NOW IN THE KEYS!
"My God, this boat is overbuilt. And perfectly equipped for blue water work." - Capt. Mark "Reef" Perkins, Marine Surveyor, while conducting a complete survey in May 2010
Welcome to L’Esprit Libre II!
L’Esprit Libre (“Free Spirit”) is a most commodious and accommodating boat, perfect for four people. Boating professionals remark that she has the room of even a 45 footer. She is one of the first Tayanas ever built. Very solid, very heavy (scale weight - 20 tons, displacement – 16 tonnes), very seaworthy and very beautiful with a full teak cabin inside and bright new canvas outside
The Forepeak
The guest cabin is in the bow, with two berths. Ventilation is guaranteed by the oversized hatch and movable electric fans. Illumination by five ports, four giving directly to the sea. Guest stowage is in a set of eight (teak) drawers, one hanging locker (closet) and a large shelf over each berth. Bring soft luggage only, please.
The Salon/Main Cabin
The main cabin has a settee wrapping around a (teak) dining table. The galley and nav station are found here also. There is a sound system with Bose speakers. Our collection is decidedly classical (probably the only boat around with the complete Beethoven and Mahler symphonies and the complete Jacques Brel). Bring your own favorites – they’ll be welcomed (and probably copied).
There is a solid fuel heater, perfect for taking the chill off winter evenings.
Going aft, starboard is the head and shower.
Yes, a stand-up shower. (No apologies, the water is the temperature of the sea.)
The Aft Cabin
And still further aft is the owner's cabin. Captain and crew sleep here.
Description
Two of the hallmarks of Taiwanese sailboats of 30 years ago are the thickness of the hulls (before the price of petroleum – the stuff of fiberglass – began to go sky high) and the copious use of solid teak. The interior as well as the exterior is distinguished by beautiful handcrafted teak.
The sailing rig itself– the mast and all the rigging – was completely replaced in 2002. All the sails are new in the past two years. The genoa is furling of course and the mainsail is the latest “stack pack.” She is easy to sail. And she can sail herself, either through an electronic self steerer or one that steers her by the wind. There is a storm jib, just in case.
The 60 hp Volvo diesel is oversized for this size boat and welcome in heavy head seas. This engine and the external generator assure sufficient electricity, both AC (while the generator is running) and DC. We carry fuel sufficient for 500 miles.
The cockpit is comfortable for four for dinner. There is a bimini cover over the cockpit with side curtains to cut down on direct sunlight.
We have gone “overboard” with safety equipment: a man overboard pole, an EPIRB, an AIS receiver/plotter, personal strobe lights and a self-inflating liferaft.
We know that some people are obsessed about “staying in touch” even when on vacation. While we are usually within range of cell phone towers, we also have a satellite telephone which guests may use at cost (advance notice required).
For those into scuba diving, we carry four air tanks, and an emergency oxygen system, should that be required.
There are also two fishing poles, a casting rod for when at anchor, the other a deep sea trolling rod for when underway.
There is much reading material -- some of the classics of Dickens, Twain, Oscar Wilde, and French classics (in French). Lots of the classic sailing books.
There is an Avon RIB dinghy with a modest 5 hp outboard.
Minou
Minou in one of his more active moments
And, oh yes. The mascot! “Minou” – a most agreeable Russian Blue cat (a breed reputedly hypoallergenic).
What don’t I have?
- A desalinator/watermaker – but I do carry 240 gallons of freshwater
- A compressor to refill the scuba tanks
- A hot water heater – but the water is usually over 80°F
- Air conditioning
- A flat screen DVD/TV
Yes, we can power computers and hair dryers when the generator is running; for all electronics including computers, we strongly recommend bringing your own a DC cigar-lighter adapters.
Yes, we have a printer onboard, that can also do pictures.
What did we tell you? A big boat!