Unfortunately plans change (I swallowed the hook...) and I have to sell my galvanized
steel beachable centerboarder. If you're looking for an expedition machine or want to go exploring skinny
water, this is it.
Location: South
Florida,
USA
Price: $75,000 USD
NOTE: this
boat is also available through pop-yachts but if you access it though there you will have to pay a
broker fee, contact me here first!
42' sailboat with retractable
rudder and
centerboard - like an
Ovni, Garcia, or Boreal.
SV Nova is a professional yard-built 1992 Dinieper Tropic 1200 in flame sprayed galvanized
steel. Designed by a mixture of Joubert and Carroff and built by Dinnieper, the French influence is pretty clear here putting this
hull in the same category as the
Ovni and Garcia type
boats.
You’ve probably seen this boat's sibling (child?) on YouTube as SV Odd from “Oddlife Crafting” (
and
).
https://www.instagram.com/oddlifecrafting/?hl=en
SV Nova is a bit special - it was the first one ever made and equipped a bit more “expedition” than the later models. I actually have the original and the revision blueprints onboard as well as the magazine articles with this very
hull advertising the models (see them on the instagram -
https://www.instagram.com/nova_at_sea/) Both the yard and the
designer kept updating the design over the years and some of the features of this
boat never made it into the mainstream models. Unlike SV Odd, SV Nova features
bowsprit and stern platform made from large stainless pipe welded directly to the hull as opposed to painted mild steel. Oddlife Crafting recently
sold their Tropic 1200 for ~$250,000USD. You can see it at
https://www.instagram.com/expedition_karambak/
This hull is hard chined and designed with an almost entirely flush
deck, half hard
dodger, hydraulically actuated
centerboard (unlike the typical
rope or cable
lift of the other Tropics), lifting
rudder, and a
diesel engine designed to go UP the amazon river - making this boat a formidable beast. A true
shallow draft boat, the Tropic 1200 is designed to dry out fully for skinny
water exploration or
repairs and can be stored
on the hard LOW to the ground. A proven
hurricane boat.
No
portlights below the
deck joint mean that common failure point has been eliminated. All
portlights (opening or fixed) are fastened into stainless frames set into the
steel hull welded with 319L (no rusting or lifting). Fully insulated against the heat of the tropics or the cold of the poles and dead quiet in even the noisiest of
marinas. Nova is an exceptionally dry boat to the point that dust collecting in corners was actually a problem. There is no greasy
bilge or abyssal sump, it's all clean, white
epoxy.
The
interior is a combo of old growth mahogany, brazilian cherry, and
teak along with white laminates giving you that
classic boat
interior without being too dark and impractical to keep up. The
galley features a dual sink setup with 3 burner
stove and vertical swing out
refrigerator and
freezer (like in a
commercial kitchen). The counter tops, actually just about ALL of the horizontal surfaces, are solid Corian for the ultimate combination of looks and practicality.
SV Nova is currently
on the hard in South
Florida undergoing
refit. I’d love to keep her but life changes mean I won’t be taking the kind of trips she was designed for any time soon. I spent 5 years finding this boat... I've done the big
repairs and now it's just on to aesthetics. Located in a
DIY and
liveaboard friendly yard in South Florida,
USA, SV Nova is a rare opportunity to get into a true
shallow draft expedition boat located in the USA.
SPECS:
HULL,
RIGGING,
SAILS
42’
LOA
37' LWL (estimated from plans)
13.5’ Beam
3.9’ft
draft to 7.5’
draft (hydraulic centerboard)
galvanized
steel hull made in the Carroff/Joubert strong-AL style - but in galvanized steel. Very very few ribs (we all know it goes wrong in the ribs). Galvanizing in great condition. Aludine or similar coating on deck plates to counter
condensation corrosion (none found where
work was done)
Full
survey in 2019 prior to previous
sale (before me).
Rigging surveyed in 2022.
