PACIFIC SEACRAFT 40

Double-enders might not be fashionable, but they make excellent seaboats for long-term cruising, as Duncan Kent discovers...

- Duncan Kent

In 2017 I had the opportunity to sail with the owner of a Bill Crealock-designed Pacific Seacraft 40, Avocette. Her owner was retired teacher and delivery skipper, Chris Smith, who bought her in 2009 and went on to sail her some 30,000 miles through Northern Europe, Scandinavia, the Med, Africa, Cape Verdes, the Azores and the Caribbean – largely single-handed.

On returning to the UK Chris reluctantly sold her to new owner and worldwide cruising enthusiasts, John (64) and Liz (64) Wright. Although this will be their first cruising yacht, John already has many sea miles under his belt having worked at John Ridgeway’s Adventure school in Scotland. Now holding a commercially endorsed Yacht Master Ocean ticket, his extensive experience was further enhanced when he crewed on the first leg of the Operation Drake round-the-world race in 1978 and on a couple of long delivery passages, including the BVI to Azores and Bermuda to Greenland. They have both sailed regularly with friends and on charters so Liz already has a good deal of experience as well, but they plan to have one, or both of their two sons join them for some of the way until they become experts with handling the new boat.