HInckley Bermuda 40 Covered

Mother nature sent us a strong message this past week which encouraged us to get the winter cover on "Ondine". It's a nicely fitted cover that can be used while on jackstands as pictured or in the water using sandbag weights. Thanks to Captain Pat Teeling for getting the cover installed while most in the boat business were at home!

December Blizzard in Annapolis

A low pressure system filled the marina with snow before Christmas! Very unusual........nevertheless we are here attending to business!

Express Trawler

My friend and repeat client Peter Edwards of North Conway, NH is purchasing a 36 Albin Express Trawler to complement his 37' Pacific Seacraft. The Trawler will be based between Florida and Maryland with plans to visit the Bahamas. Peter's sailboat is based out of Boothbay Harbor,Me.

This Trawler has a semi-displacement hull, the previous owner having operated the boat typically in the 8/9 knot range by means of a single screw Caterpillar 3126 diesel and complemented by an 8KW Northern Lights Gen-Set. For docking there are both bow and stern thrusters.

There are some flatter sections aft that allows the boat to plane when turned up to 2500 rpm. Peter like his predecessor plans to operate the boat at the more economical side of the fuel burn spectrum, about five gph...

Peter's cruising will start in April with a passage from the Florida Gulf, across the Okeechobee Canal and then Northwards.

Wooden Tug

While on a survey in the Tampa area I came across this jewell of a Tug; named after her builder (38 years ago in Mahogany)the current owner was just completing a yacht finish paint job. The proverbial labor of love!

Robbins 40

Late in the season I often see the most interesting boats. On my way in off the Severn River a couple of days ago I noticed this "Bay Boat" fueling up at the mouth of the creek. It turns out to be a custom boat built by Matthews Brothers, using the Robbins 40 hull which enjoys a greaet reputation from decades of service to watermen. Matthews gained the use of this tooling when Cecil Robbins retired from his business in Cambridge,Md.

This boat has a much higher level of fit and finish than a commercial boat and is powered with a sizeable Yanmar diesel that is suprisingly economical and yet will put the boat up on a plane with ease. I can only imagine this boat with a colored hull, say ice blue?

Thanksgiving Sail....visit to Sceptre 41 PH

This morning I picked up an Annapolitan and drove to the Sassafras river to have a look at "Sea Bright" the 41' Scepre built in Vancouver,B.C. Each time I visit this boat I become even more impressed. She is a very well thought out cruising boat and this one is loaded with valuable spare gear, bow thruster, and nice sails....

December is blessing us with a nice bump in business at Crusader Yachts. I have a client who just gained an accepted offer on a boat in Florida. Colleagues are selling Tayana's in the 52 and 55' range and a lovely Nordhavn Trawler. This gives us optimism that the brokerage market is in recovery from the economic downturn!

Hereshoff Replica

Burt Winchester of Annapolis has recently completed the restoration of a Gaff-rigger that I think may be the pretiest boat on the Chesapeake Bay! I caught her sailing to Galesville in 15 to 18 knots with a following sea. I especially appreciate the fact that he has "no fear" in letting the big mainsail "breath downwind"!

Eatbay 47 "Triple Play"

November on the Chesapeake Bay is without a doubt "prime time". I was on the Severn River yesterday and found Paul Borssuck headed to the Eastern Shore with his 2005 Eastbay "Triple Play". This will be the fourth winter running that he has used indoor storage to protect the boat.

"Triple Play" is a Ray Hunt design that offers the ultimate handling in rough water!

Thanksgiving Boat Sales

Two boats selling this Holiday week @ CYS are the 29 BackCove "Sweet Eld" and the Passport 40 "Thalia". The BackCove will remain in Annapolis on the Severn River while "Thalia" is headed to deeper latitudes.

Both sets of sellers have been remarkably patient, selling their boats in a tough market. "Sweet Eld" was first offered for sale in April and "Thalia" in September. Both boats were in great condition and required only the most minimal attention to post survey punch lists.

Thanks to Bill Watson, Suzanne Welch, Kirk Nelson, and Lisa Ruff for their business and best wishes for a great Thanksgiving Weekend!

Hinckley Bermuda 40 Arrival

"Ondine" sailed in over the weekend and was hauled to the Crusader Yachts display deck. She is a MKIII Bermuda 40 built in the heyday of Hinckley Yachts in Southwest Harbor Maine. "Ondine" is a fine example and has been kept in Bristol condition by her owners of ten years. Twice in that time frame the boat has been back to the builder for refitting and yacht quality restoration.

