Bowman 48 Ds

From 2001 a truly cherished example of these bluewater 4x4's a glowing testimony the build quality of these yachts.

My partner Lesley and I had for many years chartered in almost every part of the world that offered charter facilities and were particularly taken with the islands and passages of NW British Columbia and SE Alaska.  Chartering in these areas was difficult and not really available for long periods.  In 2000 we decided to acquire a boat and take it to Vancouver as a long term base for further exploration.  This resulted in a new Bowman 48DS being commissioned on the basis of its design features for extended bluewater cruising, the reputation of Chuck Paine for sea-kindly yachts and the ease of handling features incorporated in the Bowman build.  TAIRUA was launched in May 2001 and after some sea trials we sailed direct to the Canaries to join that year’s ARC.  From there we cruised in bursts to fit the weather windows as follows:

• Up and down the Caribbean islands from a base in St. Lucia.
• Along the coastal islands of Venezuela to Bonaire.
• Bonaire, Curacao, Aruba and on to the San Blas islands and then to Bocas del Toro (northern Panama).
• Through the Panama canal and on to the Galapagos islands.
• Galapagos to Hawaii following the traditional sailing ship route which takes you west then north (a journey of over 4,000 miles which took us 28 days, at times covering over 200 miles per day comfortably and at others becalmed!).
• Hawaii to Sitka in SE Alaska.
• Sitka to Vancouver via the inside passage.  Vancouver became our base for the next 6-7 years.

From this base we cruised from Olympia in the south to Glacier Bay in the north exploring the many and varied passages and islands in this extraordinary archipelago (covering over 1,000 nm as the crow flies).

In 2010 we decided to move on and trucked her from Vancouver to Kingston at the start of the St. Lawrence waterway.  From there we sailed to the Bras d’Or Lakes in Nova Scotia to winter over.

We left Nova Scotia in 2012 to cruise Maine.

Departed Maine in 2013 and sailed across the Atlantic to Costa del Sol, Spain. And in 2014 returned to the UK.

Throughout all this she has been sailed mostly by myself and one other competent crew, and occasionally only me.  She has seen days of calm and 55+ Kts across the deck in Alaskan waters.  The crew have always complimented her (and Chuck Paine) with a brilliant seaworthy design.

Maintenance has always been a priority item as in those waters things needed to be attended to before they became an issue in a remote place.  The Whispergen unit was replaced under warranty in 2003.  The hatch lenses were replaced under Lewmar warranty in 2004.  The engine has been serviced, impeller and all filters replaced each year, new batteries (AGM) were installed in 2013.  Standing rigging has been checked each year since 2010 as we have had to unstep the mast for winterisation (always indoor).  In 2013 the cap shrouds showed a small abrasion effect and were replaced.  The Max prop was fully serviced and rebalanced in 2010.

The black water holding tank was upgraded to plastic in 2008.

All halyards, sheets, etc. checked each year and the only replacement needed has been the topping lift (2013).

Whilst in Canadian and US waters the sails were stored and checked by North Sails each year.  Some fullness was removed from the Yankee in 2008 but other than some chafe issues North have given them a good report each year.  Having said that I realise that even Vectran has its limits and a new suit should be seriously considered if an extended cruise is planned.

Note: A unique point for TAIRUA – she has a Panama Canal Measurement Certificate which means she can register for transit before arriving in Panama itself.  This is a saving of a few weeks delay in the normal process of arrive and then request (and wait for) a measurement.

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