More Info: Introducing the Back Cove 34O
Among the best perks of my position as Engineering Manager at Back Cove is performing sea trials to validate a new model or engineering change. Launching a boat that is fresh off the production floor is always exciting, though there have been moments of nervousness as I departed the dock knowing one of our infamous New England Nor’easters was brewing. But then again, what better time for a sea trial?
Nevertheless, after a rough-weather trial, it is always a relief once the boat returns to harbor and is securely tied. I take comfort that any Back Cove or Sabre will be safe and sound at the dock during a storm, primarily because of how the strong points are designed.
All of our models meet ABYC guidelines so, if we use the Back Cove 41 as an example, all mooring cleats and the structure to which they are attached must withstand a working load of almost 10,000 pounds. Maybe this seems like a lot to ask from a single metal part, but a fully-loaded Back Cove 41 weighs about 30,000 lbs, and the 5/16” diameter mounting posts on our stainless steel cleats can withstand a 35,000-pound pull-force before failure.
Since it is unlikely the cleat itself will fail, detailed attention is given to the strong points to which the cleat is mounted.
Cleat MountingAll Back Coves and Sabres have cleats mounted into solid fiberglass. The mounting studs pass through ½” of solid fiberglass and a ½” backing plate. We finish the connection with stainless washers and nylon lock nuts. When force is applied to the cleat, it is distributed from the threads to the nut, then to the washer, the backing plate, and finally to the fiberglass deck. It would be a terrifying force that could rip these cleats off the deck, and I hope never to witness a storm generating those conditions.
Dock lines and fenders are the final elements necessary to make any boat genuinely secure at the dock, no matter the conditions. For many boaters; a proper spring line can be masterfully used to maneuver a vessel under challenging conditions. Because all Back Cove yachts have a bow thruster, and many have the optional stern thruster, using spring lines to move into or off of the dock is typically not necessary. However, midship forward and aft spring lines to secure a vessel for long-term docking are advantageous.
Once spring lines are in place, a boat can easily be moved forward/aft to make the best use of dock space. Finally, adding bow and stern lines keeps the vessel tight to the dock. I prefer to use the outside transom cleat to maximize access to the swim platform and transom door as illustrated in the drawing above.
We have significant tidal changes in Maine, so short spring lines perpendicular to the dock are usually avoided, as they do not allow an adequate vertical range of movement. The 10” deck cleats mounted to the toe-rail on all Back Coves are good for 5/8” braided dock lines and can accept two spliced loops each.
When tying up to a mooring, I recommend a 5/8” rope bridle to split the loads between the starboard and port forward cleats. The length of the bridle and painter should be 2.5x the height of the strong point above the waterline.
Last but not least, I recommend three fenders on the docked side of the vessel, as illustrated below. The first located aft on the pop-up cleat (on 2016 and newer Back Coves), one amidships at the beamiest part of the hull and one somewhere in between on the rail or stanchion. I like to make my fender whips out of ½” dock line, so they are long enough to tie up to the highest part of the bow rail. Using the bow rails to tie off the fenders also keeps the cleats free for dock lines. Felt fender covers, of course, add to the presentation of the boat and cover up smudges on the unprotected rubber fender.
Now that we know everything is secure boat-side, how reliable do the dock-side cleats look at your favorite tie-up spot?
– Keith Warren, Engineering Manager, Back Cove Yachts
The Back Cove 34O will make her debut at the 2018 Newport International Boat Show. Her entirely new hull, fitted with standard bow thruster and designed specifically for outboard propulsion, offers cruise and top end speeds approximately 10 knots faster than the traditional single diesel engine Back Cove.
…with an aft facing seat that converts into a U-shaped helm deck dinette, or second berth. The standard 5kW diesel generator and cabin A/C below deck coupled with the spacious island berth, separate head, and shower, remind one that this Back Cove is still intended for cruising.
Sea trials will begin in August, with full production beginning in September 2018.
Join the 34O mailing list to receive additional information and updates!
The English language is full of this kind of intriguing conundrum. Definitions of words like yacht, boat, or ship aren’t always sufficiently indicative of which is appropriate and when. The result is that most of us develop and use our own (unspoken) rules within our boating communities or, when the rules don’t apply, we just wing it!
If ‘winging it’ isn’t your style, or you’re new to the boating community, we have some guidelines to help you along the way to nautical fluency.
