Aluminium Expedition Cruiser Cockpit Takes Shape

When I last wrote about the aluminium expedition cruiser build in British Columbia the cabin was being built and the side decks had been fitted.

There is a lot of detailed construction in the cockpit that takes time to build. It includes the casing of the swing keel, the drainage trough that runs full-length of the long cockpit, the seating for rowers and helming, and the outboard engine well. All of the seating houses storage lockers for equipment and personal gear, with watertight lids that require careful construction. That cockpit work is now nearing the end.

View along the cockpit, nearing completion. The channel down the centreline is a drainage trench to dump water fast through the keel slot and engine well if she were to find herself in rough seas and take a big one aboard. It will be covered by a flush perforated plate. There are 8 rowing positions, with watertight crew stowage under them. Between the seats are food and ice lockers with watertight hatches through the cockpit sole. The horseshoe seat aft is for helming and has outboard engine stowage under it. In the U of this seating is the well for a small outboard engine for in-harbour use. The swing keel is ballasted and raised with a heavy duty trailer brake winch.

Overhead view of the cockpit.

Owner Tom McPherson has an Instagram site that has more photos, construction videos at various stages, as well as videos of the beautiful wilderness areas where his boat will be working, offering adventure cruises for teenagers. View them at Seaforth Expeditions.

I am still detailing the last drawings of this design, so it is not yet on our website. To see our other designs, go to our main website or our mobile website.

Aluminium Vickers 45 launched in Italy

"Alemar" is an aluminium Vickers 45AC, built in Florence, Italy and launched a few weeks ago. She is owned by friends Marco and Alessio, who have also built her. Marco is a computer programmer with his own business and Alessio is a woodworker in the boatbuilding industry. I was fortunate to be hosted by Marco and his lovely wife Anna for a few days when I visited Italy for the launch of an aluminium Dix 38 Pilot about 6 years ago.

Marco and Alessio appear to have done a great job of building the cruiser of their dreams. The hull looks to be nicely faired with a beautiful standard of finish. They have modified the shape of my superstructure design, adding Italian flair. This is not surprising, considering the stylishly beautiful sports cars that are built by Italian factories. I remember that Marco asked me why I was rebuilding a British Lotus sports car and not an Italian Ferrari. Well, we can't make everybody happy.

To read the full story about their build, go to the "Alemar" blog, where you can also follow their sailing adventures. It is in Italian but this is easily translated if accessed through Google Chrome.

Ready for launch.

Nice standard of finish.

About to get wet.

Afloat.

Italian styling added to pilothouse roof.

Waiting for her rig.

Rig up, floating nicely.

I look forward to sailing updates from "Alemar" and also sailing photos.

To see more of this and our other designs, go to our main website or our mobile website.

Opportunity to Own an Aluminium Shearwater 39

Looking for a classically-styled cruiser that has the robust strength that will allow you to sail anywhere in the world that your cruising thoughts might take you? An aluminium Shearwater 39 might fit your bill nicely. It has the ability to bounce back from altercations with rocks, coral, ice or logs as can only come from a metal boat.

We can navigate our way around solid bits if they have a precisely known location but when they are not where the charts show them they can eat most boats. Heavy flotsam that drifts right at the surface can be anywhere on the ocean, lying in wait for boats at night when even the most vigilant watch won't spot them.

"Skylark II" in idyllic setting in the Pacific.

An aluminium Shearwater 39 has come available, one that appears to be well-worth the asking price. She is "Skylark II", the very first Shearwater 39 that started construction. Her first owner was to have the first GRP boat out of the moulds but production delays led to him commissioning the aluminium version, which was built for him by Jacobs Brothers in Cape Town.

"Skylark II" is fully equipped for world-cruising. Her first owner sailed her from South Africa to New Zealand via the Caribbean and Panama. Her current owners have cruised the North and South Pacific and Indian Oceans, the Red Sea and much of the Med. Their transit through the pirate-controlled waters of the Indian Ocean was particularly scary and is recounted in the book "A Harrowing Journey : Sailing into Danger".

"Skylark II"

Now they feel that they have achieved everything that they wanted to when they bought "Skylark II" and need to get back home. They have her priced for a quick sale, which makes her really good value, at US$110,000.

If you are interested in acquiring a cruiser that has exceptional sailing qualities and an international reputation as a wonderful boat, you can see more info on my website.

The beautiful "Tana Vika"

Every now and then I am sent a truely gorgeous photo of one of my boats, which I just have to show off.

Today I received this beautiful one from Tony and Angela Maslin, of their Dix 43HD "Tana Vika". They were sailing in company with Beth Leonard and Evans Starzinger on "Hawk" along the Newfoundland coast. Thanks to Beth for the photo.

 "Tana Vika" was built by Neriede Yachting in Czech Republic. Tony and Angela took delivery at the yard in motor-away state, without the rig. They motored through the rivers and canals of Europe to UK, where the rig was fitted. Since then they have crossed the Atlantic and cruised the Caribbean and East Coast of USA and Canada.

Her construction is aluminium and she was built from a kit that was pre-cut by CNC using cutting files prepared by Robert Christinger of Alumar Yachts.

PS. When Tony sent me the photo he said that they were able to hold "Hawk", a Samoa 47, for the 30 mile beat during which the photo was taken. I didn't initially include it in my blog in case Tony was stretching the truth a bit. Since then Beth has confirmed that the two boats had a great race and were a good match.