Mirage Great Harbour 37 Trawler - Cruising Adventures

Mirage Great Harbour 37 Trawler - Cruising Adventures.

Double JJ, a Great Harbour 37 (GH-37) is now for sale. The owners, Judie and Jonathan Jenkins bought the boat in the late spring of 2005, and spent the next three years full-time cruising.

Double JJ was bought with the purpose of cruising the Inland Waterways and specifically to do The Great Loop. The first summer was spent getting used to the boat on the ICW up to the Chesapeake Bay. The next summer was spent cruising The Great Loop, up the ICW to NY then up the Hudson River across the Erie Canal to the Great Lakes then across Lake Ontario to the Trent-Severn Canal System to Georgian Bay, across Lake Huron to Lake Michigan, down to Chicago and then south on the river systems - Illinois, Mississippi, Ohio, Tennessee and the Tenn-Tom to the Gulf of Mexico and back across Florida and back to the Bahamas for the winter. We’ve now spent three winters in the Abacos, Bahamas.

Double JJ is a wonderful boat and has exceeded all our expectations of a comfortable, easy to maintain and operate boat that has allowed us to enjoy the past three years as we accomplished our dream of full time cruising aboard. The GH-37 is economical, easy to maneouver, exceedingly comfortable, safe, and a real joy to live aboard for an extended period of time. She has more storage space than any other 37 foot boat, and the living accomodations are without a doubt the most spacious of any 37 foot boat - in fact, she has more living space than most boats much longer.

The following is a description of the adventures of Double JJ / Judie and Jonathan Jenkins.

June 2005
Left Green Cove Springs Marina on the St John’s River with the first owners of the boat, up past Jacksonville, Florida and on to Georgia where the boat was purchased.
Up the ICW (Inland Coastal Waterway) past Fernandina Beach, St Mary’s, Fredrica River, Herb River, Beaufort South Carolina, Charleston, Georgetown, Myrtle Beach.

July 2005
Cape Fear River, Topsail, Dudley’s Marina, Beaufort North Carolina, Oriental, Alligator River, Elizabeth City, Great Dismal Swamp, Norfolk.
Chesapeake Bay: Mill Creek, Tangier Island, Calvert Marina at The Solomons where we met and started cruising with Odyssey a GH-37 owned by Sue and Paul Graham.

August 2005.
Annapolis, Maryland - on a mooring ball in Luce Creek for two weeks, exploring Annapolis every day.
Baltimore, Maryland - spent two weeks in the inner harbour, exploring the waterfront every day on our bicycles.

September, 2005
Across Chesapeake Bay to Chestertown and Rock Hall for a week. Then south to Swan Creek, St Micheals - anchored in San Dominigo Creek, and on to Oxford and Cambridge, then back to the Solomons and down the Chesapeake Bay to Norfolk.

October 20, 2005
Great Dismal Swamp, Elizabeth City (a wonderful place to visit), Alligator R., Eastham Crk, Morehead City, Mile Hammock Bay, Harbour Village Marina, Calabash R, Beaufort Landing, South Santee R., Tom Point Crk., Lady’s Island Marina in Beaufort S.C., Redbird Crk, Altamaha R., Cumberland Island, Jacksonville Florida, and back to Green Cove Springs on the St. John’s River.

November 2005
South again on the ICW past Melbourne, Vero Beach, and on to Lake Worth at North Palm Beach where we waited two weeks for a weather window to cross the Gulf Stream to the Abacos, Bahamas.
End of November - crossed from Lake Worth to Mangrove Cay, Crab Cay, Baker’s Bay at Great Guana Cay and finally arrived in Marsh Harbour, Abacos where we rented a slip at Boat Marbour Maina at the Abacos Beach Resort.

December 2005, January 2006, February 2006, March 2006
Cruised and used our fast dingy to explore the Abacos. Visited Great Guana Cay, Hopetown on Elbow Cay, snorkeled at Mermaid Beach, kayaked at Snake Cay, visited Man-O-War Cay, Tahiti Beach, Little Harbour, Treasure Cay

April 2006
Left Boat Harbour to Grand Lucayan waterway and the Bahama Yacht Club at Freeport. Crossed the Gulf Stream - it was totally calm with ocean rollers less than 6" high - a perfect day to cross - to Lake Worth at North Palm Beach in Florida.
Cruised back up the ICW to the St John’s River to Green Cove Springs. Decided to do THE GREAT LOOP, along with Paul and Sue Graham on Odyssey, and Gene and Judy on LoQueSeA

May 2006
Cruising with Odyssey back north on the ICW. Duplin Crk., Harb R., Savanna R., Lady’s Island Marina, Stono R., Minim Crk, Little R. Inlet, Masonboro Inlet at Wrightsville Beach, Mile Hammock Bay, Campbell Crk, Dowry Crk, Belhaven, Alligator River, Elizabeth City (one of our favorite stops), Deep Creek Lock on the Great Dismal Swamp (another favorite area), and on to Norfolk at the start of the Chesapeake Bay.
Started up the Chesapeake Bay, stopping at Solomon’s.

