In the mid 1970’s the Willard Boat Works in Fountain Valley, California built, what many consider to be the perfect balance of efficiency, safety, style, draft, and comfort into cruising machines. They included motor sail and trawler designs that preceded the Nordhaven for serious cruisers.
Much has been written about W.I.B. Crealock, who in 1976 designed my boat (he later designed Walter Cronkite’s sailboat “WYNTJE”). At the time Crealock said, “Seaworthiness in a cruising boat has to be the No. 1 consideration. It doesn’t matter how cute the boat is if it doesn’t get (the cruisers to their destination) in one piece … Just about any boat does well in Southern California. A bathtub would do fairly well. But when things get bad, when it’s blowing hard and rough, that’s when the difference between boats shows up most. But beyond safety, you must give up in some areas to achieve in others. The boat must be aesthetically pleasing to the owner and not too slow – nobody likes a slow boat. But you can’t take a camper and put it on a Ferrari and say you have the ideal combination.”
This is probably the largest 30′ sailboat ever designed and built. It’s also, hands down, the most solid vessel afloat. It is not fast, it might have registered 7+ knots once, but I could be mistaken. It has never been 8 knots, for sure. It is happiest with the engine running at 1,200 RPM, 4 blade prop turning, all sails up, underway, making way.The caprail, was worn, chipped, and needed to be replaced several years ago. The strongest replacement involves laminating strips of 3/4″ thick teak in half in width with low-acid epoxy. The trick is to get a perfect fit and the best way to do that is to use the vessel itself as the template. The stern’s curve is too tight a bend for 1/2″ strips so 14 – 1/4″ strips form the caprail on the canoe stern. It’s surprising the strength that these layers provide and the linear detail is lovely under the varnish.
Salon has dining table with stow-able single leg and 12 outlets below for computer, drives, and speakers. 110 volt refrigerator keeps refreshments cold while docked.
Propane stove (new), galley, circuit breaker panel and air conditioning.
Other observations over the years: “Taller guests are surprised by the 6′ 4″ standing headroom inside. The design of the vessel is, more than anything else, simple and straight forward. When you are approaching an anchorage your options are wider because you are sliding a full keel across the bottom with only a 4′ 8” draft. Your prop is several feet above any potential contact with sand and silt, so are your raw water intakes. The keel is bolted and glassed in protecting your running gear. The romantically named “8-Ton” refers to the storage capacity rather than the actual weight of the vessel. Its displacement is 17,000 lbs. including 6,500 lbs. of ballast in the keel.”
L.O.A. 35′ 2″, L.O.D. 30′ 0″, L.W.L. 27′ 6″, Beam 10′ 6″, Draft 4′ 8″, Displacement 17,000 lbs., Sail Area 600 Sq. Ft., Ballast 6,500 lbs., Headroom 6′ 4″, Stainless wheel, Emergency Tiller, CQR & Danforth anchors, 90 gallon water tank, 39 gallon diesel tank, 5 gallon blackwater tank with “Y” valve, new propane range with external gravity drain, Custom stainless traveler above companionway, Tricolor LED running lights at top of mast, Steaming light and deck lights, Air Conditioning, 5KW Westerbeke Generator, and Perkins 4.108 Diesel engine, plus original manual, repair manual, and full parts diagram. Auto pilot. No GPS, I use my iPad and iPhone.
Large V berth trimmed in teak with drawers and storage below.
Lower angle without middle support — Small locker under drawers V berth
Full size hanging locker, closet in next to V berth.
On the starboard side, engine compartment a fiberglass enclosure was built to support and enclose a 5KW Westerbeke diesel generator. A separate exhaust and muffler system, raw water supply and fuel delivery was installed.
My experience with moving vessels by truck over the last 10 years indicates that this boat could be moved anywhere in the U.S. East of the Mississippi for about $8,000.
Contact Me at:
305-790-9709 CEL phone (you can text if your prefer)
L.O.A. 35′ 2″, L.O.D. 30′ 0″, L.W.L. 27′ 6″, Beam 10′ 6″, Draft 4′ 8″, Displacement 17,000 lbs., Sail Area 600 Sq. Ft., Ballast 6,500 lbs., Headroom 6′ 4″, Stainless wheel, Emergency Tiller, CQR & Danforth anchors, 90 gallon water tank, 39 gallon diesel tank, 5 gallon blackwater tank with “Y” valve, new propane range with external gravity drain, Custom stainless traveler above companionway, Tricolor LED running lights at top of mast, Steaming light and deck lights, Air Conditioning, 5KW Westerbeke Generator, and Perkins 4.108 Diesel engine, plus original manual, repair manual, and full parts diagram. Auto pilot. No GPS, I use my iPad and iPhone.
Full size hanging locker, closet in next to V berth.
Full size head, shower and sink, teak throughout.
