The Krogen 55 Expedition provides the interior volume, livability, range, and bluewater capability of a small ship, yet all in a vessel that remains easily handled by an experienced cruising couple. Like the venerable Krogen Whaleback 48, the 55 Expedition places the bulk of the living accommodations on a singular level stretching from the covered cockpit through the saloon and galley, into the guest area, and only one step down to the master stateroom. Not only does this amplify the livability, from a practical point of view, it allows for superior natural ventilation and light flow, which is less and less common on trawler yacht designs. The fully enclosed and separated pilothouse also means that while on passage, the operations of the ship up above will not interfere with the daily living below.
Aboard the Krogen 55 Expedition, there is a sense that everything is where it ought to be. Form and function join forces as the single-level main deck layout flows effortlessly: the beautifully-crafted, curved staircase up to the pilothouse; the companionway forward to the staterooms; and such openness in the saloon and on out to the aft deck. The pilothouse offers 360-degree lines of sight, space for two helm chairs, and a large settee that can double as a watch berth while on passage. Windows are one-half-inch tempered glass and the welded aluminum Dutch doors are weathertight.
It wasn’t long ago that bluewater cruising on a motoryacht meant long, uncomfortable slogs that were only slightly more luxurious than a sailing voyage due to the ability to at least steer in the direction you wanted to go (more or less). The captain and mate would usually arrive haggard and oozing the smell of diesel soot through every pore, then beeline it to the local tropical watering hole upon landfall to reassess their life choices. Today, an all-oceans-capable trawler yacht like the Krogen 55 represents not only how far the power-cruising niche has evolved, but what happens when a builder like Kadey-Krogen only focusing on making bluewater cruising safer, more efficient, and yes, more luxurious.
Sure and steady twin John Deere engines provide extremely reliable and efficient propulsion. To protect the running gear, the underbody features twin counter-faired skegs—a Kadey-Krogen innovation for maximum efficiency. Plumbing, hydraulic and electrical runs are labeled, visible, and organized by color-coded schemes that correspond to drawings in the owner’s manual. The machinery area is air-conditioned and properly ventilated to protect each valuable system, and with headroom of 5 feet, 6 inches and continuous mechanical area access from the bow thrusters to the rudder posts, she offers a new definition on cruising under power today.
*Calculated with a 10% reserve. Ranges are approximate.
Experienced cruisers know that plowing through large weed lines and kelp is simply unavoidable on a bluewater cruiser like the Krogen 55. This is why the Kadey-Krogen design team created the kelp cutters forward of the active fin stabilizers. These are designed to keep the kelp and weeds off these moving parts.
Every owner operator has stories and maybe even a few scars of trying to access components and machinery. Yet by placing the accommodations space above on a single level, the 55 Expedition benefits from having a bow to stern, ship-like dedicated machinery space.
