Colvic Craft "Victor"-England-boomless

This is my very first post... and I'd like information/opinions please...

I am considering purchasing a 1986 42' Colvic "Victor", further described as:

LOA 44' 3'', BEAM 12' 8", DRAFT 4 ' 2", Displacement 24,000

42' British Pilot-house Sloop, strong fiberglass, John Bennett design, built in England by Colvic Craft, LTD under LLOYD'S specifications.

Colvic Craft is well known in U.K. for high quality and strong Fiberglass work. They built thousands of blue water Sailing yacht, as well as Powerboats, from 22’ to 65’. They worked with the LLOYD’S specifications. In 1996, they built the 60’ CLIPPER RACE yachts. After more than 30 years of boat building, they went out of business in 2002 .

The Hull was built in solid fiberglass reinforced plastic, hand laid laminated, on a one piece mold, with a integrated heavy duty full keel, and skeg, and an encapsulated ballast (6000 Pds ). Fiberglass hull thickness goes from three inches for the keel, two inches up to the water line, and one inch to the top (it is more than the double of a production boat –Benneteau-)

Deck and superstructure are also a single molding, with mechanically and fiberglass tabbed hull and deck join . All bulkheads are glassed to the hull and deck, and a heavy rub rail is installed . All this make it an extremely strong and safe 24000 Pds ocean going vessel.

On the transom, an articulated platform is supported by a stainless steel frame and provides access from the water and storage for the dinghy.

The Sails (main and Genoa from Coopsail in England, are in good condition, but will probably need to be replaced in 3 or 4 years if lot of cruising is expected . The Roller furlings (from Sailspars in England) are in perfect condition, and very effective, so I never needed to carry other sails . (It can seem unusual, but it work for me during 18 years and 30 000 miles!!)

The single spreader aluminium Mast (from Sailspars, England), is deck stepped with good support, and a steel compression post to the keel.

Standing rigging consist of forestay, inner forestay, two upper and lower shrouds, and two backstays, all of 1/19 S/S Steel 8mm cables .

This is a “no boom” rigging with two roller furling systems on Main and Genoa. This proven system for safety and easy handeling, worked perfectly for me during 18 years and 30,000 miles.

The furling on the Main (outside the mast) is the same as the one for the Genoa (they are from Sailspars, built in England, simple, strong, safe and easy to use in any kind of weather, and even in a strong downwind!

No boom seems unusual, but this is not the only boat with this kind of rigging, and it was a traditional rigging on the Briton fishing boat. (We met a US boat who went around the world with the same system, as well as several european cruisers, from 30’ to 80').

Of course a racing captain will tell you that you will not be able to go upwind 30°. It's true. You can expect 40° in flat see and 45° to 50° in strong conditions, which is not bad at all for a cruising boat . We crossed the Atlantic only under sails, at 7 kts average with some days of 200 miles+, under Autopilot, and without the danger of jibbing in the heavy sea. In cruising ,safety and simplicity come first, and this system is absolutly a winner. Also remember that the boat is equipped with a 85 HP Perkins, that can take you through any weather...at 7.5 kts.

One owner. This boat sailed 30 000 miles, in all kind of weather. We left the U.K. and cruised the Med for 4 years, crossed the Atlantic, and enjoyed 12 years in all the Caribbean. In 2003, after many years in the Carribean, we cruised from Venezuela to Dominican Republic, then to Haiti, Cuba, and Florida.

This is NOT a production boat, this is a very unique, and extremely strong, dry, and safe boat, for real liveaboard cruising.

............ thanks for any information/opinions you may have about this boat and it's "boomless" design.