1993 Custom Eric Goetz Sloop

ROUTE 66 is an incomparable 70ft LOA, center cockpit, all carbon/kevlar cruising sloop built in 1993 by Eric Goetz in Bristol, Rhode Island. Designed by B&R Design & Engineering (Lars Bergstrom and Sven Ridder), she is a very comfortable, rugged, water-ballasted, liveaboard cruiser that is easily sailed, managed and maintained by a couple without professional crew. She has a very simple fixed cutter rig with no backstays and a super clean deck layout with all anchoring gear, sporting equipment, tender and back-up rudder in dedicated and spacious belowdecks compartments. All running rigging is fully controlled from a secure center cockpit that has organized stowage for every line. Hydraulic primary winches are set up to handle high loads and the same system also lifts the highly efficient keel, coverting a deep draft offshore passagemaker into a shoal draft cruiser. There is a roll-in, roll-out dinghy garage (no lifting required) that contains an Avon 3.4 RIB with a 15hp Yamaha outboard motor attached. A dinghy fueling station with a 30 gallon tank for gasoline is nearby. There is a fold down step off the transom to the dingy garage and water surface (no ladder required for swimming). She has a retractable anchoring sprit with an all chain rode and electric windlass. She carries only asymmetric spinnakers that fly from a second bowsprit that may be extended 12ft out from the bow. The bright, minimalist interior is home to every amenity, is consistent with a yacht of her caliber and features 270+ degree views from the main cabin, galley, dinette and very complete nav station with an inside electronic helm. There are dual and backup electric autopilots. She has a 110hp Yanmar turbo-diesel that drives a 3-blade, 24” Flex-o-Fold propellor, 4.2kw Fisher- Panda genset, Spectra fully automatic watermaker, reverse cycle heat and A/C, KVH broadband satellite phone with internet and HDTV, Sony stereo radio and CD player, complete PC workstation, fresh water head and space for a washing machine and dryer. All systems are cleanly installed for ready access and easy maintainance. She has been thoroughly tested, continuously upgraded and is in flawless mechanical and structural condition.

Great Upgrades:

Significant changes have been made over the past few years to upgrade and stay current with advances in technology, included are: 1) discontinuous carbon rod standing rigging (Including headstays, this removed about 250lbs from an already very light rig by replacing the very heavy nitronic rod and spreader tip fittings); 2) ProCurve laminated glass windows to replace polycarbonate for reasons of both durability and clarity; 3) modified "V" boom with Park Avenue carbon "wings" for a more efficient mainsail cover and sun awning arrangement; 4) Designed a rugged carbon/epoxy emergency rudder and tiller that is readily mounted on the transom in the event of catastrophic damage to the primary canting rudder; 5) Increased main engine horsepower from 56hp to a 110hp Yanmar 4JH4-HTE diesel engine, 6) Changed from a troublesome saildrive to a standard shaft with full skeg to handle larger engine and new 24" flex-o-fold propellor---this combination enables us to motor at 10 knots at cruiing RPM, 7) Swiched to a Panda 4200kW, fresh water cooled ,AC generator, and 8) replaced house gel batteries with latest model Mastervolt Lithium Ion batteries and Masterbus control system that enables faster charging and longer periods without using the generator. 9) Finally, consistent with our philosophy of keeping things new, this year (2021) we bought a new North Ocean 3di working jib and mainsail, new mainsail cover, new dodger, and new anchor chain and ss Rockna anchor.