New Sail - Buizen Yachts

New SailBuizen is a name synonymous with quality and integrity.The Sydney boat builder has reinforced its reputationwith the Mk II version of its pilothouse 48.116

Blue ribboncruiserBy Mark Rothfield117

At any given time,we’ve got yachtsin the Med or oncircumnavigationsLegend has it that an American yacht-buildingguru was admiring a custom-built 50-footerwhen he discovered it had taken all of 10 monthsto construct. “Dang,” he exclaimed with asouthern twang, “it would only take me 10 days!”Eddy Buizen, Australian yacht-building legend,is equally aghast that something as complex as ayacht could be assembled with such ungodly haste.A Henry Ford disciple, Eddy ain’t – his mission,long-shared by his brother Frits, is to preservetraditional craftsmanship and produce world-classvessels that stand the test of time and tide.Under the name Mastercraft Marine, Eddyand Co deliver only three Buizen 48s a year, eachhaving a 10-month, 10,000-manhour gestationperiod. Skilled shipwrights are like proud fathers.Each boat is a thing of miraculous beauty. Nocorner is cut, no liberty taken … if a job’s worthdoing, it’s invariably done well.Since the 48-footer entered the fray some14 years ago, only 30 or so have rolled out of thefactory. Time has been kind to both Eddy, who,seemingly hasn’t aged, and the product. Frits is thehands-on production manager, while Eddy’s son,Tony and Tony’s childhood pal, Steve Howe arejoint directors.Of the 30 factory offspring, many wereexpected to be confi ned to nearby Pittwater asweekend escape pods, however Buizen ownershave had other ideas – these nomads havedeparted for all points of the compass.“At any given time, we’ve got yachts in the Medor on circumnavigations,” says Eddy.“One client took delivery on a Saturdaymorning, then sailed into the sunset for eightyears. He and his wife only returned to see theirgrandchild – otherwise they would still be outhaving the time of their lives.“We knew the boat could do it, but thequestion was whether buyers would go to thatextent.”MILLENNIUM VICTORYDuring the Millennium Odyssey world cruise,many of the entrants retired after enduringhorrendous storms, yet a Buizen sailed throughunscathed to win the event. In the Sydney Hobart,another Buizen fi nished second in its division.Streams of emails from globetrotting ownersfurther attest to Buizen’s sea-keeping qualities.“One of our yachts was just delivered toWestern Australia against 50-knot headwindsin the Bight,” says Tony Buizen. “The twoexperienced yachties on board with the ownerthought no boat could handle the pounding, but itdid. They were blown away with the performance.“The owners were powerboat people, whohad never sailed anything more than a Hobie cat,but they sold their home to buy the boat. Theyhave their life planned – in two years time, they’retaking off on an extended cruise.”118

It’s not uncommon for buyers to crossover from power, lured by the inherent rangeand economy of the sailing vessel, yet equallyimpressed by the Buizen’s performance undermotor and the familiar sportscruiser feel of itsraised saloon.Standard power is a 110hp Yanmar turbodiesel, but the maximum is 160, which achievesthe 8- to 9-knot hull speed at fewer revs. A litreper mile is the rule of thumb for consumption,giving an impressive range from the 1180-litretank.That said, the term “motorsailer” undersellsthe Buizen’s capabilities. This is a bluewater-bredcruiser that just happens to sport a pilothouse.Naval architect, Paul Stanyon, has penned slipperysailing lines beneath the waterline, while recentmodifi cations to the keel and rig have furtherenhanced performance under canvas.A Mk II version was developed throughevolution more than epiphany. Innovations suchas the Leisurefurl boom (replacing in-mast furling)brought the sail-handling effi ciencies so crucialto cruising couples. At the request of a racingorientatedskipper, a low-profi le bulb keel carrying5000 tonnes of lead on a fi breglass sectionreplaced the former cast-iron stub keel – it hassignifi cantly improved stability and pointing ability,while reducing leeway and pitching.Where once a four-cabin layout was standard,owners tend to favour a three-cab confi gurationwith for’ard stateroom, and with the Mk II there’sa choice between an island vee berth or an offsetdouble (designated a passage berth). In the lattercase, the vee is used for a wardrobe.FACTORY INSPECTIONSOwners can semi-customise their craft. Fridayafternoons are reserved for them to inspectprogress at the factory, which has the air of aclassic workshop, redolent with the aroma oftimber. One owner asked for crystals to bemystically placed on the hull’s grid structure …the request was accommodated without so muchas a blink.Every bulkhead or frame is integrallystrapped to the hull rather than glued. There’sno pre-fabricated grid structure or computer-cutpanels; indeed very few templates exist … mostcomponents are hand-measured and hand-cut fora precision fi t.Cabinets may take days to construct, nothours. A curved teak platform for the cockpitrepresents about two weeks of labour for adedicated woodworker. The saloon fl oor ishand-laid with 6mm solid teak and ash; not a thinveneer that’s prone to damage. To the untrainedeye, it looks similar, but the Mastercraft team, andowners, know that maintenance will be reducedand longevity assured.“The philosophy has always been to buildboats to an outcome, not a price point or tomaximise profi ts for shareholders. We can controlthe level of quality in the boat, and its capabilities,but we can’t control the environment it goes into,”says Steve Howe.The Sydney owner of the latest launchingwas quick to recognise the Buizen’s qualities, butshowed admirable restraint.Above: The commanderchair, with all the necessaryelectronics close to hand.121

