Welcome to what I believe is the first Annapolis Yacht Sales newsletter, at least it’s the first in the time that Sue and I have been at the helm.
For those of you that are looking for a literary masterpiece, please push the Escape key now, also for those that expect this to be a regular weekly/monthly newsletter, don’t hold your breath. While I might have a good working knowledge of the boating industry, my spelling, grammar and command of the American language leaves a lot to be desired., ( Note I am differentiating this from the English language, of which I have an equally poor command.)
The idea of this newsletter is to share information, news items, current events and happenings at Annapolis Yacht Sales and the boating world that we are part of. I hope to expand the newsletter to include technical information and a frequently asked question and answer forum.
The newsletter will be disseminated via E-mail, so if you hear about it, but do not get it please call us at 410-267 8181 or e-mail us at info@annapolisyachtsales.com.
Beneteau Rendezvous 2005
Yes, 2005 is a Rendezvous year, and this year we changed the location to Solomon’s Island. I have enclosed the information and registration form below for those of you that have not received the mailer.
For those of you that do not own a Beneteau Sail or Power boat (yes Beneteau power boats are very welcome) there is plenty of time to purchase one!
The Rendezvous tent will be at Solomon’s Yachting center, but there are several other marinas and good anchorages in Solomon’s. We will run ferryboats between the different marinas for those that don’t have dinghies.
2005 Beneteau Rendezvous
Friday, June 10th – Sunday, June 12th , 2005
Solomons Yachting Center, Solomons’s Island, MD
We are now accepting registrations for our 2005 Beneteau Rendezvous. Those of you who participated in our previous Rendezvous’ know that this is the Beneteau event not to miss. We have extended our weekend to include two night’s entertainment, all meals & drinks for the entire weekend as well as many industry experts, Beneteau representatives, sailing specialists and our own complete staff to ensure an entertaining and informative weekend. Our provisional program includes:
Friday, June 10th 2005
2:00pm Registration Open at Solomons, MD
6:00pm Opening Ceremony
6:30pm Ice-Breaker Party to include:
Appetizer Competition and Awards – don't forget your favorite appetizer
Light Fare by Brian Schmidt of Garden & Garnish
7:00pm on Entertainment
Saturday, June 11th 2005
8:00am Breakfast by Garden & Garnish
9:00am A.M. Presentations by Industry Experts followed by Q&A Sessions,
Roundtable Discussions, Service Staff Assistance
12:30pm Lunch by Garden & Garnish
2:00pm P.M. Fun and Games - Workshops
6:30pm 50's Night Celebration
Gourmet Appetizers served till 7:00 followed by Dinner & Dessert
8:00pm The Fabulous Belairs (www.belairs.net)
Sunday, June 12th
8:00am Breakfast by Garden & Garnish
As our admission has increased, we are offering a discount to those who register prior to January 31st, 2005.
Please RSVP before the deadline – It is very hard to accommodate people that register late. DEADLINE: April 15th 2005
Adult Admission Before 1/31/05: $115 per person
After 2/1/05: $140 per person
Children's Admission: $ 35 per child under 12
We will not be having a feeder race down to Solomon’s, but will have a Race on Saturday afternoon . Further details will be forthcoming.
Annapolis Yacht Sales Web Site
Our web site has for a long time been a bit of an embarrassment to us, but the good news is that we are working hard on it and you should soon see a complete change. Previously our web site was handled by one of the multiple listing organizations, which also handled our e-mail and a direct link to their multiple listing sites. However this left us with little control, and a cumbersome method of changing content.
The new site will allow us to make instant changes and will be continually updated. Please give us feedback for improving it using out contact form.
Cruising World Boat of the Year
We are extremely proud of the recognition that the new Sabre 386 received as Overall Boat of the Year, especially because it belongs to our customers, Bill and Dee Caiazza, and because we commissioned and presented the boat with Bentley Collins from Sabre to the judges. We have already sold 4 of these 386’s and have a new stock 386 with a Sabre White hull for the Philly show.
