island packet yachts out of business

Island Packet Yachts: 5 Things You Should Know

The history of Island Packet Yachts

Island Packet Yachts is an American boat-building company, headquartered in Largo, Florida. Bob Johnson, a naval architect founded Island packet in 1979.

Hake Maine, the Parent company of Seaward Yachts purchased Island Packet Yachts in 2016. Besides Seaward Yachts, and Island Packet Yachts, Hake Maine also owns the Blue Jacket line of cruising sailboats.

In 2017, Darrell and Leslie Allen took ownership of the Island Packet Yachts. They are the majority shareholders of Hake Maine LLC. They changed its name to Island packet and Seaward Yachts.

Table of Contents

Is seaward yacht still in business?

Seaward yachts are no longer in business. Seaward yachts consolidated with Island packet yachts in 2016 .

Seaward yachts are famous for their lifting keels, and spacious layout on their models such as 32RK, and 46RK. The designer of this boat is Nick Hake.

Hake Marine, the parent company of Seaward Yachts closed its Stuart, Florida production facility and moved all of its production to the Island Packet Yard facility in Largo, Florida.

Where are Island Packet yachts made?

Island Packet yachts are made at their largo, Florida production facility. This boat production facility occupies 5 acres of ground with 52,000 sq. ft of manufacturing space.

There are four sections of this facility: fiberglass, hull and deck, wood shop, and assembly.

Most people on google give good reviews on this large facility. The people working there are very nice and friendly. It doesn’t matter whether you are going to purchase their boats or not, they are happy to show you around their facility and tell you about their boat-making processes.

Here is a good Island Packet largo factory tour video

Popular models of Island Packet Yachts (IPY)

There are four models of yachts produced by Island Packet Yachts: IP349, IP439, Blue Jacket 40, and 42 motor Sailer. Among these, IP349 and IP439 are the most popular ones.

• IP349 was named Cruising World’s 2019 Domestic Boat of the Year
• Total overall length is 38’3″
• Displacement 20,000lbs
• Fuel Capacity 55gal.
• Water Capacity 100gal.
• Special features include an exclusive full foil keel for exceptional safety, strength, and stability.
• Another highlight of this design is the steps and handrails added when boarding from the deck.
• A new IP349 with standard equipment is priced at $39,9000.
• IP439 model won Cruising World’s 2021 Best Full-Size Cruiser of the Year.
• Total overall length is 47′
• Displacement 32,000lbs
• Fuel Capacity 160gal.
• Water Capacity 220gal.
• Holding Capacity 50gal.
• Many customization options include rig design, rig colors, navigation station or additional storage, interior wood material, etc.
• A new IP439 with standard equipment is priced at $59,9000.

Here is a good video in which the president of IPY Darrell Allen walks you through this custom-designed IP439

• Blue Jacket 40 is a sailboat with an overall length of 39’10”.
• Displacement is 17,900lbs
• Fuel Capacity 40gal.
• Water Capacity 110gal.
• Holding Capacity 25gal.
• The highlight features of Blue jacket 40 are its one-piece hull, and one-piece deck model for superior strength and stiffness.
• A new Blue Jacket 40 with standard equipment at a price of $49,9000.
• IP42 motor sailer is designed for long-distance, offshore cruising.
• Total overall length at 42’5″ with a displacement of 23,000lbs
• Fuel Capacity 320gal.
• Water Capacity 130gal.
• The highlight features of IP42 MS are its 110 HP Yanmar turbo diesel engine, and 320 gallons tankage capacity.
• A new IP42 motor sailer with standard equipment at a price of $69,9000.

Do Island Packet Yachts sail well?

A great number of boat owners said that the Island packet is a sturdy, well-made sailboat that sails slowly.

There is a mixed good and bad review towards Island packets yachts.

Good Reviews

Everybody agrees that Island packet is a sturdy, well-made sailboat. It is very comfortable to live in.

It is noticeable of IP’s craftsmanship, and attention to detail. Some Island Packet’s hulls built in 1985 still shine today.

Full keel, very stable sailboat, with plenty of space, storage, and tankage.

You can get the right parts or supplies that retain the quality and value of your boat.

Bad Reviews

Poor windward performance

Not light air boats

It takes strong wind such as 7 knots for Island Packet to start sailing

Island Packet Yachts is a solid-built, shoal draft, full keel sailboat. People who like the features of a well-made, traditional full keel sailboat would pay a premium price to have one Island packet yacht.

Island Packet Yachts is also great for a family weekend out. It is spacious and roomy, with a lot of storage space, wonderful for a long-distance voyage.

If you prefer racing to comfort then the Island packet may not be a good fit. Quite a few people complained about the speed of Island Packet.

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www.ipy.com

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Island_Packet_Yachts

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• Sailboat Reviews

PS Boat Review: Island Packet Estero

Island packet’s new shoal-draft cruising sailboat keeps it simple..

Photos by Billy Black

Florida-based Island Packet targets a relatively narrow niche, so the toughest competitors to its new boats are often older Island Packets. Introduced in 2010, the 36-foot shoal draft Estero is the company’s latest attempt to introduce a distinctive model that doesn’t stray too far from the company’s proven formula for success: moderate displacement, full-keel cruisers designed to be lived on, sailed far and in comfort, and endure the bumps, scrapes, and storms that cruising boats inevitably encounter.

Like every new Island Packet, the Estero emerged from the drawing board of founder, owner, CEO and chief designer Robert “Bob” Johnson. A graduate of Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a masters in naval architecture and marine engineering, Johnson worked for McDonell Douglas for two years on ballistic missiles, dabbled in high-tech (for that era) surfboards, then followed his boat dreams to southwest Florida in 1974. He ran the Irwin Yachts plant for production-boatbuilding pioneer Ted Irwin, and then moved onto Endeavour. Johnson designs from that era include the Stamas 44, Endeavour 43, and the Endeavour 40.

Opportunity knocked in 1979, when Johnson turned the liquidated molds for the 26-foot Bombay Express into the Island Packet 26, a catboat-like center-boarder that quickly found a niche. The IP 26 eventually became the full-keel IP 27, which enjoyed a run of 249 hulls between 1984 and 1992. Island Packet has unveiled 24 new Johnson designs during the past three decades. With a few exceptions—the Packet Cat catamaran, the Packet Express powerboat, and the recently introduced 42-foot motorsailer, the SP Cruiser—the line is dominated by full-keel auxiliary sailboats sharing the same basic traits: a U-shaped hull, Johnson’s patented “full-foil” keel, conservative ballast displacement ratio, low aspect rig, and roomy interiors with an emphasis on cruising. Details oriented toward longer-term cruising such as storage space and tankage are an Island Packet strong point.

Currently, Island Packet produces seven boats, ranging from the Estero to the 48-foot flagship, the IP 485. The company’s cult-like following, worldwide dealer network, and the popularity of the SP Cruiser have helped keep the factory operating four days a week through the recent downturn.

courtesy of Island Packet

In many ways, the Estero represents a return to Island Packet’s roots. The shoal draft and flat stern bring to mind boats like the Island Packet 31 (launched in 1983), which had a flat transom and appealed to gunkholers with a centerboard version. All of Island Packet’s mid-range cruisers have a relatively shallow draft, but the Estero’s four-foot draft opens up Carolina backwaters and Florida canals where other Island Packet owners will have to play the tides.

Apart from the keel-haircut, the hull profile is otherwise consistent with Johnson’s previous designs. Johnson is tall, so all of his boats carry plenty of headroom. The high freeboard and lack of any long windows to interrupt the expanse of buff-colored gelcoat make the deckhouse appear higher than it is, but the bowsprit, opening ports, and spring in the shear-line present the intended overall look of a classic, salty cruiser.

One traditional element missing from the Estero found on previous Island Packet designs is the traditional teak caprail—a signature feature for more than 30 years. This offers welcome relief from annual maintenance, although some old salts will no doubt miss the aesthetic appeal.

The boat’s length-to-beam ratio of 2.95 is also in keeping with Johnson’s previous designs, as is the conservative ballast displacement ratio of 40 percent. Comfort in a seaway—like seaworthiness itself—is difficult to quantify, but the boat’s motion-comfort ratio (a calculation introduced by designer Ted Brewer) of 31 puts it not far below that of the Island Packet 370, which has a longer waterline and an additional 5,000 pounds of displacement.

Johnson, who represented the National Marine Manufacturers Association on the Conformité Européenne (CE) committee that helped establish the ratings categories for sailboats (Category A for Ocean, Category B for Offshore, etc.), is keenly aware of the importance of stability, scan’tlings, and resistance to down-flooding in a boat that is to be sailed on oceans. His boats’ solid fiberglass laminate schedule, high freeboard, and conservative ballast-displacement ratios reflect his philosophy on these matters. All Island Packet yachts meet CE Category Standard A for Ocean, “designed for extended voyages where conditions may exceed wind force 8 (Beaufort scale) and significant wave heights of 4 meters and above but excluding abnormal conditions, and vessels largely self-sufficient.” Although PS does not regard the CE Category A to be an automatic stamp of approval of ocean voyaging, we do believe that Island Packets more closely approach our ideal of a cruising boat than some other boats that bear the same rating.

In the endless quest to turn a 36-foot boat into a comfortable second home, and still provide secure and comfortable berths while the boat is underway, the Estero takes a most radical step by placing the main social area forward of the mast. (The new IP 360 features the conventional V-berth/main saloon layout on the same hull.)

Boats with forward main saloons are by no means original, but they remain very rare birds. Perhaps the most familiar contemporary cruisers with this feature are those of the Gozzard line, which dedicate the space forward of the mast to a spacious sitting/dining area that easily converts to a queen-size berth. In the Gozzard version, the berth conversion can be a semi-permanent setup, because even the smallest Gozzard 37 has an alternate dining nook near the galley.

The Estero’s forward saloon is principally a social/dining area. With the drop-leaf table down, there’s comfortable seating for two couples. With the dining table up it could seat a family of four, and squeeze in a couple of guests, as needed. The table pivots, making it easy to slide in and out of the seats. Throw down sheets and pillows, and the two settees make comfortable berths.

Conversion to the larger berth is more complicated than it should be, considering the premium, well-ventilated sleeping space the saloon occupies. It requires two people (one on their hands and knees fiddling with a troublesome support pole) and optional filler cushions. And once it is set up for sleeping, there is no place to dine belowdecks. With room for four (friendly, we presume) adults and a passel of kids, it is the proverbial feather bed, but the conversion could be easier.

Just aft of the mast and to port is the U-shaped galley. The galley placement is probably the biggest advantage of this layout compared with other boats in this size. Instead of being tucked into an aft corner or in the line of traffic, the galley is set near the fore-and-aft center of the boat, with a hatch overhead and opening portlights for ventilation and a view. The galley covers all the essentials such as counter space, cupboards, and deep well-insulated fridge-freezer systems, but we were disappointed in the shallow, 6-inch-deep sinks—unusual for Island Packet.

Johnson stands 6-feet, 3-inches tall, so his interior designs are sensitive to a tall person’s needs. Just opposite the galley is a super-sized head featuring a bench seat in the separate shower stall.

The owner’s stateroom, located aft and to port, has 6-foot, 4-inches standing headroom, with a cutout in the berth for sitting or getting dressed. A hanging locker, bureau, and full-length mirror add homey touches. A 9-inch overhead hatch and opening portlight offer ventilation, although the hatch won’t allow much breeze if the boat is fitted with a dodger. Our test boat was fitted with a single, full-sized inner spring mattress. We would ask for a folding or two-piece mattress here to simplify access to the storage below, as well as access to the stern gland and stuffing box.

Opposite the owner’s cabin is the nav station with a fold-down chart table and a roomy pilot berth. This area could also be used for storage of larger items like sails, cushions, or guitars.

For the past 30 years, the standard Island Packet sail plan has been a cutter rig, featuring a high-cut foresail and a furling working staysail that sets on a Hoyt boom. While a deck-sweeping, club-footed staysail gobbles up foredeck space and leaves remarkable shin bruises, Island Packet owners praise the arrangement for balancing the helm and running wing-and-wing. The Hoyt boom has the added advantage of being self-vanging, keeping the leach clew from lifting as the sheet is eased.

The Estero breaks away from the cutter tradition (although its sistership, the soon-to-debut IP 360 brings it back). The Estero’s working staysail is eliminated, and a foresail sets from a Hoyt boom fixed just forward of the stem on the bowsprit. In this way, both the jib and the main are self-tacking, so working to windward is as easy as turning the wheel. The arrangement also allows for tight sheeting angles.

Although conventional mainsails with lazy jacks were the standard on earlier Island Packets, the company has seen a clear trend toward in-mast furling. According to Bill Bolin, vice president of sales and marketing at Island Packet, the company has sold few, if any, boats with conventional full-battened mainsails in the past eight years. PS generally prefers conventional mainsails for voyaging in boats this size, but if you plan to do a lot of short coastal hops, the in-mast Sparcraft mainsail furler can make life easier, allowing you to set, reef, and furl both sails from the cockpit.

The mainsail and jib halyards are led to dedicated Lewmar Ocean Series 16C two-speed winches on the mast; this reduces clutter at the cabin and makes sense for cruising boats with a furling mainsail. The mainsail roller-furling control line, jib sheet, and spare mainsail halyard lead aft through stoppers to the Ocean Series 30CT two-speed self-tailing winch on the portside of the companionway. The mainsheet and boom-vang lead through a stopper and matching winch on the starboard side of the companionway.

Those accustomed to contemporary sloops will be surprised to find that the only sail control line within easy grasp of the helmsman is the jib furling line, which is on 16CT Lewmar on the starboard coaming. Because the mainsail and jib set on self-tacking booms, the arrangement is not as inconvenient it would seem. Leading the mainsail traveler lines (fixed in cam cleats) aft allows limited sail control from the helm. A port coaming winch will be missed when you want to kedge off a shoal, or when trying to warp the stern to port.

The 7-foot-long cockpit seats offer plenty of room to stretch out. A large starboard locker offers room enough for two folding bikes and more; a port tray keep small items accessible. Liner bins in the coamings keep the deck clear of running rigging. The emergency tiller has a dedicated spot in the starboard locker.

Visibility is excellent, and the twin 2-inch cockpit drains and high bridgedeck deal with any boarding waves. Drop boards are solid hardwood. Comfortable platform seats are integrated into the stern rail.

The boat we test-sailed had an optional stern swim platform. By eliminating the sugar-scoop transom/swim platform on other Island Packets, the Estero benefits from more usable interior space, a larger cockpit, and more cockpit storage space. A boarding ladder is accessible from the water for emergency reboarding. One drawback to this design is the inevitable “slap” that will accompany pitching at anchor. According to Johnson, the platform is elevated high enough (24-inches above displacement waterline) so that slapping at anchor or added drag underway is unlikely.

“This is an immensely strong installation typical of our approach to all structural components on an IP,” Johnson said. “(It) has been validated over a number of years . . . by other IPs that have this identical installation.”

A high coaming and wide passage forward leads to the foredeck where a deep locker with an aft-opening Lewmar hatch seals a deep anchor well. The divided well swallows up chain and fenders and drains into the bilge through a watertight bulkhead that seals the locker off from the rest of the boat. An optional VRC 1250 Muir windlass, single bow roller, and chain stopper handled anchoring duties on our boat.

except where noted.

Johnson brings his engineering expertise to bear on the Estero’s mechanical systems. The conventional drive train is the most sensible choice for long-term cruising. The solid Edson CD-I geared rack-and-pinion steering is well adapted to belowdecks autopilot. The propeller and rudder skeg are protected by a long “shoe” extending from the keel to the skeg.

Twin lead-acid house batteries and a dedicated engine battery serve electrical storage needs. Pre-tinned, labeled wiring meets American Boat and Yacht Council (ABYC) standards. A Charles 5000 series three-stage temperature-compensated charger with a galvanic isolator protect the electrical system and ensure it is well charged at the dock.

The 60-gallon fuel tank is made of heavy-gauge, marine-grade aluminum (5052-H32), while the freshwater (120 gallon) and holding tanks (35 gallon) are located below the cabin sole and made of fiberglass. All through-hulls are bronze and through bolted to flanged seacocks.

Cables for the anchor windlass and bow thruster are pre-wired. The LPG system meets ABYC standards with a self-draining locker and shut-off valve in the galley. LED lighting is an option. The bow thruster, located under the main-saloon settee, had tighter all-around clearances than installations we’ve seen on other boats with big V-berths.

Performance

By contemporary fin-keel standards, the sailing performance of the Estero is unimpressive, but Island Packet owners aren’t the kind that go looking for the extra 5 percent of hull speed and the Estero isn’t meant to be a Wednesday-night racer.