June 2006. -
Annapolis, Chesapeake Bay C&D Canal, Cape May N.J., Tom’s River, Metedeconk R., N.Y. City where we passed the Statue of Liberty on the Hudson River, Croton-On-Hudson, Catskill Crk, Schodeck Crk, Waterford NY (another favorite stop), and on to the Erie Canal across the State of NY.
Our three Great Harbour 37 boats were joined by Sandy and Chris and their dog Sammy aboard Critcher Cat. All four boats cruised together most of the Great Loop.
Stayed on free lock walls across the Erie Canal - Amsterdam, Canajoharie, Little Falls, Utica, Sylvan Beach, Winter Haven, and up the Oswego Canal to Oswego NY on the southern edge of Lake Ontario.

July 2006
Crossed Lake Ontario (in fog thick as sea poop... er ... pea soup!). Arrived in Canada (eh?) at Trenton Ontario and went through customs in Picton Ontario. Entered the TRENT SEVERN CANAL SYSTEM and stayed on lock walls most of the way across Ontario.
Hastings, Peterborough (what an incredible set of locks!), Lakefield, Buckhorn, Bobcaygeon, Cameron L., Kirkfield, Lake Simcoe, Lake Couchiching, Orillia (where we picked up Jonathan’s brother Jere, and sister-in-law Laurie who travelled aboard up to Georgian Bay), The Big Chute railroad (an incredible experience), Sparrow Lake, Burrow’s Bay, Frying Pan Bay, Beausoleil Island, Echo Bay, Kilcoursie Bay, Sandy Bay, Killarney, Bustard Island, Collins Island, Mill Lake, Covered Portage Cove (which was spectacular, similar to a Norwegian Fiord)

August 2006
North Channel of Georgian Bay. Baie Fine (spectacular), Little La Clothe Island, Little Current, Spider Bay, Croker Island, Robinson Bay, Cockburn Island, and back to the USA and through US Customs at Drummond Island.
Government Bay, Macinac Island, south on Lake Michigan, Petoskey, Lake Charlevois, Leeland Marina (where Emmy our boat cat missed jumping from Double JJ to Odyssey and went swimming), Portage Lake, Pere Marquette on Lake Ludington, Pentwater Lake, and WhiteLake Marina where we left the boats for a week’s visit to the Double JJ Ranch in Michigan.

September 2006
Grand Haven, Holland, Sangatuck, Benton Harbor, Michigan City, Chicago (where we spent four days in the inner harbor right downtown. Took in the philharmonic orchestra, went to The Blue Men Group theater, the Museum and generally enjoyed living downtown for a few days) then took the Sanitary Canal south of Chicago to the Illinois River, Joliette, Ottawa, Chillicothe, joined the Mississippi River and down to Beardstown, Grafton, Material Sales in St Louis where we visited the Arch, stopped at Hoppies Marina (a little bit different!), Kaskaskia Lock, Brady’s Barge, Ohio R., Olmstead Lock, Barcklay Canal Rec Area, Kentucky River, Green Turtle Marina on Lake Barkley in Kentucky.

October 2006
Cypress Crk, Tennessee, Swallow Bluff Island, Wilson Lock, Pickwick Lake, Joe Wheeler State Park (where we attended the fall rendezvous of the America’s Great Loop Cruiser’s Association), Florence, Tenn-Tom Waterway, Piney Grove, Glover Wilkins Lock, DeWayne Hayes Rec Area, Columbus, Warsaw, Foscue Crk, Okatuppa Crk, Three Rivers.

November 2006
Tensas Cut-off, Eastern Shore Marina, Fort Walton, Laird Crk, Appalachacola, Carabelle Florida, Steinhatchee, Cross Florida Canal, Venice, across the Okeefenokee Swamp canal, LaBelle, Moore Haven, St Lucie Inlet where we completed the Great Loop and crossed our wake from last spring. The complete Great Loop took a total of eight (8) months to complete. Then south on the ICW to Lake Worth, Florida.

