top of page

Crewed or Owner-Operated

Running Sea Lion Takes Just 2 People

At 70 feet LOA, Sea Lion is big enough to justify a two-person crew, but small enough to allow an experienced owner to comfortably operate the boat himself/herself with just one additional crewman. Although Sea Lion is a sophisticated, any-ocean-capable vessel, with a broad range of sophisticated systems, once those systems are learned, for her size Sea Lion is a relatively simple boat to operate. 

Owner Operation

Sea Lion's present captain has run the boat for the current owner for five years, both up and down the Inside Passage on the West Coast and up and down the East Coast.  He is an experienced boat handler and navigator, but he is not a mechanic or electrician.  Most significantly, he is not a Coast Guard licensee.  He runs the boat with a cook/stewardess who also is a very capable line handler and watch stander.  He relies heavily on Pacifc Yacht Management for operational support.

 

Also of note, the boat's previous owner was not a Coast Guard licensee. He ran the boat with an experienced crewman who had very good mechanical/electrical skills. 

 

Unless an owner/operator has the skills, time and inclination to do his own maintenance, first class operations support will be necessary.  The present captain has enjoyed the services of Pacific Yacht Management in Seattle during his tenure on the boat.  PYM performed the extensive $2.5 million re-fit of Sea Lion for the current owner when he bought the boat in late 2010, and so has the staff which knows the boat inside and out. They essentially re-built the boat from the fiberglass up.  Even when the boat was operating on the East Coast, PYM managed her maintenance through the use of contracted support and shipyards in New England and Florida. Click on "Operations Support" in the top navigation bar. 

Crewed Operation

Sea Lion has accommodations for eight, including a two-stateroom crew quarters forward.  This space includes two single-bunk cabins with an shared full bath. If the owner is operating the boat with one other crew member, that crew member will use one of the crew staterooms, leaving the other available for a guest.

Sea Lion tied up at Pelican, Chichagoff Island, Southeast Alaska

Easy Familiarization

Sea Lion's Systems and Equipment

The boat's systems and equipment include:

  • Navigational Systems

  • Electrical Systems

  • Fresh and Raw Water Systems

  • HVAC Systems

  • Fuel & Lube Oil Systems

  • Hydraulics and Compressed Air Systems

  • Deck Equipment

  • Entertainment Systems

  • Galley and Household Appliances

There is nothing particularly complicated about any of these, and two or three weeks out on the water should have an owner operator sufficiently conversant to feel very much in command of them.  

 

 

 

Piloting and Maneuvering 

The nuances of boat handling applicable to a single-screw, deep-draft, heavy trawler may take a couple of practice sessions for the unfamiliar owner/operator to master, but it's not at all a daunting prospect, Sea Lion is a relatively simple, very responsive vessel to operate.  She is very much an owner/operator's boat.  Reasonable skill in the following areas will enable confident handling of Sea Lion in Pacific Northwest waters. 

  • Appreciation of Tides/Currents (particularly in the Inside Passage)

  • Route Plotting and Navigating with the Auto Pilot

  • Navigation in Fog

  • Effect of Wind and Current with draft and windage

  • Slowing and Stopping a 120-ton boat

  • Backing the Boat Using the Bow Thruster as Rudder

  • Propeller Effect with a Right-Hand Prop

  • Backing & Filling with a Right-Hand Prop

  • Docking with Propeller Effect and Left Rudder

  • Docking with Thrusters

  • Anchoring

bottom of page