1973 Custom John Carija 43 Bluewater Cruiser

Dont let her age fool you this yacht is more seaworthy than most new boats right out of the factory today. She just finished racing the 2024 Pacific Cup to Hawaii, has made multiple trips to Mexico in recent years and has been lovingly refit and maintained by a professional captain for the last 10 years. Her current owner is reluctantly selling only because a vessel with a shallower draft is needed to continue to charter out of her slip in Sausalito (dredging is not planned and the slip has become too shallow for this deep draft blue water cruiser).

Carodon was built in 1973 for the Chicago- Mac race by naval architect John Carija who later went on to own Carija boat works in Mystic Connecticut. She was purchased shortly after launching and fitted out for cruising Alaska, where she cruised for a few decades before semi-retirement in fresh water on Lake Union, Seattle. The current owner purchased her there and shipped her to SF to commence a complete refit and modernization inside and out where needed.

She is loosely based on a Sparkman Stephens design and has a substantial rig, an internally ballasted deep fin keel and skeg hung rudder. She handles beautifully with simple robust systems and is currently rigged for easy single-handed sailing. She is also federally documented with a coastwise endorsement for six passenger charters and has been day chartering successfully May-October and cruising South for the winters for the past five years.

Her midship companionway gives the interior layout the feeling of a much larger vessel with sleeping accommodations for up to 8 crew. Her aft cabin accommodates three in a double berth to port and single berth on starboard. The galley has a two burner unpressurized alcohol stove, but is also set up to accommodate a propane stove. If the new owner wishes to convert back to propane, it will be easy to do so with solenoid and hoses still in place. A large Arctic diesel heater with cooktop keeps the interior warm and ample dorade vents and fans keep her cool in the tropics.

Equipment: With her unpainted topsides and removable insulation belowdecks the aluminum structure is easily inspectable and virtually maintenance-free but just in case, the current owner has installed a shaft brush, an electroguard electrolysis meter, an isolation transformer a new Magnum inverter-charger, and a brand new solar/lithium electrical system with Victron mppt controllers, so the vessel is rarely plugged into the dock and galvanic corrosion is easy to monitor.

The list of upgrades that the current owner made prior to racing to Hawaii in July 2024 is extensive, including:

Custom removable carbon fiber/marine plywood hard dodger with impact-resistant windshield in 2020 New four blade feathering Maxprop 2020 (serviced 2 blade Maxprop spare included) New dripless PSS PYI shaft seal 2020 New fully battened mainsail with three reefs in 2020 New 12v Lewmar vertical anchor windlass 2021 New Harkin roller furler 2022 New 110% roller furling Genoa 2022 New standing rigging including new stainless turnbuckles 2022 Addition of new dyneema running-backs and inner storm jib stay 2022 with new storm jib 2023 New wiring and masthead lights 2022 New wifi radar with custom mount 2022 New Simrad chartplotter 2023 New lazyjacks 2023 Rudder bearing and rudder post reconstructed and re-engineered for robustness in 2023 New vhf/ais class B radio, antenna and splitter New 2.5 ounce asymmetrical spinnaker and sock 2024 New Spinnaker pole 2024 Rebuilt reaching strut 2024 New running rigging 2024 New stainless lifelines 2024 New solar panels 2024 New bilge pumps, 2 12v and 2 manual, and high water alarm 2024

Plus many redundant features for safety such as secondary GPS and radio antennae at the after end of the cockpit in case of rig failure or lightening strike.

The current owner also installed a hydrovane self-steering with a new Raymarine tiller pilot attachment for easy, reliable, and low power draw self-steering in all conditions or in case of primary steering failure, which has been tried and tested across the Pacific and back in tough conditions.

Carodon is powered by a reliable and professionally maintained Beta/Kubota 50hp engine with approximately 3400 hours and upgraded wet exhaust.

Ground tackle is oversized with 200 feet of new chain in 2022, a Rocna, Fortress and Fisherman anchors for safe anchoring in any type of bottom, proven to provide good holding in over 55 knots of sustained wind and substantial swell off the Channel Islands. A saltwater washdown pump on deck makes for easy cleaning of mud off the anchor (or easy cleaning of fish caught underway.)

Electrical system has been completely updated with 3 100w sunpower flexible solar panels, Victron Mppt, 1 NORTHSTAR / 12V group 31 AGM / 1370 MCA engine start battery and 4 ARC / 12V group 31 LiPOFe4 / i100 Ah each in parallel for a 12V 400 Ah house bank each with its own BMS. There is an older hydrogenerator that needs adjusting but is fully functional as well. All fixtures have been converted to LED for low-draw and all electronics have been chosen or upgraded for low amp hours as well, making it unnecessary to have a generator or run the engine often for charging even after a few days of overcast skies.

The current owner is open to delivering the vessel at a competitive rate if the new owner is located outside the Bay Area or wishes to learn from an experienced licensed captain and longtime sailing instructor.