December 2006
Back to the Bahamas. Left Lake Worth to cross the Gulf Stream to Great Sale Cay

January 2007, February 2007, March 2007
Slip at Boat Harbour, Marsh Harbour, Abacos, Bahamas. Enjoyed the many friends we made with the Royal Marsh Harbour Yacht Club, the warm weather, the fantastic clear water, the fish, the lobsters, and did I mention the warm weather.

April 2007
Leave Abacos via Great Sail Cay, to West End Harbour.
Across Gulf Stream to Lake Worth, through Customs. Anchorage at North Lake Worth, Faber Cove, Melbourne Harbour, Titusville, Rockhouse Creek, Fort Matanzas, St Augustine, Pine Island, Fernandina Beach, to Brunswick Landing Marina, Brunswick, Georgia.

May 2008
Rented slip at Brunswick Landing Marina (BLM) for the summer.

June, July, August, September, October 2008
We drove back to Colorado, picked up our fifth wheel RV that was stored at a friend’s ranch and spent most of the summer in Denver with Judie’s 93 year old Mother who is in a nursing home. Judie’s brother Jim, who lives in Highland’s Ranch near Denve,r has been looking after their Mother, and it was good to visit with him and his wife Marta. We also managed to spend some time up in the mountains near Gunnison, Colorado where Judie enjoyed a few days of fly fishing, and camping with her cousin Terry Began and his wife Sharon.

October 2008
Drove from Colorado to Georgia to pick up the boat.

November 2008
Boat work done at BLM - bottom paint job, new cutlass bearings, some fiberglass work to fix small nicks on bottom of hull. Ripped off by the marina yard with huge overcosts and an owner who was extremely rude and couldn't or wouldn't explain how our yard bill went from just over $2,000 (that we pre-approved on paper) to almost $12,000. We certainly will not recommend Brunswick Landing Marina although the ladies who run the marina are excellent. Beware of the owner who is one of the most rude people we've ever had the misfortune to meet.

December 2006
Left BLM, down ICW to Fernandina Beach, St Augustine (anchored beside the fort), Rockhouse Creek, Melbourne causeway anchorage, Ft Pierce Inlet, and then across the Gulf Stream to Mangrove Cay, Great Sale Cay, Green Turtle Club Marina, and finally, Boat Harbour Marina for the winter.


January, February, March 2008
Winter in the Abacos, Bahamas.

April 2008
Back to the states where we will leave the boat at Green Cove Springs in Florida with the Mirage Boat Mfg Broker to sell.

Great Harbour 37 Trawler - Storage on Board Boat

For Great Harbour 37 FOR SALE see post dated March 16, 2008 for details.

Great Harbour 37 - Storage on board

Master Stateroom:
- four large drawers under queen-sized bed
- large double door hanging lockers each side of bed
- full size - 7 ft tall hanging lockers each side
- four drawers on each side of bed
- 26" x 26" x 51" under-bed storage with two side access hinged doors .
- two large under-floor lockers with floor hatches.
- medicine cabinet above sink.
- cupboard under sink.

Master Head:
- storage cupboard above toilet.

Galley:
- kitchen style cupboards under sink counter.
- kitchen style cupboards under counter beside refrigerator.
- kitchen style cupboards above refrigerator.
- drawer under stove.
- large under-floor locker with floor hatch.

Guest Stateroom:
- three drawers under bed.
- hanging locker behind door.
- one drawer under hanging locker.
- large under-floor locker with floor hatch.
- cupboards and open book shelves above bed.
- open storage and book shelves above foot of bed.

Guest Head:
- storage cupboard under sink.
- medicine cabinet above sink.

Main Salon:
- entertainment center for TV and Stereo with folding door.
- wall to wall desk / counter on port side with pull-out folding dining table.
- two file cabinet sized drawers.
- two side cabinets with shelves.
- four drawers.
- storage lockers under stairs to pilothouse.
- three large drawers under settee.
- corner locker under settee with top access hatch.

Aft Cockpit:
- large lazarette with 26" x 26" access hatch in deck.
- port side - settee with storage inside.
- starboard side - storage cabinet.
- storage fiberglass cabinet / cupboard in center of cockpit, under folding table.

Pilothouse:
- port and starboard side drawers under chart tables.
- cabinets with hinged doors under chart table drawers on each side.
- small shelf and cup/glass holders each side of helm station.
- shelf above helm station.
- large lockers under pilot berth with top access hatches.
- cabinet above stairs/companionway.

Outside Deck:
- two large forward lockers under bow seats*
- open storage behind portuguese bridge.
- two large aft lockers behind pilothouse*
- strap attachment cleats on pilothouse roof for kayaks.
- all fenders/bumpers can be stored along side and aft handrails.
- custom dingy storage cradle with tie-down cleats located aft of pilothouse.
* - outside lockers can be locked with padlocks.

