Seldom does a vintage, highly maintained sailboat like 'Rani' come on the market. She is a Mercer 44, produced in 1962 and we believe she is serial #1. Approximately 14 were produced, half by the Mercer Reinforced Plastics company of Trenton NJ and the other half by Cape Cod Shipbuilding, in the early 1960's. A Bill Tripp Jr design, she was uniquely finished with a 'doghouse' cabin top and wow, what a difference it makes in interior space and a very distinctive look at the dock.
Rani's first owner was in the Bay area of California. She was an active participant in many local and regional races and due to her Cruising Club of America design compliance, she did quite well. She's had three owners, the original owner who ordered her and then two brothers who have been her caretakers since 2006. Both brothers are highly regarded shipwrights and one brother is still the sole owner to this day.
Enough about her history, what about her? Nearly all the systems of the vessel have been renewed, overhauled, rebuilt or replaced, yet with an eye to simplicity and keeping her true to her period and performance. She is a full keel performance sloop with an articulating centerboard, 44' LOA while only 30' LWL, that results in great stability and sea kindliness. Sail inventory includes a mainsail and 120% Genoa, a storm jib and trysail, all reported in great shape and a cruising spinnaker.
Tankage includes 100g of diesel, 160g of fresh water, a 6g hot water tank that is electric and engine powered. No holding tank, Rani features a Nature's Head composting head. Cabin heating via a Dickinson Cozy Cabin propane heater.
The Perkins engine was recently rebuilt and has less than 150 hours, nav equipment includes a Furuno Navnet GPS / Plotter / Radar; Raymarine ST60 depth sounder, ComNav autopilot and Dirigo 5" helm compass. Ground tackle includes a 25KG anchor, 350' of chain rode. A near-new dinghy with an electric outboard is also included.
So, are you ready to be the next caretake of a lovingly maintained classic sailboat, one that is a real performer and attracts a lot of attention anytime she's at the docks?
One last thing: she's been professionally surveyed, and the few survey items have all been addressed. Oil samples are both good, engine and tranny. There isn't a cleaner, ready to go classic sailboat on the market!