Our Boat

Skyward is actually our 2nd boat named Skyward. Our first Skyward was a very nice 1996 Catalina 34. We were sad to see it go, but we welcomed our new Skyward into our family in May 2021. Skyward is a 1997 Hallberg-Rassy 46. As mentioned, the boat was originally sailed around England, Ireland, the Mediterranean, and then down to the Southern Latitudes in New Zealand. The boat was sailed to Seattle then through the Panama Canal and then to Annapolis where we found her.

We picked this particular boat based on our experience sailing the Catalina 34, being on larger sailboats, and having specific criteria in mind. This was detailed in a few of our early blogs. We also learned of the Mahina Tiare team as well as our friend Glen on Sail Cloudy Bay – all influenced our decision. Finally, we are both engineers, and so a boat that is highly engineered and possibly overbuilt made a lot of sense to us.

Mainly, we love to share our passion with others especially our family, so this boat fits our family very well.

Statistics

• Length 46 feet even though for some reason, HR says it is 48.5 feet
• Draft 6’4″
• 3-cabin layout
• Displacement Over 36,000 lbs
• Engine Volvo TMD31L-A 100 hp at 3800 RPM, 100% mechanical (no modern electronics)
• 240 gallons of freshwater (2 stainless steel tanks)
• 188 gallons of diesel (2 stainless steel tanks)
• 40 gallons of holding / waste (2 fiberglass tanks)

Rig Features

• Masthead sloop-rigged with a genoa on furler and an additional removable inner cable stay for a hank on staysail or stormsail.
• Spinnaker pole mounted on front of mast with Selden car/track tucked away when not in use
• All new standing rigging from Selden. All new running rigging. New Navtec Series 9 backstay adjuster. A pin-to-pin replacement. (2023)
• Original Selden mast and boom.
• Running backstays
• All new deck fill fittings, deck mounted windlass buttons, and Lewmar rigging hardware including new tracks, new jib cars (2x) and a new traveler. (2023)
• 12 winches in total: 2x66ST Lewmar winches, 2x44ST Lewmar winches and 1x48ST electric Antal winch in the cockpit plus 2x40STE Lewmar winches on the aft coachroof perfect for preventer or running backstay lines. 3x44ST Lewmar winches, 1 x 16ST Lewmar winch and 1×8 Lewmar winch on the mast
• Manual furlers for the genoa (2023). No hydraulic or electric issues to worry about.
• Removable stainless steel heavy-duty bowsprit on port side anchor roller

Sail Inventory

• Quantum mainsail fully battened and slab reefed with 3 reefing points. Main halyard, 2 reef points and the vang run to the cockpit to an electric winch. Mainsail is tucked away with MackSails sailbag and lazy jack system.
• North Sails 130% genoa on Selden 400S furler
• Elvstrom 106% jib (high cut) which can be used on the 400S furler
• Ratsey & Lapthorne storm sail
• Elvstrom hank-on staysail
• North Sails trysail
• Zaoli Sails asymmetrical cruising spinnaker in a North Sails sock
• Single line slab reefing system for 1st and 2nd reefs – operable at mast or from cockpit
• Mack-Pak mainsail cover with lazy jacks

Mechanical and Systems Features

• Aquadrive (rebuilt 2022) and new CV joint (2022)
• Dual Racor fuel filters for the engine and single Racor for the generator
• Max Prop VP feathering propeller coated in PropSpeed with a separate shaft zinc and prop zinc
• Bowthruster
• Lofrans Project 1500 windlass
• 35 kg / 77 lb Ultramarine anchor and swivel (2023)
• 250 feet of 3/8″ G4 chain marked RYBWG + 75 feed eyepspliced rode (2023)
• Lewmar Mamba autopilot and rod steering (rebuilt 2022) and wrapped helm wheel (2023)
• Watermaker (to be replaced)
• Refreshed helm station with new buttons with modernized look of new Hallberg-Rassy’s (2023)

Electrical Features

• 4.5 kW Onan generator
• Shore power set up for 110 or 230 with separate connections
• 2x 12V Group 4DL AGM 12V starter batteries (2022)
• 4x 12V Group 4DL AGM 24V house bank giving 420 Ah (2023)
• 400 W Renogy solar panels connected to a Victron solar charge controller and mounted on the pushpit

Electronics Features

• Garmin 8616XSV chartplotter and 24HD radar with g3 charts in the cockpit (2025)
• Garmin 7610 chartplotter and integrated Garmin marine network at navigation station
• Garmin AIS (2022)
• Garmin Panoptix PS51-TH forward looking sonar
• Garmin GC200 Night Vision Camera on aft antenna pole
• ICom M802 SSB
• ICom M604 VHF with remote mic at the pedestal and PA horn (2023) on the mast
• Fusion MS-AV755 stereo
• Raymarine p70s Autopilot controller, Raymarine i70s multifunction instrument display, bow thruster switch and anchor controls at the helm
• Navtex 6plus digital weather reader and data repeater

Safety Features

• Raised 1″ diameter stainless steel pushput that wraps around from port-to-starboard gates at amidships
• A separate track in the mast for a Trysail
• Echomax EM305PE passive radar mounted on the mast meeting ISO requirement: 8729-1999 (2023)
• 6-person Viking RescYou Pro life-raft mounted in front of the windscreen (2023)
• ACR EPIRB on the main bulkhead (2022)
• MOB pole and Lifesling in plastic box mounted on the pushpit
• Steps 100% to the top of the mast
• Foredeck mounted dinghy is nice for safety and security
• Granny bars that have been through-bolted to the coachroof for added safety
• Webbing jacklines with dedicated padeyes on deck
• Tri-color navigation light with anchor light
• Fortress FX-37 backup anchor and rode
• Dyneema preventer lines port and starboard with shock cord retainer system

Comfort Features

• A brand new teak deck that is 12 mm thick custom shaped, cut and epoxied to the top. No screws and no plugs. (2023)
• Caframo Sirocco cabin fans (5)
• Insect nets for hatches
• Weems & Plath barometer, oil lamp, quartz clock
• Inlaid HR logos in salon table
• Sprayhood extension for colder weather, bimini for sunny days.
• LED light strip in galley including red light all with dimmer switches (2023)
• 16,000 BTU Cruisair Air Conditioner
• New Webasto Air Top EVO 40 heaters, pumps and controllers (2022)
• Two separate electric (vacuum) heads and showers
• Filtered (Seagull) drinking water at the galley sink
• Gimbaled propane stove
• Custom stainless steel side boarding ladder
• 20 kg aluminum propane tank (2023)
• Custom freezer under the salon seating with SeaFrost compressor unit
• Refridgerator
• African mahogany interior with carpets over teak/holly floorboards and full curtains covering portholes.
• Can sleep up to 7 in bunks and additional people in the salon. All beds come with a plush topper and have lee cloths.
• Modernized all dorades to Air-Only ventilators as on new Hallberg-Rassy’s (2023)
• A stern-mounted passerelle; aluminum frame with teak and a trapeze kit for connecting to the topping lift
• 100% carpet throughout
• Spreader lights (LED) on the 1st level only (2023)
• Custom blackout curtains and CloZures on all portlights
• Sunshades/screens on the underside of hatches with Outland covers on the topside of all hatches
• 32″ Smart TV mounted in the salon (2023)

Here are the full specs from Hallberg-Rassy

Here are the specs from Sailboat Data