In The Well Dressed Cruiser, Shayne Benowitz writes about layering for comfort and safety from head to toe.  In Classic Passages: Pit Stop in Paradise, Todd Duff explores Bahia de Caraquez, Ecuador. In Fitting out: Remasting in the Pacific Part 2, Patrick Childress writes “From Rust Rises Endurance”.
In Blue Water Boats, we take a close look at the new 56-foot Frers design from Hylas Yachts, and finally, in Captain’s Log George reflects on pitfalls of a rigid cruising schedule.

This happened to Rosie and me in a big way when we first set off, years ago, with our two sons to sail our 43-foot ketch Clover to New Zealand from our home in Newport, RI. The plan that fall was to leave Newport in October, sail to Bermuda with my brother Steve and good buddy Herb as crew, then head to the BVI for Thanksgiving. From there we would cruise south through the Eastern Caribbean with the expectation of having Christmas in Grenada before heading for Panama and the Pacific Ocean.

On the basis of this plan, we encouraged our parents and siblings to join us in Grenada for the holidays. It all sounded sensible, but wasn’t—in no small part because we were cruising with two small children and had vowed to avoid storms at sea if at all possible.

On our first day out on the passage to Bermuda, we decided to turn back for Newport when we got the forecast “storm warnings” in the Gulf Stream. No fun, we thought. So we slunk back into Newport under cover of darkness. With days to wait, we lost our crew. No crew, no passage to Bermuda. After some deliberation we went to Plan B, which was to cruise south to the Chesapeake and then head straight to the BVI from Norfolk. Since our family had all bought plane tickets to Grenada, we really wanted to be there, too. It was our idea, after all.

But the fall weather didn’t cooperate. We waited in Norfolk for a weather window to open so we could get across the Gulf Stream in less than gale conditions, but we were stymied and decided to move on to Plan C: Cruise down the Intracoastal Waterway to Beaufort, NC, then head off to the islands. Once again, events intervened. A week of boat work and another week of horrendous weather kept us in Beaufort and saw the last flickers of Plan C fade into the night.

Next, we decided to head south on the ICW to Charleston, and from there try to catch a northwest clearing breeze to ride eastward offshore so we could make the islands without an upwind slog. But by the time we got to Charleston, Thanksgiving had come and gone, we were enjoying the ICW, and we knew we needed to stop somewhere for a week or two to prep the boat for the Pacific. On to Plan D, which was a hard decision because it X-ed out the Eastern Caribbean and Christmas in Grenada, and led us instead to the Bahamas, Windward Passage and a straight shot south to Panama.

And that’s how it played out. We had Christmas in St. Simons Island, GA, not in Grenada where our family was lounging in the sun; celebrated New Year’s in St. Augustine, FL; and spent January and February cruising south through the Bahamas and Caribbean to Panama. Plan D. As Kurt Vonnegut would say, “So it goes.”

But that’s the cruising life. And cruising schedules are made to be broken and broken again until you get there…or somewhere else.

Hylas Yachts makes a luxurious world cruiser for a couple or family •

So when Dick and Kyle Jachney, owners of Hylas Yachts, decided to add a new boat to their line in the mid-50-foot range, they had the interesting challenge of taking what was best in the 54 and melding it with the latest thinking in cruising boat design and construction. The result is the new Hylas 56, which bears a strong family resemblance to the 54 but is also a confident step forward.

I got to sail the new 56 last fall after the Annapolis sailboat show. The weather had turned decidedly fall-like, with an easterly wind blowing sheets of rain descending on the Chesapeake Bay. It was a good big boat day when we could really see how the new boat sails and handles the square waves that were building.

As we motored out Back Creek, we put the 56 through its paces in forward, reverse and turning. The boat is driven by a 150 hp Yanmar diesel, which is a good size for a hull that displaces 50,200 pounds. Going from a dead stop to full speed took just under a minute, and the boat stopped when thrown into reverse in under three boat lengths. With the large rudder mounted on a half skeg, the boat circled on itself in about a boat length and half. All of this indicated that the 56 is handy under power, and—with the bow thruster engaged—simple to moor and unmoor, even in the gusty breeze we had that day.

Out in the bay we rolled out about two-thirds of the mainsail and set the roller furling staysail instead of the genoa. This reduced sail plan was perfect for the wind conditions, and the 56 was quickly close-reaching at 8.5 knots. As we trimmed and brought her close to the wind, the angle of the waves sent lots of spray onto the foredeck, but we did not get wet in the cockpit behind the dodger, and deck wash drained quickly aft. She settled down at about 48 degrees true off the wind and maintained 8 knots while heeling at about 15 degrees. Sighting aft, we appeared to be making very little leeway despite the waves and the strong breeze. And, the ride was remarkably stable and comfortable.

By the time we had thrown the 56 through a series of tacks, we were out in the middle of the bay and had a good angle for reaching back toward Back Creek. We rolled up the staysail and rolled out the genoa; with the added horsepower and the broad reach sailing angle, we started to fly. The speedo jumped to 10 knots, and occasionally we’d see 11 in the stronger puffs. The helm felt positive but light and the boat tracked well even though we had square waves rolling under the broad transom.

Off Back Creek, we rolled up the genoa and then turned into the wind to roll up the mainsail. With electric winches and furling systems, handling the big sails in the strong breeze was no problem at all. The 56 proved to be a very able boat under sail and power. She is stable, solid and inspires confidence while still turning out good speeds at all angles of sail. The design has a limit of positive stability of 125 degrees. For passagemaking, the new design will provide fast and comfortable passages anywhere in the world and will look after you when it gets bouncy out there.

DETAILS, DETAILS
The Jachneys have been building cruising boats for a long time, listening to their customers every step of the way. It is interesting to note that they seem to have tapped into the young CEO market of sailors who are looking for a luxury cruising boat with offshore capabilities at a competitive price. These guys do their homework, and when they compare a Hylas 56 to other boats in that size range, they have a hard time beating the combination of traditional styling, solid construction, seakeeping qualities and value.

Value is an interesting word that can connote low price or a lot for the money. In the case of the Hylas family of boats, which are built in Taiwan, the value lies in getting a lot for what you pay. And you will find it in the 56’s details.

The Frers-designed hulls are engineered for strength and durability instead of lightness. They are laminated of hand-laid glass fiber with alternating layers of Twaron, a carbon aramid fiber, in vinylester resin. The gel coat is an isophthalic resin for ultimate blister resistance. Below the water, two barrier coats of epoxy resin are applied as insurance against blisters.

The hull has two watertight bulkheads. The aft bulkhead seals off the rudderpost, so even with the rudder and post missing, the boat will still float. Forward, a collision bulkhead ensures that even a direct hit on a submerged container won’t violate the main hull.

Instead of using a balanced spade rudder, all of the Hylases designed by Frers have skegs that are integral with the hull laminate. This prevents flotsam damage underway and prevents rudder damage during a grounding. If you are venturing far afield, this extra level of rudder strength and protection is a real boon. The lead keel is a modified cruising fin with a small bulb that helps lower the center of gravity. For those who can’t work with the standard seven feet, four inches of draft, a keel-centerboard that draws only six feet, four inches with the board up has been designed.

The rig has been set up for long haul sailing with a minimum number of crew. Both the mainsail and the genoa have primary and backup halyards. Instead of using the single lowers made popular by masts with aft swept spreads, the 56 has fore and aft lowers that add extra support to the middle of the mast—particularly important when battling headwinds under a reefed main and staysail. The mast has discontinuous Hasselfors standing rigging with mechanical Sta-Lok end fittings, thus ruling out the dangers of going to sea with a cracked swage fitting.

The anchor locker is divided for two complete anchor rodes and there are two permanent anchor rollers at the stem head. The 56 is meant to be cruised far from the marina, so it needs to be securely and easily anchored by a couple.

A lot of thought has gone into the 56’s basic engineering and systems. The 150 hp Yanmar diesel is fitted with an easily used manual crankcase oil pump, so changing the engine oil every 100 hours is not a chore. That means you will actually do it, adding thousands of hours of life to your engine. Plus, the fuel system has two Racor filters that can be linked together or set up so one bypasses the other during maintenance. Finally, the engine compartment is fitted with a complete set of sensors and alarms, so any malfunction will be made known almost instantly.

You can tell a displacement cruising boat by its tanks. Not going anywhere? Small tanks. Exploring the world? Big tanks. The 56 has tanks for 280 gallons of fuel and 275 gallons of water—enough for four people, who conserve fresh water, for a month. And, it will power at low revs at about 6 knots for close to 1,000 miles.

One final detail: The 56 comes standard with four AGM 8Ds, which provide 840 amp hours of house battery storage and separate starting and bow thruster batteries. Such an ample reserve will mean you can run all of your systems with confidence.

LIVING ABOARD
The 56 was conceived as a passagemaking cruising boat for a family of adventurers. The saloon is open with ample headroom and will easily accommodate a party of 12 for cocktails and a family of eight for dinner at the dinette to port. The settee to starboard is a great place to lounge and will make a good sea berth.

The galley has been placed in the long passageway from the saloon to the master stateroom aft. The stove, fridges and several storage cupboards are mounted below the counter outboard, while the sinks are mounted above the engine compartment on the centerline, where they will drain on both tacks.

The master suite aft has a raised centerline double berth that will be easy to make up and comfortable to climb in and out of from both sides. There is ample storage space and hanging lockers for a couple living aboard in a variety of climes, and with opening ports on both sides and a large hatch overhead, ventilation will be great in the tropics. The master head is huge, with lots of lockers and a true separate shower stall.

Forward of the saloon, there is a snug upper and lower cabin to port that will work well for crew or children. Across from it lies the forward head, which also has a separate shower stall. The large guest cabin forward is virtually a second master cabin since it has a double centerline berth, a large hanging locker, and plenty of drawer and cabinet space.

One of the design touches we like aboard the 56 is the command center just aft and down a step from the dinette to port in the saloon. Here, you have a wraparound desk or chart table where you can install a full computer, run your laptops, operate the SSB, talk on the Iridium and navigate with your side-by-side multifunction displays. Or, if you are not headed to sea, you can run your company virtually from this executive suite of a nav station.

The new 56, like the recent Hylas models, is fitted out with teak panels, solid wood doors, teak or bamboo floors, and off-white overhead panels. The large wraparound windows in the saloon provide plenty of light without too much heat.

Furniture is built with traditional care. You will find louvered doors, solid door panels, fitted solid wood corner posts, and nicely handcrafted laminate pieces in the heads. Underfoot, you can have a traditional teak and holly sole or opt for more modern-looking bamboo floor panels. It is worth noting that all floor pieces have positive latches, so they won’t move or get loose when things get bumpy at sea.

A thoroughly warm and inviting interior is much prized by families living aboard for any length of time. The cabins offer great private spaces, while the saloon and large center cockpit provide plenty of room for socializing.

The new Hylas 56 is a lovely evolution from the 54. And, like the earlier design, this 56-footer has the legs to take you anywhere you might want to sail.

Hylas 56 specs
LOA 56’4”
LWL 50’5”
Beam 15’10”
Draft (deep) 7’4”
Draft (shoal keel/cb) 6’4”/10’
Displacement 50,200 lbs.
Ballast 20,200 lbs.
Sail Area 1821 sq. ft.
Water 275 gals.
Fuel 280 gals.
Mast height 73’0”

Hylas Yachts
Marblehead, MA
800-875-5114
www.hylasyachtsusa.com

April

In Sail Tips, Sam Vineyard discusses “Sail Purchasing 101.” In Destinations: Mexico’s Costa Alegre, Emily Fagan  writes about cruising the “Gold Coast”. In Practical Passagemaker: Post-Its Be Damned, Marcia Paravia demonstrates the art and ease of tracking progress with a passage performance worksheet. John Neal writes “Sometimes the road to paradise is paved with bad weather” in Classic Passages Mahina Expeditions: Auckland to Moorea. Our panel of experts weigh in on a variety of Do-It-Yourself jobs in D.I.Y Fitting Out. In Blue Water Boats, we take a close look at the new Island Packet 360, and finally, in Captain’s Log George reflects on “The DIY Age”.

The fact of the matter is that the new boat market has been suffering during the recession, while the discounted used boat market has been doing okay and the aftermarket for gear and equipment has been doing fine. Most of us are still in the game; we’re just trying to save money where we can and we’re back to getting our hands dirty in the process. Not a bad thing, since cruising and voyaging demand that we be as self-sufficient as possible.

If you are not naturally handy, don’t be deterred from tackling upgrades and renovations on your boat. Seek advice and assistance from your handier buddies, but don’t be afraid to get out the hole saw to add a seacock or the Sawzall to cut through a bulkhead so you can run new wiring or plumbing. Be cautious and prudent, but don’t be afraid. Boats are meant to be upgraded.

Every skipper will have his or her own priorities for upgrades, but here are a few that stand the test of time:

Navigation. An integrated electronics package that includes GPS, sailing instruments, chartplotter, radar and an autopilot will make navigation easier and your time on the water safer. Add AIS if you can.

Anchoring. A robust windlass with two primary anchors and a spare third anchor will allow you to anchor out in a wide range of weather conditions over a variety of sea bottoms.

Safety. EPIRBs and PLBs save lives when properly registered and used in emergencies. Add a liferaft with all the flares and signaling devices recommended by the ISAF for Category 1 sailing if possible (www.ussailing.com).

Energy. With computers, smartphones and other modern electronics on board, you need to generate a lot of juice to keep the batteries topped up. Increase your battery bank to 400 amp hours or more. Add a high-output alternator; install a solar panel and wind generator; then, add a good high output inverter.

Comfort. Simple upgrades to your living space make a huge difference. Upgrade the fridge with new insulation and a modern compressor. Add fitted sheets to all bunks and pillows, blankets and covers to suit your climate. Install reading lights and upgrade to LED bulbs to save energy. Install hatch screens to keep the bugs out and Hella fans to keep air moving through the cabins. If you sail in temperate waters, add a diesel heater to keep the cabins warm and dry. And don’t forget a good blender for mixing sundowners.

You can do a lot of these upgrades yourself with a little encouragement, patience and a positive attitude. Tackled in a methodical way, the expenses can be spread out and you can still have time for a lot of sailing. Plus, with each upgrade you become evermore the master of your own vessel. For more on DYI projects, see this month’s special section on page 46.

