American Tug 34

[OldDan1943]

If you go to the semi-official AT site, you can find the pictures of my storage upgrades in my personal pictures.
The greatest improvement was putting the hydraulic assisted on the owner’s berth. It opened up a brand new world for storage of parts.
My beautiful “house mouse” now has 3 of the 4 drawers in the stateroom. SMILE
The 5 additional cabinets blend right in and have made the boat more livable for us. I added a range hood exiting outside to the upper deck. Again over engineered. When you first see it, it will over power you, as it did me. Yes, it is still big but not as big as when they first put it in. The priority was a silent fan on a rheostat. That was accomplished resulting in, seldom do I turn it all the way off. It really helps get the smells out of the boat.
Each cabinet may have been just a little bit better in design but, I am more than satisfied.
The hanging closet is still small. Kurt basically said, “You want a bigger closet, buy a bigger boat.” Solid advice. LOL
Now, I am on a half-hearted search for a old fashion wooden helm wheel but, haven’t decided if I want a 2ft diameter wheel or something smaller.

 

[Oldersalt]

Wife and I chartered an AT 34 for a week in the PNW a couple of years ago. Overall impression--nice boat, no obvious big design flaws. Comfortable...we REALLY liked the separate shower! Handled ok (had a bow thruster, as i recall). Biggest problem was getting on/off at the dock. As I recall there was no transom door or easy side access so it was rather awkward climbing in and out. Our boat had a very big and awkward dinghy system on the transom, so even if there was a transom door it was not usable on this boat. Not a deal killer, certainly, unless you have some mobility issues. AT has a reputation of being slightly lower in quality than Nordic, but I found the interior fit/finish just fine. Not as well built as my Grand Banks 32, but that's a pretty high standard! AT is, I believe, slightly lower cost than Nordic so that is not surprising. Find a used one that has been well-maintained and I suspect you would be very happy with it.
Fair Winds and Flat Seas,
Oldersalt

 

[OldDan1943]

OldSalt, I do own an AT34. I went over all the cabinet modifications I made.
I bought mine slightly used.
My dinghy davit system IMO option is over built and caused a real problem getting on and off the boat unless the dinghy is in the water. My boat does have a stern door. I had a bit of surgery performed on the davit system and then, re-powder coated. Now I can get onboard easier from the swim platform.
I had considered a gangway at the pilot house doors but, cant find a good place to mount the gangway.
To aid getting on and off the boat on port and starboard cockpit area, I copied Milt’s addition of hand rails on the outside of the saloon.
I have added more than a few handrails inside and they all seem to be in perfect natural/as needed position. I also added a foot rail on the port side of the pilot house helm area so as to facilitate climbing up to clean and dust. Also, because I am so short, I designed and had fabricated a folding step so I can stand taller when at the helm.
Per the port and starboard doors into the cockpit...... I had given that much thought and will leave that for the next owner. LOL. If I did everything then the next owner would have nothing to do.

 

[Nomad Willy]

OlderSalt wrote;
“AT is, I believe, slightly lower cost than Nordic”

Since the AT is considerably wider and higher it would seem to be a considerably larger boat for a given length.
Wouldn’t work for me though as I like the NT better because they ARE lower and narrower. But if you’re into Size per buck .....

 

[DDW]

Wife and I chartered an AT 34 for a week in the PNW a couple of years ago. Overall impression--nice boat, no obvious big design flaws. Comfortable...we REALLY liked the separate shower! Handled ok (had a bow thruster, as i recall). Biggest problem was getting on/off at the dock. As I recall there was no transom door or easy side access so it was rather awkward climbing in and out. Our boat had a very big and awkward dinghy system on the transom, so even if there was a transom door it was not usable on this boat. Not a deal killer, certainly, unless you have some mobility issues. AT has a reputation of being slightly lower in quality than Nordic, but I found the interior fit/finish just fine. Not as well built as my Grand Banks 32, but that's a pretty high standard! AT is, I believe, slightly lower cost than Nordic so that is not surprising. Find a used one that has been well-maintained and I suspect you would be very happy with it.
Fair Winds and Flat Seas,
Oldersalt

The AT 34 does have a transom door, might be blocked by the dinghy davit if that installation was poorly thought out. Very easy access. The AT costs more than a Nordic both new and used and has a better reputation than a Nordic. Direct comparison is difficult because they don't build the same sizes. A used Nordic Tug 37 can be had for typically less than an AT34.

