vol.8 iss.1 - Grand Banks Yachts

vol.8 iss.1 

sprayTHE MAGAZINE FOR GRAND BANKS OWNERS & ENTHUSIASTS

Dear GB Owners, 

Of the many issues of Spray we’ve assembled over the past five 

years, this is my favorite, as it achieves a strong balance between 

human interest stories and news items. This issue bridges 

the long and rich history of Grand Banks with the future, a future 

that bustles with technological innovation. Woven throughout 

the various news updates and service tips are several 

articles that, to me, symbolize the Grand Banks “story.” 

Shing Kong submitted our first feature, “Raised On GB.” Shing’s 

father, Joe, began working for American Marine in the 1950s, 

long before the Grand Banks prototype took off. If you have 

one of the many precious woodies still cruising the waters, then 

it is likely that Joe Kong oversaw its construction. Shing, years 

later and now living in the United States, has fulfilled his dream 

of owning one of the boats that ties him to his childhood living 

around the boatyard on Junk Bay. 

Our second feature is an unusual tale that we first learned 

about from watching the local Seattle news broadcast (I remember 

picking up a Greek sandwich for lunch when I saw news 

of this GB46 on television). One cold day last November, John 

Farrell witnessed a small plane crash into frigid Puget Sound. 

This story, “Fate, Family, & the Plane Crash that Changed 

Lives,” is partly about the heroism of the parties involved in the 

crash and rescue, from the Farrells to the pilot of the plane to 

the medics on shore. What interests me most is how these families 

have dealt with this traumatic event, and the inextricable 

link that now ties these two families. 

Finally, we continue our piece on educating Grand Banks owners 

about the newest — and the most fascinating — Grand Banks 

to ever go into production. The new 41 Heritage EU will arrive 

this summer and with it plenty of fanfare. The 41’s powerplant 

will set this boat apart from the rest. Configured from the beginning 

with Cummins’ Zeus pods, you will have unprecedented 

control over speed, range, fuel efficiency, docking, and fullspeed 

maneuverability. With an unparalleled amount of storage 

for a yacht in this class, we promise the 41 will change the way 

you think about cruising, forever. 

Besides all this, we have our regular lineup of news and owner 

event coverage. Keep those stories and photos coming, and 

above all .... happy cruising! 

On the Cover 

47 Heritage EU 

Santa Barbara, California 

spray 

volume eight, issue one 

SCUTTLEBUTT 

News at Grand Banks never takes a break: 

check out the latest goings on in Scuttlebutt 

0 

RAISED ON GB 0 

Shing Kong reflects upon the fulfilled dream of owning a 

GB and upon his father’s legacy of the “woodies” 

FATE & FAMILY 1 

Most of us call what John and Margaret Farrell did 

“heroic” — but these GB owners see the world differently 

DEMYSTIFYING ZEUS 1 

GB’s Fran Morey attends a Cummins seminar on the 

new Zeus propulsion system -- and tells us all about it 

PORT DOUGLAS TO SYDNEY 1 

A captain takes a 52EU through its paces as he enjoys 

the sights and sounds of Australia’s eastern shore 

MAINTENANCE MATTERS 2 

GB Service offers their latest advice 

3 

9 

3 

7 

9 

3 

Sincerely, 

BEACHCOMBING 2 

Look who owns a Grand Banks now 

9 

Jonathan Cooper, Editor 

SPRAY SUBMISSIONS 

Grand Banks Yachts 

c/o Jonathan Cooper 

2100 Westlake Ave. N. Ste. 107 

Seattle, WA 98109 USA 

Email: jonathanc@grandbanks.com 

Phone: (206) 352–0116 x114 

GB HEADQUARTERS 

Grand Banks Yachts Pte. Ltd. 

29 Loyang Crescent 

Singapore 509015 

Phone: +65 6545–2929 

Fax: +65 6543–0029 

U.S. HEADQUARTERS 

Grand Banks Yachts 

2100 Westlake Ave. N. 

Ste. 107 

Seattle, WA 98109 USA 

Phone: (206) 352–0116 

Fax: (206) 352–1711 

EAST COAST SALES/SERVICE 

Two Marina Plaza 

Goat Island 

Newport, RI 02840 USA 

Phone: (401) 848–7550 

Fax: (401) 848–7551 

SOUTH, WEST SALES/SERVICE 

3027 Marina Bay Dr. Ste. 110 

League City, TX 77573 USA 

Phone: (512) 288–5518 

Fax: (281) 754–4125 

EUROPEAN SALES 

Port de La Napoule 

06210 La Napoule, France 

Phone: (+33) 4 93 90 36 74 

Fax: (+33) 4 93 49 91 51 

Mobile: (+33) 6 78 78 05 34

OWNERS EVENTS 

ASSORTED NEWS 

One-of-a-Kind (Literally) 

THIS NOT-QUI T E - G B 2 8 L I V E S L I F E P RO U D LY 

IN HER DISTANT HOME 

i 

ii 

PHOTOS: i. Sunrise at anchor 

in Eagle’s Nest; ii. the unofficial 

motto of the CBGBOA; 

iii. Rendezvous revelers pose 

for a group shot as the event 

kicks off 

Chesapeake Bay Rendezvous & Cruise 

A GB OWNER’S TAKE ON THE ANNUAL SEPTEMBER RENDEZVOUS 

Twenty Grand Banks yachts and about 44 crew gathered at 

Haven Harbor Marina, Rock Hall, Maryland, and kicked-off 

the festivities with a Margaritaville welcoming get together 

overlooking the marina. On Thursday following a group 

breakfast we motored across the Bay to the Magothy River 

and anchored at the Eagles Nest by Gibson Island. The 

warm weather and calm winds made it delightful to kayak 

and dinghy among the anchored boats and explore along 

the shoreline. Thursday dinner was a potluck with Castoff, 

BreakAway, Dr. Nick, Revenir II, and Karrie hosting two to 

three couples each. 

On Friday we journeyed north to Baltimore to the Inner 

Harbor East Marina. Tasting multiple wines and cheeses on 

the dock sustained us while we visited. Activities Friday and 

Saturday included a First Mates’ seminar on boat handling, 

radio procedures, knots, safety, and emergencies; presentations 

on boat navigation and electrical systems, and several 

presentations on recent cruises by members. Judy and Jim 

iii 

Watson and Verna Wall on Castoff shared photos and described 

their journey up the Hudson River to the St. Lawrence 

Seaway, then east to the Atlantic, around Nova Scotia, and 

then their return home to Chesapeake Bay. 

Katie and Gene Hamilton on High Life, who recently completed 

the Great Circle, spoke at our Saturday night banquet. 

They captivated us with photos, humorous anecdotes, and 

detailed descriptions of the beautiful Canadian lakes and 

waterways, the many locks, and their return down the Illinois, 

Mississippi, Ohio, and Tombigbee waterways to Mobile, 

Alabama. After a short stay in Mobile, Gene and Katie continued 

on following the Intercoastal waterway along the Gulf, 

then across Florida and up to the Chesapeake. If there were 

any doubt as to whether cruising was worth the effort, these 

two presentations ended it. It’s a great way to see the world. 

Sunday morning arrived too soon. After many coffees and 

long good-byes, we lazily departed for our home ports full of 

warm memories and renewed friendships. 

“I have a Grand Banks, and the 

body is full of teak and there is 

metal plate on the hull which says 

‘# 001.’ Can tell me anything about 

the boat? It is in Finland now.” 

This brief email arrived recently 

from Markus Jamsen, with a picture 

(right) attached, which flummoxed 

all of us here at the sales and marketing 

office. She clearly isn’t a 36, 

or even a 32. Is she really a Grand 

Banks? 

Fortunately, we were able to mine 

the memories of our folks at the 

factory, where it’s not uncommon to 

find people with twenty, thirty, even 

forty years of service with Grand 

Banks. The email was forwarded, 

and a reply – with some interesting 

answers – was quick to follow. 

Apparently, a long time ago – circa 

1972 – American Marine was 

looking at new models to add to 

its lineup. One idea was a smaller 

cousin of the GB32, and the company 

even went so far as to build 

a “plug,” essentially a wooden hull 

that would be used to construct a fiberglass 

mold. But with demand for 

models like the 32 and 36 going so 

strong, the 28 project never got off 

the ground: the factory was simply 

too busy filling orders for existing 

models. 

