who owns island packet yachts

Island Packet Yachts: 5 Things You Should Know

The history of Island Packet Yachts

Island Packet Yachts is an American boat-building company, headquartered in Largo, Florida. Bob Johnson, a naval architect founded Island packet in 1979.

Hake Maine, the Parent company of Seaward Yachts purchased Island Packet Yachts in 2016. Besides Seaward Yachts, and Island Packet Yachts, Hake Maine also owns the Blue Jacket line of cruising sailboats.

In 2017, Darrell and Leslie Allen took ownership of the Island Packet Yachts. They are the majority shareholders of Hake Maine LLC. They changed its name to Island packet and Seaward Yachts.

Table of Contents

Is seaward yacht still in business?

Seaward yachts are no longer in business. Seaward yachts consolidated with Island packet yachts in 2016 .

Seaward yachts are famous for their lifting keels, and spacious layout on their models such as 32RK, and 46RK. The designer of this boat is Nick Hake.

Hake Marine, the parent company of Seaward Yachts closed its Stuart, Florida production facility and moved all of its production to the Island Packet Yard facility in Largo, Florida.

Where are Island Packet yachts made?

Island Packet yachts are made at their largo, Florida production facility. This boat production facility occupies 5 acres of ground with 52,000 sq. ft of manufacturing space.

There are four sections of this facility: fiberglass, hull and deck, wood shop, and assembly.

Most people on google give good reviews on this large facility. The people working there are very nice and friendly. It doesn’t matter whether you are going to purchase their boats or not, they are happy to show you around their facility and tell you about their boat-making processes.

Here is a good Island Packet largo factory tour video

Popular models of Island Packet Yachts (IPY)

There are four models of yachts produced by Island Packet Yachts: IP349, IP439, Blue Jacket 40, and 42 motor Sailer. Among these, IP349 and IP439 are the most popular ones.

• IP349 was named Cruising World’s 2019 Domestic Boat of the Year
• Total overall length is 38’3″
• Displacement 20,000lbs
• Fuel Capacity 55gal.
• Water Capacity 100gal.
• Special features include an exclusive full foil keel for exceptional safety, strength, and stability.
• Another highlight of this design is the steps and handrails added when boarding from the deck.
• A new IP349 with standard equipment is priced at $39,9000.
• IP439 model won Cruising World’s 2021 Best Full-Size Cruiser of the Year.
• Total overall length is 47′
• Displacement 32,000lbs
• Fuel Capacity 160gal.
• Water Capacity 220gal.
• Holding Capacity 50gal.
• Many customization options include rig design, rig colors, navigation station or additional storage, interior wood material, etc.
• A new IP439 with standard equipment is priced at $59,9000.

Here is a good video in which the president of IPY Darrell Allen walks you through this custom-designed IP439

• Blue Jacket 40 is a sailboat with an overall length of 39’10”.
• Displacement is 17,900lbs
• Fuel Capacity 40gal.
• Water Capacity 110gal.
• Holding Capacity 25gal.
• The highlight features of Blue jacket 40 are its one-piece hull, and one-piece deck model for superior strength and stiffness.
• A new Blue Jacket 40 with standard equipment at a price of $49,9000.
• IP42 motor sailer is designed for long-distance, offshore cruising.
• Total overall length at 42’5″ with a displacement of 23,000lbs
• Fuel Capacity 320gal.
• Water Capacity 130gal.
• The highlight features of IP42 MS are its 110 HP Yanmar turbo diesel engine, and 320 gallons tankage capacity.
• A new IP42 motor sailer with standard equipment at a price of $69,9000.

Do Island Packet Yachts sail well?

A great number of boat owners said that the Island packet is a sturdy, well-made sailboat that sails slowly.

There is a mixed good and bad review towards Island packets yachts.

Good Reviews

Everybody agrees that Island packet is a sturdy, well-made sailboat. It is very comfortable to live in.

It is noticeable of IP’s craftsmanship, and attention to detail. Some Island Packet’s hulls built in 1985 still shine today.

Full keel, very stable sailboat, with plenty of space, storage, and tankage.

You can get the right parts or supplies that retain the quality and value of your boat.

Bad Reviews

Poor windward performance

Not light air boats

It takes strong wind such as 7 knots for Island Packet to start sailing

Island Packet Yachts is a solid-built, shoal draft, full keel sailboat. People who like the features of a well-made, traditional full keel sailboat would pay a premium price to have one Island packet yacht.

Island Packet Yachts is also great for a family weekend out. It is spacious and roomy, with a lot of storage space, wonderful for a long-distance voyage.

If you prefer racing to comfort then the Island packet may not be a good fit. Quite a few people complained about the speed of Island Packet.

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www.ipy.com

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Island_Packet_Yachts

Industry Leader Profile: Island Packet’s Bob Johnson

 “I guess I was genetically programmed to be a boatbuilder,” he says from his office in Largo, Florida. “My ninth-grade civics paper was titled ‘My Career in Naval Architecture,’ and I was 14 when I built my first boat, a 12-foot, gaff-rigged, V-bottom catboat with a bowsprit. I built it in the carport, and Mom made the sails from muslin we bought at Sears.”

