2014 Kadey-Krogen 44AE

There are Krogen 44's, there are Krogen 44AE's, and then there is Sweet Ride. In 2004 Krogen introduced the Krogen 44. They are very popular for their 2-stateroom layout and ease of operation, and can even be operated single-handedly. The hull design provides the efficiency you expect from a trawler, with the Krogen wine glass stern giving the 44 a very comfortable ride in any sea.

In 2012 Krogen took what they learned from the first 26 hulls and made several design changes, focusing on improving access to the boat itself, access to systems requiring maintenance, and upgrading appliances. They added the AE designation — "Advanced Ergonomics" — to signify more than 50 design improvements. Specifically, the 44AE is distinctive from the original 44 design in the following ways:

• Full walk-thru cockpit boarding doors
• GE full-size refrigerator which opens to port for ease of the chef
• Viking four-burner propane stove/oven
• Walk-in engine room access
• Available companion seat next to the helm chair on the flybridge
• L-shaped settee arrangement on the flybridge with a table

Sweet Ride is extensively equipped for blue water cruising and is a proven offshore cruiser. Her water maker, extensive spares, larger refrigerator and pantry space add to her ability to be self-sufficient in remote areas. When acquired by her current owners — owners of two prior Krogens — they took this improved AE platform to the highest level of "cruise ready," building in redundant systems with the best equipment, installed for easy serviceability and operation.

The transformation began with a complete inspection of every system aboard Sweet Ride. Each system was evaluated for reliability, durability and serviceability.

• All raw water fittings removed, cleaned and coated with a ceramic coating to make them impervious to salt water
• All hoses in the engine room replaced
• Engine serviced; fuel and oil filters that were difficult to service relocated for ease of maintenance
• Stabilizer coolers remounted to ease changing of the zincs
• Dial-type battery switches removed and replaced by fuses to immediately isolate any circuit
• All batteries replaced — main and genset starting batteries appropriately sized, six house batteries replaced with premium AGM Rolls batteries
• Second 2500-watt Magnum inverter installed for duplicity
• Charles Iso-Boost automatic voltage-correcting shoreline isolation transformer installed (electrically isolates AC shore power, reducing galvanic corrosion; boosts output voltage 15% when supply is low)
• Second fresh water pump plumbed in (12V and separate 120V pumps for options and redundancy)
• Shower sump reworked for more efficiency
• Simrad open array radar installed
• SoundDown noise reduction padding added under the carpets
• Engine room fire suppression system wired to remain active even when the boat is shut down
• All external canvas replaced and a forward sunshade added, making the entire bow an additional living/entertaining space
• New dinghy installed June 2020 — North Atlantic Inflatables aluminum hull with Hypalon tubes and new Tohatsu 9.9 HP electric-start outboard (~200 lb. total, fast and easy to launch)

The cockpit provides an enclosed outdoor space for relaxing with a beverage or enjoying a meal. Open the enclosure for fishing underway or at anchor. Enter the cockpit from the aft swim platform or from either side boarding door. You have hatch access to the lazarette below. There are shore power connections aft and forward, and a cockpit shower is built into the transom. The starboard side deck transits from the cockpit to the foredeck. Access to the interior is through her double weather-tight aluminum Diamond SeaGlaze saloon door.

The saloon has a comfortable L-shaped Ultraleather settee to starboard, two Ekornes Stressless chairs to port, and a fixed-mounted high-low teak table. The interior is bright and contemporary with satin-finished cherry and teak and holly floors. An icemaker was added in 2015. New carpeting was installed over a heavy pad and SoundDown insulation (2019).

The gourmet galley has been laid out with priorities such as a deep basin Corian sink, purified water tap, and a GE refrigerator and freezer. There is overhead storage and ample drawers for glasses, dishes, utensils and silverware. For preparing meals there is a convection microwave oven and a Viking four-burner propane range and oven. Additional storage to port handles pots, pans and glasses.

The pilothouse offers excellent visibility all around from the Stidd helm chair, with a bench seat behind that pulls out to a full-size off-watch berth. There is an impressive assortment of Simrad navigation/communication electronics (installed 2017 and 2019) with controls for the bow thruster, engine and generator. The electrical panel is installed in an easily accessed panel to port with clearly labeled breakers and digital displays. Aluminum Dutch doors open outboard to allow access to the side decks — the port door provides entry to the foredeck or aft to the boat deck and flybridge, the starboard door provides access to the foredeck or aft to the cockpit.

The owner stateroom features an island queen forward, two hanging lockers to port and starboard with six large drawers under the berth, and an eight-drawer aft dresser with mirror above. Deep storage is available under the berth that lifts easily with a hydraulic support. A flat screen television is mounted aft to starboard.

You can enter the engine room by lifting the stairs to the saloon or through a hatch in the sole of the saloon. The John Deere main engine is clean, reliable and easy to service. The aft section of the engine room has a Northern Lights generator. The aluminum main fuel tanks outboard are plumbed to the main, generator and ESI fuel polisher/transfer system with supply and return lines. The engine room is protected by a Fireboy fire suppression system (serviced 2019). Batteries are divided into three banks, all replaced in 2019: house bank of six Rolls AGM 6V 460AH, engine start of two AGM Series 31, and generator start of two AGM Series 34. Two Magnum inverter/chargers offer redundancy and faster charging. The Automatic Generator Start (AGS, installed 2018) ensures the batteries are charged properly even if the vessel is unattended.

Accessed via the cockpit hatch, the lazarette provides ample storage space for fenders, cleaning supplies, fishing gear and dive gear. The 700-gallon-per-day water maker and steering gear are also located within.