Sailing "Ondine" is made easy by means of an electric roller furling mainsail, electric primary winches, and a centerboard that can be raised and lowered (again with electrial power) from the helm station. I look forward to finding this fine yacht a new caretaker!

Sabre 42 Downeast 2004 model

Port Annapolis Marina is doing some nice paint jobs these days. Pictured is a 42 footer that is just leaving the paint shed with 3 coats of Awlgripp with a clear coat over. The overall effect is stunning compared to the chaulky gel-coat that went into the shed!

2009 Leukemia Cup on S&S 58' "Windlier"

The crew of Windalier raced the old girl from Baltimore Light to Ft. McHenry on October 24th,for the second time participating in a worthy fundraiser. We had twenty five knots sustained at the start from the SSW and rollers up the Bay with a flood tide. A large part of the fleet was having control problems but owner Thad Bench kept Windalier nicely on her feet with a big A-Sail flown from the headstay. Thad was assisted on mainsail trim by John Shannahan of Oxford Yacht agency. John is fresh from a two year Shields One-Desigh program and brought us some new insight as to sailing an Olin Stephens design from 1962!

The photos attached were taken from the transom of Windalier just prior to the finish line. The monster "A"-sail belongs to "Escape Plan" the 38 Ericson (currently listed with Crusader) belonging to Ted& Carla Reshetlioff of Annapolis. They sailed beautifully in the big breeze!

Also attached is a picture of the very comfortable and "like new" Eastbay 43 that served as Windalier's tender for the weekend.

Bruckman Yachts 50' Motorsailor

Nancy Cann, principle of Crusader has arrived at an agreement with custom yacht builder Mark Bruckman to represent his line of custom yachts! We will be concentrating on a 50 footer (there is currently one under build) that was designed by Mark Ellis.

This is a boat that sails well, has good visiblitiy from both helms, and has remarkable cruising range when factoring in the John Deere 150hp auxillary diesel.

Nancy and husband Craig visited the Bruckman 50 at the Newport Boat Show and were "wowed" by the design, fit, and finnish. Craig spent some time in the engine "hole" and was plesantly surprised by the acsess to vital systems...

Current owners of these boats come from the ranks of sailor's experienced in sailing boats like the J46 and Mason44; crusing boats that sail well! The BRuckman 50 is a great boat to consider for the couple looking for more creature comforts without crossing over to the "dark side"!

Annapolis Sailboat Show 2009

Great weather and a more upbeat vibe was prevelant at the Annapolis Sailboat Show this Fall. In contrast to 12 months ago when the Dow was in a free fall with no bottom in sight, there were lot's of sailor's visiting our brokerage booth in tent "C" to discuss future plans and to enjoy a slide show of our current offerings.
Thanks to all who stopped by!

Fall Price Reductions

We have seller's who are serious about moving their boats this Fall;

28 Bristol Channel Cutter to $135,000

29 Back Cover '07 to $162,500

32' Judge to $99,000

Bristol Channel Cutter

"Jolie Brise", the 1984 Bristol Channel Cutter is getting some TLC on our display deck in anticipation of the Annapolis Boat Show. The owners are fortunate to have connected with my friend GlenRoy who has developed a sterling reputation in Annapolis for his skills with the varnish brush. His clients include the owners of Masons, Flemmings, Eastbays, and Grand Banks Yachts. Great boat and a great worker!

Steel Boat Project

Living and working around boats you see some amazing "happenings". I peeked under a tent at Bert Jabins Marina earlier this summer to see the early stages of a steel boat refit by Southbound Cruising Services,LLC. a local rigging company. In this time frame it was a scary movie with sandblasting being the primary focus of the restoration team. This is hard brutal work that was ongoing under a tent with 90 degree temps outside of the tent. It was as though they were "baking" a new boat!

Brian Duff is the project manager with numerous refits under his belt and the know-how that goes along with being a rigger who has come up through the ranks...

When I stopped by this morning I could not believe my eyes. This would most typically have been a multi year project with the likely scenario of never achieveing a launch but rather passing it along to the next sailor with a dream. Not this project; this baby is going in the water and to deeper latitudes pronto!

Amazing effort on the part of Southbound Cruising Services. If you are looking for help with your boat, drop me an email and I will connect you to Brian.

Bristol Channel Cutter (on deck!)