Finally, from America—from Maine, in particular—came the one boat the judges liked the most, the Sabre 386, the Cruising World Domestic Boat of the Year. Bentley Collins, Sabre’s marketing manager, introduced it as “the best possible performance cruiser, not heavy-duty bluewater, but looking for owners who’ve sailed for 15 years or more. It’s intended to appeal to sailors who need to sail upwind properly.” Designer Jim Taylor successfully translated vision into appearance, detail, and performance. “Sabre made a boat with slightly smaller volume, which almost always results in a better sailing boat,” said Bill.
With satisfaction, judges noted such details as good dorade vents, heavy-duty rubrails, 27-inch lifelines on four-bolted stanchions, gasketed and latchable lockers, and sturdy handrails. Steve found the high quality of construction to his liking, especially Sabre’s conservative approach to the hull/deck joint, which is glassed over and through-bolted every eight inches. He said, “The company is mixing traditional aesthetics with modern gear—from the carbon rudder to tweakers on the jib tracks, and it works really well.” Below, Tom found “great engine access front and rear, a stand-up shower, lots of room to stow stuff, Oceanair all over the place, and cedar-lined lockers.”
Bill defined three universal go-slow features that detract from any boat’s performance: shallow-draft keels, fixed three-bladed props, and in-mast mainsail furling. He noted that even though the Sabre had two of these—a four-foot-11-inch shoal keel and a fixed prop—her functionality and looks were still matched by performance. A 10-knot breeze pushed her to weather at a satisfying six knots in flat water and let her flirt with seven knots on a beam reach. Safety guru Alvah, not one to be easily impressed, offered this assessment: “I found a lot of check marks on my list in the “very good” and “excellent” columns. Sabre uses a lot of big plates and nice gear. It was missing the cleat in the anchor locker, but for $20, you can fix that. The boat felt and performed like a big boat, yet she’s only 38 feet, so it’s not intimidating.” Under power, the vessel behaved equally well, motoring along just under seven knots at 2,500 rpm. Bill summed up their impression of the Sabre 386: “She’s a class act.”
Sailing World Boat of the Year
We are also extremely pleased to announce that the Beneteau 44.7 won its division of the Sailing World Boat of the year judging. The boat used for the test was “Sounion” belonging to our customers Charles and Cynthia Sullivan, which was commissioned and presented by Annapolis Yacht Sales.
Beneteau 44.7-A Refined Thoroughbred
November 15, 2004
By Tony Bessinger
The latest in the successful .7 line from Beneteau is a 44-footer. Unlike its predecessors, it wasn’t designed to the IMS Rule. The result is a powerful, comfortable cruiser/racer.
Beneteau, one of the world’s biggest boatbuilders, and Farr Yacht Design, one of the world’s most successful racing design offices, make a formidable team. Their latest collaboration, the Beneteau First 44.7, is a prime example of what two such powerhouses can produce. Using feedback from owners of the First 40.7 and not bound in any way by the IMS rule, the 44.7 will speak to those who appreciate how well Beneteau can build a boat and Farr can design. Those who have sailed or owned a Beneteau will feel right at home on the First 44.7, as will those who have experience sailing Farr designs. The boat is comfortable to the point of opulence below, and the sailing qualities are exemplary.
With three versions of the First 44.7 available (Standard, with a two-spreader aluminum rig and wire rigging; Race 1, a tapered rig with three spreaders and Dyform rigging, and Race 2; a three-spreader carbon rig with rod rigging), it should be no problem choosing the right setup for your needs. The 44.7 is, pound-for-pound, more powerful and stiffer than the 40.7 and provides plenty of grunt in all three configurations, even in the light stuff we sailed in off Annapolis.
Unlike the 40.7, the 44.7 has an enclosed transom, but under the shaped helmsman’s seat is the well-thought-out stowage for liferafts. The large diameter Lewmar Y-spoke wheel is sunk into the deck and placed so that nearly every position the helmsman might use is accommodated. Surrounding the cockpit are aluminum Lewmar winches; the latest in lightweight technology. The mainsheet is led, grand-prix style, along the decks and back to the trimmer, whose position is close to both winches and helmsman. The traveler runs across the cockpit immediately forward of the wheel, in as unobtrusive a place as possible, and the sheet lead from the boom is exactly perpendicular to the traveler, something we didn’t see on all the boats we sailed.
