Distant Drummer is a 1982 Ta Chiao CT-47. She is 47 feet long and 13 feet wide. The mast is 65.5 feet tall and she has a draft of 6.5 feet. She was originally designed as a cutter-rigged sloop, but the previous owner removed her inner forestay and staysail. Eventually, we plan on adding them back. A staysail is a smaller sail that fits just aft (behind) her enormous jib and provides additional options as the wind builds or comes more from the beam (side). Her keel is a modified full keel (meaning that it does not extend for the full length of the boat) – this gives her more maneuverability – and she has a skeg hung rudder (the rudder is hinged at the top and bottom from a rigid support – skeg.) This adds strength and protects the rudder from impacts. Her hull is solid fiberglass and her deck is a plywood core laminated with fiberglass. She has a center cockpit, meaning that the location for steering the boat is more towards the middle making for a more comfortable ride when the seas get rough. All of these features make her a true bluewater cruiser capable of going anywhere in the world.
Below is a picture from April 2019 of her as she is being picked up by the travel lift crane to be returned to the water after nine months of repairs and upgrades. (Much more on that adventure in the future.)
While her overall setup was exactly what we were looking for, what really sold her was her beautiful interior. The original owner had chosen an upgraded interior with teak carvings throughout and previous owner had done an extensive refit including refinishing the woodwork and reupholstering the cushions. In 2014 her electrical, plumbing systems were redone, she had a new Yanmar engine, new standing and running rigging and new electronics. Below are several interior shots.
Distant Drummer 