Actually, she was sold over 18 months ago but the new owner kept me waiting for a while, eventually taking over back in September. Sorry to be so tardy in posting, but the sale of the boat was all wrapped up with Jasna’s rather unforseen behaviour which ultimately lead to our separation, so I didn’t feel like writing about it (or anything else) for a while – at least until I had something positive to say and now I do….!
Calyps0 II – an Island Packet 38
I know, I know, she looks very similar to the first Calypso (even the same beige colour) but that is a good thing because there was much to like about Calypso and I have not fundamentally changed my philosophy as to what constitutes a good voyaging boat as the laws of physics have not changed. Calypso II still has the necessities of a good voyaging boat as laid out in Get Real, Get Gone and embodied by the original Calypso (and Marutji before her). Namely:
- A decent, long keel (integral in this case)
- A fully supported rudder (No dreaded spade rudders, ever!)
- A heavy lay up – built to get you there, not win races
- Small, tough portholes
- Strong rigging and sails
- Relatively short, sturdy mast
- The ability to heave-to quietly in foul weather so I can watch Downton Abbey on the BBC iplayer
Calypso II also has some other things that I would recommend to other voyagers.
- Less external wood. I know it looks lovely, but at least half my maintenance time on Calypso was taken up with keeping the wood nice and insect-free. If you ignore that task in the tropics, then trouble will soon follow.
- Oversized rigging and chainplates. In 2014, the nice chaps at Port Townsend Rigging whipped out the old chain plates and replaced them with a heavy duty version and did the same to the entire rig. Gives one a great deal of confidence.
- Monitor Windvane. Don’t get me wrong, any windvane is an improvement on an
electric autopilot and they all work their magic. Yet only Monitor (and some Aries models. Hydrovanes too, but they are not servo type systems) have solved the ‘big wave problem’. This is where a big wave slides under the boat and knocks the servo blade out of the water so it is no longer steering the boat. Our Cape Horn on Calypso (although a fantastic system in many ways) was vulnerable to that, as iare all the others). Monitor’s stainless cage prevents that from happening – it weighs a bit more than others, but it is good to know that it will continue to steer in all conditions particularly as it would seem that (however unplanned) some solo sailing is likely to feature in my future.
- Hard Sailing/Rowing Tender Say goodbye to the endless bullshit that comes with dinghy/outboard maintenance and have a heap of fun too. Also serves as my sail training vessel for new crew. A much easier and fun way to teach the basics – chuck the new crew out with a copy of “sailing for dummies” and go and have a beer. A great trolling vessel too because you can scoot quietly across the water dragging a lure at a decent speed under sail alone which doesn’t scare the fish off. You can really fight with the bigger ones too as there is no possibility of holing your dinghy landing any fish that is less than keen about becoming lunch. Say goodbye to hunger and boredom and much expensive maintenance all in one go.
Having said all the above, we did not start the complicated process of selling a boat we knew (and immersing ourselves into the heavily mined arena of buying one we did not) for any of the above reasons. The motivation came principally from the desire to accommodate the many readers who contacted us asking if they could join the boat for a while and get a bit of a taste for the lifestyle. We did try it a few times with Calypso, but she was just too small. So we set out to look for a boat that was about the same size overall as Calypso but had an aft cabin and better interior volume, but did not sacrifice any sea-going ability to achieve it. A very tall order indeed! The Island Packet 38 turned out be a very good answer to this problem. Whilst less than a foot longer (LOA) than Calypso, she has excellent interior volume with two decent sized cabins and voluminous storage. In other words, all the advantages of a charter yoghurt pot but with top of the line build quality,
The aft cabin can fit two singles or can be turned into a romantic double with the addition of a centre infill piece. The forward Pullman berth is truly the most comfy bed I have ever slept in. The forward head has been removed and turned into a man-cave. Oh yes! how many sailors are lucky enough to have their own man-cave! A second head is rather excessive on a small boat and the man-cave means that all my tools, gooey stuff and fasteners are all in the same place rather than strewn out all over the boat getting lost and pissing off my partner (should I ever be of a mood for another) as grease and oil finds its way into the potatoes and clothes. I am still sorting it out and I wish to add a permanent vice, stand drill and grind wheel, but it is a real life -changer. Makes me smile just looking at it :).
Generally, the bones of the boat were in excellent shape, but she had been neglected for long enough to make her a bit of a bargain. The gel coat had gone dull and chalky, the windlass and one furler had seized and the varnish was peeling off exactly to the extent that it was difficult to remove and impossible to repair. The overheating problem in the engine had been cured by removing the wires from the temperature alarm. (sometimes known as the “Hillbilly Tune-Up”) and the head was leaking and making the boat smell like the toilets at Milwall Football Club. This of course was my first job and proved fairly easy to repair and then I moved on to all the others in more fragrant surroundings.
With the help of three really funny Fijian guys, I have now removed every single scrap of varnish from the exterior of the boat and I will be replacing it with nothing. Teak loves salt air and sunshine and leaving it bare reduces the maintenance significantly in the tropics.
I have been slowing going through the boat stem to stern and fixing whatever I don’t like and cataloging the enormous amount of spares the previous owner was kind enough to leave me with (thanks Daryl!) but generally speaking I am absolutely amazed with the build quality and presence of mind that Island Packet put into these boats – almost every time I think “wouldn’t if be a good idea if…” Island Packet seem to have already done it.
She is a delight to sail and surprisingly close-winded fro a long keeler. Johnny (friend visiting from Tonga) and I were amazed how smartly she tacked and at tight angles that were beyond anything I had hoped for (certainly much closer winded than Calypso).
So my friends! In a few weeks I will be ready to sail. I am not yet feeling up to inviting any readers on board at the moment though. This forum is not really the place to discuss what happened between me and Jasna, but suffice it to say, the more you trust somebody, the greater the pain of betrayal , so I doubt I would make the best company. But I look forward to meeting you all out here later in the year when I have (inevitably) bounced back a bit and am closer to my usual fluffy, fun-loving self! Despite upgrading the boat, I will still be running on a ‘not for profit’ basis so I expect a decent bottle of wine (or two bottles of cheap Londis plonk)!
As always, any questions stick them below in the comments.
Cheers Everyone and Fair Winds to All!
Rick
Calypso II
Fiji
Congratulations and Condolences Rick! She seems the perfect balm for the inner calm we seek. Wishing you many years of insightful sailing with her!
Thanks Dan – I could use some of that inner calm!
Congrats for your new boat Rick. Great choice. I have bought a Windpilot Atlantic, an old one, for my Great Dane 28. I haven’t installed it yet though
see fb answer Mike. ?
Congrats on the new boat, as they say what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. Hope you have many happy adventures aboard calypso 2. Big hug ?
Rick,
Awesome yacht! Keeping you busy I see. Sometimes that’s a good thing. Let us know when you’re ready for crew mates to help. Until then know hope you’re still the happiest sea gypsy out there. Chin up! Cheerio! Carry on!
Sorry to hear of your separation Rick. I have personal experience of that so know something of what you’re going through. The new Calypso looks sweet and I’m sure is just what you need to bounce back (at the time, my salvation was a glider). My own transition to sea gypsy is going to plan and in just about a year from now will become a reality. Just hope I can keep going as long as Tilly!
Fair winds
Paul
Ha ha! Don’t we all! Seriously though – thanks for the nice thoughts Paul. Seen anything you like or sticking with the Sigma?