The Island Packet 360 debuted at last fall’s Annapolis sailboat show and caused a nice stir among the boatbuilder’s many fans. The new boat shows some definite evolutionary traits while maintaining the qualities that make Island Packets so admired in the cruising fleet.

The 360 is built using the same hull as the popular Estero, which was launched a few years ago. The hull has a slightly more plumb bow than the current fleet of Island Packets and stirs memories of the great early boats that made Island Packet famous. The boat’s bowsprit is a bit longer than we see in the larger boats, which spreads out the sailing rig, provides a good anchoring platform and gives the 360 a decidedly classic and salty look.

Under the water, the 360’s hull has the same Full Foil Keel, shallow draft and attached rudder that you see on her sister ships. The hull design offers a sea kindly motion, a high degree of stability, some positive lift when sailing to windward and, of course, the minimum draft that allows you to really gunkhole close to the coastline. For those who are sailing far afield, this hull shape will take a grounding better than a fin keel design, will better protect the rudder and propeller, and will allow you to dry out or careen the boat for quick repairs or refreshing the antifouling paint.

The 360 has a fairly tall cutter rig with the staysail flying on the patented Hoyt Jib Boom. With roller furling on all three sails and a self-tacking staysail, the 360 is an automated cruising boat. And because the sails are all fairly small, even the lightest and smallest crewmember can trim, reef and furl them.

The 360 sports an all-new interior that combines the warmth of traditional varnished teak joinery with the brightness of light-colored laminates and countertops. The boat offers two large, private double cabins and has a large head forward with a separate shower stall. The galley is huge and has twin refrigerators (either of which can be used as a freezer), a propane stove and oven, a microwave, and plenty of storage above and below the counters.

The L-shaped settee to port has a table that folds down from the main bulkhead, and across from the dinette are two swiveling easy chairs. There are storage lockers behind the settee and the chairs, and a small table fits neatly between the chairs for drinks or playing cards. The chart table folds up from the galley cabinet, where the navigator can use it while sitting in the aft easy chair.

The interior is spacious and homey, with plenty of natural light and ventilation. For a couple who likes to cruise with another couple or their children, the 360 offers a lot of accommodations in a manageable and affordable package.

After the Annapolis show, we had the chance to sail the boat before it was delivered to the nearby dealership at Gratitude Yacht Sales. The morning breeze was light and the Chesapeake Bay was lovely in the early autumn warmth. Off the Naval Academy we rolled out the mainsail and then the genoa and the 360 responded nicely. At 19,300 pounds, she is no lightweight, but even so the ample sail area easily turned the light breeze into 5 knots of boat speed. She seemed to almost be making her own wind.

We tacked up the Severn River next to the Academy where the breeze was building. The 360 tacked easily through 90 degrees and maintained her way while making very little leeway.

At the fixed bridge across the river, we bore off onto a broad reach and rolled out the staysail to give us maximum sail area. The 360 responded well and soon the bow wave was hissing nicely along the hull and the wake stretching away smoothly. This is the kind of pleasant sailing that we would have been happy with all day.

But we didn’t have all day, so after a few jibes downwind, we rolled up the sails and headed back into Annapolis under power. The 360 motors efficiently and is easy to steer and maneuver. We brought her in alongside a dock in town without any fuss and then backed and turned her within a boat length.

The new Island Packet 360 does a lot of things well. She is a capable ocean sailing boat with excellent accommodation for living aboard. She is built to the highest standards and carries ABYC and CE offshore ratings. If you are looking for a handy, mid-size blue water boat that is also a lot of fun to sail, the new 360 should definitely be on your list. Take her sailing and you won’t look back.

Island Packet Yachts
1979 Wild Acres Rd.
Largo, FL
33771
727-535-6431
www.ipy.com

Island Packet 360
LOA 36’5”
LWL 31’6”
Beam 12’4”
Draft 4’0”
Mast height 54’0”
Water 110 gals.
Fuel 55 gals.
Displ. 19,300 lbs.
Sail area 831 sq. ft.
Engine 40-hp.

March

In Boat Rat’s Tip, Sharon Dale writes of Food Heresy Offshore. Bill Kund writes “Why don’t Sailors sail anymore?” in Cruising Life: I See a Miracle. In European Charters: Athens, The Other Windy City, Erik Westgard writes about finding shelter in the storm during a Greek charter. Erik also writes of exploring new grounds on the Dalmation Coast in Cruising Croatia. and in Cruising Green: The Answer My Friend is Blowin’ in the Wind, George looks at how wind power can solve on-board energy problems.

Vero is one of those special cruising harbors where boats from all over the world gather. Some of the folks come for the winter since the town moorings are secure and fairly inexpensive. But most of us are passing through and choose Vero because it is convenient and filled with other cruisers.

Ashore, the town provides clean washroom and laundry facilities, a meeting room and a free trolley that swoops through the marina regularly so folks can get around town. The atmosphere is relaxed and the people friendly and informal. The cruising community is just that way. Everyone is out to enjoy themselves and we all look after each other as best we can. Potluck is the operative dining term and most of us never learn the last names of the friends we make.

But there is no launch service in Vero, so you need your dinghy to get to and from your boat. For us, this presented a small problem—we wanted to leave our dinghy and outboard secured aboard our boat while we were away, and we had to depart for the airport at 6am. Hmmm.

We were in the dock office running this problem by the fellow on duty when a couple wandered in to retrieve their mail. They heard us describing our dilemma, and without so much as a moment’s hesitation walked over and introduced themselves.

“Hi, we’re Karin and Jim on Kokomo, and we’d be glad to take you ashore in the morning.”

Um, yes, thank you.

We were expecting a cold front to come through during the night with frigid temperatures and a big northerly wind. It didn’t come and didn’t come, and then, just as we were stirring before dawn, the rigging began to sing and Lime’n started dancing on her mooring.

Soon after, Jim arrived in his dinghy with the little outboard putt-putting nicely. He was in full foulies and sea boots. My two crew-mates and I managed to close up the boat, lock the hatches and climb into the soft bottom inflatable. We barely fit.

By now, the wind had really picked up and a chop was building in the harbor. Jim piloted us through the moored boats, across an open stretch of water and toward the protected dinghy landing. The overloaded dinghy labored in the chop, and more than once I thought we were going to take water over the bow. We didn’t.

Jim let us off and with a wave headed back to the warmth of his bunk aboard Kokomo. Will we catch up with Kokomo in the Bahamas? Perhaps. Will we see Karin and Jim again? Possibly. But we know we will see their like-minded peers everywhere we cruise, and one day we will volunteer to get up before dawn to ferry three strangers ashore from their boat. Because that’s just what we do in the cruising community.

February

In Boat Rat’s Tip: Should I Donate My Boat, Captain Charles Saylan writes about the nuts and bolts of vessel donation. In Sail Tips: Twist in Your Sails, Scott Akerman writes about how to control your sails (and why). In Destinations, Randy Baker writes about linvin’ easy in Vava’u… In Blue Water Boats, BWS takes a close look at a mid-size family cruiser, the Catalina 385.   And in Captain’s Log, George writes about the Salty Dog Rally in “A Funny thing Happened on the Way to Tortola”

But then something happened. The news of this non-rally cruise in company spread among the cruising community and one after another, couples and crews signed on to join the crowd. Bill and Linda Knowles aboard the Jeanneau 54 Sapphire became the de facto point people and made a few phone calls to see if marinas in Hampton, Virginia and Tortola, BVI wanted to get involved. The marina owners thought it was a splendid idea and signed on.

Jean Conover on Growltiger, moored in Hampton, is the Seven Seas Cruising Association Cruising Host Coordinator (www.ssca.org). She volunteered to assist and enlisted her buddies in the SSCA to help out where they could. Bill Giddings on St. Jude runs the DooDah HF radio net (www.bigdumboat.com/doodah) and voluntarily logs float plans for boats that are making offshore passages. When he heard about the new cruise in company, he volunteered to run a daily radio schedule for the fleet. To our knowledge, this is the first time an offshore fleet has had a dedicated shore-based radio controller.

One day last summer, when I was having a sandwich with Bill Knowles and his Jack Russell Brie, the idea of BWS sponsoring the non-rally was born. So, through BWS and Cruising Compass, we got the word out and the numbers started to grow until at least 34 boats had joined up. This free non-rally event needed a name and became the Salty Dog Rally.

BWS’s contribution to the event was to hire weather guru and offshore router Chris Parker (www.caribwx.com) to handle the forecasting and routing duties. Chris has an HF shore station and was keen to help out. As it turned out, his advice was timely, accurate and extremely useful.

Set to leave the Chesapeake on November 1st, the fleet was delayed by weather. Skippers used their best judgment and left when they thought the time was right, with the majority waiting a week for a window. The passage south was mostly fine, with a few bumpy patches along the way. Some boats diverted to Bermuda for fuel and repairs, but in the end, the gang all rendezvoused at Soper’s Hole to celebrate the safe passage south.

The Salty Dogs plan to have a return rally in May and will run the southbound Salty Dog Rally again next November 1st. Look for the new website at www.saltydogrally.org. Yes, .org. In the spirit of cruising, the gang is forming a non-profit and would be happy to discuss how you can get involved as a volunteer, a sponsor or a participant in the non-rally rallies. You can email me (george@bwsailing.com) or Bill and Linda (svsapphire@aol.com). See you on the docks!

Catalina 385 •

The afternoon we test-sailed the new Catalina 385 on the Chesapeake Bay near Annapolis, the breeze was a pleasant 10 knots out of the northeast and the bay fairly calm. As we motored out of Back Creek, we rolled out the mainsail and then rolled out the red, white and blue screecher. The 385 put her shoulder down and started to really scream as we watched the speedo climb from 5 to 6 and finally 7 knots.

With the wind just forward of the beam, the 385 heeled to about 10 degrees. The helm was incredibly light despite the big headsail. With a tweak of the main traveler, we were able to balance the helm to neutral so the boat steered herself straight without a finger on the wheel. This is the mark of a boat that has her proportions just right.

We flew out into the bay and then rolled up the screecher to see how she sailed with the 135 percent genoa. Hard on the wind, the boat maintained a happy 7 knots in the 10 knots of true breeze and tacked inside 90 degrees quite easily. The boat we were sailing has the shoal draft winged keel and a slightly shallower rudder than the deep draft version, but this did not seem to affect her performance upwind and we noted that we were making very little leeway. Again, hard on the wind and heeled to almost 15 degrees, the 385 had a very light helm that was easily balanced with traveler adjustments.

Running back into Annapolis, we hauled the genoa to windward so we could run squarely downwind wing-and-wing. This is not the fastest point of sail, but we still maintained close to 6 knots, which proved that despite a moderate-displacement cruising hull, the 385 is a slippery and handy sailing boat.

The deck layout works really well for a couple sailing together or a larger group. The mainsail controls and traveler are all managed with line stoppers and a winch next to the companionway. The genoa sheets and control line for the headsail are within reach of the helmsman. The cockpit is not overly wide, so you always have a good foot or hip brace point, which allows you to work with both hands. Visibility from the raised helm seats to windward and leeward is excellent.

The Selden spar and headsail roller furling gear work easily and have very smooth actions, so deploying and then furling the sails was a cinch. The Selden bowsprit for the screecher fits neatly in the stemhead fitting and bow rollers so we could tack the big sail down well forward of the pulpit to keep it clear of any potential snags.

Back in Back Creek we put the boat through its paces under power. At cruising revs she will cruise at 6.5 knots easily and can get close to 8 when pushed. The boat has a nice tight turning radius for maneuvering in close quarters, and with a three-bladed prop will stop in two boat lengths from cruising speed. We had to back her into the marina slip in a crosswind, so we gave ourselves plenty of distance and then backed steadily and surely into the slip and managed to pick up both bowlines on their pilings as we slid by.

A couple’s cruising boat, the 385 packs a lot of performance and ease into the moderate hull and benefits from the developments and evolutions that went into the new 445 and 355, which have both proven so popular over the last two years.

ACCOMMODATIONS
The interior of the 385 is finished in hand rubbed and varnished teak and teak veneers, so the whole cabin feels warm and traditional. The saloon has a U-shaped galley with a large fridge, twin sinks and a propane stove and oven. The navigator’s desk faces aft and has a folding top that will accommodate a laptop computer. The electrical panel is outboard and shielded by a tinted acrylic door so you can monitor the panel without having it glaring in your face.

The L-shaped dinette to port has a quad-leaf folding table that will seat several people when open, but takes up very little space when folded. On the boat we tested, the table was varnished to a very high gloss and looked magnificent. Across from the dinette, the twin easy seats are separated by a folding table that will be useful for playing cards or board games. The bench in the dinette will make an excellent sea berth.

The owner’s cabin and the spa-style head are forward. The large double berth with an inner-spring mattress has an articulated tilt mechanism, so you can lounge in bed in the “up” position or sleep in the normal “down” position. The head has a designer sink, a huge shower stall and plenty of storage for bathroom articles and the medicine kit.

The 385 holds 100 gallons of water, so you will not have to skimp on washing up. Plus, with a six-gallon hot water heater, you should have plenty of hot water for short showers. The guest cabin aft has a large athwartship double berth and a small bench where you can sit while putting on your shoes. Plus, there are large lockers for storage of your guest’s gear and for spare parts and all the sundries cruisers collect along the way.

For a couple or a family, the 385 is laid out to provide comfort and privacy in the sleeping cabins and open living in the saloon. You could literally fit a dozen people below decks for, say, the boat christening party.

DETAILS
The 385 is a production built cruiser that employs proven production techniques. The hull is a one-piece hand laid fiberglass molding with a large internal grid fixed in place with aerospace adhesives and fiberglass tabbing. The deck is a cored composite molding that offers stiffness under foot and good heat and sound insulation. A large molded deck liner provides a fully finished ceiling that complements the teak joinery.

The forward section of the hull has what Catalina calls the Strike Zone; this is a watertight compartment forward of the forward bulkhead that will prevent water ingress should you run up on a half submerged object such as a container.

The mast is deck-stepped with a large compression post beneath it, which transfers compression loads to the internal grid and the keel. The mast shrouds run to Catalina’s unique Secure Socket chainplates, which in turn transfer sidestay loads to the chainplates that are firmly glassed into the boat’s structural grid; this system also helps to prevent deck leaks around the chainplates.

The boat’s engine and systems have been installed with regular maintenance in mind. The well insulated engine compartment keeps engine noise to a minimum. And special hatches and doors have been provided, so you can check and top up engine oil and cooling fluid quickly and easily. Should you need to get to the whole engine, the engine box slides out for full 360˚ access to the motor.

