Sockdolager, our Dana 24, is for sale.

Photo credit: Off Center Harbor

Update: Sockdolager has been sold.

After many miles in the Pacific Northwest and an excellent adventure from Port Townsend to New Zealand in which our dear little Sockdolager has carried us safely more than 12,000 miles, we find that we are no longer sailing her enough. So, we are putting her up for sale. As you can see from the photos, she’s compact but capable.

Jim stands lookout in the ratlines as we thread between coral heads in Fakarava Atoll, Tuamotu archipelago in the South Pacific. Photo credit: S/V Vulcan Spirit

Sockdolager is a little champion who’s meant to be sailed. With her shoal draft of 3’10” you can get into spots many larger cruising boats can’t.  Here she is in a lagoon all to herself, at Aitutaki atoll in the South Pacific.

Our own private lagoon in Aitutaki atoll, Cook Islands.

We’ve been spiffing her up and she looks better than ever.

Forward hatch detail

She’s loaded with equipment; we’ve made a lot of custom improvements as the photos will show (see also Fiddly Bits). Her sails, standing and running rigging are strong, she’s documented for foreign travel, and she’s ready for a new Excellent Adventure.

Sockdolager arriving at Fatu Hiva, Marquesas after her Pacific crossing. Yes, K&J are looking stunned at all the greenery.

Specifications: 1987 Dana 24, “Sockdolager”

Sockdolager at her last haulout in October 2015

Dimensions
• LOA: 24’ 2” on deck, 27’ 3” with bowsprit, 29’ including wind vane
• Beam: 8’ 7”
• Draft: 3’ 10”
• Displacement: 8000 lbs.
• Ballast: 3200 lbs.
• Headroom: 6’ 1”

Always a fun view. The 175-watt solar panel eliminates the need for a power cord or running the engine to charge batteries on all but the cloudiest days.

Sail plan. Sockdolager is cutter-rigged with a removable inner forestay.

Layout schematic.

Designer: William I. B. Crealock
Builder: Pacific Seacraft (1987)
Current location: Port Townsend, WA

Sockdolager's interior. For those Doctor Who fans among you, the Tardis may come to mind when you see the 6'1" headroom and gasp, "This CAN'T POSSIBLY be a 24-foot boat!"

Tanks
• Fresh Water: 40 gallons
• Fuel: 17 gallons
• Holding: 15 gallons

A custom hatch gives access to a LOT of stowage under the cabin sole.

Sails: 
All made between 2005 – 2011 by Hasse & Co Port Townsend Sails
• Mainsail, 2 deep slab reef points (tanbark)
• 110% roller-furling genoa with padded luff (tanbark)
• Staysail (tanbark) with on-deck storage bag
• Backstay-sail (tanbark)
• Drifter (red)
• Cruising spinnaker (green) with sock and ATN tacker
• Storm trysail with on-mast storage bag
• Storm staysail (white with visibility patch)

Sailing under reefed genoa, South Side of Catalina Island. Photo credit: S/V Silver Fog

Poled-out drifter keeps her moving in light air.

Here's the spinnaker; this is an older photo before we added the stainless arch and solar panel.

Storm sail inventory: Backstaysail, Storm Trysail, Storm Staysail.

Canvas: 
All new in 2011-2012
• Spray dodger with pockets for storage; roped edge to deflect drips
• Custom pockets for reefing line storage
• Cockpit weather cloths with line storage pockets
• Full set of awnings with side panels to cover cockpit
• Awning for underway (under boom) rolled up atop dodger
• Sail covers, including on-deck storage bags for staysail and storm trysail on its track. Various canvas pockets for storing gear/assorted articles down below
• Lee cloths on settee berths
• Custom pockets for handy storage

Handy water bottle pocket. Roped dodger edge funnels drips away from cockpit and prevents chafe.

Rollup awning for underway. Note low outboard motor mount to prevent interference with self-steering wind vane.

Canvas storage pockets in head. You can never have enough of these.

Canvas pockets and thermos storage at companionway.

Rigging & Hardware:
Sockdolager is a cutter rig with a removable inner forestay. Her standing rigging, including chainplates, was completely replaced in 2009-2010. Most of her running rigging is new.
• All chainplates replaced with oversized bronze in 2010
• Stainless steel arch aft of cockpit for solar panel
• “StrongTrack” (Tides Marine) sail track & slide system
• Separate storm trysail track
• Harken jib roller furling system with Spinlock/Harken blocks on furling line
• Aluminum spinnaker pole (telescoping) stores vertical on mast
• 2 spinnaker halyards (port & starboard).
• Hayne Hi-MOD compression fittings on 7X19 stainless standing rigging
• Spectra running backstays
• Easy-rig preventers
• Pinrails and ratlines at shrouds; pinrails on stainless arch
• Spectra lifelines & chest-high jacklines
• Lewmar #30 two speed self-tailing sheet winches (2)
• Harken #8 staysail sheet winches on cabin top (2)
• Lewmar #16 self-tailing halyard winch (mast, starboard)
• Lewmar #8 halyard winch (mast, port)
• Bronze portlights (8)

Ratlines for climbing. Radar does not interfere with staysail or genoa.

Furling arrangement for roller-reefing genoa. This allowed far less effort in furling in heavy wind.

An excellent use for ratlines.

Engine and batteries:
• Yanmar 2GM20F 18 hp diesel, 2,415 hours
• VETUS Single handle throttle
• Leece-Neville 110 amp alternator
• Balmar Max-charge multi-stage 12-V regulator
• 2 100 AH Odyssey batteries
• Purolator solid state electronic fuel pump
• Racor 500FG secondary fuel filter
• PSS Dripless shaft seal
• Borel raw cooling water alarm sensor
• Borel bilge alarm

Engine access from main cabin.

Engine access from cockpit.

This photo shows the forward end of the removable cockpit sole, and custom companionway hatches. The bar across the front of the dodger houses the radar mount.

Odyssey batteries are strapped down.

Single-level engine control saves space and confusion.

Self-steering:
• Cape Horn “Varuna” wind vane with Spinlock power clutch blocks on tiller
• Raymarine ST2000+ Tiller Pilot, Autohelm 1000 Tiller Pilot for backup

View from starboard quarter, Cape Horn wind vane with custom platform visible.

Navigation:
• Ritchie Navigator 2000 compass
• Garmin GPS 17X antenna for use with ICOM 802 SSB
• Datamarine A-18o Log/control panel
• Datamarine S-100KL digital knot meter
• Datamarine S-200DL LCD digital depth sounder
• Garmin handheld GPS
• Weems & Plath clock
• Weems & Plath electronic barometer

Cockpit.

Electronics: 
All new between 2010 and 2013
• Solar World 175-watt solar panel on a stainless arch
• Morningstar SunSaver MPPT solar controller
• Magnum ME Remote Control 1000 watt Inverter/Charger with battery monitor
• Various 110-V sockets
• Newmar galvanic isolator
• Standard Horizon GX2150 25 watt VHF FM marine radio with AIS receiver
• Icom IC-802 MF/HF Ham/SSB radio with PTC-IIusb Pactor modem and AT-140 automatic antenna tuner
• Simrad NSS7 broadband color radar with GPS and chart plotter
• Fusion Sirius-ready marine stereo system with Bluetooth

Instrument panel, VHF radio & GPS above.

Custom fold-down box for laptop that connects to Ham/SSB radio above it for email, weather faxes & GRIB files at sea.

Lights:
All lights are LED (except steaming light)
• Orca Green Marine masthead tricolor/anchor light with photovoltaic shutoff
• Regular running lights for coastwise sailing
• 4 brass cabin overhead lights
• 4 brass cabin reading lights
• Strip light in galley

Ground tackle:
• 25-lb CQR anchor (bow)
• 20-lb CQR anchor (bow)
• Fortress FX-11 stern anchor mounted on stern arch
• Simpson-Lawrence Hyped 510 manual anchor windlass
• 30 feet of chain and 300 feet of 1/2” nylon 3 strand rope on main anchor rode
• 10 feet of chain, 250 feet 1/2 nylon 3 strand rope rode in stern locker abaft rudder post.

Galley:
• Force 10 propane stove with oven (new 2010)
• Isotherm 3201 refrigeration system (new 2010)
• Hand-operated fresh water pump with switch for automatic function
• Hand-operated saltwater pump
• Strip lighting for seeing into fridge & lockers
• Galley safety belt
• Custom seat for galley
• Custom rope mat “ocean plait”

Galley looking forward.

Galley looking aft.

Custom galley seat for the cook when guests fill the cabin.

Head:
• Raritan PHII marine toilet with 15 gallon holding tank
• Head can pump into holding tank or directly overboard

Head. Custom shelving in locker behind head.

Cushions:
• All new foam and professionally made upholstery cushions in 2011.
• V-berth cushions divided athwartship for easier access to sail locker
• HyperVent under V-berth cushions to prevent condensation.
• Full-length cockpit cushions new in 2011

Safety:
• All lockers, hatches, lids and openings fitted with “upside-down proofing” physical restraints to prevent opening. (See "Fiddly Bits.")
• Whale Gusher Titan bilge pump accessible in cockpit
• Electric bilge pump with float switch
• Special companionway seat for watch keeping
• Davis Echomaster radar reflector
• Custom horseshoe buoy
• Flares
• Custom companionway seat

Storage:
• Cockpit coaming storage for small items
• Cockpit interior locker shelves
• Custom-made storage for companionway boards
• Large sail locker beneath V-berth (cushion custom made for easy access)
• Hanging locker converted to three large drawers for clothing and pots/pans, with “secret” compartment stowage beneath and above.
• Two vertical chart storage spaces on either side of hanging locker drawers
• Custom shelving in locker behind head.
• Custom companionway steps utilize wasted storage space
• Custom cutout in cabin sole utilizes storage space underneath sole
• Custom storage atop hanging locker keeps items in place offshore
• Custom Thermos storage on corner horn at companionway for easy reach
• Custom fold down shelf for navigation laptop, with connections to SSB radio for downloading weather & emails
• Custom storage box in engine compartment

Hanging locker conversion. Vertical chart storage either side of drawers; hidden compartments above & below drawers.

Storage area atop hanging locker is captured with this  removable custom arrangement.

Custom companionway steps utilize wasted space, capture hatch in sole, and provide seats for galley and companionway.

Top step lifts to make checking engine oil easy.

Handy companionway seat for wet night watches or a mini-table for serving snacks to hungry guests.

Loads of storage in main salon, including behind and underneath settees.

Second laptop storage area in pull-down basket for nerds who sail.

Misc:
• Outboard motor bracket mounted low on stern to avoid interference with wind vane
• Custom shelf on wind vane bracket for storing two 1-gallon jerrycans outside hull
• All teak trim has been recently sanded and is ready for new owner's choice of finish.
• Sockdolager has teak decks, which we liked for the good footing. Bung maintenance is up to date.

Offshore in rough weather, 2011, the wind vane handling all steering.

Spares:
• Large selection of engine, head, rigging, and other spare parts including spare tiller.

More about Sockdolager:
• Coming soon: link to 3 videos of her in summer 2013 by Off Center Harbor.

More about the Dana 24:
• Bluewater Boats review.
• Review of a customized Dana that crossed the Atlantic and is now in Europe.
• 2008 Transpac footage in a Dana 24, from our friend Chris Humann
• Spectacular kite cam compilation, also from Chris.

Price: $64,000
Contact Jim at: jheumann(at)yahoo.com

We wonder, where will her next excellent adventure be to? 

Kind of nostalgic here, but to everything there is a season.