Sailboat "Good News" Is For Sale

Off jack London Square, before the new dodger was installed

For Sale:

37- FT Hunter, 1979. Alameda. $39,900. Cherubini-designed cutter, well equipped and maintained. Excellent bay boat or coastal cruiser for a couple or family in sail-away condition. Comfortable in rough summer conditions.  Sparkling  teak/cherry interior, new dodger and sail covers, recent bottom job, numerous upgrades. 27hp Yanmar low hours. Furling jib, self-tacking Staysail,  and multiple spare sails. Owners’ health requires sale. Call 916-207-3194 for appointment. Principals only.

At the dock in Alameda, with new dodger and sail covers

At the dock on Angel Island

Specifications

Boat Name:   Good News

Builder: Hunter Marine

Model: Hunter 37/Cherubini Cutter

Year: 1979

Length: 37

Draft: 5'1"

Beam: 11' 10"

HIN:  HUN37019M79B

Engine: Yanmar Deisel, 3 cylinder (Model 3HM) less than 2,000 hours (1835 at last check)

Weight: 18,000 (travel lift scale)

This boat was designed by John Cherubini, who left Hunter to design one-of-a-kind luxury sailboats.  Boats from this era were built extra tough for safety and stability. There is an active owners group online.

New dodger, sail covers, rail covers, wheel cover (2014)

New holding tank(2014)

New water pump (2014)

Hauled and Two coats of bottom paint (2014)

Non-skid surfaces renewed  (2011).

All ports, electric head and galley stovetop were replaced by the current owner.

Sailing characteristics:  These boats were designed for coastal cruising. We have used the boat primarily for San Francisco Bay, with occasional  day sails outside the Golden Gate, and a  six month stay in San Diego.

 The boat is a solid cutter rig, heavier fiberglass than newer boats but extremely stable (less heel and smoother ride). When sails are trimmed properly, boat will track with little effort at the wheel. We frequently sailed the boat in 25 knots  by taking a reef in the Main and using only the Staysail as a headsail. Maximum speed 6-7 knots under normal conditions.

Mainsail and Staysail are raised with winches at the mast; jib has roller furling operated from the cockpit. All sails can be adjusted from the cockpit.

Sail plan and inventory: Cutter rigged with a Main, self-tacking Staysail and roller-furled Yankee (jib)

( Spare sails are included in the asking price.)

Rigging:  standing rigging is oversized for the boat, and has been inspected but not replaced during our ownership. Running rigging is partially new, and all in good condition.

Main salon looking forward

Interior layout and features

Center companionway into salon;

Companionway steps up into cockpit. engine underneath and galley to left

Galley to Starboard with Dickenson stovetop and double stainless steel sinks, storage over and under; microwave; in-cabinet Adler Barbour refrigerator/freezer.

Next:

Main cabin to port of companionway

Main cabin bunk interior and compartment

"Captain's" Cabin to Port aft, with storage cabinet and privacy door.

Nav station next to Port includes radios, electric (AC and DC)control panels, GPS, depth finder, spare hand-held radio and GPS.

Nav station

Fold-up teak dining table in center with benches on both side. 
Starboard bench makes into a double bed, or with lee board, a sea berth.

Opening Hatch above table, and ports (with curtains) throughout.

Interior is a gleaming varnish finish, requiring minimum maintenance. 

Cabinet and storage space on both side of salon.

A small fireplace is attached to the bulkhead, and an AC electric heater is located by the Nav station.

Small flat screen TV, stereo radio and CD player.

Next forward is electric head and shower to Starboard, sink and cabinet to Port, with closing doors on both sides to separate the V-berth cabin and head.

Hanging locker.

V berth has sleeping room for two, plus a small single berth and cabinet, with storage under.

Upholstery is in good condition throughout, and the beds are comfortable.

Maintenance records are available.

All CG required safety equipment included, plus safety lines, strobes and leashes.

Electrical systems:  Boat operates on a DC system provided by two wet cell batteries located in  aft cabin cabinet for easy access; starter battery is located in Starboard lazarette under floorboard pull-out panel. AC system with cable and AC outlets in every part of the boat. Electrical systems were overhauled three years ago by Berkeley Marine. Dockside Battery charger located in rear of engine compartment.

Fuel tank is located under Captain's Berth; capacity either 42 or 47 gallons, depending who you believe.

