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This is one of the reasons for the large price difference between high-volume mass-produced French and German yards and higher quality, lower production builders. The loading from chain plates must be evenly transmitted to bulkheads and structural members below deck to avoid lifting or distorting the deck. Separate chainplates for forward, upper and aft shrouds provides more stability for the mast and reduces the chance of deck loading distortion.

Swept-back spreaders mean a less expensive installation for the builder and a tighter sheeting angle for the headsail, but this presents a huge disadvantage when easing the main out for downwind sailing. External chainplates fastened to the outside of the hull look salty but have a much higher leak potential and restrict jib sheeting angles.

Chainplates must be easily removable as crevice corrosion, particularly in warm climates can be a serious problem. Deck stepped masts work well, but only if proper structural members transmit the load to the keel. Otherwise deflection and possibly delaminating under the mast occur. With keel stepped masts, inspect for corrosion at the base of the mast. Check the mast for trueness.

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Some sailors prefer tillers on boats under 35' as there is less to go wrong and installing most windvane steering systems is less complicated than with wheel steering. Many Taiwanese-built steering systems suffer from poor initial design, inferior bronze castings and rudders that aren't able to hold up to the stresses of ocean sailing.

The location of the steering position is also important. If the wheel is mounted at the far aft end of the cockpit, it may be very hard to design a dodger that will provide protection to the helmsperson without resorting to a long, potentially unseaworthy design. Nigel Calder makes a clear argument as to why he prefers aft cockpit design.

I can make a reasonable argument for either design, but personally prefer a center cockpit in boats over 40'' as long as the cockpit isn't unduly high off the water. Some designers try to maximize engine room and interior volume, resulting in this problem. Some of the advantages I see to a center cockpit include more privacy, better engine access and less danger of the cockpit being filled from following breaking seas.

The ideal stern for a cruising boat includes a built-in swim step on a slightly reversed transom stern. This not only makes getting in and out of the water and dinghy easy, but allows easy access when moored stern-to a dock or wall, a common situation in less developed cruising areas. Double enders may look salty, but the loss of valuable, hard-to-replace lazarette storage area and buoyancy aft must be taken into consideration. Most double enders have a tendency to "squat" in the stern and hobbyhorse sailing to windward when loaded with cruising gear.

Being able to maintain at least six knots under power will get you in most passes and channels at the time of least current. A rule of thumb is two horsepower per thousand pounds of displacement for a sufficiently powered cruising sailboat. Purists may say that this is excessive, but in my experience it has been an advantage to have sufficient power to deal with currents and the ability to motorsail to windward for short distances into steep chop when necessary.

How good is everyday access? Can the water pump be removed without dismantling the engine? Can the engine be removed if necessary for rebuilding without having to destroy the cockpit or companionway? What is the fuel consumption and range under power?

Ideally the boat you are considering will have a common make of engine that will be easy to find parts and service for in less-developed cruising areas. Best manufactures for worldwide parts availability are Volvo, Perkins, Caterpillar, and Cummins. When I bought my Hallberg-Rassy 31, I thought the 25 hp diesel engine was excessive for a displacement of only 9, lbs, but the top speed of 7. My 42' ketch displaced 25, pounds and was powered with a 62 hp engine which proved very adequate in areas like Patagonia, Antarctica and Alaska where conditions dictated powering for weeks at a time, encountering strong currents and tidal rips and fierce catabatic winds daily.

My present 48', 38, lb boat has a 95 hp.

DICKERSON SAILORS CELEBRATE 51st ANNIVERSARY

I have supplemented standard fuel tankage with jerry jugs stowed in cockpit lockers with each of these boats. Make sure you really enjoy and know how to sail.

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Complete an offshore passage. Realistically assess your needs in terms of size of boat and amount of equipment. If you're outfitting and cruising on a budget, remember the KISS formula. More complicated systems mean more money and maintenance, repairs and spare parts to track down. Think moderate in terms of displacement and sail area. You'll want to hire a surveyor who has no vested interest in the transaction, other than making sure that the boat you're considering is safe and a good investment for you. Marine Insurance companies and banks are often able to recommend surveyors whose opinions they trust.

