Dovercraft Yachts PH 52
By Randy Whaley & Bob MacConnell
Cruising yachts, like homes, have characters that reveal the design philosophies of the naval architect, the skills of the builder and the personal tastes and lifestyles of their owners. Such is the case with Dovercraft’s PH Coupe 52, a semi-custom, aluminum yacht built in Canada.
When we boarded the PH52 at South Bay Cove Marina, the dealer for Dovercraft’s PH Coupe Series (42 and 62 foot models are also available), we were met by the owners and it immediately became apparent that this yacht was designed and built to suit their personal lifestyle and the experience they have gained through their years of boating and their ownership of previous vessels.
The owners, like many cruising couples with children with families of their own and find multi-level, aft cabin boats no longer suitable for their needs. They decided that an open concept, low profile design with pilot house controls in the main salon and easy access to the galley was the layout that they needed. Like many couples who cruise, the salon had to be spacious to accommodate occasional entertaining onboard.
The open concept provides natural light with a 360 degree view when standing in the salon. To starboard, at the rear of the salon, an L-shaped, leather settee with a pull out sits behind a large hi-lo table for dining. From here you can also relax while enjoying the port side entertainment centre with its 20″ flat screen television. A day head with easy access to the back deck is located at the back of the salon to port.
The salon has custom Roman-style window shades that provide privacy when in port and commercial, tongue and groove, cherry laminate flooring.
Walk forward from the rear of the salon and you enter the galley which is located on the starboard side. Any chef entering this galley would be pleased with the quality of appliances: Meile ceramic stove top, and double Franke sinks with a Grohe faucet recessed in the granite coloured Corian counter top. The galley has an oven, ice maker and a refrigerator and wine cooler made by Sub-Zero.
From the galley, to starboard, four stairs take you below to the staterooms. The master is forward and features a large comfortable berth. Overhead is a large hatch with an Oceanair screen cover that allows the occupants to either screen the port or cover the hatch to reduce early morning sunlight. This stateroom features a flat screen television and a depth sounder, just in case you may have drifted while on anchor at night. A cedar lined, walk in closet will hold all of your sportswear!
The ceramic floored head has a full shower with a glass door and features instant hot water with a constant temperature control and has plenty of ventilation through a side port. The head can be accessed though a door from the masster or through the main passageway.
Just aft of the main stateroom and to port is a guest cabin with a port double berth, a hanging locker and a side port light for ventilation.
It should be noted that all interior areas feature individual climate controls, halogen lighting, and removable Velcro mounted leatherette panels for access to all internal systems all trimmed in Canadian cherry wood.
The pilot house helm spans most of the front windshield from port. This centre-line helm has it all! Twin Caterpillar monitors are flanked by a Simrad 42 radar with a 12″ screen, Furuno GPS with WAAS, combination depth sounder/knot log/water temperature indicator, rudder indicator, wind direction indicator, rudder indicator and an articulated 15″ Phillips screen acting as a chart plotter that features Nobeltec navigation.
Aligning the PH Coupe while docking is a breeze since you can see all corners of the boat from the helm and made easier by using a jog-stick which integrates the control of the bow-thruster and the ZF controls.
Feel free to cruise at the helm with a comfortable summer breeze by opening the large, retractable screened sun-roof. And cruise this vessel will! With 800 horsepower 3406 ES Caterpillar diesels delivering power through ZF transmissions coupled to 3″ straight drives and 31″ x 37″ four blade Niad propellers in half moon tunnels, the PH Couple cruises effortlessly at 25 knots burning 48 gallons per hour. With 900 gallons of fuel on board, this vessel has nearly a 400 mile range with a 20% fuel reserve. Very respectable for a 50,000 pound yacht.
At rest, the vast aft-deck gives you the immediate impression that this can not be an aluminum hull. Surfaces are so true and corners are so rounded that it is difficult to believe this hull is not fibreglass; the boat’s dark blue hull and white top sides glisten.
Cabinets on either side of the salon door contain a barbeque, a cooler, Subzero freezers and a Meile Washer/Dryer with plenty of room left over for dry storage. The aft-deck also features a full-width transom door that can be opened and allows an inflatable to be pulled up on the rear deck. Night time visibility is enhanced by aft deck and underwater lighting at the stern.
An experienced boater knows that what happens on deck is as important as what is inside or how the boat handles. The captain’s crew will appreciate the ease of movement on the side decks, its large 1-1/2″ stainless rail and the Muir windlass which accepts rope and chain. After anchoring, decks can be quickly cleared of mud with the freshwater wash down. With 240 gallons of water on board and a 240 gallon grey water tank, as well as a 145 gallon holding tank, days at anchor without a trip to shore are possible.
Entry to the engine compartment is through an aft deck hatch. Ingress and egress is easy and access to all of the engine components and utilities are with in easy reach or view. Massive fuel filters and engine oil filters are mounted on the centre line for ease of access.
The PH Coupe 52 combines a naval architect’s good design with Dovercraft’s superior skills to custom manufacture a yacht to an exacting owner’s vision. It is a classic, yet modern design which will age little in the future.
Originally published in Canadian Yachting’s April 2004 issue.
IMPORTED BY:
Heritage Launch Inc.
1013 Jamieson Road, RR#1
Wooler, Ontario KOK 3MO
613-397-1608
Specifications:
LENGTH 32′ 1O”
BEAM 8′
DISPLACEMENT 7052 lb.
TRAILERING WEIGHT 6,612 lbs.
FUEL 79 US gal.
WATER 79 US gal
HOLDING TANK 100 L
PRICE RANGE
Base $162,5000
Fully optioned Up to $235,000*
ENGINE and PERFORMANCE
Test boat engine: Yanmar 3JH3 (B) E with standard gauges, 3 cylinder diesel, 36 hp
CRUISING SPEED (GPS) 8.9 MPH 2,900 RPM
TOP SPEED (GPS) 11.7 MPH 3,800 RPM
SOME OF OPTIONS ON TEST BOAT
Raymarine ST 5000 Autopilot
Emergency tiller
Complete shore power package
Cabin heater
Teak and holly sole
Electronics package
Maxwell windlass
Steadying Sail
Dinghy and engine
