1981 Endeavour 40
Name: Frank and Donna Boensch fdbassociates@compuserve.com
Boat Name: Rainbow Chaser (formerly Irish Mist)
Year: 1981
Hull: 125
Size: 40' sloop, center cockpit
Date Purchased:1991
Boat History:
1st owner (1981-1991) Jack O'Brien of Clearwater Beach, FL. formerly Irish Mist.
From an historical prespective, the boat has an interesting past. It was involved in an auto accident in which a car was driven off the road, through a parking lot and hit the boat causing damage to the coach roof. The second thing that happened was that there was a small cabin fire caused by an improperly installed air conditioner which burned the overhead, bimini and aft end of the sail. It was purchased by Sailor's Whaf of St. Petersburg, repaired and restored to new condition and we purchased it from them. The interior had been painted which helped lighten the living space and accented the wood. All new cushions were installed as well as the interior of all the lockers and drawers were painted. We installed an auto pilot (ST4000), GPS, Wind Generator (Windbugger), Solar Panels, 3-85 Ah gell batteries plus the starting battery, 2000w Hart Interface, Microwave, heat pump to provide heating and cooling, Windlass (manual), 45# CQR + 75' chain, Propane Stove, Avon dinghy, Davits.
Experience:
Sailing since 1975. Boats Owned- Chrysler Mutineer 16'; Catalina 22; and Catalina 25
Boats Chartered- Morgan 41, 46, CSY 44, E 40, Watkins 34, Moorings 35
Racing- Catalina 22 & 25; J-24 Clearwater to Key West race twice; Worrell 1000 twice, Team Manager
Boat Review/Upgrades:
Great Boat!! Just right for two people to live and cruise. The real plus is the 175 gallons of water plus the fact that if you can catch rain water, the tank will fill from the deck. The boat sails quite well but needs a fair amount of wind. The plus side of that is that it holds up well in a blow (32 knots on the Chesapeake with a full main and 130 jib). The down side is the lack of access to the fuel tank. Mine leaked and took a while to find the crack. The real problem is there is no way to replace the tank without destroying the interior. I had the top cut off the tank and a bladder installed. The real problem with this is the lack of certainty in knowing how much fuel is on board.
Think it is a great boat for two people. I am retired ans we spend the winters on the boat in Florida, in a marina. We then cruise in the Spring. Boat speed is an issue. as we cruise with smaller boats that are significantly faster in lighter air. BUT let the wind pipe up or die completly and we sail or motor right past our companions. All in all we are happy with the boat and have not found another boat we want to buy.
Overall, I think the Endeavour 40 is THE real live-aboard boat. There is an incredible amount of room, not only for us but when guests arrive. We have had as many as three on the boat, but those three were as follows, 6'5", 240#, 6'1" 240 (former professional football player, full back), and 6' and 230. These guys were big. The access to the water tanks, through inspection ports allows me to clean the tanks yearly, thus keeping the gunk out of the water system. The ease of access to the engine for maintenance, including the fuel and oil filters. The fact that it is a heavy boat and can "stand up" in a 25 knot beam wind with a 135% and full main says that it is plenty stiff. The tremendous amount of storage, including not only the space behind the settees but the space under that, as well as the space under the drawers. The ease with which I swapped out the original alcohol stove for propane.
The down side. The fuel tank developed a leak which was non- repairable without removing the water tanks, so I had a bladder installed. This reduced the fuel capacity to 52 gallons, which is OK but the slow fill rate at the pump is a problem, I think it is an air in the fuel problem which keeps the tank from completely filling. In addition, I am never really sure how much fuel is in the tank although I keep detailed records of the amount of fuel burned per unit time. The shower sump is nearly the same level as the shower aft floor, thus proper draining is a problem. A separate shower would be a plus. While the refrigerator is great, only tall people need apply. Fortunately, my wife is 5'8" so it is OK. I have removed the top shelf in the fridge and replaced it with baskets to make the second shelf more accessible. Water began seeping around the rudder post and I re-glassed that to solve the problem, However I was really disappointed in the original work, as I found rocks and screws in the fiberglass. The inability to get to the hull-to-deck joint to repair leaks is a problem
I have kept detailed records of nearly everything I have done to the boat, but is mostly the big stuff, pumps, batteries, sails, dinghy, as well as the yard bills including storage, bottom jobs, etc. If you or anyone would like to see that let me know and I will be happy to provide.
