Boating Adventures

Asking $80,000 CAD.  Multiple boat owner motivated to sell.

I know I need current pictures.  They’re coming in May after interior detailing and cover removal.  This is a preliminary listing, with older photos below.  Currently located on shore in Chester, Nova Scotia.

Escapade started out life as a 50 ft US Navy utility boat, serving on the John F Kennedy aircraft carrier.  The utility boats were open boats built in several sizes with this one the largest.  In its original form it was rated to carry up to 12 tons of cargo or 144 sailors, with a service speed of ten knots.  This boat was built by Uniflite in 1977.

After leaving service the boat arrived in Ontario, and a cruising boat was created from the hull and deck up, with the build completed in 2006 by a professional marine engineer/boat builder and his wife to high standards.

Basic specifications:

Length:  50′ 2″ (hull, does not include anchor/swim platforms)

Beam: 14′ 11″

Draft: 4’0″

Air draft: approx 13′ with mast down

Displacement:  approximately 34,000 lbs empty

Power:  single 135 hp John Deere

Accommodations:

Forward of the pilothouse are two cabins and a single head with full size shower stall.  The forward cabin is very large, with a settee, full size double berth and ample storage.  The smaller cabin is comfortable as a single. 

Aft of the pilothouse is the salon, with a complete galley, dinette, and a long settee that is comfortable for sleeping.  There is a door leading to a small covered cockpit from the salon.

The pilothouse is bright and comfortable, and has a pilot berth and large bench seat.  Sliding doors open on either side for easy deck access.  Access to the engine room is through a large hatch In the pilothouse floor.

Galley

Norcold DE0061 fridge and freezer, Princess 3 burner electric stove with oven, Maytag built in microwave.  Ample counter, cupboard and storage space.

Interior flooring is carpet, with vinyl teak style flooring in the pilothouse.

Other interior notes

Ample headroom throughout.  Good ventilation underway and at anchor.  Tinted aluminum frame windows. 110v and 12v outlets throughout the boat.  Interior cushions are covered in durable fabric.  Each space has its own thermostat and built-in fan coil heater.  All surfaces are painted white or finished in Cetol/varnish.  Lots of storage. 

Heating

Hurricane Chinook hydronic system (2020), with 50k btu diesel boiler, 3kw electric my and engine waste heat capture.  Provides heat and hot water on demand.  Heat is provided through 5 fan coil units throughout the boat, each with its own thermostat.

Electric – 110v

30a shore power with Smartplug connector. 5kw genset.  Victron 2000w inverter/charger (2024).  Marine wiring throughout.

Electric – 12v

House bank is 600ah LiFePo, 2x300ah LiTime (2022).  Charged by Victron inverter/charger, 700w solar (2021), and 175a Balmar alternator w/ external regulator (2021).

Engine start battery: group 31 marine AGM, with Victron Orion charger

Thruster/windlass batteries: 2 Red Top 12v in parallel, with Victron Orion charger

Navigation/Electronics

Garmin GPSMAP 942xs with Fantom18 radar.  Standard Horizon Matrix VHF.  Depth sounder.  Simrad autopilot, non-operational with broken AP21 head.

Anchor Systems

Lofrans Tigress electric windlass.  Rocna 73 lb anchor with 250 ft 3/8 chain.  Spare anchor 75 lb CQR.  Chain hook and snubber.

Bow Thruster

Vetus 95kgf 12v.  Motor rebuilt 2024.  Two Red Top batteries and heavy wiring.  The Sideshift  stern thruster failed and was removed, but could be restored easily.

Engine/mechanical

Westerbeke 5.0BCD genset, 1300 hrs.  Main engine 2005 Deere 4045TFM75 with Twin Disc transmission, 5700 hrs.  2″ shaft (2021), newly reconditioned propeller, and spare prop.  Balmar 175a alternator with OEM spare. Dual Racor fuel filter assembly.

Engine access is excellent, with an engine room below the pilot house with lots of room to move around.

Tankage/Plumbing

Fuel 160 gallons in two tanks.  Water 115 gallons in one tank.  Vaccuflush head uses macerator pump to flush into large holding tank.  Manual overboard discharge pump as well as deck pump out.  Pressure system with expansion tank and shore water connection.  Hot water is provided by the hydronic furnace system.

Exterior

Hull, deck and topsides painted LPU.  Small deep cockpit with lots of storage space.  The boat deck is currently unused.  There was a steering station but I’ve removed it.  Lots of possibilities for a large flybridge and/or small boat storage.  There is a small crane on the port side used to load motorcycles on and off the deck.  Radar mast easily lowers for bridge clearance.  700w solar installed on pilothouse roof.