Exactly what happened next is far 

from certain. It is believed that the 

hull, along with drawings for the 

GB28, was eventually sold into the 

Philippines as a custom, one-off project 

for her new owners. How this 

hull ended in Scandinavia, though, 

remains a puzzle. 

It appears our Finnish friend may 

be the proud owner of a one-of-akind 

specimen, part GB and part 

mystery. We’re always interested 

to hear stories of unique boats from 

our past; if you have any information 

about this model or any other 

“distinctly different” Grand Banks, 

we’d love to hear from you. 

Retired Models, now on gbbeacon.com 

Photo of a rare GB28, sent in by Finnish owner Markus Jamsen: the 

photo prompted a quick response from GB Historian Bob Phillips 

GBbeacon, the independent web site for GB owners and 

enthusiasts, now features a new section dedicated to our 

retired models. Visitors will find brief overviews, photos, 

and other information on all of the major models from 

Grand Banks’ storied past. Also featured are various plans 

and diagrams for selected models that can be downloaded 

from the site in high-resolution format. Look for us to grow 

this selection of drawings as we continue to digitally scan 

our huge archive of hand-drawn diagrams. 

You’ll also find links to GB Owners Associations, rendezvous 

calendars, news from the GB yard, and valuable 

owner discussion forums, online at www.gbbeacon.com 

3 

SPRAY VOL.8, NO.1 

SCUTTLEBUTT 

4

NEWS & EVENTS 

NEWS & EVENTS 

Mystery at Sea 

GRAND BANKS 46 PLAYS PRIME TIME ROLE IN MURDER CASE 

When the body of GB owner Stan “Chilly” Chilton was 

discovered last fall off the coast of New York’s Fire 

Island, police detectives were thrown for quite a loop: 

they had fingered the treasure-hunting diver as their top 

suspect in the murder of Tarik Agiza. After all, evidence 

found on Chilly’s laptop revealed he was trying to frame 

Agiza as a terrorist intent on blowing up the Holland 

Tunnel. 

Now that Chilly had turned up cold as last week’s meatloaf, 

they were back to square one. 

But at least they had enjoyed some time prowling around 

Chilly’s beautiful 46 Heritage EU, in pursuit of him and 

blonde bombshell Dana Stipe. And although the suspects 

were long gone by the time police boarded the vessel, 

the search did yield some valuable clues that kept this 

case moving toward its gripping conclusion. 

We don’t know for sure if Vincent D’Onofrio (as Detective 

Robert Goren) and Katheryn Erbe (as Detective Alex 

Eames) got a chance to appreciate the many amenities 

PHOTOS: (scenes from NBC’s Law & Order: Criminal Intent, from left to right) 

NYPD Harbor Unit arriving on the scene; a well-armed Detective Eames is disarmed by 

the wide walkways and gleaming teak decks aboard the 46EU; Detective Goren pauses 

in his search for suspects to take in the spacious salon and fine joinery. 

and spacious accommodations aboard this 46EU. After 

all, these star actors were kept busy filming the 2007 

season premiere of Law & Order: Criminal Intent. But 

viewers of the episode, titled “Depths,” noted that this 

Grand Banks was quite a scene-stealer in her brief primetime 

appearance last November. 

Grand Banks was approached by the producers of this 

powerhouse franchise in 2007, and thanks to the help of 

Clute Ely and Boatworks Yacht Sales, a 46EU was delivered 

on location for her crucial supporting role. (We’re 

still waiting for our invitation to this year’s Emmy awards 

show, though.) 

Oh, and the case? Well, it turns out that Simon Harper, 

the rich philanthropist who originally funded the hunt for 

sunken treasure, had an ugly family secret to protect. 

And to keep that secret trapped in the watery depths … 

well, as so often happens in these situations, he desperately 

resorted to cold-blooded murder. Fortunately, New 

York City’s finest were on the case, and once again they 

got their man. 

Around the Globe with 

Grand Banks 

WINTER SHOW SEASON FINDS GBs ON DISPLAY 

FROM MOSCOW TO MIAMI, AND BEYOND 

With the expansion of the Grand Banks Dealer Network 

into new regions worldwide, the winter boat show season 

found us in some new shows as well. 

Grand Banks Russia, the new dealership with offices 

in St. Petersburg (Russia) and Kiev (Ukraine), made a 

grand showing at the Moscow Boat Show this February. 

With a 39SX recently sold to her new Russian owner, the 

47EU on display garnered a great deal of attention from 

prospective buyers. 

February saw another first: a GB display at the Istanbul 

Boat Show. While Grand Banks Türkiye awaits the arrival 

of their first stock boat, they nevertheless put on a 

strong display in what is one of the Med’s most beautiful 

boating regions. 

Other winter shows included Miami, Florida, as well as 

Düsseldorf, Germany. Düsseldorf’s out-of-water show is 

a unique attraction, with a load-in process (see photo, 

right) that resembles a well-choreographed ballet as 

boats move from the river to the exhibition halls. 

i 

PHOTOS: i. Out of water, the 47EU and 45SX sparkle at the Düsseldorf show in 

January 2008; ii. An interesting look at how boats are plucked out of the water 

and trucked to the giant halls of Düsseldorf; iii. Indoor display in Istanbul, Turkey; 

iv. Indoor show in Moscow, Russia with GB’s Luc Colpin (center) and the dealers 

from HT Marine. 

ii 

iii 

iv 

GBs In The News 

Don’t miss these recent feature articles on Grand Banks: 

Yachting, Jan 2008 

55 Eastbay SX (Cover Story) 

Sea, Jan 2008 

55 Eastbay SX (Cover Story) 

Lakeland Boating, Apr 2008 55 Eastbay SX 

Southern Boating, Mar 2008 55 Eastbay SX 

Motor Boating, Jan 08 

55 Eastbay SX 

“A cruisable work of art.” 

Yachting, Jan 2008, on 

the new 55 Eastbay SX 

You’ll also find the 47EU gracing the cover of Pacific Yachting (December), and the 47CL on the cover of 

Power Cruising (also December). For more articles about GB models in the news, and about our company, visit 

our online library inside the “News & Events” section of our web site. 

5 


SCUTTLEBUTT 

6

PRODUCT UPDATES 

NEW WEBSITE 

More of a Good Thing 

POPULAR 47 HERITAGE EU GETS EXTRA ROOM IN THE 

COCKPIT, A NEW GALLEY LAYOUT AND MORE 

Launched just over two years ago, the 47 Heritage – available 

in both “EU” and “CL” models – has become one 

of the most popular new Grand Banks among owners the 

world over. Already, more than seventy-five 47s have been 

shipped from the factory, or are currently in production. 

The boat has also been widely praised in the media for her 

performance, grace, luxury and unsurpassed quality. 

World Wide Web Gets Wider 

NEW GRANDBANKS.COM FEATURES BIGGER LAYOUT, 

MORE PHOTOS, AND MORE INFORMATION 

In early March, Grand Banks unveiled a new web site rich 

with features designed to enhance the experience of both 

serious buyers and casual visitors alike. “With today’s 

customer spending more and more time online as part of 

the purchase process, we constantly look for ways to make 

their experience more productive and rewarding,” says 

David Hensel, GB Marketing Director. 

Launch of this new site comes just two years after Grand 

Banks was honored for having the best manufacturer’s 

web site by National Marine Manufacturers Association 

(NMMA) and boats.com. The new site features several design 

enhancements, including an elegant new page layout 

that has been optimized for the greater size and resolution 

of today’s computer monitors. Highlights below – or better 

yet, visit: www.grandbanks.com 

< MICRO-SITES 

Interior renderings and other updated information 

about the revolutionary new 41 Heritage EU 

have been added to a special, separate web site 

– a.k.a. “microsite” – at grandbanks.com/41EU. 

We’ll continue to post more as the first hull nears 

launch this fall. 

ALL -NEW 3-CABIN L AYOUT 

The acclaimed 47 Heritage EU 

is offered in a number of standard 

and optional configurations. 

Among these is a newly 

announced layout that maintains 

the galley-up but adds an additional 

stateroom in lieu of a guest 

head. Go to www.grandbanks. 

com/47EU, then click on “Deckplans” 

to view all current layout 

options for this model. 

All this does not mean, however, that we are now resting on 

our laurels. As part of our continuing efforts to keep every 

GB model as good as it can possibly be, we have recently 

introduced some enhancements to the 47 Heritage EU. 