Our test boat was provided by Ed Massey of Massey Yacht Sales and Services, and the test sail took place within sight of Massey’s Bradenton dealership on the Bradenton River, Fla., in squally weather, with light gusty winds from the east between 8 to 12 knots, with gusts to 14 knots.

At 2,400 rpm, the Yanmar 40-horsepower engine with a big 17-inch, three-bladed prop pushed the boat at 6.6 knots. At wide-open throttle, 3,400 rpm, the average speed was 7.3 knots. The higher RPM is clearly not an efficient motoring speed, but testing it confirmed that reserve horsepower is available if needed. Unlike flat-bottomed fin-keel boats, the Estero’s hull speed is tightly constrained by its waterline length. At the lower cruising speed, we registered 79 decibels in the center of the main saloon and a quiet 74 decibels in the cockpit with the companionway open. Vibration at the higher RPM raised the main saloon volume to 83 decibels. (Conversation is about 60-70 decibels.)

Under power, the Estero embodies the typical tradeoffs of a full keel. The full keel’s tracking ability—so helpful on long passages—becomes a handicap in close-quarter maneuvering. The lateral resistance lengthens turning radii, and when backing, the boat has a stronger tendency to “walk” in the direction of the prop rotation. Our test boat was equipped with a $6,000 Vetus bow thruster that took the drama out of docking and maneuvering at slow speeds. A good skipper will soon become accustomed to the Estero’s idiosyncrasies under power and learn to use prop-wash and spring lines to his advantage, but full-keel novices will appreciate the bow thruster.

Like her cutter-rigged cousins in the Island Packet line, the Estero is happiest on a reach. Broad reaching with the apparent wind at 135 degrees, the boat balanced well, but averaged only 4 knots speed over ground in about 9 knots of apparent wind—suggesting an asymmetrical spinnaker would be a wise addition in light-wind areas. On a beam reach in 9 knots apparent, average speeds were about 5.5 knots. The best sustained speed during our test was 6.3 knots, with the apparent wind at about 10 knots and 110 degrees.

Any shoal-draft boat must sacrifice windward performance, and the Estero is no exception. The Estero’s tight sheeting angles and foil-shaped full keel help add lift, but the windward performance is still held back by the increased skin drag and low-aspect keel.

The course made good on our test sail fell below fin-keeler standards, but it was comparable to that of similar boats we have sailed. The best sustained speed close reaching was 5.7 knots, and the boat tacked through 100 degrees, including leeway. (For a stark comparison, the lightweight J/95 daysailer, drawing 3 feet with its board retracted, tacked through 92 degrees in similar conditions.)

The Estero doesn’t like to be pinched, and it will quickly let you know when the main is over-trimmed with an insistent weather helm. Like many full-keelers with low-aspect rudders, too much helm will stall the boat. It responds slowly but positively to the helm, and it is slow to pick up speed. We would not characterize the Estero as exciting in light winds, but in breezier areas, the boat’s ability to keep her feet and to shoulder aside chop will be appreciated.

The Estero will appeal strongest to Island Packet fans who’ve been waiting for a shoal-draft, easy-to-sail boat that compares to the IP37 in terms of interior space. These strengths will be most apparent on intracoastal or riverine adventures like the Great Loop.

The novel changes aren’t suited for everyone. Those who cruise warm climates in summer, for example, will miss the large overhead hatch of a V-berth. The self-tending headsail will please sailors who prefer a relaxing bay sail or motor-sail to winch-grinding and close-hauled excitement.

The list price of $350,000 seems steep when you see IP37s going for less than half that, but Island Packet offers a generous 10-year warranty on both the hull and deck, and a three-year stem-to-stern warranty. Past owners have done fairly well sailing their boat for a couple of years and then trading up or selling for close to purchasing price, while the boat is still covered under warranty.

For those who like the shoal-draft concept but would prefer a conventional layout, the cutter-rigged IP360, with 130 square feet of additional sail area, fits the bill. While we see a niche for the Estero, we expect the IP360 will be a more popular design.

• Estero’s solid FRP hull, balsa-free deck is built to last

• Island Packet

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Island Packet 439 Boat Review

• By Mark Pillsbury
• Updated: June 9, 2021

When Island Packet Yachts launched some 40 years ago, skippers in yacht clubs and bars from here to Oz still heatedly debated whether boats equipped with fin keels and spade rudders were safe to sail out of sight of land. And so, between the wrangling over newfangled foils—and design trends favoring plummeting displacement/length ratios—it’s no wonder that company founder and naval architect Bob Johnson struck a chord with his liveaboard cruising sailboats that featured stout ivory-colored hulls, patented Full Foil Keels, skeg-hung rudders, and manageable cutter rigs. In the decades since, in fact, it’s those very elements that, when combined, created the iconic “IP look” that’s still available and in demand today from the Largo, Florida, yard.

The company, though, is now owned and operated by former longtime West Coast IP dealers Leslie and Darrell Allen, who last fall introduced their second new model, the IP 439, which Cruising World’s Boat of the Year judges named Best Full-Size Cruiser for 2021. That award came just two years after their first new design, the IP 349, was named overall Boat of the Year for 2019.

Against competition that included boats built to much more modern and trendy designs, both these Island Packets stood out for their sailing performance. And it’s no accident that both sported so-called solent rigs that pair a self-tacking jib on an inner forestay with a 170 percent genoa on a second stay just forward of it. In moderate and heavier breeze, the self-tacker takes the work out of upwind sailing, and cracked off a bit, or in very light conditions, the big genny has all the horsepower needed to give the boat some get-up-and-go.

And off we went. Sailing on Tampa Bay in 5 to 8 knots of breeze this past October, the 439′s speedo hovered in the mid-6- to low-7-knot range—not bad for a boat with a displacement-to-length ratio of 259, by far the highest of all the boats we tested.

