Cruising from California to the Panama Canal and Beyond

The Panama Canal saw an eye-popping 11,240 transits in 2024. David/stock.adobe.com

George Revington absorbs life like a sponge absorbs water. On a recent morning in early April, he was waiting to pass through the Panama Canal aboard his beloved Krogen Express 52, Mystic. The delay was a brief and welcome respite for the skipper and his two-man crew after nearly 30 straight days—and about 3,700 nautical miles—cruising down from Sausalito, California. The trio’s next destination was a boat slip Revington had purchased in his home port of Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina.

This voyage, albeit Homeric, was far from the adventurer’s first endurance test. In his youth, Revington guided multiweek canoe expeditions amid the rivers on the east side of James Bay in Canada. He says he would go for as long as 20 days just paddling and exploring. In 2018, Revington, who is also a motorcycle and race-car enthusiast, took his BMW bike and joined 15 like-minded souls from around the globe for a casual stroll from London to China. Over 100 days, through 22 countries and across 13,000 miles, the group followed the historical Silk Road trading route. One memorable stop included a fly-fishing excursion for diamond trout in Mongolia at the birthplace of Genghis Khan.

But the Silk Road in China is quite the distance—9,312 miles, to be precise—from the Panama Canal. How Revington even got to this fabled waterway is a story unto itself. He didn’t grow up on powerboats. Skippering a yacht across oceans is worlds apart from riding a motorcycle or paddling a canoe.

When Revington first saw a Krogen Express 52 cruising by, he said, “I’m buying one of those.” Then he did. Courtesy George Revington

As it turns out, Revington’s canal trip started before even he realized it was happening. Three years earlier, on July Fourth, he was at the Chicago Yacht Club visiting his niece. During a boat ride, he read a story about the best boats for cruising the Great Loop. The subject line caught his eye, and the story caught his wanderlust spirit. He wasn’t a boater yet, but that changed quickly. His adrenaline gene kicked into gear, and research ensued.

In short order, he purchased a Ranger Tug big enough for a couple, and then quickly moved to a 37-foot Nordic Tug in 2023. He took boating classes and put 4,000 nautical miles under the Nordic Tug’s hull, cruising the East Coast and Bahamas in about a year. He learned by doing, immersing himself in the lifestyle.

On a jaunt north, he noticed a southbound yacht approaching. He didn’t recognize the model or brand, but as Revington got a closer look, his heart beat faster. The proud bow and sweeping sheerline caught his eye. “I was minding my own business when it comes up on me with this beautiful blue hull and gracious lines,” he says. “I didn’t know what it was, but I was in love and said to myself, I’m buying one of those.”

The Krogen Express 52’s profile caught Revington’s eye. More than 6,000 nm later, the boat still has his heart. Courtesy George Revington

The boat was a Krogen Express 52. A trip to the Newport Boat Show in Rhode Island put him boat-shoes-to-cockpit with the yacht that made his pulse quicken. He found one for sale in California, and he bought it while still owning the Nordic Tug. Soon after that, serendipity stepped in while he was at a boat show. He overheard someone talking about how they were looking for a Nordic Tug. Sold.

The summer prior to setting out for the Panama Canal aboard his Krogen Express 52, Revington did a shakedown cruise to Alaska with his family to familiarize himself with the boat. From San Francisco to Glacier Bay with stops in Port Townsend, Anacortes, Victoria, Vancouver and more, he took in the picturesque anchorages flanked by snowcapped mountains and lush green forests. It was the kind of cruise where the owner deepens his relationship with the boat, so much so that the journey inspired Revington to run Mystic on its own bottom from California over to North Carolina.

Today, after putting thousands of nautical miles under the hull, Revington says he really appreciates Mystic’s ride, which he describes as confidence-inspiring with no wave slap. He speaks proudly of how the boat handled in near-gale-force winds and 7- to 8-foot seas off Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, on his way to the Panama Canal. “The boat doesn’t roll much,” he says, a ride supported by a pedigree hull form and enhanced by optional ABT-Trac hydraulic fin stabilizers. He also is a fan of the owner’s stateroom forward and the second guest space, which can serve as an office.

From San Francisco to Glacier Bay with stops in Port Townsend, Anacortes, Victoria, Vancouver and more, he took in the picturesque anchorages flanked by snowcapped mountains and lush green forests. Peter Ning/Wirestock Creators/stock.adobe.com

After cruising through the Panama Canal, Mystic was once again on the move, averaging 9 knots. Skirting around Cuba, the crew made their way to Florida for a brief shipyard visit before continuing north along the Eastern Seaboard.

I caught up with Revington again when he arrived in North Carolina after what he called a “wonderful 6,000 nautical miles.”

“Where should I go next?” he inquires. We discuss the Bahamas, New England, perhaps a Chesapeake cruise, and I mention that Bermuda is about a 650 nm shot across the Atlantic from his boat slip. He pauses. I can hear the gears turning. “That’s an idea,” he says.  

The Krogen Express 52’s sweeping, proud bow reflects the seakindly nature of a full-displacement hull design. Courtesy George Revington Hooked Up

To keep connected with family on his voyage, Revington used Starlink and the Roam package for noncommercial use. Depending on data usage, cost is $50 or $165 per month.

Know Before You Go

Prior to embracing his cruising lifestyle, Revington went to the Chapman School of Seamanship. For recreational boaters, courses offered include everything from Intro to Powerboating to Advanced Navigation to private instruction.

A summerlong shakedown cruise included running from San Francisco up to Glacier Bay, Alaska. Ruben/stock.adobe.com How It’s Made

The Krogen Express 52 is unmistakable at first glance. Its sweeping, proud bow reflects the seakindly nature of a full-displacement hull design, including a fine entry, high freeboard and soft chines forward. That style blends with a semidisplacement hull design aft, a flat deadrise, hard chines and a full keel. Supporting this design is a robust build with a solid hand-laid fiberglass hull below the waterline, and with Corecell in the house, roof and decks. Vinylester resin prevents osmotic blistering, and Kevlar is added in high-stress impact areas. Build time for a KE 52 is about one year. The result is a vessel that’s just as happy cruising open water to points unknown as it is making a run up the Intracoastal Waterway.

Go Long

Power for the Krogen Express 52 is a pair of 440 hp Yanmar diesels paired to Kanzaki KMH61A transmissions with a robust 2.43:1 gear ratio. Cruising at a leisurely 8 knots, fuel consumption is a miserly 3 gallons per hour. The builder reports hull speed at 9.6 knots. Between 9 and 9.5 knots, the KE 52 earns around 2 nautical miles per gallon, providing plenty of range for adventurous cruisers like George Revington. This is a yacht that appeals to those who like to cruise slow and long, but the KE 52 also has some giddyup. It can gallop along at 15 to 17 knots.

Sage Advice

When Revington started his boating life three years ago, he was not someone who had grown up running boats. He learned quickly and enthusiastically. His advice for newbies: “The only way to know is by doing it.”

Family Origins

The father-son duo of naval architect Jim Krogen and Kurt Krogen created Krogen Express. Kurt, who did the vessel styling, is a fan of 1920s commuter yachts. He wanted to re-create the vibe of those classic craft in a modern build. The rest, as they say, is history.

Take the next step: krogenexpress.com

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