1985 Custom Thomas Colvin "Pipistrelle"

The following are excerpts from an article by John Paul White published in Southern Boating in December 1988.

“The design chosen was Thomas Colvin’s 50’ Pipistrelle, a larger sister to his famous Gazelle.  These boats are shoal keel developments of the traditional V-bottomed sharpie and are of moderately light displacement.  They are easily driven under both power and sail and are well-suited for short handed cruising.

The lines show a single-chine clipper bow hull, with a long shallow keel and a raking curved counter stern.  There is a raised afterdeck, a flush mid-ship steering station over the full width of the engine room, and a traditional trunk cabin forward with water-ways and bulwarks. 

Under the supervision of Ray Merrill at Island Star Marine in Gulfport, Mississippi, the hull was sandblasted to white metal subsequent to plating, flame sprayed with aluminum on the exterior and multiply coated with Devoe epoxy anticorrosive paint inside and out.  All frames, longitudinals and inside corners were covered with epoxy to eliminate moisture pockets.  Thereafter and on delivery of the hull/deck to Pensacola, Florida, two additional coats of Devoe epoxy were applied to the hull followed by finish coats on the inside.  All bronze fittings are set in neoprene with sleeved bolts and bedded with 5200 sealant.  Every hole drilled in the boat was drilled through a paper cup to collect shavings and the hole immediately vaccuumed, acid-treated and primed with Devoe Bar-Rust to eliminate rust specks.

An absolute minimum of epoxy fairing was applied to the hull and then only in areas of continuous welding, to prevent future spalling of fairing putty under hard use.  Instead, more than 30 mandays were spent applying and sanding 12 coats of high build primer and acrylic glazing before the polyurethane paint job.

In consultation with the designer, a special construction process replaced the after cabin steel top with a laminated wooden structure covered with 1/4” teak planks set in West System Epoxy.  This avoided the rust problems associated with wooden decks laid over steel and in addition, saved almost 600 pounds in the after section of the boat.

Traditional scuttle hatches, skylights, cap rails, and monkey rails with turned styles were built of Honduras mahogany and covered with ten coats of ultraviolet-filtered varnish.

The interior woods are cypress for hull, ceiling and bulkheads, Honduras mahogany for joinery and ash for floorings, all varnished.

The rig was given special attention to bring to the traditional advantages of the gaff rig evolutionary advances of the last 100 years development in materials and hardware.

Custom aluminum spars were built by Johnson Sails in St. Petersburg, all with internal halyards, reefing lines, outhauls, and topping lifts.  Harken 3” Big Boat blocks, several custom made for this boat, were used throughout.  Lewmar line stoppers and winches add sail control and shaping.  Powerful 6-1 Harken vangs help handle the long booms.

Sails were built by Shurr of Pensacola, Florida, a racing sailmaker who happened to also have experience with the gaff rig. They incorporate moderate roach supported by battens and shelf feet for draft control.  

Many other details of this boat, as varied as her hand-carved nautical scenes by Otto Preske and Barry Simpson of Gatlinburg Tennessee, to her powerful electrical system designed and installed by Kevin Carney of DC Engineering Inc., were worked out among the owner, the designer, and several specialists in an effort to construct a steel boat which all could be proud of.”

Spars

Tallest Mast Height: 48’ (Main 39’ above deck, Fore 34’ above deck)

Spars constructed of aluminum tubing 

Masts: 6” diameter, material thickness of 1/4”

Bowsprit: 6.5” diameter

Booms: 6” diameter

Gaff: 4.5” diameter

Square yard: 3.5” diameter

Rigging         

Bobstay:  1/2” chain, approx 14 ft

Standing Rigging: 1X19 Stainless wire, diameter 5/16”.  Reported renewed in mid-2000s. Stalok terminals.

Ratlins: constructed of teak steps on port side of foremast, and starboard side of main mast

Running Backstays: 1/4” braided wire

Running Rigging: Halyards, sheets, braces, tacks are 10mm or 12mm Spunflex, all new in 2015/2016.  Selectively renewed in March 2023.