All stainless fittings welded directly into the hull or attached with isolated flanges. All stanchions isolated with monel bushings
Fully insulated with 2” of
insulation, batting, and sealed ceilings
Flush decks
Entrance into
cabin through a 24" ocean style angled, waterproof
hatch like you see on lots of French designed cruisers/racers. No leaky slats.
14 Tons empty, 16.5 Tons at full
tanks and loaded for cruising
Center cockpit
Hydraulically powered centerboard
Double spreader rigged in a Solent style.
Mast steps and
mast terminate in a gimbal. Twin
backstays with fittings welded into the hull for
single back stays and Over-built. Rigger checked a year ago to find everything sound but up there in years.
100% mechanical fittings.
Mast is stepped on a gimballed stainless bearing for adjusting rake - beefy doesn't do it justice.
Main (decent condition, needs new battens)
120%
Genoa and 100%
jib on pro furl furlers (good used condition)
Cruising
spinnaker (unknown but looks decent condition)
INTERIOR,
GALLEY, and
HEAD
Aft master
cabin with Queen sized
bed
Aft pilot/navigation berth
L shaped port settee
Stb settee converts into double berth with padded rigid lee board
Bow cabin with queen/double depending on configuration.
Water maker (village
marine - needs service)
3 burner
propane stove (with
propane safety system) and
oven
~300L water in one tank under galley sole
Electrically powered
refrigerator with hull mounted condenser
Engine driven deep
freezer with hull mounted condenser - currently disabled - was planning to upgrade to
electrical freezer, hull condenser still in-place
Hot water
heater - 8 gallon
Dual sinks
New Mahogany and ⅝” plexiglass back splash in galley
Corian countertops throughout
OGO desiccating
toilet installed after
electric heat was removed.
Electric head can easily be put back in if desired (I love the desiccating toilet)
New cabinetry for
electrical system access.
Village
marine RO system - needs full
overhaul or sell for
parts and replace. The
pump alone will get you a non-village marine
water maker.
ENGINE and
POWER SYSTEMS
115 HP MWM (Deutz)
diesel - an absolute beast. Slow speed naturally aspirated diesel (no turbos!) Engine has fantastic access with all
panels fully removable from the sides of the engine bay. Front of the bay opens up on hinges.
Cockpit sole is bolted into place to facilitate easy
removal of the engine if that was ever needed. Slow speed (2400
RPM top end) 6 cylinder with all the torque in the world. BW 2:1
transmission
550L diesel in 4 separate
tanks (2 stainless, 2 mild)
360W
solar with TriStar
MPPT (panels
work great, but was planning to
trade out to 600W)
wind generator with dedicated controller
600aH of SLA house
batteries (good condition, still in operation and kept up - using them as I type this. They run my entire electrically heavy work-load minus the refrigerator)
400aH of Battle Born
Lithium ready to be installed
Dedicated start
battery on
charger from house and engine
HEART inverter/charger - NEW
Victron 3000/12 ready to be installed
5kW Seapower
generator installed on engine
NAVIGATION and
COMMUNICATIONS
Hydraulic steering
raymarine Hydraulic
autopilot - comes with extra hydraulic ram and
parts
Pepwave Transit class 16 dual sim
modem
Iridium Go! With permanent mount kit
ST40 series
navigation instruments including
wind, SOG,
GPS,
depth,
compass, and
autopilot - multiple spares for everything - navigation and plotting done on tablets and
computers than interface with
instruments with a bridge (in-progress)
24” 12v
monitor for Nav system (on locking swing arm)
Furuno Wi-Fi
radar
Class B Vesper Marine
AIS
VHF
Fittings for
SSB but removed to fit the IridiumGo
Magnetically compensated
compass
great speakers and audio header
EXTRAS
Every tool you could ever need to make any sort of
repair ever. This is not a joke.
hundreds of lbs of spares - again not a joke. From engine parts to a full replacement
core for the
windlass. I've trimmed out some of the hoarder stuff but having a set of injectors and high pressure
fuel rails... kinda handy.
industrial
sewing machine for
canvas repairs
REPAIRS
All welding repairs were done with E71T-11 NOT E71T-GS wire. All coatings were applied to mechanically abraded (needle scaler, carbide tercoo, flap disk, and sand blasted) surfaces. Coatings were all 2 part and 2 process - pre-prime 167 followed by bar-rust 235 in at least 3 coats.