Sail on as many different designs as possible and take notes on the features you like and dislike, noting pluses and minuses of each. Joining a sailing club or chartering different can be helpful. If you are quite convinced that you want a specific boat, a one-week charter on a sistership will be a sound investment. Also available from Armchair Sailor. Surveying Fiberglass Sailboats - Henry C. Mustin, International Marine, Through our Offshore Cruising Seminars and Boat Selection Consultations I have helped thousands of sailors locate the best ocean cruising boats for their planned voyages and budget.

If you need knowledgeable, experienced , ocean miles, 40 years and unbiased advice from someone who has no financial interest in the boat you select, I can help. Strong, well designed passage makers, great value, low maintenance. Odd deck design, but solid boat and good value. Avoid teak deck models. Passable quality, reasonably priced but look very carefully at bulkhead attachment and rudders. LRC models have substantial tankage. The 47 is not an attractive boat. Famous yard, long out of business now. Very seaworthy but watch for very serious blister problems on all models.

Crealock and Paine designs. Some problems with water absorption into balsa-cored decks. Fast, attractive solid boats with very modest tankage and somewhat limited storage. Avoid any with teak decks! Limited interior space compared to modern designs. Caldwell both circumnavigated in 26's, but these are TINY boats. The 32 is small, but truly a classic. Well built, newer models are very attractive and expensive. Wide wing keels on some models, think Bruce anchor.

Good value and well built. Graceful overhangs, canoe sterns, short waterlines means these boats can hobbyhorse upwind. Earlier 36's are very reasonably priced but lack interior space. Peter Ibold design, some owner completed. Well built, comfortable, good tankage and systems integration. Newer Frers designs faster than earlier Enderlien models. Watch for teak deck issues on older models. Attractive, highest quality, and expensive. Hold their value well. Solid choice which really holds its value. Heavy, expensive, extremely well-built steel and aluminum yachts, highest quality.

Not going to win any races, though! Hood designed heavy disp. Expensive and solid as a rock, but strange pinched sterns. Chuck Paine designs, superb quality, highest quality US yard building cruising boats. Good tankage, storage and high level of craftsmanship. Newer boats are very high quality. Have held their value well but require a lot of maintenance. Rusty fuel tanks an expensive repair issue. Attractive, expensive and first class.


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Weak resale value on larger models make this an excellent, though expensive choice. Moderate construction quality, but quite a good value. The has amazing use of space and cutter is tough to beat value. Modern Perry cruising design. Modest tankage, some have saildrives, a negative. Gorgeous, exquisitely built, highest quality deck saloon. In a class of their own for quality and design. Built in Maine, modest quality, limited tankage and storage, but very pretty.

Doctor's boats for New England. Some need extensive refits. Well proven, several 37's have circumnavigated. Some designs have centerboards. Major blister problems on Valiant 40 hull numbers No problems with any of the excellent Texas built boats. Attractive designs, good quality, less expensive and lower quality than Catana. Some rigging failure dismasting issues. Good design, well built. Only moderate bridge deck clearance.

Since I have professionally consulted for hundreds of people seeking cruising boats. My experience in the marine industry is unique; , miles and 38 years worldwide ocean sailing experience plus boatbuilding, surveying and previously owning a yacht brokerage. As my time available for consultation is limited, it is only appropriate that I charge for this service. Unlimited Outfitting and Voyage Planning Consultation: Christoph Rassy started building production sailboats on Sweden's West Coast in with the Rasmus 35, a center-cockpit, aft cabin cruising boat designed by Olle Enderlein.