 

[OldDan1943]

In my opinion, the only way to make a decision between the AT and NT is to take a walk though taking into account the level of maintenance and accessories.

 

[Benthic2]

This is not a statistic I have a lot of experience with but 45 degrees doesn't seem all that extreme. I imagine its a limit you would reach if you took a decent wake on the beam and probably wouldn't even get your gunnels in the water. Are other trawlers in that same general range ?

 

[OldDan1943]

This is not a statistic I have a lot of experience with but 45 degrees doesn't seem all that extreme. I imagine its a limit you would reach if you took a decent wake on the beam and probably wouldn't even get your gunnels in the water. Are other trawlers in that same general range ?

When I talked with Kurt about this, he mentioned two important points. The engine room air inlets are on the side of the hull and they do not have baffles.
The AT does satisfy the CE B rating for coastal cruising.

The point is, the AT is a very capable boat but to take it out in seas exceeding the design criterial ..... or across the ocean would not be a smart move.

I cannot address the capabilities of other small trawlers.

If you want a CE A rated trawler, the first one that comes to my mind is the Nordhavn and I am sure there are other brands.

 

[Benthic2]

Thanks. My interest was purely academic as I would think the AT34 would be an extremeley capable boat, but a 45 degree roll didn't seem all that extreme. Thanks for the response.

 

[firehoser75]

The AT 34 does have a transom door, might be blocked by the dinghy davit if that installation was poorly thought out. Very easy access. The AT costs more than a Nordic both new and used and has a better reputation than a Nordic. Direct comparison is difficult because they don't build the same sizes. A used Nordic Tug 37 can be had for typically less than an AT34.

DDW,
Just my personal experiences when boat shopping in the Western Washington and BC areas in 2016.
We looked at several AT 34's and a few NT 37's. In all cases the NT 37's were asking reasonably more money for the same years. To get to the point where the two brands (comparing these models) were equally priced, you would be looking at an AT 34 that was about 3 - 4 years (or more) newer than the NT 37.
I offered on two different AT 34's (one was accepted) but the deals never completed. I ended up spending considerably more (approx. 20%) for my NT 37 compared to the accepted offer on the AT 34 (same model year), and compared to other NT 37's asking prices, I did pretty well on pricing for a boat in such good condition.
A couple of points for clarification. I like American Tugs, and they were very responsive when I contacted them with questions. Good customer service. The two boats in question are actually quite a bit different. The AT 34 is a single cabin (stateroom) boat (really a couple's boat with room for occasional guests), whereas the NT 37 is a two cabin boat (they do offer a single cabin version though) and is actually considered to be a "larger" model. From that perspective, I would expect the NT 37 to sell for more than an AT 34 (all other things equal).
Now comparing an AT 34 to the NT 32/34, that is a different kettle of fish. AT 34 is much more to my liking!!

 

[OldDan1943]

Benthic2,
Of course realize other things may influence the boat’s survival. Is it a snap roll or a slow roll. The duration of the roll being a biggie. Then tack on load shifting too. You and I would both find out just how much crap will fall out of the cabinets and become deadly missiles.
Generally speaking, the boat will survive far more than you and I because we aren’t strapped down to anything solid. LOL

 

[firehoser75]

Dan,
Being designed by the same person, and having similar hulls, I would expect that American and Nordic Tugs would perform similarly (given similar loading, etc.). I have been out in mine when we had over 25 knots true wind, (wind instrument read 34 knots apparent sustained) but the seas were not bad for that wind speed and we were able to get in and anchored in about 1 hour or so. The wind was mostly on the nose, and the boat performed fantastic. The times we have had to deal with waves on the beam, not so much fun!

