NEWS & NOTES
KROGEN 48 AE IMPROVES ON
VENERABLE 48 NORTH SEA
At the end of our announcement in
last issue’s “News & Notes” about the
new relationship between Outer Reef
Yachts and Kadey-Krogen Yachts, I
mentioned the introduction of the
Krogen 48 AE, whose initials stand
for “advanced ergonomics.” Hull
number 48050 will be the first in the
AE series, and it will offer features
and equipment that advance the
comfort and usability of all Krogen
designs above the 48 AE.
Krogen 48 AE
Groco SSA
The new saloon layout offers either
an L-shaped or U-shaped settee to
starboard, along with a table that
raises and lowers and expands to
become a dining table for eight. To
port, there is room for two full-size
chairs, as well as a clear pathway to
the galley and raised pilothouse. The
emphasis on access and spaciousness
extends forward to the large galley to
starboard, which features a four-burner Viking range, along with the
expected household-size refrigerator-freezer and convection microwave.
There’s room left beneath the
countertops for both a trash
compactor and a dishwasher as
owner-selected options. In addition to
the abundance of storage in the galley
proper, a pantry to port extends
nearly floor to ceiling for long-distance provisioning.
Going forward, the advanced
ergonomics concept includes wide
and deep steps to the pilothouse, with
a rock-solid banister for safety. The
pilothouse, which now has a roomier
electronics console to accommodate
today’s large displays, has been
completely redesigned to permit side-
by-side helm chairs. Step through the
portside welded-aluminum, weather-
tight pilothouse door, and you’ll note
molded steps instead of a ladder,
again with a handrail for safety,
leading up to the boat deck, which
is large enough to accommodate
a 13-foot tender and a
summer kitchen.
GET EARLY WARNING OF
RAW-WATER FLOW PROBLEMS
While I was walking the immense
show floor at the International
Boatbuilders’ Exhibition & Conference
(better known as IBEX), I stopped
to chat with the folks at Groco, a
Maryland-based manufacturer of
high-quality raw-water plumbing,
strainers, seacocks, and other
hardware. I was glad I did, because
they introduced me to a helpful new
product called the Strainer Service
Advice, or SSA.
The SSA relies on already-proven
technology designed for speed
transducers—the simple paddle
wheel—to alert the user to a
reduction in the flow of raw water,
which is critical for cooling engines,
generators, and air conditioners. If
a clog occurs, the SSA’s audible and
visual alarm will alert you quickly to
the problem.
The SSA incorporates individual
inline transducers that are placed in
the water-supply plumbing of engines,
gensets, and air conditioners, and the
transducers are connected to a central
alarm panel. Several models are
available to accommodate different
monitoring options. The installation
can be calibrated for “normal” water
flow to avoid false alarms, and an
analog gauge indicating relative flow
rate also can be integrated.
The primary value of an alarm
such as the SSA is the speed with
which it reacts. Groco claims the
SSA will alert the boat owner to an
interruption of water flow within
seven seconds—long before any
damage would occur to an engine or
exhaust system. Visit www.groco.net
to learn more.—S.D’A.
