We came across a listing for a remarkable and unique cruising powerboat that we want to share with you. Wind Horse is a true world cruiser with a salty pedigree.
Steve and Linda Dashew occupy a unique position in the worldwide cruising community. When their children were young, they pulled them out of school and moved aboard a cruising sailboat with the intention of sailing around the world. That trip and ensuing cruises kept them afloat for six years.
The experience taught them a lot about what works in a cruising boat and what doesn’t. They determined that an ocean-going boat should be narrow and easily driven both under sail and power and have as long a waterline as possible for high average speeds and comfort.
Their thinking turned into the first Deerfoot cruising ketch, a boat that launched a new business for the Dashes as they began building semi-custom Deerfoots for a growing group of discerning cruising couples.
When it came time for the Dashews to move on from cruising under sail to a blue water capable power boat, Dashew took the principles that had made the Deerfoot concept successful and translated them into the design for an 83-foot aluminum boat they named Wind Horse.
As you can tell from the photo above, Wind Horse is a unique cruising boat with a distinctive, almost sailboat-like hull. Or, you could say the hull shape has roots in the narrow fast commuter designs and rum runners from the 1920 and ‘30s.
One of the principles the Dashews applied to all of the boats, power and sail, was to keep things simple, efficient and to minimize required maintenance. This led them to build all aluminum hulls that are unpainted and look workmanlike and strong. Plus, they eliminated yacht-style wood trim everywhere on deck.
Wind Horse is powered by relatively small twin John Deere 150 horsepower diesel engines that deliver a top speed of 14 knots and a cruising speed of 12 knots. In many conditions, this is the kind of speeds they had sailing their Deerfoot.
But, with the tanks topped up, and running at 10 knots, again at sailboat speeds, Wind Horse has the astonishing range of 10,0000 nautical miles. That’s efficiency.
While the exterior of the boat is plain and simple, the interior has a high gloss, elegant yacht feel. The salon has huge vertical windows that bathe the large, combined space with light. The glass panels are bullet-proof, literally, and glazed to withstand the full force of a breaking wave.
The pilot house is forward and on the same level as the salon. The galley is amidships and U-shaped, something a sailor would insist one. There is a counter opposite that makes room for two people who like to cook together.
The aft dinette and bench settee have space for six people to eat sitting down and offer a social area large enough to entertain a gaggle of cruising friends for cocktails.
When the Dashews swallowed the anchor, Wind Horse had 60,000 miles under her keel including another circumnavigation.
The Wind Horse concept found a following and over the years Dashew Offshore Marine built 11 64-footers based entirely on the concepts that made the original such a great blue water cruiser. Wind Horse is listed by Berthon International at just under $3 million.
While Wind Horse and the 64 footers are not for everyone, the designs and construction decisions offer a lot of good ideas that we can learn from.
We’re not shilling for Berthon, only appreciating and sharing this interesting boat. But, here’s the listing if you want to delve into it in more detail.
