Solaris 57, LETI

Broker’s Comments

A handsome yacht – drawn by Doug Peterson and built by Solaris Yachts, who have been building finely crafted yachts in Aquileia since 1974. LETI underwent a significant refit from 2010 to 2012, leaving little to do for her new owner.

Every aspect of the yacht was upgraded as part of the refit, as a glance through the particulars below will testify. From her carbon rig, electronics and all her major systems. She sports a full bluewater compliment of equipment. An ideal yacht for both local and long distance cruising. Lightly used in recent years for local cruising, the owner is now considering a change to a motor yacht hence she is now offered for sale.

Owner’s Comments

I am the third owner of the boat. She was built for an Italian lawyer who designed the custom interior layout. In 1998, she was sold to a Swiss woman, who used the boat very little. In 2002, she was sold to me.

We spent seven wonderful seasons sailing Corsica, Sardinia, Sicily, the Adriatic, Greece, Turkey, logging some 2.500/3.000nm a year. LETI is an efficient mile eater, with critical speed about 8.2kn motoring, even faster sailing in good conditions. Our average daily mileage when in “voyage” mode has been close to 200 miles/day.

She points quite well into the wind, cutting the seas with a nice motion without slamming. She is a good timeless example of Doug Peterson designed racer-cruiser of her times, like many other designs from S&S and Frers.

In 2009, while wintering in Sicily, we had a leak from the engine water intake that flooded the bilge up to the batteries and damaged the engine. I came back to homeport close to Genoa, and decided to refit the boat in the years 2010–2012.

My goal was to have an “ARC” ready boat, able to sail green water in safety. As a result, LETI passed the RiNA class certification for unrestricted navigation (by far a more significant certification than EU’s RCD!).

I set the main objectives (musts) of the refit project, and some secondary objectives (wants):

Musts are:

• RIGGING (nearly 20 years old)

1. All new rod rigging, got rid of hydraulic Harken furler in favor of manual furler.
2. I ended up also with a new carbon mast, achieving increasing efficiency under sail (you reef later, the boat is more rigid).

• DECKS.

1. Teak deck needed to be replaced after 20 years. I decided to remove in favor of antiskid (better grip, 500kg lighter and less heat).
2. All new s/s portholes and hatches from Olcese e Ricci (custom-made sail locker wider hatch).

• HULL.

1. Osmosis check and ultrasound check: no osmosis and no delamination. Just reinforced starboard chain plate because of a leak from the deck.
2. Rudder disassembled checked and new bearings.
3. All new seacocks and grounding.

• EQUIPMENT.

1. New engine (Volvo 180hp, a bit oversized for LETI’s tonnage, but a treat if you need to power against wind and seas to reach the nearest harbour).
2. All electric wirings replaced (DC 12/24 and 220 AC).
3. All waterpipes new.
4. Mastervolt equipment for charging batteries (generator, 150 Amps alternator on engine) and inverter of 1.500 watts.
5. New 6 service batteries at mast foot for center of gravity, (450 kg), batteries for generator and engine in engine room at raised level, to keep them safe from eventual flooding, and separate battery for VHF.
6. Webasto heating in all cabins.
7. Hot water system: 40 litres boiler can be heated by the engine, by central heating or by 220 AC when branched at quay.
8. New galley. GN Espace Ocean Chef 5 burners with oven, s/s sink and all accessories chef norm, fitting oven and sink, separate faucet Seagull water purifier (no more plastic bottles), sea water manual pump, automatic cut-off of propane in case of leakage.
9. New pumps (3 bilges, water pressure, black and grey waste water).
10. Emergency by-pass on engine cooling water to empty bilge.
11. Double autopilot (very important for short hand crew).
12. Lightning protection (thick copper wiring from lighting rog at mast top to under water dissipating finning copper plates.

Wants are, among others:

• No petrol on board: Torqeedo electric outboard on Portland Pudgy sail, rowing dinghy.
• Radar on backstay.
• Pneumatic horn.
• New electric bow prop.
• Low consumption lights (all LED, included new navigation lights, and low consumption Alpenglow tri-light (high low or red night light).
• Router connecting all NMEA electronics, allowing us to have nav. data on my iPad.