Water tanks (2) located beneath salon benches for total of approximately 100 gallons per surveyor. Cold water system works well; hot water heater needs replacement if required.

A set of original schematic drawings are available on request.

All boat equipment, safety gear and spare parts stay with the boat. Personal gear and tools not included.

Narrative

We have enjoyed and loved this boat for almost 15 years, but health issues force us to offer it for sale. 

We bought it in San Diego, and kept it in Southern California for six months before moving it to San Francisco Bay.

S/V Good News is an ideal boat for a couple to sail in all conditions on San Francisco Bay and the coastal areas. There are bunks for up to six people, and cockpit seats for an equal number. Good News can sleep four comfortably, more if they are close friends or children.

In more than a decade we sailed in San Diego, Catalina,  and throughout the Bay Area and Delta.

The cutter rig makes for easier sail handling, with a smaller main, a “Yankee” jib, and a staysail.  

 With a relatively deep keel (5’6”) and narrow beam (11’) the boat handles well on all points of sail.

On very windy days in summer, we put one reef in the mainsail, let out the staysail, and leave the jib furled. We can do 6 to 7 knots with comfortable control. With sails set properly, the boat will hold its course without constant demands on steering.

The boat is ready to safely sail the Bay Area today with no changes required.

 It could be a comfortable live-aboard for two, and we often stay aboard a week at a time. 

Much of the  original equipment has been replaced: including the deck non-skid, sails, dodger and covers, all ports, stove top, batteries, charger, electric head, holding tank, water pump and more.  We have spent more than $10,000 in upgrades and replacements since 2001.

The interior is unusually nice, with all the teakwood and cherry varnished with multiple coats, for minimal upkeep. Custom rope work decorates the mast in the salon, and even a shower and a small wood-burning stove are available on board (we don’t use them).

The galley has a decent refrigerator, storage cabinets, double stainless steel sinks, microwave, and a new stove top which needs to be plumbed.

The 27 hp Yanmar engine has relatively low hours and is in excellent condition.  It has a freshwater cooling exchange system which extends the engine life.

A small flat screen TV, stereo radio and CD player are included.  

The standing rigging is extra sturdy, including running back stays, and most of the running rigging has been replaced in the past two years.

The cockpit comes with a complete set of cushions, and the professionally done interior upholstery is in good condition. 

The dodger and sail covers were replaced in 2014.

Spare sails were custom made for the boat and are included.  We use the older sails in light air, mostly in winter, and the harder newer sails in stiffer winds of summer.

The boat has two VHF radios, one we use only for monitoring weather, electric depth with alarms(displayed in the cockpit and below), a radar, and an old Garmin GPS, a chart system (unused by us), and self-steering (also unused). 

A large anchor is located on the bow, and a spare anchor and rode are in the aft lazerette.

  

To keep the price low the boat is offered directly  by the owners. Potential buyers will want to have a survey done, or if you feel competent to do your own survey, that is the buyer’s option.   Contact for appointments:  sanders.lamont@gmail.com, or 916-207-3194

The City by the Bay

LaMonts on the dock alongside s/v "Good News"





One of the neighbors "walking" her dog.



Alameda, Ca.-- This small island city on the east side of San Francisco Bay was once known for Salmon fishing fleets that spent their time in Alaskan waters, ship-building to support the maritime military during World War Two, and then as home to a large naval air base.
Today it is mostly redeveloped into apartments and homes, a main street lined with great places to eat, and more marinas than you can count on both hands.The view from our front porch, er, deck.

It has become our second home, aboard our sailboat "Good News," which we keep at the Oakland Yacht Club which is in Alameda, across the Oakland Estuary from Jack London Square. That's a waterway that comes off of San Francisco Bay.The small red dot shows Alameda with the estuary on the east.
When we lived in cities, our cabin in the mountains was our second home. Now that we live in that cabin in the mountains, where most of our neighbors are absentee weekend folk, the boat is our happy place away from home when we need to be in touch with the ocean, the bay, the estuary.Oakland Yacht Club's marina on the Oakland Estuary
The reasons are many.
Pat and I both were raised on or near the water, we met and lived in Florida for years, and there is something therapeutic about being rocked to sleep at night by gentle waves with the sound of seabirds keeping us company.
Plus, it is a great location on and off the water. Eating out is our major recreation, and the places are plenty. The club itself offers a group of friends and part-time neighbors who share our interest in boats.
And it is within a short sail from the heart if San Francisco Bay, one of the most beautiful spots in North America.
Last week we took a mini-vacation. We motored out of the estuary, found the wind as we crossed under the Bay Bridge near the home of the San Francisco Giants, turned the corner past Pier 39 with Alcatraz off to the starboard side, and headed for the Golden Gate Bridge.
The view from the cockpit looking toward Marin.

