1970 Spencer 51 Sloop
Purchased in 1994, FEEL FREE circumnavigated with her current owners from 1999 to 2012, reaching fifty countries. In recent years she has been sailing the Sea of Cortez and the west coast of Mexico, spending summers in dry storage. This is a spacious, comfortable, no-nonsense cruising vessel that is easily handled by a crew of two but roomy enough to be used as a live-aboard, or charter.
1970 Spencer 51 Sloop
Purchased in 1994, FEEL FREE circumnavigated with her current owners from 1999 to 2012, reaching fifty countries. In recent years she has been sailing the Sea of Cortez and the west coast of Mexico, spending summers in dry storage. This is a spacious, comfortable, no-nonsense cruising vessel that is easily handled by a crew of two but roomy enough to be used as a live-aboard, or charter. Her solid build includes fiberglass hull and deck above turn of bilge, with Airex core and solid fiberglass below turn of bilge. She sleeps nine, but with the center cockpit configuration and starboard side passageway there is plenty of room and privacy for all.
With a feature in Boat U.S. during her circumnavigation, her cruising history is well documented. FEEL FREE, her current owners and many blogs have helped to inspire others and to know what it is truly like to be a long-distance sailing, blue water, circumnavigation vessel.
Vessel Walkthrough Coming aboard through either port or starboard side gates and looking forward is the aluminum keel-stepped mast, with double spreaders, and aluminum steps.
Full forward features a stainless-steel bow pulpit with single anchor roller. Deck-mounted Maxwell windlass with foot controls located to port. Center hatch at bow leads to anchor locker. Looking aft, the spinnaker pole is mounted on port side lifelines forward. Continuing aft are ample walkthroughs on either side deck with Teak handrails all around.
At center, the cockpit is fully covered with hard fiberglass dodger/bimini, isinglass inserts and full canvas covering. The cockpit has roomy seating to both port and starboard and a large collapsible table allows for cockpit dining. Winches surround the helm station for all lines leading aft. Electronics mounted on port and starboard sides of forward companionway entrance. Cockpit features two companionways, one leading forward to main salon, quarter berth and V-Berth, the other leading aft to galley and primary stateroom with heads in both directions.
The aft deck features wide walkarounds, a custom stainless-steel arch with attached solar panels above and on sides, and an aft gate with a mounted wooden platform for more storage. Life raft is mounted at transom and forward of the life raft is the traveler for the main mast.
From the center cockpit is access leading below decks both forward and aft. Coming down the companionway leading forward is the main salon with a quarter berth to the port side. Forward of the quarter berth is the navigation station with a settee located forward of that. The desk table of the navigation station folds to allow settee to become sleeping for one. To starboard is another settee that again doubles as sleeping for one. Curtained windows above settees let in ample light. Moving forward from the main salon a roomy hanging locker with shoe storage is located to port and a head is located to starboard. The V-Berth guest quarters are directly in front of the hanging locker and head. Portholes and storage are found on both sides of the V-Berth with the chain locker located all the way forward in the bow. Head door doubles as door for V-Berth allowing for privacy.
Aft of the main salon, a passageway to starboard allows for access to the engine room, galley, dinette, Master stateroom and head. The spacious engine room located directly under the cockpit is easily accessed from the passageway. In the passageway is area for more storage and a roomy shelf suitable for use as an additional bunk.
Taking one step up from the passage way the galley is located to starboard with a single stainless-steel sink, stove, oven, counterspace and storage. To port is a spacious dinette with folding table to allow sleeping for two. Portlights all around the galley and settee allow in plentiful natural light. Another companionway leads up to cockpit.
Continuing aft is a head with shower located behind dinette on port side. On the starboard side is more counter space and storage which was previously the fridge and freezer. Full aft is the Master stateroom with a rear facing double bed and storage to three sides. Head door doubles as door for stateroom.
Main Salon:
- Quarter berth on port side
- Navigation table drops down to accommodate single berth on port side
- Settee on starboard side of main cabin can also be used as a berth
Galley:
Galley can be accessed through aft companionway from cockpit, or from passageway.
- STOVE/OVEN: Force 10 four burner gimballed propane
- ICE BOX: Well insulated fridge and freezer box (fridge/freezer compressor recently removed and not replaced)
- Galley table seats four comfortably, can be dropped down to double berth
- WATER SYSTEM: One manual fresh water pump, one manual salt water pump, one electric fresh water pump
- Single deep SS sink
Master Stateroom and Head:
- Located aft
- Center-mounted double berth
- Aft manual head with shower, to port
Guest Stateroom and Head:
- Located full forward
- Double V-Berth
- Manual head to starboard
- Hanging locker with shoe storage
Deck:
- Maxwell 2200 electric windlass
- ANCHORS (3 total): (1) 66 lb. Bruce with 300’ high tensile 3/8” chain; (1) 60 lb. CQR with 50’ 3/8” chain and 300’ 7/8” double braided nylon; (1) 45 lb. CQR with 200’ ¾” 3 strand nylon
- Anchor roller – single
- Hydraulic wheel steering, pedestal mounted
- Sayes Rig wind vane
- Winches (12 total): (2) Barient 36 primary self-tailing, (5) Harken self-tailing, (4) Lewmar, (2) Barlow
- Fiberglass deck with fiberglass toerail
- SS lifelines, replaced 2000
- SS swim ladder
- Boarding ladder, two-step removeable wooden
- Hard dodger and Bimini, with 3-paned wind screen built by Spencer manufacturers. Hard Bimini added by owners over cockpit; can be fully enclosed in cold weather and can be walked on
- Externally mounted elongated fin keel
- Skeg-hung rudder
- SS stern arch for solar panels
- Jordan Series Drogue 300ft. 7/8” nylon
- Vented propane locker
- Shore power cable 70’, 30amp
Electronics and Navigation:
- Sea 222 SSB radio (1992)
- ICOM VHF radio ICM
- Furuno 16-mile range radar with scanner mounted atop mast on transom
- Handheld GPS, Garmin 12
- Brookes and Gatehouse depth sounder
- CPT 2000 backup autopilot
Electrical:
- House batteries x4 6V (2022)
- Engine batteries x2 12V (2022)
- Solar panels x6, output approx. 420 watts.,
- Schneider solar controller
- 12-vDC power throughout
- BC 911 battery charger automatic
- Air Marine wind generator on 10’ aluminum mast, mounted aft on SS arch
Engine Details and Mechanical Equipment:
- Isuzu DA220 70hp
- 4-cylinder fresh-water cooled
- 500 hours since rebuild in 2006; 6,947 total hours
- Borg Warner transmission
- 1 ¼” shaft with hydraulic shaft break
- 3-Bladed fixed bronze propeller with left hand turn, 21” diameter and 18” pitch
- Honda generator 2000-watt, gas fueled
- Spare folding prop
Exclusions Owner's personal effects and two sit on top kayaks.
Mechanical Disclaimer Engine and generator hours are as of the date of the original listing and are a representation of what the listing broker is told by the owner and/or actual reading of the engine hour meters. The broker cannot guarantee the true hours. It is the responsibility of the purchaser and/or his agent to verify engine hours, warranties implied or otherwise and major overhauls as well as all other representations noted on the listing brochure.
Disclaimer The company offers the details of this vessel in good faith but cannot guarantee or warrant the accuracy of this information nor warrant the condition of the vessel. A buyer should instruct his agents, or his surveyors, to investigate such details as the buyer desires validated. This vessel is offered subject to prior sale, price change or withdrawal without notice.
