Contact information:

Ben and Sylvia Olson

P.O. Box 185

57615  220th Ave

Pocahontas, Iowa 50574

515-302-3382 (phone or text)

woodsprite@gmail.com

The Perfect Boat for the Bahamas

With her shallow four-foot draft, Whisper is able to go many places that deeper draft boats cannot go. 

Her tough aluminum hull and cut-away full keel mean that running aground is no big deal. She is strong and safe, letting you sleep well at night. She will never develop blisters (like fiberglass) or rust (like steel).

Her high, strong stanchions and lifelines, open decks, and trip-free walkways allow easy and safe movement around the boat.

And finally, her many opening ports allow plenty of ventilation, keeping the cabins cool and comfortable at anchor.

Whisper is a distinct, unique, and beautiful vessel -- under sail or at anchor. 

Whisper Facts

Whisper, an aluminum Colvin Gazelle, is a junk-rigged schooner designed by Tom Colvin. She was built in 1974 by Greenwich Yacht Co, Richmond, BC, Canada.

Layout:

There are three cabins: the forward cabin with v-berth, closet, and head, sleeps two; the main cabin with galley, chart table, removable table, and bookcase, has two settees (side berths), sleeps two; and the aft cabin with two settees (side berths), sleeps two. Spacious engine room under main deck. Spacious main deck and aft deck.

Length overall, 42.6 feet

Length at waterline, 33 feet

Beam, 11.3 feet

Draft, 4 feet

Vertical clearance, 42 feet

Ballast, 5000# lead bricks

Hull is insulated with 3” of foam, preventing condensation.

Engine:

2008 Yanmar 3JH4E, 39 HP with 2081 engine hours

Transmission: TuffTorq by Kanzaki, model KM35P 2.61

Shaft: 1 1/4” stainless steel 

Dripless shaft seal: PSS (Packless Sealing System)

Propeller: Martec Autostream 19” 3-bladed stainless steel self-feathering sailboat propeller, adjustable pitch

The engine and related equipment above were installed by Marine Pro, Cape Marina, Cape Canaveral, FL in May 2008.

Sails:

Total sail area 854 sq. ft.

Working jib 149 sq. ft.

Foresail 250 sq. ft.

Mainsail 457 sq. ft.

Yankee jib

Storm jib

All sails listed above were made by Andrew Soper Sails, Kingston, Ontario.

The working jib, foresail, and main were made from sun-resistant Top Gun Dacron fabric recommended by Tom Colvin.

The Yankee jib and the storm jib are Dacron. They have never been used, and are in new condition.

Tabernacles:

Whisper's masts have tabernacles. The masts can be lowered and raised by one person.

Winches:

Lewmar 25, 2-speed for the main halyard

Barient 10, single-speed for the foresail sheet

Anchors:

35# Rocna with 6’ of stainless steel 3/8” chain leader

45# Delta with 6’ of stainless steel 3/8” chain leader

Fortress FX-23

Other ground tackle: 

(2) 5/8” x 200 feet 3-strand nylon

(1) 5/8” x 200 feet 3-strand nylon (new line)

(1) 5/8” x 200 feet braided nylon 

80 feet of 5/16” galvanized chain, never used, new condition

Mooring swivel and plates for making up a 3-anchor mooring, never used, new condition

Steering:

Capilano hydraulic

ComNav Autopilot with Octopus hydraulic motor

Batteries:

4 Trojan T-105, 6v

1  Lithium-Iron with BMS connection to lead acid battery bank, 12v

Custom made aluminum fuel tank: 55 gallons (installed in May 2008)

Water tanks: two 60-gallon aluminum built-in tanks

Dinghy:

2010 Achilles inflatable Model 335 with a fitted carpet covering the inflatable floor

Outboard motor:

2021 Suzuki 15 HP outboard, 4-stroke, Model DF15A

Electronics and other instruments:

Garmin EchoMap 64cv Chartplotter, Garmin Transducer, and US and Bahamas Blue Charts (2018)

Handheld GPS: Garmin GPSMAP 76CSx

Autopilot: ComNav Commander P2 and Octopus hydraulic drive

VHF Radio: Simrad RS35 with AIS receiver

VHF Handheld Radio: ICOM-M25

ICOM SSB radio, IC-700 PRO with HF automatic Antenna Tuner AT-130 and SCS Pactor Modem

Solar panel: “New Powa” model NPA 2105-1 2H, 210w, 16.77v

Victron solar charge controller MPPT 75/15

Link 10 battery monitor

Inverter: Seaworthy Model 2000 SW modified sine wave, 120v AC

Battery charger: WFCO 75 Amp Power Converter WF-9875

Weems and Plath tide clock and Weems and Plath barometer

Other equipment:

Ports: 

The original 6” round ports were replaced with custom-made aluminum-framed self-draining 7”x 9”rectangular ports.

These are sometimes known as Wiley ports, or as Tom Colvin called them, “school-house windows.” They have custom made screens.

Colvin gave key assistance with the design of these ports. They work very well keeping out rain and spray, and offer great ventilation.

Anchor windlass: Maxwell VC1200 electric vertical capstan, installed in 2000

Refrigerator/freezer: Engel Model MR040F-U1, dual voltage

Force 10 propane stove: 3 top burners with oven, installed in 2016

Xintex Model C-1 Propane/CNG Solenoid Valve Control System

2 fiberglass propane tanks in a vented locker on the aft deck

Airhead composting toilet

Deck shower with electric pump

Outboard motor hoist

Built-in electric oil extraction pump for easy and tidy removal of engine and transmission oil

Fresh and salt water foot pumps for the galley sink

Magma Rock’n’Roll Stabilizer system (AKA  a “flopper stopper”) for minimizing rolling at anchor

Treadmaster installed on main deck, fore deck, and side walkways (2017)

Canvas: the dodger, bimini, and bridging piece are on the boat, however, new canvas is needed.

Tools that belong with the boat, spare parts, etc.

Jensen storage trailer 5’x 5’x 8’

Whisper's Refit

Whisper received an extensive refit in 2000 and 2001. This involved removing all the old ports, companionways, forward hatch etc., then designing, preparing and installing the new replacements. These improvements and several other modifications were followed by sandblasting the entire boat. Primer and bottom paint were applied. The topsides were left unpainted for ease of future maintenance, taking advantage of Whisper’s aluminum construction. The bottom was sandblasted again in 2022, and three coats of epoxy primer barrier paint and two coats of E-Paint EP-2000 were applied. New cabin wall insulation and interior paneling were installed. The boat was rewired with tin-coated Ancor brand wiring and a new electrical panel was installed. The battery bank was relocated from the engine room to a compartment under the bunk in the forward cabin. A new Maxwell vertical electric windlass was installed on the foredeck. 

Engine Replacement, 2008

The original 18 HP Sabb 2-cylinder diesel engine was replaced in the spring of 2008 with a new Yanmar 3JH4E, 39 HP diesel engine. The engine has had excellent care. Annual oil & oil filter changes (100-125 hrs) have been done before storing the boat each year, along with other standard practices for proper engine storage. These included removing the impeller, removing the exhaust tube from the mixing elbow, stuffing in a rag to block the exhaust manifold, and stuffing in another rag to block the air intake. This restricts engine air circulation and helps prevent corrosion. The fuel tank has always been left full during storage, preventing tank condensation and water in the fuel. 

Whisper's History

The first owner, his wife, and one of their sons took the boat from Vancouver, Canada to Hawaii. The boat returned to Canada, and was subsequently sold to Jack and Nancy Britton of the U.S. The boat was trucked to Texas and Brittons renamed the boat Whisper, and cruised along the U.S. east coast and in the Bahamas. In the spring of 1984, we bought Whisper. In 1985 we began cruising in the Bahamas. That first season, we had our son Sky with us. The following seasons, our younger son Grant was also on board. We sailed nearly every winter, going as far as the Virgin Islands in 2009. 

Whisper's Next Chapter

After 40 years of owning Whisper, age and health concerns have persuaded us to sell. Whisper has given us and our family wonderful adventures for many years. It is time for her to acquire a new captain.

We will be showing Whisper at Indiantown Marina this winter at the dock, and we offer free guidance on operating Whisper’s equipment and systems to whomever becomes her new owner. 

We are motivated sellers. We will be lowering our asking price weekly on Sundays until Whisper sells. The boat sells as she is.

Photos of Whisper are below. Additional photos will be posted soon.  

Personal reflections

Back when I was 14, I had a ride on a friend’s old, leaky racing scow. My duty was bailing fast to keep us afloat. That’s when I discovered sailing. It was fun, and the vision of sailing became an inspiration. In high school I decided, “Someday, I’m going to ditch all this and go sailing in the south seas!” Following college and a “vacation in Viet Nam” compliments of the US Army, my wife at the time and I bought a new O’Day Widgeon and sailed around on northwest Iowa lakes. When that got old (she didn’t like sailing), we sold the boat. I told myself that if I ever had another boat, it would be big enough to camp on. Several years passed, and so did that marriage. 

I met Sylvia in August 1977. The sparks flew. I mentioned my sailing dream to her, and she wasn’t scared off. We married at the end of that year, and started building a life together on our Iowa farm. After five years of being together, Sylvia brought up the sailing dream. She suggested that if we didn’t get started on this adventure soon, we would get so entangled with life and family that we would lose sight of that dream.

So, subscriptions to Cruising World and to a sailing book-of-the-month club followed for the next two years. One of the books we received was The Proper Yacht by Arthur Beiser. In that book there was a write-up of Tom Colvin’s Gazelle, which sounded like just the sort of boat we wanted. When I saw a classified ad in the December 1983 Cruising World for Whisper, a sailboat of the Gazelle design, I was intrigued and contacted the seller. Off we flew to view the boat, the first “big sail boat” we ever set foot on. 

We had decided by then — after all our reading — that we were looking for a boat with an aluminum hull and a simple “cabin-in-the woods” approach, as opposed to a “condo-on-the-water.” Whisper filled that bill, and we fell in love. We looked at other sailboats on the market, but they didn’t compare well with Whisper. 

We made an offer, and acquired Whisper in the spring of 1984. In January 1985, we made our first Gulf Stream crossing to the Bahamas, and made our way down to George Town. Our first son, Sky, was two and a half years old by then, and he was delighted with life onboard. We had a fun and very educational adventure.

Prior to leaving Miami that year, friends had loaned us their old windsurfer to try out. When I said, "I don’t know how to set this up,” they told me, “Don’t worry, somebody will show you.” Sure enough, while we were anchored in Hole 2 at Stocking Island in George Town's harbor, along came a fellow on a windsurfer. As he came by Whisper, I asked if he could help me set up my rig. He agreed, and came aboard to help me out. When I asked him how to sail it, he said, “Just get on, and you’ll figure it out," and off he sailed. I did, and windsurfing became a passion for many years, only to be succeeded by kiteboarding. 

By our second season of cruising, our younger son, Grant, had joined the crew. Whisper gave us the perfect base for enjoying the beaches. We enjoyed dinghy sailing, fishing, spearfishing, and lots of swimming. I also had fun doing backflips and dives from the top of Whisper’s ratlines. Sylvia was more interested in beach walking, shelling, and snorkeling to watch the undersea life. Our sons did their school lessons on board during the winters, and had plenty of adventures with their friends.

It’s easy to make friends with other cruisers -- in fact, many of our best friends today are folks we met while cruising. When we reached George Town, we discovered a community of boaters. There was an array of activities on the beach: yoga classes, occasional campfires, music, volleyball, hikes on island trails, and just spending quality time with our kids and with other cruising families and friends.

The photo gallery below will updated frequently with new photos and soon-to-come descriptions.

Featured Photos:

Main cabin showing table in storage position (Row 5, third picture) and the table in place (Row 6, first picture)

Port with screen insert (Row 4, second picture). All ports have aluminum-framed screens available for use.

Engine room showing passage to aft cabin. (Row 5, second picture) Engine room walls are lined with sound-deadening insulation for quieter cabins while motoring.