Just as that freshman in high school predicted, Johnson went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Florida, then a master’s in naval architecture and marine engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, but his start in the boat business took a circuitous route. At graduation, he was a prime candidate for the draft during the Vietnam War, so he took a “critical skills” job at McDonnell Douglas designing and analyzing missiles and rockets in Southern California before getting into the sailboat business, which was decidedly less critical to the war effort. And in between, he took a sidestep into the offbeat world of surfboards.

“I joined W.A.V.E. Inc. in Ventura, California, in 1970 to help introduce aerospace technology into the surfboard-manufacturing process. This chapter in my career lasted five years and was the equivalent of earning an M.B.A. in grad school.” Or to put it another way, he took rocket science to the beach crowd.

“My partner and I designed and developed surfboards made with epoxy prepreg and an aluminum honeycomb shell. Hobie Alter bought the first 25 we built.” But by then, Johnson was married with two kids, and he was concerned that his career track was moving away from the boats he loved. So he and his wife, Jeri, took the kids back to Florida to be closer to family and so he could finally get into the boat business. Not long after they arrived, he says, “I landed a design job at Irwin Yachts. One of my first assignments there was to modify an existing one-ton design from a fin keel to internally ballasted with triple daggerboards and to incorporate hard chines. It was built with a new material-Kevlar-and it was campaigned in the SORC. Pretty cool stuff at the time.”

He was soon promoted to plant manager of manufacturing, then hired away to be the designer/plant manager at the relatively new Endeavour Yachts. “I was at Endeavour for three years, until 1979, when I left to start my own boatbuilding business, Traditional Watercraft.” That remains the proper name of the company, but thousands of owners and boat-show visitors know the company by the name of the boats he builds: Island Packet Yachts.

“I started by buying the almost-new molds for a 26-foot centerboard sloop called the Bombay Express from the recently defunct New Bombay Trading Company. I redesigned the interior, rig, and other elements and introduced the boat as the Island Packet. Since I had very limited capital, construction of the first boats was subcontracted out to the local custom shop that had built the plug and molds. My marketing consisted of a detailed brochure and classified ads in Cruising World, and the sales office was our kitchen at home. “Thankfully, several courageous buyers were willing to take the leap and allowed me to get things rolling. I am and will be forever grateful to those early owners who bought and paid for those early boats, sight unseen,” says Johnson.

“After about 18 months, sales and earnings had increased to the point where I could afford to rent a building, hire a crew, move the office out of the kitchen, and start building the boats myself.” By 1983, Johnson and his team designed and built a larger model from scratch, the IP 31. The following year, he was able to purchase two acres near the company’s original shop and build the first of its own manufacturing buildings.

“We now own 10 acres and have 125,000 square feet of space. We’ve built about 2,200 Island Packets so far and have dealers around the United States and in Europe and Australia.”

So how does a guy who starts out in the high-tech world of aerospace and then makes a name for himself with radical surfboard and boat designs end up building what are viewed as traditional, sturdy, moderate-displacement, full-keel boats?

“I still love playing with go-fast designs and fast cars, too,” he says. “And I’m in awe of the raw power and crazy speeds that something like a Volvo Ocean Race boat can produce, but after watching the footage of those drag racers on P.B.S., I can’t say I’d want to cruise on something like that. The coolest thing for me is knowing that a large number of our owners have completed circumnavigations or made extended voyages across oceans to adventurous destinations. The fact that they select an Island Packet for these journeys and that they literally trust their lives with what we’re able to create is a huge source of pride.”

As I’ve learned over the years from chatting with Bob at boat shows and in his manufacturing facility, Johnson loves boats with his heart, but he also brings his scientific mind to the process, and he cares not only for his company but for the entire boatbuilding fraternity and boat-buying public.

“I’m also particularly proud of my involvement with an International Standards Organization technical work group that was created to write a new international standard for the stability assessment of sailboats,” he says. The group’s agenda was prompted by the formation of the European Union and its desire for unified standards (called CE standards) to facilitate international trade. Johnson was asked by the National Marine Manufacturers Association to help represent the U.S. in this technical effort, and for the better part of the 1990’s he worked with a diverse international group of about 20 experts in boat design to create this new standard.

“I feel that the result, while complex, represents the most comprehensive and correct method to evaluate and document a boat’s stability characteristics and suitability for various ‘use environments,’ or weather conditions, that’s ever been available to the design community,” he says.

“So after all these years,” I ask, “are you still having fun?”

“Boatbuilding has always been fun, invigorating, and full of challenges-market pressures, economic cycles, and the like-and I still really enjoy the business and the people I work with every day. I stay close to all aspects of the business -too close, some say-and I remain very much a hands-on manager.”

Still, he says, the creative process for new products and designs is his favorite part of the job. “My two happy places are the drawing board-yes, I’m a dinosaur-and the tooling department where the plugs and molds for new models are built.”

