Each month as I prepare my update of the Krogen 50′ Open project, I sit looking at construction photos on my computer screen with the excitement of the proverbial kid in the candy store. I have been boating for 45 years, and as an adult, have owned a cruising sailboat, a Krogen 42′, and most recently a downeast-style cruiser. My wife and I had our last boat built for us, and while we were excited throughout the process, it pales in comparison to the emotion we are feeling now. This has taken me a little bit by surprise, because I figured that my experience working with well over 100 new-build customers would keep me mellow.

What’s going on here? I’ve been excited when we have launched new models before, and felt a sense of pride in their popularity, but somehow my excitement feels different with the Krogen 50′ Open. As I looked at the photos from Tom over the past few days, I think I have figured it out. While some of the excitement is (certainly!) because Janet and I are building the boat that will help us fulfill our cruising dreams, my excitement is also building because this model is something new and different for Kadey-Krogen Yachts. And she is turning out even better than we all imagined. Keep reading. I think you will agree.

On the inside, work progresses at a rapid pace. For the purposes of this post, I cropped the rendered image to be the same shape and coverage as a photo that Tom took on Tuesday.

The rendering is a great representation of the interior! The salon/galley/pilothouse is one large, continuous, open and social space where the pilothouse can be closed-off for nighttime running. The best of both worlds. In the photo below, the smaller white vertical space is where the wine cooler will be. Just forward of that will be the Subzero refrigerator.

Work is well underway in the galley area. In the photo below, you can see the nine drawers that will be under the forward galley counter. While you cannot see much of the counter space due to all the work, this counter is deep enough for all kinds of cooking and entertaining prep.

The following rendering has been cropped from the original, and the photo below it was taken from approximately the same angle.

The cabinet at the bottom of the photo is where we will store baking sheets, cooling racks, and cutting boards. The dishwasher will be installed in the space just to the right of the narrow cabinet. A sponge door will be above the double cabinet, and to its right will be the trash and recycling bins on a slide.

Work is also well underway in the pilothouse. The doors to the left will provide maintenance access to all the wiring behind the helm. To the right, is the top of the steps that lead down to the accommodations.

This photo was taken at the top of the staircase looking to port and aft. Two fans are sitting on what will become the settee in the pilothouse. Just behind the fans, is the wall that will raise to make the pilothouse a separate space for running at night.

Check out the steps! They have nice wide treads–none of us are getting any younger! The bottom steps are a different color at this point, as the yard is working on a lift mechanism. The last few steps will lift as a unit revealing lots of storage under the steps for bulk items

Furthermore, so much more to show in the master suite. The build out for our queen-size bed has begun. There will be four drawers at the front of the bed, and two on each side, with additional access to the deep storage beneath the berth, by lifting the mattress. The laundry cabinet was also being built when this photo was taken, which is why the washer and dryer are sitting out in the open!

The master bath is also starting to shape up. Yes, I said “bath”. While this space is supposed to be called a “head”, with two sinks, a very large shower, and a lot of space in general, this room deserves to be called a “bath”. I wrote in an earlier post, that our Krogen 50′ Open will have drawers instead of cabinets. You can see the framing for the drawers already in place.

The photo below may simply look like a hole in a wall, but it shows two special features. First, look at the floor. Tom made the suggestion to utilize wider cherry planks since we wanted a contemporary look. Mission accomplished. The other feature is being demonstrated by the man in the blue shirt. He is one of the electricians at the yard, and he is in the engine room standing in front of the workbench space. Yes, he is standing on the floor of the engine room and there is that much room over his shoulders! There is seven feet of headroom where he is standing.

Another photo of the engine room from inside. The wood supports are temporary and will be removed in a few weeks, to be replaced with stainless steel supports. The 16kw generator is in the back to the left of the fan, and the 30 gallon hot water tank is to the right. Due to the height in the engine room, both look a lot smaller than they actually are.

Last, and certainly not least, are the hydraulic components. Top-center is the back end of the main engine, and sticking out of the back is the power take-off that will operate either the stabilizers, windlass, or the bow or stern thruster. The white part with the purple caps is the power take-off from the generator that will supply additional hydraulic power so we can operate both the bow and stern thruster at the same time with full force. In the bottom-center of the photo where the yellow tape makes an “X”, is the hydraulic get home motor. In the event of main engine failure, we would start the generator and press a button at the pilothouse helm to activate this system. We specified the larger generator (12kw is standard) to have more power for this system.

I realize this update is lengthy, but there was so much to share. If you are reading this on your phone, you really owe it to yourself to read it again at a computer when you can!

Larry

Did you miss Progress Report #6? You can read it here.