Hull ultrasonically tested - thin spots corresponded to repairs made due to the bad head design (see below)...
Silver dollar sized section of deck replaced over master cabin where a poorly installed
wood trim caused
corrosion no one could see - kicked off the master cabin
hatch redesign
Engine serviced and
raw water pump rebuilt. New freshwater
pump installed as precaution and old one removed to
rebuild.
Repair hull corrosion around centerboard box - bad head design allowed for interior corrosion to go un-inspected for a decade. Dust in the hull built up and caused internal corrosion when it got wet... thats how dry the hull is
Replacement of rudder bushings and lifting rudder screw drive - underway, custom made bushings currently at machine shop - see below
Grey and black water system removed but can be put back in without further modification other than hoses.
1200 series
windlass serviced and
electrical system replaced - breaker needs to be integrated into the control board, just hidden in the cabinet right now.
Hot and cold water re-plumbed
Improvements/upgrade:
Brand new never used
Mantus Vulcan 73.
New head and
toilet - New head re-designed to be fully removable if needed and checkable using hatches. removed
Raritan electric toilet and installed new desiccating toilet - existing toilet still available if desired.
moved the overhead hatch in the master cabin to not be directly over the
bed - eliminates design flaw where hatch would allow bed to get wet. The original
builder told me they always wanted to do that but never could! The hatch now gives 6’1” clearance in the master cabin.
Upgraded
Victron power system - victron multiplus 12/3000 on-board and ready for trading out with the
current HEART system. Also victron smart shunt, etc.
New
Lithium battery bank - 400aH of Battleborn
batteries on board, never installed, kept maintained (given the
current one works great, so you have 2 battery banks or you can replace the 600aHa SLA with 100% lithium) - about $4000 in lithium and victron systems
Beefy
monitor swing arm for navigation system
Rebuilt
steering pump
New custom
lighting - LED with recessed fittings that increases
headroom.
Various
electrical improvements -
fuses, breakers
Solar vent in master cabin
Freezer ready for specification and install
Needs:
New external
paint for aesthetics. Can be used as is but will want new
paint around the new aft cabin hatch. 2 part color matched poly included in the
sale.
New
bottom paint.
Replace clear vinyl in soft section of
dodger -
fabric in great condition, just need new “glass”
Some new running rigging
a couple of surface rust spots that need touching up and coating. Nothing structural, deep, or needing replating. Was just waiting to do this when I repainted a larger area to not mix up tiny batches of paint.
general fit and finish of trim
retractable hatch bug screens need new mesh. The pricy mechanisms work fine but the
cheap mesh needs replacing. Mesh purchased and onboard.
re-built
helm needs to be reconnected and bled.
General
elbow grease
DONE - rudder bushing replacement. This was a preemptive fix and upgrade to the current system. While I had the rudder apart, I blueprinted the assembly and sent it out to a machine shop to build
replacements. Bearings ready were installed November 2024.
DONE - Lifting rudder bearing replacement. Another preemptive fix. The rudder
lift worked but I discovered that it wasn’t going down for the last 12”. I found that the bearing had been messed up well before I bought it and while it “worked’ I wanted it fixed. New custom Teflon ACME screw ($$$$) bearing on the way from the same shop doing the rudder bushings. Installed November 2024.
DONE -
Cockpit seating brackets- remediate and replace.
DONE - Centerboard hatch zinc port fabrication.
You can check out a whole bunch of the work done over the years at
https://www.instagram.com/nova_at_sea/
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