Under the water, Catalina uses lead for their keels and engineers massive, robust stainless steel bolt attachments to the integral hull grid. The rudder is a hand-molded fiberglass part with a stainless steel rudderpost and internal stainless steel framing for strength. The rudder post is fixed in place with a large watertight rudder bearing and is operated via the Edson steering system and quadrant.

Down below, you will find that the furniture is assembled by hand and all pieces have solid teak corner posts and solid wood cabinet doors and drawer fronts. The main interior doors are solid teak as well and have top and bottom louvers that enhance ventilation to inhibit mildew growth. Drawers are all wood with stainless self-closing steel sliders.

The engineering and construction details that go into modern Catalinas combine the best in traditional production construction techniques with a definite emphasis on quality, not only in the manufactured parts but also in the choice of OEM equipment such as hatches and ports, and optional equipment such as inverters and battery chargers. The company strives to build boats that are safe, sail well, are easy to maintain and will hold value for a long time. In the 385, they have certainly succeeded.

Catalina 385
LOA 39’2”
LOD 38’2”
LWL 34’5”
Beam 13’1”
Draft (shoal) 4’8”
Draft (deep) 6’10”
Ballast (shoal) 6,200 lbs.
Ballast(deep) 5,200 lbs.
Displacement 16,000 lbs.
Sail Area 802 sq. ft.
Water 100 gals.
Fuel 40 gals.
Holding 31 gals.
Engine 40-hp.
Mast height 54’0”
Displ/LWL 179(w)/168(f)
Sail area/Displ 19.3(w)/20.6(f)
Ballast ratio 37.6(w)/33.5(f)
Base price $208,495

Catalina Yachts
Largo, FL
727-544-6681
www.catalinayachts.com

In Way Out There: Getting to Know the Galapagos, Todd Duff writes about a month relaxing and repairing in the islands of enchantment. Rachel Robertson writes about the rewards of venturing off the beaten path in Cruising West Sumatra. Nadine Slavinski writes about the crossroads of the Mediterranean in Magical Malta. In Blue Water Boats, George Day takes a look at the thoroughly modern cruiser the Beneteau Oceanis 45. In Practical Passagemaker: Beyond Painting – Spar Restoration, Pete Dubler writes about the continuing rehab of Regina Oceani.   And in Captain’s Log, George discusses the three P’s of safe ocean passages.

THE THREE P’s •

The NARC Rally left with a small weather window and the hope that the fleet could make it from Newport, RI to Bermuda before the weather deteriorated. They didn’t. Sadly, one sailor—Jan Anderson—lost her life. See our report on page 13.

The new Salty Dog Rally that was scheduled to sail from Hampton, VA to the British Virgins on November 1 employed a weather router—Chris Parker—who saw the storm developing and held the fleet in port for a week before he gave the skippers the go-ahead. Still, the weather out in the Atlantic was boisterous and several boats ended up diverting to Bermuda for repairs.

And, the Caribbean 1500 was scheduled to get away on November 4, but they too were advised by the rally’s weather router to lay low until November 11. The fleet is out there as we go to print and reports have been of a mixed bag of wind.

The North Atlantic in November is no place to trifle with. The threat of tropical storms is less than earlier in the fall. But fast moving cold fronts, extra-tropical lows, and full-on North Atlantic lows are all beasts that you want to avoid. Whether you enter a rally or sail on your own, the assistance of a weather router can make all the difference.

A fall offshore passage in the North Atlantic should not be your first offshore passage or a shakedown cruise for your boat. There are three essential steps leading up to safe and seamanlike passages across oceans. First comes planning. At least six months before taking your boat offshore, lay out a plan that includes the skills everyone needs to master, a list of equipment that has to be acquired and installed, a boat maintenance and upgrade list, and a timeline along which you can realistically chart your progress.

Next comes preparation. Evaluate where you will be sailing, what the weather can bring, what the sea will dish up, and what might go wrong with the crew, the sails, the electronics, the rig and sails, and the boat itself. When you are offshore, you must be entirely self-reliant. Safety and seamanship are built on a reasonable plan and thorough, well executed preparation.

Finally, there’s practice. Only a fool would make his first overnight sail aboard his boat an ocean passage in the North Atlantic in November. Practice with your crew well before sailing offshore by making several overnight trips. You need to see how it all works and learn not to panic at 0200 on an inky black night, which is the hour gremlins schedule close ship encounters, gear breakages and sail tears. Practice makes all the difference to the safety of your boat and your crew.

BENETEAU OCEANIS 45

Last summer I signed on to crew aboard the brand new Beneteau Oceanis 45 on the delivery leg between the Newport, RI boat show and the Norwalk, CT boat show. It’s a run of about 140 miles across Block Island Sound and down Long Island Sound, which we planned to do in a straight shot through the night. That sounded like fun and would be a great way to get to really test the new Berret-Racoupeau designed cruising sloop.

But Irene got in the way. She was a wicked fall hurricane that slammed into mid-Atlantic and New England coastlines and left in her wake a mass of waterborne debris. Everything from trees to refrigerators could be found floating in the waters along the coast, so we made the decision to make the delivery a two-day affair.

We set off from Newport in the early afternoon with the 54 horsepower Yanmar and three-bladed fixed prop shunting us along at 6.5 knots as we maintained a constant 2200 rpms—the “break in” revs for the new engine. There were five of us aboard, including me, the delivery skipper and his mate, and two prospective buyers who had flown in to Newport just to make this trip. Needless to say, we were overstaffed. But that was fine, as we all fit into the huge cockpit or around the saloon dinette table with room to spare.

The Oceanis 45 is the little sister to the new Oceanis 50 that debuted last year. The themes that made that boat so popular have been refined in the new 45-footer. The mainsheet runs to an arch at the forward end of the cockpit, so the cockpit is not obstructed by the sheet and tackle as you tack or jibe.

The 45 has an attractive cockpit table trimmed in teak, with a pod at its aft end for the chartplotter. Five of us ate comfortably around the table and we could have fit three more in a pinch.

The 45 has a nearly full-beam folding transom that works as an aft bench when it is up and as a huge water-sports platform when lowered. It is large enough for swimming and sunning, using SCUBA gear or rigging a sailing dinghy. The ladder is demountable and is designed like a swimming pool ladder so it is really easy to climb.

All of the working sheets and control lines lead aft to the cockpit and most run through conduits on the cabintop to winches on both sides of the companionway. As we motored out of Narragansett Bay, we rolled out the in-mast roller-furling mainsail and trimmed for motorsailing. The afternoon sea breeze had stalled, so we were forced to motor for a couple of hours as we rounded Point Judith and steamed along the coast to Fisher’s Island Sound. With the sail full, our speed bumped up nicely to 7 knots.

Finally, as the sun was getting low, the breeze kicked in and we were able to put the boat through her paces and sail the last 10 miles to our destination in Mystic, CT. Fisher’s Island Sound is a large, protected body of water with reefs and sand bars, so we tacked carefully to windward along the island shore. The 45 handled well under full main and genoa. The beamy hull, with the extra beam at the chine aft, stood up very nicely to the puffs and was happiest sailing very flat.

One of the benefits of the roller furling sails on both the main and the genoa is the ability for you to dial in just as much sail power as you need. With the new vertical batten, roller mainsails, or with a in-boom furling main, you can roll in just as much sail as you want to keep the helm balanced and the boat trimmed for optimum speed. If you are used to sailing narrow older designs that like to sail upwind at 15 degrees of heel or more, then the almost flat sailing angles of modern designs like the Oceanis 45 will be a pleasant adjustment.

Storage on deck is often an issue in boats with two aft cabins and a full width forward cabin. In the 45, lockers have been included under the cockpit sole aft, under the cockpit seats and in a huge locker forward of the forward cabin. This “garage” is deep and large enough for all of your fenders, docking lines, a couple of spinnakers, and possibly a couple of folding bikes.

The chain locker has the windlass built in under the lifting hatch cover so it is out of the way when sailing. The locker is large enough for 250 feet of chain and there is also room for a second rope-chain rode and a second anchor.

We sailed the 45 upwind for a while and found that she tacked easily inside 90 degrees and was capable of 7+ knots in 12 knots of breeze. Off the wind, as we headed toward Mystic, she slid along nicely at 7 to 8 knots and was easy to steer even through some strong puffs.

Like the Oceanis 50, the 45 feels like a big boat underfoot and has plenty of space on deck for a big sailing party. But, the boat sails well and is simple and easy to handle for a couple or even a singlehander.

ACCOMMODATIONS
The Oceanis 45 has two cabin variations. The boat we sailed had a large master cabin forward with its own head and two quarter cabins aft. You can also opt to have only one quarter cabin, which converts the port cabin into a huge sail and storage locker. The two-cabin layout will work well for owners who will be living aboard for long periods and may want to add a genset, extra tankage, and all of the sundry gear and equipment cruisers always collect along the way. The aft cabins are large by any standard. The berths are wide and long enough for standard-issue Americans and there is plenty of headroom. Quarter cabins can be dark and cavernous, but the 45’s designers solved this problem by adding large windows—with shades—facing aft into the cockpit and ample ventilation via the deck hatch and opening port.

The forward cabin has a queen-size double berth on the centerline so you can make the bed easily from the sides and climb in and out without trampling your bedmate. The storage and hanging lockers offer plenty of space for a couple’s clothing and stuff, and the large drawer under the berth will be a great home for linens, blankets and offseason clothing.

Both of the heads on the 45 have separate shower stalls that are partitioned with bi-fold acrylic doors. The forward head is slightly smaller than the aft head, but is still plenty large enough for all of its intended purposes. The after head will double as the wet locker for foul weather gear while underway since it is at the foot of the companionway ladder.

The saloon has the L-shaped galley to port, a bench settee to port and the eight-person dinette to starboard. At the foot of the companionway, the galley is well lit, well ventilated and has plenty of storage space for living aboard. There is a top-loading fridge-freezer and a side-loading fridge, so you will never run out of cool beverages and can carry a lot of perishables for the long haul. The double sinks are outboard, so they may not drain when hard on the starboard tack; but if they don’t drain, the skipper has probably got the main strapped in too tightly, which makes the boat heel more than it should!

It is interesting that chart tables have gradually disappeared from modern cruising boats over the last decade. Now that most of us navigate with chartplotters in the cockpit, that means that we also have our paper charts, tide tables and cruising guides in the cockpit in fine weather. This makes sense. On the 45, the port settee is the nominal chart table and has been configured with a creative system of three folding seats that each convert into a table. So, you can have three side-by-side seats or you can flip up a table to create a chart table, or a serving table next to the galley, or a card table between two forward and aft seats. Radios, sat phones, instrument repeaters and other nav instruments can be mounted in the cabinet above the seats.

The fit and finish of the new Beneteau has been styled by Nauta Design with a very modern, somewhat angular look. The veneer on the boat we sailed was a teak-like wood called Alpi that has a uniform grain and very consistent color. The interior is warm and nods to tradition but is still very 2011.

Four of us slept on the boat that night—one in each of the separate cabins, and I on the bench in the dinette. This worked well and if anyone snored, no one complained, or possibly no one heard it.

BWS THOUGHTS
The new production boats coming in from Europe, where the companies are coming out with new models every year, are evolving quickly. The extremely wide transoms—and now the chines we see in the Oceanis 45 and other production boats—look massive next to a more traditional boat. The high topsides and low cabintops add to the visual mass of the boats, so they again look huge in comparison to traditional designs. Yet, form follows function. The new designs sail flatter and faster and are easier to sail than traditional boats, and the accommodations below are simply vaster and more comfortable.

Modern production techniques and economies of scale allow companies like Beneteau to buy materials, gear, spars and engineering at very competitive prices, which allows them to pass along savings to their owners. In our view, the value proposition of the new Oceanis 45 and other boats in this category has never been better. In the Oceanis 45, you really do get a lot of boat and a lot of ocean sailing capability for a very reasonable price.

Beneteau Oceanis 45
LOA45’5”
LWL42’10”
Beam14’9”
Draft7’1”
Draft (shoal)5’9”
Displacement21,048 lbs.
Ballast6,191 lbs.
Ballast (opt)6,693 lbs.
Sail area1,130 sq, ft.
Fuel53 gals.
Water151 gals.
Engine54-hp. Yanmar
Design: Berret- Racoupeau
Styling: Nauta Design

Beneteau USA
Marion, SC
Phone: (843) 629-5300
Fax: (843) 629-5309
www.beneteauusa.com

In Boat Rat’s Tip: Rust Not, Want Not, Pete Dubler writes about putting your engine up for a long rest.  In BWS Interviews, the king and queen of cruising, Lin & Larry Pardey, discuss romance, encouragement and weathering storms.  In Practical Passagemaker: The Beautiful Haul, Patrick Childress writes about the benefits of doing boat work in New Zealand.  In Cruising Life: Relationship Maintenance on Board, Rachel Robertson discusses essential strategies for balancing ” me time” with “us time”.  In Blue Water Boats, BWS takes a look at the classic Mark Ellis designed motorsailer the Bruckman 50 MKII. And as we approach the holiday season,  George discusses “The Gift of Sailing” in Captain’s Log.

THE GIFT OF SAILING •

The whole gift swapping tradition is great, but this is also the season when we have a chance to make a gift to those who need our help in one way or another. And since we are sailors, giving the gift of sailing to people who might otherwise find it difficult or impossible to get out on the water for financial or physical reasons is a wonderful idea.

Almost every city near a body of water has a community sailing center, if not two or three. Some are not-for-profit and some are open membership clubs, which are often break-even enterprises at best. Community sailing centers are the places where kids who might never get a chance to go sailing otherwise can learn the ropes and discover how to manage a small sailboat. It can be a life changing experience. So why not make a donation to your local community sailing center? Even a small amount can make a real difference.

For some, physical disabilities stand in the way of getting out on the water. The original sailing organization dedicated to serving disabled sailors was called Shake-a-Leg. Founded in 1982 in Newport, RI, Shake-a-Leg has helped more than 10,000 sailors with disabilities go sailing and racing. The organization runs regattas and has been involved with a wide range of corporations and sponsors. Rebranded as Sail to Prevail in 2010, the organization continues to lead the way in providing access to sailing and was instrumental in getting the Paralympics to accept sailing as a recognized sport. To make a donation, visit www sailtoprevail.org.