The newest addition to our brokerage display deck is a head-turner named "Jolie Brise". Built as a labor of love by Sam Morse in California in 1984, she recently sailed into Annapolis by owners who are offering the boat for sale. She is one stout boat inspired by the Pilot Boats of the eighteenth century. Lovely yacht!

Tugboats

There is nothing like a Tug....over the Holiday Weekend, my family was invited to help deliver a tugboat back to it's slip at the head of the Severn River. I have never seen so many smiles and waves directed at a "character boat". Even to the point of a passenger in a Whaler shouting out "I want your boat!".

Our friends Alice and Andy Mutsch have enjoyed this boat for several seasons following ownership of a Dickerson 37 Cutter.

Hinckley Bermuda 40's

I had a spectacular sail this morning from the Rhode River to the National Sailing Hall of Fame Docks as guest aboard "Bramare", Al Boersma's 1964 Yawl. We had about fourteen to sixteen knots of breeze out of the NE and smooth water. This good old boat can flat out sail upwind in part due to a nice fresh suit of North Sails....The B40's are celebrating their fiftieth birthday with a Chesapeake Cruise and are happy to have the first and most recently built boats in attendance.

The Hinckley name carries so much cache in the world of boats that preceptions develop about the owners of these classic yachts. No doubt there is a minority that may be motivated to own a Hinckley simply for bragging rights? I have developed a completely different viewpoint, that there are a number of owners who are still sailing their beloved boats actively and even hard, including a Chesapeake couple who are completing a circumnavigation....

Great day on a great boat!

Cooler Weather Sailing

After sailing on the Chesapeake in August this activity in Vermont looks pretty good! Friends from Middlebury enjoying a sail on a Force Five and a board.....

New Listings of Classic Yachts!

As we turn the corner into the Fall brokerage season I have listed for sale two extrordinary yachts:

"Windalier", the 58' Sparkman&Stephens Yawl, built by Abeking&Rasmussen in Lemwerder,Germany in 1962. I am charged with finding a new "caretaker" of this lovely, living, and breathing yacht!

"Jolie Brise", the 28' Bristol Channel Cutter, a masterpiece built by Sam L. Morse and inspired by the working pilot boats of the Eighteenth Century.

Two remarkable boats that I feel privleged to be associated with!

35 Freedom "Suzee"

Top-Knot yacht service was aboard Suzee today and made great strides in preparing the boat for a new owner. The hull sides waxed/buffed up remakably well suggesting that this boat will not require a hull paint job for years to come unless a new owner just "has to have" a colored hull. The white gelcoat is in great condition!
In spite of the heat the mechanic really applied himself and also did a great job with a dustless sander on the boats bottom. No sign of any blistering and in the morning she will have fresh ablative anti-fouling paint.
"Suzee" is approaching turn-key status for the Fall boating season on the Chesapeake!

2009 Oxford Race

The Summer Race to Oxford is a classic Chesapeake event and I sailed yesterday on a fully restored Tripp 41 owned by Jim Hayes of Annapolis. The boat was built on Naraganset Bay by Barret Holby in 1996. Since Jim's point of purchase about four years back he has morphed the boat from an IMS purpose built racer to add some cruising comforts. The outcome is a high performance cruising boat that can go racing if enough of Jims friends are available....
This was the first outing and it was special due to the cast of characters assembled from Jim's sailing buddies over the years. Charlie Scott (J-24 World Champion and overall SORC winner) came out of semi-retirement to skipper the boat. Anyone who has sailed with Charlie knows that he has a remarkable imbedded talent for helming a race boat. Former North Sail Designer John Danley trimmed the mainsail and ducked below occaisionally to check the plotter for skinny water. Richard Robinson from Wye Mills ably ran the pit.Rob Pennington (North Sails Chesapeake) trimmed headsails and kites and the builder Barret Holby ran the front of the boat. Three of these guys are veterans of the S&S 60 "Running Tide" so we are talking lots of experience! I would say that the cumulative racing experience of our crew would be in the range of 300 years! To balance our maturity we had Barrets lovely girlfriend Raquel, Charlie Stewart a recent grad of Colorado College and somewhere in the middle of the mix my spouse Susan Dierdorff Taylor and myself.