Dozens of these boats are still out cruising the world, and the designs that followed have consistently been comfortable, attractive and reasonably fast; very reliable cruising boats without any concession to racing design or passing tends. Large tankage and engines and fixed windshields with optional hardtops are common features and consistently high construction quality has resulted in steadily increasing value of these boats over the years. The Frers designs brought improved performance with longer waterlines and other features such as external lead ballast, semi-balanced rudders and a sloop rigs.

Having sailed , miles on Rassy-Enderlein designed HR 31 and 42, I was eager to test the sailing performance the new Frers-designed 39, 42, 46 and 53, and the difference in both light and heavy air performance was surprising. The larger water plane area aft means these boats can sail to windward in strong winds and seas with very little pitching motion. Before selecting a Hallberg-Rassy 46 to replace the older-style Rassy-Enderlein designed HR 42 which we sailed 70, miles over seven years of sail-training, Amanda and I traveled around the world inspecting boat yards and speaking with designers.

He is an avid sailor commissioning a personal boat every few years to cross the Atlantic, trading off with his employees for time aboard. Many of the employees have been with the yard for over 30 years, and boatbuilding is a family tradition carried out on the island of Orust for over 10, years, according to archaeologists.

The entire yard closes for four weeks each summer allowing employees to go cruising on their own boats. We gave very little consideration to a custom design, having watched dozens of our ex-students go through the time and cost overruns and seemingly unending teething problems of custom boats.

Purchasing a used boat and going through a major refit was something I had done three times previously. After careful evaluation, we took the major step for us of ordering a new HR 46, exactly the way we wanted it. I was particularly pleased to be purchasing hull 92 of the design, and to know that the yard had completed 8, boats to date. Between the time we ordered the boat and it was built, the yard incorporated several standard upgrades which they did not charge extra for. Construction There are many construction details that I've found to be excellent, and in some cases unique to Hallberg-Rassy.

This list highlights some of the most noteworthy features: Optional rigid dodgers with opening center windows on the 42 to Once you've made a rough ocean passage with a rigid dodger, you'll never want to go back to a canvas dodger that can be easily carried away. Permanent sun protection is also a consideration in these days of ozone depletion and high rates of skin cancer. Two bow rollers are standard, and the boat handles the weight of a 75 lb. CQR and 44 lb. Delta permanently stored on the bow. The powerful watt, 24 volt Lofrans vertical windlass has worked flawlessly, even in 90' depths.

Oversize thru-bolted mooring cleats including midship spring-line cleats mounted on top of the solid teak toerail in such away that chafe is minimalized. Hull-to-deck joint that does not rely on bolts, screws, rivets or adhesive for strength or watertightness. The joint is heavily glassed on the inside the entire way around the boat and solid stainless steel rods for mounting stanchions are recessed into the bulwark thus eliminating potential leaks so common when stanchion bases are thru-bolted.


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A strong hull utilizing isophtalic resin and Divinycell closed-cell PVC insulation above the waterline. I believe this an excellent construction technique for a cruising boat, providing a hull with excellent torisional stability and no chance of water absorption. I really like the fact that the yard takes the time to grind the inside of the hull and bilge smooth, and paint it with a gray topcoat.

This means no sliced or scraped fingers from errant fiberglass strands when installing equipment or cleaning. All interior lockers are lined with satin-varnished mahogany battens. This eliminates moisture and condensation problems, even when we are sailing in Antarctic or Arctic waters. Very careful osmotic blister protection. I have spent much of the past 22 years in tropical waters aboard my HR boats without blister problems. This may be due in part to the fact that the hulls are built under strictly controlled temperature and humidity conditions. A deck that will not leak!

The deck also utilizes Divinycell coring which does not have the water absorption problems I've seen on many boats with balsa-cored decks. A substantial structural grid fiberglassed to the hull made of hand-laid fibreglass that ties the bulkheads, mast support and engine beds together and divides up the large storage areas below the cabin sole.