Any objections about buying a performance sailboat and sacrificing comfort will be laid to rest at first glance below. Thanks to the long, low deckhouse, there’s headroom aplenty, topping out at an impressive 6’9” in the aft head and 6’8” in the main cabin. Two staterooms sit port and starboard under the cockpit, and immediately forward of the port stateroom is a head, which is across from the L-shaped galley. The nav station is located to port at the center of the boat, across from a C-shaped couch/settee. The nav station couldn’t be in a better place for offshore racing; away from wind and water, close to the center of effort, and facing the only direction a nav station should face: forward. There’s plenty of room for nav displays and even a storage area with cubbyholes for books, signal flags, and binoculars.
The use of light-colored wood throughout makes the interior of the 44.7 seem even larger than it is, and even if the weather is terrible outside, it’ll be no hardship to spend time down below. The majority of the keelbolts and the lowest part of the bilge are directly underneath a settee bench that faces the large dinette table and sits on centerline. Keelbolt and bilge inspections are easily done by lifting the lever-action seat and moving it to port. All fuel and water tanks are on centerline, and all bulkheads bonded 360 degrees to hull and deck for structural strength. An available option we thought was a great idea for some sailors was an empty forepeak, which will reduce weight in the bow and be ideal for sail stowage.
It’s easy to tell that the 44.7 was designed with input from owners of previous Beneteaus; access to the engine was among the best we’ve ever seen. Two gas pistons lift the companionway stairs assembly and reveal an engine with a large shroud covering belts and other moving parts. The water pump faces forward, which allows for the impeller to be changed out without removing the entire unit.
Access to all the engine filters is also excellent. The standard engine is a 40 hp. Volvo 2040 powering a sail drive unit; the optional engine is a 55 hp. Volvo D255. Engine noise below was negligible, which means that the off watch will be able to sleep even during battery-charging sessions.
The 44.7’s hull is solid fiberglass with a laminated structural hull liner for load bearing and distribution. The deck is fiberglass sandwich with a balsa core and unidirectional weave. The overall quality of the wood and glasswork below is excellent, reflecting the experience of the boatbuilders in Beneteau’s assembly plant in France, where the 44.7 will be built exclusively. Meade Gougeon, our epoxy expert, was impressed that the ends of all wood floorboards and panels were sealed, which means they won’t absorb water, swell, and not fit where they belong.
We sailed the 44.7 in a light but steady breeze with a total of six crew. In 8 knots of breeze, we sailed an easy 7.4 knots upwind with two-fingers on the wheel. The cockpit was easy to work in, with the pitman’s position especially well set up. The main has a large roach, and but a quick shake of the backstay gets the leech free if it gets hang up on the backstay. The solid vang is Navtec and its controls lead aft from the rig alongside the halyards and topping lift. The unobtrusive deckhouse provides a wide platform for crewwork, as does the wide bow. The molded nonskid throughout provides good traction. The only quibble we had was that the toe rail extends the length of the boat, but an available option is a toerail that’s 5/8” lower. The 44.7 has a Chesapeake Bay PHRF rating of 44, and we have a feeling that—especially with the two-spreader aluminum rig—the boat will rate well in IRC as well.
Some more news on the 44.7 from Down Under: Harken Australia managing director, Carl Crafoord’s account of the Sydney Hobart aboard a First 44.7.
“I competed in the 2004 Rolex Sydney to Hobart in a new factory standard Beneteau 44.7 with some good friends with about one hundred Hobart races between us. December 26th, Boxing Day, heralded an absolutely stunning Sydney summer’s day. As per a week’s worth of weather forecasting, we were to start in a freshening north-east sea breeze with a cold front meeting us
in roughly 24 hours at the south-eastern tip of Australia bringing south-west cold air from a stationary low situated in the Tasman Sea at 48 degrees south.
We started so close to the starting line we thought we were over, so we returned as the “X” flag was hoisted and restarted. Giving our class a good head start out of Sydney heads, we worked all night gybing on every wind shift and searching for warm water currents moving south with the masthead spinnaker up under a full moon. It was absolutely fantastic sailing. In the early hours of the 27th the wind backed to the northwest as we changed to headsails reaching in 20 knots of wind on starboard tack. The breeze went further west to south-west as a trough of low pressure moved over us, the barometer dropped to 1004 and we ended up on the nose withstorm jib and trysail by noon that day.
