Scorpio 2

Sunday Island

Sunday Island is a Koopmans 45 designed by Dick Koopmans Sr and built by Aluboot in 1984.  We purchased Sunday Island in Hinderoopen NL, sailed her to Lelystad where we dropped the rigs and entered the canal system to make our way to the Mediterranean via Paris.

Koopmans yachts are famous for their cruising and expedition pedigree and they can be found all around the world.  A list of other Koopmans cruising can be found at http://syiris.com/koopmans-yachts-web-sites-of-sailors/

The Koopmans 45 design have many outstanding features.  To start with she is built in 6mm alloy plate and is a go-anywhere cruiser.  She has internal ballast with a centerboard allowing us to raise the centerboard from her sailing draft of 2.4m to a shallow water draft of 1.3m.  Sunday Island is Ketch rigged, with an air draft of 19m, so she has plenty of sail area, and she sails like a dream with a hull speed of 7kts.

Koopmans 45 Specifications:

  • Designer:  Dick Koopmans Sr. https://www.dickkoopmans.nl
  • Builder: Aluboot N.L http://www.aluboot.nl/en-site/index-eng.htm
  • Dimensions: Length x Beam x Draft: 13.85m x 3.9m x 2.45m (1.3m)
  • Air Draft 19m
  • Construction: Aluminium 6mm plate throughout.  Deck has teak laid on top
  • Displacement 15t (6.9T Lead internal ballast)
  • Fitout: Teak fitout with Teak and holly floor boards
  • Rig: Ketch Rig with Proctor Aluminium Masts
  • Sails: North Sails Mainsail 32m², Missen 15m², Genoa 52m², SS 20m², J1 40m², Code 0 58m², Trisail 15m², Storm jib 6m², 2 x Gennakers (can be used as twins or Spinnaker) 135m²
  • Engine: Perkins 4236 85hp Diesel
  • Steering: VW Rack and pinion with Aries Wind Vane and B&G Pilot
  • Instruments: B&G
  • Accommodation: Double and single bed aft, 2 x bed v-berth cabin forward, Saloon can be converted for 3 guest beds
  • Tanks: Diesel 400L, Fresh H20 400L, Black/Grey 80L
  • Anchor: 40kg Delta, 25kg CQR, 15kg Fortress, 60m Stainless Steel 5mm Chain
  • Electrical: 3 x 12V 180AH Gel Batteries
  • Solar: 4 x 12V 30W Panels, 2 x 12V 100W Panels

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Sunday Island is now registered in Valetta Malta and we are sailing her towards the Mediterranean via the French Canals.  We plan to be back in the Med in April 2022 where we will complete a mini refit before cruising the Med until November 2022 and then crossing the Atlantic and beyond.

Crew of Sunday Island consist of Richard Hewson, Emilie Martinet and our children Issy (6yo) and Max (4yo).

Scorpio II

Scorpio II is a Curran 46 Cruising cutter rigged sloop cruising yacht.  She was designed and built in Fremantle Western Australia and consists of a foam sandwich hull and balsa core deck.

Scorpio II is of some pedigree, being from the same mould as Challenger – the boat that Jon Sanders sailed round the world 3x non stop solo. She’s a fat girl weighing in at 12T so a little different to the racing boats we are used to. Our home on the sea Scorpio II sails beautifully, and with plenty of room for moths, kites, surfboards and all the toys to live aboard there are still plenty of options to go fast if needed.

IMG_0483
Scorpio II was built in Fremantle and sailed half way round the world to Ireland and back by a father / son team, where she was eventually sold and sailed to South Africa and finally back to Australia where she has done numerous runs up and down the coast and between Fremantle and Hobart.

The moment we stepped aboard we could tell she was a great sea boat, and easy to handle. Already I guess she has over 60,000nm of water under her keel, and is still stiff and strong. No doubt she can expect another 50,000nm more over the next few years.

Scorpio II was purchased in 2014 and sold in 2001 because we could not get back to Australia and continue cruising due to the Covid Pandemic.  We have since bought our new boat in Europe Sunday Island

Crew

Richard Hewson is a Navigator and Master Mariner who has raced and worked on yachts and ships his entire life.  Richard has circumnavigated the world previously and has crossed the Atlantic three times.

Emilie Martinet has worked on classic yachts and more recently superyachts for over 10 years and has over 11 Atlantic crossings under her belt.

Together Rich and Emilie make a fantastic team and cruised around Australia on Scorpio II.

Issy (2016) and Max Hewson (2017) also enjoy cruising Sunday Island and making her their home.

.