Coming to San Diego in April 2012  

• Stately Accommodation: Below decks, there is a choice of three staterooms and two bathrooms or two staterooms, two bathrooms, plus a second, more intimate lounge. Option provides accommodation for six; option two provides you with another entertainment area below, perfect if you have children or grandchildren.
• Lifestyle: Open the saloon door, open up the large, polished, stainless steel-framed rear window and you have transformed the cockpit and saloon into one enormous one-level area, ideal for relaxing, socialising and entertaining.
• Sublime Saloon: Escape the heat in the luxurious six-seater leather lounge in the reverse cycle air conditioned room. Luxuries include the Bose Lifestyle system, LCD TV, cocktail cabinet and folding table.
• Sports Helm: One of the greatest pleasures is sitting at the helm. The electrically adjustable helm chair, the ergonomically designed console, and the vast, curved windscreen all enhance the moment.
• Aft Galley: Serve both the saloon and cockpit with ease, from the aft galley. Standard features include dishwasher, pull-out pantry, convection microwave, 2-burner cook-top, ample storage and solid surface bench-tops.
• Contemporary Cockpit: Ensure effortless entertaining, a wet bar with a stainless steel fridge-freezer and (optional) S/S icemaker, complement the generous seating and electric BBQ.
• Rear Garage: An electrically operated rise and fall swim platform works in conjunction with an onboard launching system for the 3.1 meter tender that is neatly garaged out of sight, in/under the rear transom upright.
• Light And Breezy: Just to enhance the sense of light and space and create a pleasant through breeze - the side windows in the saloon slide open and there is a huge, electrically operated sunroof above the helm.
• Serious Performer: Designed by esteemed international naval architect Frank Mulder, and made for serious voyages as well as playful day cruising, special features include underwater exhausts, larger shafts, precision engineered Veem propellers and an improved shaft bracket and rudder design.

We were excited to learn a little about the cruising characteristics of the all new Horizon EP 69. This long range expedition yacht was quite a departure for Horizon, who had built mainly planing and semi-displacement yachts of a European look and feel.  These were, and are, beautiful to look at and very stylish and of unparalleled quality.  The EP series has that same great quality but is  a more practical look at efficiency and long range cruising with an eye toward sea worthiness and sea keeping as well as economy.

We left Seattle's Shilshole Bay Marina at 6:15 AM Wednesday July 27.  Six hours later we were entering Roche Harbor on San Juan island a distance of some 72 nautical miles.  While this appears to be a 12 knot average, we did have a tidal push for more than half the way but were fighting a current the last 1 ½  to 2 hours.  Our best speed over the bottom was 13.7 knots and our worst was 8.2-8.5 knots.  Running at 1500 RPM, our average speed through the water was 10.6 knots, which is considerably better than  other "expedition style"  yachts.  We ran one generator for Air conditioning and both of the MAN 2876's (560 hp) and the boat was so quiet that we had to keep checking the digital monitors to make certain everything was still running.  We had leveled both day tanks at the 300 gallon mark.  From Lake Union Seattle, to the Shilshole Marina (1.5 hours mostly idle) to Roche Harbor another 6 hours plus an hour of milling around in the harbor we'd put 8+ hours on the hour meters and burned less than 100 gallons, total burn!!  That's an average of 11.76 gallons per hour on a 170,000# yacht!  And we still had the redundancy and peace of mind that twin engines bring plus great handling in the  tight spaces of the marina.

The Horizon design team did not set out to build another single engine trawler.  Instead, they built a beautiful, twin engine yacht that just happens to be very fuel efficient.  A former owner of one of these trawlers, who now owns a Horizon, stated that at times his 7.5 knot boat felt dangerous in the heavy currents of British Columbia waters.  With the EP one can maneuver so much better both in the marina and in heavy seas.  We crossed the Straits of Juan de Fuca in 5-6' Seas and the ABT stabilizers and bulbous bow made for a very nice ride.  We actually passed some vessels that were designed to go much faster but were wallowing around in the slop of the straits.  While this is a huge vessel (for a 69 footer) we had good sight lines and visibility was great.

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