About the Boat
Click to view: Iolair Photo Album
Iolair is a 1984 Valiant 47. She was named "Iolair" by her prior owners. Iolair is Gaelic for sea eagle. We decided we'd keep the name.
"There is probably not a year that goes by that, somewhere on this watery globe, a Valiant yacht isn’t involved in a circumnavigation. It is a boat designed for far horizons and owned by those seeking them out." Blue Water Sailing
The hull was laid up at Uniflight in Washington State just as the company was sold and she was moved to the new Valiant factory outside of Dallas, Texas. She was finished there and launched in Corpus Christie. Only 17 Valiant 47’s were made. She was designed by Robert Perry to be a short-handed, round the world cruising boat. Unfortunately Valiant stopped building new boats in 2011 during the recession, but their factory continues to provide support for all the models they build over 25 years.
“The 47 has an impressive track record. In the 1986 BOC round-the-world race, Mark Schrader’s stock Valiant 47 Lone Star was the only boat to complete the race without stopping for a major repair. Alan Veenstra’s Parvenu has been winning races regularly, everything from the Bermuda 1-2 to the New England Solo to the Trans-Lake Michigan Solo. Bill Pinkney’s record-setting (the first African-American) solo circumnavigation, passing under all five Great Capes, was done on Commitment, the second time that particular Valiant 47 had gone around.” Blue Water Sailing
Iolair is a very solid platform for us, and we’ve worked hard to learn the job of every hose, wire, and piece of hardware. She has two comfortable cabins, fore and aft, each with its own head. The salon settee also makes a comfortable berth. For those sailors interested in the details, here’s a list of upgrades:
2016
2021
Iolair is a 1984 Valiant 47. She was named "Iolair" by her prior owners. Iolair is Gaelic for sea eagle. We decided we'd keep the name.
"There is probably not a year that goes by that, somewhere on this watery globe, a Valiant yacht isn’t involved in a circumnavigation. It is a boat designed for far horizons and owned by those seeking them out." Blue Water Sailing
The hull was laid up at Uniflight in Washington State just as the company was sold and she was moved to the new Valiant factory outside of Dallas, Texas. She was finished there and launched in Corpus Christie. Only 17 Valiant 47’s were made. She was designed by Robert Perry to be a short-handed, round the world cruising boat. Unfortunately Valiant stopped building new boats in 2011 during the recession, but their factory continues to provide support for all the models they build over 25 years.
“The 47 has an impressive track record. In the 1986 BOC round-the-world race, Mark Schrader’s stock Valiant 47 Lone Star was the only boat to complete the race without stopping for a major repair. Alan Veenstra’s Parvenu has been winning races regularly, everything from the Bermuda 1-2 to the New England Solo to the Trans-Lake Michigan Solo. Bill Pinkney’s record-setting (the first African-American) solo circumnavigation, passing under all five Great Capes, was done on Commitment, the second time that particular Valiant 47 had gone around.” Blue Water Sailing
Iolair is a very solid platform for us, and we’ve worked hard to learn the job of every hose, wire, and piece of hardware. She has two comfortable cabins, fore and aft, each with its own head. The salon settee also makes a comfortable berth. For those sailors interested in the details, here’s a list of upgrades:
2016
New Selden mast and boom
Antal track system coupled with slab reefing (keep it simple)
Full battened Quantum mainsail
New chainplates, standing, and running rigging
New headsail furlers for the staysail and jib
Electric winch on the cabin top for main halyard and a variety of heavy lifting jobs
Antal track system coupled with slab reefing (keep it simple)
Full battened Quantum mainsail
New chainplates, standing, and running rigging
New headsail furlers for the staysail and jib
Electric winch on the cabin top for main halyard and a variety of heavy lifting jobs
New Seafrost 12 volt refrigeration and freezer
B&G chartplotters, instruments, and radar
360 amp hours of AGM Lifeline batteries
600 watts of solar power
Viking 6-man life raft
B&G chartplotters, instruments, and radar
360 amp hours of AGM Lifeline batteries
600 watts of solar power
Viking 6-man life raft
ACR EPIRB
2017
All thru-hulls removed, upgraded and replaced as required
Engine serviced and compression tested
Nature’s Head toilet
Hydrovane wind steering system
Engine serviced and compression tested
Nature’s Head toilet
Hydrovane wind steering system
New galley stove
9ft APEX rigid inflatable with 15 HP Yamaha 2-stroke
2018
Jordan Series drogue
Large manual bilge pump
2019
B&G Autopilot Ram
B&G Autopilot Ram
Jabsco marine electric flush toilet
2020
New alternator
Engine compression test and update on bolt-ons
2021
Removed and inspected mast
Installed wood-burning stove in salon
2022
400 ft G3 chain
300 ft stern-tie line
Suzuki 2.5 HP 4-stroke
If you want to learn more about these boats, here are a couple of links:
http://valiantsailboats.com/mac/macval47.htm
http://www.bwsailing.com/bw/boat-reviews/valiant-50/
http://valiantsailboats.com/mac/macval47.htm
http://www.bwsailing.com/bw/boat-reviews/valiant-50/
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