“You don’t still use a drawing board, do you?” I ask with a wink and a nod. (My dad, a carpenter and trained draftsman, just finished designing his new house on a drawing board-the way he’s always done it.) “What about all the advancements in computer design?”

“Computers don’t design boats,” Johnson responds, in a decidedly non-crotchety way. “We use them here, and they certainly facilitate the process, but people design boats. I always draw each new design by hand, and this forms the basis for a set of accurate working plans used to build the plugs and, ultimately, the boat. I have a feel for working with a pencil that has a certain Zen for me after decades of drawing boats.”

That said, Johnson acknowledges that for some time, he’s turned his drawings over to Island Packet’s engineering staff for conversion into digital files. This can speed up the development process and creates renderings useful for marketing new models. “No,” he adds to underscore the point, “I don’t use a slide rule-anymore.”

Johnson is a bit of a paradox: always thinking ahead despite holding on to tried-and-true techniques. So I wasn’t surprised by his reply when I asked him where sailboat design is headed.

“I’m convinced that automated sail systems are a big part of sailing’s future. When fully integrated with onboard nav systems and typical instruments, this will enable anybody to get all the benefits of sailing without ever touching a line.” He describes a boat of the future in which all sailing functions-furling and unfurling, trimming, reefing-are powered by hydraulics and controlled by a central computer. “And it’ll be faster,” he predicts, “than virtually any crew would be able to sail the boat.” Sailing could be as easy as plugging in your destination, then keeping an eye on things from the comfort of the cockpit, with the boat’s systems taking care of everything else. “This will keep older folks in sailing longer, expand the appeal of sailing to a broader base of current nonsailors, and grow our industry in the process,” says Johnson, whose SP Cruiser, a sailing/motoring hybrid boat, was designed to do just that.

“We’re working to bring this technology to market. The slow economy has delayed the project somewhat, but it’s on our agenda. I’ve sailed a prototype of this system on a non-IP installation, and I’m convinced it has the potential to change sailing. And all the diehards who may pooh-pooh this can still trim and tweak a conventional rig to their heart’s content.”

“Oh, I’ve got to ask,” I say toward the end of our conversation. “Why are all Island Packets built with that off-white-colored gelcoat you use?”

“Bill,” he says with a smile, “it’s not off-white. It’s ivory. And we’ve always done it that way for one simple reason: It’s distinctive. You always know that an Island Packet is an Island Packet.”

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• Island Packet 439: Best Full-Size Cruiser
• By Herb McCormick
• Updated: December 8, 2020

Our second dedicated category for 2021 was the Full-Size Cruiser class, with a quartet of dedicated, long-range cruising boats capable of extended voyaging and living aboard, including three very substantial nominees: the Southerly 480 (which, at a cost of over a million dollars, was also considered in our Luxury Cruising class deliberations), Dufour 530 and the Beneteau Oceanis Yacht 54. As with the Performance Cruiser division, however, for the winner we chose the boat we felt best served its stated purpose: a capable cruiser with robust displacement for an experienced couple of retirement age. That yacht also happened to be the lone entry for 2021 built in the United States: the Island Packet 439.

Under previous ownership, Murphy said, “the company built 25 boats on this same hull, the IP 440. And then there was a model called a 460 that was also on the same hull, with minor modifications. There were 12 of those built. So as we talk about themes within this year’s Boat of the Year contest, there are companies that brought us full-on innovations, either in hull form or with features such as deck layouts and interior plans and things like that. And there are others that are very much evolutionary. This 439 goes squarely in the evolutionary category.

“The original Island Packet brand was very much built on the image of its founder, Bob Johnson, who had very, very strong opinions about many features in the boats, and there wasn’t a lot of variation,” Murphy added. “So I was curious when talking with Darrell Allen (a former dealer who now owns the company with his wife, Leslie) about his visions for the future, to what degree he felt like he was constrained by the legacy of the brand that he bought. You know, it’s a legacy with strong customer loyalty in a lot of ways. And basically, I thought he had a very refreshing attitude toward the whole idea of not fundamentally changing the things that were really working, but also being willing to change things that were within that Island Packet framework they could change.”

2021 Boat of the Year Winners at a Glance

• Excess 11: Boat of the Year
• X-Yacht’s X4 0 : Best Performance Cruiser
• HH 50: Best Luxury Cruiser
• Hylas 60: Best Luxury Cruiser
• Beneteau Oceanis Yacht 54: Honorable Mention
• Corsair 880: Best Sport Boat
• 5 New Sailboats That Were Nominees

Lead ballast in the full keel is one of those major changes. Subtler ones include the option of swapping the self-tacking Hoyt jib boom on the foredeck for a traditional staysail (our collective judging panel, unanimously, are not fans of the sweeping boom forward) or opting for a different hull color than the traditional ivory. And we all loved the Solent rig with the Code Zero-type reaching headsail, which turned our sea trials into a delightfully unexpected outing—a sail so fine that it definitely influenced our ­decisions—on Tampa Bay.