However, unless you are put together differently than me, I do have a reasonable mass around the middle section to help with my balance During Covid, it appears I might be concerned about my ballast, as I think I might have added a couple of pounds!

 

[DDW]

Well, they are both great boats and have a common heritage as you know. Regional and condition differences make a direct comparison difficult as I said. The AT34 is quite a bit bigger boat than the NT32, and the AT39 is a little bigger boat than the NT37 which makes comparisons even more difficult. When we were looking in 2018, there were a couple of NT37 for less than the available AT34 - but I don't remember the years. A more direct comparison would be between the AT41 and NT42, the AT seems to have higher asking prices in the same years. There is a lot to like about both of these brands.

 

[DDW]

Thanks. My interest was purely academic as I would think the AT34 would be an extremeley capable boat, but a 45 degree roll didn't seem all that extreme. Thanks for the response.

I tried to quantify the roll using an artificial horizon (AHRS) and was surprised at how little roll there was, when things began to fly. 12 degrees to each side is enough to have to grab everything loose on the counter. Even on a sailboat 45 deg heel is a lot. One of the things that makes the motoryacht roll seem worse is the roll rates and accelerations are quicker than a sailboat.

 

[firehoser75]

True enough about the rolls. 45 degree heel on even a sailboat would be lots! (more than I would like). If I remember right, when we had ours over at about 30 degrees, that started to bury the rail and was not very efficient as far as sailing speed goes.

DDW,
You are correct, both brands are good boats, and personal preference (generally in small differences) or just availability could be the deciding factor. Regional factors can have a considerable difference in pricing. When I was looking at the AT 34's, they were definitely less expensive in Florida compared to Washington.

 

[OldDan1943]

The survivability of the AT's roll is dictated by 2 things, the non-baffled engine room vents on the side of the hull and how much water you get into the engine room. This is of course ignoring the fuel and water load plus all the crap we manage to squeeze into the hull. Also, ignoring the how much stuff we put on the upper deck too.

Some place I have a letter from Kurt when we discussed survivability. If I ever find it, I will post it.
In reality, the boat will take more punishment and recover than you and I. Gotta put in a seat belt LOL

 

[OldDan1943]

#23 is what I learned about survivability from Kurt.

 

[OldDan1943]

Update on my AT34.
First off, the AT36 has the identical hull. All manufacturers are now counting the swim platform so magically, I have a longer boat.
Second, I added a DockMate..... Yummy! Wireless handheld docking assist. Controls both thruster and it provides for idle speed fwd and reverse of the main engine.
Many folks like the Mercury VesselView. I dont. I find it awkward to use, searching for screen that displays the information I want. I had a 'wing' designed and built to display about 90% of the gauges in analog. Normal operating analog display is designed for the center 1/3 (or 10 to 2 approx).
Now, once I determine the normal operating temp and or pressure, I can put a piece of red tape on the face of the gauge. A quick visual tells me everything I want to know w/o fumbling through the various screens of the VesselView. All this will be accomplished w/o losing the readouts of the VesselView. (I am old fashion when it comes to gauges.)

Not sure if I mentioned it in here but, I have added a water maker and a fuel polishing system, a fixed IR camera point aft and moveable IR camera pointing fwd. Also a hyd assist for the under berth area. That opens up a big 'cave' to store parts etc. This, in my mind, is one of the greatest additions.
I think I am totally finished with the upgrades.
I am still half-heartedly searching for an old timie wooden helm wheel.

 

[DDW]

Regarding the Mercruiser vessel view, you can add a gateway to make all the information available on an N2K bus. Then it can be displayed on many different instruments. I monitor engine information on a Raymarine i70s display and rarely look at the Smartcraft display.

 

[OldDan1943]

Regarding the Mercruiser vessel view, you can add a gateway to make all the information available on an N2K bus. Then it can be displayed on many different instruments. I monitor engine information on a Raymarine i70s display and rarely look at the Smartcraft display.

Yup, that's idea.
I need a short visit with the tech about placement of the gauges then he can take the board back to his shop, drill the holes, bring it back and wire the output.