beautiful. Nómada made a number of passes by Frisky,
which would give me a full measure of photographs from
which to choose. I watched Nómada’s performance when
she was beam to a 3- to 4-foot building sea, and she
looked quite secure. When I asked Jamie later about
her handling in such conditions, he replied, “Because
of her full and heavy displacement, she rolls very little.
The added stabilizer fins have improved her behavior
when compared to a commercial tug. The minor
amount of roll is quite comfortable, as it takes place
over a relatively long duration.”
We decided conditions were getting too rough for
me to transfer from one boat to the other for sound
and performance checks, but this gave us an excuse to
come back the following morning. That night, Jamie
took me to the Erie Beach Hotel, where we continued
our interview and dined on what may have been the
largest platter of fresh, pan-fried lake perch I have ever
seen. It was delicious!
The next morning I was delighted to awaken to another
glorious autumn day on the north shore of Lake Erie.
After slipping the 1-1/2-inch hawsers from the dock, we
motored out once again on the lake. The wind was almost
nonexistent, perfect for accurate sound and performance
readings. Jamie manned the helm in the wheelhouse,
where the view is excellent. I admired the combination
windscreen washer and heater—that’s something you
don’t see on many recreational trawlers. Jamie couldn’t
recall the name of the manufacturer, but he said the unit
had been scavenged from a commercial tug.
Moving about the boat at a range of engine speeds,
I recorded the data listed in the tables below.
SOUND READINGS AT VARIOUS ENGINE RPM
Location
800 rpm 1100 rpm 1300 rpm 1800 rpm (WOT)
Saloon
67dBA
72dBA
74dBA
80dBA
Bridge
63dBA
68dBA
71dBA
79dBA
Photos by Bill Jacobs
Guest stateroom 73dBA
74dBA
73dBA
80dBA
Master stateroom 56dBA
59dBA
63dBA
70dBA
Engine room
87dBA
97dBA
99dBA
102dBA
Top: The heart of the engine room is the completely rebuilt
Volvo TAMD 120B commercial engine. The removable shelf
above the engine provides a work surface for tools during
servicing. Above: The custom-made battery box offers
concealed storage beneath a hinged cover. The batteries fit
precisely inside, with no movement possible.
FUEL CONSUMPTION AT VARIOUS SPEEDS
4. 8 knots
(800 rpm)
7. 4 knots
(1100 rpm)
8. 5 knots
(1300 rpm)
9. 9 knots
(1800 rpm; WOT)
Fuel burn 2.5gph 3.25gph
5.5gph