Because it was mid-week in mid-winter, we almost had the bay to ourselves. The cold wind was blowing in the gate, pushing a layer of fog against the bridge and over toward Sausalito. The fog horns on the bridge were blowing loud, warning traffic to be aware.


We turned on the radar to watch out for big container ships that sometimes pop out of the fog, but saw none. Then we sailed back and forth across the bay, skirting the edge of the fog, and enjoying the moment.
The Palace of Fine Arts while the fog lifted

One other sailboat was near us, ghosting along on the edge of the fogbank.

Finally we began to get cold as the sun started sinking, and we turned and sailed back to our marina, where we turned on the heaters, taking away the chill below decks, and headed off for dinner.
A pretty darned nice day.
The next day we decided to drive through San Francisco across the Golden Gate Bridge to the Marin Headlands, the worn-down mountains that frame the north side of the entrance to the bay, part of the National Park system. This is the spot for the most spectacular views of the city of San Francisco and the nearby coast, and we had not visited for 20 years or so.
Standing above the cliffs looking down into the bay, we could see the excact spot where we had been sailing the day before. The fog is gone as Pat takes in the view

Then we wandered out to the point of land where we could see the Point Bonita lighthouse, the flashing light the guards the north side of the bay entrance. Off in the distance enormous waves were breaking, both offshore and onto the rocks.
Point Bonita Lighthouse from the Marin Headlands

We ended our day with a bit of bad timing, but it provided a cultural experience. We were stuck in awful rush-hour Friday evening traffic in the heart of the city, where normal people fear to drive.
We made it safely home after a very slow reminder of why we never enjoyed commuting, but lacking a photo proof of the event because of fear of collision with taxicabs.

It matters not. 'Twas a lovely day on the bay.

Friends, sailing and music

Pat showing our guests the sites on San Francisco Bay.


Gary and Jeri just south of the Bay Bridge.

Jeri hauling on the staysail sheet, trimming the sail.

Alameda, Ca -- Pat and I looked hard last week at all the chores we needed to tackle after a hard winter, and immediately left the cabin and headed for San Francisco Bay to go sailing.
It wasn't difficult to talk our friends Gary and Jeri into joining us.
They arrived at our marina on Wednesday afternoon, just in time to watch the Beer Can Race Series from the upper deck at the Oakland Yacht Club.
We got very lucky and ran into an expert on racing -- he got there too late to join a crew -- and he explained the complexities of the races to us. I can't remember it all, but I know there were four different races, numerous types of boats, and a shotgun or horn going off every few minutes.
The wind was light but that made the race into a slow motion dance. We didn't know or care who won, but it was a pretty event followed by a good meal with friends.
Thursday morning we were up at the crack of dawn (about 9 a.m.) after proving four adults actually can sleep on our boat, ate muffin's Gary had cooked, and left the dock in time to catch the outgoing tide. (I always wanted to be able to say that. It sounds so darned nautical.)

We showed them the usual sights, like the port of Oakland cranes loading containers, and a very pretty schooner taking tourists along the cityfront;

And more unusual sites, like the workers building the new Bay Bridge high above the water, Japanese Navy ship tied up at the city docks, and an amphibious "Duck" that takes tourist into McCovey Cove at the baseball stadium.




And a special treat appeared as we approached Alcatraz. One of the Oracle catamarans built for races leading up to the America's Cup was practicing. You might remember the catamaran from the evening news. Two days earlier the twin to this boat flipped over, throwing the skipper through the wing (they have wings, not sails) and dumping everybody into the chilly bay on national television. Undaunted, the crew was back and we watched her fly along for quite awhile, moving at least four times faster than we were, and appearing to outrun her chase boat.

And we wrapped up a perfect day at Quinn's Lighthouse Restaurant for an evening of Chanty music in the pub, one of the best shows on the waterfront. I knew it was going to be good when the very first song was "Eddystone Light," a tune I learned 30 years ago, and then the rest of the set was all familiar from our visit to Mystic Seaport a few years ago.
A birthday party at the next table made it festive for everyone in the room.
Skip Henderson and the Starboard Watch entertain every Thursday at Quinn's
Jeri and Gary feeling mellow.