TESTIMONIALS FROM THE BLUE“As Free Spirit nears the northern tip of Australia, I am delightedto report she is a magnifi cent yacht. As I write this email, Robinis putting a loaf in the breadmaker and we are sailing at 8 knotsin a 15-knot aft-of-the-beam wind. The 51-foot (name deleted)we have been cruising with is slipping behind …”– Philip, Free Spirit“What an adventure, and what a great way to reallyappreciate Elevation!! She is a sensational vessel; extremelywell built, very comfortable and a treat to live aboard.For people who were powerboat owners, we have reallydiscovered a passion for sail and to spend our next 20 yearsor so discovering the planet.”– Jill Carter, Elevation (after sailing from Pittwater to Fremantle)“In 1995, I was having lunch at the CruisingYacht Club and my brother said ‘If you ever getback into sailing, buy a Buizen’. I decided there andthen that the 48 was the boat for me, but waiteduntil I knew I’d have time to use one,” he says.As a builder, the owner appreciated the needfor an unhurried production phase. “If you rushpeople, they make mistakes … and these peopleare craftsmen,” he says. “I now have a boat thatcan go anywhere in the world and be truly selfsufficient. All I have to do is buy the diesel (fuel)and catch the fi sh.”MAIDEN VOYAGEOur test of Tezelia coincided with its maidenvoyage under sail and we were tenderly greetedby an 8-knot northerly. The crisp, white Hoodmainsail rose sedately, its halyard leading aft toan electric secondary winch in the cockpit. Theboom system negates the need for a bag/lazyjacksand the sail can be instantly reefed.The keel-stepped mast is bulletproof,gaining support from twin backstays, twinaft-swept spreaders and Dyform rigging. It hasan inner forestay that can be quickly detachedand relocated aft to allow easy tacking of theoverlapping genoa – a powered primary winchinherits the sheeting duties. Push-button sailing atits effortless best.With 15 tonnes of hull having been motivatedby Tezelia’s 160hp Yanmar, the sails warmed totheir task and the responsive steering helped mefi nd the groove. The hull carried its momentumthrough tacks and accelerated with reasonableathleticism.Harking back to my previous test sail on aBuizen – 14 years ago – I fondly recalled poweringinto a 20-knot southerly and stout offshoreswell at around 8 knots, gunwales down, spraycascading off the bow and sheets groaning underthe strain. This time, however, the 48 surprisedme with its light air adroitness.There are several comfortable perches fromwhich to view the headsail, while a clear panelin the bimini reveals the main and masthead unit– useful for those sailors who steer on instinctCraftsmanship is exceptional,most obviously in the cabinetryand timber work of the interior.123

ather than electronics. On a passage, everythingcan be monitored from the comfort of thepilothouse. You sit in the commander chair, witha commanding view through the wrap-aroundwindows, and an autopilot dial, Raymarine navaids, radios and throttle close to hand.Opposite the internal helm is the L-shapeddinette, its lounge upholstered in leather, whilethe galley is three steps below. The area forwardof the mast is devoted to the master stateroomand ensuite.The owner’s wife jokes that it takes all herwillpower to drag herself out of the comfortablebed. For guests, meanwhile, there are twin doublecabins aft.The benefi t of the raised saloon, other thanthe view, is the spacious engineroom beneath.There’s ample room for the diesel, plus an Onan7kW genset, tanks and all the trimmings. Tezelia’selectrical demands are bolstered by solar panelson the coachroof, plus an invertor, and the owneropted for both a watermaker and icemaker togain greater independence.Its powerboat-like qualities continued back atthe fuel wharf, where a bow thruster helped pivotthe hull in its own length before nudging us gentlytowards the dock.Base price of the Buizen 48 Mk II is just under$1.2 million, which includes genset, thruster,instrumentation (except GPS plotter), boombrake and power winches. The only majoroptions are plasma screens, air-conditioning andicemakers.All equipment is top-shelf. The Leisurefurlboom costs about $20,000 alone. The propeller,a four-blade Tri Stream folding unit built ofstainless steel, is worth $6000. It was selectedbecause lesser props have given vibrationproblems, while these have been trouble-free.Factor in the manhours and the price tag comesinto perspective.This is a yacht that will tackle anything theocean can throw at it, maintain its resale valueand instil unparalleled ownership pride. There isno better-built Australian yacht … indeed, I doubtthere is any semi-production yacht in the worldwith more integrity.Howe sums it up most succinctly: “Oursatisfaction comes from cocooning people insidea piece of furniture. Quality, as they say, will nevergo out of style.” ¿SPECIFICATIONS: BUIZEN 48 MK IILOA: 14.6mLWL: 12.2mBeam: 4.47mDraft: 2.0mDisplacement: 15,000kgBallast: 5500kgSail area:Power:Fuel:Water:Base price:Builder:One client took delivery on aSaturday morning, then sailedinto the sunset for eight yearsMainsail 48sq mGenoa 59sq m110-160hp diesel (shaft drive)1180lt644lt(supplemented by desalinator)$1.2million approxMastercraft Marine, 57 MyooraRoad, Terry Hills, NSW 2084.Ph: (02) 9450 2170, email:sails@buizenyachts.com.au,website: www.buizenyachts.com.au.125