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SOME COMMENTS FROM THE NORTHWEST’S LEADING BOATING MAGAZINES :
“ a unique bottom shape with a large displacement keel and a very
wide water line beam. “ The wide hull provides plenty of stability to carry
the flying bridge safely, and the large window area is divided into small
enough segments to ensure ample strength in heavy seas.”
Design, Nor’westing, September, 1988
“The well-proven layout features a gigantic main salon with excellent
all-around visibility. The galley, two steps down and forward, opens overhead
into the main salon for light and air. There is also a large aft cockpit
and a spacious command bridge.”
Designs, Pacific Yachting, February , 1989
“Warman designed the boat for B.C.’s debris-strewn waters, with the
shaft inside the keel, and the prop and rudder protected by a skeg. “With
a displacement of 10,000 pounds, a broad beam of 10’6” , freeboard of 5’
and the large window areas divided into small sections, this boat is no
fair-weather wonder. “The style is traditional west coast workboat, and
the inboard diesel power helps make the purchase of the boat a hedge against
inflation.”
Boat Work, January , 1990
“No production boat in the last decade has sparked the local curiosity
of this. Before the hull for the first boat had even been laid up, I was
being pulled aside at yacht clubs and Power Squadron functions by boaters
clutching tattered brochures who wanted to know when I would review it.
“This boat fits a logical niche on the west coast: optimum size for a couple
to handle year round; a hose-down boat with no exterior teak; simple and
functional layout in a world obsessed with Euro-styling); easy-to-access
mechanicals; insulated hull. “This little boat with its fishboat transom,
workboat bow and workboat house profile conceals one of the most innovative
under bodies called keelform hull for stability; speed and outstanding
fuel economy. “A plain, simple, honest boat. Remarkable.”
John Shinnick, Boat Review Pacific Yachting, April,
1990
“No outside wood” is one of the assets of Camano Marine’s 31 footers
that’s sure to win praise. Elimination of Coal Harbour boat sheds....means
that easy to care for boats will come into their own. “Both the Gnome and
the Troll, designed by naval architect Bob Warman, have a lot going for
them. Their new keelform hull enables them to operate comfortably and efficiently
from displacement to planing speeds. They have roomy interiors, diesel
power and bow thrusters.”
Boating News, February 1992
“Here’s a new boat we’re sure is going to generate plenty of interest
among serious boaters - big enough to comfortably cruise just about anywhere,
yet small enough to be easily handled by a couple; fast enough to get from
point A to point B in a reasonable amount of time with plenty of additional
power on demand to handle adverse wave or sea conditions, yet fuel efficient
enough to make that time not cost prohibitive; pretty enough to satisfy
even the most die-hard traditionalist, yet not requiring the excessive
upkeep time so many “productions” boats do. “There are other assets to
the large volume keel besides performance and fuel efficiency. It also
happens to be the perfect place to put the engine...low, level and out
of the way, especially in a boat of this size. The keel, along with the
skeg-protected prop and rudder, also provides excellent protection against
those obnoxious chunks of driftwood we so often run across in Northwest
waters. “Topsides, the Camano’s slightly rounded fishboat transom and classic
workboat bow and house remind us so much of the trawler-style yachts we
so dearly love here in the Northwest. But - guess what? - with all her
attractive traditional looks, there’s not a stick of wood on the exterior
to sand, varnish, oil or to sweat about! “The interior of the Camano is
as open as can be with a forward V-berth(followed by the ample U-shaped
galley to port and an enclosed head(with shower) to starboard. Up a couple
of steps aft and you’re in the large main salon with convertible settee
and lower helm station. The main salon is on the same level as the aft
deck. All in all, a comfortable cruising package.”
New Boats, NW Yachting, August, 1992
“There is something reassuring and enjoyable about the Camano’s design mixture of straight lines and fine curves. I also found that placing the cabin well forward meant we could look nearly directly down over the bow from the pilothouse. This was a nice bonus during maneuvering... “the salon/pilothouse area matches many 32 to 35’ boat in spaciousness. “All in all, this was one hell of a nice boat.... if you are looking for something to retire with so you can make those dream trips to Alaska this could be the boat for you.” T.J. Doherty, Onboard Pacific Yachting, April, 1993
“Although the U.S. Coast Guard enforces basic flotation, power and
loading standards for new boat construction, it does not have any “quality
standards,” per se. Knowing this, it was a pleasure for me to examine and
test run the Camano 31. Built in British Columbia, this boat surpasses
any boater’s quality standards. “.... it’s attractive boat, a good blend
of Northwest workboat and “trawler yacht.” The interior is extremely comfortable,
ideally equipped for a couple’s long-term cruising desires. The interior
is unusual for a production boat, because of the available “elbow room.”
The forward bunks are big and the main cabin, where the steering station
is located has full 360 degree visibility. “Thanks to very heavy insulation
and solid hull and house construction, normal conversation could be maintained,
even when the 6-cylinder Volvo diesel was running full throttle. The bay
was smooth, so we cut-tight circles to create a chop. This boat, displacing
only 10,000 pounds, didn’t pound. It also didn’t lean on the turns. It
tracked like an old sailboat and ran in a straight line - without touching
the wheel. (You rapidly forget that this is just a 31 footer!) “Everything
about the boat is well-done. Nothing rattles when running. ...all mechanical
and electrical systems are fully accessible.... All exterior decks have
a good non-slip pattern, and the stainless rail is welded together and
thru-bolted down. “The Camano 31 is a very nice boat - well designed, very
well-built - and appears tome to be an ideal allseason cruising boat.”