Construction Details

Hull and deck heavy fiberglass built to USN specs with fire retardant resin.  Massive foam core stringers.  No coring in the hull or deck.  Foil rudder and cutaway keel give excellent maneuverability and economy.  Fuel tanks and all systems have complete access.  Monel fuel tanks. Heavy duty Bronze through hulls and stuffing boxes.  Deck house structure is heavy marine plywood.   Painted from the deck up in Imron when built 2005.  Hull painted 2015. 

The boat in its current form is at about 1/2 designed full load.  Additional tankage or gear can be easily accommodated.

Performance

Continuous max cruise ~10 knots @80% load

At slower speeds fuel economy is excellent.  A lot of my travel has been at 6-7 knots, and that’s easily done at less than 1.5 gph.

Work Needed

The boat is fully operational, but needs some TLC.  Here’s a list of repairs needed, in order of priority.

1. There is significant decay in two areas above deck, both requiring some plywood replacement.  Several other areas on the house and deck need minor tabbing/paint repair, but no major remediation. 
2. The rub rail on the port side was sliced by a nasty dock, and needs proper repair.  No hull damage.
3. There are several scars on the topsides that should be faired and repainted.  There are also small blisters in a couple of areas that look like paint blisters. 
4. The transom should be repainted.
5. The wood toe rail and anchor platform needs to be cleaned and refinished

For someone who appreciates the boat as it is currently configured and doesn’t mind tackling these issues it’s a great opportunity.  Reach out to jeff@boatingadventures.ca to discuss.

First, the plan.  I’d like to spend some time in Northern Europe on my own boat.  That’s my next goal.  I’d really like to follow the Viking Route from Newfoundland east across the Atlantic to get there.

There, I’ve said it. 

I have never aspired to cross oceans.  In fact, I swore off the whole notion about 35 years ago when I moved inland.

But the reality is that I want to keep moving, keep spending a good chunk of the time on board, and continue to explore the world by boat.  I won’t wax on about Norway, but I can’t wait to get back.  I’ve explored small ports in Iceland and England by car and imagined arriving by boat. 

Hence the new boat.  I have lots of trepidations, but I’ve been bumping this use case around for a while, and think the boat fits.  We’ll see.

My basic game plan right now is to launch the new boat – I need to find a new name! – in late June, spend the summer in Newfoundland and Labrador, and head for Halifax in the fall.  That should be a sufficient shake down cruise. 

More to come…

I’m back in Nova Scotia for two weeks with the intention of having Escapade ready for sale before I leave.  It’s great to be able to stay aboard the boat while ashore in the yard.

The boat has served me well, and more than met the needs I identified when I bought it.

I’m struck in reading that needs list that my overall requirements haven’t changed, and in fact the new boat meets the same set of requirements.  My basic game plan hasn’t changed, but my cruising area has.

But this isn’t about the new boat.  While back aboard I’m reminded again of what a cool and capable (and big!) boat Escapade is.  Hopefully the boat will find a good home and many more adventures.

‘Ready for sale’ is a relative term of course.  In this case I’m aiming for clean and decluttered.  The boat needs work that I’ll leave for the next owner, with full disclosure.  Clean and decluttered is a big enough ask! 

In any case, Escapade will soon be seriously for sale.  You heard it here first.  Tell your friends and neighbors 😀.

I expect I’ll ask about $80k for the boat.  Reach out to jeff@boatingadventures.ca if you want more deets.

As Jeff previously mentioned, we hit a big snag in our return trip. As a result, we left the ship a day early in a beautiful little town, Alesund. From there we flew to the Netherlands via Oslo and Stockholm, before returning to Canada.

Notwithstanding the travel difficulties,it was a great trip filled with glorious sights.

I often got up in the early morning to walk around the ship, looking for northern lights, and waiting for the sun to rise. These photos are from Storfosna (0411) to Averoy (1805).

I’m buying a sailboat.  It’s in Lewisporte NF. 

The seller and I made an agreement a few weeks ago subject to my inspection.  I flew out to St John’s on Saturday, rented a car and drove about 400 kms to see the boat, then did the return trip Sunday.  

I’ll let the owner’s description and photos do the explaining.  The pilothouse really works for me.

https://www.helplink.com/Kashmir/index.html

https://www.sailboatlistings.com/view/109374

I didn’t take any photos of my own.  It was cold.