From the Helm
The boating season is in full swing and we hope you are enjoying the warm temperatures and great sailing breezes Mother Nature has been delivering.
As our deliveries and commissionings have completed, we have turned our attention to owner upgrades and are in the middle of several projects, including brightwork and electrical work. In addition, we are fresh back from Block Island and a very enjoyable Island Packet rendezvous we co-sponsored. Continuing in the spirit, we are celebrating "Island Packet Days" with unbeatable deals on our in stock 465 and SPC. Check below for details.
We're not the only ones keeping busy.
Catalina has just announced the latest addition to their lineup - the new C-355. If you've been looking for a yacht with the characteristics of the C-445 but in a mid-size package, then the C-355 is an ideal choice. You'll find much more on Catalina's newest design including a sailplan and layout right here on our New Models page.
Not to be outdone, Jeanneau has been working on a new dockside control system designed to take the stress out of close quarters maneuvering. Known as "360 Docking", the system combines a pivoting saildrive and bowthruster with joystick control "making entering a marina a pleasurable experience." We're pretty excited about this development and are anxious to see it in operation. We'll pass along additional information as it becomes available. In the meantime, you'll find a copy of Jeanneua's press release here.
As always we look forward to seeing you on the water.
Executive VP/General Manager
Special Savings Packages Available on Island Packet Models
Hellier Yacht Sales is offering incredible savings and customized packages on our in-stock Island Packet 465 and Island Packet SP Cruiser.
This one time savings offer from Hellier Yacht Sales along with factory incentives from Island Packet Yachts combine to make this the perfect time to purchase the Island Packet of your dreams. Don't miss out! Call for details!!
Island Packet 465
In Stock - Call for Details!!
The 465 offers exceptional livability and practical cruising features coupled with impeccable craftsmanship and handsome good looks. The large center cockpit provides more than just a comfortable place for your crew to congregate. It provides a safe working area from which you can perform all the necessary adjustments underway. Wide side decks, strategically placed hand rails and recessed foredecks maximize your safety on deck.As beautiful as the 465 is to behold, it's even more appealing below decks. The expansive main saloon boasts more than seven feet of headroom, a well-appointed combination of hand crafted teak furnishings, cabinetry and storage, a nav station that would excite any world cruiser, a gourmet galley fit for a master chef and two of the most spacious staterooms you'll find anywhere.Entering via the comfortably angled companionway steps, your attention will be drawn to full-length settees. The port settee extends to the centerline to make a double berth, and both settees can be used as sea berths. The large main dining table stows against a bulkhead wine rack, opening up the area for socializing. A smaller, removable table is also available, which mounts on either side of the saloon for added flexibility while dining or entertaining. CE Category A – Ocean rated safety windows provide a panoramic view and overhead lights and numerous reading lamps with individual dimmers are found throughout.
Island Packet SP Cruiser
In Stock - Call for Details!!
The SP Cruiser® offers year round boating comfort, trawler-like livability and motoring performance, simple and versatile sailing and legendary IP quality and value.
Among many unique features are the SP Cruiser's twin cockpits. One aft, perfect for the morning's first cup of coffee, plus one forward—just the right place for a group to sit while cruising or at anchor on a beautiful day. Large CE Category A – Ocean rated opening windows in the enclosed deckhouse offer panoramic views, while the center windshield panel hinges upward to allow socializing with family and friends in the forward cockpit.
Control of this vessel is made easy and comfortable with dual swivel helm and companion chairs plus a large console forward of the wheel for engine controls and instrumentation. An optional autopilot gives you the ability to steer the boat from virtually any location aboard with a wireless handheld control. And with the forward chairs and L-shaped settee surrounding the folding table, this is a wonderful spot to have a meal or play a game of cards - regardless of what the weather is doing outside.
Award Winner - Island Packet Estero
The sturdy Estero impressed the judges with it's exemplary systems and construction. A feature from the January 2010 issue of Cruising World by Bill Springer.
Most boats in the 30- to 40-foot range are designed to be comfortable coastal cruisers that are capable of longer offshore passages. So when it came time to pick a winner from the boats entered in this category—and each boat's stated design brief offered slight variations on the same basic theme—the judges named the Island Packet Estero the Best Midsize Cruiser Under 40 Feet. Alvah Simon may have summed it up best when he said, "This boat will encourage people to travel."
The 36-foot Estero has the full keel and stout hull for which all Island Packets are known, but designer Bob Johnson brought a fresh look down below to make the most out of the accommodations plan. The saloon wraps around the area forward of the mast. This layout leaves plenty of room for a large galley and head as well as two sleeping cabins aft. The judges noted that this design makes excellent use of the available interior space.
They also applauded the African mahogany joinery, copious storage, counter space in the galley, and molded nonskid sole at the companionway base and in the galley. During deliberations, Roger Hellyar-Brook was particularly enamored with the boat's wiring, bronze sea cocks, and beefy backing plates, but all the systems and construction features rated good to excellent in his notebook.
The attention paid to construction was in abundance on deck as well. The boat's substantial bulwarks, big scuppers, 26-inch-high stanchions, and double anchor rollers on the bowsprit were all big hits with our panel of experts. Wide side decks and plenty of handholds make it easy to go forward. But with all control lines leading back to the deep and secure cockpit, you only really need to go forward when it comes time to tie up at a dock or set the ground tackle.
Unfortunately, we test-sailed the Estero in rain and 5 to 8 knots of breeze; still, once the judges got the boat going, boat speed touched 5 knots in the puffs, and it was easy to sail. Put all the achievements of this boat together and it's no puzzle why the Estero was the judges' choice as the Best Midsize Cruiser Under 40 Feet.