“I really liked the layout of our test boat,” Pillsbury added. “It was a two-cabin, two-head boat, and there was this unbelievable workspace on the starboard side aft (you could also get a third cabin in that space). There was a washer and vented dryer with standing headroom for doing laundry, a workbench and all sorts of storage. Inboard, there’s a 6 kW Northern Lights genset with a little stool. It was sort of like the ultimate MacGyver man cave. The saloon was kind of a mini living room with a pair swiveling captain’s chairs. Topside, the furling main was handled by the new Selden SMF synchronized main furling system, which was very nifty and made sailhandling very manageable. Of the boats in this class, if I were picking a boat for the missus and me to go off on for an extended cruise, it would be the Island Packet, without a doubt.”

Allen left us with a lasting impression, about the ­constant input he seeks from previous owners. Murphy said: “He gathers them together regularly, he listens to them, and then he actually ­incorporates what they say into his next line of boats. The other thing he said that was interesting was, ‘Every one of our new boats is better than the last one.’”

After visiting the yard and then sailing the 439, we believe that to be true. Which, if you’re ­contemplating a new Island Packet, is exactly what you wish to hear.

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PS Boat Review: Island Packet Estero

Island packet’s new shoal-draft cruising sailboat keeps it simple..

Photos by Billy Black

Florida-based Island Packet targets a relatively narrow niche, so the toughest competitors to its new boats are often older Island Packets. Introduced in 2010, the 36-foot shoal draft Estero is the company’s latest attempt to introduce a distinctive model that doesn’t stray too far from the company’s proven formula for success: moderate displacement, full-keel cruisers designed to be lived on, sailed far and in comfort, and endure the bumps, scrapes, and storms that cruising boats inevitably encounter.

Like every new Island Packet, the Estero emerged from the drawing board of founder, owner, CEO and chief designer Robert “Bob” Johnson. A graduate of Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a masters in naval architecture and marine engineering, Johnson worked for McDonell Douglas for two years on ballistic missiles, dabbled in high-tech (for that era) surfboards, then followed his boat dreams to southwest Florida in 1974. He ran the Irwin Yachts plant for production-boatbuilding pioneer Ted Irwin, and then moved onto Endeavour. Johnson designs from that era include the Stamas 44, Endeavour 43, and the Endeavour 40.

Opportunity knocked in 1979, when Johnson turned the liquidated molds for the 26-foot Bombay Express into the Island Packet 26, a catboat-like center-boarder that quickly found a niche. The IP 26 eventually became the full-keel IP 27, which enjoyed a run of 249 hulls between 1984 and 1992. Island Packet has unveiled 24 new Johnson designs during the past three decades. With a few exceptions—the Packet Cat catamaran, the Packet Express powerboat, and the recently introduced 42-foot motorsailer, the SP Cruiser—the line is dominated by full-keel auxiliary sailboats sharing the same basic traits: a U-shaped hull, Johnson’s patented “full-foil” keel, conservative ballast displacement ratio, low aspect rig, and roomy interiors with an emphasis on cruising. Details oriented toward longer-term cruising such as storage space and tankage are an Island Packet strong point.

Currently, Island Packet produces seven boats, ranging from the Estero to the 48-foot flagship, the IP 485. The company’s cult-like following, worldwide dealer network, and the popularity of the SP Cruiser have helped keep the factory operating four days a week through the recent downturn.

courtesy of Island Packet

In many ways, the Estero represents a return to Island Packet’s roots. The shoal draft and flat stern bring to mind boats like the Island Packet 31 (launched in 1983), which had a flat transom and appealed to gunkholers with a centerboard version. All of Island Packet’s mid-range cruisers have a relatively shallow draft, but the Estero’s four-foot draft opens up Carolina backwaters and Florida canals where other Island Packet owners will have to play the tides.

Apart from the keel-haircut, the hull profile is otherwise consistent with Johnson’s previous designs. Johnson is tall, so all of his boats carry plenty of headroom. The high freeboard and lack of any long windows to interrupt the expanse of buff-colored gelcoat make the deckhouse appear higher than it is, but the bowsprit, opening ports, and spring in the shear-line present the intended overall look of a classic, salty cruiser.

One traditional element missing from the Estero found on previous Island Packet designs is the traditional teak caprail—a signature feature for more than 30 years. This offers welcome relief from annual maintenance, although some old salts will no doubt miss the aesthetic appeal.

The boat’s length-to-beam ratio of 2.95 is also in keeping with Johnson’s previous designs, as is the conservative ballast displacement ratio of 40 percent. Comfort in a seaway—like seaworthiness itself—is difficult to quantify, but the boat’s motion-comfort ratio (a calculation introduced by designer Ted Brewer) of 31 puts it not far below that of the Island Packet 370, which has a longer waterline and an additional 5,000 pounds of displacement.

