…and it’s a long one…
We didn’t expect to be posting about a boat again (at least not for awhile) but here we are. We sold Always, hull #13, in Jan 2021. We planned to fly a lot and take care of our dirt home. Between boat life, the ranch would receive a flurry of attention when we came back to visit family but needed more. We had kept in touch with Mike Rees after selling #13 (and potentially buying an older 1160) and during a call about family and the weather in Australia, an opportunity was presented that would allowed us to get back on the water. Our reason to sell our previous 1260 was resolved, we started considering the possibility.
To be honest, we actually didn’t believe the offer.
Just in case, we start doing our homework. We have learned so much from the previous boats we have been on. We had some pretty definite ideas of what we would want in a new boat. We had already ruled out boats other than Seawind so we started looking at all the options already offered. This was our thought process in no particular order:
1600-small forward opening windows, too many systems, too big for comfortable single handed operation by me (Julie), dagger boards, helm protection-that little gap between the coach roof and salon roof and outboard helm position doesn’t look as protected as we are used to on the 1160 and 1260. It is a beautiful boat but it was not right for us.
1160-LOVED our 1160. It was easy to manage by one, the aft cockpit seats give 360 visibility even to short (5’5”) watch standers, centered BBQ has a table, under helmseat storage and cooler work great, great ventilation with the large forward windows and trifold door combo, simple systems, but when compared to the 1260 the ride was a little choppier and since we wanted to cross oceans we decided the 1160 was a little too small for us.
1370 and 1170-we had heard rumors of new offerings by Seawind and follow RR and Tula’s Endless Summer. We already decided the 1160 was a little too short for us so the 1170 was out. The 1370-a beautiful boat and even more comfortable than I expected now that I have been introduced to it in person by EORA. Since we were making this choice while the boat was still in production, we pretty much ruled it out because, well, because of Hull #13. I don’t ever want to be an early adopter and even then, there was already a long line for the 1370.
So the 1260 is the boat for us. We went to the options page and started making the choices.
Engines-originally, we were going for the Lithium batteries which meant the larger alternators. Even though we had watched others have problems with the alternator mounts and having charging/watt usage issues, we thought we could manage those issues since they were known. We then had insurance companies ask specifically if Lithium was installed. The final straw was the Yanmar dealer at the Annapolis Boat Show. When we described how we use power, manage batteries and where we intended to sail, he strongly recommended the 29 hp and gel batteries with an AGM start battery. We changed our order to that. We did add a third gel battery to end up with 600 A/hr.
Solar-we have 1460W of solar-2 rigid panels mounted on the solar arch, 400W each and 4 flexible panels mounted to the coach roof, 165W each. We have not had any issues with the flexible mounts cooling/lowered production and did not want the hard panels as trip hazards. We can walk on the flexible panels if needed and there’s enough space to add two more flexible panels later if we want.
All that is managed by the MasterVolt system. We added the EasyView5 into the system since we were familiar with that from #13. Since we are a US boat and will eventually get back there (we think), we have the MasterVolt 12/3000 CombiMaster/Charger Inverter with a 120V shore power plug but added the 220V shore power option for when we are in a marina anywhere else in the world.
Sails-Seawind main and jib, Ullman Screecher (so we have the bowsprit option) and a Barracouta asymmetric spinnaker.
Then we started making the options work for us.
Engine/solar/power all worked for us once we had the MasterVolt options confirmed.
Sails-we wanted to be able to leave both the screecher and a-sym rigged so we could easily switch between the two sails. This meant that we needed a dual forward halyard option on our mast. (We are the test guinea pigs for this option.) On #13, we modified the furling line to reduce friction and we brought those parts to both furling lines on this boat. We will have the same setup shown below to starboard for the A-sym. Both furlers will remain mounted on the bowsprit. This has made furling by hand easy.
The dual halyard meant another line coming aft. We have a stacked roller to direct the line. We also upgraded to Spinlock cam cleats for all the halyards and replaced the screecher sheet jam cleats with Spinlock cam cleats.
We knew we did not like Flexiteak as it gets so hot in full sun. Instead, we chose vinyl flooring in the cockpit but I didn’t like the color choices. We paid extra for the color below. We also had enough extra material to add “landing pads” on the sugar scoops. These also get hot in the sun but not quite so bad as the Flexiteak. It is very nice to walk on, nicely padded and seems to dry well (though the 1260 cockpit still has draining problems). Seawind is able to order certain products if the supplier has already been approved by the Vietnamese government.