I don’t think anybody would argue that ‘yacht’ connotates something fancier than a boat or a ship. Interestingly enough, outside of the United States, ‘yacht’ generally refers to a sailboat unless specifically called a motor yacht. Unhelpfully, those of us in the US still have to contend with the power/sail question, and ‘boat’ is still used interchangeably. Back Cove and our sister company Sabre refer to our products as ‘yachts,’ (if that wasn’t already obvious). We craft personal luxury vessels designed for recreation, relaxation, and comfort, so yacht certainly seems the most appropriate.
Most associate ‘ship’ with something larger than a boat, and less recreational than a yacht. In short, a “working” vessel. One person pointed out to me that a ship generally needs a full crew, while a yacht sometimes doesn’t, and a boat almost never does. For example, a 200-foot cargo ship (or mega-yacht) almost certainly requires a crew, but an experienced team of two can safely and masterfully handle any Back Cove or Sabre yacht. Meanwhile, if we consider the rowboat, a single person could well manage on their own – with a little practice.
Defining ‘boat’ seems to be stickier than ‘yacht’ or ‘ship.’ We hear many captains referring to their ‘boat,’ irrespective of size, function, or fit-and-finish. Short of being deliberately confusing, it seems as though the word boat has become a colloquialism, pet phrase, or slang term for any floating object more complicated than a raft. So, setting slang aside, the rest shakes out pretty cleanly. A boat can be used for recreation or pleasure but is generally smaller than either a ship or a yacht, and with fewer amenities. Boats tend to be powered either by small engines, or elbow-grease (again, think rowboat).
As we mentioned above, everybody has their own ‘rules.’ Moreover, the plasticity of language means that any guidelines have a substantial amount of grey area. So always be aware of those familiar with the vessel in question. If you are invited out on ‘the boat,’ it’s safe to say that is an acceptable term. If a captain or owner refers to their vessel as a ‘yacht,’ then use yacht. When in Rome, do as the Romans do!
PS – Do you find any other nautical terms confusing or unclear? Let us know in the comments!
In the autumn of 2017 Back Cove launched our 800th yacht. It’s an impressive milestone that becomes even more significant when you consider all that it implies: 800 Downeast-style yachts, crafted by more than 200 of Maine’s best boatbuilders, championed by a network of more than 20 dealerships, in locations around the globe. Suddenly, our founding question of whether a simple and nautically sensible design could capture the heart of the boating public had a clear answer.
It was 2003, and the popularity of Downeast style was growing rapidly. Designs that had once only been popular in New England quickly were becoming the boats of choice all over the USA and in many export markets. Sabre dealers were selling all of the production that we could build and they wanted more. They asked Sabre to come up with a smaller less complicated Downeast style boat that could be made in larger volumes to satisfy the growing demand.
That spring, the Sabre Design Team met with six dealerships in Manchester, NH ( a common airport location for Southwest Airlines) to unveil the first ever Back Cove yacht. Differentiating Sabre and Back Cove would be reasonably simple; Back Cove was to be smaller, with a single diesel engine and a bow thruster, and interior fiberglass liners to simplify assembly. Sabre would remain larger, with twin-engine propulsion, stick built interiors, and their sizes would range from 38 to (eventually) 66 feet in length.The dealers fell in love with the concept, and the Back Cove 29 was born.
Then the issue of location. The company had previously purchased the assets and facilities of North End Composites, in Rockland, Maine, but the custom fiberglass and tooling business was on a bumpy road. The shop needed something to build on a consistent production-oriented basis that would smooth bumps in the road and support a strong workforce. The Back Cove range suited the facilities perfectly, and the plan was off and running.
Building upon the success of the Back Cove 29, seven additional models were introduced over the next 14 years. The Back Cove 26 debuted in 2004, and the 33 followed two years later. In 2009 the Back Cove 37 expanded the lineup over the 35′ range, and we knew things were really cooking. By the time Back Cove celebrated our 10th birthday, the 33 had evolved to become the 34, and our design team had introduced two more models coming in at 30 and 41 feet in length. Since then Back Cove has introduced the Downeast 37, a second version of the original Back Cove 37, and most recently we introduced the new Back Cove 32. Back Cove yachts can be found in Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Central America, Bermuda, the Bahamas, the UK, France, Italy, Greece, and Norway.
Today, as hull 800 left our facilities, we resolved the question of whether a Downeast boat with a simple but consistent trade dress, built in the Maine tradition, could succeed in a market full of white plastic cruisers.
The answer is a resounding “yes.”
– Bentley Collins, VP Sales & Marketing, Sabre Yachts & Back Cove Yachts