Sanders (after a pint) and Pat (after a dinner) also feeling mellow.

Boat People

"Believe me, my young friend, there is nothing - absolutely nothing - half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats."
— Kenneth Grahame (The Wind in the Willows)

Berkeley Marine Center, Berkeley, CA -- Kenneth Grahame knew what he was talking about.

Pat and I just spent the better part of two and one-half weeks working on our boat "Good News." And we are not done yet.

It is currently sitting on the hard in the boat yard, a nautical term for dry land, while a final few chores are being done by experts(a nautical term for "bring money").

A boat is a very personal thing, and we feel very attached to ours. Even the name has personal, professional and spiritual meaning to us. More important, it was named in a group effort with four good sailing friends and a bottle of champagne on a New Year's Eve in San Diego's harbor.

For various reasons the boat has been somewhat neglected for the past year, and as everyone knows, you always pay the price for deferred maintenance, and things do break on old boats.

Every four years or so we pay to have the boat hauled out of the water by a giant crane. The bottom is cleaned and sanded and then painted with a creepy-critter-and-grassy-stuff repellent paint .

We always have a few other chores taken care of at the same time, just so we can spend some more money.
"BOAT" stands for "Bring Out Another Thousand."

This year we began the process by beginning our personal chore list first. That always involves cleaning, painting and varnishing.

This year it also entailed a plumbing job (almost four days standing on my head swearing), lying flat on my stomach and/or face to reach down and check the bilge pump, building a rack for a propane tank, greasing the valves in the through-hulls, repairing a broken drawer (it probably has a nautical name I can't remember), painting a cabinet, installing new batteries (black wires go to black, red to red), repairing and re-repairing a reading light that mysteriously turns off in the middle of an exciting chapter of a murder mystery. And still does.

I changed the oil which is a really big deal on a boat with a diesel engine, for me at least, and started cleaning up clamps and hoses and stuff -- until part of the engine broke off in my hand.
Sometimes things are better left alone.

Pat spent a lot of time sanding and varnishing, the re-sanding and re-varnishing.
Anyway, after ten days or so of that sort of thing we finally got the boat to the boatyard. But even that was an adventure. I was single-handing from Alameda to Berkeley across San Francisco Bay, about ten miles, when the engine started going flaky on me, smoke appeared to be coming from the engine compartment, RPM dropping, and the electrical system threatened to fry my new batteries.

I made it to the boat yard, an hour or so late, fire extinguisher in hand, and just added the new mechanical/electrical mysteries to the list for the experts to deal with.

I am now on a first-name basis with my new-best-friend Howard the certified marine electrician, who discovered a potentially serious problem with the dock connection (as in OMG it is a FIRE HAZARD!), fixed that, and then diagnosed the source of four years worth of electrical weirdness, and fixed that with a new alternator/regulator. Bless him.

Then Carl, the wonder worker yard boss, cleaned up the heat exchanger (think radiator on a car), repaired the device that actually makes the engine stop, and pointed out various worn hoses and clamps and valves and thingys that needed replacing.

Meanwhile Dave (in the framed photo) finished off the detailed work on the hull while Omar watched Dave with an amused grin and polished our propeller and consulted expertly with Pat on the proper cleaning materials for waxing and polishing.

Pat and I spent what seemed like a month putting wax on, taking wax off, putting wax on, taking wax off. Very labor intensive, but worth it when you consider it costs about $700 to have an expert do it.


Pat is now an expert.

After one week in the boatyard we came home to take care of some other business.
Carl, Dave, Omar and the rest are still doing things to the boat. Howard the electrician, smarter than average, took off for Zihuatanejo (my favorite town in Mexico) to go sailing.

Pat and I are now at home watching the snow melt, and planning the trip back down the hill to retrieve the boat when we get the call that it is ready. We may have to rent a trailer to carry the money to give to the yard, but what the heck, it's our boat and we love her.


"Good News" is a 1979 Hunter sailboat, 37 feet long and 8 tons, cutter-rigged and designed by John Cherubini. It is solid, easy to sail, and comfortable. Our boat was the first of this model in San Francisco Bay back in '79. There are still several around.

The original owner was an anal engineer, which tells you all you need to know about the quality of workmanship he applied to every chore. (I was a liberal arts major, which says a lot about my mechanical skill level.)