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Blackwattle - Cruising Life for Sale

by Des Ryan on 12 Aug 2008
Blackwattle - ready for cruising BW Media
She is ready for serious ocean cruising, but her owners aren't. Sail-World's Cruising Editor Nancy Knudsen and her Skipper husband Ted Nobbs have reluctantly decided to sell Blackwattle, the Peterson 46 which has safely and comfortably borne them around the world during the last five years.

Blackwattle's journey has been described by Nancy on a weekly basis in Sail-World Cruising's News Magazines as they crossed the Mediterranean, the Atlantic and the Pacific, arriving back in Sydney in March this year.

'We're not intending to do any long-range cruising in the near future,' says Nancy a little wistfully, 'and Blackwattle is totally set up for crossing oceans. She is happy drifting around in protected waters, but when she sees the open sea, it's what she's bred for, and she wants to get up and go!'

'She is much stronger than when we started,' says Ted. 'When we left Sydney in 2003 we had renewed everything – the electronics, the rigging, the sails, everything – and we had upgraded all her systems

and installed others that were more modern than those normally found on a standard Peterson 46. However, the extra pressure that non-stop sailing puts on a boat soon saw much of the installation work done in Sydney fail, so we were continually strengthening as we travelled.

Then in Turkey, the one known weakness of the Petersons - the inner forestay - was also strengthened and attached to a strong point.

'She – like all Petersons – is a beautiful sea boat. Even in an angry sea, when you're down below you can be quite unaware how bad the conditions are. However, there's always something to be done on a boat – renewing, upgrading,' says Nancy, 'You can go on forever. Now we'd like to completely repaint her, but maybe we'll leave that to the next owner. The best place to do it is in Thailand.'

Originally, the hull was constructed in 1988 in Taiwan, and she was launched in 1989. The electronics were installed in Hawaii, where she sat, unused, for several years by her first owner. Then she was sold to a couple who sailed her for four years, and Ted and Nancy purchased her in 1997 from New Zealand, becoming her third owners.


At the time of purchase some osmosis was detected, so the yacht was put up on the hard for five months at the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron to thoroughly rid it from the yacht. They then spent several years preparing themselves and the yacht for their journey.

(Further images of boat at the end of the Technical Details)

Technical Details:
 
Location: Pittwater, Broken Bay, 20 miles north of Sydney Harbour, Australia. 
 
 
General Details:
Year: 1989
Designer: Peterson
Length: 14.2m - 47'
Beam: 3.93 m
Draft: 2.1 m
Displacement: 19 tons
Hull Material: GRP
Deck Material: Teak over GRP 
Water capacity: Total 400 lt in four separate stainless steel tanks
 
 
Propulsion:
Engine: Yanmar diesel, four cylinder, turbo charged, Sn. 14951, Model 4JH2-TE new 1995,3700 hrs. Charging system 2 X 65 amp alternators  .
Engine Hours: 3700
Fuel: 360 lt 
 
 
Accommodation:
Two double cabins, with ensuite heads, one forward, one aft. Aft cabin has separate hatch exit to cockpit
 
'House' Facilities:
Galley: Force 10 three burner stove and oven, with 3 stainless steel gas bottles 4kg
Barbecue, Marine Classic stainless steel, single burner, with one separate stainless steel gas bottle
Powered fresh water tap and emergency hand pump fresh water tap
Foot pump salt water tap
Refrigeration: Large top loading refrigerator
Deep freeze
Gymballed microwave oven, not operating
Panasonic Television flat screen, with external antenna
Webasto diesel fired cabin heater
Showers (two): hot and cold with retractable shower fittings 
Toilets (two): Lectrasan fwd, manual with holding tank aft
GME Radio/CD sound system, with speakers in saloon and cockpit
Fly awning
Dodger and covered cockpit, and fully enclosed with 'clears'
Two seats/ lazarettes on aft deck
Davits,
Swim board,
Security/mosquito screens on all hatches (boat can be fully locked still allowing ventilation)
Mosquito netting on all portholes. 
PUR 80 water maker
Dinghy: Jokerboat RIB 2.8m, Hyperlon fabric, new 2006
Outboard: Suzuki 8hp oil injected two stroke, 1995 model
 
Ground Tackle:
Primary Anchor: Spade 60lb
Secondary: Plough, 60lb
Stern: Danforth
Anchor chain, 100 metres, 10mm.
Rode, 35metres approx, 22mm
Docklines, 24ml, 2 at 15m with springs
 
Safety Gear:
Epirb ACR406, battery replaced 2006
Danbuoy
Lifesling
Life ring
Beaufort six man life raft, serviced 2006
Emergency VHF aerial and emergency HF aerial,
Emergency hand operated watermaker
Emergency storm drogue.
 
Electrics: 
 
12 volt with 240 volt ground power and 110 volt transformer, 1500 watt inverter
Batteries:House system, 600 amp hours, 6 X 200 amp hour six volt batteries
Starting battery: Optima Model No. D34M-950
Autopilot:Coursemaster, CM750
Watermaker:PUR 80,13 litres per hour
Solar Panels: 1 X 80 watt, 1 X 85 watt
Wind Generator: Aerogen 6
Trailing Generator: AquaAir 100.
Windlass: Muir H1600 Cheetah, on-deck, waterproofed
 
Electronics:
Navigation: HF Radio, Furuno, FS-1502, with Pactor Modem, Sn 2539-1572, speakers to saloon and cockpit 
VHF Marine Radio, ICOM – IC-402, DSC capability with remote cockpit microphone, Sn 07437
Brooks & Gatehouse Network system (Boatspeed, windspeed, depth)
Radar, Furuno Marine Radar, Model 1721, swivels for saloon and cockpit visibility 
Weatherfax, Furuno, DFAX, Model FAX-208/A/N
GPS 1: Raymarine RN300
GPS 2: Magellan 5000DX
GME Radio/CD Player, with speakers in saloon and cockpit (see above)
Inverter charger, Mastervolt, 1500watt, with control panel and pathmaker,
 
 
Sail Inventory:
Mainsail fully battened with batcars,
Yankee on Harken furler
Staysail on Harken furler
Storm jib,
MPS with snuffer, (all by Hoods Sydney, 2003, all in good condition)
Storm trisail
Lazy Jacks
 
Deck/ Mast / Rigging:
(Replaced new all rigging and lifelines in Nov/Dec 2002. Mast was restepped and rewired at the same time.)
 
Pole, mast attached
Double Anchor roller
Harken Furlers for Yankee and staysail
Spring loaded solid vang
Boom Brake
Deck hose and pump(salt water)

 
Maintenance:
 
Regularly slipped and antifouled – last slipping was November, 2007
Engine servicing continually carried out between 100 and 150 hours, records available
Last five years' log books available – records kept of all journeys on an hourly basis, and all engine hours recorded.
 
 
Upgrade:
 
Please note that the inner forestay, a known weakness with the Petersons, has been fully extended to strong point in anchor locker and strengthened.
 
Notes:
 
1. Manuals accompany all equipment
2. Except as specifically noted in the inventory, items not attached to the boat are not included in the sale.
3. The Knot Board in the saloon is not included in the sale.

 



And the price? 'Well the 'experts' say that in this market it's worth around A$265,000,' answers Nancy. 'We don't know, we've spent a lot more than that on the upgrading of her, but we're taking their advice, and A$265,000 it is.'

To enquire about Blackwattle, email to svblackwattle (at) yahoo (dot) com,
or phone +61 400 401 304 or +61 420 401 280
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