I have come to prefer this deck-stepped mast design as it eliminates leaks where the mast comes through the deck, corrosion at the mast base and deck collar, and the inevitable water in the bilge from rain entering around masthead sheaves. A simple and efficient sloop rig minimizing foredeck clutter. Over 40 knots upwind we easily rig the removable inner stay on which we set a bullet-proof hank-on storm staysail.

Running backstays provide additional mast stability. In winds over knots, we drop the triple-reefed main and hoist a storm trysail. We have only had to hoist the trysail twice while in the Roaring Forties, during our 42, miles to date on our Substantial stainless tanks with gallons fuel including an optional gallon tank and gallons water are mounted above the keel, and below the cabin sole, creating roomy storage space below the main cabin settees. The tanks are installed after the deck is constructed and are easily removed without having to destroy interior joinery work.

A powerful yet economical 95 hp engine with excellent access from all sides and plenty of room for additional systems. Massive amounts of storage area are available below the cabin sole and on the 46 it runs to nearly 3' deep at the main bulkhead. We have five large Rubbermaid bins screwed to the grid system and filled with spares and food. A boat with a flatter underbody would surf better downwind but have reduced storage space and prove less comfortable going to windward in heavy weather. A semi-balanced rudder suspended on three sets of roller bearings and utilizing Whitlock torque-tube and bevel gear Mamba steering system gives fingertip control, even in heavy seas.

I was initially concerned that the design didn't have a full-length skeg, but after 42, miles, the "power-steering" effect of being semi-balanced is addictive, requiring far less rudder input and effort. The rudder post is solid stainless steel, tapered at the bottom and the substantial welded flanges are also tapered stainless steel. A substantially deep bilge and sump with external lead ballast with stainless keel bolts. A convenient swim step built into the reverse transom. We find this type of transom unbeatable for active cruising.

Not only does this make getting out of the water after snorkeling and swimming easier, it is also makes practicing the Lifesling Overboard Retrieval system easier. Mooring stern-to floating docks or boarding from a dinghy with this type of transom is a breeze! Layout Although few changes are allowed to the standard layouts, the yard has several optional layouts for each cabin. We cut and pasted layouts from the brochure until we had the combination we thought would work best for eight people on ocean passages in all conditions.

We opted for a four-cabin layout with upper and lower bunks in the cabin directly forward of the main bulkhead, a traditional v-berth forward, standard L-shaped settees in the main cabin instead of easy chairs. In the aft cabin we chose a double to starboard and single berth to port in the aft cabin, instead of a centerline double. Options We chose far fewer options than most 46 owners: In retrospect, the bow thruster is a good idea on a boat of this size and displacement, and we will probably install one when we sail back to New Zealand in Instead of the optional generator, we installed a total of four 8-D gel batteries for the 24 volt system and three Group 27 one starting, two house gel batteries for the 12 volt systems.

We replaced the standard alternator with a Balmar amp, 24 volt unit and retained the stock 50 amp, 12 volt alternator. We chose not to utilize solar panels, and have found that one hour per day of engine running in the tropics is sufficient for battery charging. Instead of air conditioning, we had the yard install ten Hella Turbo fans , one for each bunk, plus additional fans in the heads, galley and nav station. A friend who had just completed a three-year South Pacific cruise aboard his HR 42 with the factory-installed Frigoboat evaporator system convinced me to try it, saying that with over 3, of the units installed, the yard really knew what they were doing.

A bonus was that the cost was a fraction of the holding plate system. We have been delighted with how well this very simple system has worked, holding the freezer at 10 degrees F. I had the factory install Autohelm ST series instrumentation that has worked well. I chose to install the Max prop and insulated backstay upon commissioning in Seattle, thinking it would be less expensive.

In retrospect, I now really believe that the factory only charges cost their cost for options and recommend that anyone purchasing an HR have the factory install as much of the optional gear as possible. In only 28 days of work from the time our Hallberg-Rassy 46 was unloaded from the freighter in Seattle, Amanda, a friend and I commissioned the boat and were ready for our 10, mile shakedown series of sail-training voyages to New Zealand.