Johnson, who represented the National Marine Manufacturers Association on the Conformité Européenne (CE) committee that helped establish the ratings categories for sailboats (Category A for Ocean, Category B for Offshore, etc.), is keenly aware of the importance of stability, scan’tlings, and resistance to down-flooding in a boat that is to be sailed on oceans. His boats’ solid fiberglass laminate schedule, high freeboard, and conservative ballast-displacement ratios reflect his philosophy on these matters. All Island Packet yachts meet CE Category Standard A for Ocean, “designed for extended voyages where conditions may exceed wind force 8 (Beaufort scale) and significant wave heights of 4 meters and above but excluding abnormal conditions, and vessels largely self-sufficient.” Although PS does not regard the CE Category A to be an automatic stamp of approval of ocean voyaging, we do believe that Island Packets more closely approach our ideal of a cruising boat than some other boats that bear the same rating.

In the endless quest to turn a 36-foot boat into a comfortable second home, and still provide secure and comfortable berths while the boat is underway, the Estero takes a most radical step by placing the main social area forward of the mast. (The new IP 360 features the conventional V-berth/main saloon layout on the same hull.)

Boats with forward main saloons are by no means original, but they remain very rare birds. Perhaps the most familiar contemporary cruisers with this feature are those of the Gozzard line, which dedicate the space forward of the mast to a spacious sitting/dining area that easily converts to a queen-size berth. In the Gozzard version, the berth conversion can be a semi-permanent setup, because even the smallest Gozzard 37 has an alternate dining nook near the galley.

The Estero’s forward saloon is principally a social/dining area. With the drop-leaf table down, there’s comfortable seating for two couples. With the dining table up it could seat a family of four, and squeeze in a couple of guests, as needed. The table pivots, making it easy to slide in and out of the seats. Throw down sheets and pillows, and the two settees make comfortable berths.

Conversion to the larger berth is more complicated than it should be, considering the premium, well-ventilated sleeping space the saloon occupies. It requires two people (one on their hands and knees fiddling with a troublesome support pole) and optional filler cushions. And once it is set up for sleeping, there is no place to dine belowdecks. With room for four (friendly, we presume) adults and a passel of kids, it is the proverbial feather bed, but the conversion could be easier.

Just aft of the mast and to port is the U-shaped galley. The galley placement is probably the biggest advantage of this layout compared with other boats in this size. Instead of being tucked into an aft corner or in the line of traffic, the galley is set near the fore-and-aft center of the boat, with a hatch overhead and opening portlights for ventilation and a view. The galley covers all the essentials such as counter space, cupboards, and deep well-insulated fridge-freezer systems, but we were disappointed in the shallow, 6-inch-deep sinks—unusual for Island Packet.

Johnson stands 6-feet, 3-inches tall, so his interior designs are sensitive to a tall person’s needs. Just opposite the galley is a super-sized head featuring a bench seat in the separate shower stall.

The owner’s stateroom, located aft and to port, has 6-foot, 4-inches standing headroom, with a cutout in the berth for sitting or getting dressed. A hanging locker, bureau, and full-length mirror add homey touches. A 9-inch overhead hatch and opening portlight offer ventilation, although the hatch won’t allow much breeze if the boat is fitted with a dodger. Our test boat was fitted with a single, full-sized inner spring mattress. We would ask for a folding or two-piece mattress here to simplify access to the storage below, as well as access to the stern gland and stuffing box.

Opposite the owner’s cabin is the nav station with a fold-down chart table and a roomy pilot berth. This area could also be used for storage of larger items like sails, cushions, or guitars.

For the past 30 years, the standard Island Packet sail plan has been a cutter rig, featuring a high-cut foresail and a furling working staysail that sets on a Hoyt boom. While a deck-sweeping, club-footed staysail gobbles up foredeck space and leaves remarkable shin bruises, Island Packet owners praise the arrangement for balancing the helm and running wing-and-wing. The Hoyt boom has the added advantage of being self-vanging, keeping the leach clew from lifting as the sheet is eased.

The Estero breaks away from the cutter tradition (although its sistership, the soon-to-debut IP 360 brings it back). The Estero’s working staysail is eliminated, and a foresail sets from a Hoyt boom fixed just forward of the stem on the bowsprit. In this way, both the jib and the main are self-tacking, so working to windward is as easy as turning the wheel. The arrangement also allows for tight sheeting angles.

Although conventional mainsails with lazy jacks were the standard on earlier Island Packets, the company has seen a clear trend toward in-mast furling. According to Bill Bolin, vice president of sales and marketing at Island Packet, the company has sold few, if any, boats with conventional full-battened mainsails in the past eight years. PS generally prefers conventional mainsails for voyaging in boats this size, but if you plan to do a lot of short coastal hops, the in-mast Sparcraft mainsail furler can make life easier, allowing you to set, reef, and furl both sails from the cockpit.

The mainsail and jib halyards are led to dedicated Lewmar Ocean Series 16C two-speed winches on the mast; this reduces clutter at the cabin and makes sense for cruising boats with a furling mainsail. The mainsail roller-furling control line, jib sheet, and spare mainsail halyard lead aft through stoppers to the Ocean Series 30CT two-speed self-tailing winch on the portside of the companionway. The mainsheet and boom-vang lead through a stopper and matching winch on the starboard side of the companionway.

