Diesel Duck
SEAHORSE MARINE DIESEL DUCK 382
LOA
LWL
BEAM
DRAFT
DISPLACEMENT
FUEL
WATER
HOLDING TANK
GENERATOR
ENGINE
MAXIMUM SPEED
CRUISE SPEED
RANGE AT CRUISE SPEED
DESIGNER
BUILDER
YEAR BUILT
PRICE
41'
40' 3"
13'
4' 10"
58,600 lb.
1,750 U.S. gal.
160 U.S. gal.
40 U.S. gal.
Apollo 3.5k W
85hp Iveco NEF 100
8. 5 knots
6. 5–7 knots
6,825nm (at 6. 5 knots)
George Buehler
Seahorse Marine
2007
$499,000
•
For more information:
Seahorse Marine
www.seahorseyachts.com
www.capitalcityyachts.com
I’m 6 feet tall and I bumped my head on the top of
the doorway each time I ventured aft to the stateroom.
The door is watertight and has four stout handles that
dog it shut.
Most of the stateroom is elevated one step above the
main deck. A desk sits against the aft bulkhead of the
stateroom and on the boat’s centerline. A hanging locker
and storage cabinet are to port, and a double berth is
against the starboard side. The berth’s placement means
that if the person sleeping against the hull needs to get
up at night, his or her partner also will have to get up. I
wished for an island bed. (I learned later that other 382
Ducks have been built with a centerline queen bed.)
The finishing work is thoughtfully planned and well
done. The cabinetry is teak, but the side walls and
overhead are white and reflect the light from six
opening ports. This is important in a space that is
mostly underwater and where standard windows
cannot be provided for views and light.
The watertight engine room door opposite the foot
of the bed is perhaps 5 feet high, but once in the engine
room I found 6 feet 4 inches of head space. A workbench
is on the starboard side, with a water tank beneath. (The
steel tank has a huge inspection plate that will make
cleaning easy, if it’s ever necessary.) There is room for
a folding bicycle aft of the tank and for other gear and
a water heater forward of it.
The forward bulkhead is devoted to a Spectra
watermaker and its associated filters and a pair of variable-speed pumps that provide fresh and sea water on deck.
One of the nicest additions to new boats has been the
growing use of labels to identify wiring, plumbing, pumps,
and switches. The 382 has none that I could find.
A four-cylinder Iveco NEF 100 diesel engine rated
at 84hp and a single-cylinder Apollo 3.5k W generator
share a compartment in the engine room. The Iveco is
the product of a subsidiary of Fiat in Italy. Kimley and
Saunders praise its performance and reliability and
note that the engine meets EPA Tier II emissions
requirements without the use of a turbocharger.
However, Kimley said parts and service centers for the
Iveco engine are just being developed for the cruising
world. An option would be a John Deere diesel.
“We love the John Deere engines,” Kimley said, adding
that he installs them exclusively in his company’s line of
52-foot fiberglass Seahorse trawlers. “However, they
require turbos and some electronics...which many
bluewater cruisers do not want.”
The hull was sprayed with expanding foam insulation.
Engine room noise is minimized by two layers of foam
separated by a band of lead. Seahorse-built Ducks have
a wet exhaust system, stainless steel shafting, a PSS shaft
seal, and a drip pan beneath the engine.
Electrical wiring runs through conduits. All circuits
are protected from ground faults by a breaker in the
electrical panel.
SOME UNUSUAL STUFF
Traveller has a propane galley stove, but a refrigerator
and freezer create a sizable energy load. The pair of 8D
AGM house batteries, coupled with recharging from the
genset, can meet the demand. A pair of solar panels atop
the pilothouse will do the job, too.
The panels, each rated at 75 watts, are extra-cost
options offered by Seahorse Marine. Saunders says
he can lie at anchor indefinitely, with lights and
refrigerator operating, and the photovoltaic panels will
keep the batteries charged. “If I use the freezer, I need
to start the generator every third day,” he said.
This is a smart addition to a boat’s electrical system and
should appeal to cruisers who like to anchor in solitude in