The race was a typical light air event in which we placed second in Class A-0. We were pleased to find that the boat offered a good turn of speed both up and downwind. We now have a punch list to tune the rig, install some new battens in the mainsail, repack a winch and so forth. On the otherhand the boat could comfortably sail to the Coast of Maine tomorrow in cruising mode with a Dacron Full-Batten Main on a Dutchman system.The boat now has a comfortable and handsome interior with fore and aft private cabins.

Picture of Tripp 41 @ Tred Avon Yacht Club last Fall

2009 Governors Cup/Windalier

I sailed a fairly uneventful light air Gov Cup Race on "Windalier" the 58'Abeking&Rasmussen built yawl. We had a nice reach down the Bay and celebrated Mike Keeen's birthday with a cake on deck with candles @ sunset......later in the evening the wind dropped out leaving us to nurse the 50,000 lbs of lovely mahagony and cedar into the St. Mary's River in light air. One wonders why this race can't be finished in the Potomac River. Who would complain about motoring up the St. Mary's River?? The deal with Windalier is that we don't like to have to "restart" her. Therefore lot's of effort is concentrated towards "keeping her moving" in the light stuff.

The delivery to the start of the race and from St. Mary's back to Rock Hall is a very different story than the race! Lot's of wind/waves and a learning experience for the crew as we continue to learn what the boat likes in various conditions. Thankfully, one of our crew with Log Canoe experience under his belt had seen this movie before. The clouds over Sandy Point were dark and rotating. The next hint was the appearance of "dust devils" on the beach. This gave us the cue to pull down/roll up anything resembling a sail! We ran downwind (prior to the start) under bare poles with short steep waves making up due to the fetch down the Magothy River....the boat is making over six knots (cog), so what to do when the Eastern Shore is looming large to leeward. Well, try a tad of stay sail? It's blowing the dogs of chains and I am concerned that a bit of stay sail will give us leeward helm but wow! The small bit of stay sail allows for about twenty degrees higher heading and some breathing room on the lee shore. I recall that we also applied some of the after centerboard (small appendage usually reserved for downwind control)to gain some more weather helm.
Later that evening I pull up some floorboards to find the bilges bone dry! I love double planked wooden boats!
Captain Thad Bench of Worton, Md. puts an eclectic and skilled crew together including sailors from Kent, Talbot, and Anne Arundel Counties. So when off watch we have the opportunity to compare what's going on in these distinctly different cultures!
Once at anchor in the St. Mary's River the crew enjoyed a soothing swim in eighty degree water, decorated ship, and went ashore for the festivities. Thanks to Thad for a memorable weekend on Windalier!

Freedom 35 "Suzee"

I enjoyed sailing with Sam/Sue Goward this week bringing their 1994 Freedom 35 into Port Annapolis Marina. "Suzee" is now available for inspection on our display deck. This will represent a sixth transaction with the Gowards over a sixteen year period. Good news for a new owner is that the Gowards always leave their boats in better condition and better equipped than their point of purchase!

The Pedrick design is really nice to sail even in the lower wind ranges. We saw five knots boat speed in ten knots of breeze. She is a balanced boat that loves to sail beofore the wind, wing and wing, and can overcome her hull speed when the waves are up! Highly recommended boat!

Windalier Summer Shakedown

The 57' S&S yawl "Windalier" enjoyed an extensive spring overhaul at Haven Harbor Marina and was just splashed. My daughter Chandlee Taylor and I were invited to join owners Thad&Renee Bench and regular crew members for a day sail (Rock Hall to Annapolis) to check out the new running rigging, prop,prop shaft, and hull sides paint job. We left Rock Hall in a gentle West North-Westerly which built to about 16 knots true by the time we were sailing under the Bay Bridge. This gave us a power reach with four sails drawing and another wonderful sail on "Windalier" with great company. We slipped the boat at the National Sailing Hall of Fame Docks and the crew spent a remarkably comfortable evening aboard (this is July in Annapolis!)
Pictured at the helm is Chandlee Taylor w/ Renee to windward and Thad to leeward.

2007 Back Cove

The owners of "Sweet Eld" have made it clear in no uncertain terms that they would like to see an offer on their nice 29 Back Cove. With the recent price reduction of 10k she is priced to move.

Attached are a couple of recent pictures of the boat (July) at Port Annapolis Marina. Turn Key for the 2nd (better) half of the season.

Judge 32 Price Reduction

These boats are built on a semi-custom basis on Marylands Eastern Shore. This 2001 model has just had a summer haircut to the asking price, down 10k to $119,000 asking.
The boat was configured for a retired sailing couple to do race-committee work and fish with grand children. The boat is very clean and has low hours on the Cummins Diesel. Highly Recommended!