Working sails

Main: Listed 525’ (gaff) Calc 480’ - Luff 35’ Foot 24’  Leech 38’ (Converted from gaff to marconi by a previous owner; original gaff is available but not on the boat)      

Foresail:  260 - Luff 20’ Foot 10.5’ Leech 28.5’ Head 12’

Boomed Staysail: 125 - Luff 27.5’ Foot 8.5’ Leech 28’                                                  

 Jib: 190 - Luff 35’ Foot 15’ Leech 26’ 

Square: Calc 300’ Leech 21’ Foot 14’         

Main, Foresail, Staysail, and Jib were inspected and serviced by Andy Soper, Sailmaker of Kingston Ontario, in December 2016.  Work done included some reshaping of the main for better performance, new luff lines in the staysail and jib, and minor repairs as needed.  Andy is well-known as an expert on sailmaking for traditional rigs and built some of the sails commissioned for the Master and Commander movie.

Further adjustments to the main were performed in the sail loft at Barefoot Barefoot Yacht Charters in 2022 under the direction of Phil Barnard.

The square sail was purchased second hand in 2016 from another schooner owner.  It was originally built using Oceanus sailcloth by Andy Soper, who inspected its condition in 2017 and found no issues.

Sail Area: 1,355 sq. ft. total, 1,055 sq. ft fore and aft,  1230 sq. ft. with square (excluding staysail)        

Pin rails: on foremast shrouds, forward and aft of foremast, at base of main mast, on rails on either side of cockpit

Winches: 

            - Lewmar #16 ST winch on port side of foremast

            - Lewmar #30 ST winch starboard of main pin rail

            - Lewmar #16 ST winch on foremast boom

            - Lewmar #16 ST winch on main boom

            - Lewmar #16 ST winches on starboard and port sides of cockpit

            - Multiple winch handles and spares stored in helm station deck box

Track: for boomed staysail

Blocks: multiple double and single blocks for sheets and halyards

Engine: Alaska Lugger L854/HE/H150 four-cylinder 43 Hp, fresh water/heat exchanged-cooled diesel engine (serial # 854-0365) & with ZF Hurth reverse/reduction gears (model HBW150).  The Lugger diesels were the choice of many fishing vessels that ran the engines continuously for weeks.  Their design emphasizes internal plumbing with a minimum of hoses.  The transmission was replaced with a new version in 2022.  The fuel injector pump was rebuilt in 2022.

Shaft: 1” stainless.  Conventional flax packed shaft seal. Cutless bearing replaced in 2014.  Shaft and cutless bearing replaced in January 2022

Prop: Feathering 3 blade, RH 19x12 Stainless steel Autostream, purchased new from West by North Industries in 2018

Spare props: 2 bronze RH 1X 18

Fuel tanks: 2 112 gallon fuel tanks port and starboard in engine room, vents at deck level (total 224 gallons)

Fuel filters: mounted on forward face of engine room bulkhead.  Changed to Racor filters in 2022, and added a third filter system so filters can be changed while underway.

Exhaust fan: 3” blower to vent engine space

Rudder: shoe-mounted welded steel rudder with auxiliary tiller, sight glass, and eye terminals for emergency rope steering

Steering: Hynautic hydraulic system.  Steering pump rebuilt in 2022, and the seals on the cylinder were replaced also in 2022.

Autopilot: Original Robertson AP-200DL with fluxgate compass and hydraulic pump was replaced with Raspberry-pi-based system in 2019.  The new system consumes a fraction of the power of the original, which could not be used without the engine running.  The RPI-based system steered the boat 98% of the time in the 2023 passage from St. Vincent to Halifax.

Anchors:

-    Starboard bow: 65# CQR with 380’ 3/8” all chain rode.  Rode fully inspected and measured in 2017.  Bitter end secured to boat

-    Port bow: 55# Danforth with 10’ 3/8”chain and 300’ 3/4” nylon 3-strand rode in two 150’ sections, rode new in 2018

-    Stern: 20” Danforth with 10’ 3/8” chain and 150’ of 3/4 nylon braided rode

-    Storm Anchor: NA

-    Shackles moused with stainless wire

Windlass: AB Industries bronze 2-speed manual windlass, with stainless handle and spare handle

Mooring lines:  new in 2018

-    2 X 50’ 3/4 inch braided line

-    2 X 30’ 3/4 inch braided line

-    1 X 20’ 3/4 inch braided line

Davits at stern support white Boatex 7’ rowing dinghy with wooden oars.

