Articles
S/V Duck Sloop – 1987 Etap 30
Older Etaps keep on going…and going…
All photos courtesy of SpinSheet Magazine
Although Etap yachts have been a popular choice for European sailors for over 30 years and enjoy a proven reputation for quality and durability on that continent, they’ve only recently been reintroduced to the U.S. market. And while the new Etap models are experiencing enormous success and acclaim - evidenced by their prominence in “best of” lists for new sailboats - U.S. sailors may be interested in knowing that there are older Etaps sailing American waters and they’re still going strong.
“I recently purchased my 1987 Etap 30 through Capital Yacht Sales of Annapolis for use cruising and occasional racing on the Chesapeake Bay,” says Stephanie Reuer, the proud new owner of ‘Duck Sloop,’ (named with a humorous nod to the Etap logo and the boat’s rig) pictured sailing here on a blustery Fall day. “Early on in the process, it became clear that my budget would only allow for the purchase of a pre-owned boat, unless I wanted to wait several more years before I realized my sailing dreams. So, for nearly three years, I looked at about 50 different boats from 28 to 36 feet, manufactured between 1977 and 1990. I was really interested in the new Etaps because of their unsinkability, but knew they were out of my price range at the time,” she says. “When Al and Patty Horton traded up to a brand new Etap 34 and placed their 1987 Etap 30 on the market last Spring, I was keen to take a look. When I saw her, it was immediately apparent to me that this boat was in significantly better shape than any of the boats of that vintage that I’d seen. Certainly, she’d received excellent care from her current owners, but the quality of the construction was clearly evident. After 14 years, she has no crazing or stress cracking and no moisture intrusion in her decks or cockpit – every other boat I looked at of this age had some degree of moisture intrusion that would have required repair. This boat’s gel coat still gleams.”
“And I couldn’t be happier with my decision,” Stephanie goes on to say. “I expected her to perform well because of her design, but Duck Sloop continues to impress me. Recently, I sailed her in a point-to-point regatta in steady 30-35 knot winds with gusts over 40. She was steady as a rock and sliced right through the chop, giving us an exciting, but comfortable and dry ride. Downwind we flew along at 7.4 knots under double-reefed main alone, without any of the rolling that I would have expected in a boat with a deep fin keel and large spade rudder. Upwind we topped 8.5 knots several times. You could just sense she was built to revel in the conditions of her North Sea birthplace. It was the most wind I’d ever purposefully sailed in and, frankly, I was a bit nervous. But Duck Sloop shrugged it off like water off a duck’s back- pun intended! I’m a conservative sailor and don’t normally seek out conditions like we had that day, but I now know and have confidence that my boat can handle that and more should I inadvertently get caught out in a blow. She’s a real champ. ”
“I also wanted a boat that I could gain experience and develop confidence in single-handing. Like all Etaps, Duck Sloop is perfect for short-handed sailing with all of her lines led aft and the placement of the traveler and mainsheet within easy reach of the helm. Her fractional rig is easy for me to handle on my own and under power her saildrive allows me to turn on a dime and reverse straight and true – she makes me look like I’m better at boathandling than I actually am,” she laughed. “In fact, when I came back to the dock after taking her out for the first time, I was really nervous about docking – and who should be there holding my brand new docklines but the previous owners! I took a big breath and backed her right into a tight slip like I’d been doing it for years. I nicknamed her ‘Ducky’ right then and there because she is just that – just Ducky!”