Mariner 37 Pilothouse

The Northern Lights Lugger engine is built for exceptional reliability and long life. The current owner of the boat selected it carefully based on years of experience owning and operating displacement vessels, including his Grand Banks 32 and his Nordhavn 46. He describes the reasons for this thoroughly-considered selection: The Lugger engine was selected with several requirements in mind: first and foremost, reliability. I wanted a simple, naturally-aspirated non-electronic diesel for cruising in remote areas. It shouldn’t be dependent on a computer and electronics to run. Second, durability. It should be rugged and have a long lifetime. This model is a derated version of a 130-HP engine that would otherwise be equipped with a turbocharger and computer control. In the derated version the elimination of the supercharger lowered the power output, as is to be expected; however a further detuning to 67 HP was required to eliminate the computer controls and still meet the clean air standards in effect at time of manufacture. That makes this engine the last of the naturally-aspirated, non-electronic diesels allowed in the US under current clean air rules. A side benefit of this engine configuration is that it is now in the “heavy-duty” classification, rather than the “light duty” classification of most pleasure boat engines. It can be run wide open if desired with no time restrictions as is otherwise the case. It also should go many thousands of hours before needing an overhaul. In the Nordhavn fleet, long-haul ocean-crossing vessels, these long-stroke, slow-turning Luggers typically go twenty thousand to thirty thousand hours before overhaul is needed. This is five to ten times longer than the usual high-speed engines common in recreational boats. When the time does come to overhaul, the wet cylinder liners make the job much easier and less expensive than pulling the whole block from the boat.

Actual performance is just what I expected from the pre-purchase calculations that were done...when I am making a passage, such as Seattle to Sitka, I cruise at 7.2 knots to extend range. At that speed she burns 2.1 gal/hr, giving a range of about 1250 nautical miles. The log of my first trip to Alaska shows 320 gallons of fuel burned for the thousand-mile trip to Sitka; no fuel stops were made, and we arrived in Sitka with a quarter of our fuel still aboard. The boat cruised at 7.5 knots using 2.3 gal/hr, about 46 HP using our rule of thumb; 7.3 knots at 2.1 gal/hr for 42 HP, and the “left over” twenty or so horsepower the Lugger was rated for drove the boat to a maximum speed of just under 9 knots, well above optimum displacement cruising. Since there is no time limitation for max power on this engine you can cruise all day at 9 knots if desired, but it’s unlikely you would want to. Fuel consumption is high, as is the running angle and the wake, all for a 1.5-knot speed increase. If the engine were larger a potential problem would be not pulling enough power from the engine for long periods of time when cruising, which can lead to premature engine wear. Diesels need to be worked. With easy cruising at about two-thirds power and adequate reserves for adverse wind and wave conditions it’s clear that the engine is properly sized for the vessel.

The engine has two alternators - the standard 80 amp for the start battery and a 160 amp to charge only the Rolls house batteries. This supplies a complete back-up electrical system. The renowned Rolls batteries will supply 2 to 3 days of power if you are required to be at anchor.

Inverter/Charger is a Victron Energy / Phoenix Multi Plus 3 KW True Sine Wave system.

Full Bonding System

Bow Thruster is a Vetus with controls at both helm stations

The hot water heater is 11 gallons.

Racor fuel filtering system.

Mariner Yachts Aluminium spars (2008)

12 volt battery, 3 batteries charged by: engine, shore power Inverter/ charger

Mariner Yachts are built of all hand-laid fiberglass materials. The hull has a full-length bonded-in grid liner. All fuel tanks are FRP (fiberglass) The holding tank is FRP and both water tanks are stainless steel.

This trawler has a unique and roomy interior layout.

The forward stateroom has a full queen-sized centerline berth. The head and shower are separate compartments. Storage includes two hanging lockers, six under-berth drawers, and extensive storage beneath the berth.

The Pilothouse has an L-shaped dinette that converts into a single pilot berth. It also includes a large navigation area with chart storage.

The galley and salon area provides plenty of built-in dinette seating and also contains space for a separate lounge chair.

A special item is the aft guest head and shower next to the convertable dinette. Guests will be comfortable aboard with their own head and plenty of storage for their clothes and belongings. Privacy for this "convertible stateroom" can be provided by a simple curtain enclosure.

Access to the flybridge is from both pilot house doors via wide and secure stairs.

Cabin heating is a Wallas diesel-fired forced air system.

2 burner gas cooker/stove