SOLD – 43′ 1925 Alden Schooner Email Listing to a Friend

With mixed emotions we have decided to list HEART’S DESIRE for sale. I had hoped to take her through her centennial but I guess that will be an honor she will bestow upon her next owner. HEART’S DESIRE is a wonderful boat full of history and grace—a yacht version of the great American Fishing Schooner. This is an opportunity for someone to own a true vintage American yacht—not an opportunity that comes around all that often. It’s hard to explain the joy of sailing a 94-year-old, heavy displacement wooden schooner. It’s deeply satisfying, humbling in it’s challenge, and a sheer joy to bridge time and space upon the water. HEART’S DESIRE is nimble fast little ship and a real sailor’s boat, with four working sails and two topsails. She is very seaworthy, well built and extremely strong. I have single-handed her but she is really a two-person boat—and who wants to cruise alone anyway! When I bought HEART’S DESIRE it was with the intention of going cruising far and wide and with that in mind I spent nearly two years doing an extensive refit from the keel bolts to mast truck. So she is ready to go! I will quickly list her specifications here along with some of the work and improvements we made. The list is by no means exhaustive so please contact us with any questions you may have.

The Hull:

HEART’S DESIRE is constructed of 1.25″ thick Iroko planks copper riveted to steam-bent white oak frames. The deck is narrow laid Iroko planks, caulked and painted. The cabin houses are both Iroko, painted outside and varnished inside. The backbone timbers are all white oak and the full length ballast keel is cast iron. The masts are Douglas-fir; the booms and gaffs are spruce; and the bowsprit is longleaf yellow pine. The boat was rebuilt in 1980 and is in excellent shape and fully insured.

The Engine:

New 44B HP Westerbeke engine in 2010 with less then 900 hours on it.
New 120 amp alternator with a smart regulator, 2012. The stock alternator is now a spare.
New 1.25” propeller shaft and feathering Max prop (17×12), new in 2012
Two new 35 gallon fuel tanks (2011) with independent Raycor filter and water separators.
Many spare parts, filters and belts.

In the galley:

Force 10 three-burner propane stove (2004)
Two 10 lb aluminum propane tanks with remote selonoid switch
New built in icebox with 12v Nova Kool refrigeration (2012)
Both fresh and salt water at the sink with foot pumps
Two new 50-gallon water tanks (2012)
New Sig Marine bulkhead diesel heater with 1 gallon day tank (2013)
All new interior cabinetry, bunks, setees and drop-leaf table (2012)

Electrical Systems:

All new wiring throughout (2012)
New Blue Seas distribution panel with 13 breakers (2012)
Raymarine plotter/radar (2004) with cockpit repeater
Raymarine depth sounder (2012)
Furuno GPS
Standard Horizon VHF
80 Watt solar panel with charge controller
1000-watt inverter
LED lights throughout
Salt water washdown pump
Two battery banks: deep cycle house bank (2018) and two starting batteries (2014)

Sails & rig

Mainsail (1996)
Foresail, staysail, and jib (2000)
Fishermen staysail, old but serviceable
Main Gaff topsail, great shape
New sail covers (2017)
New standing rigging (2013): 316 stainless and bronze throughout
New pole mainmast (2013) (got rid of the topmast but kept the height)
New Schaffer roller furller on jib (2013)
New bronze gaff saddles (2013)
New Dyneema running backstays (2013)
New bronze hawsepipes (2018)
New bronze bow roller (2012)
New leathered mast hoops (2013)
Five cockpit winches, one winch on each mast, and one reefing winch on each boom for a total of 9

Anchoring Tackle:

New 150’ 3/8” G4 high tensile anchor chain (2013)
New 250’ 3/8” G4 high tensile anchor chain (2013)
New 200’ 1” nylon rode with 20’ of 3/8” chain (2013)45 lb Bruce galvinized 2016
35 lb high tensile Danforth galvanized 2016
65 lb yachtsman fishermen
Spare line, fenders, chafing gear, etc.

General Equipment:

Levac marine head with 10 gallon holding tank
Danforth Constellation compass
Fire extinguishers
Handheld horn
Electric and manual bilge pump
One horseshoe ring with strobe light
One boat hook
Life preservers
Pots pans
Flatware
Cooking utensils

Dingy:

8’ sailing Dyer Dhow with rig and rudder. The Dyer fits nicely on the forward cabin top.

When I purchased the boat there was a Simrad autopilot computer and Lewmar motor which I removed and have never used but will include with the boat along with a Ferris wind generator which I also have not used.

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