Windwalker
Windwalker is a Robert Perry designed Valiant 40 cutter, hull number 40289, built in 1990 in Gordonville, Texas. She has the traditional side-entry layout and is organized for short-handed cruising. Before we acquired her in 1998, she spent her time in Florida, with a yearly trip to the Bahamas for a few months.
She displaces 22,500 lb., including 7700 lb. in the 5’6″ draft shoal keel. This is a transition boat – employing the keel of the Valiant 42 but without the bowsprit. Length overall is 39’11”, and length at water line is 34’6″. Mast height is 55’6″ and the beam is 12’4″. Sail area is 772 square feet.
Above deck she is fitted with an electric Hood Stoway in-mast furling mainsail, ProFurl electric furling on the 150 Genoa, and manual roller furling on the staysail. She also carries a cruising chute, mast mounted pole, and several spare halyards.
Ground tackle includes a 45 lb. CQR with 275′ of 5/16 ht chain and a 35 lb. CQR with chain and nylon rode on the bow roller, and a 20 lb. Danforth on the stern. A Lewmar electric windlass, and both salt and freshwater washdowns can be found on the foredeck.
In the cockpit, the Edson steering console with Ritchie compass is fitted with pods to hold the remotes for the B&G Triton wind, depth and boat speed instruments, RayMarine ChartPlotter and 4KW Radar, Alpha 3000 autopilot, Horizon RAM mike for the Intrepid VHF, and a seawater temperature gauge. Two Lewmar electric 52CST winches for the jib sheets, two 40CST winches for spinnaker or preventors, two 40CST winches for the staysail sheets, and two more 40CST for the mainsheet/outhaul and jib/spinnaker halyards complete the complement. Navigation lights and mast-mounted strobe are controlled with 12 bolt latching relays with switches and indicator lights on the cockpit coaming and at the nav station.
The cockpit is covered with a full bimini and soft dodger, as well as a full eisenglass enclosure for cold weather, a three sided sun shield for tropical anchorages, and a full deck awning for those days when nothing else will do.
Standing rigging consists of rod for forestays, upper and lower shrouds, and backstay which is equipped with a Navtek series 7 hydraulic adjuster and SSB antenna. Wire is used for the two intermediate backstays fitted in lieu of runners.
Propulsion consists of a 44 HP Westerbeke 44B diesel, ZF-15 V-drive and 18 inch three bladed Maxprop. Electrical power is provided by a Northern Lights 5KW generator, with 50W ProMariner battery charger or 100 watt engine driven alternator charging two house banks of 2 each 180 AH Prevailer gel-cells.
Nav Station gear consists of Link-Lite battery monitor, Raymarine Radar/chartplotter tied to the helm station via Seatalk and HSB, a Ritchie fluxgate compass tied to the RayMarine via NMEA-183, Horizon Intrepid VHF with DSC, and SEA SSB. Data from the NMEA-2000 B&G instrument bus is bridged to -0183 to display on the radar console. An IBM Thinkpad and standalone SSB receiver provides weatherfax capability using Coretex software, navigation assistance, and Internet access via WIFI or smart phone hotspot. A Samsung Galaxy TAB 10″ tablet with charting software provides backup and free NOAA downloadable charts.
Creature comforts are provided by a reverse cycle air conditioner, Eberspacher diesel heater, 10 disk CD player/changer, ZEN 30 GB mp3 player, stereo and tape deck, 22″ LCD TV with built-in DVD player.
The galley contains a 3 burner gimbaled stove with oven, double sink, large capacity refrigerator/freezer powered by both AC and engine driven compressor circuits, and a microwave oven in cabinet hung over the refrigerator.
Tankage consists of 130 gallons of fresh water, 100 gallons of diesel fuel, two 11 lb. squat propane tanks, and polyethylene holding tank under the V-berth of about 25 gallons. In the aft cabin is an 8 gph Village Marine modular watermaker.
Safety equipment includes a Givens six man liferaft, ACR 406 MHz Epirb with GPS link, Blipper radar reflector, MOB pole, LifeSling, jack lines and 4 cockpit attachment points, outboard hoist, and automatic halon fire extinguisher in the engine room.
Tender service is rendered with a 10′ Avon RIB with 9.9 hp Johnson outboard.