Those accustomed to contemporary sloops will be surprised to find that the only sail control line within easy grasp of the helmsman is the jib furling line, which is on 16CT Lewmar on the starboard coaming. Because the mainsail and jib set on self-tacking booms, the arrangement is not as inconvenient it would seem. Leading the mainsail traveler lines (fixed in cam cleats) aft allows limited sail control from the helm. A port coaming winch will be missed when you want to kedge off a shoal, or when trying to warp the stern to port.

The 7-foot-long cockpit seats offer plenty of room to stretch out. A large starboard locker offers room enough for two folding bikes and more; a port tray keep small items accessible. Liner bins in the coamings keep the deck clear of running rigging. The emergency tiller has a dedicated spot in the starboard locker.

Visibility is excellent, and the twin 2-inch cockpit drains and high bridgedeck deal with any boarding waves. Drop boards are solid hardwood. Comfortable platform seats are integrated into the stern rail.

The boat we test-sailed had an optional stern swim platform. By eliminating the sugar-scoop transom/swim platform on other Island Packets, the Estero benefits from more usable interior space, a larger cockpit, and more cockpit storage space. A boarding ladder is accessible from the water for emergency reboarding. One drawback to this design is the inevitable “slap” that will accompany pitching at anchor. According to Johnson, the platform is elevated high enough (24-inches above displacement waterline) so that slapping at anchor or added drag underway is unlikely.

“This is an immensely strong installation typical of our approach to all structural components on an IP,” Johnson said. “(It) has been validated over a number of years . . . by other IPs that have this identical installation.”

A high coaming and wide passage forward leads to the foredeck where a deep locker with an aft-opening Lewmar hatch seals a deep anchor well. The divided well swallows up chain and fenders and drains into the bilge through a watertight bulkhead that seals the locker off from the rest of the boat. An optional VRC 1250 Muir windlass, single bow roller, and chain stopper handled anchoring duties on our boat.

except where noted.

Johnson brings his engineering expertise to bear on the Estero’s mechanical systems. The conventional drive train is the most sensible choice for long-term cruising. The solid Edson CD-I geared rack-and-pinion steering is well adapted to belowdecks autopilot. The propeller and rudder skeg are protected by a long “shoe” extending from the keel to the skeg.

Twin lead-acid house batteries and a dedicated engine battery serve electrical storage needs. Pre-tinned, labeled wiring meets American Boat and Yacht Council (ABYC) standards. A Charles 5000 series three-stage temperature-compensated charger with a galvanic isolator protect the electrical system and ensure it is well charged at the dock.

The 60-gallon fuel tank is made of heavy-gauge, marine-grade aluminum (5052-H32), while the freshwater (120 gallon) and holding tanks (35 gallon) are located below the cabin sole and made of fiberglass. All through-hulls are bronze and through bolted to flanged seacocks.

Cables for the anchor windlass and bow thruster are pre-wired. The LPG system meets ABYC standards with a self-draining locker and shut-off valve in the galley. LED lighting is an option. The bow thruster, located under the main-saloon settee, had tighter all-around clearances than installations we’ve seen on other boats with big V-berths.

Performance

By contemporary fin-keel standards, the sailing performance of the Estero is unimpressive, but Island Packet owners aren’t the kind that go looking for the extra 5 percent of hull speed and the Estero isn’t meant to be a Wednesday-night racer.

Our test boat was provided by Ed Massey of Massey Yacht Sales and Services, and the test sail took place within sight of Massey’s Bradenton dealership on the Bradenton River, Fla., in squally weather, with light gusty winds from the east between 8 to 12 knots, with gusts to 14 knots.

At 2,400 rpm, the Yanmar 40-horsepower engine with a big 17-inch, three-bladed prop pushed the boat at 6.6 knots. At wide-open throttle, 3,400 rpm, the average speed was 7.3 knots. The higher RPM is clearly not an efficient motoring speed, but testing it confirmed that reserve horsepower is available if needed. Unlike flat-bottomed fin-keel boats, the Estero’s hull speed is tightly constrained by its waterline length. At the lower cruising speed, we registered 79 decibels in the center of the main saloon and a quiet 74 decibels in the cockpit with the companionway open. Vibration at the higher RPM raised the main saloon volume to 83 decibels. (Conversation is about 60-70 decibels.)

Under power, the Estero embodies the typical tradeoffs of a full keel. The full keel’s tracking ability—so helpful on long passages—becomes a handicap in close-quarter maneuvering. The lateral resistance lengthens turning radii, and when backing, the boat has a stronger tendency to “walk” in the direction of the prop rotation. Our test boat was equipped with a $6,000 Vetus bow thruster that took the drama out of docking and maneuvering at slow speeds. A good skipper will soon become accustomed to the Estero’s idiosyncrasies under power and learn to use prop-wash and spring lines to his advantage, but full-keel novices will appreciate the bow thruster.