An offshoot of Shake-a-Leg Newport is Shake-a-Leg Miami, which operates year-round and has earned a reputation for excellent on-the-water sail training as well as a broad base of fitness and wellness education programs. As a vacation destination or for Miami residents, Shake-a-Leg Miami offers participants an innovative package. To make a donation, go to www.shakealegmiami.org.

A new organization that offers water-based activities for returning U.S. veterans, particularly those with injuries and other disabilities, has sprung up in South Florida. Veterans Ocean Adventures has joined forces with Shake-a-Leg Miami for the sailing portion of their activities, which are usually sunset cruises, couples cruises and other low-impact, fun experiences for vets who want to get into sailing. If you want to say thanks to the men and women who serve you, make a donation at www.vetssailing.org.

So, this year, as well as filling up the family stockings with shackles, sea boots and handheld GPS devices, why not think outside the stocking and give the gift of sailing to those who will really appreciate it?

Bruckmann 50 MKII

The breeze was light and there was a little chop, but the boats were able to fill their sails and gathered speed to about 4 knots in the 8 knots of wind. The boats were sailed by their owners—Dan Betty from Andover, MA, Keith and Diana Anderson from Montgomery, TX, and John Cryer and Edna Ramos from Houston, TX—so they were somewhat shorthanded for close maneuvers. Still, one by one, the 50s formed up on Dan Betty’s 50 and we were able to more or less get them sailing in formation through all angles of sail. You wouldn’t normally think of displacement motorsailers as nimble, but the 50s were fully capable of sailing close and turning smartly when called upon to do so.

As we wrapped up the photo shoot, the three boats waved so long and headed off in their own directions for the choice cruising grounds of Nantucket Sound. It was only by coincidence that the three owners and their boats were all together in Falmouth at the same time. Yet it is no coincidence that Falmouth Marine has become the boatyard and marina favored by Bruckmann 50 owners over the years. Dan Betty has been keeping his boats at the yard for many years and has worked closely with the yard to maintain and improve his own 50. So when new owners come along, Dan often persuades them to join him in Falmouth. The yard is now the certified Bruckmann service yard in New England.

The Bruckmann 50 has earned the reputation of being one of the best-designed, best built cruising motorsailers available anywhere. The hull was designed from the keel up to combine the best qualities of a displacement sailboat with the load carrying ability and buoyancy aft of a displacement powerboat. This was no easy task, but Canadian yacht designer Mark Ellis got it right. The 50 is a true 10 knot boat that can achieve top speed under power, under sail with 15 knots of breeze or more, and when motorsailing.

DESIGN CHANGES

Over the years, owners have worked with Mark Bruckmann and Mark Ellis to create their own semi-custom 50s, and with yards like Falmouth Marine to modify and upgrade the boats. This year, Mark Bruckmann took many of the ideas that owners have put into their boats to create the new Mark II version.The biggest change to the design is the addition of an extended stern platform that lengthens the waterline, adds balance to the boat, offers an excellent boarding and swim platform, and provides a place to stow a dinghy while underway. The platform looks good on the stern and completes the boat in a very useful way.

The other significant design change is the addition of a 200hp John Deere engine as an optional upgrade. The boats so equipped have proven to be true 10 knot cruisers and can maintain near hull speed while burning less than five gallons of diesel per hour. The John Deere engines are quiet, powerful and have long lives when well maintained. Since you tend to use the engine all the time aboard a motorsailer, these qualities are important.

Owner Keith Anderson has been involved with farming all of his life, so when he learned that the 50 came with a John Deere engine as standard equipment he took it as a sign that the boat was right for his family.

LIVING ABOARD
Before we set out for some synchronized sailing, I was offered tours of the three Bruckmann 50s in Falmouth. They were all similar on deck, with roller furling headsails and Forespar Leisure Furl booms for the mainsails. The boats are designed to be cruised by a couple, so sheets, halyards and reefing control lines all lead aft to the cockpit and electric winches are standard.

Down below, each boat reflected the subtle differences between the owners in the layout of the furniture, the type of seats and the navigator’s chair in the pilothouse. Yet each offered complete 360º visibility through the huge pilothouse windows, so the inside steering station was the spot for standing watches and handling the boat at night or in cold, wet weather. For those who cruise in the higher latitudes, the Bruckmann 50 is truly a three- or even four-season cruising boat.

But the 50 is also set up for real indoor-outdoor living when cruising warmer climes. The pilothouse and large cockpit are linked via a large, watertight door and two opening windows. The cockpit has long benches and a lovely teak table with drop leaves that will seat six for dinner. In the tropics or on warm northern evenings, this is where the family will gather for sundowners and meals.

Forward and down two steps from the pilothouse, you’ll find the huge ship’s galley to port and the study or lower lounge to starboard. Keith and Diana Anderson love to cook, so the galley was a huge factor in their choice of the 50. It wraps around in a large U-shape with the stove and oven outboard, the sinks on the centerline forward, and the huge fridge freezer under the counter aft. With cabinets and drawers everywhere, the galley is truly a seagoing kitchen.

Across from the galley is the study, library or TV nook depending on how you want to set it up. On all three of the boats, this was also the laundry since the owners had full frontloading washers and dryers built in with access through two low doors. With gensets and high capacity watermakers, these boats are truly self-sufficient and as convenient as any home.

The guest cabin lies off the hall that runs forward to the master stateroom and can be set up in a number of configurations, including converting it into an office. The master stateroom forward has a large centerline double berth, ample drawer and locker storage, and two large hanging lockers. The forward cabin is large and airy and will be a very comfortable home while cruising.

John Cryer noted that he and Edna had looked at a lot of boats. They had owned a Beneteau 47.7 and were looking for what John called their “last boat.” They had discussed a custom design and met with several high-end semi-custom builders.

“It came down to the Y-Factor,” said John. “When Edna compared the living spaces and cruising accommodations on the boats out there, nothing suited our needs better than the Bruckmann 50.”

Dan Betty is a serial boat owner and has enjoyed both sailboats—a Mason 44 and a Northeast 400 motorsailer—and powerboats—a Hatteras 41, a Mathews 46 and an Atlantic 47—so he knew what he was looking for in his next and perhaps last boat. The 50 combined the best qualities of all of the great boats that he’d already owned.

One of the qualities in the boats that sets them apart is the classic Bristol or Herreshoff styling in the finish work below decks. Mark Bruckmann creates interiors that have white bulkheads that are trimmed and detailed with brightly varnished mahogany or teak. Drawer handles, hinges and latches are sturdy classic designs. Ports and hatches are all top of the line. The engine room under the raised pilothouse is a joy to look at and work in, with good access to all engineering systems.

The Bruckmann 50 MkII is a lovely and capable cruising boat, and with the addition of the stern platform and the optional 200hp engine, this great design has only gotten better.

BRUCKMANN 50 MKII
LOA51’2”
LWL44’6”
Beam15’5”
Draft6’0”
Displ.45,000 lbs
Ballast16,000 lbs.
Sail area1,135 sq. ft.

Bruckmann Yachts
2265 Royal Windsor Drive
Mississauga, ON L5J 1K5
CANADA
Ph: 905-855-1117
www.bruckmannyachts.com

In  Classic Passages: A Bounty of Adventure, Edo Ankum writes about chasing history down the Swahili coast. In Practical Passagemaker: New river Exit, we take a look at 10 tricks for a successful Gulf Stream crossing. In Seamanship: Emergency Medicine fir the Largest Wilderness, Jill Dubler writes about how to brush up on responding when things go wrong offshore. And in Captains Log, George discusses going green in “Go Green, Go Sailing.”

GO GREEN, GO SAILING

Wind generators are the real workhorses of onboard energy generation. The modern units are fairly compact, and much quieter and more efficient than earlier models. The ability to generate up to 400 or 500 watts in 12 or more knots of breeze all day and night can make you completely self-sufficient and able to live without running the diesel engine or genset to top up the battery bank. 

There are further steps you can take to reduce your onboard energy needs. LED lights are now available in colors that truly give the warmth and appeal of incandescent bulbs. Running lights, cockpit lights and even flashlights can be had with LED bulbs. Although LEDs seem expensive, the initial cost is quickly amortized as you save on energy and extend bulb life.

Air conditioning has become popular on cruising boats, but running AC units requires a lot of power, so you either have to be plugged into shore outlets or run a generator. A greener solution is to use awnings to create shade, wind scoops to direct breeze below decks and low-energy fans to cool your bunks.

You can reduce your carbon footprint afloat significantly if you opt to sail instead of motor to your next destination. Using good light wind sails such as a spinnaker, MPS, reacher or code zero will give you horsepower to maintain good headway even in light airs. Swapping out your fixed blade prop for a folding one will add up to a knot of speed under sail. You may discover that you prefer sailing to motoring anyway.

Reducing the consumption of fossil fuels will help decrease your carbon footprint. But we also want to work toward using products aboard that do not emit toxins into the environment. Copper-based antifouling paint is the main toxin sailors put into the water. But you can go green. ePaint, for example, produces a non-polluting antifouling coating that uses UV technology to defeat slime and barnacles.

There is much we can do to reduce the carbon and other toxins we put into the environment while cruising. For more on hybrid electric power conversion, check out Pip Wick’s article “Power Play” on page 44. And for a look at non-polluting composting toilets for boats, read Pete Dubler’s “No Jokers on This Boat” on page 48.

Most sailors are born nature lovers, so it is no big thing for us to think about going green when we think about going sailing. We just have to do it.

Survey Says:

(Prices from June 3, 2010 Papeete [$1.00 U.S. = ± 89.36 Polynesian Francs (XPF) and July 26, 2010 Pago Pago – prices converted to US currency for ease of explanation)

In  Classic Passages, Jessica Rice Johnson writes about building a cruising cat in New Zealand as a Maryland family starts their homeward journey. In Blue Water Boats, we take a look at the Tartan 4700. In Fitting Out, blue water veterans chime in on essential cruising items. And in Captains Log, George discusses the “Roller Furling Revolution.” Also, be sure to view Bill Biewenga’s essential gear list and check out Marcia Paravia’s Pacific provisioning spreadsheet.

ROLLER FURLING REVOLUTION

Ted Hood, the sailmaker, yacht designer and equipment inventor, came up with one of the first roller furling headsail systems that really worked because it had swivels at the head and tack that effectively flattened the reefed sail. And singledhanded round-the-world race winner Philippe Jeantot won the first BOC Challenge with a Profurl roller furling headsail system, proving that the gear was truly blue water capable. The revolution had begun.

In-mast roller furling evolved from systems mounted on the aft side of the mainmast. The in-mast systems made handling the mainsail a snap and soon found their way onto boats in charter fleets, where thousands of sailors discovered just how convenient the systems are. But the drawback to in-mast furling is the poor sail shape; the sails have to be cut very flat so they will roll smoothly around the mandrel inside the mast. Without much draft and no roach—no horizontal battens to support it—the sails are not very efficient and really lack horsepower. Vertical battens allow the sailmakers to add about 15 percent more sail, which helps a bit.

In-boom roller furling, which was also pioneered by Hood, eliminates this problem. You can build the best looking, most efficient mainsail with a good draft and plenty of roach and full battens and it will still roll right into the boom. Forespar Leisure Furl, Schaefer and others have developed systems that work. But in-boom furling can be tricky since the angle of the boom to the mast (89.5 degrees) is critical to get an even roll around the mandrel. Experienced sailors have little problem with the systems, but novices have to develop the required skills.

It is amazing how roller furling systems have changed sailing. No more cold, wet nights on the foredeck changing sails, no more struggling with mainsail reefing lines at the mast, no more folding and bagging genoas or furling and lashing a stiff mainsail. Sailing is much easier now, so we all should be sailing more. That’s a revolution I can fight for.

Tartan 4700 •

Last fall, a customer from Long Island Sound approached new Tartan dealer McMichael Yachts in his search for the perfect family boat. He had been looking at the Tartan 5300, which he thought was too large for his needs, and he liked the Tartan 4400, but felt it was too small. What to do?

McMichael’s sales manager threw the question to Tartan’s design chief Tim Jackett and new owner Steve Malbasa, who came back with a solution. Expand the 4400 by three feet to accommodate a larger after cabin, add an upper and lower cabin forward next to the master cabin, and build a really tall rig that will spread enough canvas to perform well in the light summer airs commonly found on Long Island Sound.

And so the new 4700 was born. Amazingly, Tartan was able to deliver the new boat six months later, just in time for the 2011 summer cruising season. Meanwhile, Tartan was also developing the new 4000 for this year’s launch and starting a new racer-cruiser for their sister company C&C—all of which means a lot of creative activity in the midst of the current recession.

SEA TRIALS

BWS had the opportunity to test sail the new 4700 in June. The afternoon was sharp and clear and the sea breeze was filling in nicely as the land around Mamaroneck, New York, heated up in the midday sun.

We motored out into the sound, giving the boat a bit of a run through under power. The engine is mounted below the raised saloon floor and the room is well insulated, so we could barely hear the motor from the cockpit. With a folding prop on the shaft, the boat powered up nicely and slipped along at a comfortable 8 knots at cruising revs. The boat has a single wheel with a rack and pinion steering system, so the feel of the rudder under power is positive.

The boat we were sailing, Glory, has a Leisure Furl in-boom mainsail system instead of the standard Tartan pocket boom. We powered clear of the channel and headed into the wind. The big mainsail rolled out neatly with the halyard on an electric winch and looked great with full and half-length battens. Falling off onto starboard tack, we rolled out the self-tacking jib and sheeted it home. The big 47-footer put her shoulder down and gradually gained speed until we were sailing at 7+ knots in the 10 to 12-knot breeze. The helm still felt positive and the balance was very good.

We made a few tacks without having to trim at all and then fell off the breeze, rolled up the jib and rolled out the flat cut reacher. Tartan calls this headsail arrangement with a self-tacking jib and a reacher their Cruise Control Rig.

Off the wind with the reacher drawing, the 4700 really gathered her skirts and began to fly. As mentioned, the rig is tall—almost as tall as that on the 5300—so with full main and full reacher, we were spreading a lot of canvas. But even so, the 4700 didn’t lose her footing in the puffs and stood up very nicely, transforming wind pressure into boat speed.

The boat is easy to sail from the cockpit, so a cruising couple who are comfortable handling an in-boom roller furling mainsail will find the boat fast, weatherly and a real pleasure to sail. For those who want simplicity to rule, the pocket boom system with lazy jacks will also work very well.