Covers:

• Sunbrella Main stak-pak constructed and installed in 2019

• Sunbrella Foresail stak-pak constructed and installed in 2019
• Other sail covers: older Sunbrella
• Sunbrella hatch covers for aft cabin companionway, main companionway, skylight, and forward hatch
• Sunbrella rail covers for aft railings

Bimini

• Custom hard bimini installed in 2018, incorporates solar charging and rain water collection system.  Material used is 1/2 inch cellular PVC, smooth both sides, purchased from Elite Trim Works (https://www.elitetrimworks.com/Cellular-PVC-sheet-white-smooth-1-2.html#product-details-tab-reviews)

Dodger

• New Sunbrella dodger and side curtains installed in 2019, manufactured by Paul MacDonald (colocates with Wiggers in Bowmanville)

• Stainless steel pulpit at bow with teak grating
• Stainless Stanchions fastened to rail above bulwarks.  10mm spunflex lifeline
• 4 deck prisms: 2 on foredeck, and 2 over engine space in cockpit
• 5 bronze dorade vents: 2 over forecabin, 2 over main salon, 1 in aft cabin
• 12 bronze opening portlights with insect screens
• Mahogany forecabin hatch with port
• Mahogany skylight over salon with butterfly hatches
• Mahogany main companionway sliding hatch with doors
• Mahogany aft cabin companionway sliding hatch with doors
• Captains chair
• Mahogany seating on both sides of cockpit
• 10’ and 20’ boathooks
• 6 fenders
• Cockpit light and switch
• Teak deck box on aft deck (2018)

Exterior Finishes

Hull:  Awlcraft 2000 Cream applied in 2011, recent touchups as required.  Further touchups in 2023

Deck: Base coat: Petitt oil-based white, Non-skid: Kiwi-Grip Cream

Bottom: 2 coats Fibreglas Bottomcote ACT, first coat blue, second coat black

Spars: Existing coat unknown, we have some paint from previous owner for touchups

Brightwork: Cetol 2 part system, gloss over marine teak finish, renewed 2017 / 2018 / 2019 / 2022 / 2023

On deck

• Ring buoy with 50’ floating line 

• Lifesling with 150’ floating line

• Throw rope with 50’ floating line
• Dan buoy with horseshoe buoy, sea anchor
• Weems and Plath Electronic Flare distress light, attached to Dan Buoy system
• Stainless Ladder (stored at port bow)
• Parbuckle with safety ladder (stored in aft teak deck box)
• Recovery block and tackle (stored in aft teak deck box)
• Safety harness (stored in helm station deck box)
• Webbing jacklines (stored in aft teak deck box)
• Radar reflector: Portable version under starboard berth in main salon.  (Boat is steel with metal masts and will easily be detected on radar)
• Navigation and masthead steaming lights as per Colregs
• Masthead anchor light
• Sound signalling:  electric horn at binnacle, bell on boom crutch (manual horn in salon, port side forward)
• 8 person Crewsaver Offshore ISO9650-1 liferaft in hard case, to be mounted on deck below foresail boom (new in 2019)
• 1” thick mahogany storm washboards for main and aft companionways
• PVC storm covers for skylight, forward hatch, could be repurposed for broken portlight
• 3 boat hooks

Below

• Ditch Bag under companionway (see separate inventory)
• Flare inventory in Ditch Bag
  • 1 Comet Smoke Flare (mfg 2018)
  • 12 stars for gun launcher (mfg 2017)
  • 3 red parachute (2 mfg 2018, 1 2019)
  • 3 Comet 2 star (expired)
  • 4 red handheld (expired)
• EPIRB: McMurdo Smartfind G8 with AIS, new in 2019 (in ditch bag), registered in Canadian Beacon Registry
• Search light: mounted to starboard of companionway
• Conventional PFDs: 12 adult and 3 child (under starboard salon bunk and in aft cabin)
• Waterproof flashlights: lower inboard drawer at nav station
• First aid kit: locker above toilet in head
• Through-hulls have wooden emergency plugs attached with lanyards.  Spare wooden plugs stored above starboard fuel tank in engine room
• Axe under nav table, port side
• At least 2 buckets stored in engine space
• Mobile Gusher pump stored in engine room

