Ahoy, Capt. Ron - Channel 68 Alpha

Cap - can you give me an assessment on this listing? It looks like a beaut, but I am way out here on the other coast. Have you ever delivered one of these? Are you at all familiar with H&S Yacht Sales - SD CA? Is this a passage-maker, that is, with the sail configuration listed, can she grab with only 110% and run strong downwind on a nearly even keel? How is the mast seated? Is the 200 gallons of water a ballast device, and if so, how are the tanks located? I would be glad to join the March drive if that is what it would take to gain a dialogue with ya. PJ M- Sea Bright NJ, PPYC DOT COM.

http://www.hsyacht.com/detailusedsail.shtml?boatID=359&dataPage=4&listPage=usedsailboats.shtml

Actually, I just paid 1 year mbrshp - i think i will be seeing red soon.

01XJLIMITED said:

Actually, I just paid 1 year mbrshp - i think i will be seeing red soon.

Click to expand...

Welcome aboard! I just went red yesterday and took overnight as I joined in the wee hours.

Copy. 68 Alpha.

The quick take. I have not sailed on one of these, although there are 2 of them in my fairway. Niether has seen much use since they arrived, and I do not know the owners.

I have delt with H&S in the past. There are a reputable brokerage, and a friend of mine runs the Channel Islands office. Ardis and I were in the market for a Catalina 38 some years ago, and H&S handled things properly, we hauled for survey, and the boat had a bit more than the usual Catalina smile, it had obviously been grounded fairly hard.

The broker obviously didn't know about it, and did his best to keep the deal on track, but accepted that we knew what we were doing and didn't fuss when we paid the yard bill and said thanks, but no thanks.

That said, you know that even good brokerages can have bad brokers... and there seems to be alot out here these days.

I would consider this an upscale coastal cruiser. Certainly anything can be a passage maker, but the lack of rigging options on the 466 would give me a certain amount of blue water pause. The mast furling is another thing that has gained wide acceptance, but not so much in the cruising community.

Properly prepared, I don't see why one could not make the trip around. If you think about it, in season, it's about the longest trip you can make and still not be at sea for more than 4-5 nights max. We've done it practically harbor hopping all the way to the ditch. From Cristobal, you have a bunch of options, although this will be the second hardest passage. Me, Providencia, hands down. Do the dogleg to Belize, and hop to Cozumel. From there you have the hardest passage, but hit Key West and decide from there if you want the inland passage or coastal.

The newer boats running 110's and the like are notoriously unbalanced off the wind. I know what the advertising specs say, but in any kind of seaway with a breeze, they tend to be broach coaches. Even with great hull form stability, they are light boats, and evaluated as such. When loaded down for a passage, the characteristics can change dramatically, giving even more importance to the sail plan. I think I'd want a high clewed 150 reacher rigged up, including a pole.

Anyways, the masts are deck stepped, no water ballast, tanks appear to be port and starboard, fuel probably port and starboard under the aft stateroom.

Have you looked at the 460's? I know a few of those, and the ones I know seem to be doing well offshore.

Hit me backchannel, we'll get you set up with whatever we can.

--ron

PS: About that Membership... any way you can use a SoCal address?