Out Islander 64 LRC

2009 Shakedown Cruise

Going deep into the Bahamas, on a five-week cruise:

The maiden voyage of ISLAND BIRD (Out Islander 64, Hull #1).

Hull #1 arrived in Fort Lauderdale in the Fall of 2008, and was outfitted, commissioned and christened “Island Bird.” After making the rounds of the Spring 2009 boat shows, it was time for the Out Islander 64 to go cruising in the Out Islands.

A spring/summer cruise is something of a tradition in the Sturgis’ household -- when the whole family takes time together, and spends a few weeks cruising.

This shakedown cruise would show how the Out Islander 64 performed in a variety of real-world conditions. In March of 2009, they cast off for a five-week cruise and made an 800 mile loop from Fort Lauderdale, around the Bahamas and back.

During this cruise, Sturgis says that they anchored out most of the time, spending four out of the five weeks “on the hook.” The big Caterpillar engines recorded about 150 hours of run time, while the Northern Lights generators tallied around 200 hours of operation each.

Jaime and Ryan Sturgis clowning around, as they pose with some dolphin we caught, while crossing the Gulfstream.

The cockpit of the Out Islander 64 is a center of activity, when we cruise,” says Sturgis. “There’s plenty of room for all the things we like to do, whether it’s fishing, diving, or just hanging out.”

Mindy shooting skeet off the stern of Island Bird. Ryan stands ready to launch another clay pigeon.

Island Bird shows her Tom Fexas-designed lines in this profile shot of the Out Islander 64 at anchor off Eleuthera, Bahamas.

Nancy Albury is a leading expert on blue holes. She co-authored a paper on the unusual fossils discovered at Sawmill Sink that appeared online in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. (2007). Albury is currently working with a National Geographic Society project to further explore these formations in a TV special. Projected air date for the National Geographic/NOVA documentary on the blue holes of the Bahamas is June 2010.

For more about this fascinating subject, visit:

http://www.bahamascaves.com

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/12/071217-bahamas-fossils.html

Exploring a grotto in the Exuma chain requires only snorkel gear. Here Greg is lit up by sunlight coming through a hole in the roof as Mindy looks on.

One of the famous iguanas on Allen’s Key in the Exuma chain. This one was almost five feet long.

Some of the best surfing in the Bahamas is at “surfers beach” on the eastern (ocean) side of Eleuthera. Here Ryan catches a nice left-breaking curl on his short board.

It takes a camera with an automatic timer to take a picture of the whole Sturgis family on this deserted beach in Exuma park. Left to right are Greg, Mindy, Scooby, Ryan and Jaime.

Island Bird on a mooring in Exuma, Bahamas. The Out Islander 64 had a flawless shakedown cruise in March-April 2009.

An island bird stops for a rest aboard Island Bird, and finds a perch on Greg’s hat. At the time, we were in the middle of the Gulf Stream, where there aren’t a lot of perches to be found.

Back home again in Fort Lauderdale, after her five-week shakedown cruise. Island Bird performed flawlessly the whole time.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

LUKE BROWN YACHTS
1500 Cordova Road #200
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316
Andrew Cilla
Cell: 954 224 3933
Fax: 954 525 6626
Email: andrew@lukebrown.com

www.lukebrownyachts.com