A Perfect Charter - Deerfoot II Marina Del Rey, California, USA ( May 16 through May 19 2002 )

Ruth and John Long’s goal in chartering Deerfoot II was to experience sailing on a first class performance cruiser. The Longs wanted to use their experience to decide whether the cruising life style would work for them. Issues that the Long’s wanted to answer included:

1. What is a performance sail boat ( sail and motor )
2. How does a large sail boat handle ( > 60’ ) versus a 37’ X cruiser?
3. How do all the amenities improve boat life? ( auto pilot, water maker, electric winches, etc.)
4. Can two sailors handle a large sail boat?
5. Is the cruising life fun?

Our experience on the Deerfoot II began at Marina Del Rey after our flight from Dallas to Los Angeles. A short taxi ride later and we joined the Deerfoot’s Captain Errol Perling at the boat. The 74’ Dashew designed sloop was in top form and ready for an Admirals inspection. Decks, wood work, and hardware gleamed with careful love and attention. All our previous sail boat experience has been on small to medium sized craft ( 12 to 44’ ), so Deerfoot’s large 74’ footprint seemed huge to us. We discovered that size translates into pleasant quarters below deck starting with the pilot house with ample room for six adults to the outstanding interior layout of this boat. Deerfoot II accommodates six sailors with ease with its three state rooms and three heads. The master suite just forward of the salon is luxurious in size and function. A queen size bed and large bath room make life at port or sea a wonderful experience. At night we were anxious to return to our state room for a great night’s sleep, in complete privacy. The rest of the boat was beautiful and functional too. The salon is very inviting for meals, visiting with shipmates, or finding a place to relax or read. The pilot house became our focal point of life aboard Deerfoot. From the vantage point of its 360 degree security of metal, doors, and glass, the sailing life is on stage. The pilothouse is like the cunning tower at an airport. You are high enough to see all the action but are in complete comfort from nature’s challenges — wind, rain, cold , sun and angry seas. The value of a pilot house became very evident as a result of our charter since all of our previous boats had open cockpits. It was clear to us that Deerfoot was ready willing and able to go any where we wanted.

Sailing in a performance cruiser convinced us that fast sailing is better than slow. The only reason to own a slow sail boat, is you do not plan to leave the dock, or it was part of your inheritance. Deerfoot II is a fast boat. After leaving Marina Del Rey, the boat easily motored to 8.5 knots at 1600 RPM. Steering the 74 was easy — Deerfoot answered the helm smoothly and with little effort. The Dashew design is well balanced and steers better than any small sail boat we had sailed. The real thrill came when we turned into the NW wind of 12 to 18 knots and raised the main and 120% Jib. Once we tacked to 90 degrees to the wind, Deerfoot took off like a rocket. During our four hour voyage to Catalina Island’s West side we moved between 8 and 14 knots of speed. This boat is a thoroughbred. The boat’s movement felt more like a power boat than being under sail. During the second day, we tested the Deerfoot with an up wind sail of thirty miles. The big boat produced 6 to 8.4 knots of speed with NW winds of 9 to 14 knots. The weather sail was pleasant with only three tacks required to reach our destination, Santa Barbara Island. The last day’s conditions with six knots of wind created a motor day for our trip back to Marina Del Ray. We chose to steer the boat most of the way with a NW quartering sea. The boat was not hard to steer, but after two hours, the auto pilot gave us an opportunity to just relax and watch for ocean life which abounds in seals, birds and dolphins. Our sailing highlight was bringing the boat through the marina channel under full sail. It is clear that a big boat like Deerfoot is not any harder to sail than a small boat.

Our time aboard Deerfoot was perfect. Captain Perling did all the hard stuff: chef, captain, navigator, he was always there when you needed him for anything. We did not want for food or beverage, it was like being royalty for three days. The layout of Deerfoot is wonderful for cruising. Everything seems to be in the right place for your comfort and convenience. There is nothing better than a well designed boat of quality to make sailing wonderful.

The charter answered our cruising questions:

1. A performance cruiser is the best sail boat to own if you like to sail.

2. A large sail boat of excellent design is just as easy to handle as a small boat.

3. The best amities for a sail boat in our opinion are:

a. Pilothouse

b. Auto Pilot

c. Radar and GPS

d. Water Maker

e. Modern Galley ( Micro Wave, H/C Water, Refrig, Etc. )

f. One rope reefing system for main sail

g. Heavy anchor ( 2 to 3 # per foot of length )

4. Two experienced sailors can handle a well designed sail plan boat with:

a. Electric winches ( make sheeting main and jib sails easy )

b. Lazy Jacks for mainsail control

c. Roller Furling for Jib sails

d. One rope main reefing system

5. The cruising life aboard a world class performance boat is fun and comfortable.

The occasion for our charter was to celebrate our seventeenth wedding anniversary and to learn more about the cruising life style. Sailing in Southern California waters was special. Our visits to Catalina and Santa Barbara Islands were both unique. Seventeen years ago Catalina Island was the beginning of our honeymoon. On this trip, Ruth and I found the island to be the same uplifting destination that it had been years ago. Our anchorage at Twin Harbors was comfortable and not crowded with boats. The island still had its charm and magic of being a secluded sanctuary far from madding crowds.

Our visit to Santa Barbara Island was a complete surprise. The island is home to one of the largest west coast sea lion populations in the USA. As we approached the island vast herds of seals wailed a chorus of barks to the world. The next morning we visited the colony by dingy. Many seal families surfed through the breakers to greet us or just came to smile at the strangers. We felt welcome and awed by their friendly playful nature. Afterwards, Ruth and I did a "walk about" on the small island. Hitchcock must have been inspired to write "The Birds" from Santa Barbara Island with its gulls, owls, falcons, and ducks — we were in need of our field guide to keep up with the flying circus that flew around us. This island should be renamed Treasure Island. With heavy hearts on our third day, we lifted anchor and bid our new friends good fishing.

Our Deerfoot II charter was a positive life time event. Our adventure into performance sailing was inspiring and a lot of fun. Several years ago, Ruth and I did a bare boat charter which we enjoyed except for the fact that our charter boat would not sail in less than 12 knots of wind. It was a lead whale. We spend 99% of our time motoring from place to place. Deerfoot II is a sailing boat. We would recommend a Deerfoot Charter to anyone who enjoys sailing.

Ok, now tell us what would have made your charter experience better? Well there could have been:

1. More wind the second and third days.
2. More sun shine on first and second day.
3. Been better crew who listens to their Captain when he says to take sea sick med on the first day— it works!

This just goes to prove it was a perfect charter!

We thank the Dashew family for their on going contributions to sailing, their wonderful Deerfoot II and Captain Perling for his professional attention to making our charter a life time event.

John and Ruth Long