SV ‘Atalanta’ — Refitting a Modern Classic
Among the windswept cypress trees and sprawling golf courses of the Monterey Peninsula, where classic and exotic car enthusiasts gather each year for the famed Concours d’Elegance, it is often said that there is nothing more expensive than a cheap Ferrari. When my boat partner Chuck Drake and I upgraded from our Santana 35 and bought Atalanta, a custom 1988 New Zealand-built Farr 53 in summer 2020, although she looked beautiful, we knew we were in for a project.
I had spent the first part of the pandemic reinventing myself. After racing yachts in the Med and Caribbean for most of my 20s, I had a two-decade-long career as a nonprofit fundraiser. During the early days of the pandemic, I realized that where I was happiest was on the water. Inspired by offshore sailing programs like those run by 59 North, my goal was to start a business that combined offshore passages with local charters on Monterey Bay. I earned my 100-ton Coast Guard license and set off to find the perfect boat.
Unfortunately, most boats were either out of my geographic area or out of my budget, or otherwise not suitable for offshore charters. High on my wish list were individual berths, rather than the double cabins found on many modern boats. When Atalanta was listed right in our backyard, we immediately went to see her. The boat showed beautifully on that summer day on San Francisco Bay, and the immaculately varnished interior of tawa, a light hardwood native to New Zealand, glowed alluringly in the morning sun. The 130 hp Volvo diesel had been completely rebuilt and had only 2,900 original hours. She ticked all of our boxes. Her lines, to my eye, were perfect. The boat had a presence about her that was undeniable.
Elsewhere, however, things were not so rosy. An aging teak deck, original ’80s-vintage electronics, frayed running rigging, and pools of hydraulic oil gave glimpses of some of the major projects we would need to undertake. The list was long and daunting. But the price was too good to pass up, and we knew that this would make a comfortable and safe cruising platform for our families and friends. Additionally, it would enable me to realize my dream of offering charters on the West Coast and beyond.