For Sale: 2003 St Francis 44

[Intentional Drifter]

When we stopped cruising last year, we were thinking that we might get back to it in a year or so. Currently, that isn't going to happen (my better half has some health issues that requires her to stay reasonably close to her providers), so it makes much more sense to sell our beloved Orca. (No, I'm not leaving boats, just going to something more for day sailing and a week or so, here and there. There's this sweet trimaran that's been giving me a come-hither look.)

Orca is truly ready to set out for long-distance cruising. We have continued to do at least day sails once or twice a month and that has kept me up to date on the maintenance as well as keeping things working. She has just about all the safety equipment you could want, redundant navigation and communications equipment, fresh bottom paint/sail drive maintenance, and just had a top to bottom rigging inspection.

In terms of cruising goodies, she's got it all: Big pure sine wave inverter/charger, genset, solar panels, watermaker, RIB, 15hp 2-stroke (!) Yamaha, liferaft, big Rocna (along with a CQR and Danforth), SSB and sat phone (with data port), Winchbuddy, heavy and light asymmetrical spinnakers, satellite weather, etc., etc.

There's lots of comfort-stuff, too: A/C, HDTV, stereo, custom-made mattress for the owner's berth, small bathtubs in both master baths, TrackItTV (bring your own Tivo, though), ice maker, washer/dryer, microwave, the list goes on.

There's even pots & pans, plates, glasses, and utensils! Shoot, we'll even include the offshore medical kit and ditchbag (with hand-operated water maker). There's $4000 worth of stuff you hope to never use, but will be real glad to have it if you do, just in those two things!

I'll even throw in my custom-made, self-designed, no-you-won't-find-another-one-anywhere ratcheting winch handle! (The envy of every sailor who's seen it!)

Seriously, the list of what you would need to do is incredibly short. Learn the boat, transfer the weather/sat phone subscriptions, stow your stuff, fuel up, and check the charts. That's it!

Orca is located in Seattle, Washington, USA. You could cruise our wonderful Salish Sea before going down to pick up the Baha Ha-Ha, and then the Pacific Puddle Jump to the S. Pacific. (Believe me, I'm jealous. I might want to negotiate for a crewing opportunity.)

Check out her website at: www.stfrancis44forsale.com

$375,000 US

ID

[Mimsy]

Sorry to hear of your wife's health issues. I hope her health improves. Good luck with the sale.

[Intentional Drifter]

Thank you for that, Mimsy. It isn't a big deal (not disabling), but it does mean that doing months away at a time isn't a good idea.

ID

[Intentional Drifter]

Hi, Folks!

This is a great boat, in wonderful shape, ready to go cruising (yeah, I know you see that all that time, right? This time, it really is true).

It's a sad thing, but "the economy" messed up our plans and now we've lost the window of time available to us. That, and our needs to stay pretty close to home, mean that we simply must sell her.

Don't let the "asking price" put you off. We're seriously negotiable and need to sell.

www.stfrancis44forsale.com

ID

[Intentional Drifter]

Are you looking for a catamaran that can really sail? Do you lust after a Catana, but can't come up with that sort of money? Do you like the performance of an Outremer, but would like a bit of room and luxury, too? Are you concerned about some of the production cats that seem to scrimp on the build in order to get to a price point?

Are you looking in that $350K to $400K range for a fully outfitted, high quality, well-performing, cruising cat? I don't think you will find much out there that can compare to Orca.

Now, I'm not saying that a St Francis 44 will outperform an Outremer, but they are definitely quicker than the average condomoran out there, and one of the standard 44's did win the Cape Town to Rio race several years ago, while seeing 20+ knots for an extended period. Likewise, they won't outpoint a daggerboarded Catana, but 40 degrees is normal and they can pinch to 35. How many of the usual flock of production, keeled cats can do that?

And, how many production cats come with Dyform rigging and Norseman fittings? None? That's because it costs more, quite a bit more. But definitely stronger, more resistant to corrosion, and you can actually repair it yourself, should you need to. How about winches? Does that typical and popular production cat come with over-sized Andersons and electric Harkens? Does it have double-diamond spreaders, or the cheaper single or triangle type? Does it have two-piece stanchions, or the cheaper (to buy, not to repair) one piece? Does it have big, beefy padeyes on the bows build especially for a sea anchor? Not likely. How about a boom vang? Two asymmetrical spinnakers, and a storm jib (never used, thankfully, but it is there!)?

Do your typical production cats have big (45 gallon) holding tanks, built in to the bows in order to also serve as a watertight crash bulkhead? How about independent fuel tanks built in to the bridgedeck to put all that weight where you want it, while also keeping any fuel bugs you might get isolated in one tank?

When you start looking under the surface at lots of these boats, you’ll see what I mean. Also, just about all of them are heavier (some, much heavier!), have smaller sail plans, and frankly just won’t sail as well. Most of them simply won’t move much unless the wind is 10+. (A few months ago we had Orca out with 12 people on board – in 6 to 8 knots of wind, we were still doing 4 to 6, with just working sails.)

You can also find lots of under $400K cats at the Moorings brokerage (which also handles Sunsail and a few other charter companies): Exclusive In-House Brokerage Offices
Of course, don’t be surprised when the engines have 5 to 6000 hours on them. Some will have some comfort stuff (air conditioning), but very little cruising equipment (very few will have watermakers, SSB, sat phone, generator, solar panels) and just the standard, minimum spec’ed equipment. But, if they’ve been phased out well, they’ll probably do fine. (Oh, a tip when you look at them – be absolutely sure that the engine hour meter is functioning and always has – a shocking number of charter boats seem to have defective hour meters. That seems a bit “too convenient” a defect to be entirely circumstantial, to me.)

If you really want a well performing cat – something that will point higher than 45 degrees, get you a reasonable expectation of around 200 nm/day in the trades, will sail in light air, yet is also well constructed, strong in a storm, and with some comfort, too – well, I don’t see anything else that compares without going considerably more expensive.

Don't just take my word for it, here's what a delivery skipper had to say about them: ST. FRANCIS 44 CATAMARAN

To make it even better, we've reduced the price: $335,000! I don't think she will be around much longer at that price, so let me hear from you!

www.stfrancis44forsale.com

ID

[sarafina]

Sweet boat....

; -)

[Intentional Drifter]

Folks, we've really got to sell this boat. Orca is a great boat, ready to go, and now we've reduced the price, even more! $315,000.

You could go down the W. Coast, join the Baha-Ha-Ha, then the Puddle Jump and be in the Marquesas for the next cruising season!

Give her a look!

ID

[Coolruns]

Fabulous boat ID. Wish we were in a position to buy ... too many land lubber issues at hand.

Best wishes to you and your wife.