Topping the list is the addition of three linear feet of deck 

space in the cockpit. We accomplished this by extending 

the transom to the full aft length of the hull mold. A beautiful 

bolt-on teak swim platform takes the place of the integral 

platform. Because the molded length remains the same, the 

boat is still designated as a “47” by ABYC standards. 

The result is an even larger cockpit, with added room for 

deck furniture, fishing, or however else you choose to use this 

expansive, teak-decked area. 

BIGGER PICTURES 

One of the best new features at grandbanks.com 

is the photo gallery: each 

model now offers 16 photos – nearly twice 

as many as before – which display in a 

larger format and are highlighted by image 

captions. 

KEY FEATURES 

Selected highlights of each model are easy 

to find in a new “Key Features” section. Click 

through each one to quickly learn about 

some of the unique and important characteristics 

each yacht has to offer. 

DECKPL AN OPTIONS 

You can now view each and every one of 

the deckplans available for each model, 

along with detailed descriptions of the 

variations between each layout option 

and the standard arrangement. 

Other changes include a new galley arrangement that repositions 

some of the appliances in and above the countertop. 

And in case you haven’t seen it already, the 47EU is now 

available with an optional 3-cabin layout, with the third stateroom 

replacing the guest head (see deckplan at left). 

7 


SCUTTLEBUTT 

8

RAISED ON GB 

SHING KONG GREW UP 

ON JUNK BAY. THE SON OF 

AN ENGINEER IN THE 

EMPLOY OF AMERICAN 

MARINE, SHING’S FATHER 

WAS AlSO A FRIEND OF 

GRAND BANKS FOUNDERS, 

THE NEWTON FAMILY. 

SHING SHARES A FEW 

MEMORIES OF DAYS SPENT 

AROUND THE YARD WHERE 

HE BEGAN AN EARLY 

ROMANCE WITH ALL THINGS 

GRAND BANKS. 

Hello GB Owners. I can honestly 

say that I grew up with Grand 

Banks yachts. Robert Newton 

and his sons Whit and John founded 

American Marine in Hong Kong, and 

my father, Joseph H.H. Kong was one 

of the first engineers hired by the Newton 

family. 

Robert Newton (fondly called “elder 

Newton” by my family) hired my 

father before Whit took time off from 

U.C. Berkeley to work in the shipyard. 

My father teased Whit about having 

less seniority in the company. Teasing 

aside, my family was very close to the 

Newtons. They would invite us to join 

them for Thanksgiving dinners and we 

had them to our home to celebrate the 

Chinese New Year. Whit and his wife 

Marcia now live in Menlo Park, California, 

not far from where I now live in 

San Francisco. 

My father eventually became the production 

manager of American Marine’s 

Hong Kong shipyard, so I guess you 

could say that my father was at least 

partially responsible for all the wooden 

Grand Banks that were built in Hong 

Kong (see Thoughts on Joe Kong, p.12 

for more). And since my father always 

took me out on new boat sea trials, I 

may have even spent some time on one 

of your wooden GBs. 

A recent article claimed that American 

Marine built its first boat in the parking 

lot of the Coca Cola plant that Robert 

Newton managed. That was only partly 

correct. It was in a parking lot, but it 

wasn’t Coca Cola. It was in the parking 

lot of the now-defunct soft drink 

company called Bireley. 

The “elder Newton” loved my father’s 

work. Through his years of dedication, 

the Newtons gave my father a beautiful, 

gold Omega watch for a bonus. I 

still have this watch today. 

When I was an infant, my parents lived 

in a home that was near enough that it 

overlooked the Grand Banks yard. Whit 

and his family lived across the bay, and 

every morning he would row a dinghy 

across the bay to work. Every morning 

my father would watch out the window 

and hurry down the hill as soon as 

he saw Whit begin his commute. I still 

don’t know today if Whit ever found out 

how my father consistently managed to 

beat him to work. 

As American Marine grew, the production 

of the 32, 36, and 42 was moved 

to the Singapore factory (as well as 

subsequently switched from wood to 

fiberglass). What remained in the Hong 

Kong factory was the production of the 

Grand Banks 48 and the up-and-coming 

Alaskan — then, the 49 and 55 of the 

raised pilothouse series. 

The day American Marine moved the 

manufacturing of the 42 to Singapore 

was one of the saddest in my young 

life. I loved the 42. At its peak, the 

Hong Kong plant launched a brand 

new one almost weekly, so my family 

was able to go out almost every weekend 

to test drive these beauties. That’s 

me at the helm (photo, adjacent) of a 

brand new Grand Banks. Yes, I piloted 

a Grand Banks long before I could ever 

drive a car. 

continued on p.11 

RAISED ON GB 

10

RAISED ON GB 

PHOTOS: (page 10, up) 

Shing, at the helm of a 

woodie in Junk Bay, Hong 

Kong; (page 10, down) 

Alaskan on a sea trial 

(this page) i. Joseph H.H. 

Kong, Shing’s father, 

stands next to American 

Marine’s Whit Newton; 

below is Shing stands with 

Whit 30 years later in 

California, where they both 

call home 

i 

ii 

In the late 90s, I traveled back to Hong 

Kong for my youngest sister’s wedding and 

found that not only had the Hong Kong shipyard 

been demolished, we couldn’t even find 

the original site. Junk Bay had turned into 

massive high-rise buildings. The only things 

left of the original Grand Banks factory are 

photographs and fond memories. 

For my part, I moved to the United States 

from Hong Kong when I was seventeen, 

went to high school in San Jose, California, 

college in St. Louis, then earned my PhD in 

engineering from Berkeley. Today I live in 

San Francisco where I work as a computer 

designer/engineer in Silicon Valley. So I did 

not follow in my father’s footsteps and into 

the boat business, but I have always enjoyed 

sailing and kayaking and boating in general. 

It is an interesting story on how I ended up 

finally buying a Grand Banks. It all started 

in the summer of 2006 when my girlfriend, 

Joanne, and I took a week-long kayaking 

trip in the San Juan Islands. While we were 

in the area, we saw many Grand Banks. It 

reminded me a lot of my childhood, which 

was spent growing up with these beautiful 

boats in Hong Kong. 

After we returned from Seattle, I decided 

to do some research on the web and came 

PHOTOS: ii. GBs out for sea 

trials; iii. Joe Kong in a 

now-defunct Bireley’s soft 

drink delivery truck 

iii 

upon the Puget Sound Grand Banks Owners 

Association web site. I emailed a short note 

to say hello to its members. Tony Ward- 

Smith, a very nice gentleman from the PS- 

GBOA, wrote me back and asked for more 

information about me. Tony eventually put 

my story and pictures on their web site. 

As a result of that story, I’ve received many 

emails from other Grand Banks owners and 

I even got a very gracious email from Rob 

Livingston, GB’s President, telling me how 

he had similar experiences growing up with 

Grand Banks at the Singapore plant. This 

obviously stoked my interest in Grand Banks 

even more and it eventually led me to a 

1970 wooden Grand Banks 36. 

I was very close to buying that boat but the 

owner refused to lower the price to the level 

that my boat surveyor said was reasonable. 

So on a Monday morning, I decided to call 

my local Grand Banks dealer (Oceanic Yacht 

Sales in Sausalito) to see if they could give 

me some advice on what was a reasonable 

price for a 1970 Grand Banks 36. 

John Callahan, who works for John Baier, 

answered the phone that morning. Despite 

the fact that I already told him I was in the 

process of buying a boat that was not listed 

by his company, John was very helpful in 

going over all the sales data that was available on used 

Grand Banks. I was so impressed with John’s helpfulness 

that I told him if my deal to buy this wooden boat fell 

through, I would like to work with him to look for another 

Grand Banks. 

That was early November 2006 and my deal to purchase 

the wooden 36 did fall through a couple weeks later. John 

and I stayed in touch and in December 2006, we saw 

a beautiful 1989 36CL listed by Stan Miller Yacht Sales 

(another Grand Banks dealer) in Long Beach. Joanne 

and I flew down to look at the boat with John in January 

2007, did the sea trial and surveys a few weeks later, and 

we closed the deal in February 2007. The listing broker, 

Linda McCrossan, and the former owners, Larry and Lou 

Bush, were very helpful. I am very grateful that everyone 

involved made the entire process of purchasing the boat 

seem so easy. 

