This is the Aeolus. It is an Aleutka, a 26 ' bilge keel double-ender. Great, simple cruising boat. 2'9" inch draft, great for the Florida Keys and the Bahamas. Given a 4 coat Awlgrip paint job and bottom paint summer of 2005. This design is featured in Ferenc Mate's "Best Boats to Build or Buy".
For more pictures, go here
Below the waterline, this boat has two keels, flared out on either side of center, set amidships. Draft is 2'9". Boat can cruise across the Exuma Banks, or the Lakes west of Key West. At low tides, it can sit upright on the bottom. When I run aground , I just get out and push it off. Rudder swings up, and is held down with a sheer pin. All in all, these features make for some pretty neat boating.
The rigging system is very cool. The boat is rigged using old style deadeyes and lanyards, rather than norse fittings or some other fixed rigging system. The deadeyes are made of lignum vitae, the lanyards from 3 strand UV resistant line. The benefit of this system is that it is easy to maintain and repair (i've actually never had to repair it) and the lanyards flex nicely, removing stress from the Stainless Steel chainplates. Basically, you don't have to check all your metal rigging hardware for cracks all the time, you just have to make sure your lanyards are tight. The shrouds and stays are 1/8 and 1/4 stainless 1x19 wire.
The boat was designed in 1970 by Jonathan Letcher, in California. He designed it to sail the Aleutian Islands in Alaska, where the tides are very strong. Hence the twin keel design, and the design name "Aleutka". This particular boat was built in California in 1985.
Why Am I Selling It?
Because I've had my big adventure with it, and may be moving back up North.
Who would this boat be good for?
- A young person who wants to go sailing on a solid boat but who doesn't have the tons of cash needed to buy a Compaq or Island Packet.
- An older retired person who has a dock on his property and who wants a really cool sail boat to take out on nice days and who doesn't mind doing a little bright work now and then.
Equipment List:
- Electric/Navigation
- New Icom VHF - October 2006
- New top of Mast Shakespeare Squatty Body VHF Antenna - September 2006
- New top of Mast Aquasignal Tricolor and Anchor Light - September 2006
- New mast wiring and radio cable - September 2006
- Two 12V cabin lights, 2 12 volt Cabin Fans
- New Plastimo 101 Compass, with cover - 2006
- Absorbed Glass Matt Batteries new in 2004, no maintenance required. two 6 volts wired in series. Charged by Solar Panel via Solar charging regulator.
- Siemens Solar Panel: 3.2 Amps/60 watts
- Plumbing/Galley
- Fold away galley table
- Large Fold away teak/mahogany dining table
- New Porta Potty - never used :)
- New Blake Lavac vacume toilet, with holding tank, ready to install
- New 21 Gal Nauta flexible Water tank
- 2 Whale Gusher Bilge pumps, 2 electric bilge pumps
- Shipmate 2 burner propane stove with two level oven
- One 4 pound propane tank in teak storage locker. (there are two lockers, for a total of two tanks)
- Icebox
- New Bronze thru-hulls - August 2005
- Safety
- GPS EPIRB new in 2004, never used.
- 9 ft sea anchor with 200' of half inch rode - new in 2004, never used
- Complete Flare Kit, fire extinguisher
- Single handing jack line
- 3 life jackets and 4 throwable PFDs
- Propulsion
- 1985 Evinrude 2 stroke 8 hp Outboard, runs fine
- 11 Sails
- 1 battoned main with 3 sets of reef points. (used condition)
- 1 spare canvas main (never used)
- 1 130 genoa (used condition)
- 1 spare genoa (less used condition)
- 1 jib (used condition)
- 1 spare jib (less used condition)
- 1 stay sail with 3 sets of reef points (used condition)
- 2 small high wind head sails
- 2 large light wind head sails
- 25 lb CQR with 120' of chain, or 120' of 5/16 nylon rhode (both chain and nylon are stored in anchor well, changing rhodes takes 5 minutes)
What's Not To Love:
- small storage lockers on deck right behind mast need new covers. These covers got blown off in Hurricane Wilma. No other hurricane damage to the boat. Lockers do not lead to cabin. Used for rope storage.
- Center part of deck, between bow and coach house roof, could be reglassed. Old teak veneer getting thin there. The old teak veneer has already been replaced with fiberglass, epoxy and awlgrip everywhere else.
For more pictures, go here
