1977 Alajuela Custom Cutter OFFSHORE CRUISER

Características adicionales, equipo e información:

The Alajuela 38 is a derivative of William Atkin’s Ingrid 38 Ketch itself following a lineage of traditional double-enders started a century earlier with the lifeboat designs of Colin Archer. The boat entered production not long after the Westsail 32 swept the world with dreams of sailing to distant shores and a cruising boat boom that spanned over a decade. Over the years the Alajuela 38 has garnered something of a cult following, with owners attracted by her beautiful sweeping lines, impeccable engineering, and surprisingly good performance.

Many consider the Alajuela 38 a refined version of the similarly shaped Westsail 32, but as well known sailing author John Kretschmer puts it, “Sure it’s a double ender but it is a different animal. It’s lean and graceful, not stout and pugnacious. Don’t get me wrong, I love the Westsail 32, truly, but the Alajuela will sail circles around it.”

Of course a better comparison would be with the Ingrid 38 from which her lines were derived. Though both hulls look nearly identical at first glance, particularly above the waterline, there are subtle improvements to be found in the underbody. The Alajuela has a finer entry helping her in light airs and a flatter run aft which improves all round performance. In an effort to overcome the Ingrid’s tendency to bury her bow, more buoyancy was added forward above the waterline.

 The rig carries 8% more canvas, bringing her close to the sail area to displacement ratios seen in performance cruisers like the Valiant 40, this and the increased efficiency of one mast over two gives the Alajuela 38 a significant performance advantage. As if to prove this point, an Alajuela 38 Wathena notched a second place trophy in the 1976 Newport to Ensenada race, a race known for light and fickle winds. Wathena finished well ahead of cruising boats of similar size and displacement.

The build quality and high standards of engineering made a name for Alajuela. The hull is molded in one-piece from hand-laid fiberglass varying in thickness from 3/4 inch near the bilges to 1/2 inch at the topsides. Inside the hull, there are no liners, it’s all wood bonded to the hull which is durable while providing accessibility to every nook and cranny.

Specifications

LOA: 46′ 0″
LOD: 38′ 0″
LWL: 32′ 7″
Beam: 11′ 6″
Draft: 5′ 7″
Displacement: 27,000 lbs.
Ballast: 10,000 lbs. (lead)
Sail Area: 880 sq.ft.
Bridge Clearance: 54′

Headroom: 6′ 4″
Year Introduced: 1974
Year Ended: 1985
Designer: Mike Riding/William Atkin
Builder: Alajuela Yacht Corp.