MIKE PLANT’S OPEN 60 'DURACELL' – What Next?

[JohnO]

[SIZE=12pt]I bought Mike’s DURACELL from him as he was building his next boat COYOTE. My plan was to do my own, non-racing, solo non-stop circumnavigation. After bringing her to Seattle (through the canal) and winning the Pan-Pacific Race, I brought her solo back from Japan as a shakedown. My circumnavigation was cut short by losing the top 50’ of the mast in a collision with a freighter down by the equator.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]Putting her on the hard next to my home, it was my intention to put it back together and return to sailing. Shore life got in the way with business and family obligations and now age and health issues. I no longer have the means to chase that dream. So what now?[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]I love that boat. I can’t imagine a more easily handled, sea kindly, safe, proven, shorthanded boat capable of sailing anywhere on earth. So a refit for a solo circumnavigator? Or shorthanded go anywhere?[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]Move the helm aft and replace the short pilot house with a long coach roof, build in creature comforts for a fast, shorthanded cruiser or ‘six pack’ charter boat? A Salish Sea, sailing/whale watching boat sailing out of Deception Pass?[/SIZE]

Much of the movie “Coyote: The Mike Plant Story” was shot of and aboard this boat. The movie trailer can be viewed here: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6739894/ 

[SIZE=12pt]In any case, I want to make it possible for another individual or organization to own her and get her sailing again. I’m looking for a buyer, proposals and/or ideas.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]Thanks![/SIZE]



21 knots minutes at a time...

 

[QBF]

Hi John and welcome! I have wondered what happened to Duracell after your Pacific return, now I know. 

However, I am sorry to learn that the boat's been sitting on the hard all these years. When you purchased her, did she still have the "desert paintings" down below, or had it been repainted?

I'm glad you are looking for someone or an organization to buy her and get her sailing again. Hopefully, without all the structural changes you mentioned. Personally, I think Duracell looks great as designed and built.

I had some photo's of Duracell on the beach after Hurricane Bob hit Rhode Island. That was shortly before you picked her up. I am not sure I still have those, but I'll post them if I do.

QBF

Just an FYI: There is an entire thread on Coyote: The Mike Plant Story in the Ocean Racing Forum.

http://forums.sailinganarchy.com/index.php?/topic/166889-mike-plant-project-coyote-the-movie/

 

[JohnO]

Paintings are still there. This photo was taken a few weeks ago. Except for the added workbench in foreground and added small diesel propulsion, she's pretty much as you last saw her. Thanks!

 

[QBF]

View attachment 321026

Paintings are still there. This photo was taken a few weeks ago. Except for the added workbench in foreground and added small diesel propulsion, she's pretty much as you last saw her. Thanks!

Yes, that's what I remember.  Thanks for posting that photo!

When I get a chance this week I'll go through my old photo's and see if my Duracell pics still exist. I tend to move a lot so things tend to either get lost, or get tossed.

 

[MR.CLEAN]

Very, very cool.

 

[QBF]

I had the opportunity and looked for the photo's I once "had" of Duracell on the beach after Hurricane Bob in 1991.  Unfortunately, they're gone which is not a surprise as I have moved 22 times in the past 28 years and that also includes 9 years at my current location!

Oh well...

 

[QBF]

It seems that Thomas Simmons, the director of Coyote: The Mike Plant Story has read this thread (I had been in touch with him on a personal matter) and he emailed me stating he has some photo's etc. of Duracell on the beach after Hurricane Bob. This would be the same incident as I had mentioned in a previous post.

Photo of Mike in the middle of building Duracell. Credit: Billy Black. Photo provided by Thomas Simmons.

 

[3to1]

[SIZE=12pt]I bought Mike’s DURACELL from him as he was building his next boat COYOTE. My plan was to do my own, non-racing, solo non-stop circumnavigation. After bringing her to Seattle (through the canal) and winning the Pan-Pacific Race, I brought her solo back from Japan as a shakedown. My circumnavigation was cut short by losing the top 50’ of the mast in a collision with a freighter down by the equator.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]Putting her on the hard next to my home, it was my intention to put it back together and return to sailing. Shore life got in the way with business and family obligations and now age and health issues. I no longer have the means to chase that dream. So what now?[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]I love that boat. I can’t imagine a more easily handled, sea kindly, safe, proven, shorthanded boat capable of sailing anywhere on earth. So a refit for a solo circumnavigator? Or shorthanded go anywhere?[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]Move the helm aft and replace the short pilot house with a long coach roof, build in creature comforts for a fast, shorthanded cruiser or ‘six pack’ charter boat? A Salish Sea, sailing/whale watching boat sailing out of Deception Pass?[/SIZE]

Much of the movie “Coyote: The Mike Plant Story” was shot of and aboard this boat. The movie trailer can be viewed here: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6739894/ 

[SIZE=12pt]In any case, I want to make it possible for another individual or organization to own her and get her sailing again. I’m looking for a buyer, proposals and/or ideas.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]Thanks![/SIZE]

View attachment 320890 View attachment 320894 View attachment 320895 View attachment 320884 View attachment 320885

View attachment 320891 21 knots minutes at a time...

with enough money and work, that could be one very sweet cruising boat.

