Hmmm, I’m not trying to become an expert on this elusive boat, but the possibility exists that I’ve been able to put together most- if not all of the searchable information on the internet about the Aleutian 51 motorsailer in one place….
Luckily for me, I was able to find two former owners of Aleutian 51’s with very, very positive things to say about the boats, both having sailed them extensively.
The first is Jackie Perry and her husband, who are currently living back in Australia after living on a riverboat in France,,,,but with family sailed an Aleutian 51 from San Francisco across the Pacific to Australia, on their second long transatlantic voyage. If you’re interested in voyaging, make sure to check out their site: jackieperry.com.
So very cool is that this well published author and traveler took the time to email back to little old me,,,,,very extensive information about their trip on Pyewacket II, their 1980 Aleutian 51 which was built in Canada. With interesting books wrapped about adventures that not all women take,,,I’d highly recommend you check her site out and perhaps think about grabbing one of her books from Amazon,,,I just did,,,,as a gift for someone of course!
Secondly, someone came up on the blog with comments about the Aleutian 51 they used to own and sail, with LOTS of good information. I’m going to let them tell you their own story, in their own words, with minor changes by me for the sake of reading from a blog:
“I am quite familiar with this boat (meaning the Aleutian 51 Integrity, which we’ve been on board several times). I owned the sister ship, “Amnesia” and my wife and I were good friends with the previous owners of Integrity. They did a 10+ year lazy circumnavigation starting around 2000.
In the mid 1990’s we sailed from Seattle to Mexico and spent two years in Mexico. The Aleutian is a very seaworthy boat. We sold the boat in San Diego sometime in the late 1990’s. I know she remained in SD for several years mostly on a mooring. I lost track of her and then just about Christmas two years ago I saw it listed in Ventura as a marina repossession. Someone had abandoned her and the marina gained possession for back slip rent. It was listed for $35,000 at that time. Such a shame.
Eventually someone bought her and they were either going to rehab her or sell her. I don’t know what happened to her.
As for the deck hardware…. it never was a problem and I assume it was never a problem for Integrity. They sailed from SD to Mexico to Hawaii to Alaska and then to the South Pacific. They hauled the boat in New Zealand and spent 18 months there. They had quite a bit of work done there. Then they goofed around for several more years and went to Phuket Thailand. They again hauled and (I believe) redid the teak decks and rebuilt the Ford Lehman.
I am sure they would have redone the deck rigging if it had ever caused a problem.
I believe there were 11 Aleutians built. They were very expensive when they came out. Amnesia had every bell and whistle including a full blown 24 volt Navy gyrocompass. She had in mast roller furling for both the main and mizzen and an old sat nav system way before GPS systems. She cost around $500K in 1978.
There is another Aleutian named Mermaid and one named Pywacket(sp?). Over the years I have seen one for sale in Spain and one in New Zealand.
The boat is heavy and very stable. When we hauled in Cabo, loaded for cruising, she weighed 62,000 lbs. That is about 18,000 lbs of lead in the keel, 435 gals of fuel and 250 of water plus all the gear. However her shape and the amount of sail she carries makes up for the weight. It is not a racing boat. It is a strong safe cruising boat that 2 people can handle.
When Integrity was headed south from Alaska back to Washington state they anchored off a Canadian island at a place called Pender Harbor. In the morning an old guy came out to the anchorage in a row boat. He make a couple of circles of Integrity and then asked the owners how they liked the boat. They said they really liked the boat. He said, “Great, because I designed the damn thing!”. It was Stan Huningford. He also did the Maple Leaf and several other boats.
Hope that gives you some insight. Great boat.
At one time, I can’t remember from who or when, I heard that the fiberglass forms for the Aleutian 51 hulls are still at the Chung Hua (sp?) boat yard in Taiwan. From what I understand the reason they only made 11 of these boats is because they were just too expensive.”
