Perspective From a Salty Sailor
by Bob and Ellen
“I acquired my first sailboat seventy four years ago, and Ellen (aka Elena) and I acquired our first jointly owned sailboat sixty five years ago. Together we have sailed over a hundred thousand miles, and visited thirty one countries. But creaky knees and lessened mobility found us, so Ellen suggested a condo instead of our beloved Alden 52 Elena. The condo turned out to be our new Elena, a 2003 Krogen Express.”
Moved Up From Hinckley
by Robert and Jill
“As we talked about our purchase criteria, above all our next boat had to excite us visually as much as our Hinckley. If we couldn’t find another yacht we really loved, we’d keep the Talaria. While we wanted a larger vessel, we still needed to feel comfortable running and maintaining her ourselves. And while we didn’t need a boat as fast as our Hinckley, we weren’t prepared to slow down to trawler speeds either.”
Moved Up from 40′ Catamaran
by Rick (and son Noah)
The Krogen Express was a step up for us from a 40’ catamaran. The fact that the KE matched the catamaran with a 4’ draft meant we could cruise to all our favorite shallow Bahamas spots like Little Harbor, Shroud Cay, and Hope Town and not have to sacrifice access for size. The draft also allowed us to navigate some skinny spots on the intracoastal in the Carolinas, a feature that saved us days of weather delays.
Speaking of weather, on the same voyage north to Long Island, a nor’easter was forecast a few days out, while we were in Virginia Beach. After steaming most of the way up at the most efficient displacement speeds, we left the Chesapeake and headed offshore at 16 knots in some sporty seas. The ride was a bit wet from the wind and waves, but we navigated comfortably from the pilothouse while my son and I hot bunked the pilothouse berth on our four hour watches. We passed through Shinnecock Inlet and through the Shinnecock Canal, another place where the shallow draft and folding mast played a roll in making our trip safer, faster, and more efficient.
For me, the KE is a home run in terms of aesthetics – it looks classic and fast at the same time. We’re frequently visited on the dock by “gawkers” and I loved talking to them about the boat and I was proud that it was mine.
The boat is built solid with top notch construction and components. Even 12 years in, most everything on the boat looked new when I adopted her. Some of this is a testament to the former owner, but compared to other boats I’ve owned this one has aged much more gracefully.
The final accolade I’ll give the boat is not so much about the boat, but the people. This was my first large powerboat and as such there was a learning curve on the equipment, handling, etc. Bob and John made it much easier and much more enjoyable. It’s a boat, so things do break, but the folks at Krogen Express are always a text or call away and offer concierge service that is very close to having a captain or boat manager. I feel like they treat my boat like it’s their own. That’s great business and great value, for a great boat.
Switched to Power
by George and Susan
After many years of pleasant sailing we switched to power. We needed a boat we could live aboard for several months each year. The Krogen Express 52 beat the competition among several options we examined. It offered the best range of usable spaces and an appealing traditional design. After two years of use we have never had second thoughts. The semi-displacement hull lets us get places when time is of the essence. An added plus has been great service from the Krogen team, which consistently responds in a timely fashion to questions and has offered constructive suggestions as we work with our home boatyard on maintenance, upgrades, and repairs.