2018 Custom David Stimson Schooner

Designed and built by David Stimson in 2018, VALORA embodies the perfect fusion of classic schooner aesthetics with modern design technologies to create a truly unique vessel.  VALORA is a shoal draft vessel and set up for ease of operation. Single handing is not too challenging for a good sailor. VALORA offers remarkable speed and seaworthiness, easy handling, gunk holing ability, and great daysail/charter potential.

There is a great Wooden Boat article about her from soon after her launching, which you can look up or we can share it with you. 

The boat is 43 feet on deck and  the sparred length is 55 feet. She demonstrates outstanding stability due to her 12 foot beam and 10,000 lbs. of internal ballast. The boat was new in 2018, and is structurally perfect.

She is equipped with radar, GPS, and auto pilot electronics. 

CONSTRUCTION:

Hull is carvel planked white pine over a welded steel backbone, oak stem and steam bent laminated oak frames.  The epoxy coated steel backbone incorporates the garboard plank with the first wood plank glued and thru bolted down the length of the steel garboard.  Decks and housetop are marine plywood on oak deck beams overlaid w/Dynel cloth set in epoxy and finished w/ nonskid paint. Trunk cabin sides, combings, and toe rails are Sipo (mahogany) or oak. Cockpit benches and cockpit sole are marine plywood. All structural elements are in very good condition.

Masts are tapered laminated hollow Sitka spruce bird mouth construction w/ fabricated bronze hardware and fittings. Booms and gaff are hollow laminated Sitka spruce.  Headsail is on a Harken furler and sails were made by Nathaniel Wilson.

ACCOMMODATIONS:

Simple bare bones pine/oak interior w/fo’c’sle, fore cabin w/port and starboard benches/berths/storage shelves down port and starboard either side of centerboard trunk, dog house cabin aft w/engine box, heat stove on port and make-shift galley on starboard, nav area aft either side of companionway.  Sitting headroom.

EQUIPMENT:

Engine:  2017 Beta 38 with 30 gal. poly fuel tank.

Radio: Uniden UM435 VHF

Chart Plotter: B&G Zeus3 W7 touchscreen MFD chartplotter

Radar:  B&G Zeus3 W7 MFD w/B&G 3G Broadband radome antenna mounted on mast

Autopilot:  Raymarine p70 control head w/tiller pilot

Stove: Coleman Triton Series double burner portable camp stove

            And solid fueled/wood blackened iron heat stove w/direct vent to deck pipe.

Refrigeration:  12-volt portable cooler

Transformers/Inverter:  Xantrex Prowatt SW 2000-watt inverter

Batteries: (3)2017 Trojan T-1275 12-volt deep cycle lead/acid house batteries; (1) Ultra Power 24M 12-volt lead/acid starting battery.  

Bilge: (2) Rule 2000 w/Rule-a-matic float switches either side of centerboard trunk

           Whale Gulper 10 MK3 portable manual pump

Please reach out for an article that was written about VALORA in WoodenBoat Magazine and a 2023 Survey.