LIVING ABOARD

The owner of the new 4700 sails with his wife and children and often with the children’s friends as well. The boat needed to accommodate at least six sleeping and six on a single berth so they could all watch a movie together.

The configuration that Tim Jackett and the owner came up with is a modification of the 4400. The after cabin in the 4700 now runs the full width of the boat and has full headroom across the forward end of the big double berth. There is a large TV mounted in the bulkhead so the family can all lounge on the big berth. The aft head has been positioned at the level of the raised saloon and has a full shower stall.

To fit in the two cabins forward, the master stateroom has been slightly reduced in size and the forward head shifted forward into the cabin and made a bit smaller. There is no shower forward. The smaller second cabin forward has upper and lower bunk berths, which have proven very popular with the kids.

The galley on the 4700 is very similar to that on the 4400, which is to say that it is an amazing seagoing galley for a boat of this size. The top-loading fridge and freezer are under the main counter. The four-burner stove is outboard. The twin sinks are nearly on the centerline, where they will drain well on both tacks. Under the sinks, you have access to the fresh water manifolds and other systems that need to be handy.

The raised saloon is somewhat unique among boats of this style since you can sit in the dinette and actually see through the large windows all around you. The dinette is oval and four or five can sit comfortably around the table. With the addition of two folding chairs, six can dine together.

The chart table to starboard has a proper table that will hold a ChartKit and ample vertical surfaces for mounting radar, chartplotter, radios and more. This will be the 4700’s command central with the added advantage that you can see forward and to both sides while seated—a valued feature when making cold or rainy passages.

The 4700 has a lovely finish down below with solid stock cherry doors, cabinet fronts and drawers, all with elegant raised-panel styling. The bulkheads are cherry veneers, while the overheads and the inside of the cabin sides are an off-white laminate. The combination of varnished cherry, meticulous joinery, white laminate and large windows creates a living space that is warm, homey and bright.

For living aboard over a weekend or a year, the 4700 has the space, the light and the atmosphere to make life extremely comfortable.

CONSTRUCTION & ENGINEERING

Among production boat builders, Tartan sets themselves apart by using exotic materials and building techniques to create hulls and decks that are lighter and stiffer than average. The hulls are foam-cored, epoxy-infused laminates that offer superior strength-to-weight ratios. The vacuum bag technique enables the company to build with very high glass-to-resin ratios, which makes the hulls light and extremely strong. The insides of the hulls are painted with epoxy to completely seal the laminate. Because of this building method, Tartan offers a 15-year hull warranty against structural or blister damage.

The decks are epoxy and E-glass structures with end-grain balsa coring for stiffness and strength. Like the hulls, the decks are vacuum bag-infused laminates. All stress areas, such as under winches or high load deck fittings, are solid laminate and supported with backing plates. When you walk on deck, you never feel the flat areas flexing; down below, the balsa core acts as sound and heat insulation, too.

The 4700 can be built with either Tartan’s shoal draft Beavertail keel or a traditional keel-centerboard configuration. In either case, the keels are high quality lead castings that are faired and sealed with an epoxy overcoat. The rudder is a high aspect cruising spade with a carbon fiber rudderpost and a rack and pinion gearing system.

Tartan uses Forespar’s Marelon thru-hull fittings and seacocks, so you never have to grease them and they will never fail due to corrosion. The rudder hangs are high-density synthetic bearings and the post is sealed with a Gator rudderpost seal.

The 4700’s rig, like all of the rigs in the Tartan line, comes standard with a carbon fiber mast and unique carbon fiber pocket boom; the use of carbon fiber reduces weight aloft significantly, thus reducing the boat’s tendency to pitch and roll. Plus, lighter weight adds to sailing performance. The Leisure Furl boom on Glory was added as a labor saving option.

The Cruise Control Rig on the new 4700 has Harken electric roller furling systems on the jib and reacher so we were able to deploy, reef and furl the sails with buttons on the binnacle at the helm. Very convenient.

The engineering systems are all assembled with ease of maintenance and sound insulation in mind. The engine room lies beneath the raised saloon floor, so you fold up the floor and climb down into the space to work on the engine and genset. The compartment is well insulated with lead-foam insulation.

A lot of equipment that might be an option on another boat comes standard on the 4700. The alternator has been upgraded to 100 amps and supplied with a smart charger. The battery bank, which can be expanded, starts at 480 amp hours with two 8D house batteries. A Mastervolt sine wave inverter allows you to run all of your 110-volt appliances, such as a microwave oven.

The plumbing system includes two marine heads and two 24-gallon holding tanks with Y-valves for overboard discharge at sea. With 200 gallons of fresh water in the tanks, a watermaker is not a necessity. And the 10-gallon hot water heater provides ample hot water for everyone to have quick “navy style” showers.

As we poked around the 4700’s engineering spaces, we were impressed at how neat and seamanlike all of the installations are and how well Tartan’s craftsmen have finished all of the hidden spaces.

For those who want a boat with reliable long-term systems that are installed so you can easily perform routine maintenance, the 4700 is a shining example of how to do it right.

BWS THOUGHTS

We sailed the Tartan 4400 offshore from Newport, RI to Annapolis, MD several years ago and were impressed by the boat’s sea-keeping qualities and high average speed on a long haul.

No doubt, the 4700, with its extra tall rig, will offer even better performance. And, with a longer waterline it will be less liable to pitch in a seaway. The 4700’s transom looks right on the boat and adds just enough to the lines to really enhance the hull’s overall look. Plus, the extra length adds to the spaciousness of the cockpit and after swim platform. The

Tartan 4700 is a great family cruising boat that has been built to last and equipped to serve her owners well for generations. The new boat fulfills the demands of Tartan’s 50-year legacy extremely well by combining design integrity with high quality construction and a dedication to delivering the best solutions for cruising sailors.

Tartan 4700
LOA 47’0”
LWL 39’0”
Beam 14’1”
Draft 6’3”
Ballast 9,750 lbs.
Displacement 28,000 lbs
Sail area 1,038 sq. ft
Water 200 gals.
Fuel 80 gals.
Holding 48 gals
Engine 100 hp. Diesel
Sail area/Displ. 18.09
Ballast/Displ. 35
Displ./Length 210

Tartan Yachts
One High Tech Ave.
Painesville, OH 44077
Ph: 440-357-7777
Website: www.tartanyachts.com

In our Boat Show Preview,  European designs dominate the new boat scene this fall, but American builders have also stepped forward with some innovative and interesting cruising boats. In Blue Water Boats, the new Dufour 405 Grand Large combines a sweet performance hull and rig with a classic yacht style interior.  In Exotic Destinations, we take a look at Thailand, San Blas Islands, and The Med.  In Captains Log, George discusses life without a GPS.

LIFE WITHOUT GPS

As it happened, I had just gotten back from a week of cruising around the islands of southern New England aboard our 45-foot sloop without the aid of GPS or chartplotter—the first time we’d cruised coastally without these digital aids in many years. We had a few days of hazy weather, but thankfully no dense fog.
Still, navigating even these familiar waters without the tools we were used to was a different experience that required more planning, vigilance and time at the chart table. Out came the paper charts, the parallel rules, the dividers and the hand bearing compass…all tools we always carry but never use.

Frankly, even though we have sailed one-and-a-half times around the world, we were a little rusty when it came to dead reckoning and old school navigation. Did we have to add variation to the true course or subtract it? It took a moment to remember that “east is least and west is best.”

One blustery afternoon, we were running downwind in a smoky sou’wester against a strong ebbing tide and towing the dinghy when we determined it would be prudent to seek shelter in a deep cove ahead. Visions of a flipped dinghy danced in our heads. But where was the cove in all that dense haze?

We closed on the coast and took a couple of bearings on known headlands, then fixed a pencil position on the chart. Okay. Now we figured that we had 2 knots of current pushing us sideways while we were making a bit of leeway in the other direction as we reached across the breeze. Umm. With the parallel rules, we shaped a straight course, then did a little time-on-distance math, came up with a rough vector to steer and plotted that course on the chart. By the way, this was a virgin chart unmarked by pencils or even human hands.

We steered the calculated course, and in roughly the time predicted, the headland we were looking for emerged from the haze. We found the little white lighthouse slightly hidden behind it and sailed into the lovely calm water in the protected cove where we dropped the hook. And then we let out a sigh of relief. We hadn’t done that in a while.

The good news is that we remember how to navigate the old fashioned way. The bad news is that we can’t wait until the GPS gets back from the shop! And, yes, we have voiced our concern to the FCC about GPS’s future through the Save Our GPS website. I hope you will, too.

The new DUFOUR 405 GRAND LARGE

So it was a pleasure to see several other mid-size sloops tacking down Narragansett Bay one afternoon last July when we were out sail-testing the new Dufour 405 Grand Large. We had motored out of the marina at New England Boatworks, rolled out the in-mast furling mainsail and the genoa, and set off to see how the new design sails. The 405 does not come standard with a roller furling mainsail, but this boat had been spec’d out with one by the local dealer Northstar Yacht Sales, so launching the mainsail was a snap.

With twin wheels in the cockpit, I was able to sit to leeward, where I could see the genoa telltales and keep an eye on the mainsail trim. While you can’t see anything to windward from the leeward steering position, I did have a great view of everything to leeward and for me this is the place to sit when sailing upwind.

We threw the 405 through a few tacks to see how she performed and were pleased to see that the boat tacks comfortably inside 85 degrees and makes very little leeway when hard on the wind, even with the optional shoal draft keel. The afternoon sea breeze was building, so we had a pleasant 10 to 12 knots of wind. The 405 sailed comfortably at 7 knots hard on the wind in this breeze.

The cockpit is well laid out for handling the sheets with the mainsail trimmed on a winch on the cabintop and the genoa on large cockpit winches that are at a good height and easy to crank. Under the cockpit sole between the twin wheels, a neat life raft locker has been built in. And, the 405’s transom folds down, creating a large and useful stern platform with a retractable swim ladder built into it. We took a long board across the bay so we could engage the other boats tacking southward into the sea breeze. There were two production racer-cruisers in our size range and a couple of smaller boats. We reeled in the smaller guys effortlessly and soon had the larger boats in our sights. We were probably paying closer attention to sail trim than the other guys, but still the 405 sailed higher and faster than they did. From a mile astern, it took us less than an hour to get almost a mile ahead.

Satisfied that we had won, we eased sheets and jibed our way back toward the marina. Downwind, the 405 can be sailed wing and wing, but we wanted to see how the boat would do at deep reaching angles. At about 150 degrees apparent wind, with the genoa drawing fully, the 405 slipped along at an easy 7 knots in the 10 to 12 knots of true breeze. The boat seems to make its own wind once it gets in the groove and moving nicely. The new Dufour 405 was a pleasure to handle under sail. The helm was light, the boat sailed very close to the wind, and both up and downwind showed a good turn of speed. Whether cruising or racing, the boat will show her stern to a lot of boats in her class.

LIVING ABOARD

The 405 comes in two- or three-sleeping cabin versions. The boat we sailed had the two-cabin layout with a large centerline double berth forward and a double cabin aft to port. The opposite space where a third cabin could be installed is a handy cockpit locker and garage on the two-cabin version.

Both versions have two heads, with the after head home to the separate shower stall. The after head also has the commode facing forward, which is the best arrangement for use when at sea and heeled over.

The two-cabin version has an L-shaped “American-style” galley to starboard at the base of the companionway ladder. This will be a good seagoing galley and has plenty of counter and storage space. The fridge has both top and side access. The counters are Corian. The double sinks are in the outboard counter. The under-counter drawers and storage areas are neatly hidden behind doors that can be latched so you will never have the galley’s contents scattered across the floor when the boat lurches on a wave. The two-cabin version does not have a separate chart table, but uses the table between the single seats to starboard as command central. Instruments and the electrical panel are installed outboard. Most owners will install a chartplotter, which will be mounted on the after end of the cockpit table in full view of both helms. The table can be lowered to complete a full length settee that will also be a good sea berth.

The U-shaped dinette to port seats six with two sitting on the bench amidships. The bench provides a large central storage area. Additional storage is built in under the sole, including a large wine locker with built-in wine racks.

The interior is finished in a mahogany-colored wood called Moabi that has an attractive and traditional feel. The cabin sole is a modern Moabi veneer instead of the traditional teak and holly pattern. The cabintop and sides are off-white panels that really brighten the cabin and give it a Bristol-fashion feel. With two overhead opening deck hatches and opening side ports, the saloon will be well ventilated and bright. For a couple who often sails with friends, the two-cabin version will work nicely. For a family with children, the three-cabin version will certainly work better. In either case, the 405 offers a well thought out interior that works well underway or at anchor and is as modern and elegant as any of the new boats now offered on the market.

BWS THOUGHTS

The Dufour 405 Grand Large does just about everything right despite its somewhat redundant name. The boat sails well and will be fun for competitive sailors and cruisers alike. The boat has a Cat A Offshore rating, so you can feel comfortable taking on long coastal runs or going offshore for a ocean passage.

The cockpit and decks are well laid out, uncluttered and easy to move around, and forward, the anchor system has been set up for easy regular use. The fold-down stern platform will make getting in and out of the dinghy easy and is a great sunning and swimming platform.

The boat’s systems have been installed with regular maintenance and occasional repairs in mind. The engine compartment has good access from three sides. The fuel and water tanks, batteries, plumbing and electrical systems all meet or exceed the top Euro zone regulations and ABYC standards.

The Dufour 405 GL is a production boat with a difference. You can feel the company’s nearly 50 years of boat building experience in every aspect of the boat and can rest assured that it will serve you and your crew well for generations to come.

Dufour 405 Grand Large
LOA 39’10”
LWL 34’10”
Beam 13’2”
Draft (stand.) 6’7”
Draft (shoal) 5’8”
Sail area 881 sq. ft.
Water 100 gals.
Fuel 52 gals.
Engine 40-hp. Diesel

U.S. Contact: Eric Macklin
North American Representative for Dufour Yachts
www.dufour-yachts.com
eric.macklin@dufour-yachts.com
Cell: (352) 871-0362

2011 BOAT SHOW PREVIEW • BAVARIA CRUISER 32 •

The 32 has an in-mast furling mainsail and a small roller furling jib. The jib is only 108 percent of the fore-triangle and sheets inside the shrouds. With tight sheeting angles, the boat sails to windward like a dream and tacks inside 80 degrees. Off the wind, the 32 is very easily driven and offers excellent speeds when broad reaching.