Fire Detection and Suppression

Requirement: 10BC fire extinguishers

• Engine Room: Fireboy Automatic Halon System, Model 70MA Halon 1301, heat activated at 175F, fan cut-out.  Verified weight on April 3, 2019 to still meet the marked gross label weight of 10.3 lbs

• Cockpit on port side of binnacle

• Forward cabin: starboard side

• Galley: under sink

• Salon: aft wall on port side of companionway ladder

• Aft cabin: port side

• Fire extinguishers inspected and retagged in spring 2019

• 2 Smoke detectors: forward cabin, main salon, aft cabin (2015)

• 2 CO detectors: head, aft cabin (2016)

Bilge Pumps and Alarm

•   High volume automatic bilge pump in galley bilge
•   Two new pumps in salon bilge installed in March 2023
•   High volume Gusher style manual pump in engine room
•   Automatic engine bilge pump under prop shaft
•   Portable manual pump stored in engine room
•   Mobile Gusher pump stored in bilge near holding tank
•     High water detector in bilge connected to alarm bell

AC System

• 3 50’ 30 amp shore power cables
• 2 30 amp shore power receptacles on port side of cockpit
• 50 amp adapters
• 20 amp adapter
• AC cut-off switches and meters in engine room
• AC distribution box and breakers in engine room.  Receptacle circuits are GFCI protected
• 8.0 kw Northern Lights M753-HE-8N generator set driven by a Lugger diesel engine (serial # 7532-2600)
• Heart Freedom Charger/Inverter installed 2015

DC System

• Electromaax “Aquamaax” 100 amp marine high-output alternator (new in 2018)
• Sterling Digital Smart Regulator (new in 2016)
• House bank 2 X Northstar SMS-AGM-400  186 AMP Hour X 2 = 370 AMP Hours, new in 2022
• Engine and generator: Northstar NSB-AGM31M  102 AMP Hour each, new in 2015
• Rotary battery switches for House, Engine, Generator
• Battery combiner, replaced in 2022
• DC distribution panel, breakers and fuses: at nav station
• Backup alternator (original 30amp alternator)

Solar Power (installed in 2018)

• 6 100watt Sunpower (USA) monocrystaliine semi-flexible panels (600 watts total)
• 2 Tracer 30 Amp MPPT Solar Controllers
• 2 MT50 remote meters

Through-hulls

•      Intake seachest in engine room has Marelon valves for engine cooling, genset cooling, raw water intake (for toilet, washdown, salt water galley pump)
• Perko Bronze strainers for each raw water circuit
• Outlet seachest under galley sink discharges from galley and head sinks
• Head discharge through-hull on starboard side beside holding tank
• Head three-way valve on starboard side forward of holding tank
• Through-hulls have wooden emergency plugs attached with line.  Spare wooden plugs stored above starboard fuel tank in engine room

Fresh water

• Two 100 gallon steel tanks port and starboard in salon, air vents at deck level

• 12v Flojet diaphram pressure pump in engine room with filter
• Spare Flojet pump in engine room
• Double sink in galley with faucet and manual pump
• Sink in head
• Full shower in head
• 12 gallon Seaward style stainless horizontal hot water heater in bilge below companionway. While it has provision for coolant loop currently set up to only heat with AC power

Grey water

• Shower sump in bilge below shower
• Sinks drain through outlet seachest under galley

Black water

• Jabsco standard marine toilet
• Siphon break valve in toilet hose
• Three way valve to route waste to holding tank or overboard 
• 30 Gallon holding tank

Washdown

• Raw water 12v washdown pump in engine room
• Hose connection in port cockpit locker

Binnacle

•     Main compass: 5 inch Danforth. 
• Standard Horizon Depth Gauge: Gauge reads depth below transducer, add 2.5 feet for depth below keel
• Moor Wind Gauge (transducer on main mast)(not currently functional, head unit likley needs replacement)
• Engine Instruments: RPM, Oil Pressure, Coolant Temperature, Voltage
• Robertson AP-200DL control head
• Remote mic for Standard Horizon GX2000 VHF with AIS (2016)
• Yacht Devices N2K text display (https://www.yachtd.com/products/display.html)