We kept the boat in its slip at San Pedro’s Cabrillo Beach 

Yacht Club until April 2007. We then took a four-day, threenight 

trip up the California coast to Sausalito, spending 

Y.P. Wong, GB’s Chief Engineer who is 

valued industry-wide for his boatbuilding 

knowledge, offers his thoughts on 

Joseph Kong’s contribution to American 

Marine and to the foundation of Grand 

Banks Yachts: 

“Joseph Kong was both my boss and my 

mentor. When I first joined American Marine 

in 1972, we were developing our own 

battery charger and air conditioning unit at 

the factory. I was given an opportunity to 

participate in this development as well as 

pursue my boatbuilding career. 

Joseph Kong joined American Marine as a 

carpenter trainee in the nineteen fifties. His 

leadership ability was soon discovered by 

Robert Newton who put him on intensive 

management training as well providing him 

an education in naval architecture. 

After several years building sailboats and 

powerboats, American Marine, under the 

leadership of Robert Newton and Joe 

Kong, started to develop what you know 

today as Grand Banks motoryachts. 

After the retirement of Robert Newton, his 

two sons took control of American Marine; 

John Newton was put in charge of the U.S. 

office and Whit was based in Hong Kong, 

to run the various factories. American Marine 

had expanded to own marinas, yacht 

sales offices, a chemical factory making 

caulking compound and marine paint, a 

marine electronics factory and boat building 

yards in Hong Kong and Singapore. 

Whit Newton was so involved with other 

business, he left Joe in charge of daily 

shipyard operations in Junk Bay. 

Joe oversaw the construction of an incredible 

number of models, including the 32, 

36, 42, 48, 50, Alaskan 45, 46, 49, 53, 

55, and 80. Wooden plugs for the fiberglass 

molds of the Laguna Series were also 

developed under Joe’s watch. Needless to 

say, Joe was instrumental to the move and 

early development of the Singapore yard. 

Joe Kong’s demand for quality was very 

high. Whenever he made a change he 

would explain to us the reason behind the 

change. We all felt a great pride in this. 

one evening in Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, and Santa 

Cruz. It was a memorable trip indeed. 

My father passed away in 1986, but I am sure he is smiling 

somewhere knowing that people are still enjoying the boats 

he produced. I grew up envying Grand Banks owners. 

Even now, as an owner, every time I see a Grand Banks 

I feel the urge to go up to the owner and ask him more 

about the boat, especially the old woodies built in Junk 

Bay. I have a particular affection for those. •• 

Thoughts on Joe Kong by Y.P. WONG 

Following the 1973 oil crisis, American Marine 

fell on difficult times, and eventually, 

Hong Kong operations were shut down. 

This decision had not stopped Joe Kong’s 

passion for building boats. He soon joined 

Harvey Halverson to start another venture 

building a line of motoryachts known as the 

Island Gypsy. 

Besides being busy managing his business, 

he had also given his time in serving society. 

He was elected to the district council 

for the Sai Kung district. In Hong Kong 

the objective of district council is to bridge 

relationships between the government and 

the residents. Sai Kung District Council 

members are dedicated to help residents 

understand the government policies and 

services through the “Meet-the-Public” 

scheme and daily contact. He had served 

one term of four years but was forced to 

quit in the middle of second term due to ill 

health. Soon cancer had claimed his life. 

Anyone who worked with Joe Kong remembers 

him as a passionate boatbuilder and a 

great mentor.” 

11 


RAISED ON GB 

12

fate, family, 

& the plane crash 

that changed lives 

ON A CRISP NOVEMBER DAY, JOHN AND 

MARGARET FARRELL HAD THEIR BOAT OUT FOR 

A SHORT CRUISE WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS. 

WHEN A SMALL PLANE CRASHED NEARBY, THEY 

RUSHED TO RESCUE ITS TWO SURVIVORS. 

THIS IS THE STORY OF THAT DAY. 

IT IS ALSO THE STORY OF THE BOND OF FAMILY. 

STORY BY JONATHAN COOPER 

13 SPRAY VOL.8, NO.1 

• John Farrell at the helm of Grand Madison, 

46 Heritage CL, hull #123.

RESCUE GB 

RESCUE GB 

i 

John and Margaret Farrell own Farelli’s, a wood-fire pizza 

chain that boasts five locations around south Puget 

Sound. An hour’s drive south of Seattle, their gourmet 

pizza is critically acclaimed as much for the family dining experience 

as for its menu. Two of the Farrell’s four daughters 

run daily operations at Farrelli’s, and their 

restaurant website is packed with downloadable 

activities for kids, photo albums of past 

pizza parties, and a letter from the Farrell 

family explaining their dining philosophy. 

ii 

iii 

PHOTOS: i. John and Margaret’s 

Grand Madison at home in 

Tacoma, Washington; ii. Tom 

Torchia and his mother, Helen, 

are ready to be pulled to safety; 

iii. Celebration of the two families 

who met on that fateful day. 

(inset photo) Even the Farrelli’s 

gourmet pizza burgee played a 

role in the story. 

(photo, opposite) John and 

Margaret are all smiles in the 

salon of Grand Madison 

on board. In the salon, John and Margaret pull out photo 

albums. In each album and on the walls, there are usually 

at least a few photos that show a swarm of grandchildren 

arranged in pig-piles of giggles and laughter (in the Farrell’s 

case, grandchildren means five granddaughters). At one 

point John describes a week-long trip on Grand 

Madison with four of the girls. Margaret didn’t 

think he’d last two days … until they returned 

to port on schedule. John recounts this story 

with a grin. 

people who were struggling to 

tread water. The Farrell family 

and friends on board prepared 

the cabin with blankets and 

hot coffee as John radioed the 

Coast Guard for help. 

Tom Torchia — the plane’s pilot 

— and his elderly mother, Helen, 

surfaced after a struggle to get 

her seatbelt unlatched. Puget 

Sound’s waters are notoriously 

cold year-round, so the prospect 

of severe hypothermia and 

death weighed on them. As Tom 

looked in front of him he saw 

no chance of immediate help. 

But then, as he turned the other 

direction, he described the feeling 

of seeing “the largest, most beautiful white boat bow charging 

right at us” – it was Grand Madison to the rescue. 

After delivering the victims safely to the paramedics on shore, 

John and Margaret decided to continue their harbor tour. 

News helicopters spotted the Farrelli’s Pizza burgee flapping 

in the breeze, and after a few well-placed phone calls, 

tracked John down to get the full story later that day. 

GBBeacon.com 

• Discussion Forums 

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Despite being honored by the 

City of Bonney Lake (WA) for 

their service, John and Margaret 

deflect the attention and any 

talk of heroism. John told me 

that they did what “anyone else 

would do in the same position.” 

To The Herald journalist Susan 

Schell, he spoke only of the heroism 

of the pilot, for gracefully 

handling the trauma of a mid-air 

collision, guiding the plane to a 

relatively soft landing, and rescuing 

his mother from going down 

with the plane. That, to John, is 

the true definition of heroism. 

The Farrells admit that they were 

thrilled to be in the right place at 

the right time, to save the lives of these two great people. But 

what thrilled them equally was to be able to have dinner with 

Tom on the day after Thanksgiving: at Farrelli’s Pizza, with a 

roomful of people who were there to celebrate the occasion. 

A roomful of friends and family — the Farrells wouldn’t have it 

any other way. •• 

The Farrells’ emphasis on family underlies 

nearly everything they do, especially when 

it involves boating. Devoted cruisers, the 

Farrells recently switched from sail to power 

following John’s major surgery to repair 

one of his shoulders. They ended up with a 

1992 46 Classic that they named after the 

first granddaughter, Madison. John says that 

Grand Banks’ “utilitarian beauty and quality 

of construction excited me to get back into 

power, where life was just a little simpler - and 

a lot more comfortable.” 

Grand Madison’s salon screams the family motif. From picture 

frames of cruises with the grandchildren to the Farrell’s 

favorite cruising hot spots in the Canadian Gulf Islands and 

Desolation Sound, there isn’t an unloved nook or cranny 

Like many northwest Grand Banks owners, the 

Farrells enjoy the temperate climate and cruise 

their boat all year long. Last November, the 

Farrells entertained guests who were visiting 

from New York. On one cold but clear day 

they decided to take their guests on a tour of 

Commencement Bay aboard Grand Madison. 

