Sea Quill a sailing voyage with Ulf and Jen



The Boat

When we began looking for a sail boat, of course we had our list of requirements. Of first importance, it had to be affordable, which in our case, meant that it had to be used and small. But it also had to be big enough for a couple to live aboard without wanting to kill each other, plus sea-worthy enough to cross oceans, which was our plan. We wanted a boat suitable for short-handed sailing too, so that one of us could safely sail her while the other slept. These factors pointed us to the 30-34 foot range, with a full keel and medium displacement. Being the haute people we are, she also had to be stylish. From the day we decided to quit our jobs to go sailing (June 2006), to the day we moved aboard (January 2007), was just over six months. Therefore, we needed a boat that was more or less ready to go. Scouring the internet, Ulf found Sea Quill, a ketch-rigged (meaning, she has two masts) Allied Seawind II, in great condition; he was soon on a plane to The Dominican Republic to see her in person (ah, internet romance). We were not looking for a ketch-rigged boat. Never even considered it, but once we did a little research and saw Sea Quill, we thought differently.

The original Allied Seawind 30-footer was the first fiberglass sailboat to circumnavigate the world. The Seawind II, at 32 feet, is a natural extension of the original Seawind design by naval architect Tom Gillmer. She was built to exceed Lloyds AAA specifications. And a further nice touch: Sea Quill was handbuilt by craftsmen in Catskill, New York, on the great Hudson River, not too far from where Jen was born.

 

Sea Quill - Seawind Mark II Ketch # 29

Our boat was lovingly cared for by her previous owner of 17 years, Paul Watson, and she was already equipped with a lot of the important stuff: a good set of sails, up-to-date electronics and new wiring, a reliable engine, plus a smartly renovated cabin -- important considerations for a 30 year old boat! Our own upgrades to Sea Quill, so far, include components to optimize her for long-range cruising: ICOM single side band marine radio, Cape Horn windvane, large Sunsei solar panel, Kiss wind-generator, and two twenty-pound aluminum propane tanks (for cooking).



The Cabin

Looking down into the cabin from the companionway steps, there are comfortable sleeping berths to port and starboard, with reading lamps at both ends. The folding mahogany table is to starboard, with storage for charts, wine, and GPS/computer cable connections behind it.

Loads of additional storage are behind the fold-down seatbacks, under the berth cushions, and in the cabinets above. Woven rattan cabinet doors provide good ventilation, and they look nice and neat too. The galley is to port, with a gimballed oven and three-burner stovetop. Storage for pots, pans, dishes, and food, is aft and to port. The deep sink and refrigerator are also aft.

Here's the view looking aft from the v-berth; the mirrored door to the left opens into the head, en suite like. There's a second door to the head from the salon. Under the companionway ladder is the SSB radio, and beneath that, wide access to the engine. The electronics panel and navigation equipment are to starboard, along with storage for wine, silverware, and lots more.

We eat most of our meals in the cockpit, weather permitting -- which it usually does, most graciously, in the Caribbean. There's a nifty, fold-away, mahogany table. The cockpit is spacious; the long benches easily seat six for drinks (although there's a bit of "visual interference" from the mizzen mast); they're even comfortable beds for sleeping under the stars.

We have a "bathroom sink" between the enclosed head and "Jen's side" of the v-berth.

Storage for clothes and books is on both sides of the v-berth. We made some small hammocks to tuck under the shelves, for soft storage of linens and such. Big tools, hoses, lamps, varnish, and who knows what else, are stored in lockers beneath the bed. A hanging closet is to port. The door to the chain locker is behind the patterned red cloth.

When non-sailing friends ask us what it's like to live full-time, with all our possessions, in a 32-foot monohull sailboat, we can both honestly say that living in a NYC apartment is excellent preparation.

 

Our Flag

Our friend, Michael Lapthorn -- Brooklyn resident, architect, Jeopardy winner, talented man -- designed and sewed Sea Quill's custom flag. In one talon, the regal albatross carries a meaty slab of bacon for Ulf, the carnivore; in the other, a crunchy carrot for Jen, the vegetarian. Near the beginning of our cruise, our new friends in Jamaica ditched our birth names, and called us by the jucier, "Bacon and Carrot."

 

Electronics & Navigation

Electrical Systems

Engine Details

Sails & Rigging

Deck & Hull