53' Leguen Hemidy Levrier de Mer 16m - Info, Good or Bad, Please

[johnnymac]

Hi there iam thinking of buying the 53' Leguen Hemidy levrier de mer 1990.she is almost 20 years old but she is in good condition,i will be living aboard for at least 5 years with my girl,sailing the Caribbean and south pacific ect.i would like to hear ect comments good or bad on the 53.

thanks johnnymac

[casus]

Hi,

We just found your question about the levrier53 in this forum.
We do have a levrier53 since 18 years and are very satisfied with her.
She is e beautiful yacht, easy to handle and very fast.
All this years we just had the usual works to do and really never other problems.
We are always leaving six months on bord in the carribean.
We do have a website which is Aluyacht
If you have any other questions please contact us we will be happy to give you answers.
Greatings from the carribean St.Lucia
imagine@vtxmail.ch
casus

[Eric50]

Hi Johnny,

Sorry for the late reply, but i have just discover your question about the "Lévrier de mer 16".

We are currently owning since 2002 the #4 out off the 10 boats made in this serie.

Actually, the boat is 19 years old, she is called "Azawakh" (a nigerian hounddog, in french a..."Lévrier du Niger")

We are absolutely delighted by the boat that is still callenging for many modern boat of her size...well not to say she is always the best!

The boat is a dream, nothing less, her performance are stunning (2 digits average cruising speed is very common...top speed close to 20...) but remain easy to control as we are sailing being 2 aboard (well..2 and a half as the autopilot is helping us a lot).

Although it is light (13 tons fully equiped and refueled...8 tons empty!!!!), the construction is very strong and sturdy and it is also very comfortable, both at sea and at mooring.

The sea worthyness (pardon my english if I make some error in the spelling and grammar, I am french....) is for real bluewater sailing and stormy weather.

We are sailing in the channel, in an area (Cherbourg) where are located the strongest tidal stream in Europe (up to 10 knots...) and highest tide (more than 43 feet between high and low tide), giving us with the usual channel weather difficult sea condition (not to say very difficult sometimes).

Our levrier allows us to sail all the year, winter include, and we encounter up to 50 knots condition without considering being in a critical condition.

Winds up to 35 / 40 knots are not disturbing with such a boat and life goes on as ususal aboard while being en route.

Ok, let's be honest, this is not the most comfortable situation, but it is far away to be considered as difficult either with such boat.

The accomodation are very convenient and allows normal life going on at sea in any condition up to force 8 / 9.

In light air, she's flying of course and speed between 8 to 10 knots upwind are common.

Another good point is the stability enroute, we regulary lock the helm once the boat is tuned and leave her on course for hours, just watching and checking that she stays at the wanted heading...very comfortable, very easy and autopilot saving too!

It is roomy (mainly because the beam remain consistent form the saloon up to the aft cabin), well lighten by the numerous portholes, very well vented as well.

The weight distribution is also very well thought as the engine is against the mast, in the saloon table actually, perfectly centered and a dream in term of access for servicing (the compartment is 100% removable).

The engine is very powerful (Yanmar 4 JH 2 DTE - 88 HP), well helped by the MaxProp propeller in both forward and reverse...we do no have a bow propeller and do not feel the need for it.

Sails are easy to manage (Spis are equipped with socks...), deck layout is just perfect or close to perfection, cockpit is both good for manoeuvre than for relaxing, equipped with a mobile cockpit table and integrated foldable bimini...although it is not as wide as modern designs are.

The rear platform is also a dream for all mooring activities, fishing, diving, boarding from the tender, sunbathing...the integrated folding ladder is very useful too.

The front sailocker is very roomy and useful, well equiped (a strong shelf and a tube to hang all the ropes) where we store the 2 spinnakers (230 and 177 square meters), the jib (42 m2) and the storm sail, the tender and her outboard engine, as well as all the mooring accessories (2nd anchor, gaff, windlass remote controls...).

All is well stored and have room enough to be independantly access and removed.

We could give you loads of positive comments for this boat, endlessly as, to make it short, we have never been disappointed by her, since we have it.

You can see some pictures of it on this web site:

www.syazawakh.blogspot.com

Fell free to ask more question and details if you wish.

Hope this will help.

best regards.

Eric