Yachtsmiths International is pleased to announce its latest project – the Pathfinder 46 Trawler.

Yachtsmiths, a renowned expert in custom metal boats believes this design is exactly what the market has been waiting for. Chief Operations Officer and co-owner Brian Smyth says that, in recent years, he has noted a distinct shift in the design qualities his clients are seeking. “Although people are still looking for high end finishes and quality interiors” he says, “now, the priority of most of our potential clients is a yacht that is SAFE, CAPABLE and AFFORDABLE”. Function and safety are paramount. Can form and function marry? Yachtsmiths thinks they do in the Pathfinder 46.

In recent months there has been a discussion online to try and come up with the perfect trawler. To this end, Yachtsmiths has teamed up with well known naval architect Tony Thompson of EYE Marine (www.eyemarine.com) to add design depth and knowledge to the project. EYE have been designing trawler style boats for over 35 years, and are now using fully 3D CAD technology. “It is not possible to please all of the people all of the time, but we feel that the Pathfinder 46 is as close to the perfect trawler as possible” says Mr. Smyth.

To please the people, you have to listen to them. Mr. Smyth has been doing just that. As a member of the web based Trawlers and Trawlering forum for over 7 years, he has been listening closely. And it isn’t just about the perfect boat. It is about the perfect boat at the best possible price for their clients, without compromising quality.

”We are trying our best to bring the price down to a competitive level through the introduction of new and innovative construction techniques”, says Mr. Smyth. “If you look at where the potential cost savings are in building a boat, the materials that go into a boat are essentially a fixed cost, so there is little or no savings there. This leaves the man hours. We need to do things smarter and more efficiently, but we also needed to design the boat from the ground up to be built in fewer man hours.”Upon analyzing our old construction schedule, we discovered that a huge amount of time was being spent on fairing the hull. To address this we are designing a longitudinally framed hull with fewer frames and thicker hull plating. Fewer frames mean less welding. Less welding means less heat distortion. And less heat distortion means no fairing. This technique, produces a hull that not only requires no fairing and therefore reduces the cost, but is stiffer and stronger."

We are also completely designing the interior in CAD, so it can be computer cut. This greatly reduces the end cost of the yacht as components can then be assembled by our team of expert tradespeople, rather than having them manufactured to fit each individual yacht. Owners can still make changes to the layout.

Ships systems are also being reviewed. In the basic package, our aim is to provide a boat that you can get into, fuel up, turn the key and voyage anywhere in the world, comfortably and safely. Onboard systems are simple and failsafe. But as with all of Yachtsmith’s yachts, there is a list of options owners may choose to add.

Although we feel that our design is one that will produce a yacht that is safe, comfortable and represents excellent value, it’s our customers opinions that count. (click here) and submit your ideas to the design. “We will look at everything sent in” says Mr. Smyth. “Our approach is that we are designing a Trawler that we think is as close to perfection as possible and will appeal to the majority of potential owners. If improvements can be made, we want to know what you think they are. The best way to know that? To ask you”

So, please visit the site and tell us what you think.