* Attention! The price is indicated on a date taking into account the currency exchange rate on this date
REDUNDANT SYSTEMS
STAND-ALONE SYSTEMS
HVAC:
ELECTRICAL;
PLUMBING:
BILGE:
ENGINES:
After 12 years, I am generally proficient in performing ‘routine’ maintenance myself … fluids, belts, filters, pumps, most plumbing, minor electrical, and batteries. 'Major' repair and maintenance have been performed by certified diesel service providers in Charleston and Jacksonville. The most recent (non-routine) services were as follows:
Starboard engine overhaul in May 2021
Port engine maintenance in April 2020
SAILS & RIGGING
ANCHORS & GROUND TACKLE:
DINGHY:
OTHER:
OWNER'S VERSION:
ABOUT PROUTS
Chances are … if you’ve found this listing while searching among blue water catamarans, you don’t need to be educated about ‘Prouts’. Just skip this intro and fast-forward to the specs I’ve posted. But, if you’re unfamiliar with the name, then I’d like to preface my offering with a few defining characteristics of a Prout’s broad appeal.
In the 1950’s in Essex, England, two brothers, Francis and Roland Prout, revolutionized the sailing world with the design inspiration for racing and cruising multihull sailboats. In 1975 they founded Prout Catamarans. Ltd. for the manufacture of the world’s first production vessels. This cemented their legacy as the ‘grandfathers’ of the world’s catamaran industry. Their designs and manufacturing standards have served as templates for a legion of production companies that have sprung up around the world over five decades. For more of that history I’ll refer you to this weblink:
https://www.katamarans.com/product-tag/prout/
PS … Note whose boat the authors used to introduce the Prout 45 !
The catamaran market might be said to divide roughly along two design approaches … “Turquoise Water” and “ Blue Water” Catamarans. The latter tend to feature the higher structural integrity, durability, and operational demands of open-ocean, trans-ocean, or circumnavigation voyage. As a simplistic example, if you were to plan an extensive land adventure by automobile, which would you choose … a Jeep Grand Cherokee (light, nimble … and long on creature comfort) or a Toyota Land Cruiser (durability, safety, and dependability) ? Prouts are Land (no pun) Cruisers. This shouldn’t imply that you have to choose one or the other. Afterall … most of those ‘turquoise’ catamarans have to be delivered trans-ocean to the Caribbean cruising market. And many Land Cruisers never leave the asphalt. But the real difference is that they can if they wish … reliably and safely … over and over.
Perhaps Prout's unique reputation might best be summed up by the often repeated observation ... 'At any given time, there are more Prouts attempting circumnavigation than any other boat of its class in the world'.
PAST OWNERSHIP
Cobalt Blue's construction was completed in 1996. But her hull was cast in 1995, and this sets her model year for USCGS documentation. Her first ocean crossing was also in 1996 when she was delivered for the original owner. He is reported to have kept her in the Caribbean close to his oil exploration work there and in the Gulf of Mexico. I acquired her in 2010 in Baltimore from the second owners, two lawyers, one of which was a Federal Judge in DC. They sailed her to the Mediterranean / Turkey for the other 4 of her 5 trans-Atlantic crossings. I was told ( caution … it could be ‘broker lies’ ! ) these owners became true believers in her sturdiness when they hit a whale sleeping at night on the surface in the Straits of Gibraltar ... which ‘fluked’ them. At daylight they inspected for damages, and all they could find was a strip of blubber hanging from the forward stay.
I have owned her continuously since 2010. And to my knowledge she has NEVER EVER been relegated to the 'whorehouse' ... a charter program !
TO BE UPDATED:
Please note that all marine-specific property will transfer
RECENT UPGRADES & REPLACEMENTS
I have now owned Cobalt Blue for twelve years and have spent most of them in some version of live-aboard … full-time in the initial years, part-time in the most recent. The point I hope I make with this is that ‘stuff gets fixed’ … and that maintenance has been continuous. Since 2010 I have put about $200,000 into upgrades and R&M. And most notably of late ...
STARBOARD GALLEY:
PORT SIDE:
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ELEVEN REASONS ... why you should consider owning Cobalt Blue
It's the most stable platform on the water imaginable. I've slept through severe storms completely unawares. There is virtually no pitch & yaw as in a traditional monohull. I’m highly prone to motion sickness, and it’s only bitten me twice in 12 years … both times in big crossing seas. Monohull ‘purists’ may think nausea is a badge of honor. Not me. Oh, and about all those spilled Margaritas. Cats don’t ‘heel’ under sail.
