Kincora is SOLD

 

The old lady is leaving for the West Coast

Yup I sold Kincora. “What”, you must be saying. Well let me give you the three reasons and a little background first.

First let me say the Express 27 set up the way I have Kincora set up is the best sailing singlehanded boat I have owned. Not the fastest I have owned, but the best sailing in conditions from 0-35 kts true. That is based on the 3500 miles I put on her. She sails with ease in all conditions, Carl Schumacher nailed it on the 27.

1. They are very well built
2. Simple and efficient structures
3. Fractional rigged, which I prefer
4. Amazingly dry for their size
5. Goes well through the water
6. Are fast for their waterline length
7. The list goes on and on but you get my point

So my hats off to Carl who so many miss so dearly, and Terry Alsberg who did such a great job executing Carl’s design.

My first reason for selling started summer 2014. I was on her for weeks trekking with my buddy John who owns an Olson 30, also set up fantastically for single handed sailing. We do not have heads on the boats so it is the bucket. And when you are anchored in a harbor you do not dump your bucket, you wait till you are offshore where you can legally dump. So reason one is sailing around and spending the nights with a full bucket in the cockpit, this gets old quick. And well just let me say once leaving a harbor jibing, you guessed it the bucket dumped. The log entry said, “Buy a boat with a head”.

Second reason and this is again based on living on her for weeks, and it is headroom. I know what you are saying, “you knew that when you bought her”. Correct and the miles I put on her I loved, but now I want headroom.

Third and this was the tipping point, which started last year and was confirmed this May. This one put me over the top. The local shorthanded “Rule Makers”, say you need to be 30’ to enter most of the races. I tried fighting this last year and they just stopped contacting me. I guess they do not know the E27 record offshore sailing. So I was ticked off and that night put up the ad and decided to go back over 30’.

On a very positive note Kincora is going to have a great home in San Francisco with her new owner. Who is he? I will let him be the one to announce his purchase. The interest was amazing and I had six people lined up who all wanted the boat in just four days of advertising on the Express 27 site. What a great group of people and a real tribute to an amazing boat. I feel fortunate to have owned and enjoyed her for so many miles.

Special thanks to Kame and Sally Richards who are great friends, and were so supportive in my purchase, and made amazing sails that brought her to life. Larry Tuttle who built a rudder that all the Express 27 owners should try and buy. To my buddy John Manderson and his Olson 30 Kristianna, who has trekked alongside Kincora (Express 27 and Quest 30) and who will trek alongside my next boat. And my wife Carol, who gives me that look when I buy and sell boats, and still stands by me all the way.

This weekend the name comes off Kincora with the proper ceremony and she is headed west 4 June. Thank you Kincora E27 #115 you will be missed