Down below, the 32 is huge for a boat of this size. The master cabin has a large double berth tucked aft under the cockpit and a smaller double cabin forward for kids or guests. The benches in the saloon can double as berths, too. The galley is aft at the foot of the companionway ladder with the aft-facing chart table next to it. The L-shaped dinette will seat four for dinner.

A great starter cruiser for a young family or a perfect downsize for an older couple who want to simplify their sailing life, the Bavaria Cruiser 32 offers great sailing qualities and a lot of living space below.

Specifications: LOA 32’9”; LWL 29’0”; Beam 11’3”; Draft 4’11”; Displ. 11,464 lbs.; Sail area 549 sq. ft. For more information, call 855-222-1120 or visit www.bavariayachts.com.

BAVARIA CRUISER 36 • Like its little sister, the Bavaria Cruiser 36 feels much larger than its length might imply. In fact, this boat feels bigger when stepped aboard, when it is hit by a puff of wind, and when you go below into the cabin.

The 36 has the same style rig as the 32, with an in-mast furling mainsail and a small jib that sheets inside the shrouds. Because the headsail is small, the boat is easy for a couple to tack and the sail can often be trimmed without having to grind the sheet winch.

The cockpit has long bench seats and the backs are ergonomically shaped to give lumbar support for comfort. Like all of the Bavaria Cruiser fleet, the 36’s transom folds down to create a large platform aft for sunning, swimming, donning SCUBA gear or climbing into the dinghy.

The 36 comes in either a two-cabin, one-head layout or a three-cabin, one-head plan. The first will probably appeal to couples who sail with friends, while the latter will be a good layout for a family. The boat has only one head, but the compartment is large and has a partition that converts it into a shower.

The interesting thing about the new Bavaria line is that owners have a lot of options when they spec out their new boats. You can choose from three different wood styles, floor patterns and numerous fabrics and colors. Bavaria has the capacity to build 3,000 boats a year, but they build each to its owner’s own personal requirements.

The Cruiser 36 will make a great family cruising boat that is small enough to be affordable but large enough to really be a floating home away from home.

Specifications: LOA 37’1”; LWL 32’5”; Beam 12’0”; Draft 5’4”; Displ. 15,432 lbs.; Sail area 742 sq. ft. For more information, call 855-222-1120 or visit www.bavariayachts.com.

The BAVARIA CRUISER 40 takes the company’s theme of large interiors in boats that sail very well and really puts it to great use. The 40 comes with only one accommodation plan—a three-cabin, two-head layout that emphasizes comfort.

The 40’s rig is proportionally slightly taller and larger than that of the 36 and thus the boat has a bit more sail power. This boat will sail at 8 knots in 12 knots of wind, so you get the idea.

The cockpit is large and laid out for easy sailing and outdoor living. With twin wheels, you always have a good view forward while steering or maneuvering around a marina. Plus, twin wheels open the aft end of the cockpit so you have direct access to the huge aft platform that is formed when the transom is folded down.

The interior has the galley along the port side of the saloon with a dinette that seats six to starboard. There is a good-sized chart table aft of the dinette. With almost seven feet of headroom throughout the interior and plenty of overhead hatches and ports in the cabin sides and hull sides, the interior is flooded with natural light and extremely well-ventilated.

The 40 will be plenty of boat for many couples or families since the sleeping cabins are so large, the heads so roomy, and the dinette and cockpit table well-designed for meals in all weather. Plus, the 40 sails very well indeed.

Specifications: LOA 4’6”; LWL 35’3”; Beam 13’0”; Draft 5’5”; Displacement 19,135 lbs.; Sail area 883 sq. ft. For more information, call 855-222-1120 or visit www.bavariayachts.com.

Bavaria builds three larger Cruisers—the 45, 50 and 55—but of these, only the CRUISER 45 will be in the U.S. this year.

The 45 is a big boat for a 45-footer. In fact the transom and after sections of the hull are so wide that Farr Yacht Designs equipped the boat with twin rudders to go with the twin wheels in the cockpit. This configuration means that one rudder is always in the water and fully functioning even when the boat is heeled over and clawing to windward. Twin rudders also make the 45 sail as if it were on rails, with fingertip control at all times.

The 45 has the same simple and efficient rig as the smaller boats, which drives it well even in light breezes. The cockpit is huge and has a drop-leaf table that will seat eight adults for a meal. The chartplotter can be installed neatly on the after end of the table, so it can be seen from both helms. The transom on the 45 has an electric motor to raise and lower it so you don’t throw out your back hoisting it into place. The platform is large enough for several people to sunbathe.

Down below, the 45 can be arranged with either a three-cabin, three-head plan or a four-cabin, three-head layout. The galley runs along the saloon’s port side and offers an acre of counter space. To starboard, the dinette wraps around a handsome dining table that will also accommodate eight for dinner. The chart table just aft of the dinette faces aft and has a nifty folding seatback that is part of the dinette.

The 45 will be a good family cruiser or will fit very nicely into a charter fleet. The cabins are large and comfortable, the living spaces huge and airy, and the eating arrangements great for crowds. The Cruiser 45 is a true liveaboard yacht.

Specifications: LOA 46’10”; LWL 41’8”; Beam 14’3”; Draft 5’8”; Displ. 27,777 lbs.; Sail area 1,151 sq. ft. For more information, call 855-222-1120 or visit www.bavariayachts.com.

BENETEAU OCEANIS 41 & 45 • This fall, Beneteau will unveil two new Oceanis models that carry on the Oceanis cruising traditions while incorporating some truly innovative design features to make the boats easier to sail and more comfortable to live aboard. The most notable feature in the new design is the high cockpit arch that anchors the main sheet and provides a rigid frame for a dodger and other cockpit enclosures. Both boats are truly set up for indoor-outdoor living, so the cockpits are huge and access up and down the companionway ladder is excellent.

The cockpits have twin wheels and an innovative folding transom system that fully encloses the cockpit when underway, then folds down electrically to form a swim platform when at anchor. Designed by Finot-Conq, the 41 and 45 have thoroughly modern rigs with the mast set fairly far aft and the headsail reduced to a slightly overlapping jib that sheets inboard of the side stays, which in turn have been moved outboard to the gunnel. With tight sheeting angles, the boats promise to be handy and close-winded while being easy to tack and jibe. For off-the-wind sailing, a reacher or asymmetrical chute will really add fun and power.

The Oceanis 41 has three accommodation plans to choose from. The two-cabin, one-head version offers a good quarter cabin aft and a large V-berth forward; this plan has a huge sail locker and storage area under the port cockpit seat. The three-cabin, one-head plan uses the sail locker space for a second aft cabin. The three-cabin, two-head version tucks a second head into the forward cabin, which replaces the small desk or vanity found in the other accommodation plans. In all three layouts, the after head has a separate shower stall. The saloon remains the same in all three versions, with the L-shaped galley aft to port and the dinette forward to starboard.

The Oceanis 45 is also offered with three optional accommodation plans. The two-cabin, two-head version has the same large storage area aft as seen in the 41. The three-cabin, two-head plan replaces the storage area aft with a second aft cabin. And, the three-cabin, three-head design equips each of the three cabins with its own en suite head; in this version, the shower stall in the aft head has been replaced with an expanded dinette storage compartment. Both of the new boats are being built in Beneteau’s plant in Marion, South Carolina, so they are truly American boats.

The new designs will be fast, weatherly and very comfortable to live aboard. And they offer the great value that Beneteau is known for worldwide.

Oceanis 41 specifications: LOA 41’9”; LWL 38’1”; Beam 13’9”; Draft 6’9”; Displ. 18,386 lbs. Oceanis 45 specifications: LOA 45’5”; LWL 42’10”; Beam 14’9”; Draft 7’1”; Displ. 21,054 lbs.

For more information, call 843-629-5309 or visit www.beneteauusa.com.

HAKE SEAWARD 46 • An innovative design from Hake Yachts in Florida, the new Seaward 46 is a shoal draft cruiser that is capable of extended offshore sailing. With a ballasted retractable keel and retractable rudders, the 46 can cruise in less than three feet of water. Yet, with the keel and rudders fully deployed, the boat will draw over seven feet and will be a stiff and stable platform for blue water sailing.

The big sister to the Seaward 32 and 26, both of which are shoal draft cruisers with retractable keels, the 46 is a raised deck saloon design with a large aft cockpit. The boat can be configured with either a single 75-horsepower diesel or twin 54-horsepower engines. And there is a “fishing” option that fits a fighting chair and rod holders at the stern.

The 46 has a fairly narrow 13-foot beam and a small but handy rig with a 100 percent self-tacking jib, so it should be easily driven even in light airs. The 46 has been in the works for a while and has already stirred up a lot of interest since there are not many retracting keel cruisers on the market, with the exception of Southerly Yachts in England. Look for the boat at the Annapolis Sailboat Show in October. Specifications were not available at press time.

For more information, call 727-287-3200 or visit www.seawardyachts.com.

HALLBERG-RASSY 372 • The new German Frers-designed Hallberg Rassy 372 is another cruiser under 40-feet that will appeal to couples and young families. The 372 replaces the popular HR 37.

HR has built more than 8,000 cruising boats over the years, so it is well established as one of the world’s cruising yacht leaders. The new 372 is slightly longer, beamier and more streamlined below the water than the 37. The rig is more than a meter taller, and the sail plan has been configured to fly a large mainsail and a small headsail that will be easy to tack and trim. A self-tacking jib option is available. The three-spreader rig can be fine-tuned with the standard backstay adjuster, and the chainplates for the shrouds are far inboard, allowing tight sheeting angles and keeping side decks uncluttered.

The 372 has a clean deck layout. The furling drum for the genoa is mounted below decks, as is the anchor windlass at the bow. Down below, the 372 offers classic HR quality with a U-shaped, seagoing galley, bench settees and storage for gear, groceries and spares. The chart table is across from the galley, while the head and shower are behind it. The forward cabin sports a large double berth, a vanity, hanging and storage lockers, and bookshelves. The after cabin has a huge double berth and additional storage.

The 372 was voted European Boat of the Year in 2010. The new design is a fine example of the great work HR does and just how much you can fit into a sleek and speedy 37-foot hull.

The HR 372 will make a great voyaging boat for a couple who like to sail fast and want to bring their comforts with them to sea.

Specifications: LOA 33’6”; LWL 29’5”; Beam 11’6”; Draft (deep) 5’6”; Displ. 12,400 lbs.; Sail area 625 sq. ft. For more information, contact Eastland Yachts in Essex, CT (860-767-8224), Free State Yachts in Deal, Maryland (410-867-9022), Swiftsure Yachts in Seattle, Washington (206-378-1110), or visit www.hallberg-rassy.com

HANSE 495 • This year, Hanse will introduce several new models, among them the stylish and innovative 495. A powerful modern cruising sloop, the 495 has a Judel-Vrolijk hull with a nearly plumb bow and squared-off transom. The hull’s sheer is fairly straight, so the boat’s profile makes it look purposeful and fast. Think of that long waterline.

On deck, the broad beam and low cabin house make the boat feel spacious. The cockpit is open aft, so the floor flows between the twin wheel back to the transom. The decks are uncluttered, and because the jib is a self-tacker on its own track, the chainplates and shrouds were moved outboard to allow unimpaired passages along the side decks. With teak decks and recessed hatches, a 495 will have a Wally Boat modern Euro look.

Down below, the 495 offers a large owner’s cabin forward with a centerline double berth and plenty of storage space. The head and shower are in separate compartments port and starboard. In the standard layout, twin quarter cabins aft have good headroom and plenty of lockers. Ventilation is via open deck hatches and ports that open into the cockpit. The aft cabins are served by a single head to port that has a nice big shower stall. The standard saloon plan has the galley along the port side and the large U-shaped dinette to starboard with a bench amidships to seat two more guests. The chart table is just aft of the dinette and close to the companionway. The styling evokes modern European furniture, with contrasting light and dark woods, sharp angles and expanses of open floor.

Hanse offers so many ways to customize your new boat that no two 495s will ever be the same. Fun to sail, comfortable down below, and a truly modern statement in cruising, the Hanse 495 will appeal to those who want the latest thinking and the ability to customize the look of their boat to a great extent.

Specifications: LOA 50’6”; LWL 44’5”; Beam 15’7”; Draft 6’9”; Displ. 30,900 lbs.; Sail area 1,390 sq. ft. For more information, call 978-903-0380 or visit usa.hanseyachts.com or www.hanseyachts.com.

MOODY 45AC • Hanse Yachts in Germany bought the Moody brand several years ago and came out at once with a truly innovative deck saloon or pilothouse model that turned a lot of heads. Since then, the company has gone back to designer Bill Dixon for a more traditional aft cockpit luxury cruising boat to fit the Moody brand.

The Aft Cockpit 45 is a modern sloop with a tall fractional rig and a sweet, traditional-looking hull with balanced ends and a springy sheer. The full battened mainsail is standard, but in-boom furling could be added without degrading sailing performance. The jib is self-tacking and runs to a track athwart the forward cabintop, making upwind sailing a snap. The 45’s cockpit has twin wheels, a folding transom and a lovely varnished table with folding leaves. A low windshield wraps around the companionway, keeping spray out of the cockpit and providing a good base for a canvas dodger.

Down below, the furniture is finished in varnished mahogany around accents of white panels and trim, so the whole effect is of traditional Bristol Fashion neatly modernized. Raised panel doors and drawers, some with wicker inserts to enhance ventilation, add a classic touch. The seagoing galley is at the foot of the companionway to starboard, while the head and shower are to port. Aft, the 45 AC has twin quarter cabins while the master cabin is forward with its own en suite head and shower. The dinette amidships is huge, and across from it are two easy chairs on either side of a small table that doubles as the nav station.

Hanse has made a serious effort to offer Moody as a truly upscale brand that will appeal to sailors who want a well designed, fine sailing yacht that is finished to the highest degree. Specifications: LOA 45’0”; LWL 40’1”; Beam 13’8”; Drat 7’3”; Displ. 26,895 lbs. Sail area 1,205 sq. ft. For more information, call 978-903-0380 or visit www.hanseyachts.com.

