Revived: The Camano 31
The Camano 31 trawler, out of production for years, has been
added to the Helmsman Trawlers line and is now available
for order. Helmsman, headquartered in Seattle, acquired the
Camano name and all the tooling, and is now building the
boat at the Helmsman Trawlers yard in China.
These popular boats (270 were built by the original
factory) are known for their spacious interior, exceptional
all-around visibility and large flybridge. A unique hull shape
provides efficient performance, at any speed up to 18 knots,
and remarkable stability.
The original builder, Camano Yachts of Delta, British
Columbia, produced its last 31 in 2007. After that, Bracewell
Boatworks of Richmond, British Columbia, built one. Then
production shifted to Camano Yachts America, which built
its last 31 in 2011.
While the hull will remain the same, Helmsman has
updated the design with a new galley-up interior, including
a pedestal berth forward, a separate shower compartment, a
U-shaped dinette and more headroom in the saloon.
Exterior features include new designs for the exterior
windows and rails, the addition of a radar arch and an optional
hard cockpit cover. System changes include a larger holding
tank and a Hyundai SeasAll engine—a V6 250hp power plant.
“This new and exciting version was designed with feedback
from dozens of owners and from our personal experience
selling, demonstrating and cruising these boats. They will be
built with the same fine craftsmanship and excellent materials
that distinguish our other Helmsman Trawlers,” says Scott
Helker, principal of Helmsman Trawlers.
With the addition of the Camano 31, Helmsman
Trawlers offers a range of small to midsize semi-displacement single-diesel trawlers up to 43 feet. Visit
www.helmsmantrawlers.com.
Florida Anchor Wars
Continue To Simmer
The cruising wars continue in Florida with a lawsuit
challenging the state’s anchoring policies and yet another
uproar—this one at Boot Key Harbor—over police tactics.
In St. Augustine, a liveaboard sailor named Michael
“Wolfy” MacDougall has sued the city and state in
federal court, saying the state’s Anchoring and Mooring
Pilot Program violates his federally protected rights of
navigation.
According to the St. Augustine Record, MacDougall
had lived aboard his boat in the San Sebastian River more
than 11 years, and was finally ticketed by St. Augustine
city police in February 2012 for violating an ordinance
that regulates where vessels can be anchored within city
limits. He was cited for being anchored within 50 feet of
the channel.
MacDougall, an Army vet who has crossed the Atlantic
on his Hunter 30, told the Record that this was no longer
about the ticket.
“I complied with the injunction and moved my boat away
from the channel,” he says. “But the reason I’m suing the
city and the state over this is because I believe strongly that
the rights of navigation and anchoring on the waterways are
fundamental ones, protected by federal law, and neither the
city nor the state can step on those rights.”
MacDougall’s lawsuit faces long odds. He is representing
himself, for one thing. By the time this magazine goes to
press, the suit may well have been dismissed.
The 50-foot rule is a component of the city’s Anchoring
and Mooring Pilot Program, which was enacted in December
2011 and granted through the Florida Fish and Wildlife
Commission. Under a state law passed in 2009, no city or
county can regulate anchoring within its borders unless
Under Helmsman, the Camano 31 can be
ordered with a variety of hull colors.
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