With ten on board, including captain, crew, 

and two babies, they got what they wanted, 

plus a whole lot more. 

High above Grand Madison two small aircraft collided. 

John told the Puyallup Herald newspaper afterwards that he 

didn’t see the collision when it happened, that he only could 

only see “one plane gliding around in circles” until it hit the 

water. Rushing into action, John powered the engines to full 

throttle. With binoculars he could see that there were two 


 

GB WORLD 

8

FEATURES OF ZEUS PODS 

41 HERITAGE EU 

There are a lot of remarkable new features on board the 41 Heritage EU: a fully 

resin-infused hull and deckhouse, an intelligent multiplexing electrical system, new 

interior styling, arrangements and more. 

One new feature that has received a lot of attention is the revolutionary Zeus 

propulsion system, which uses pod drives, joystick controls, integrated software and 

other components to offer amazing control and performance enhancements. Here, we 

focus on the Zeus pods themselves, highlighting some key features that help illustrate 

the advantages this equipment offers to 41EU owners and operators. 

Single Through Hull 

Each Zeus pod is mounted through a single hole in the hull. 

There are no additional penetrations for the shaft, struts, or 

rudder aperture. The engine cooling intake is also in the pod, 

and it even includes an extra intake for a generator. Result: the 

opportunities for water intrusion are vastly reduced, and any 

leak that does occur can be more easily traced to its source. 

Hull Protection, Part I 

In the case where underwater debris comes in contact with the props, 

there is far less likelihood for substantial injury to the hull with a Zeus 

pod than on a boat equipped with a traditional shaft drive – where 

damaged props have been known to fly off and penetrate the hull. 

With Zeus, the thick brass plate of the pod’s integrated trim tab provides 

substantial protection, deflecting a broken blade away from the 

hull and sparing the boat from severe damage. 

Hull Protection, Part II 

In the unlikely event that the 41EU strikes an object so heavy and 

substantial that it doesn’t give way to the keel or pod, the Zeus 

pod itself is designed to break away from the hull. This is actually 

a major advantage in such situations: consider that when a 

shaft-drive vessel hits rocks or major debris, the shaft is bent, the 

rudder can be ripped off, and the hull is likely to be punctured. 

In this case the boat may even sink – but with a Zeus pod, the 

attaching ring seal prevents water intrusion and the boat can 

proceed on one engine. Because such events are most likely to 

occur in shallow water, a diver can retrieve the pod, which may 

be repaired or even simply washed out and reattached. 

Noise, Vibration, & Exhaust Reduction 

Zeus pods use counter-rotating props, and the pods themselves are mounted 

on large rubber grommets – helping to reduce vibration. Engine emissions exit 

through the propeller hubs where the water takes it back through the wake, 

so there is also less exhaust. Because the pods are mounted near the stern, 

the engines are not located below the salon sole, making for a quieter ride. 

Similarly, the efficiency of the pods enables the use of smaller, quieter engines. 

Power & Efficiency 

Several features of Zeus pods make them more efficient than traditional 

shaft-drive propulsion. Because they are mounted parallel to 

the waterline, the full power of the engines is used to drive the boat 

forward. Automated trim tabs deploy precisely as needed, reducing 

drag. Counter-rotating props eliminate power lost to rotational and side 

forces, and minimize cavitation. Even the shape of the pod itself is more 

efficient than a shaft, strut and rudder. The result is that less power and 

fuel are required to move the 41EU as compared to a shaft-drive boat 

at the same speed – up to 25% or more in preliminary tests. 

Debris Deflection 

The Zeus pod is mounted in a tunnel so that its nose cone is at 

the same level as the keel. In the event that the 41EU encounters 

underwater debris, the most likely scenario is that the debris 

will be deflected downward by the keel. Any collision with the 

pod itself would likely be at the skeg, which provides protection 

below the level of the props. And should the debris be substantial, 

the skeg is designed to shear away, minimizing damage to 

the drive and the boat itself. The skeg can be easily replaced for 

a nominal cost. 

There are many more components of Zeus pods, and the complete propulsion system that 

make for a revolutionary advancement – integrated autopilot, SmartCraft controls, automated 

hydraulic trim tabs, and more. For a closer look at Zeus, and a more comprehensive overview 

of ALL the new features of the 41 Heritage EU, visit: www.grandbanks.com/41EU 

17 

SPRAY VOL.8, NO.1 DEMYSTIFYING ZEUS 

18

Port Douglas to 

Sydney 

CRUISING IN STYLE ON A 

52 EUROPA ALONG 

AUSTRALIA’S GOLD COAST 

SUBMITTED BY RMARINE 

There is arguably no more idyllic 

way of travelling from Port Douglas 

to Sydney than to board a Grand 

Banks 52 Heritage EU and spend the 

next three weeks meandering down the 

Queensland and New South Wales coastlines. 

That was reality for Sydney-based 

skipper John Harris who is charged with 

the full-time skippering duties aboard the 

pride and joy of two Sydney businessmen. 

Reasonably new to boating, the two 

owners purchased the 18.19-metre Grand 

Banks just two years ago. In consultation 

with the then part-time skipper Harris, 

the two opted for what they felt was the 

best boat available for their preference in 

boating – long-range cruising. 

In the two years the two have owned it, 

Harris’ part-time skippering job became 

full-time and the Grand Banks has spent 

little time around the Sydney region. Indeed, 

this was the second winter the boat 

had ventured north and it remained in the 

glorious cruising grounds of the Whitsundays 

in northern Queensland from May 

through October. In the short time they 

have owned it, the boat has amassed 

over 800 engine hours. 

On this, the second excursion north, the 

two owners were even more adventuresome, 

expanding their horizons to include 

a two-week 900 nautical mile round trip 

further north into the Port Douglas region. 

Harris’ job following this sojourn was 

to motor the boat back to home base in 

Sydney in time for a quick re-group and 

maintenance exercise, before the Christmas 

break. 

Such was the long-range ability of the 

26-tonne trawler-style vessel, the efficient 

cruise speed of around 12-14 knots and 

fuel payload of 4,542 litres afforded Harris 

the luxury of just four stopovers for the 

entire journey. Leaving the Whitsundays, 

fuel stops were planned for Coomera, 

Coffs Harbour and Port Stephens. The 

intention was to take a leisurely maximum 

of three weeks to complete the passage 

and as such leg one was to be an idyllic 

cruise down the Queensland coast, taking 

in stopovers at Mackay, Keppell Bay, 

Bundaberg and Tin Can Bay. All were an 

easy day trip apart. 

The weather and sea conditions for this 

leg were in Harris’ own words, ”sublime, 

like a mill-pond,” and the icing on the 

cake was surely the whales’ displays 

along the way. It was late in the whale migration 

season, but there was still plenty 

of action around the Whitsunday and 

Hervey Bay regions. For those aboard, 

this one phenomenon was surely the highlight 

of the entire trip. 

The Great Sandy Straits of the Wide Bay 

region inside Fraser Island, the largest 

sand island in the world, was another aspect 

that Harris described as “interesting” 

probably because it is reasonably tricky 

to negotiate the shallower waterways of 

the lower reaches of that region. The trip 

up to Port Douglas was also spectacular; 

in particular the very scenic Hinchinbrook 

region. Seeing it for the first time was special 

for the entire compliment of owners, 

guests and indeed skipper. 

Following a stopover in Coomera, at the 

R Marine Motoryachts Queensland dealership 

within the giant complex of luxury 

boat builder Riviera, the six owners and 

guests all went their own ways and the 

19 


GB WORLD 

10

PORT DOUGLAS TO SYDNEY 

Pacific NW Bareboat or Skippered Charters and Guided Flotillas 

crew numbers were now down to Harris 

and one other. The other change was 

the weather pattern. 

“It was ordinary to say the least and 

while the Grand Banks handled the 

conditions exceptionally well,” Harris 

explained, “the weather deteriorated 

that much that we opted to seek shelter 

firstly at Southport on the Queensland 

Gold Coast, and then again at Yamba 

in northern New South Wales. 

I secretly hoped this was not a sign of 

things to come. With weather stops, it 

had taken us six days just to get south 

of Yamba.” 

The previous trip Harris had taken just 

three days for the reverse journey from 

Sydney to Southport, with only one fuelstop 

at Coffs Harbour. 