We stayed on starboard tack managing about 140 degrees over the bottom with storm gear in 40 -45 knots for the next 32 hours. We snugged the rig down with an inner forestay that we rigged up and nursed the boat as best as we could over the breaking 7-8 meter seas that had built up. At this point the retirements came thick and fast. Half of the fleet pulled out in the first 24 hours from this relentless belting of cold air. We changed helmsmen often, maintained our watches and kept making our way south. The rhumb line is 183 degrees magnetic. Rehoisting the main to the second reef late on the 28th, we were now 150 miles off the north-eastern tip of Tasmania (about 120 miles east of the rhumb line) and just over half way south in latitude. Not dissimilar to Aera’s winning track we were well offshore and favoured by the breeze going slowly left, we tacked on to port tack eading back into the Tassie coast.
We finally made landfall at the Frecyinent peninsula (about 70 miles north of Tasman Island) near 0000 hours on the 30th. After 2 days of being seriously damp and not eating too much food we got into the flatter water and changed up headsails to the #1 and back to full main. We put the oven on and cooked everything we could as the breeze slowly abated. By sun up on the 30th we were looking at Tasman Island (40 miles from the finish). As the breeze kept going down speed and left to the southeast we were still hard on the wind on port tack on day four with the number one light. We rounded Tasman Island at noon, ghosting along in not much south-east breeze and warm sunshine, drying out ourselves and the yacht.
All credit to Beneteau, the 44.7 really held together well. There were no issues with the hull, deck or rigging. Usually in this race there are a few jobs to be tended to but we went through the entire race without a hitch. By 1300 the southeast sea breeze filled in and we ran all the way home to the finish with the masthead chute in 20 knots of breeze, finishing up the Derwent River at 1812. Just over 100 hours of sailing, with 85 of them hard up wind. We always say that it is our last Hobart race after one of those races but I am sure we will all be back. We had a great crew and some good laughs which is what is really required in the heavy going. We had a very good result for a production cruiser racer with a 2nd in division C, 9th overall under IRC and 15th over the line from 116 starters. Bring on 2005 and congratulations to Beneteau.” Carl Crafoord, Managing Director, Harken Australia.
Maintenance Tip of the Week: Find a couple of hours on a cold winter day and go through all of that stuff you took off your boat last fall and brought home for the winter. Chances are there are some items that don’t need to go back aboard and some others that are maybe best thrown out. What needs to be cleaned, repaired or updated? Remember that flares have a date on them and must be periodically replaced, as do flashlight batteries. Why not organize the small stuff and place it in plastic Tupperware-style containers that will keep things together, clean and dry. Was there something you wished you had and couldn’t find? Now is the time to get things in shape so that next spring you’ll be able to get the boat ready with less hassle and begin to enjoy it sooner.
Is this a good time to buy a Yacht?
There are a number of reasons why the present is a great time to buy a new sail or power yacht from Annapolis Yacht Sales.
1) We have a large range of 2005 models in stock at 2004 prices. Every year we order boats for delivery in the winter, these all have 2005 model numbers and were ordered before the seasonal price increases, and before the change in exchange rate affected the price of imported boats.
2) These boats are in stock and can be delivered in Spring of 2005 if purchased early in the year.
3) Interest rates are at the lowest we have seen, but are starting to climb and will climb in the future. These boats are in stock and the rates can be locked in immediately.
4) Boats ordered at the Winter Boat Shows are eligible for Boat Show Specials.
5) Talk to one of our brokers about any special discounts that might apply to one of our Stock boats.
New 2005 in Stock or on order
Beneteau 323 Hull # 41
Beneteau 323 Hull # 66
Beneteau 36.7 Special edition Hull # 161
Beneteau 343 Hull # tbd
Beneteau 373 Hull # 81
Beneteau 423 Hull # 170
Beneteau 44.7 Hull # 55
Beneteau 473 Tommy Bahama Hull # 201
Beneteau Antares 9.8 Hull # 102
Beneteau Sift Trawler 42 Hull # 1 USA
Elan 40 Hull # 154
Elan Impression 434 Hull # 6
Waquiez Centurion 40 Hull # 37
Waquiez 40 Pilot Salon Hull # 101
Waquiez Centurion 45 Hull # 24
Sabre 386 Hull # 241
Sabre 426 Hull # 27
2005 Special Incentive on all Beneteau 373 ordered by February 28
To assist the sale of the 373 during the winter show season we are offering a promotional package which can be used in addition to the winter boat show special. The special promotion can be used even if you are not in a show and will expire no later than February 28, 2005.