Hylas 44 "Exuberant"

It was a pleasure to have coffee this morning at the City Dock with Burt&Pru Preston, new owners of the 44 Hylas "Exuberant". The Prestons had a tight reach up the Bay yesterday from Solomons,Md. in about fourteen knots of breeze. It was almost sweater weather on the mooring ball in the Annapolis Harbor last night. We can't believe this is July!

The Preston's worked hard preparing the boat for their maiden voyage of about 1000 nautical miles to Lake Erie. So from here they are headed inland via the Hudson River. The boat looks great and has already benefitted from new enthusiasm and a few "boat units"! New alternators, regulators, and AGM batteries were on the short list as the boat had been sitting out of use for eighteen months.

The Preston's are clearly on a fast learning curve (they have already bled air out of the Yanmars fuel lines)and have sorted out the use of the hydraulic furling systems, and repacked the big primary (electric) winches.

We at Crusader wish them a safe trip and look forward to seeing them on the flip side when they head to the Islands!

AMI Kids Yacht Donations

We were visited by Dudley Savage of AMI KIDS, a longstanding 501C3 organization that operates programs nationwaide for teenage kids at risk.

AMI has been a great partner for some of our clients who are in a position to benefit from a tax shelter when the time comes to sell their boat. We have also assisted boat buyers in chartering boats owned by AMI.
Call your Crusader Broker for more detail!

Pacific Seacraft 44 new arrival to brokerage

The lift crew exercised their skills this afternoon, adroitly situating a new Crusader Yachts listing adjacent to our display deck. A Crealock design in 44' with a sixty foot rig is a sight to behold! She is relatively narrow for a forty four footer (by todays standards) and has a lovely sheer-line to complement the canoe stern. This boat will no doubt often be the prettiest boat in the harbor!

"Ocean Child" was awlgripped both hull-sides and super structure such that maintainance is now polishing rather than compounding... boat has a bright white awlgripped hull and updated stainless steel rigging, hunter green canvass to match the boot top and shear stripe, and updated electronics!

The interior is spacious, full of light, and just plain feels good!

"Summertime" price reduction

The 32 Island Gypsy "Summertime" is avilable for inspection at Port Annapolis Marina and now priced to sell @ $72,500 (Seventy Two Thosand Five Hundred Dollars) This is a very nice cruising platform for a couple powered by a single economical Ford-Lehman Diesel.

Inspections and close offers are encouraged by her owners who are ready to pass their vessel on to new owners for the second half of the 09 season.

Racing w/ Kyle Commerford

On Sunday the 5th of July I had the pleasure of crewing for Kyle Commerford (estimated age 13?) aboard "Big Al&Miss Betsy's" J40 "Lark". Kyle is the son of industry pros Ken&Jen Commerford and a veteran of the Optimist Class. Kyle has sharpened his skills sailing aboard the family boat as well as by crewing in the Penguins with Jonathan Bartlett. Not a bad training ground!

The format for Sundays race was a junior skipper at the helm of club members boats.

Sailing with an up and coming junior is really rewarding. Kyle is already a very skillful sailor and most notably took care that his crew was comfortable and happy! That really made an impression on me as that ultimately is what keeps a crew together. Kyle also has that spark of a natural leader and a charismatic personality.
Kyle won the start at the pin end in spite of a larger yacht barging in from above the close hauled layline (in Kyles vernacular he owned the layline)! There was an adverse current at the start and light air which made being up to speed and on time quite impressive. I think Kyle might have "tapped out" the weather boat had not Big Al voiced some well placed concern!
What followed was hard work nursing the J40 upwind from puff to puff in a dying North Easterly. Susan Taylor offered guidance on climbing the ladder and stuffing the boat to windward whenever possible as is her practice. Miss Betsy did a yeomans job on genoa trim and easing to Kyle in the puffs and talking him up to the new course. Big Al, Chandlee, and Peter were on puff watch and weather prediction...Kyle was all concentration as we put a "horizon job" on the fleet including another Jboat that we owed time!

I hope to sail with Kyle again and can't help but compare this experience to crewing for Terry Hutchinson as a fourteen year old skipper. This is how it all starts!

Pictured prior to the start is Ron Peterson (Race Committee) aboard his Grand Banks 42. Thank you for coming out on a Holiday weekend Ron!