George Buehler Nor’Westing, Design Notes, December,
1996
“The past decade’s escalating fuel costs has limited the number of fast cruisers sold in the northwest - a trend likely to continue through the 90’s. And is the reason at least in part, for the popularity of trawler-style boats here. While displacement hulls may provide roominess and economy of operation, they have their drawbacks - the predominate one being speed, or lack of it. Let’s face it, 7 and 1/2 knots (hull speed for most 30-footers) limits the amount of territory one can visit on a weekend particularly if you must report to work sharp at 9:00 am Monday morning.
Design However, at least one local designer, naval architect Bob Warman of Delta’s Camano Marine Ltd., provides an alternative. In the early 80’s, Bob began to develop what he hoped would be the best low-maintenance, economical yet efficient hull possible for the cruising couple on a budget. The Camano 31 we tested at Nanaimo’s first Gyro On-The-Water Boat Show was a troll command bridge model, a boat entirely suited to the commonsense 90’s and Northwest cruising in general.
Construction Outside, the Troll has the purposeful look of a West Coast workboat with a high bow and rounded fishboat transom and no wood to upkeep. Inside, the roomy trawler layout lacks the usual acre of teak though teak touches add to the light gelcoat and Formica finish. But what really sets her apart is what you can’t see, the hull below the waterline. To accomplish his goal for the Camano, Bob needed a comfortable 12-knot cruising speed. To do this he came up with what he calls “Keelform” hull, a large unique bottom shape featuring a large displacement keel and a very wide waterline beam. What he got realized even more.
Performance By putting a displacement-type keel developing 25 percent of the hull’s buoyancy at rest on a wide hard-chine planing hull he was able to lift the boat high enough to allow water to break cleanly off the transom at all speeds. Therefore, there’s no “hump” in the horsepower curve when pushing through critical area between displacement and planing speeds. In other words, displacement boats are still straining with maxxed out throttles when the Camano cruises comfortably at “any” speed up to 18 and even 20 knots lightly loaded with corresponding fuel consumption curve of 1 G.P.H. through 5.4 G.P.H. In addition to a smooth fuel consumption versus speed curve, the deep skeg gives rudder and prop protection for our timber-infested waters and most importantly, a deep engine-well to set the diesel into. This puts the weight deep where it should be. Coupled with the deep-keel the Camano is a stable smooth-riding boat even in rough conditions. Access to the cockpit is through the center transomgate. Here you find moderate cockpit space covered with a canvas fold-up top. There’s two handy recessed storage spaces for eight fenders and under the foot of the command bridge ladder is a sealed locker for a 20-lb. propane tank, drained overboard.
Comfort and amenities In the spacious saloon, there’s a very comfortable L-shaped dinette to port; the strong drop-table is set on two pilotseat pedestals. Seated you can see in all directions through tall portlights. Teak shelves forward of the settee can serve as a small entertainment center. To starboard is the lower pilotstation featuring a Si-Tex T-179 radar, an Apelco Fishfinder 360, Autohelm ST7000, bowthruster controls, stainless ship’s wheel, a 4-inch Saturn compass and remote inverter switch. Visibility fore and aft is remarkably good and the side window slides open allowing the pilot to reach out far enough to fasten or undo fenders. The galley is down three-steps to port. The propane Force 10 stove has three-burners and a foldaway oven-door. Above is a microwave oven operated via an 800-watt inverter. The fridge is 12 V and 110 V and mounted at eye-level. The galley has lots of storage bins and the drawers are notched to prevent mishap. All surfaces are gelcoat or Formica for quick clean-up. Set in counter is a decent-sized stainless sink with single hot and cold faucet. To port the head is fitted with a deep clothes hamper, lots of storage and a panel accessing pilotstation electrics. Shut-off valves have large labeling for those of us who forget our glasses at important moments. A shower curtain saves clean-up time and helps feed a large sump drain. The electric marine toilet has holding tank, macerator and Y-valve. Though it doesn’t look it at first glance, the V-berth will sleep a 6-foot 7-incher and has lots of room for two with insert in place. It should be snug too as the hull is cored above the waterline, solid fiberglass below. there’s a good-sized hanging locker to port plus two drawers and large bins built into the berth. The engine is quickly reached through hinged and gasketed hatches in the saloon sole. These are double-skinned with fiberglass and soundproofed with acoustic tiles as are the watertight bulkheads fore and aft.
Power Bob promises no more than 80 decibels of sound escapes the
engineroom-surprising considering the mass of the Volvo Penta TAMD41 six-cylinder
engine underfoot. The engineroom houses three deep-cycle 105 amp. batteries,
three-stage electric shorepower charger, battery combiner, fuel and water
saddle tanks, furnace, water-heater, and Prowatt inverter, all neatly wired,
labeled, and installed. On deck, Bob points out that all stainless steel
is welded and electro-polished, a process that brings nickel to the surface
to prevent brown stains. All aluminum door and window frames are powder-coated
to prevent corrosion as well. Wide decks and strong handholds give sure-footing
forward to the windlass and standard Bruce anchor. On the command bridge
there’s three adjustable seats, a Lexan venturi and a separate Apelco Fishfinder
and bowthruster controls. Visibility is excellent fore and aft. While Bob
gets set for our photo session, I have a first-hand look at how easy the
Camano is to maneuver. Lines away...turn the wheel hard over...push the
bowthruster button...the boat moves perpendicular to the dock and is gone.
John Lund Boat Journal, Boat Review, November 1994