Electric Windlass
Microwave Oven
Sky Screens
VHF Remote Command
Retail Value: $3,490
This special promotion applies to all boats ordered from the factory as well as dealer inventory boats.
Annapolis Yacht Sales Trades
2000 J105 Shoal keel, loaded and ready to race
1997 Beneteau 461, great condition, lightly used.
2000 Hunter 290, like new condition
1985 Gib Sea 33, great value
We always have some great deals on Trade boats, and need to move them to make room for new trades.
List of Annapolis Yacht Sales Brokerage boats
26’ Chaparell 260 ’03 $ 54,000
28’ Caliber ’84 $ 25,000
29’ Mirage ’88 $ 35,900
30’ Pearson 303 ’84 $ 27,900
30’ Etap ’87 $ 39,000
31’ Down East Fly Point ’91 $129,000
32’ Sabre ’84 $ 64,900
32’ Beneteau 321 ’97 $ 69,900
32’ O’day ’91 $ 39,900
32’ Wasque ’99 $199,000
33’ Gib’Sea Master ’85 $ 29,900
33’ Cal ’88 $ 54,900
33’ Beneteau 331 ’00, ’01, ’02 $ 95,000
33’ Hunter 336 ’95 $ 57,500
33’ Offshore Cat Ketch ’85 $ 37,500
34’ Fischer P.H. Ktch ‘79 $ 84,900
34’ Beneteau 345 ’88 $ 51,900
35’ Beneteau Oceanis 350 ’91 $ 51,100
35’ Beneteau 350 ’88 $ 44,900
35’ J-105 ’00 $109,000
35’ Sabre Targa ’90 $ 94,900
35’ Beneteau 351 ’95 $ 85,900
35’ Beneteau Oceanis 351 ’95 $ 79,900
35’ Beneteau Ocenais 351 ’95 $ 87,500
35’ Mirage ’87 $ 49,900
35’ Freedom ’99 $165,000
35’ O’day ’86 $ 26,000
36’ S2 Tiara ’81 $ 54,800
36’ Moody ’83 $ 54,000
36’ Beneteau ’02 $150,000
36’ Sabre 362 ’93 $129,900
36’ Beneteau 361 ’00 $129,000
36’ Beneteau 361 ’01 $135,000
36’ Beneteau 361 ’03 $134,900
36’ Beneteau CC ’02 $145,000
36’ Beneteau CC ’98 $115,000
36’ Southern Ocean ’78 $ 44,000
36’ CS ’86 $ 59,900
36’ New York Schock ’81 $ 36,900
36’ Dehler ’01 $185,000
37’ South Seas Custom ‘92 $ 75,000
38’ Beneteau First 38s5 ’91 $ 79,900
38’ Morgan ’81 $ 39,900
38’ Ericson ’89 $ 84,900
38’ Beneteau 382 ’93 $110,000
39’ Beneteau 393 ’02 $169,000
39’ Beneteau 393 ’03 $169,900
39’ Beneteau 393 ’04 $169,000
40’ Beneteau Oceanis 400 ’96 $129,000
40’ Freedom ’01 $249,000
41’ Dehler ’01 $249,900
41’ Beneteau ’99 $164,900
41’ Lord Nelson ’87 $189,000
42’ Whitby ’85 $129,900
42’ Beneteau First 42’ 85 $ 99,000
42’ Vagabond Kth ’82 $149,000
43’ Young Sun ’78 $ 69,900
43’ Beneteau First 435 ’87 $129,000
45’ Hunter Passage 450 ’97 $199,999
46’ Beneteau 461 ’99 $229,900
46’ Beneteau 461 ’00 $236,900
46’ Beneteau 461 ’01 $240,000
46’ Bowman P.H. ’85 $149,000
47’ Beneteau 473 ’02 $260,000
47’ Bavaria ’01 $249,000
50’ Beneteau ’99 $299,900
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