We stole from the 1600-two cockpit wash down access points (though we added shutoffs just before the exit to make it easier to insert/remove the hose with less wasted water).
The biggest modification we asked for (and thought we would get a “not possible”) was the addition of a rain water catchment system. We have always been bothered by the “wasted space” of the grey water system in both the 1160 and 1260 and thought it would be a great place to plumb additional water. We hadn’t installed it on #13; it was probably going to be our next big project. We knew the hoses would be easier to run before all the walls are installed. The new water catchment system allows us to capture rain water off the coach roof or get a deck fill into the grey tanks in addition to the main tank for long transits. We have two pumps and a system of valves under the settee in order to choose port or starboard grey tank, though I am trying to go with “cistern” so people don’t think we are drinking grey water 😉 and we also added a galley foot pump. We wanted catchment in case the water maker failed (thank you, Gone with the Wynns) and the foot pump in case we lost electrical. The second pump for the port grey/cistern is a backup for the main. The only addition I wish we’d made was adding another foot pump to the heads because there is nothing fun about telegraphing your toilet times to the rest of the boat, especially in the middle of the night! Anyway, if you want details, feel free to reach out to us on Instagram or FB.
Some things we changed because we wanted something different than what was offered:
Heads-manual, if you’ve ever had to work on an electric head, you understand why. We brought 2 Raritan PH#2 manual heads to the factory on our first visit. They have a standard size/household seat and are easy to maintain, use salt water and are easy to train our guests on how to use.
Cockpit shower-we didn’t like the wand and how it came on full pressure. The one we installed allows you to select pressure and temperature on one handle and the shower head has a thumb lever for on/off. It also has a cover and the valve and thumb lever prevent accidental water use or leave the hole open to seawater. It is installed opposite and slightly lower on the sugar scoop from the original position. Picture is on FB Seawind owners group or DM for details.
B&G-We moved the option 9” display to the right helm and upgraded the size of the display at the port helm.
Helm coolers-we did not take them and instead installed 12v outlets for possible future 12v coolers.
Swim ladder-we asked for two small steps to be added to the middle rungs so it’s easier on the feet, especially in dive gear.
Watermaker-Spectra Cape Horn Extreme 330, we were familiar with this from #13 and did not want all the electronic controls of the offered model.
Stern cleats-upgraded size because we do sometimes set a stern anchor/bridle off these.
Fans-in all the usual, recommended places plus one in the owners head to help dry out the room after showers.
Doors-over the bookshelf in the port hall and a door to access the area where an oven is installed. We did not get an oven and use that space for storage.
These were some things on our list that Seawind already offers:
The extended seat in the cockpit is now a storage locker.
The targa has a cover where the door lift goes through to prevent water into the cockpit.
Splash covers on thru-hulls under the boat to prevent salt water coming up the plumbing in big waves.
The salon headliner is attached differently so the use of screws to hold up the Velcro is no longer required.
AIS is now tied to the VHF-I think we’d do this differently.
Remote windlass control-part of the chain counter option; we moved the helm station control switch to inside the salon to avoid accidentally hitting it with the power on.
The last item that Seawind worked really hard for us and with us was getting Coppercoat on the bottom. We were allowed access to the epoxied hull on a not-to-interfere with production basis. We didn’t interfere and did it ourselves. I’m glad we did it but having done it, I would not suggest doing it to even my worst enemies! We have only been in the water for 5 weeks so time will tell. So far, it appears to be working as advertised.
There are a few things that still don’t work on the 1260:
Already mentioned, the cockpit doesn’t completely drain.
The galley sinks are larger than on #13 and the drains are aft and outboard. Unfortunately, the sinks slant inboard so there is a small amount of water that doesn’t gravity drain.
The things that hold pots onto the stove top-this is me personally but the new location doesn’t let you turn them to the wall out of the way. They fold inboard and don’t intrude in the walkway but I don’t like the current setup. I’ve never needed these on the catamaran (mainly because I’m not cooking in the weather where they would be required). I currently use the one on the left to hold my dish and hand soap dispensers.
All things considered, we have been very impressed with the overall quality in Seawind production. The many small continual improvements show that management is listening to the customers. We are looking forward to many miles and destinations in this lovely boat.
Sailing Always 