 

[JohnO]

I have some recent photos of the boat (less than 4mb jpgs) that I've tried to upload but get a failure note, code -200. Any ideas?

 

[Jud - s/v Sputnik]

I have some recent photos of the boat (less than 4mb jpgs) that I've tried to upload but get a failure note, code -200. Any ideas?

What’s worked for me, if using a phone (iPhone), is to open the pic in phone as large as possible, and take a screen shot of it.  (And, if draired, quickly edit/crop top/bottom/sides if there are borders, etc you don’t like.)

Much lower resolution this way, so smaller file.  The annoying “code 200 - file too large error” sometimes occurs even if the files aren’t too large...posting screenshots of pics seems to work as a workaround.

 

[Jud - s/v Sputnik]

(And, if draired, quickly edit/crop top/bottom/sides if there are borders, etc you don’t like.)

(And, if desired [typo above], quickly edit, etc...)

 

[JohnO]

       Recent topside photos...

 

[SailDesign]

John, thanks for posting this.   I was on the original design team at Rodger's office and had also wondered what happened after you limped home.  

I will let people know she's still here and in reasonable shape.  Would love to see her sailing again.

You might remember me better as Steve Baker 

 

[Ishtarsdog]

Wow, what a neat project, thanks for sharing! 

I own Dogbark/ex-Jarkan Yachts Open 60 that Kanga Birtles raced against Duracell in 1990.  I think Mike beat Kanga by 3 days, if Wikepedia is accurate.  

Dogbark got re-purposed for cruising, and we have taken her to the Arctic and the South Pacific in the last year, covering 19,000 miles safely and comfortably.  Even with smaller sails, these old girls cover water quickly and easily.  My two daughters (11 and 13 now) can basically sail her themselves, with help from one electric winch. 

Different boats for different folks, but I know of no better cruising platform for us.  This era of Open 60 is a go-anywhere-safely and comfortably boat that could be used for expeditions, sail training, or just a go fast and see the world platform.  I hope you find someone who can bring her back to her former glory.  Whoever takes on the project will not regret it! 

As an aside, props, and maybe a starting place, the folks at PT Rigging did all new standing rigging for me, and Ballard Sails did a full set of cruising sails for us plus running rigging.  While the $ it takes to fix up an old Open 60 are real, I can't say enough good things about the work that both teams did to get us launched.  We saw 50-70 knot blows multiple times, and rig and sails were absolutely bomber and confidence inspiring.  So are these boats. 

Good luck, PM me if I can help in any way!

 

[QBF]

Duracell just hit the Facebook page for Coyote:The Mike Plant Story!

https://www.facebook.com/coyotemovie/

Also, here is the direct link to Open 60/IMOCA’s on the History of Race Boats website. They try to keep an updated list on the whereabouts and doings of race boats both new and old.

http://www.histoiredeshalfs.com/Histoire%20des%2060%27/Liste%20des%2060%27.htm

 

[bigrpowr]

Very, very cool.

very much agree.

 

[JohnO]

Does anyone have any other ideas on how to get the word around to a larger audience that this boat is available? I'd appreciate your insight. Thank you!

 

[Jud - s/v Sputnik]

I own Dogbark/ex-Jarkan Yachts Open 60 that Kanga Birtles raced against Duracell.

Dogbark got re-purposed for cruising, and we have taken her to the Arctic and the South Pacific...

Enjoyed reading about your voyages in 48* North.  Hell of a cool boat.

I know the old saying, “if you have to ask...you can’t afford it” —but out of curiosity (since I have absolutely no idea, never having undertaken a project like this), after the boat purchase price, roughly what did you spend to refurbish/outfit Dogbark?  Wild, wild guess with no particular basis!!  $200K?  (If you’re willing to disclose, if course.  I’ve read about repurposing these older Open boats and occasionally wonder about the details of redoing them for fast cruising.  Thinking a 40 more in our budget at some point - I see one in Portugal asking US$65K.)

 

[JohnO]

Is there a way to add 'Duracell' to the tags of the original post?