ISLAND PACKET 360 • Island Packet Yachts has been building seaworthy cruising boats for 30 years, and you will find them in the world’s best cruising grounds. With designer Bob Johnson’s Full Foil Keel, moderate sail area-to-displacement ratios, cutter rigs and self-tacking Hoyt Jib Boom Staysails, the line has a well earned reputation for easy motion in a seaway and high average speeds over the long haul. On IPY designs, you arrive at the end of the passage more rested than when you began.

This year, the company is adding to its line a 36-footer that is an evolution of the handsome and sweet sailing Estero.

The 360 is a salty and capable cruiser with a nice springy sheer, a short bowsprit that houses the anchors as well as the roller furling headsail, and a fairly low profile cabin that fits the hull neatly.

The cockpit has been designed for comfort and safety, so it is not overly large and will drain quickly if ever a wave came aboard at sea. All sailing sheets, halyards and control lines run aft, so you never have to leave the cockpit to add or reduce working sail.

The accommodation plan below offers a large double cabin aft with a neat V-style berth that allows you to swing your legs easily to the floor when getting up. This is a pleasant quarter cabin with ample ventilation, a hanging locker and plenty of space for clothes. The forward cabin has a traditional V-berth, hanging and storage lockers, and a private door to the large head. The saloon has the huge galley aft to starboard and an aft-facing chart table. The L-shaped dinette to port will seat four at the fold-down saloon table. Across to starboard, two swiveling easy chairs will make lounging, reading and watching TV just as comfortable as at home.

A great mid-size cruiser, the new IP 360 is a go-anywhere blue water yacht that will look after her crew as a proper yacht should.

Specifications: LOA 36’5”; LWL 31’6”; Beam 12’4”; Draft 4’0”; Displ. 19,300 lbs.; Sail area 831 sq. ft. For more information, call 888-724-5479 or visit www.ipy.com

HUNTER e33 • Hunter has long been a leader in offering sailors a wide range of boats, from sailing dinghies to 50-foot ocean cruisers. But the company may be best known for its mid-size cruisers, which offer expansive living spaces in boats that are easy to sail and handle.

The new e33 fits right into that mid-size segment and introduces an attractive new look for the Florida-based builder. With a sleek deck design and large cabin windows, the boat looks modern and fast. The hull has a wider transom than the earlier 33-footer and the bow has been given a narrower entry. The cockpit is large and comfortable for a boat of this size and has a neat fold-down transom that becomes a large swim platform. Hunter uses unique B&R rigs, with sharply swept back spreaders and no backstay. The main is quite large, while the headsail is small enough to be easy to tack. This rig is simple for a couple or even a singlehander to manage.

Over the last decade, Hunter has steadily refined their interior arrangements and the fit and finish of the joinery down below. The e33 has a large athwartships double berth in the after cabin that is tucked in under the cockpit and side deck on the starboard side. The forward cabin has a V-berth and plenty of storage for clothes, linens and towels. The galley has Corian counters, a large fridge and a two-burner stove with an oven below. The dinette to port will seat four easily. To starboard, the bench settee with be a good berth, or the middle section of the bench can be converted quickly to form a chart table. All of the boat’s instruments are accessible from the starboard settee.

A handsome addition to the Hunter line of sailboats, the new e33 offers a lot of accommodations in a cruising boat that will be easy to sail and comfortable for extended cruises.

Specifications: LOA 33’6”; LWL 29’5”; Beam 11’6”; Draft 4’6”/5’6”; Displ. 12,400 lbs.; Sail area 625 sq. ft. For more information, visit www.huntermarine.com.

JEANNEAU 379 • The success of the Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 409 that was introduced at last year’s Annapolis show, with its hard chine aft, fold-down stern platform and simple but powerful sloop rig, primed the market for more Jeanneaus of the same style. So this year, Jeanneau is launching the Sun Odyssey 379 and Sun Odyssey 439.

The 379 has a modern hull style with a nearly plumb bow, a squared-off transom and a low slung coach roof. The sloop rig has been set up for ease of handling and good performance. The mainsail is a slab reefed full batten main with lazy jacks. The mainsheets run aft on both sides of the coach roof to the cockpit winches, so the helmsman can trim while steering. The cockpit has been laid out for efficient sail trim. With twin wheels, access to the fold-down swim platform is excellent.

Below decks, the 379 comes in a two- or three-cabin version, both with a large head and separate shower stall. In the two-cabin version, the port quarter becomes a huge sail and storage locker and a small wet locker adjoins the head. In the three-cabin version, the port quarter becomes a sleeping cabin and the head is moved forward. The L-shaped galley is useful, and the dinette forward seats six with the drop leaf raised.

Specifications: LOA 37’0”; Beam 12’0”; Draft 5’0”; Displ. 14,740 lbs.; Sail area 753 sq. ft.

The new JEANNEAU 439 has a larger, beamier Philippe Briand hull that will translate into greater cabin volume and stability. The bow sections have a bit more hollow for a narrow entry, which will improve the boat’s motion and windward ability.

Like its little sisters, the 439 is all about good sailing aboard a comfortable boat.
Twin wheels give the helmsman great visibility forward and open the cockpit to the large swim platform.

Down below, the 439 makes use of the extra beam to offer an unusual four-cabin, two-head layout with two double quarter cabins, a V-berth cabin forward, and an upper and lower cabin forward of the main bulkhead. In the three-cabin, two-head version, the forward cabin gets a large centerline double berth and a large vanity or desk. The saloon has the seagoing galley aft and to starboard, where it is convenient to the cockpit and large dinette.

The fit and finish of the 379 and 438 is bright and airy, and multiple hatches and ports provide natural light and excellent ventilation.

Specifications: LOA 44’0”; Beam 14’0”; Draft 7’0”; Displ. 21,736 lbs.; Sail area 1,004 sq. ft.

The 44 DECK SALOON (DS) Sun Odysseys are all about elegance, style and comfort. From the swim platform aft to the bow rollers forward, the 44DS embodies the latest in Euro styling. The Philippe Briand designed hull is similar to the 439, but there the similarity ends.

The deck saloon cabintop has a kind of Audi TT curve that flows for the full length of the cockpit and cabintop to the foredeck. The huge side windows are tinted black and set off by dark gray moldings that run along the edge of the cabin. The halyards, sheets and control lines from the mast run in conduits on the cabintop, and the two-ended mainsheet runs under the deck to winches aft by the twin wheels.

The 44DS has a huge aft cabin, with a queen-size double berth under the cockpit and bridgedecks. For added headroom, cockpit soles have been raised and a wide bridgedeck added. The cockpit has a large table with drop leaves and a built-in chart plotter. Down below, the furniture is more angular and the cabinets are lower with an “interior designer” feel, which is not surprising since the styling was done by Franck Darnet. The use of bright white and contrasting black counter and tabletops sets off the wood veneers, cabinets and bulkheads, and the sharp stainless steel latches and fittings are a statement in elegance.

Aside from the full width after stateroom, the 44DS has two guest cabins forward and a second head. One of the cabins has a V-berth, while the others have an upper and lower single berth. The saloon is a trendy modern living space with a large galley, U-shaped dinette and bench settee.

The 44DS will make a fine cruising boat for a couple or family who wants their leisure time to be as elegant and modern as can be.

Specifications: LOA 44’0”; Beam 14’0”; Draft 7’0”; Displ. 21,450 gals.; Sail area 835 sq. ft. For more information, call 410-280-9400 or visit www.jeanneau.com.

The new OYSTER 625, which has been nominated for 2012 Boat of the Year in Europe, is a Rob Humphries design that dramatically upgrades the already popular previous boats in the Oyster line, the 61 and 62.

A center cockpit desk saloon design, the 625 has a modern sheer line capped by the new style of wraparound deck saloon windows that Oyster has used so successfully in recent models. The standard rig will have an in-mast furling mainsail and a cutter rig forward. This gives you a lot of trim choices and allows you to shorten sail in rising weather without leaving the cockpit. A Solent headsail rig and in-boom mainsail furling are options.

Down below, the 625 offers a true master stateroom aft with a queen-size double and plenty of storage and comfortable amenities. An owner and spouse will really feel at home here. Forward, two guest cabins are shown in the standard accommodation plan—a Pullman double cabin to starboard and an upper and lower cabin to port. The forepeak has been reserved for a single crewmember, with access to one of the en suite heads that adjoin the forward cabins. The saloon is spacious and will be full of light. The dinette is huge and will seat eight. The galley is in the passageway aft to port and will be an excellent seagoing galley. The chart table at the base of the companionway is a proper navigation command central where you can mount all of your radios, sat phone, chartplotters and radar. Plus, the table is large enough to spread out an old paper chart.

The new Oyster 625 is a handsome, high quality ocean sailing yacht that will keep you safe at sea, get you home quickly, and provide you with elegance and comfort along the way.

Specifications: LOA 63’7”; LWL 56’7”; Beam 17’10”; Draft 9’2”; Displ. 73,854 lbs.; Sail area 2,538 sq. ft. For more information, call 401-846-7400 or visit www.oystermarine.com.

The SABRE 456 was launched late last year and has drawn a lot of attention from both Sabre owners and would-be Sabre owners.

The Jim Taylor design is an upgrade of the Sabre 452 that was introduced several years ago with a new keel, new rig and modernized interior.

On deck, the 456 has a large, secure cockpit with high seatbacks and a single large destroyer wheel. The main sheet runs to the traveler forward of the dodger so the cockpit is not cluttered. The chainplates for the shrouds are well inboard for close sheeting angles on the genoa and to make going forward easier.

Down below, the forward cabin offers a large centerline double berth and a large en suite head with a separate shower stall. The guest cabin aft has a large double berth and plenty of storage space. The 456’s galley is one of the largest and best laid out in any boat of this size. Since you tend to live in the kitchen, the saloon has the feel of a large, homey country kitchen. The drawer-style pull-out fridge is an innovation that we feel sure will catch on in other designs. Sabre has revamped their interior joinery style with a slightly Japanese flair to the doors and cabinets, making great use of the spaces available and adding light to the cabins. Because the 456 is built to order, Sabre can really work with an owner to customize the boat to his or her needs.

A fine offshore quality boat built in “Maine style,” the 456 will carry you across oceans or the bay swiftly and comfortably.

Specifications: LOA 45’6”; LWL 38’4”; Beam 14’1”; Draft 5’6”; Displ. 27,150 lbs.; Sail area 1,043 sq. ft. For more information, call 207-655-3831 or visit www.sabreyachts.com.

The new Tim Jackett-designed TARTAN 4000, which was introduced last winter, embodies a lot of the new thinking that has gone into the boats and the company since it was purchased by Steve Malbasa last year. The new company is all about delighting customers with great boats and great service.

The 4000 really speaks to that mission. The cockpit is large and secure, with twin wheels for easy access to the fold-down stern platform. The seats are contoured for optimum comfort around the stowable cockpit table or when sailing hard. Tartan used their patented Cruise Control Rig, which uses a fully battened mainsail with a double headsail rig that deploys an inner upwind jib and a larger reacher on the outer roller. The CCR offers the best in both upwind and downwind sailing without forcing you to fly a spinnaker or even leave the cockpit.

Tartan is unique in the market by offering carbon spars, booms and rudders as standard equipment. Equally unique are the epoxy-infused hull and decks that are tougher, lighter and virtually impervious to osmosis. Down below, the cherry interior has a large centerline double berth and en suite head in the forward cabin. The sofa-style saloon with a fold-down table will be comfortable for up to eight. The galley offers lots of counter space, a large fridge and double stainless steel sinks. Across from the galley, the chart table is a traditional nav station where the skipper or navigator will be in command of all of the ship’s systems.

A fine new entry to the 40-foot cruising fleet, the new Tartan 4000 will be a great couple’s boat and is built to be a family heirloom, albeit one that you could sail across the ocean.

Specifications: LOA 40’ 8”; LWL 36’4”; Beam 13’0”; Draft 7’6”; Displ. 20,104 lbs.; Sail area 893 sq. ft. For more information, call 440-357-7777 or visit www.tartanyachts.com.

A semi-custom design that was spawned last year and launched late last spring, the new TARTAN 4700 expands upon themes introduced in the 4400 a few years ago.

On deck, the cockpit is huge and deep and will be very secure at sea. With twin wheels and a folding transom, the living space will feel vast while at anchor and with the platform lowered.

At sea, all buttoned up, you won’t mind running down the face of ocean rollers. The 4700 has Tartan’s Cruise Control Rig, so it is easy and efficient to sail upwind or off the wind and actually sails higher and faster than the 4400. The extra three feet add to the boat’s balance and waterline length, which translates into better performance all around.

Down below, a lot of attention has been given to making the boat a comfortable family home with good communal and private spaces. The large aft cabin is tucked under the cockpit, and the bridgedeck has been raised to provide full headroom across the cabin. The large aft head is next to it to starboard.

The 4700, like the 4400, has a raised dinette that offers good views through the deck saloon windows. And the chart table is raised as well, so you can easily stand watches inside the cabin with great visibility forward and to both sides. The engine room is beneath the raised saloon floor, where you have great access to the engineering systems. Forward, there is a large master cabin with an attached head and a third cabin with upper and lower bunks, which will appeal to children and their friends.

A fine new model in the Tartan line, the 4700 is a liveaboard, offshore quality yacht that offers all of the attributes of Tartans—epoxy hull and deck, carbon rig, carbon rudder, Beavertail shoal draft keel—in an exciting new package. Look for BWS’s full review and the new boat’s specifications in the October issue.

For more information, call 440-357-7777 or visit www.tartanyachts.com.

BAVARIA RISING •

After an overnight flight to Turkey and a good night’s sleep, I set off from the Alacati Marina aboard the brand new Bavaria 50 on a crystal clear morning for a day of sailing trials. Around us, the brown hills rose above a rocky and often chalk-white coastline. In the distance, hilltop wind turbines spun slowly, hinting of better breezes as the day wore on. Onboard was Daniel Kohl, product manager of sailboats for Bavaria, and sailing consultant Pete Meyer, who works closely with Kohl. Both are Olympic-quality sailors, so the day promised to offer a clear look at just how well the 50 performs despite the light breeze.

The 50 is a sister ship to the Bavaria 45, 40, 36 and 32, all of which were designed by Farr Yacht Design and styled by BMW Designworks USA. The Bavaria 55, which I have not yet had a chance to test, is the fleet’s flagship but has some noticeable design differences.

Up until recently, Bavarias were designed by the Slovenian J&J Yacht Design Group. The boats were traditional, 1990s-style moderate displacement cruising sloops that had proven very popular but had become dated. When Bavaria’s new corporate owners decided to completely redesign the product line, they aimed at improving the boats’ sailing performance and opening up and brightening the interiors.