The view. Because of her configuration and low draft, you stand much higher above the water when below deck. And the broad expanse of glass across the bridgedeck gives elevated panoramic views. By contrast, a monohull can feel like a claustrophobic ‘cave’ in the water.
The maneuverability. I’ve watched more marina wrecks than I can count when single-screw monohulls try maneuvering in tight spaces in heavy current. With twin props I can spin 360 degrees in place in the trickiest of flows. And this advantage alone may save your marriage / relationship when attempting to anchor.
The galley being separated from the salon. Food preparation in the middle of your living area may ‘sound’ socially appealing. And the Caribbean cruising brochures joyfully exploit all that potential ‘togetherness’. But after 4 or 5 days ______ ? You fill in the blank.
The privacy of dual hulls. It's sorta’ like the galley issue. Staterooms & baths in opposite hulls are a godsend when spending more than a few nights with family or guests. Even the exteriors are set up for privacy. I often took my son & hordes of his college buddies & bud-ettes out on the harbor along with some of my adult-ish friends. Crazy kids up front in the tramps … adults lounging on deck seats in the rear. Great. !
The 3’6’’ draft. Have you ever sailed the Bahamas, Keys, or ITCW in a monohull? If so, then you know what it’s like to suffer through 8' depth-anxiety ... when there's a 4' alternative. There are huge areas of the Bahamas Bank you simply can’t go to unless you draft under 5'. And strangely, the stuff you’ll hit (and yeah … you ‘will’ ) that’s only 3' deep tends to be a lot softer than the stuff at 7'. Save the Xanax … cruise the islands in a cat.
Open ocean safety. There are endless online forums debating whether a cat or a monohull is more likely to pitch-pole or roll in huge seas. I’ll give you the Cliff Notes … it’s indeterminate. But you can review the arguments here
https://www.catamaranfreedom.com/why-catamarans-capsize-a-scientific-explanation-for-beginners/
However, there is one consensus. Once a monohull goes down … it’s eventually gonna’ sink. Cats float. Watch Robert Redford kiss his sailboat goodbye around the 1:30 mark in this 'All Is Lost' trailer
https://youtu.be/ZgakOh8og4U
The storage. As a rule, a cat has about 150% of the overall space of the same length monohull, and even more ‘floor space’. And Floor Space = Storage Space. In other words, a 45-ft cat is going to have more storage than a 70-ft monohull. Maybe not important for a weekend excursion … but 8 wks. in the Bahamas ? I’ve been there …
The helm-centric rigging. I’ll admit it. I’ve done less sailing and more motoring than I'd anticipated when I bought her. But that’s only a matter of personal preference (once I’m on H2O, my relaxation dopamine kicks-in). And there’s another curious thing about cats. Friends & family, even dock-groupies, are not as intimidated going out on a cat as monohull. Most of my social world doesn't know a jib from a chocolate bar. Therefore, I usually find myself as all-in-one helmsman, 1st mate, mast man, and trimmer. And if you’re a sailor, you already know the joy of having all those jib / genoa / mainsail halyards and sheets land within two steps of the helm. And back to safety issue … that’s a big deal in an offshore storm. Again, I’ve been there !
The systems redundancy. Not only does Cobalt Blue have critical navigation redundancy … Chart plotter, GPS, & Depth … catamarans have power redundancy built-in by dual engines and fuel systems. Yes, I have limped home on one engine more than a few times. In 2017, I lost my stbd engine in the remote Berry Islands and was still able to cruise at 2/3 speed for 350 mi. up the Gulf Stream to Ponce Inlet, Fla. for repairs. Absent that, I might still be stuck in the Berrys.
Her looks. Cats can look pretty ungainly. Example ... just take a gander at the Lagoons. They look like bug-eyed Manta Rays. But they don’t have to. Beauty may be in the beholder, but there are a lot of beholders who think Prouts are the sleekest of the lot.
The price. Please view the last several files in the photos section for a summary of Cobalt Blue's competitive-set pricing. She's been priced to sell ... (so please, save the $ negotiation impulses for the car lot). Please see the 'Offering Terms' slide in photos.
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