Great Harbour Trawlers
Great Harbour Trawlers are built by Mirage Manufacturing in Gainesville, Florida. Founded in 1971 by Ken Fickett, Mirage first earned a reputation within the sailing and sportfishing industries for its performance-oriented, well-built boats. Great Harbour Trawlers is the largest US builder of displacement recreational trawlers.
In the late 90's, with the help of Lou Codega, a well-known naval architect plans were drawn for a 37 foot trawler, the Great Harbour 37.
They became popular among cruisers, and Great Harbour has expaned its line to include several other models: the GH47, N37 and N47. Over 50 Great Harbour Trawlers have been launched and the company has released plans to build a 74 foot trawler.
Current Models
Great Harbour builds four models of trawler. The N37 is their smallest trawler; it is comparable in living area to a small apartment. The company claims that twenty N37s have been launched since 2001. The GH37 uses the same hull as the N37 but has a raised pilot house. The GH37 was the first model developed by Great Harbour. The GH37 was designed for use as a liveaboard home; the company claims that there are currently 20 cruising the US, Bahamian and Caribbean waters. The company's N47 was developed from a lengthened N37. An extra 10' was added to increase living space below. Tankage is greatly expanded over the N37. Six N47s have been launched. The GH47 is an enlarged GH37, nine have been launched.
Design Philosophy
According to the company, all Great Harbour Trawlers share a common set of design objectives. They're designed be safe, firstly. The hull is naturally stable, hard-chined and is constructed of thick, unsinkable fiberglass. All Great Harbour Trawlers come standard with twin engines.
Construction
Mirage Manufacturing been building boats and airplanes of composite construction for more than twenty years. The company is one of the few to offer integral Fuel, water and waste tanks. These tanks are bonded to the hull structure. Superstructures are constructed a composite material called Nida Core which is essentially plastic honeycomb. The material is sound-deadening and provides thermal insulation.