Like her cutter-rigged cousins in the Island Packet line, the Estero is happiest on a reach. Broad reaching with the apparent wind at 135 degrees, the boat balanced well, but averaged only 4 knots speed over ground in about 9 knots of apparent wind—suggesting an asymmetrical spinnaker would be a wise addition in light-wind areas. On a beam reach in 9 knots apparent, average speeds were about 5.5 knots. The best sustained speed during our test was 6.3 knots, with the apparent wind at about 10 knots and 110 degrees.

Any shoal-draft boat must sacrifice windward performance, and the Estero is no exception. The Estero’s tight sheeting angles and foil-shaped full keel help add lift, but the windward performance is still held back by the increased skin drag and low-aspect keel.

The course made good on our test sail fell below fin-keeler standards, but it was comparable to that of similar boats we have sailed. The best sustained speed close reaching was 5.7 knots, and the boat tacked through 100 degrees, including leeway. (For a stark comparison, the lightweight J/95 daysailer, drawing 3 feet with its board retracted, tacked through 92 degrees in similar conditions.)

The Estero doesn’t like to be pinched, and it will quickly let you know when the main is over-trimmed with an insistent weather helm. Like many full-keelers with low-aspect rudders, too much helm will stall the boat. It responds slowly but positively to the helm, and it is slow to pick up speed. We would not characterize the Estero as exciting in light winds, but in breezier areas, the boat’s ability to keep her feet and to shoulder aside chop will be appreciated.

The Estero will appeal strongest to Island Packet fans who’ve been waiting for a shoal-draft, easy-to-sail boat that compares to the IP37 in terms of interior space. These strengths will be most apparent on intracoastal or riverine adventures like the Great Loop.

The novel changes aren’t suited for everyone. Those who cruise warm climates in summer, for example, will miss the large overhead hatch of a V-berth. The self-tending headsail will please sailors who prefer a relaxing bay sail or motor-sail to winch-grinding and close-hauled excitement.

The list price of $350,000 seems steep when you see IP37s going for less than half that, but Island Packet offers a generous 10-year warranty on both the hull and deck, and a three-year stem-to-stern warranty. Past owners have done fairly well sailing their boat for a couple of years and then trading up or selling for close to purchasing price, while the boat is still covered under warranty.

For those who like the shoal-draft concept but would prefer a conventional layout, the cutter-rigged IP360, with 130 square feet of additional sail area, fits the bill. While we see a niche for the Estero, we expect the IP360 will be a more popular design.

• Estero’s solid FRP hull, balsa-free deck is built to last

• Island Packet

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5 things to know about North Palm Beach mega-yacht owner, billionaire Michael Bozzuto

Billionaire Michael Bozzuto is fighting for the right to moor his 164-foot mega-yacht behind a waterfront house he owns at 932 Shore Dr. in North Palm Beach.

But the Village of North Palm Beach has told Bozzuto he doesn't have this right.

It's the latest example of how big money landing in Florida is running up against Old Florida residents who want their communities to stay low-key.

After years of disputes over the yacht, Bozzuto recently filed a lawsuit against the municipality, asking a judge to agree that he has the right to the use of his house and his dock.

Who is Michael Bozzuto, and why is he suing the Village of North Palm Beach?

Here are five things to know:

1. Billionaire Michael Bozzuto is a longtime North Palm Beach resident

Bozzuto is the billionaire owner of a privately held, family-owned supermarket wholesaler in Connecticut called Bozzuto's Inc. The company is a distributor of food and household products to retailers in New England, New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Bozzuto's was founded by Michael's late father, Adam.

Even though Bozzuto's Inc. is based in Connecticut, Bozzuto has lived in the Village of North Palm Beach, population 13,000, for 20 years.

2. Besides owning a yacht, what are Michael Bozzuto's hobbies?

In addition to being a businessman, Bozzuto is an investor and philanthropist. He is a longtime supporter of the Special Olympics.

He is also an under-the-radar resident who likes to collect houses and yachts, said his lawyer, former Florida Bar president Gregory Coleman.

Bozzuto bought the motor yacht, Honey, about 10 years ago for an undisclosed sum. The Westport mega-yacht was built in 2007 and is the largest of several yachts Bozzuto owns.

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Bozzuto also owns four houses in the Village of North Palm Beach. This includes the house at 932 Shore Dr., where he wants to dock Honey. In 2014, Bozzuto paid $840,247 for the house, which was built in 1961, according to Palm Beach County property records.

The property is on a rare corner bordered on the north and east by navigable waters that provide access to the Atlantic Ocean via the Lake Worth Inlet. The east-facing dock is large enough to accommodate Honey.

Bozzuto's residence is in another part of North Palm Beach, on Harbour Isles Court.

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3. Michael Bozzuto's net worth isn't known but billionaire owns property outside of North Palm Beach, too

Bozzuto made waves recently when in January he paid $31.1 million for a waterfront house in nearby Palm Beach Shores.

The Singer Island house with two docks stretches into the Intracoastal Waterway just north of the Palm Beach/Lake Worth Inlet. The three-lot parcel on 1.5 acres has about 200 feet of waterfront.

The property was bought from an owner whose family had owned it for decades. It's unclear if Bozzuto will make any changes to the property.