Above Companionway

• Standard Horizon MATRIX AIS/GPS GX2000 VHF with AIS (2015)
• Raspberry Pi-based chartplotter with Waveshare Touch Monitor, runs OpenCPN, interfaced to NMEA network 2000 (2019), including Daisy AIS receiver, puck GPS, IMU
• Pi also acts as control head and display for Simrad Broadband G4 radar 000-10321-001 (new in 2019)

At Nav Station

• NMEA 2000 network
• Brass Weems and Plath Barometer and Clock, 7” diameter each
• Spare VHF (ICOM MC80) with antenna switch (older unit)
• Handheld VHFs: ICOM (2015)
• Vesper Marine XB-8000 Class B AIS Transponder interfaced to VHF, NMEA 0183 and 2000, with Wifi gateway, plus anchor and MOB alarm functionality. Wifi Password: sweden00 (2015). 
• Garmin GPSMap 152 as backup
• Bitstorm Bad Boy Xtreme Metal Jacket Wifi system (2017) (http://www.bitstorm.com)(Not currently working)
• Mikrotik hAP AC Lite RB952Ui-5ac2nd Wireless AC Router (https://wiki.mikrotik.com/wiki/Manual:TOC)(2017) (Access point for boat wifi, also routes NMEA instrument data over wifi to mobile devices)
• AM/FM Radio and Speakers (2017)
• SGC 2020 Amateur HF Transceiver and Antenna Tuner (2000) 
• Actisense NGT-1 NMEA 2000 / USB computer gateway (2019)
• Voltminder voltmeter
• AC and DC Powerbars
• Chartlight
• Wilson Cell phone signal booster (2015)
• Davis Hand bearing compass with light
• Binoculars (stored in lower aft nav locker)
• Simex Mk III Mariner Sextant No 745318 manufactured by Tamaya of Japan(see https://sextantbook.com/category/simex-sextants/)
• Inverter connected to powerbar to provide power to charge computers and other devices
• Various 12v power supplies and USB charging and patch cables
• Traditional nav instruments: plotters, parallel rules, dividers, etc.

Transducers

• Engine room: original depth transducer (still functional)
• Below galley: Airmar DST800 Smart™ Sensor (depth, temperature, speed): N2K (2017)

Antennas

• Main mast: VHF
• Foremast: VHF for AIS, Bad Boy Wifi
• Port main rigging: antenna for cell phone signal booster
• Main pin rail: GPS antenna for Vesper AIS

Aft Cabin

• Auxiliary telltale compass: Ritchie

• Double stainless sink and faucet
• Salt water 12v galley pump (installed in 2019)
• Fresh water manual pump (2022)
• Wallas Nordic DT flushmount diesel cooktop with blower lid (installed in 2014)
• Toaster oven
• Alder Barbour ColdMachine fridge / freezer (Serial # 20891)
• Force 10 LPG BBQ mounted on starboard rail aft
• Single burner induction cooktop
• Stainless pots and pans
• Stainless flatware
• Corel dishware
• Mahogany lockers for food storage
• Over-counter 12v lighting
• Heavy-duty hatch covers in salon table storage
• Fan

Salon

• Heavy-duty hatch covers above bilge storage
• Mahogany companionway ladder
• Mahogany dining table
• Mahogany nav station
• Mahogany settee, with lee cloth
• Mahogany lockers, drawers and bookshelves
• Three unique wood carvings
• Brass hanging oil lamp
• Brass AC electric light
• Adapted lantern AC electric light
• 5 12v lamps
• Gold-coloured cushions for dining area and settee (new in 2018)
• 2 folding captain’s chairs 
• 3 ventilation fans

Aft cabin

• Mahogany companionway ladder
• Mahogany standard bunks port and starboard, with lee cloths
• Mahogany hanging locker
• Mahogany drawers and lockers for clothes and personal effects
• 5 12v lights
• 2 ventilation fans

Forward cabin

• Mahogany door providing access to anchor chain locker
• Mahogany berths port and starboard, with lee cloths
• Storage under berths and in bilge
• 2 12v lights
• 2 ventilation fans

