The overhangs of the long, wide boat deck provide excellent
protection for the aft and side decks.
The shape of this new hull follows design concepts
well established in earlier models. It is available with or
without a bulbous bow, in single- and twin-engine
configurations, and has a long waterline that extends
beneath the integral swim platform. A full-length keel
protects the running gear and rudders of either engine
configuration, with rounded chines that tighten and
flatten aft, forming surfaces that provide improved lift as
well as good form stability. Shallow prop pockets allow a
more optimal driveshaft angle and help keep the weight
of the engines low.
This past summer, I had an opportunity to tour the
new Selene 59 with Capt. Brian Calvert, who heads the
Selene Seattle office for Howard Chen. The 59, designed
and engineered from scratch and built in newly created
molds at Jet-Tern’s state-of-the-art Zhuhai, China, facility,
bridges the gap between the popular 53 series trawlers
(including the 53, 55, and 57DH) and the luxurious 62
series (including the 62 and 66). Drawing on lessons
learned from both series, Chen conceived the new 59 as
a single-engine, three-cabin distance cruiser closely
related to the 62 series, with safe weather decks, a
spacious raised pilothouse, and a capacious flybridge.
A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE
There are distinct and valuable touches that set
the Selene 59 apart from earlier designs. She has a
watertight transom door leading to a walk-in lazarette,
a feature rarely found on boats of her size. The
lazarette offers easy access to the engine room and
can be optionally configured to house professional
crew. Twin stairways provide effortless passage from
the integral swim platform to the raised aft deck. A
large commissary/utility room forward of the engine
room offers unparalleled storage and accessibility.
With the galley-up option, the pilothouse can be
more of an entertainment area. The upper bridge
is much more elaborate, with more seating. There’s
a built-in dinette in the cockpit.
And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
“We specifically designed the 59 to be the biggest
owner-operator boat in the lineup that does not
require crew,” said Brian Calvert. “Both the 62 and 66,
which certainly could be handled by an experienced
couple, have standard crew quarters. That’s optional
on this new trawler, but one of the primary design
goals for the 59 is safe operation by a cruising couple.”
To that end, the swim platform is wide and deep,
extending well aft of the extended tumblehome
transom wings and making boarding from the
stern safer at floating docks. Removable staple-style
safety rails and a curved transom handrail, all made
of stainless steel, add security when working lines
aft. Bulwarks running from the aft deck are hip high
and remain that way all around the boat, even on
the Portuguese bridge. Varnished teak caprails help
keep you steady when walking the side decks, and
optional glued-down teak decking provides fine slip
resistance underfoot.
Boarding gates in the bulwarks provide access to
the aft deck when the boat is tied to a fixed dock. For
higher docks, a pair of optional gates is found on the
raised pilothouse deck level. Air intakes for the engine
room are located on the inside of the bulwarks aft,
helping to minimize the amount of spray that finds its
way below.
For those handling docklines, there are four pairs
of stainless steel hawseholes with integral cleat horns
serving the weather decks. On the Portuguese bridge