While the seas abated slightly, it was 

still 30-knots on the nose. 

“It wasn’t too bad though,” Harris 

added, “it was certainly more pleasant 

for us than the gentleman who followed 

us into Yamba with smashed clears, 

damaged controls and drenched instruments. 

We had no problems or damage 

whatsoever and I must say I was darned 

pleased to have had the use of the very 

effective stabilizers Grand Banks fit to 

their boats. It kept the boat decidedly 

level in what was a washing machine 

situation at times. These ‘datum-control’ 

electronic versions work so much better 

and quicker than the older manual 

hydraulic style!” 

A day or so out of Yamba and the seas 

abated to a mere two metres of swell 

and waves, and Harris was able to 

resume a respectable cruise speed of 

between 12 and 14 knots, with peaks to 

15 knots. Certainly not the maximum 21 

knots the boat is capable of when the 

standard-issue twin QSC 8.3-litre 540hp 

Cummins diesels are at full throttle, but 

none the less a comfortable and more 

importantly economical and efficient 

cruising speed. The other bonus was the 

galley was now open, the slighter seas 


enabled Harris to don the apron and 

prepare an “acceptable” meal again. 

Making up for lost time, the remainder 

of the trip was taken at a reasonable 

pace in seas that were in fact tailormade 

for a vessel such as the Grand 

Banks 52. At 15 knots the combination 

of the underhull shape, the generous 

beam of 4.7 metres, the Naiad electronic 

‘datum-control’ stabilisers and the low 

centre of gravity of this design provided 

a Rolls Royce ride in seas most other 

hulls would struggle to cope with. 

“I guess the highlight of the trip from 

a skipper’s perspective was this boat’s 

sea-keeping qualities. In those sometimes 

massive seas its sea-keeping abilities 

were quite exceptional by comparison 

to others. We had no mishaps or 

near misses along the way, the whole 

trip just went according to plan. It was 

a comfortable boat and handled and 

behaved well when on autopilot, which 

was most of the time. You need this feeling 

of security in a hull, when you travel 

under the cover of darkness,” Harris 

expounded. 

Harris did admit to one cardinal sin 

however; unlike most ocean-going skippers 

he didn’t have a lure over the back 

at any stage of the trip – fresh fish was 

not on the menu. 

“No I am not a fisherman; sadly I 

reckon I have caught just two fish in my 

life. In fact I once went all the way from 

Tasmania to Sydney with a line over the 

back and never caught a thing, so right 

about that time I decided I was not cut 

out to be a fisherman. I found plenty of 

other things to cook, for the galley was 

a very special place. 

“Being on this boat was just like being 

in your own home. In fact, it is a lot 

more comfortable than my home for it 

lacks nothing. It has Satellite TV, satphone, 

DVD/stereo, air conditioning, 

stainless steel barbecue, four-burner 

hob, microwave convection oven, trash 

compactor, water maker, ice-maker, 

wet-bar, dishwasher and laundry - this 

boat has everything to make liveaboard 

life an absolute pleasure. And 

it is so quiet too, I could even head off 

very early in the mornings, without waking 

the owners or their guests,” he said. 

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Wrangel Narrows 

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Got crab?

MAINTENANCE MATTERS 

MAINTENANCE MATTERS 

Maintenance Matters 

GB SERVICE DIRECTOR FRAN MOREY EXPLAINS WHY 

AUTHORIZED SERVICE CENTERS MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE 

“This,” notes GB Service Director Fran Morey, “is a photo of 

a wire run installed by a GB Authorized Service Center. And 

this…” he continues, forwarding to the next PowerPoint slide, 

“is a mess, installed on an owner’s new Grand Banks by one 

of the local yards in his area – not an Authorized Service 

Center.” 

The pictures speak for themselves, a study in contrasts 

between scrupulous care and careless clutter. Fran is standing 

before a roomful of GB dealers, flipping back and forth 

between these two slides, pausing for 

emphasis during this afternoon session 

of GB University. 

And it is a point worth emphasizing: the 

advantages gained from all the meticulous 

attention and high-quality materials 

used in building your Grand Banks can 

be swiftly jeopardized – if those high 

standards are not maintained during 

service, maintenance, and the installation 

of aftermarket equipment. 

This is where the Grand Banks Authorized 

Service Centers – or “ASCs” – 

provide the critical difference. 

“I’ve seen it time after time after time,” 

says Fran, who has been with Grand 

Banks for over ten years. “I’ll go on 

board a GB to help an owner because 

there’s a problem with his boat, or 

a piece of our equipment isn’t working 

right. And when we start poking around, the failure is 

traced back to work that we had nothing to do with – and it 

certainly wasn’t done by one of our ASCs.” 

The problem, he says, comes from yards that take shortcuts, 

or employ people who aren’t properly trained and certified. 

“A Grand Banks is a very sophisticated vessel,” notes Fran, 

“with complex systems, high-tech components, and some of 

the newest equipment on the market. As well built as our 

boats are, we also know that maintenance and repairs are 

part of life, too. And when the time comes, you really want 

the best people working on your boat.” 

To ensure that kind of high-quality service is available to 

owners, Grand Banks has carefully screened and selected a 

growing collection of yards worldwide to create a premier 

Authorized Service Network. And as the company appoints 

dealers into new regions, it also works to establish ASCs 

there as well. 

Grand Banks also puts a heavy emphasis on training staff at 

these ASCs in “the GB way.” At least one representative from 

each location visits the GB factories in Singapore and Malaysia 

for a one-week factory training program that covers 

construction techniques, mechanical and electrical systems, 

and after-sales service support of new and used Grand Banks 

models. The company also provides onsite 

orientation training for key service 

personnel at each ASC. Currently, 

there are over 100 factory-trained 

technicians working in nearly 30 

ASCs worldwide, and their numbers 

continue to grow. 

“We’re very mindful that a Grand 

Banks isn’t only a boat to the owner; 

it’s also a major investment,” says 

Fran. “And those investments keep 

their value so well because of the materials 

and equipment that are used, 

as well as the way they are installed. 

We work very diligently to meet the 

high standards of ABYC, NMMA, CE 

and others. 

“Our service centers need to do the 

same,” he continues, “whether it 

comes to something like installing wire 

runs that use Ancor marine grade wire 

with ties mounted along the hull at a precise distance apart – 

or understanding cutting-edge technologies like the Zeus pod 

drives.” 

It can also factor critically in dealing with warranty issues, 

where improper service or aftermarket installations can 

impact the validity of a warranty from Grand Banks or an 

equipment manufacturer. 

“We set a very high standard, and we choose our ASCs because 

they do the same. From there,” Fran concludes,” it’s up 

to the owner to take that last step, to make sure he’s working 

with a GB Authorized Service Center when the time comes.” 

Peace of Mind: New Service Locations on the Gulf 

TWO NEW AUTHORIZED SERVICE CENTERS IN WEST FLORIDA 

Grand Banks Yachts continues to strengthen its worldwide 

network of Authorized Service Centers with the recent appointment 

of two new service yards along the west coast of 

Florida: Olsen Marine and Viking Boatworks. 

Olsen Marine, with a full-service facility in Fort Myers, is a 

family-owned boatyard that has been in operation over 37 

years. The expert staff at Olsen is ABYC certified and well 

experienced in all areas of boat service, from electrical, 

mechanical and plumbing to painting, fiberglass repairs, 

carpentry and more. In addition, Olsen Marine is an authorized 

service center for West System Products, Interlux, 

Pettit Paints, Crusader and Marine Power Engines. 

Located in St. Petersburg, Viking Boatworks brings a great 

deal of all-around experience to GB owners in the region, 

with a particular emphasis on engine repairs. Viking 

Boatworks is an authorized service center for Interlux, 

Volvo Penta, Caterpillar, Yanmar Marine, Northern Lights, 

Westerbeke and Phasor Marine. Their new 88-ton Travelift 

can easily handle boats up to one hundred feet in length, 

with a top-rated facility that can accommodate all kinds of 

maintenance and repair work. 

Fran Morey, Director of Service for Grand Banks Yachts, 

praised the yards and their personnel in announcing the 

appointments. “Both of these facilities have a solid reputation 

for quality work, and are a great addition to our 

Authorized Service Center network,” he stated. “Together, 

Olsen Marine and Viking Boatworks will provide Grand 

Banks owners with a wide range of coverage along the 

west coast of Florida.” 

