About the boat
Shannon 51′ Aegean Ketch Rig
The 51′ is a classically beautiful boat. With her long bowsprit and graceful lines she carries a timeless look.
There were many things which initially drew me to this boat as she had several design elements that I found attractive. Including: The sail plan, the rigging, the hard dodger, centerboard, and the center cockpit.
Sail Plan
Being rigged as a cutter ketch offers the maximum in flexibility. The array of available sail plans allow for every wind condition. The ability to balance the boat and strike the balance between performance and comfort should allow for diminished strain on crew and boat for long passages. The Ketch rig also keeps the mast height down below 75′ which makes the boat ICW friendly, while giving enough sail area to provide performance.
Rigging
Everywhere I look on this boat I can see that no expense was spared in the overbuilding to make the boat as seaworthy as possible. One of the places this is evident is in the rod rigging. The Rigging for all the Shannons was done by the gentleman at Bay Sailing in Fall River, MA. Double headstays, double bobstays, and substantial fittings and oversize make you feel secure when you look up at the rig.
“Rod rigging is made of ultra high quality materials and has VERY low stretch characteristics, a very long lifespan, and a minimum breaking strength beyond that of its wire counterpart. Another thing that I like about rod rigging is its sizing method.”-The Rigging Company
Hard Dodger
The more I spoke to people who had a lot of miles under their keel and read the writings of serious cruisers, one of the themes that kept returning was the strain and fatigue on the helmsman. Exposed to the elements and often deprived of sleep on long passages or in times of adversity, many tragic stories of boat and life loss stemmed from bad decisions by crew as a cause of fatigue. A hard dodger offers a substantial upgrade to the helmsman in the battle against fatigue. The hope is that a more comfortable crew will perform at a higher level and make consistently better decisions. The protection that the hard dodger offers will hopefully aid in this goal.
Centerboard
There are many who see the centerboard as a downside in a Bluewater cruiser. While some may see it as one more thing that can break, I see it as great advantage. My last boat, a 1978 Tartan 34c, was a centerboard boat. My personal experience has been one of greater flexibility in performance, balancing of the boat, stability in heavy weather, and anchoring options. The ability to keep the draft to under 6′ will open up many more anchorages to us and make for shorter dingy rides to shore.
Center Cockpit
When I stepped aboard the Shannon and into the center cockpit I felt secure. Like I was in a tank. I didn’t have the high up feeling I had in many of the other center cockpits I was in, such as the Stevens 47. It felt solid.
Another great design of the 51′ is the dual access to the interior from the CC. There is the traditional access into the main salon forward, but there is also a companionway that goes directly into the aft cabin. I first saw this feature on a Kelly Peterson 44 that I considered buying in Charleston, SC. The family that owned the boat raved about convenient it was.
The layout of a center cockpit offers a vastly different feeling interior of a boat. I knew that sailing with family for an extended period would create challenges for personal space. The separate aft cabin that the center cockpit allows makes for a layout that gives everyone a place to go when they need a break. It’s hard to feel “alone” on a boat with 5 people aboard, but the CC gives you the best chance of having that when you need it.
The Shannon Philosophy
Shannon Boats was founded by Walter Schulz, a boatbuilder described as one of the last of a wonderful breed, the complete boatbuilder – one who designs boats, invents rigs, iterates on hull shapes not only computer but also crafts the half models for testing and finally builds the real boat with his own hands. He founded Shannon Yachts in Bristol, Rhode Island in 1975.
Shannons are known for their exemplary build quality. Right from the early days, Shannons have certainly earned their reputation for quality, not only in build quality but also in their seaworthy designs, even winning a nod of approval of Ferenc Mate by the inclusion of Shannon Yachts in his book The World’s Best Sailboats Vol. 2.
To hear Mr. Schultz speak about his design philosophy watch the video below: