For Sale: Phil Bolger designed Manatee 

The time has come to find a new owner for our beloved boat. Kids are growing up and our life/needs have changed necessitating a smaller boat. 

We are the third owners of Alert. Alert’s original owner Jim Melcher sailed her across the Atlantic around Europe and back to the Caribbean. He did numerous trips up and down the East Coast. He also sailed her down the West Coast from Washington state through the Panama Canal and into the Caribbean. All that to say she’s done a lot more than I have. Currently the boat is on the hard in Stockton Springs Maine, where we have sailed her around the Penobscot Bay since 2019. 

ALERT was built in 1980 in a yard in New Hampshire USA. She is 34 feet LOA. 32 LWL and 8 ft beam. Grows weight 6 tons including 2800lb keel. The hull is flat bottomed with leeboards. She only draws about 28 inches. She’s currently a junk rigged cat yall. She has a junk rigged main and mizzen. All lines are led to the base of the masts. The main and muzzled were built 2020 but have only been used every other season as the boat has only been in the water every other season. The main sail panels are cambered. The mizzen sail is flat cut. 

The wooden hollow mast is on a tabernacle allowing it to lower in place. The previous sale plan was a gaff rig for which I still have the sail, yard and boom. The yard would need to be rebuilt, but the sail is still in great shape.

The hull is stripped planked cedar with mahogany sole and frames. The hull is sheathed with fiberglass and epoxy.

On the bow, she has a primary and secondary anchor. A 35 pound super max with 25 feet of chain and 150 feet of  3 strand rode and 20 pound Bruce with 10 feet of chain and hundred feet of 3 strand rode. There is also a luke style 40lb spare anchor. 

Both rodes sit in a nice working anchor well forward. Also, in the well are the 2, 20 pound propane tanks. Working back from the anchor well is a nice cabin top area for which there are chalks to hold the fatty knees dinghy. Behind that is the raised cabin top area giving the interior standing headroom of 6‘1“. The side decks are nice and spacious, making walking to the forward part of the boat very easy.  The decks and cockpit are painted with kiwi grip.

The cockpit is nicely designed and spacious. There is a dodger for the companion way hatch giving nice protection, but still good visibility. In the cockpit are two winches for the leeboards. In the stern of the cockpit is a Danforth stern anchor with rope rode. Also there is a man overboard sling. The oak tiller controls the transom hung rudder. There are ladder rungs on the rudder, making for a nice swim ladder off the back of the boat. There is storage under the two cockpit seats.

The floor of the cockpit opens leading to storage and the engine compartment. The engine is a 25hp 3 cylinder Sole’ diesel with unknown hours. 

There are two fuel tanks, one 15 gallons and another probably 25 gallons. The shaft has a dripless stuffing box and the prop is a two blade folding prop. There is also a bilge pump in the engine compartment.

The engine has its own starting battery and there’s also a house battery which powers lights charging ports, depth sounder and auto tiller. 

In the salon are two full length, berths to port and starboard with storage and two 30 gallon water tanks. There is a chart’s table also to starboard that folds out of the way with the salon table in the center with folding leaves. 

The galley has an ice chest and  sink with fresh and salt water foot pumps and a three burner LP stove and range, new three years ago. There is ample storage and counter space. 

The berth to forward is very spacious with room for 3  adults or just 2 with walking space between. there is a ton of storage below the birth’s. Above is a large hatch. There are also shelves, port and starboard and a small bookshelf forward. There is also a whale hand bilge pump in the berth.

Included:

Fenders 

sunshade for cockpit

Fatty Knees rowing/sailing dinghy 

Three Anchors

VHF

Everything you need for the galley

She is registered in the Wooden Boat community here including some old photos. ALERT | WoodenBoat

Asking $25,000

Contact Luke Tanner for further info. email landmhorseworks@gmail.com