Sunday, February 2, 2014

I've Become A Boat-Nerd

So I'm walking through the boat yard this morning looking for the trash bin and I look up to see this boat.  It catches my eye because it is of an unusual design.  I called Bruce over to gawk with me. We've been in a number of boatyards but never seen anything like this!

I went back to the boat for my camera and began taking pics of the wondrous and strange things this boat has.

The first thing that caught my eye was the wide side overhang and flattened scoop transom   Obviously this is a racing boat says I.  Look at those lines.  Look at that shine. It's sleek and low and looks very fast.  



A closer inspection of the transom reveals some lines and tackle zigzagging across the back.  What is THAT?  Oh, look!  There's a track.  

OMG !  It has a canting rudder! Those lines move the rudder from one side to the other so that when the boat is heeled under sail, the rudder can be straight up and down to increase efficiency.  It also has a trim fin along the back edge of the rudder.  LOVE!

While I'm gazing at the back end, Bruce noticed yet another astounding feature.  The keel on this thing is HUGE!  And it swings!  

And it also has a trim fin along the aft edge.  We wonder what kind of mechanism is inside that will raise and lower this massive thing.  And what kind of DRAFT it must have... And, It's gotta weigh what, over a hundred pounds!!! (kidding)



Also along the undersides of the hull are two openings like gills.  What in the world?  A guy in the yard told us that it was where the through hulls exit... not so sure about that...



The topsides are also amazing.  There is a very strange looking boom.  

The mast is stepped on a tripod.  

And it's a triple spreader giant.  

While I'm taking pictures a guy comes over and tells me that the boat's name is Route 66.  He said it was built 20 years ago as a Liveaboard cruiser!!!  What???  Not a racing boat?  

I asked him about the gills and he told me they were for intake and expulsion of water used as ballast.  Amazing.  He said that the boat was built for the owner at a cost of 3.1 mil. No doubt!  So, I finished my photos and went to see if I could find the boat on the internet.  Route 66 is evidently a famous boat and it wasn't difficult to find info.  If you want to read about it look here for a PDF with more information and photos.

In reading the article I found that the boat can sail at speeds over 20 knots (the boat yard guy told us 30 knots).  Most amazing to me is the garage.  Not the throw-your-stuff-into-the-v-berth-and-call-it-a-garage kind of garage.  The transom opens up to reveal the RIB dinghy which can be backed out easily without lifting.  It also has a fuel tank and pump for the outboard inside.  I took a second look at the transom and saw the opening.  I'm jealous!

The thing about this boat that really got us, was the fact that this rare and unique creature is in the same boat yard where we are having work done.  We're rubbing shoulders with the Big Boys now!  

No comments:

Post a Comment