This was the first huge difference in time spent outfitting between purchasing a used boat and a new boat specifically designed and built for ocean voyaging. The second major difference has been how little time we have spent making repairs over the past 42, miles and four years of hard sailing. In six months this summer we sailed 11, miles in eight legs from Victoria, Canada, through the Panama Canal, to the Caribbean, across to the Azores, Ireland, up the west coast of Ireland and Scotland, across the North Sea to Norway.

Many people asked if the boat would be ready for a major refit after so many miles, but our list was short: We had hoped to have a bow thruster installed, but with a two-year backlog of orders on most models, this wasn't possible. The sailing performance has been very good, we are able to comfortably sail miles per day, even in very modest winds. Our best hour run to date is miles, close-reaching in knot winds from Rangiroa in the Tuamotus to Papeete, Tahiti. More impressively, we have found that this design can sail to windward into knot tradewinds at over seven knots without pounding.

We have twice experienced winds over 65 knots and seas over 30' in the edge of the Roaring Forties between Auckland and the Austral Islands and have found that the HR 46 will heave-to in these conditions, although we prefer to run or close-reach. Now building in Valdivia, Chile at Awloplast. Now called Antares An analysis of the boats you are currently considering; discussing design, construction quality, seaworthiness, safety, speed and comfort.

Answers to your questions regarding suitability of various designs Analysis of your total overall cost of ownership: The consultation is best conducted by e-mail. If you would like to proceed, email me sailing mahina. It is quicker if you can email me a Word. Another option is to join us for an Offshore Cruising Seminar. This seminar will give us plenty of time to learn what your cruising plans are and suggest some specific boats for you to look at.

Please remember I am a professional. I don't sell boats or receive commissions of any type from anyone. My only interest is in helping you find the boat which will allow you to realize your cruising dreams safely and comfortably, while maintaining as much of your investment as possible.

John Neal sailing mahina. A watt Trace inverter provides volt power. In retrospect, I know we made the right decision. The HR 46 has met our requirements and has proven a comfortable home. It has been a delight to spend our time teaching, hiking, snorkeling, and meeting people ashore, instead of making repairs. Having a boat that is fun and fast to sail has meant that we have enjoyed going for daysails, tacking through narrow passes and into anchorages instead of motoring.

Dickerson 50, Yorktown Virginia - theranchhands.com

Selecting a Boat for Offshore Cruising Before starting the boat selection process, it is imperative to find out if you really like sailing and are comfortable living aboard. Proven, old, narrow, short waterlines, limited interior volume. Fascinating top quality, innovative, composite lifting keel yachts. Steel boats, attractive modern designs, some corrosion issues.

Many owner completed, quality varies. Strong, fast and attract. Fairly narrow, many owner-built. Roomy and strong, but watch for blisters if taken to warm water. Attractive, modern, quite well built. An attractive solid, expensive and slooow pocket ocean cruiser.

Sturdy and slow motorsailers. Great for high latitude cruising. Many owner-completed, so quality varies greatly. Totally committed quality company. Good value, but watch for soggy deck cores. Back Types View All. Unpowered Boats Kayaks Dinghies. Personal Watercraft Personal Watercraft.

Reviews Boats Engines and Parts. How-to Maintenance Buying and Selling Seamanship. Boats for Sale View All. Personal Watercraft for Sale View All. Presented For Sale By: Call Now Send Email. Thanks We have sent your information directly to the seller. Request cannot be completed You may have entered incorrect information or the server is temporarily down. Draft 4 ft 6 in Displacement lb Ballast lb Cabin Headroom 6 ft 5 in.

Patron is well equipped and aggressively priced and a perfect opportunity to own an icon.

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Unavailable Please request quotes and estimates below: Hans Christian 38t Old Saybrook, Connecticut. Cape Dory Portland, Connecticut. Island Packet Mystic, Connecticut.