ST. PETERSBURG, FLORIDA 

FT. MYERS, FLORIDA 

23 

SPRAY VOL.8, NO.1 MAINTENANCE MATTERS 24

AUTHORIZED SERVICE CENTER LOCATIONS 

WESTERN U.S. & CANADA 

EAST & ATLANTIC 

DELTA MARINE 

2075 Tryon Rd. 

Sidney, BC V8L 3X9 

CANADA 

Phone: (250) 656-2832 

Fax: (250) 656-2619 

VHF: 16/69 

www.delta-marine.com 

YANKEE MARINA/BOATYARD 

142 Lafayette St. 

P.O. Box 548 

Yarmouth, Me 04096 

Phone: (207) 846-4326 

Fax: (207) 846-3629 

www.yankeemarina.com 

BREWER COVE HAVEN 

101 Narragansett Ave. 

Barrington, RI 02806 

Phone: (401) 246-1600 

Fax: (401) 246-0731 

VHF: Channel 9 

www.byy.com 

41” 45.09’N, 71” 21.23’W 

NORWALK COVE MARINA 

48 Calf Pasture Beach Rd. 

Norwalk, Ct 06855 

Phone: (203) 838- 3681 

Fax: (203) 838-6810 

VHF: 72 

www.norwalkcove.com 

41” 02.50’ N, 73” 23.6’ W 

BREWER DAUNTLESS SHIPYARD 

37 Pratt St. 

Essex, CT 06426 

Phone: (860) 767-0001 

Fax: (860) 767-3074 


www.byy.com 

41” 21.15’N, 72” 23.15’W 

JARRETT BAY BOATWORKS 

530 Sensation Weigh 

Beaufort, NC 28516 

Phone: (252) 728-2690 

Fax: (252) 728-2607 

VHF: 9/ monitors 16 

www.jarrettbay.com 

39 08 35.74N, 76 14 57.12W 

BREWER CAPRI SHIPYARD 

15 Orchard Beach Blvd. 

Port Washington, NY 11050 

Phone: (516)883-7800 

Fax: (516)944-8770 

VHF: 9/71 

www.byy.com 

40 50.2’N, 73 43.25’W 

HAVEN HARBOR MARINA 

20880 Rock Hall Ave. 

Rock Hall, MD 21661 

Phone: (410)-778-6697 

Fax: (410) 639- 2971 


www.havenharbour.com 

39 08 35.74N, 76 14 57.12W 

SEAVIEW NORTH 

2652 Harbor Loop Dr. 

Bellingham, WA 98225 

Tel: 360.676.8282 

Fax: 360.676.8285 

www.seaviewboatyard.com 

SEAVIEW WEST 

6701 Seaview Ave. N.W. 

Seattle, Wa 98117 

Phone: (206) 783-6550 

Fax: (206) 789-0092 


SEAVIEW EAST 

4701 Shilshole Ave. N.W. 

Seattle, Wa 98107 

Phone: (206) 789-3030 

Fax: (206) 789-3176 


KKMI 

530 West Cutting Blvd. 

Pt. Richmond, CA 94804 

Phone: (510) 235-5564 

Fax: (510) 235-4664 

www.kkmi.com 

BASIN MARINE 

829 Harbor Island Dr. 

Newport Beach, CA 92660 

Phone: (949) 673-0360 

Fax: (949) 673-0625 

www.basinmarine.com 

J&J MARINE 

One Main St. 

Taunton River 

Somerset, Ma 02726 

Phone: (508) 646-1888 

Fax: (508) 646-1200 

www.jjmarinefabricating.coM 

MCDOUGALL’S MARINE 

145 Falmouth Height Rd. 

Falmouth, Ma 02540 

Phone: (508) 548-3146 

Fax: (508) 548-7262 

VHF: 9, 16, and 71 

www.macdougalls.com 

GULF / SOUTHEAST / MIDWEST 

SEABROOK YACHT SERVICES 

1900 Shipyard Dr. 

Seabrook, Tx 77586 

Phone: (281) 474-5186 

www.txboatyards.com 

SAUNDERS YACHTWORKS 

27075 Marina Rd. 

Orange Beach, AL 36561 

Phone: (251) 981-3700 

Fax: (251) 981-3919 

www.saundersyacht.com 

RIVIERA SERVICE CENTER 

450 SW Salerno Rd. 

Stuart, FL 34997 

Phone: (877) 403-1060 

Fax: (772) 600-1091 

Marina: (877) 403-1069 

www.riviera.com/usa 

CABLE MARINE 

2491 W. State Rd. 84 

Ft Lauderdale, FL 33312 

Phone: (954) 587-4000 

Fax: (954) 587-4017 


www.cablemarine.com 

VIKING BOATWORKS 

10121 Snug Harbor Rd. 

St. Petersburg, FL 33702 

Phone: (727) 576-1094 

www.vikingboatworks.com 

OLSEN MARINE 

1100 Main St. 

Ft. Myers Beach, FL 33931 

Phone: 239-463-6750 

Fax: 239-463-1278 

26” 27.617’ N, 81” 37.06’ W 

www.olsenmarineservice.com 

TOLEDO BEACH MARINA 

11840 Toledo Beach Rd. 

PO Box 7 

LaSalle, MI 48145 

Phone: (734) 243-3800 

Fax: (734) 243-3823 

www.toledobeachmarina.com 

AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND 

RMARINE - QUEENSLAND 

50 Waterway Dr. 

Coomera QLD 4209 

Phone: 07 5501 0044 

Fax: 07 5501 0033 

www.rmarineprincessqld.com.au 

RMARINE - PITTWATER 

Princes Street Marina 

16 Princes St., Newport 

NSW 2106 

Phone: 02 9979 7000 

Fax: 02 9997 1662 

www.rmarinepittwater.com.au 

RMARINE - SYDNEY 

d’Albora Marinas 

New Beach Rd., Rushcutters Bay 

NSW 2011 

Phone: 02 9327 0000 

Fax: 02 9327 0011 

www.rmarinesydney.com.au 

RMARINE - ADELAIDE 

Shop 2, Lights Landing 

Holdfast Shores, 1 Chappell Drive 

Glenelg SA 5045 

Phone: 08 8295 9000 

Fax: 08 8295 9099 

www.rmarineadelaide.com.au 

RMARINE - PERTH 

Aquarama Marina 

Riverside Rd., East Fremantle 

WA 6158 

Phone: 08 9339 8877 

Fax: 08 9339 6762 

www.rmarineperth.com.au 

RMARINE - NEW ZEALAND 

Orams Marine Village, Unit 11 

158 Beaumant St. 

Westhaven 1001 

Auckland, NZ 

Phone: +64 302 2511 

www.rmarine.co.nz 

EUROPE 

SHIPYARD LOWYCK 

Nieuwewerfkaai 5 

8400 Oostende Belgium 

Telephone: +33 59 32 08 21 

Fax: +33 59 80 29 73 

www.shipyard-lowyck.be 

KREMER NAUTIC BV 

De Draei 29 

8621 CZ Heeg 

NETHERLANDS 

Phone: +31 (0)515 442966 

Fax: +31 (0)515 443414 

www.kremernautic.nl 

ARIE DE BOOM SERVICE 

Service Contact: 

Phone: +33 (0)4 92 97 48 90 

Fax: +33 (0)4 93 93 11 99 

Marina Contact: 

Phone: +33 (0)4 93 49 81 55 

Fax: +33 (0)4 93 49 83 99 

VHF Channel 9 

REPCO MARINE 

Quartier Grand Pont 

83310 Grimaud 

France 

Phone: +33 494 43 30 93 

Fax: +33 494 43 38 90 

25 

SPRAY VOL.8, NO.1 MAINTENANCE MATTERS 26

DEALERS & SERVICE 

Grand Banks Adds GB España, France 

NEW AUTHORIZED DEALERS APPOINTED IN BARCELONA AND MANDELIEU 

Choose the lender with 

the strongest ties to the 

marine industry. 

Grand Banks would like to welcome two new Grand Banks Dealers in Europe. 

Grand Banks France, owned and operated by Paolo Murzi, will be an 

extension of Grand Banks Italia. We know that Paolo will continue to provide 

exceptional service, paired with product knowledge as his team expands into 

this new territory. We expect to see great things from this region. 