A choice of sail plans is just one of the options the Allens are willing to entertain now that they’re running the company. Their challenge: to keep what works but incorporate ideas from customers and even the team on the shop floor that will make the designs better and keep them evolving. For instance, at the request of customers, IP will now build boats with or without a Hoyt jib boom for the self-tacking jib. One customer asked for a safe, and now a lockbox is a standard option. They even have a couple of boats under construction with blue hulls and white decks rather than the trademark ivory!

But don’t get me wrong—compared with what’s out there, the 439 is still very traditional, some might even say conservative. It sports a sugar-scoop stern rather than a drop-down transom, a single wheel and rudder, hand-laid solid fiberglass hull, and lead ballast that’s encapsulated in the full keel and then covered with concrete and resin.

Gone, though, is the marine plywood used in interior construction. It drove the Allens crazy as dealers. Water would seep under sinks and counters and rot the underlayer, or customers would return from the tropics, where termites literally ate and destroyed the plywood used in structural areas. Instead, the yard now uses Coosa Board, a composite material that’s indestructible. The intent, Darrell says, is to use the best material they can find and look for improvements without straying too far from what’s made the brand successful.

The 439, for instance, uses the same Bob Johnson-designed hull as did the older 440 and 460 models. The interior, aforementioned sail plan and transom have all been revised, though, and all exterior wood has been eliminated to cut down on maintenance.

Down below, the nav station was sacrificed to free up space for a larger galley with room for a stove, an oven and a microwave; Corian counters with deep fiddles; and abundant fridge, freezer and storage space.

Aft of the galley, in place of a starboard cabin, there’s an interesting little utility room that on the boat we sailed included a vented washer and dryer, additional freezer, storage space, a 6 kW Northern Lights generator (complete with a little stool for working on it), and filters for the genset and 80 hp Yanmar diesel with shaft drive, located in the adjacent engine compartment.

The port aft cabin is cozy, with a double berth and hanging locker, and access to the guest head and shower. And the saloon is laid out similar to a small living room. To port, a pair of captain’s chairs flank a drop-down table. To starboard, there’s an L-shaped settee that can double as a sea berth, and a bulkhead-mounted table that folds down for dining and reveals a nifty cabinet with movable shelves and dividers that can be adjusted to accommodate various-size bottles and glasses.

The owners’ cabin is forward to starboard, with a diagonally oriented queen berth and his-and-her hanging lockers. In the head off to port, I thought the glass shower door with waves etched into it was a nice touch.

Base price for the 439 is $470,000 and change. But the boat we sailed was loaded with options and carried a price tag of $670,400. Among the bells and whistles: watermaker, four additional house batteries, three solar panels incorporated into the Bimini arch and davits, underwater lights, a four-blade Max Prop, 12-volt air conditioning in the forward cabin, bow thruster and absolutely stunning Quantum Fusion Membrane sails.

Oh, speaking of sails, the 439 also sports the new Synchronized Main Furling system from Seldén, which lets you set the main while standing at the helm with the touch of a button. (For more on the system, see “Smart Winch, Smart Furler,” page 46.)

This being Hull No. 1, there were a few things to tweak. Under sail, I found it a little tough to read the jib telltales, and a plastic cover over the control switches for the electric jib-furlers made it hard to reach them when furling the genoa to tack. But things like that are easy to fix. Over all, there was a tremendous amount to like about the 439, including the Allens’ willingness to, say, rearrange the saloon, add a nav station, or replace the utility room with a third cabin. The list goes on and on.

Unfortunately, our sail didn’t. The 439 is a big rangy boat that makes you want to live aboard, go sailing, entertain friends in warm places. We, the Boat of the Year team, couldn’t, of course. We needed to get back to work and give it a big award.

Island Packet 439 Specifications

LENGTH OVERALL: 45′9″ (13.94 m)

WATERLINE LENGTH: 38′1″ (11.61 m)

BEAM: 14′4″ (4.37 m)

DRAFT: 5′ (1.52 m)

SAIL AREA (100%): 1,131 sq. ft. (105.1 sq. m)

BALLAST: 12,000 lb. (5,443 kg)

DISPLACEMENT: 32,000 lb. (14,515 kg)

BALLAST/DISPLACEMENT: 0.38

DISPLACEMENT/LENGTH: 259

SAIL AREA/DISPLACEMENT: 18

WATER: 260 gal. (984 L)

FUEL: 160 gal. (606 L)

HOLDING: 55 gal. (208 L)

MAST HEIGHT: 62′5″ (19.03 m)

ENGINE: 80 hp Yanmar

DESIGNER: Bob Johnson/Island Packet Design Team

PRICE: $670,400

WIND SPEED: 5 to 8 knots

SEA STATE: Calm

SAILING: Closehauled 3.7 knots/Reaching 7.2 knots

MOTORING: Cruise (2,000 rpm) 6.2 knots/Fast (2,600 rpm) 7.6 knots

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Island Packet 380: The best liveaboard cruiser out there?

• Rachael Sprot
• June 17, 2022

When it comes to liveaboard credentials, is the Island Packet the cream of the crop? Rachael Sprot went to find out...

Product Overview

With their ivory colour and tall, rounded coachroof, the Island Packets are nothing if not distinctive and the Island Packet 380 is a fine example of the popular marque.

Designed and built in Florida, they’re sought after across the pond for blue-water cruising but a few of them have migrated to colder climes.

I joined Jalan Jalan , an Island Packet 380, to find out how they perform in our northern waters.

The first Island Packet was built in 1979. Designed by Bob Johnson, it was a 26-footer with a cutter rig, long keel and 10ft beam!

The yard soon made a name for itself producing well-built, spacious cruising yachts. From the outset, safety and stability were front and foremost in the design.