The foredeck on the Krogen 44AE is high off the water, making for a dry, comfortable ride. For ground tackle she relies on a Maxwell 2500 hydraulic windlass with chain rode to a Rocna 40 88 lb. anchor and a Manson Supreme 80 lb. anchor with chain and 300 feet of nylon rode. Chain locker access is through the painted Freeman hatch on deck. Shore power and dock water connections are installed on the foredeck and in the cockpit. A new canvas cover for the windlass and a canvas awning with support were added in 2019.

Proceeding aft from the port side brings you up to the boat deck and flybridge. The boat deck has a mast and boom for launching and retrieving the tender via two wireless-controlled Warn electric hoists. All hoisting equipment was replaced in 2019 including stainless steel wires and blocks.

Equipped with a Stidd helm chair forward, seating to starboard, an L-shaped settee to port, two Simrad MFDs, and electronics, stabilizer and windlass controls on the dash, all under the protection of a folding Bimini top. Whether docking, anchoring, or operating the vessel inshore on beautiful days, the flybridge offers commanding views and vessel control. Sweet Ride has been lovingly maintained and upgraded; service records for all major equipment are dutifully logged aboard along with invoices for upgrades in 2019.

• Hull and superstructure molds from high-grade female tooling
• Hull construction with USA-made Cook gel coat; hand-laid Knytex fiberglass with closed-cell PVC sandwich core in topsides; solid fiberglass below waterline with blister-resistant vinylester resin on the first two laminates, with aramid fiber/FRP reinforcements
• Superstructure includes end-grain balsa core and Knytex surface mats for print-through reduction
• Teak aft and side decks; boat and fore decks have GripTex non-skid finish; bulwark has molded plank lines with gel coat finish
• Polyurethane marine sealants used at hull-to-deck, boat deck joints and exterior fittings
• Marine-grade plywood bulkheads with molded fiberglass hat-section stringers
• Interior finished with handcrafted solid cherry and veneers

Pilothouse:

• Simrad NSO evo2 marine processor unit with embedded Insight cartography
• OP40 wired remote controlling up to four processors
• (2) MO16-T 15.6" widescreen high-definition monitors
• 4G broadband radar for Simrad NSO/NSE/NSS series
• Simrad HALO 4 64-mile open array radar (2019)
• Simrad AP44 autopilot (2019)
• Broadband sounder module (BSM-1)
• Autopilot pack with AC42 computer, RC42 rate compass, NMEA 2000 network interface, RPU300US 12V drive unit
• WR20 wireless remote commander system
• (2) RS35 DSC VHF marine radios with (2) ICOM SP-24 remote speakers and HS35 wireless handset
• (2) IS40 digital displays
• GoFree WiFi wireless module
• GS25 antenna with built-in rate compass
• Airmar SS270W "wide beam" 1 kW HD digital sounder
• Maretron DSM-250 NMEA 2000 data repeater, ALM 100 warning sound system, WSO 100 ultrasonic wind and weather
• AMEC Class A AIS transponder
• Personal computer running Coastal Explorer connected to the autopilot

Flybridge:

• MO16-T 15.6" widescreen high-bright multi-touch monitor (1000 nit)
• NSS 12" chart plotter
• (2) IS40 digital displays
• OP40 wired remote

• 700 GPD Watermakers Inc. water maker (pickled by previous owner 2018)
• KVH M5 satellite TV system (serviced 2019); (3) Samsung LCD TVs; (2) HDTV DirecTV black box systems; over-the-air HDTV antenna
• Yamaha receiver with full 5-channel hi-def surround sound; Harmony remote; (6) high-end KEF speakers with subwoofer
• Pep Wave MAX HD2 Ethernet router (2018) with over-the-air WiFi system and outside antenna
• Remote-controlled spotlight
• Asko full-size clothes washer and dryer
• (2) Ekornes leather chairs in saloon; TV lift system for saloon TV
• Full ship air conditioning and heating systems
• ESI fuel polishing system
• 9 kW Northern Lights generator in sound shield (with ceramic-coated stainless exhaust elbow 2019)
• Oil change system plumbed to main, transmission and generator
• ABT hydraulics package including TRAC stabilization, hydraulic Maxwell windlass and 15 HP bow thruster
• Forward shore power inlets
• Maretron holding tank monitor
• Twin Magnum inverter/chargers set up for redundancy and high-capacity charging
• Remote Racor fuel filtration gauge in pilothouse
• (2) rudder angle indicators (pilothouse and flybridge)
• Custom mast/gooseneck system with two electric hoist winches, wireless control
• LED interior and running lights
• Stidd helm chairs in pilothouse and flybridge
• Maxwell chain counter
• Custom butcher block insert in galley counter; (2) Seagull water purification systems
• Transom-mounted blue underwater light; additional blue/white LED deck lights
• 88 lb. Rocna anchor with all 3/8" chain rode (primary); 88 lb. Manson Supreme secondary anchor
• Bow tow eye
• EPIRB mounted on flybridge; Winslow 6-man life raft (repacked Jan 2019, in marine canister with cradle); Lifesling
• Spares for main engine and generator
• Canvas covers for outside seating, Bimini, windlass and flybridge chair (2019); cockpit enclosure (2018)
• Balmar 270-amp alternator; Charles isolation transformer with 208V/240V switch
• Fusion audio system with Sirius XM; satellite weather to all four Simrad monitors
• Stand-alone monitor for rear-view camera system
• Explorer satellite phone antenna installation and wiring to main helm (2019)
• Headhunter Mach V freshwater pump (2019); Whale drain/sump pump (2019)