The choice to partner with Farr ensured that the new line of cruisers would be fast, easy to sail and weatherly. On that lovely Med day in early June, we got a chance to put the new 50 through its paces and to have a thorough look at how the design and construction of the boat fulfills its purposes.

The Bavaria Cruiser design comes standard with in-mast roller furling mainsails and roller furling jibs. The 50 we were testing had a custom set of laminated sails that were handsome and purposeful as we rolled them out to meet the moderate but building westerly breeze. The mainsail had full height vertical battens with fractional battens between them to give the sail a nice roach and to keep the laminate flat and aerodynamic. The jib was cut to 108 percent of the foretriangle, so it could sheet inside the outboard shrouds and chainplates. This headsail arrangement makes the foresail easy to handle during tacks and jibes, while the close sheeting angle enables the boat to sail very close to the wind.

An interesting solution to mainsail trim, given the in-mast furling sail, is the way Bavaria has set up the main sheet. Leach tension and draft are always issues with in-mast furling sails since they have no battens on the leach and because the sail has to be cut flat to roll up neatly. Usually, such rigs have both a boom vang and a traveler to control sail shape. The vang trims the leach, while the traveler adds or subtracts power from the sail. Bavaria has eliminated the traveler, which many cruisers never use, replacing it with a dual mainsheet, mid-boom sheeting system. This setup allows you to adjust the angle of the sail relative to the wind in minute increments, acting just like a traveler, but simpler to use.

As we tacked out the channel and into the Med, we got a good feel for how the 50’s rig works with the hull design. The boat was a cinch to tack and trim. In the moderate breeze, we found that we had plenty of sail area upwind and that the 50 would carry her way through tacks nicely. The narrow sheeting angles allowed us to tack inside 80 degrees to the true wind—very close indeed for a full volume cruising boat with a roller furling rig.

Both the 50 and her smaller 45-foot sistership have twin rudders under the extra wide transom. These prevent the boat from stalling when heeled over and give the helmsman the feel of a boat running on rails. The 50 steers beautifully and surely, and you can find the “groove” upwind with fingertip control.

Off the wind, we hoisted the big reacher, which was stowed in a full-hoist spinnaker sock similar to an ATN snuffer but built by Elvstrom. The sail tacked down to the anchor rollers on the bow and sheeted through snatch blocks near the quarters. With the big sail drawing, the 50 leaped ahead nicely. Sailing at 140 degrees to the true wind, we achieved near hull speed of 9 knots in the modest 10 to 12 knots of wind. The 50 is a slippery design that will make enthusiastic sailors happy with its upwind and off the wind performance. And with the reacher really drawing in the puffs off the hills, the twin rudders kept the boat completely under control; even the autopilot had no problem steering through puffs.

On our way back to the marina, we rolled in the sails in order to put the boat through her paces under power. The 50 had the optional 72-horsepower Volvo diesel and a three-bladed Gori folding prop on the saildrive, so it was optimally set up for powering. With the prop in normal mode, the engine maxed out at 3400 rpms and drove the 50 at 9 knots in flat water. From full speed to full stop, with the engine hard in reverse, the 50 needed only three boat lengths. In reverse, there was no prop walk to speak of. And, with the Gori in “overdrive” mode, a unique function of these propellers, the engine maxed out at 2200 rpms and still achieved hull speed. The only hiccup with a single prop, twin rudder design is the lack of prop wash on the rudders at slow speeds around the docks to give you steerage; the 50 has to be moving for the rudders to bite the water effectively.

The 50 was a lot of fun to sail and easy for two people to handle upwind with the plain working sails and off the wind with the reacher flying. It was close-winded, fast on all points of sail and sailed best when trimmed for minimum heeling angles, which will please most crew. Under power, the boat handled surely underway and around the marina docks; with the lack of prop walk and the bow thruster, it was simple to moor despite its length and ample beam. The 50 is a great sailing family cruiser, but it can certainly be handled effectively by a couple on their own who will appreciate the rig’s simplicity and performance.

LIVING ABOARD

The Bavaria 50, like her sisterships, can be built with a fairly wide array of owner-specified arrangements and interior details. Because the boats are built to order in a high volume production facility in Bavaria, Germany, you can select the interior veneers, fabrics and cabin configurations to suite your tastes and needs. And you can add to the boat’s equipment from a long list of options. Boats that will be imported to North America by the new Bavaria distributor will have a lot of “options” spec’d out as standard equipment, so buyers can truly take possession of their new boats in cruise-away condition. Interestingly, if you order a Bavaria today, your brand new, semicustom boat can be in your slip and ready to cruise in about eight weeks.

The 50 we sailed was fairly tricked out with options. It had the three-cabin, three-head layout, which will be preferred by families who won’t be chartering the boat or sailing with masses of relatives. Four- and five-cabin versions are also available. Because of the 50’s 15 feet of beam and generous hull volume, it is possible to have side-by-side double cabins forward, quarter cabins aft and a pullman cabin with bunk berths tucked in forward.

The 50’s saloon has the chart table and galley to port and the huge dinette to starboard. With seven deck hatches, opening ports, sealed hull portlights and a light-colored vinyl overhead, the interior is full of light and well-ventilated. Each of the cabins and heads had opening deck hatches and cross-ventilation with opening ports.

The galley to port has a unique layout for a side-galley design since it is U-shaped and offers a sea cook plenty of places to brace a hip or knee while working with both hands in bumpy conditions. A stainless steel rail runs along the whole galley, so you always have a secure handhold and a place to fasten a galley belt.

The dinette will seat six comfortably and can accommodate eight in a pinch. There is a lot of storage under and behind the bench seats. This is where the family will gather for most evening meals and in cool or rainy weather; it is just like sitting around the kitchen table at home. In warmer conditions, the cockpit will be the center of family life since it is large enough to fit a crowd, and the centerline table will seat the whole family for al fresco meals. With a dodger and bimini fitted, the cockpit will be almost like a covered porch or patio.

One of the signature design features of the new Bavaria line is the wide, fold-down transom that converts from the back bulkhead of the cockpit into a nearly full-beam swim platform. On the 55, 50 and 45, the platform is raised and lowered with a small motor; on the smaller boats, you operate it by hand. The platform on the 50 is wide enough for four people to sit abreast and has a mountable ladder with four teak-clad steps that makes it simple to climb out of the water. With the stern platform raised, the cockpit is completely enclosed and secure; with the platform down, the aft quarter of the boat becomes a huge outdoor living area.

With lots of interior volume and headroom, a commodious saloon, large sleeping cabins and heads with showers, and the spacious cockpit and swim platform on deck, the new Bavaria 50 offers her owners a truly spacious and comfortable floating home.

CONSTRUCTION AND DETAILS

The Bavaria factory in Germany has become famous as one of the most modern and largest production facilities in the world, capable of turning out as many as 3,000 boats a year if the demand is there. But that doesn’t mean all of the boats come out of identical cookie cutters.

Instead, Bavaria allows you to choose the color and type of fabric you want, the interior veneers—mahogany, oak or walnut—and the type of floor laminates that will match your fabric and veneers. In all but the 32, you can opt for several different layouts. There is an extensive array of options to choose from, including engine size, prop, sail quality, cockpit canvas and cushions.

As noted above, the boats coming to the U.S. will have a baseline specification list that includes Garmin navigation and wind instruments and an autopilot. While you can make a lot of decisions about the boat before it is built, the basic construction and engineering that goes into each boat remains the same. The hulls are hand-laid fiberglass with Coremat coring below the waterline and Airex coring above the waterline and in the deck; Coremat adds bulk and panel strength, while Airex adds panel strength and a high level of noise and heat insulation.

Leaping around on deck while setting the reacher and handling docking lines, we were impressed by the boat’s stiffness underfoot. And, with the engine revving high and the prop churning on the saildrive, the noise level in the cockpit was insignificant. The hull is laminated with anti-osmotic isophthalic resins to prevent water penetration and hull blisters.

Boats imported to the U.S. and Caribbean will have an additional barrier coat of Interlux’s epoxy Interprotect 2000E. The hull-to-deck joint is glued with a space-age adhesive, then tapped and screwed together with the toe rail at eight-inch intervals. The keel-to-hull joint is extremely robust with large steel backing plates for each bolt that are then glassed into the hull.

Both the deck and hull have been stiffened with top-hat style grid sections that spread the loads of the rig and keel to the whole boat, thus eliminating any twist or movement as the boat moves through waves or reacts to strong winds. With the mast’s shrouds moved outboard to accommodate the small headsail and inboard sheeting, the chainplates become an integral part of the hull and deck construction. The chainplates are tabbed into gussets inside the hull that are in turn tabbed into the internal hull grid; the net result is a structure that can’t move even under the greatest loads.

As we poked around the interior of the new 50, we were impressed with the thought that has gone into the layout of systems, seacocks, plumbing, wiring and the installation of optional equipment, whether that be air conditioning or a genset. Access to engineering is as good as you will find on any boat, so general engine and genset maintenance and system troubleshooting will not require a contortionist.

The new Bavarias have definitely been designed and engineered by sailors who know the difference between what works and what doesn’t aboard a well used cruising boat.

THE FLEET

The week following my trip to Turkey, I had the chance to visit with the new principals at Bavaria Yachts USA in Annapolis, MD. I was fortunate to test-sail the four smaller boats in the new Cruiser line, which recently arrived in America. The new company is owned and run by Andrew Thompson and Sylvia Driver, who are the Caribbean Bavaria dealers and owners of Horizon Yacht Charters, and by their partner Kenny Feld, a serial entrepreneur and keen sailor. The Annapolis operation is run on a day to day basis by Jeff McCord, who has more than 30 years in the sailing industry, many of those with Beneteau USA as a senior sales executive. The depth of experience this management team brings to Bavaria USA is impressive.

The four boats we sailed in Annapolis—the 45, 40, 36 and 32—are variations on the themes we noted in detail in the 50 that we sailed in Turkey. The design characteristics, build quality and owner input into everything from fabrics to engine size remain the same. Yet, each is unique in its own way and will suit quite different needs and pocketbooks.

BAVARIA CRUISER 45

Although five feet shorter than the 50, the 45 offers a lot of the same details. The cockpit has twin wheels for good visibility forward and access aft to the wide stern platform, which is electrically operated. The 45 has twin rudders and a shoal draft cast-iron winged keel. A bow thruster is standard in the U.S. The rig is very similar to the 50’s, with an in-mast roller furling mainsail, 108 percent jib and outboard chainplates. A conventional slab-reefing mainsail is available as an option, as are laminated sails and a reacher in a snuffer. Below decks, the 45 can be arranged with a three-cabin, three-head plan or a four-cabin, three-head layout. The saloon is similar to the 50 with the galley to port and the dinette to starboard. The chart table on the 45 faces aft and has a nifty folding seatback that is part of the dinette. Under sail, the 45 handled much the same as the 50. With twin rudders and a roller furling rig, the boat was easy to tack and jibe and managed to sail just as close to the wind. The boat is incredibly solid underfoot and gives the impression of a larger vessel. We noted during a change of crew on the fly that one of our larger sailors did not cause the 45 to heel at all as he climbed aboard from the chase boat. As very close sister to the 50, the 45 will appeal to those who want a big cruising boat with a lot of volume but do no need the size and extra volume the 50 provides.

BAVARIA CRUISER 40

Of the four boats tested in Annapolis, the 40 was the first I sailed. I had the good luck to be out on the Chesapeake Bay in the late afternoon when the breeze was blowing nicely and the afternoon sun not too intense. With just Andrew Thompson and me aboard, we close reached out of Annapolis harbor and then started short tacking southeast into the breeze. Andrew is a crack sailor in the Caribbean and handled sail trim as I helmed the boat through her tacks. To my delight, we found that the 40 was capable of saiing 8 plus knots when well trimmed in a moderate breeze of 10 to 12 knots, easily tacking inside 75 degrees of true wind. Modern racing boats do this or even better, but it is a rare cruising boat, with all that furniture down below, that so nimbly gets out of its own way. The 40 has only one layout option—three double cabins with two heads—which makes it great for a couple who enjoy sailing with their friends. The galley lies along the port side, and the dinette to starboard will seat six. There is a good size chart table aft of the dinette. The 40 is a lot of fun to sail, close winded and very well laid out for cruising.

BAVARIA CRUISER 36

After sailing the 45 and 40, we expected the 36 to feel like a much smaller boat when we stepped aboard. But that was not the case at all. The 36 feels big underfoot, big when puffs fill the sail, and big when you go below to the cabins. There are two interior plans for the 36—a two-cabin, one-head layout and a three-cabin, one-head configuration. Big quarter cabins are rare in 36 footers, but aboard the Bavaria, with all of the volume and beam, the two cabins aft work well. Although the boat has only one head—plenty for a 36-footer—the compartment is large and has a glass partition to make it into a shower, too. Under sail, the 36 surprised us again by being extremely quick. We crossed tacks up the Severn River with the 45 and found that in the light airs, we were able to point a little higher and sail just about as fast. More breeze would have tipped the scale in the 45’s favor, but in the light stuff, we did very well. A great couple’s cruiser, the 36 will really appeal to those who want to sail wherever they go and want the ability to go to windward handily. Also, the 36 offers more interior volume than many 38- or 40-footers.

BAVARIA CRUISER 32

The 32 was the last boat we sailed over the two days we spent in Annapolis, and in many ways it was like saving the best for last. Not that the 32 surpasses her bigger sisters in any particular way; it was simply obvious that here was a little boat with a big heart and a lot of room for a young family or an older couple looking to simplify their cruising life. First and foremost, the 32 sailed like a dream and was as weatherly as the bigger boats. With the small headsail, the 32 is easy to singlehand and will be fun for those who like to sail to and from their moorings. The Farr Yacht Design pedigree really shines through in this boat. We were equally impressed with the 32’s two-cabin, one-head layout, which offers a double cabin aft under the cockpit and a smaller guest or kid’s cabin forward. The benches in the saloon can double as berths, too. The galley is aft at the foot of the companionway ladder with the aft-facing chart table across from it. The L-shaped dinette will seat four for dinner. A perfect weekender with the capability of carrying you off for weeks of vacation at a time, the Bavaria Cruiser 32 will make a perfect starter boat or an equally fine last cruiser for those who have seen it all.