The 380’s wide beam gives her plenty of stability with a relatively low angle of heel. Credit: Richard Langdon/Ocean Images

The Island Packet 380 came along some 20 years later and was a highly successful model – 169 were built between 1998 and 2004.

My first impression of the boat was just how much boat there is – she dwarfed the Sigma 38 next-door.

The bow platform and davits mean she’s about a metre longer than her 38ft title suggests, and with a 4m beam she considerably out-girths her rivals too.

The result is a boat with a huge interior volume. Unlike other boats of these proportions though, she has the underwater profile to match.

The ‘full foil’ keel, which Johnson espoused, means there’s a lot more going on below the surface than meets the eye.

Forwards visibility is restricted due to the large sprayhood. Credit: Richard Langdon/Ocean Images

The keel-hung rudder is well-protected from encounters with floating objects and the encapsulated keel is another sound feature for blue-water cruising.

Despite her substantial size, the hull itself has a nice touch of sheer emphasised by the rubbing streak, and the stern has a wineglass shape which counterbalances the boxy coachroof.

Simple solutions

There’s seamanship in evidence in much of the design: the bow platform has twin bow rollers as standard, and the chain locker below is split in two thereby accommodating both sets of chain.

A sloping shelf beneath the hawse pipe helps the chain to self-stow and there’s easy access through the forward cabin if it doesn’t.

It’s the kind of simple, practical solution which comes from a designer who goes cruising himself.

There are five mooring cleats on each side, each one with a stainless chafe protector guarding the teak toerail beneath.

The self-tacking staysail makes the cutter rig easy to handle on the Island Packet 380. Credit: Richard Langdon/Ocean Images

The low-profile toerail is attractive but I’d have liked a more substantial brace on an ocean-going yacht.

The high coachroof has an excellent handrail which gives good security on the side decks though.

Four full-size dorades with storm blanks provide good ventilation below and there’s room for a liferaft or rolled up dinghy under the boom.

Safety over sportiness

The cockpit is carried all the way aft to the pushpit. It’s a big space, which is exactly what you want in the lower latitudes where you spend more time outdoors, but it feels wide when heeled.

There are two huge lockers under the cockpit seats and there’s space beneath the cockpit sole for a generator.

A split backstay and small sugar scoop makes getting on and off the transom easy.

The wheel is fairly small and because the sprayhood is necessarily wide to take in the big coachroof, forwards visibility is restricted.

The Island Packet 380 is ideal for blue-water cruising, with a keel-hung rudder and encapsulated keel. Credit: Richard Langdon/Ocean Images

We found ourselves standing with a foot on either cockpit bench in order to keep a proper lookout.

A bigger wheel would have made it easier to steer and peer around the side of the sprayhood. However, it does mean there’s good access when berthed stern-to.

Davits and solar panels are easily accommodated, and her volume means she copes well with all the cruising gear.

The companionway hatch is a heavy duty, GRP moulding which can be bolted into position to secure the washboards beneath.

It’s a reassuring feature on an ocean sailing boat – you may encounter green water before arriving at your blue-water cruising grounds.

The short traveller forward of the companionway is another feature which prioritises safety over sportiness.

No back rest makes the chart table impractical at sea. Credit: Richard Langdon/Ocean Images

Island Packet pride themselves on their superior construction standards.

The hull is solid laminate, which is heavier than a cored hull, but this means damage is easily repaired.

The trademarked Polyclad 2 gelcoat system below the waterline is reported to offer better protection against osmosis, and above the waterline Durashield gives a high-gloss finish.

The hull is a single moulding, as is the deck, and they’re bolted and bonded together.

The deck is cored with Polycore, which is supposed to be impervious to rot.

The davits, solar panels and sprayhood add windage. Credit: Richard Langdon/Ocean Images

The chain plates are another example of robust design: the single spreader rig is stayed with forward and aft lowers and together with the cap shrouds are terminated to three separate chain plates.

The separate chain plates are welded and braced together with a framework that locks into the hull to deck joint before being glassed to the hull – very much a belts and braces solution.

It’s below decks that the Island Packet 380 wins her admirers, though.

The high coachroof gives an unparalleled sense of space, feeling more like a 42-footer. The saloon is bright and comfortable with lots of natural light.

There’s a mixture of solid teak joinery and GRP mouldings which gives a feeling of excellent quality without making them prohibitively expensive.

Sturdy structure

There’s a structural ‘pan’ which forms the sole, and the bulkheads, structural webbings and many of the bunks and seats are bonded to the hull to give more rigidity.

It’s a more labour-intensive process than the ‘tray’ style construction of many production boats, but the result is a much stronger structure.

The headlining is a single moulding, which is durable and easy to maintain. It also means the underside of the deck is well insulated and during the cold March nights I spent on board the only condensation was on the hatches and portlights.

The portlights themselves are a window into Island Packet’s philosophy.

Twin bow rollers point to the Island Packet 380’s seaworthiness. Credit: Richard Langdon/Ocean Images

The stainless steel frame has two threaded lock nuts to clamp them shut, in the moulding above there’s a perfectly positioned hook to hold them open.

They’re simple, tough and functional, with no friction hinges or plastic catches to wear out.

The fold-up table is versatile, creating lots of floor space when you need to get the tools out or for morning yoga sessions, although it’s a shame it doesn’t have a fiddle.

A small, aft-facing chart table utilises the end of the starboard saloon berth, maximising the seating in the saloon, but making it impractical at sea: there’s no back rest and nothing to stop the charts from sliding off the top.

It’s a strange oversight on what is otherwise a well-thought-out interior.

The deck of the Island Packet 380 feels secure, with plenty of hand holds. Credit: Richard Langdon/Ocean Images

For many though, the vast U-shaped galley makes up for any shortcomings.