In a brief interview in February, Bozzuto said: “It’s a house, and it will probably be a house."

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4. Why can't Bozzuto park his yacht behind his North Palm Beach house?

The Village of North Palm Beach rules say that a private dock or pier can only be used by the occupant of the house. But the village doesn't define the word "occupant."

Bozzuto's lawsuit said while the village has discussed whether to define an occupant as a resident, it never has done so.

Hundreds of other property owners dock a boat behind their North Palm Beach house but do not live there year-round.

Therefore Bozzuto said he's being singled out because neighbors just don't like his boat's big size. This selective enforcement is wrong, his lawsuit said.

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5. What does North Palm Beach think about the lawsuit?

Unfortunately, this is a mystery until the village responds to Bozzuto's lawsuit in public court records.

The village's longtime lawyer, Lenard Rubin, who knows the municipality's history with boats and houses, did not respond to requests for comment. Neither did the village's manager, Chuck Huff.

Alexandra Clough is a business writer and columnist at  The Palm Beach Post . You can reach her at  [email protected] . Twitter:  @acloughpbp .  Help support our journalism. Subscribe today.

moscow boat show

MIBS is organised by the ITE Group and it is one of Russia’s leading boat shows and is an internationally recognised superyacht event. The show covering everything from small parts and accessories to large superyacht with over 9,000 people and 178 exhibitors attended the last year show.

The Paolo Scanu-designed Sunrise 45 yacht is an ocean-going cruising yacht that was released in 2009 to much acclaim at this was the group’s first-ever model.

Sunrise Yachts was founded in 2007 by the German entrepreneur Herbert P Baum along with the French-British yacht builder Guillaume Roché. The luxury yacht group is based in Antalya, Turkey and utilises a 10,000sq m shipyard facility. Sunrise has two sheds measuring 100m (328ft) x 16m (53ft), as well as a 70m (230ft) x 16m (53ft) fully acclimatized paint shed that can accommodate new-build and refit projects up to 65m (213ft) in length and 1,200 tonnes displacement.

The sunrise 45m superyacht by Sunrise Yachts

Along each side of the yacht-building facility, space is available for long-term sub-contractors with the latest equipment and logistics capabilities, along with air-conditioned storage, ventilation and extraction plants. The shipyard is organized as an “assembler,” based loosely on the car industry’s model, with a small, yet powerful project management team charged with running all the in-house long-term sub-contractors.

Please contact CharterWorld - the luxury yacht charter specialist - for more on superyacht news item "Sunrise Yachts Sponsor 2011 Moscow International Boat Show (MIBS)".

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After a successful showing of our new Island Packet 349 at the 2018 Annapolis Boat Show, we had the opportunity to take the 349 out for a test with…

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N.H. attorney accused of embezzling pandemic relief funds surrenders yacht he bought with COVID money

The us marshal’s service is preparing to auction off the 65-foot vessel bought by robert m. waters in 2022..

An attorney in New Hampshire who was accused of embezzling pandemic relief funds — then buying a 65-foot yacht — is no longer under indictment, but he isn’t getting his boat back.

Robert M. Waters Jr. has surrendered the seafaring vessel to federal authorities as part of a civil settlement with the US attorney’s office in New Hampshire, which opted to dismiss the indictment and resolve the matter through civil litigation.

Waters had been indicted in August on charges of wire fraud, theft of government funds, and money laundering. He was accused of using $340,000 he had obtained from the US Small Business Administration through the Economic Injury Disaster Loan program in 2022 toward the $500,000 purchase of a 2008 Azimut 62 Evolution yacht called Alisa , according to court records.

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Waters had misrepresented his plan for the funds, and the yacht had no legitimate business purpose, prosecutors said.

“Unfortunately, individuals like Mr. Waters attempted to inappropriately benefit from government programs aimed at aiding Americans and the economy during the COVID-19 pandemic,” US Attorney Jane E. Young said in a statement. “This Office and our law enforcement partners are working tirelessly to uncover this widespread fraud and recover these funds on behalf of American taxpayers.”

Young’s office announced the settlement Tuesday after fielding questions from the Globe about the case.

The settlement agreement stipulates that Waters and Westville Remarketing Inc., a motor vehicle wholesale company that Waters co-owns and that he used to secure the funds, continue to deny the allegations.

The US Marshal’s Service is preparing to auction off the yacht at a later date. The government will recoup all proceeds from the auction, plus another $150,000 that Waters agreed to forfeit as part of the settlement, according to a spokesperson for Young’s office.

Before he agreed to surrender the yacht, Waters had listed it for sale at $799,000, according to an online listing that advertised it as having three staterooms, three heads, and separate crew quarters, plus plenty of outside space for entertaining groups.

Waters was suspended from practicing law in New Hampshire state courts in December, then the US District Court in New Hampshire in January, according to court records . The indictment against him, which also was brought in the US District Court, was dismissed in late March.

James P. O’Rourke, an attorney for Waters, said Tuesday the defense team would not comment at this time.

Steven Porter can be reached at [email protected] . Follow him @reporterporter .