For further information, layouts, photos, and specifications go to Mirage webpage and
click on the Great Harbour 37 section.

Contact:
Judie and Jonathan Jenkins
Double JJ - GH 37
jjskier@aol.com
US phone # (970) 948 - 9721 (only when we are in the states)
Mail forwarding address:
602 S. Main Street Suite A #449, Crestview, Florida, USA, 32536

Mirage Great Harbour 37 Trawler For Sale

Double JJ on mooring in Hopetown Harbour, Abacos, Bahamas (The Blue Hulled Trawler)
Early morning on the Gulf of Mexico
Double JJ and Odyssey at Boat Harbour, Abacos, Bahamas

Double JJ at Green Turtle Cay in the Abaco's, Bahama.

Great Harbour 37 Trawler built by Mirage Mfg. - FOR SALE

Full displacement trawler with enclosed pilothouse - B Layout (see Mirage website http://www.mirage.mfg.com/html/options_specs1.html )

Located : winter Marsh Harbour, Abacos, Bahamas
summer: Green Cove Springs, Florida USA

Price: Reduced from $435,000 to $389,900

LOA 42',

LWL 37',

Beam 15'-10",

Draft 2'-10"
Bridge clearance: mast up 37', mast down 16'
(mast lowered via push button / electric winch less than 30 seconds)

Engines:

two (2) Yanmar 4JH3BE naturally aspirated diesels @56 hp each
Hours: 2,800

Cruise: 7.5

Range: 1,200 miles
Fuel consumption: 2.62 gals per hour at cruise
Fuel polishing filter and transfer system - 2 tanks of 250 gals ea.
4 Racor fuel filters - two per engine

Tankage:

Fuel: 500 gals

Water: 300 gals

Holding: 100 gals
Holding tank has pump-out and overboard mascerator pump and
Backup SANX waste sewage treatment system.
Hart Tank Tender precision tank measuring system - all tanks.

Electronics:

Furuno 36 mile radar
Northstar 941X GPS w/ hookup to computor chart plotter.
Autopilot Robertson AP20 with remote control.
Depth Sounder Interphase twin scope
VHF - Icom IC-M127 with outside antenna
Single Sideband Radio - ICOM M710 w/ 390 SSB outside antenna
TV with sea watch 2030-G outside antenna + cable hookup.

Features:
Full enclosed pilothouse with doors to port and starboard to Portuguese Bridge
Seven (7) opening windows in pilothouse with screens.
Total of four (4) hawsepipes on bridge - two forward and two aft
13.5 KW Kohler Generator - 120 and 240 VAC w/ remote control panel.
optional sound shield around Generator for noise suppresion - very quiet operation.
50 Amp shorepower - three cords - one 50 amp, two 30 amp with splitter
Combiner in engine room for power input - shore/batteries/ generator/ alternators
Optional GFI receptacle/plugs in engine room/galley/aft cockpit
Optional Guest Remote Spotlight with remote controls in pilothouse - flood and spot
Optional windshield wipers (3) on all forward pilothouse windows
Two mast floodlights for aft deck
Heavy Duty optional 120 amp powerline alternators on each engine
Guest Dynaplate #4012 12" x 3" x 1/2" for single sideband radio on hull.
Optional vinyl foam engine room sound insulation - quiet engine noise.
Six (6) 8D lifeline gelcell batteries (5 house and 1 start)
Inverter - 3000 Prosine pure sine wave
Bow Thruster - Westmar with remote control at inside helm station
GE Profile Convection Oven/Microwave combination JEB1090 VW white
Full Sized GE Refrigerator/Freezer - double door TPX21-PR
Kenyon Marine electric digital 4 burner 24" black smooth cook-top stove.
U-shaped galley with pass-thru to dining / living Salon area
Flip-up breakfast counter at pass-thru
Master Stateroom centerline walk-around queen bed w/ Restonic custom mattress

Master Head complete with custom large shower and tub + sink + vacuflush toilet

Guest Stateroom - single berth w/ custom teak cupboards, book shelves, and hanging locker.

Guest Stateroom Head has it's own shower, sink and vacuflush toilet.

