Photos courtesy of Northman Yachts

Poland has emerged during the past decade as a formidable boatbuilding location, attracting established European and American companies to take advantage of a deep and seasoned workforce. A number of its homegrown brands have extended their reach to American shores, too. Northman Yachts is one such builder. Its latest model, the 1300 Trawler, made its Americas debut at February’s Miami International Boat Show. 

A high-angle, wide shot looking aft from the open flybridge deck of a yacht at sunset. The clean white deck features a black steering wheel and a single white helm chair on the left, alongside a large wrap-around lounge sofa with white cushions and dark trim on the right. In the background, the calm ocean stretches toward a distant coastal city skyline tucked beneath a soft evening sky.

She was docked stern-to the throngs of showgoers. Her low-slung profile and open transom caught my eye. Boarding via her swim platform and the starboard companionway, I found the 80-square-foot cockpit to be a natural extension of the salon, which itself has a sliding glass door and window that folds into the hardtop. 

A bench settee is the cockpit’s key element. It can slide forward, allowing for tender stowage on the swim step and in the cockpit, or it can slide all the way back to create a transom. It can also face the salon or the sea. An electric barbecue is here for the alfresco chef, with an optional stern shade that continues the work of the flybridge overhang.

An interior view of a modern yacht salon at dusk, showcasing a bright, brightly lit cabin surrounded by large windows looking out at a deep blue twilight sky. On the left, a light blue upholstered L-shaped sofa faces two small wooden dining tables. On the right, a sleek galley features a white countertop with a built-in sink, electric cooktop, cutting board, and black appliances. A central companionway leads forward toward a glimpse of a lower stateroom bed.

The salon—with headroom at 6 feet, 5 inches, three operable windows and a sliding door next to the starboard helm—is open and airy. A long, portside settee is across from the galley, making the layout simple and functional. The galley’s dark countertops echo the black mullions of the superstructure glass, with just enough teak to contrast her light soft goods and headliner. 

A centerline companionway leads belowdecks to a master stateroom in the bow with a queen berth. There also are two flanking, double-berth staterooms along with two full heads. (The master is not en suite.)

An interior view focusing on the forward helm station of a modern yacht at night. On the right, a high-tech console features a black leather-trimmed steering wheel, integrated digital touchscreens glowing with blue accent lighting, and a white upholstered captain's seat with dark piping. To the left of the helm, an open central entryway leads down into a lit forward stateroom showing a bed with a blue accent pillow. Large wrap-around windows reveal a deep blue twilight sky over an outdoor marina setting.

Back abovedeck, high bowrails and solid handholds protect the full walkaround side decks to the foredeck lounge. To port is perhaps the 1300’s most distinctive feature: a short, three-step passageway up to the flybridge. This design element frees up the cockpit, though for some it may make flybridge access in a seaway more challenging. The raked profile has an air draft that is under 12 feet, giving the boat unrestricted access to the entire Great Loop. 

Another factor that sets the 1300 apart is its numerous power train packages. The builder offers inboard power from Yanmar ranging from a single 57-hp engine up to 370 hp, with options for twin 110- and 250-hp engines, also from Yanmar. Hybrid and fully electric drives are also available. 

An interior view looking aft through the open glass doors of a modern yacht salon toward the cockpit deck at sunset. In the foreground, a corner of a wooden dining table holds a white ceramic teapot and mugs on a blue placemat. On the left, a sleek galley kitchen features a white countertop with a potted green plant, a black cooktop, and built-in appliances. The open glass doorway perfectly frames the sun setting over calm ocean waters, illuminating the wooden-decked aft cockpit and its white lounge seating.

The model we were aboard in Miami Beach had a single 370-hp Yanmar, which testing has shown to be a fine match to her semidisplacement hull. The 1300 hit a top speed of 21 knots, burning just under 19 gallons of fuel an hour. At 6.2 knots, her range was 785 nautical miles.

There are a number of things I’d add from the options list: Expand her 132-gallon fuel capacity to 396 gallons to increase her range, and increase her solar array from the standard 300 watts to 900 watts to run hotel loads. For four-season cruising, the 5.5-kW Webasto diesel heater would be a must. And I’d add a Bimini top on the flybridge. 

A high-angle, eye-level view of an open-air aft cockpit deck on a yacht at sunset. The deck features faux-wood teak flooring, a long bench sofa with white ribbed upholstery and dark trim, and a small pedestal table holding drinking glasses. In the right foreground, an outdoor galley unit includes a built-in stainless steel sink and an electric grill. In the background, the yacht's wake trails into calm blue ocean waters under a golden evening sky, with a distant city skyline tucked beneath coastal mountains.

Out of the box, though, this model is an impressive debut. The Northman 1300 Trawler’s low air draft, full flybridge and wealth of power packages make her an attractive coastal cruiser.

Northman 1300 Trawler Specifications:

LOA: 41ft. 6in. 
Beam: 11ft. 5in. 
Draft: 2ft. 3in. 
Displacement: 16,535 lbs.
Fuel: 132 gal.
Water: 58 gal.
Power: 1x 380-hp Yanmar 6YL3-UTP 
Info: northman.pl

An eye-level view looking through a doorway into a modern, illuminated master stateroom cabin on a yacht. A large island bed dominates the space, made up with a plush, textured grey faux-fur blanket, grey pillows, and a vibrant teal silk accent pillow. A bottle of champagne and two flutes sit on a tray in the center of the bed. The room features warm wood paneling, indirect LED under-bed lighting, small bedside reading lamps, and a white molded ceiling with an overhead deck hatch.

This article originally appeared in the May/June 2026 issue of Passagemaker magazine.