It’s a fantastic area with a double sink, lots of locker space and plenty of surface area for food prep.

The top-loading fridge and freezer are bigger than most boats’ cockpit lockers.

There’s a roomy master cabin in the forepeak with an island bed which allows you to get up in the middle of the night without disturbing the other person – a nice feature for a liveaboard.

The heads is also vast with two access doors, one to the forward cabin and one to the saloon.

Access on and off the Island Packet 380 is easy with a split backstay and small sugar scoop. Credit: Richard Langdon/Ocean Images

It would be nice to see some sort of wet-locker arrangement or hanging rail though, especially in our colder, wetter climes.

The aft cabin is also a generous double which runs athwartships. Beneath it there’s excellent access to the gearbox, stern gland and back of the engine .

The front and sides of the engine box have access panels too.

However, it looked like removing the engine entirely would involve dismantling some of the joinery.

Spotless condition

Despite Jalan Jalan ’s fairly high mileage, there wasn’t so much as a scuff in the gelcoat or joinery.

They’re the kind of boats that attract conscientious owners and many of the examples on the market have been well looked after.

The accommodation on offer is as much about what you don’t see as what you do see.

The deep bilges are cleverly compartmentalised and the storage space extends well below the waterline.

The high coachroof makes the saloon feel roomy. Credit: Richard Langdon/Ocean Images

I managed to extract a cruising chute, spinnaker sheets and storm jib from underneath one corner of the port seating!

The Packet boats of the 18th and 19th centuries were originally designed to take cargo, passengers and mail up and down the coast, and the Island Packet 380 pays more than a nod to this heritage.

The flip side to this is the windage.

Jalan Jalan ’s sprayhood doesn’t fold down easily, and once you’ve added in davits and solar panels she’s challenging in confined spaces.

The long keel helps to stabilise her, so she doesn’t skate around as much as a fin-keeled yacht, but she’s hard to turn in strong winds.

The 56hp Yanmar is hefty for a boat of this displacement, but with the large wetted surface area and drag from the superstructure, she needed 2,500rpm to achieve 6 knots in calm conditions, which doesn’t leave a lot of headroom for when it’s windy.

With a little help from the bow-thruster she did follow her rudder in astern, although she was slow to respond to helm inputs.

A 4 metre beam means there is plenty of space in the master cabin. Credit: Richard Langdon/Ocean Images

As with most long-keeled boats, steerage in reverse is a privilege and not a right, and it’s one which may be withdrawn at short notice.

The million-dollar question though, is how does she sail? The answer is: better than you think.

She doesn’t want for sail area: there’s a 16 per cent sail area/displacement ratio just taking the mainsail and fore triangle into account.

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If you add in an overlapping genoa and the staysail, it pushes up to 18 per cent.

The headsail track is on the toerail and with her 1.4m draught, it is an early indicator that she isn’t designed to be close-winded.

The heads can be accessed from the saloon and forward cabin. Credit: Richard Langdon/Ocean Images

She likes to be sailed ‘full and by’ according to the manual.

Apparent wind angles of 50-55° were optimum where she made a comfortable 5.5-6 knots upwind in a Force 4 and above.

A slab reefing main instead of in-mast furling , and some crisp new sails would have given better performance.

Impressive in light airs

The self-tacking staysail sheets are closer to the centreline, so in stronger winds you’d achieve better tacking angles from this.

Off the wind we reached along at 6.5-7 knots in blustery Force 6, but there was a law of diminishing returns above that.

In light airs she was impressive though, managing 3.5-4 knots in 6-8 knots breeze, which is valuable on long passages where you don’t want to reach for the throttle every time the wind drops.

The Polycore deck should last, and it is reported to be impervious to rot. Credit: Richard Langdon/Ocean Images

Thanks to her beam she has plenty of form stability, keeping the angle of heel relatively low. She’s also well ballasted and forgiving in gusty conditions.

The large rudder gripped the water even when a 30-knot squall hit, never threatening to round up.

With in-mast furling it was easy to balance the sail plan to minimise weather helm.

She’s never going to point like a Sigma 38, and she needs to be sailed accordingly, giving lee shores a wider margin, but blue-water sailing is best done by tortoises, not hares.

The Island Packet 380 is superbly well adapted for tradewind sailing, exploring shallow atolls and spending long periods of time afloat.

The galley has plenty of stowage and has decent fridge and freezer space. Credit: Richard Langdon/Ocean Images

There’s a trend these days to pair high volume interiors with a flat, racy bottom and deep fin keel.

Comfort and performance: it’s a seductive mixture, but like all good cocktails the innocuous first impression could leave you with a headache offshore.

Not this boat – it is unapologetically safe, sensible and seaworthy.

The Island Packet 380 is a Marmite kind of a boat, but like it or loathe it, there’s a lot to admire in the design, not least that it isn’t trying to be something it’s not.

Expert opinion on the Island Packet 380

Ben Sutcliffe-Davies, Marine Surveyor and full member of the Yacht Brokers Designers & Surveyors Association (YDSA) www.bensutcliffemarine.co.uk

Over the years I’ve surveyed several of these for both pre-purchase and insurance claims.

Ben Sutcliffe- Davies has been in the marine industry for over 40 years as a long- time boat builder, has been surveying craft for over 20 years and is a Full Member of the YDSA.

These vessels have a distinctive off-white/cream hull moulding colour; while attractive, it can be a headache for yards to colour match when damaged.

When viewing, look carefully for areas of repair. The strength of the hull is unquestionably reliable.

I’ve surveyed several which have been bounced on the bottom, against rocks or quay sides, and the boat has upheld the stresses surprisingly well.

I am not keen on the method of laying the ballast into the keel moulding.