Heads/toilets (2) - Sealand Vacuflush model VG2 freshwater flush.
TV outlets in main salon and master staterooms
Phone outlets in salon and pilothouse
TV and phone inlet jacks on outside face of pilothouse.
Water hookup and shore power hookup on outside face of pilothouse
Overboard/saltwater anchor wash-down hose bib hookup at bowsprit
Freshwater wash-down hose bib on outside face of pilothouse
Optional upgrade to eleven (11) 12" porthole windows along hull - 4 starboard - five port
Pilothouse settee and table converts to Queen berth with single berth above under aft windows.
Electric dingy davit winch + sunbrella cover.
Two (2) custom sunbrella covers for dingy.
Attachment cleats on pilothouse roof for kayaks.
Eight (8) life jackets - adult and child sizes.
Stacked Kenmore 24" apartment sized separate washer and dryer.
3' x 15' Swim Platform with optional stainless steel flip-down swim ladder.
Swim Platform optional hot/cold shower on transom w/ inside shutoff valves in lazarette
Custom fiberglass enclosure for transom shower plumbing with storage shelving inside.
Two (2) aft transom doors - one side and one to swim platform
Two (2) optional opening with screens aft bulkhead salon windows
Four (4) salon opening windows with screens.
Three (3) additional 12" deck cleats - 2 on upper aft deck level and 1 above swim platform.
Heads (toilets) - Sealand Vacuflush model VG2 freshwater flush.
Three (3) reverse cycle AC/heat systems - pilothouse/master/salon - two 12 k, one 16K BTU
Two (2) Simpson Lawrence electric windlass's with foot switches + pilothouse remote switches
200 feet 5/16" chain for starboard anchor
45 feet 5/16" chain plus 200 feet nylon anchor rode for port anchor
Two (2) anchors - 40 lb Danforth, 44 lb Delta Plow
Anchor roller for Delta Anchor
Chain stop for starboard chain anchor rode
HRO 20 GPH water maker w/ charcoal filter
30 gallon electric hot water tank - either generator or shore power
Automatic pump oil change system for generator and engines.
Fireboy CG2-265 engine room fire extinquisher w/ automatic engine shutdown system
Xantex CMD-2M Carbon Monoxide detector
Automatic bilge alarm
Automatic bilge pumps in engine room and lazarette
Optional Racor lifeguard anti-spill fuel filler systems - (2) - one per fuel tank.
Custom lower level aft cockpit Strataglass clear vinyl enclosure with screens.
Six (6) large fenders, three (3) round fenders - enough for both sides of boat at same time.
Eight (8) dock lines - enough to tie up both sides of boat at same time.
Extra dock lines.
Complete set of heavy duty 3/4" storm dock lines.
Two (2) teak customized folding built-in tables - 1 pull-out in salon, 1 folding in aft cockpit
Custom folding worktable in guest stateroom for sewing/ironing
2 optional 120 VAC outlet/receptacles in guest stateroom
Four large outside storage lockers + two inside lockers + numerous underfloor storage lockers
large custom built hanging lockers and clothes drawers in staterooms.
Port and Starboard portuguese bridge side gates with removeable side ladder.
Optional Tracy boarding ramp/step ladder
Three step boarding ladder for use on either port or starboard to bridge deck.
Optional electric winch to raise/lower mast w/ rocker switch aft on pilothouse
Overhead opening hatches in galley and guest stateroom - lewmar #30 trimline.
Teak and Holly sole (floor) in pilothouse
Carpet in main salon and staterooms
Vinyl flooring in galley / heads.
Textra covers for pilothouse windows (11)
Forward deck locker cushions - backrest and seats - Sunbrella Navy/Taupe "Rib"
Folding helm chair
Custom master stateroom shower and tub.
Map/chart light - port side chart table
port and starboard full-sized chart tables on each side of helm in pilothouse.
Optional red night-lighting in pilothouse ceiling lights
Custom teak glass/cup holders /shelves (2) in pilothouse.
Custom teak shelf above double galley sink.
Custom teack spice rack in galley
Custom storage space doors under steps from salon to pilothouse.
Custom curtains in pilothouse
Optional venetian blinds on all salon windows
Custom mahogany handrail on ceiling of salon
Optional rubrail on aft upper deck and swim platform
Custom engine room ladder
Custom access hatch to sump pump in floor of master stateroom head.
Access hatches to plumbing over holding tank
Lifesling Man-Overboard retrieval system
Three (3) handheld fire extinguishers
2 boat poles in hangers - 1 aft cockpit, 1 underside of pilothouse roof
Built-in battery boxes with fiddles for tool boxes on top
Large, locking, hinged lazarette hatch
Optional double doors from Salon to aft cockpit.
Additional storage unit above master stateroom head.
Outside stainless steel Force 10 propane grill, rail mounted aft of pilothouse

12 foot center console logic dingy with 15 HP 4 stroke Mercury outboard motor

Custom built dingy cradle with cleats on aft upper deck.

Many spare parts.