45' Hunter 450 Passage

Southern Cross is a Hunter Passage 450 fitted out for cruising. She was exclusively in fresh water from initial launch until 2008. In 2009 we sailed her from Florida to Puerto Rico. From 2009 through 2017 she has cruised the Caribbean for 4 months each year and stored on-the-hard in hurricane tie down land storage for 8 months per year at Puerto del Rey Marina in Puerto Rico...just 20 miles from the beginning of the Virgin Islands and the West Indies chain. No damage from Hurricane Maria. In-mast furling main sail. The standard equipment on a Passage 450 has been enhanced by a Raymarine RL80C Plus (10.5) chart plotter and Raymarine 48 mile radar display at the helm and an additional Raymarine RL70C Plus (6.5) chart plotter radar at the interior nav station, Raymarine ST7000 autopilot plus remote controller at the helm and fixed control at the nav station, Raymarine depth/wind speed and direction/boat speed displays in cockpit and at nav station. Yanmar 76 hp turbo diesel with just 878 hrs, and a Kohler 8KW generator with just 946 hrs, two 167 watt Sharp solar panels and Blue Sky controller, Village Marine Little Wonder 200 gal per day water maker, a stainless steel arch, custom davit system on the stern for the Zodiac 9.5 ft. dinghy with Yamaha 4 hp outboard. Dodger, bimini, screens and cockpit enclosures and cushions for the cockpit, aft deck cushions. Magma Newport gas grill, Maxprop, VHF radio, plus many other items. Fresh coat of ablative bottom paint March 2018.

Construction & Design: This boat is comfortable to be aboard, light and airy, easy to handle from the cockpit, 100 gal fuel tank, 200 gal water capacity in 3 tanks. Hull construction features hand-laid fiberglass with polyester and vinylester resins. Baltek end-grain balsa core is applied above the waterline for reduced weight and stiffer sections; the deck is cored with marine plywood. The sump is reinforced to accept loads associated with the keel, which is a cast-lead bulb wing externally affixed with seven 1-inch stainless steel keel bolts.

Two reverse cycle air conditioners, fore and aft, provide cooling or heat. Many items have been upgraded from the standard package including the Xantrex 3212 inverter/battery charger, battery controller/monitor, Balmar 100 amp alternator and controller, dual Racor fuel filters with flip on the fly, FireBoy automatic fire extinguisher in engine compartment, stainless steel rudder post. 60 lb Stainless Delta anchor, plus 22 lb Fortress with 200 ft. of 5/16 BBB high test chain plus 300 ft. of heavy rope rode, fresh water hose outlet on transom, custom stainless fender holders, very large transom lockers, Grunert cold plate refrigeration and freezer, Force 10 propane stove, dining table in salon customized to slide up and down as desired, 22 flat screen TV, Jensen stereo, Ecovac vacuum flush fresh water toilets in both heads, full shower and bath tub and queen bed in owners stateroom, double in guest stateroom and private head. Ice maker, microwave, FireBoy automatic fire extinguisher in engine compartment. Other items too numerous to list.

A structural grid built into the hull is overglassed so that the entire underbody essentially is wrapped, which distributes loads and contributes to the vessels monocoque integrity. Molded liners are used to accept bulkheads and interior architecture, and these are bonded to the inner skins. Upscaled construction standards worthy of Community of Europe (CE) certification for "unlimited offshore use," a laudable vote of confidence.

Enormous wraparound windows bring copious amounts of light into the main saloon, enhancing what is already a very large space. The descent at the main companionway features a quasi-spiral stair element. Before you along the port side are a built-in longitudinal settee and, aft, a terrific galley in a U-shaped niche. Six-person dinette, the nav station and finally a head lead you back to the master stateroom in the stern. Simply put, high freeboard maximized beam = prodigious volume.

The theme continues on deck where real estate abounds and places to entertain, lounge or work the boat are numerous and at hand. A double anchor roller at the stemhead leads fair to a large anchor locker with a recessed windlass, leaving the foredeck unobstructed. Wide side decks make roaming fore and aft simple and safe. The cockpit, a large oval affair contained by the arch, offers easy sail handling and comfortable hanging. The after deck is grand, and the walk-on walk-off transom is equipped with deep lockers for aquatic toys and gear plus a freshwater shower for post-swim ablutions.

Round-the-world singlehander Steve Pettengill whose exploits aboard Hunters Child in the 1994-95 BOC Challenge are the well-documented stuff of legend. In 8-10 knots of breeze across flat water the boat accelerated nicely and held boatspeed upwind in the 5-6 knot range, with apparent wind between 35 and 40 degrees. Given the vessels shallow keel combined with considerable freeboard and a large mainsail.The mechanically geared Whitlock steering is very responsive.
Hunter Passage 450 Specifications:
* LOA: 443" (13.49 m.)
* LWL: 388" (11.79 m.)
* Beam: 140" (4.27 m.)
* Draft: 56" (1.68 m.)
* Ballast: 9,500 lbs.
* Disp: 26,000 lbs.
* Sail area: 908 sq.ft.
* Mast above water: 630"
* Ballast/Disp: .37
* Disp/Length: 200
* SA/Disp: 16.6
* Fuel: 100 gal. (378 ltr.)
* Water: 200 gal. (757 ltr.)
* Holding: 2 x 25 = 50 gal.
* Auxiliary:76-hp Yanmar turbo
* Cabin headroom: 66" to 7'