Grand Banks España, headquartered near Barcelona, Spain, has also joined 

the GB dealer network. GB España is Yates Mar Azul Yachting and is also 

a representative for Riviera Group. Eric Zobel is the principal owner of the 

company along with his business partner, Jan Van Oostenryck. Eric is excited to 

be representing Grand Banks and hopes to have his first stock boat ordered in 

time for next year’s Barcelona Boat Show. 

Dreaming of a yacht? 

Let KeyBank be your 

first port of call. 

When navigating in open waters, you really have to know 

what you’re doing. Financing your vessel is no different. With 

KeyBank’s dedicated team, you gain unparalleled expertise 

throughout all the stages of fi nancing. 

We put over 50 years of in-depth knowledge to work for you. 

Plus you gain the confi dence of knowing you’re working with 

one of the world’s leading lenders in the marine industry. 

Competitive rates and asset-preserving loan programs 

New construction, pre-owned vessels and refi nancing 

Dedicated team with a single point of contact 

Interest only loans, foreign fl ag registration and other 

custom structured solutions 

Call 1-800-971-6795 or visit key.com/yacht 

AUTHORIZED SERVICE NETWORK 

Key.com is a federally registered service mark of KeyCorp. KeyBank is Member FDIC. ©2008 KeyCorp. 

The Grand Banks Authorized Service 

Network is one of the best in the 

industry for both its expertise and 

geographic coverage. Working with 

Grand Banks to gain unparalleled 

knowledge of our products, our 

certified partners can deliver all the 

necessary maintenance and repair 

support to keep our owners cruising 

safely and confidently. This rare caliber 

of service support is one more reason 

we sell so many new boats to current 

GB owners. 

With a growing roster of nearly 30 

locations worldwide, GB owners can 

also be confident in the knowledge 

that qualified service support is 

readily available as they cruise to new 

destinations. Our ability to support 

owners in regions around North 

America and across the world is a key 

advantage over competing brands. 

We take a great amount of pride in the 

service experience we offer, that’s why 

your service experience with Grand 

Banks will be like no other. 

Log On to Learn More 

For a complete list of Grand Banks 

Authorized Service Centers, check 

out a new section of our web site: 

grandbanks.com/service. You’ll 

not only find location and contact 

information; we’ve also listed 

each ASC’s service information 

and capabilities – everything from 

Travelift capacity to the type of 

technicians on staff to the brands 

of products and equipment they 

represent, and a whole lot more. 

Need GB Parts? 

Grand Banks Yachts Parts are 

currently offered directly from the 

factory. To place a parts order 

simply follow these steps 

Go to grandbanks.com/parts and 

download the Parts Inquiry Form. 

Complete the form with all the 

required information, then email 

(gbparts@grandbanks.com) or fax 

(401-633-6530) the completed 

inquiry form to Grand Banks. 

You should receive a response 

from our parts department within 

72 hours. 

5985_KEY_Yacht Print FINAL.indd 1 

AD? 

3/25/08 4:38:20 PM 

The Grand Banks Insurance Program 

1/2 of 1% Property Damage Deductible 

$25,000 limit for both Personal Effects 

and no-fault Medical Payments 

Automatic $1,000,000 Liability Limit 

Up to $1,000,000 Uninsured or 

Under-Insured Boater Coverage 

Higher limits available 

Competitive pricing 

No Survey requirements for vessels 

up to 20 years of age 

Simple application process 

Sign up at: grandbanks.com/insurance 

27 

SPRAY VOL.8, NO.1

AT THE DOCKS 

CLEMENS & CARLA VAN ERP 42 HERITAGE CL #1493, SOEST, NETHERLANDS 

JUSTICE LEACHMAN 47 HERITAGE EU #28, TIBURON, CALIFORNIA 

Clemens and Carla van Erp purchased their 2002 42 Heritage CL, 

named BINK, from Kremer Nautic in October 2007. The van Erps 

are sailing enthusiasts to the core: Clemens raced doubled-handed 

in the Flying Junior World and European Championships, and their 

daughters are following in his footsteps. The couple used an X- 

Yacht 362 high performance racing boat to follow their daughters’ 

regattas, but now they plan to use the GB for the same purpose. 

The van Erps also plan to do coastal cruising and Dutch lakes. 

Justice Leachman, unofficially our youngest Grand Banks owner, 

bought 47 Heritage EU, hull #28, from John Baier at Oceanic 

Yacht Sales. Justice has fifteen years of boating experience, but 

this is the first yacht he has owned — he comes from a background 

of waterskiing. Justice plans to cruise extensively around the San 

Francisco Bay area. 

FRITS KREMER KREMER NAUTIC (HEEG, NETHERLANDS) 

JOHN BAIER OCEANIC YACHT SALES (SAUSALITO, CALIFORNIA) 

LARRY & JOAN CLARKE 47 HERITAGE EU #49, VANCOUVER, BC 

TEODORO MIANO 36 HERITAGE CL #252, BARI, ITALY 

Larry and Joan Clarke purchased 47 Heritage EU, hull #49, from 

Brian Kell at Grand Yachts in Vancouver. The boat, named Dulcet, 

carries the same name as the Clarke’s previous GB, a 39 Eastbay 

SX. Larry’s father introduced him to cruising on a 1927 Matthews. 

75 years later, Larry is still passionate about boats, having owned 

twelve boats during that time, from an 11-foot sailboat to a 68-foot 

custom yacht. 

Teodoro Miano, from Bari, Italy, is a long-time Grand Banks owner. 

Since 1981, he has owned a ‘71 36 Heritage CL, a woodie that 

he has cruised all over the region. For summer holidays, he has 

cruised extensively, crossing the Adriatic Sea, and destinations 

including Corfu, Greece, and around the Ionian Sea. 

BRIAN KELL GRAND YACHTS (VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA) 

PAOLO MURZI GRAND BANKS ITALIA (ORBETELLO, ITALY) 

WILL & NANCY BROWN 47 HERITAGE CL #41, HOBE SOUND, FL 

MICHAEL & NELLY NOVAC 43 EASTBAY HX, ATLANTIS, FL 

Will and Nancy Brown purchased 47 Heritage CL, hull #41, in 

November 2007. The boat, named Growler, has the same name 

bestowed upon all of Will’s previous three Grand Banks. After 

67 years of boating, Will and Nancy have owned a 36CL, 46CL, 

49CL, and now a new 47CL. The Browns are active members of 

the Florida Grand Banks Owners Association. The couple plans to 

continue cruising Florida and the lower Bahamas during the months 

of May and June. This is also the first new yacht sale for Classic 

Yachts International. 

Michael and Nelly Novac took delivery of their 2005 43 Eastbay 

HX in March 2007. Steve Fithian, from the newly named Classic 

Yachts International, sold the boat, which is called Some Nice. The 

Novacs will use the boat to cruise extensively in Florida and the 

Bahamas before taking the boat on a cruise to the Chesapeake and 

New England. Their ultimate destination will be their summer home 

in Halifax, Canada. 

JULEE JACKSON CLASSIC YACHTS INTERNATIONAL (FORT PIERCE, FL) 

STEVE FITHIAN CLASSIC YACHTS INTERNATIONAL (FT. LAUDERDALE, FL) 

29 


BEACHCOMBING 

30

In June, Grand Banks was pleased to announce a new team effort with CMD designed to enhance owner value and make our boats even 

easier to operate. As a result, all Grand Banks models with power requirements less than or equal to 715 hp will now include CMD engines as 

standard equipment – along with new electronic throttle controls, digital engine readout displays and full “plug and play” wiring harnesses 

and integrated systems. In most parts of the world, upon delivery, customers will also receive a Captain’s Briefing from a CMD representative 

to review and familiarize new owners with CMD engine operations and controls (Captain’s Briefing is not available in all regions). 

The New 

Standard for 

Diesel Propulsion 

Today’s recreational boaters demand a higher level of 

performance from their vessels. Advances in boat building 

materials and techniques; improvements in vessel design, 

comfort and safety; and significant innovations in marine 

electronics have raised expectations across the board. 

With a range of 115 to 715 hp, 

Quantum engines are the most 

powerful compact diesels ever. 

Cummins MerCruiser Diesel, a joint venture of Cummins 

Inc. and Mercury Marine, is leading the way to meet this 

challenge by delivering levels of performance and reliability 

that set new global standards for marine diesel propulsion.

vol.8 iss.1 - Grand Banks Yachts

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