The McCurdy and Rhodes 56 that we owned and loved for thirty years is for sal e again .
The asking price has recently been dropped to CAD$349,000 / ~US$259,000 .
This is a great boat at any price, but at this new price she represents a once in a very-long-while opportunity to buy an offshore-ready boat at about 15% of what it would cost to build her today.
Heck, if you price the carbon mast (2005), new engine (2010) and spare parts , that’s the asking price close to accounted for, and you are getting the boat for near-free.
If you are wondering why she is for sale again, I’m not at liberty to disclose that, but I do know the reasons and they have nothing to do with the boat.
This is a boat that two knowledgeable owners (Phyllis and I) lavished 30 years of care and attention on. We detailed the boat from bow to stern to be simple, easy to use, and above all, reliable and easy to maintain.
We left everything aboard: All our tools, carefully chosen to handle any repair or maintenance required, through to the custom linens and the fully equipped galley.
She’s fast: We won our class twice in the Newport Bermuda Race, and yet she is easy to sail shorthanded—we were in the doublehanded class, and Phyllis and I never had trouble managing her by ourselves.
In fact, I found her easier to singlehand, including a 1000-mile ocean passage and several coastal cruises, than the 45-foot boat I had before.
And, like all Jim McCurdy boats, she has amazingly comfortable motion offshore. If you and/or your partner don’t like passages, this might be the boat that changes that for you.
That said, she is not a beginner boat . While she is a small-big-boat, and rigged for ease of handling , she is also powerful enough to hurt the inexperienced.
And, if you need a lot of automation to feel comfortable, she is not for you. That said, for those with the skills she is both safer and easier to sail, as well as a lot easier to maintain, than heavily automated boats .
And, no, you don’t have to be a gorilla to sail her. I’m scrawny and far from some super-guy, even in my prime, and yet I was easily able to sail her by myself until we sold her just before I turned 70, and even then difficulty of sailing was not why we sold her .
If you are already a competent offshore sailor, with emphasis on sailor , she just might be the boat for you.
This is truly a boat that will take you anywhere you want to go, in safety and comfort:
Round the Horn?
Greenland?
Svalbard?
Baffin Island?
Trans-Atlantic?
The Caribbean?
She has been there and done all of that, without problems or drama.
Pretty Much All You Need to Know
She is also one of the most written about boats for sale in the world, maybe the most:
Learn more about her.
And once you have joined this site, assuming you are not already a member, there are literally hundreds of articles about the boat explaining why she is set up the way she is and how to benefit from that.
So Why Am I Writing This?
I will get a few bucks when she sells (see Disclosure) but the overwhelming reason is that I still love the boat and want to see her get the owner she deserves, one who will take her back out there on blue water, where she belongs.
Pass it On
Even if she is not the boat for you, please pass this post on to others (outside paywall). This is a great opportunity for someone out there.
Consulting With Me
Obviously, there is no one who knows more about the boat than Phyllis and I do, so, although I don’t normally do one-on-one consulting, I will make an exception in the form of an up-to-one hour zoom call with anyone who is seriously interested.
I can answer your questions and also discuss maintenance that will need doing in the future, so you have a clear idea of what your costs will be before making an offer—a near unique situation for a buyer to be in.
That said, I don’t have the bandwidth to engage with every tire kicker who thinks it might be fun to chat boats, so I’m restricting this offer to AAC supporter members (US$120/year)—clearly, if you are not willing to invest that, you are not really interested in the boat.
If you’re not already a member, you will need to join here , and if you are currently a member, but not a supporter, upgrade here .
Once that’s done, send us an email and we will schedule the call.
That said, if you want to discuss price, offers, and/or terms, call or email Jim Snair , the broker, not me.
Disclaimer
I have not seen the boat since the new owner sailed her away 18 months ago, but I’m told that she is in the same state she was then and that no equipment of gear has been removed.
And anything I tell you in writing or verbally is, to the best of my knowledge true, but I make no warranty of the boat in any way. It’s up to you, and only you, to make sure she is safe and functional for your intended use and that the inventory and specifications are accurate.
Disclosure
In return for letting him use our photographs and video, the broker will pay AAC a small commission when she sells.
Damn, and I just bought an Ovni 395
John, is this link on the “Free” side and therefore readable for non-members? I would like to post it elsewhere, as I agree it’s a real deal for the right buyer. I would also wager Andy Schell might be helpful in locating right buyers.
Hi Marc,
All tips are, at east for the moment, outside the paywall. Thanks for passing the word.