Then, while doing what research I could on the internet, I found the old ads for Pyewacket II for sale in Australia and for the gentlemen’s boat as a dock repro (for $45,000). There’s also one other blog about a cruising couple on an Aleutian, but I wasn’t able to find a way to get hold of them via email,,,,but I think they’re out there, somewhere. So, if you come across anymore of these 11 boats that were too expensive to keep building in the late 70’s and early 80’s,,,,send me the info, I’d be interested in seeing it.
http://www.boatersnet.net/boats-for-sale/ads/1977_51_foot_Aleutian_Ketch_250
34.php- $129,000
http://www.yachtfindersbrokerage.com/core/listing/pl_ts_boat_full_detail.jsp
?boat_id=2633428&checked_boats=2633428&hosturl=yachtfinders&&ybw=&units=Feet
&access=Public&listing_id=1634&url= $149,000
https://www.smartmarineguide.com/L51276423 -$45,000 1978 Chung Hwa
Aleutian 51.0
http://www.yachtworld.com/boats/1976/Aleutian-CC-Ketch-51-3127670/San-Diego/
CA/United-States#.WjmVq2AUl7g
https://yachthub.com/list/yachts-for-sale/used/sail-monohulls/aleutian-51-af
t-cabin-cruising-yacht/187551 1980- $95,613 converted from $125,000
Australian
https://www.inautia.com/used-boat-43901090042954566570684857484569.html
12 Responses
Thanks for the mention. Please note our surname is Parry with an ‘a’ (a mistake a lot of people make!). Best of luck on the boat search, we look forward to reading more. 🙂
Guys, I’m so sorry for that mistake. I’m not just another dumb blogger, I really try to get things like that correct- Soooo sorry.
Don’t apologise, it’s fine, just trying to curb any confusion! Thrilled to be mentioned and interested to read your next blog! Fair winds…..
We’re looking seriously at the Aleutian, big decision but I hate being boatless!
Exciting! Let us know how you go and don’t forget a professional Marine Survey is extremely important.
We will have a professional do it, best in San Diego and we’ve had him do the surveys on our other boats. We’ll go down again this weekend and consider making an offer.
Aleutian 51 INTEGRITY was my worlds best cruising boat
I spent two years and Japanese shipwrights “YOSHI” who completely rebuilt a generally perfect boat
I spent two years on her and then went back to medicine
Loved that great boat on Catalina mooring, sailing Mexico, carrinean, South Pacific
The purchasers of INTEGRITY, took her ten years all the way around the world in the early 90s
The best cruising boat we all have ever known……j. Bruce jacobs, M.D. drbrucejacobs@gmail.com
Dr Jacobs, what a welcome surprise to hear from a former caretaker of this special and elegant lady that I’m typing from. I’m tickled pink that you’ve reached out via the blog and website and you know this boat so well. I have no idea where you’re at in the world but if there’s any chance you’re in California or want to come to Southern California, we’re currently in San Diego prepping for the Baja Ha-Ha in November. I’d LOVE to meet you and have you come on board her to show her off and let you tell me more of her secrets. The boat is getting the TLC she needs and I’m proud to have her now. Me and my family live on board too. Thank you for reaching out and again, we’d love to have you come see her and us if you ever can. Reach back out on her and we can connect via email if you’d like.
Great…do I understand that you have Integrity?
The couple from Seattle that got her from me I met in SD when they got back from the world…literally
She really was much like I enjoyed her in spite of the arduous trip
I am not sure that I will enjoy seeing her again..I have a tendency to close passages when completed
I will mention, that when I got her she was half the boat she is now….please explore all of the heft that Yoshi accomplished…..I think the best cruising boat I can imagine
Interesting that we had a second home at the “harbor club” on SD. For 59% year for 11 years, now not
So will not be easy for us to visit….now in Palm Springs full time
But would love to hear from you and follow your INTEGRITY experiences
Bruce Jacobs……drbrucejacobs@gmail.com
Sir, yes, we have Integrity now Tulum 5. I lived in Joshua Tree these last 5 years before we moved on her as a family in July 2018 and my parents live in 29 Palms still. I am very familiar with Palm Springs. We’re putting time and money back into her as she was missing some TLC and I’m adding things back that we need to cruise. If you’ll follow this blog, you’ll see the incremental changes as we go. Me and my wife would love to take you to lunch sometime when we’re out there next. Any chance you know what the “second class doctor” metal placard on the master head door references? Glad to hear from you, she’s a great boat-
No knowledge of second class doctor, I would not have suggested, nor my then wife
Maybe my purchasers? but not a positive, maybe second mate head?
An issue is my current wife is psychologically not interested in that which was so important to my life
And frankly I am not sure I am either.
I used to drive race cars for 17 years, haven’t visited track since
If you come to PS, please so inform….regards Bruce
Bruce, I understand. If we come through there we will come back on here or use your email address and let you know. It would still be great to meet you and have that sense of history of the boat, as she’s a fine lady. Thank you for all the information and the replies back.