During hammer testing the keel moulding arrangements, I have had a couple where the ballast is not very tight within the moulding.

Surveying two Island Packet 380s after groundings, I have found water was able to easily ingress into the keel void and soften the lean mix of sand and cement used around the lead ingots.

The Island Packet 380 is ideal for living aboard long term and tradewind sailing. Credit: Richard Langdon/Ocean Images

This has been a very hard job to sort and in both cases quite expensive to deal with.

Protect the boat’s teak cappings before liftout as they can be damaged.

Have some carpeted blocks made and place below the strakes to stop the strops lifting the cappings off under load.

Lastly, be aware of the skeg fitting fastenings that can weep into the keel void, the security of her deck fittings and, most importantly, moisture in the deck core around fittings, especially around winches and the portlights.

Alternatives to the Island Packet 380

Moody 38 mk1.

All controls on the Moody 38 lead aft. Credit: David Harding

Moody was to the British what Island Packet was to the Americans: reliable, solidly built cruising boats.

They had a prodigious output, over 160 Mk 1 Moody 38s came out of the mould in the 1990s, and a further 37 of the Mk 2 version in the 2000s.

Owing to the centre cockpit, the master cabin is aft rather than forwards.

Described by the original Yachting Monthly review in 1992 as ‘truly splendid’, it’s still impressive today with lots of stowage and a portlight in the transom.

Like many centre-cockpit boats the cockpit lockers are sacrificed, with two deep but narrow lazarettes in each quarter instead.

Another compromise is that the companionway steps descend quite steeply.

Forwards there’s a generous V berth and second heads – useful if you’re cruising as more than a couple.

There’s a proper, forward-facing chart table to keep the fuddy-duddies (like me) happy too.

The 38 came with a masthead rig with double spreaders and fixed backstay as standard. Credit: David Harding

Below the waterline there’s a stout fin keel and semi-balanced rudder on a partial skeg. The masthead rig has the least sail area of all the boats in this selection.

The small mainsail area is partly because they came with in-mast furling as standard and they were also designed to have a generous genoa.

Once you add an overlapping headsail into the equation she has a better sail/area:displacement ratio. The smaller main will also make her easier to handle in a blow.

The modest draught will slightly limit upwind performance, but most cruisers aren’t concerned about losing a few degrees of pointing and it gives better access to tidal harbours.

The hull is solid laminate but the deck is balsa-cored, so you’ll need to watch out for moisture ingress.

The Plymouth-built hulls met Lloyd’s construction standards so should stand the test of time.

Although Moody didn’t splurge out on the joinery, they didn’t skimp on it either: the fit-out is good.

If you’re looking for an affordable fin-keeler with plenty of space but that’s easy to handle under power and sail, this is a great option.

Nauticat 39

A deep forefoot means the Nauticat 39 handles well in heavy weather. Credit: David Harding

Nauticat is not a name you normally associate with handsome sailing yachts.

They’re better known for their quirky motor sailors but in the 1980s and 1990s a touch of thoroughbred was introduced to the stables of the Finnish design team.

A series of much more athletic boats appeared, including the Nauticat 39.

With a narrow beam, relatively light displacement and large sail area she’ll likely outsail her contemporaries, especially upwind.

The deep forefoot makes her sea-kindly in heavy weather and the bulbed fin keel is substantial, giving better than average directional stability.

The joinery below decks is of Scandinavian quality with all teak sourced from the same trunk so that the colour and grain matches.

The master aft cabin has an en suite heads, with a second heads forward to serve the V berth and single cabin down the port side.

The major selling point of the boat is the wheelhouse, where you can sip a gin and tonic, enjoying the sunset in whichever beauty spot you’ve arrived in.

It’s quite ambitious to fit one of these on a boat under 40ft, so the seating area of the raised saloon is smaller than that of a conventional saloon.

It also means that the galley is buried in the belly of the boat which, whilst snug in heavy weather, is a bit lonely when the rest of the crew are enjoying sundowners on deck.

The interior helm station will appeal to anyone missing those working-from-home pyjama days – with a throttle control and hydraulic steering link you can wear your slippers on watch.

With her performance credentials, though, she’ll reward those who want to play on deck too.

Hunter Legend 41

The Legend 41 was designed for easy handling shorthanded. Credit: Graham Snook

Another American cruiser which has been popular in Europe is the Hunter Legend 41.

Like the Island Packet 380, it’s broad-shouldered and beamy with high topsides. The interior is voluminous.

The B&R rig is a trademark feature of the Hunter brand.

Originally designed by Swedish engineers Lars Bergstrom and Sven Ridder, it removes the need for a backstay by substituting aggressively swept back spreaders and a web of reverse diagonals.

The result is a sail plan that’s heavily weighted in favour of the mainsail, thanks to a big roach and small foretriangle.

It’s intended to make sail handling easier because there’s no large headsail to sheet in.

However, careful mainsail management may be required in order to reduce weather helm close-hauled.

The stainless-steel cockpit arch keeps the mainsheet clear of the crew yet still within reach of the helm.

Innovative rig design aside, the deck layout is fairly standard for this type of cruising yacht.

Accommodation-wise there’s little to fault.

The L-shaped galley has acres of work-space and a full-height storage locker. The saloon seating wraps around the table and could easily accommodate eight.

Big overhead windows let in lots of natural light. There are two big double cabins, one forward, one aft, both with an en suite heads.

A deck saloon version gives 7ft of headroom in the saloon! The shoal draught version comes with a bulb keel, whilst the full-fin keel will give better upwind performance.

She’s flighty for tricky offshore sailing, but would make a comfortable island-hopping liveaboard.

Enjoyed reading Island Packet 380: The best liveaboard cruiser out there?

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