• Toolbox under nav station, port side.  3 drawers plus top compartment

-    Wrenches

-    Sockets and driver

-    Pliers

-    Screwdrivers

-    Hammers

-    Hacksaw

-    Files

-    Small push saw

-    Hex drivers

• Behind toolbox

-    Standard crosscut saw

-    Axe

-    Electric drill

• Upper drawer, forward nav station

-    Drill bits

-    Driver bits

-    Small socket set

• Lockers, starboard side

-    Electric sander

-    Multimeter and spare multimeter

-    Wire stripper

-    Crimper

-    Painting tools and supplies

• Engine room

-    Rigging cutter

-    Extension cords

-    Oil change pump

-    Air pumps (manual and electric, to top up pressure in steering system)

Various spares in box under companionway, under salon settees

• Signal mirror
• Garbage bags
• Reflective tape
• Flares

2014

• Installed Wallas Nordic Dt stovetop unit

• Installed square sail
• Replaced most running rigging with Spunflex
• Replaced alternator regulator

2015

• Repaired Robertson auto-pilot (replaced 2 capacitors in control unit)
• Replaced batteries and install new battery boxes
• Repaired Bimini side
• Installed additional reading lights in aft cabin
• Installed smoke detectors in forward cabin, salon, aft cabin
• Replaced hose for manual bilge pump in engine room
• Installed Vesper AIS system
• Installed Standard Horizon VHF with DSC and AIS

2016

• Installed Bitstorm wifi unit
• Installed Mikrotik router
• Acquired whistles for PFDs
• Installed automatic bilge pump in galley bilge
• Installed area light on starboard side of main salon
• Installed book case, settee end support and fiddle
• Acquired hand bearing compass
• Installed stanchions and lifelines on aft deck
• Installed AC sump pump
• Acquired and installed remote mike for VHF: CHP31B
• Replaced hydraulic hose for rudder cylinder
• Installed map light over nav table
• Installed CO detectors in head and aft cabin
• Sails inspected and repaired by Andy Soper of Kingston Sail Loft
• Acquired remote mike for VHF

2017

• Replaced glass and gaskets in portlights

• Prepare comprehensive inventory and checklists
• Boat diagram showing location of through-hulls, fire extinguishers, etc.
• Refinished belaying pins
• Refinished forward pin rail on foremast
• Installed drip tray under engine

2018

• Installed lazyjacks on mainsail
• Constructed webbing jacklines
• Constructed webbing cradle for dinghy when mounted on davits
• Turned new belaying pins for square sail and lazyjacks 
• Constructed hard bimini
• Installed solar power system
• Constructed enhanced cockpit seating
• Installed Airmar smart triducer
• Bilge touchups
• Installed 12’ stainless safety rails on cabintop
• New mooring lines from online rope store (Trenton)
• New 3/4” anchor rode from online rope store (Trenton)
• Teak deck box on aft deck
• Acquired and installed feathering prop
• Acquired and installed Electromaxx high output 100 amp alternator

2019

• Treated bottom and updated bottom paint, 2 coats Interlux Bottomkote ACT, first blue as reveal coat, second black
• Cleaned bilges, touchup with POR 15 as required, followed by Petit White
• Updated flare inventory
• Updated boat documentation
• Acquired broadband radar
• Acquired Actisense n2K-USB device
• Acquired and installed liferaft
• Fire extinguishers inspected and tagged
• Acquired additional mobile gusher pump
• Replaced top on engine room seachest with 1” PVC
• New tampons for engine bilge
• Renewed mast boot tape
• Hull touchups with POR 15
• Installed new tool box
• Replaced port and starboard nav lights with LED bulbs
• Built support chocks for when dinghy on aft deck
• Installed new sump pump in freezer bilge
• Installed Raspberry-pi based autopilot system controlling Octopus hydraulic pump

2022/2023

• Replaced condenser unit and control unit in fridge

• Replaced prop shaft and cutless bearing

•   Rebuilt fuel injector pump on engine
• Rebuilt hydraulic cylinder and hydraulic steering pump
• Engine fully serviced
• Replaced fuel filter system for engine and generator with Racor filters
• Installed additional bilge pumps in galley and salon bilges
• Serviced Wallas cooktop
• Selectively replaced running rigging with new Spunflex
• Replaced solar control unit on starboard solar bank
• Minor sail repairs and adjustments to main sail
• New sail cover for square sail
• Hull touchups and new bottom paint