Now or Never has seven AGM storage batteries that can power the vessel with AC and DC power for a couple of days before needing recharged when on the hook. However, it does not support the air conditioning or heavy galley appliances which require the generator. The batteries are divided into three banks with one providing power to the generator, two providing power to the thruster, and four heavy (ask my dock mates who helped me move them) 8D batteries providing inverter, routine house and starting power.
500 gallons of fuel are held by two tanks. Normal cruising range is around 500 miles, unless heavy sea conditions and/or high speeds are necessary.
A distinguishing feature for the Now or Never is a fiberglass hardtop which is not available on this model but was custom manufactured and installed for the previous owner. Hardtops provide a leakproof top for the bridge and also act as insulation against the hot sun much more efficiently than a canvas top. Built in ceiling lights and wire runs finish out this item. This is where the solar cells, if added, will be mounted. The dinghy’s cradle and the Bower davit crane to lower it to the water were added at the same time to the back deck hardtop. Both terrestrial and satellite television antennas are located in the domes observed in the photo.
Not every vessel has, or chooses to use, navigational electronics. To that end we have Kahlenberg air horns to announce our intentions as well as an electronic fog horn. Two way hailing speakers are mounted on the front and the back of the boat for voice communications. This is very handy to have when the crew on the swim platform want to inform the captain that he isn’t doing it right.
While it is a tiny home, it is quite complex. As an example, there are 18 pumps, 6 refrigeration compressors, and 3 diesel engines. In fact, it does everything your home does plus carry its water and fuel supplies, makes its own electricity, and even stores its sewage so there’s always something that needs attention.
And of course, we need a way to get around when tied up at a dock or at anchor. A 310 cm inflatable RIB is carried with us at all times. Obviously the most important passenger has her own chauffeur to take her ashore on a routine schedule.
