From North Sea fishing to Sea of Cortez voyaging

The former Dutch fishing vessel turned power voyaging yacht Varnebank in Mexican waters.

- KEN DONNELLY

Finding the perfect boat is a personal journey, one which can take you months or even years and many miles before the right one shows up. For me the search took me around the world, when I realized that what I wanted couldn’t be found in North America. A love of the solid seaworthiness and beefy good looks that comes with the North Sea Trawler design led me to the Netherlands where I found my boat.

After engaging a naval architect to design the perfect expedition yacht, I decided to find one ready to go. My search took me to the Low Countries where MS Varnebank (the Dutch call them motor ships) was being offered for sale. Originally a North Sea fishing trawler, her previous owner, a Dutch marine surveyor with a talent for rebuilding older boats, had stripped her down to practically nothing and rebuilt her from the keel up. The only original parts left on the ship were the manual propeller shaft grease pump and the engine room ladder. All of the metalwork in the hull and superstructure, including a totally redesigned aluminum pilothouse, was fabricated locally. The beautifully hand-done interior of cherry and mahogany was completed by one craftsman over a period of a year. Much of the machinery was taken from other workboats and rebuilt before installation. Her Dutch owner named her after the Varne Bank shoal in the Strait of Dover, known for its rough seas and shallow depth.