Island Packet Mixes Trawler Livability With Sailboat Romance

The sail versus power debate is getting less play these days, as the lines between the two become blurred. With more sailors turning to trawlers and gravitating toward more manageable boats, Island Packet has introduced a “hybrid” – not based on propulsion, but rather on design.

In the 1980s, this would have been called a motorsailer, a moniker that has been the cause of a few sneers and jeers over the past 20 years. But combination designs are growing in popularity, with new models from companies like Shannon, Hunter and Nordhavn all surfacing in the last few years.

The Island Packet SP Cruiser merges the comfort and simplicity of a trawler with the range and romance of a sailboat. By increasing the horsepower, simplifying the sail plan and allowing owners to drive while sheltered from the elements, Island Packet has developed a boat that appeals to a more mature crowd. After all, as we get older, comfort starts to win out over adventure.

DESIGN AND PERFORMANCE

The SP Cruiser's hull is a one-piece design of hand-laid, solid fiberglass, with fully encapsulated ballast that forms a double bottom over the length of the keel. There are no keel bolts to maintain, loosen or leak. The one-piece cored deck is through-bolted and has a urethane sealant. There's also a molded fiberglass sandwich hardtop over the deckhouse and aft cockpit, which is very much in the style of a trawler. On deck, teak is used only on several small steps to keep maintenance to a minimum.

The hull form is new for Island Packet, providing increased hull speed and level running under power, even at full throttle. Top speed with the 100-horsepower Yanmar 4JH3 and fixed, three-bladed prop is about 8 knots, with a 1,000-nautical-mile range at a cruising speed of 6 knots. The 215-gallon fuel tank ensures that even the most timid of sailors can wander a great distance without relying on Mother Nature.

For times spent under sail, there's a self-tending sloop rig with a full roller furling. An optional second roller furling reacher can enhance sailing performance in light and moderate air. All sail controls are led to multiple sheet stoppers and an electric winch in the aft cockpit. The good news is that you can do everything from this one winch. The bad news is that the winch is far from the helm, which means steering and sail management will keep you hustling back and forth. In addition, it's not easy to see the sails from the aft cockpit, which makes them tougher to fine tune.

Note too that the SP Cruiser is not designed for the racecourse. It takes a bit of wind to get going. In fact, 12 to 16 knots on the beam will push the boat at 6 to 6.4 knots, depending on the sea state. The sail area is 714 square feet, which is not much considering the displacement of 21,000 pounds, and considerable windage from the pilothouse. However, while pointing to a windward mark or moving in wind less than 10 knots aren't this boat's strengths, it is very capable of getting owners to a cruising destination in comfort. The outdoor and indoor living areas see to that.

LIVABILITY

Outside, the SP Cruiser has two cockpits: a small one aft with a molded-in swim platform and ladder, and a more social setting just forward of the deckhouse. The forward cockpit is for fair weather only, as it would be quite a feat to design a dodger or cover for it. The center windshield panel of the deckhouse hinges up to allow socializing between the forward cockpit and the saloon.

Speaking of socializing, the dual captain's chairs that face the instrumentation console in the large pilothouse saloon can swivel aft to face a folding table and settee. Engine and windlass controls are within easy reach, and light and visibility are great. A combination of low-maintenance laminate surfaces and a varnished hardwood called Lyptus are used throughout most areas. The deckhouse sole is varnished Lyptus and oak, for example, and the galley, nav station/desk/vanity and head are low-maintenance, molded-vinyl surfaces.

Staterooms are located three steps down on the port side. The owner's stateroom is in the bow, containing a large island berth and two hanging lockers. Just aft and to starboard is a large head and separate stall shower with access from either side. Farther aft to starboard is a guest stateroom with two single berths, a large hanging locker and cabinets. You can also access the engine from here. Both sleeping areas are finished in a marine carpet. Between them, the galley lies in a straight line to port, containing a two-burner stove, Frigoboat refrigeration and good storage. Headroom ranges from 6 feet, 6 inches to 6 feet, 10 inches, and the entire boat has a voluminous feel.

THE MOTORSAILER MARKET

The Island Packet SP Cruiser sells for a base price of $432,000, including freight to dealer. It comes with a three-year stem-to-stern warranty and includes equipment like a roller furling mast and Raymarine ST60 knot/depth/wind instruments. Among the options are an electric windlass, a generator, a wireless autopilot and SidePower bow thruster, which may come in handy, as the boat doesn't back well and might be a handful in tight quarters.

Island Packet hopes to appeal to the sailor looking for the extra comfort and livability of a powerboat but who isn't ready to give up on sailing. The SP Cruiser provides a few compromises, but it works on both levels. Will it fix the image of the motorsailer? Probably not for hardcore sailors and racers, but then the youngsters making up much of those markets are only small segments of the population. And let's face it: older folks have both more money and more time to spend on boats. Reaching out to this market might have been a gamble when Island Packet introduced the SP Cruiser, but it's no longer the only player in this game. Nordhavn, for example, reached out from the trawler side with the 56 motorsailer. So did Shannon, with it's 53 HPS, and Hunter, with the Edge 27.

Of course, there's no shame in making the switch completely. For those who want to ditch the stick entirely, Island Packet offers a crossover design in the form of a sistership called the PY Cruiser, which features the same hull and interior – minus the mast. Island Packet bills it in the trawler world as a boat able to right itself easily if broached. We'll see which design – the sail or power version – gets more traction.

Zuzana Prochazka is a freelance writer who additionally serves as Technical Editor for Seafaring Magazine and co-hosts Latitudes & Attitudes TV.

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